Doctor and Ditzy’s Science Theater

by Rixizu

Episode 20 - Part 2

Chapter 11: The Leviathan Awakens

Ditzy: (Leviathan) I’m pancake! Er, I mean awake!

        Spike surged with power and rage, dashing quicker than lightning through the village of Skyclaw. He cut down every gryphon he came across.

Doctor: Including the young, old, and infirm. Our hero.

Ditzy: What does this even solve? They aren’t your enemies!

Pinkie: Evil does make you stupid!

Due to his unrelenting hatred towards the gryphon race,

Doctor: It was a bold choice for the author to make every main character an unlikable mass murderer.

he had difficulty telling military from civilian, adult from child, elderly from infant.

All: Our hero!

Ditzy: I don’t believe this. Spike sinks even lower somehow. He’s bucking murdering foals now! Murdering foals! He’s the worst protagonist ever!

Doctor: It scares me that I have the sneaking suspicion that Spike is the author’s ideal hero.

Pinkie: Sure he senselessly murders innocents, but he gets results!

He was pissed beyond belief,

Pinkie: So that makes everything a-ok!

not even the animals were safe.

Ditzy: Mr. Mc Fluffy no!

Dogs found themselves without tails and paws. Pet snakes found themselves wishing they could regrow heads like hydras, even the ferocious battle tigers were no match for this force of chaotic anger.

Pinkie: Wow! That’s amazing...what’s a battle tiger?

One of the gryphons tried to defend itself against Spike, having hidden its family from him. The gryphon screeched at him and stretched its wings outward and upward in a threatening pose, pacing towards him. Spike just roared right back at the gryphon stranger and threw his arm towards it. The arm stretched out toward its prey and clasped one of the wings in its claw.

Ditzy: (Spike) Yoga grab!

Spike pulled back and with tenacity and force, tore the right wing off of the gryphon. The one-winged gryphon

Ditzy: Vowed to sue him for this.

touched the ground in agony and struggled to grip the remaining stub behind its shoulder blade. Spike was far from finished though. He threw his arm out again, still holding the wing, which had been sharpened thanks to the bone snapping off. He threw his arm down and jammed the broken bone into the gryphon’s skull, silencing it forever.

Doctor: And now he kills a griffon just trying to defend his family!

Ditzy: He isn’t going to get any comeuppance for this will he?

Pinkie: (Author) Am I extreme and edgy enough yet? Am I? Am I?

He then proceeded to grab the entire gryphon and throw it at a group of other gryphons who thought it smart to attack him from behind.

Pinkie: Dang it! They should have attacked him from the lower right!

One of the gryphon Generals was watching from on high, the madness and mayhem that was polluting the once thriving village. Having been born and raised in the Skyclaw, he held a fraction of the hatred Spike had towards his kind. Just as he was about to send more gryphons, most likely to their deaths, a messenger emerged with new orders. The General read over the orders and smiled.

Ditzy: They are having a two for one cupcake sale at the local bakery!

“Well it’s about damn time. Captain, tell your men to release the Leviathan.” the General ordered. Just north of the Skyclaw village, roughly a single kilometre, was a large lake that connected to the ocean through a tunnel beneath the surface. The Leviathan resided within that lake and above all else, he supposedly hated loud noises.

Doctor: (Leviathan) Dang juveniles and their loud rock music!

The gryphons knew better than to screech when he was present, but Spike surely didn’t share than knowledge.

Ditzy: He only skimmed through the ponypedia page!

The Captain nodded, affirming his orders and flew towards the lakebed. Three more gryphon guards waited there for him.

“Captain, is it time?” one of them asked.

Pinkie: (Griffon) Is it?! Is it?! Is it?!

The Captain took his place on the dock at the lakebed and nodded to the others. They all smiled with glee before preparing to alert the Leviathan. They took in deep and sharp breaths, holding it for a second. Then, with a loud and powerful expulsion, screeched into the water. Combined, the sound was ear-splitting and lasted all of around ten seconds. When they finished, they remained still, searching the water for any sign. For a moment they believed they had failed, but the water quickly became disturbed and rumbling alerted them of the creature’s presence.  Satisfied with their work, they took to the skies and headed back for the Skyclaw village.

Doctor: Wait, what? No pointless death?

Ditzy: Yeah, I am expecting that one of the them would have to throw themselves in to lure out the Leviathan!

Seconds later, a large tentacle emerged from the water and came slamming down on the dock the gryphons had occupied just before.

Doctor: (Griffon)(Sighs) Every freaking week. Get the guys Gagan. It is going to be a long night.

Another tentacle breached the surface and fell towards the sandy edge just next to the dock, then another, and another. Ten tentacles hit the lakebed and created deep grooves around it. Then the face of the creature rose to the surface, its thick skin glistening with the water trickling down off of it to join the rest of the lake. The face rose high above the water, and soon, shoulders rose up, followed by a torso, the arms of which were the tentacles that came first. The Leviathan lifted one of its legs up and rose out of the lake in a single step. The tentacles slid away from the edges and wrapped around each other forming solid arms.

Spike took notice of the behemoth to his right and roared in challenge to the creature.

Doctor: The Hyperion is lucky Spike is too thick to realize he could just avoid the Leviathan all together and go back to his business.

That roar was all the Leviathan needed to identify Spike as its target. A loud and deep bellow escaped the creature before the two monsters made their ways toward each other, prepared to kill the other.

Pinkie: Spike vs Leviathan! Now on pay-per-view!

Back in Canterlot Twilight was banging on the door to her room, screaming to be let out. She’d taken a less than agreeable approach to the Angel’s plan.

Ditzy: She kicked him the groin several times and spit in his face!

Celestia sat on her bed, waiting for the young mare to calm herself.

Doctor: All Celestia did was kidnapper her and sent her boyfriend on a suicidal rampage under false pretences.

Pinkie: Yeah, some ponies!

She couldn’t pretend to understand how Twilight was feeling at that time, having long since forgotten what it felt like to be in love

Doctor: What is this thing called love?

and do the stupidest things for the sake of that other individual.

Pinkie: And her attempts to date on OkCupid ended in disaster!

She’d seen it countless times, but Twilight’s was the most violent reaction ever displayed.

Ditzy: And Celestia never thought Twilight even knew words like that!

Whether it was due to her tampering with the dark arts or just an above connection to Spike himself that caused such violence, she didn’t know. Even after having explained the plan to her, Celestia had to dodge near fatal attacks from the unicorn

Pinkie: Yeah Twilight! You’re being a total jerk!

Doctor: What Celestia did was total reasonable! Why can’t you understand that!?

until she changed her primary target to the door.

Pinkie: (Door) What did I do!?

Even as Celestia waited, Twilight kicked and blasted at the door, sometimes with great skill and flexibility, at the same time.

Ditzy: Celestia had to admit that kicking the door from over your head was pretty impressive!

It wounded Celestia to see her faithful, yet recently tainted student act the way she did, but war darkened every heart it touched, and she knew Twilight needed no more darkness added to her soul.

Pinkie: What she needed to two raw eggs and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract!

The room was protected from dark magic, and was specifically tuned to ward off Twilight’s magic in particular.

Doctor: Is that all?

Pinkie: (Rolls eyes) At least make it something challenging!

Luna herself stood guard outside the door just in case something should happen.

Doctor: It gave her plenty of time to catch up on her ZZZZs!

Twilight screamed loudly, giving up on the door and heading for the window instead. She tried to chance the fall, but as she leaped through, an invisible force field knocked her back inside.

Twilight had tried everything, from blasting her way out to teleporting, from attacking the room to attacking her teacher, nothing worked,

Doctor: Ah, but Celestia never took away her spoon!

she was stuck and it burned at her mind body and soul, knowing that Spike was needlessly putting himself in danger just so Celestia and her little gang could end the war faster.

Ditzy: The dreaded Sunshine Cake Crew!

Twilight however, was prepared to sacrifice more ponies if it meant she could finally be happy, and with Spike.

Ditzy: (Twilight) Oh, right. Almost forget him there.

After yet another minute of trying all possibilities, including frightening Celestia off of the bed,

Pinkie: Luckily she had rubber snakes on her for just such an occasion!

she settled down and sat in the middle of the room, her eyes closed and her mind working on another solution. Celestia took that opportunity to speak again, having waited silently for just such a moment.

“Twilight I know you’re… for lack of a better word, upset…

Doctor: (Celestia) But I am sure we can have a calm and reasonable discussion about this.

but you must understand, I have to protect my ponies from more suffering, and if Spike has to be fooled into winning the war for us, then that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Doctor: You could have just...nevermind forget it.

If something should happen to him and you never want to speak to me again after this, I’ll understand.”

Ditzy: (Celestis) Can we still have tea time on Tuesdays?

Twilight said nothing as she continued to focus on another way out. However, she took the time to listen to what her teacher had said. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t want to speak to Celestia again anyway, regardless of the outcome.

Pinkie: And she is so not getting the Golden Fillies DVD set Twilight bought her for her birthday!

She’d tried to sell Spike off in order to prevent this war in the first place,

Pinkie: For only 60 bits in 3 easy instalments!

that was reason enough for Twilight to never want to speak to her again. The latest of idiotic ideas was the jump over the line.

Ditzy: (Celestia) I’m telling you Luna the Double-Decker Couch is a great investment!

Twilight would never forgive her for this treachery.

Doctor: Or the author writing her beloved teacher like that!

Maybe you should offer your sister up to the Gryphon King instead next time. She thought as she returned to her planning.

“Believe me when I say I hope for the best in relation to Spike, I really do.

Doctor: (Celestia) Just ignore the fact most of my plans end up with him being killed.

But it’s him or Equestria, and you of all ponies should know what the right answer is.” Celestia continued.

Doctor: Um, er, Who is Queen Majesty?!

Pinkie: Can I get a lifeline?

There is no right answer, she thought. You can’t trade one life for many more, even if that one life was little more than scum. Even if it were King Sombra, or Queen Chrysalis, everypony has a right to live.

Doctor: (Nods)

Ditzy: Wait, weren’t you killing things left and right like two chapters ago?

To sacrifice oneself to save many others is a choice that one has to make. Nopony else can make it for them. Twilight wanted to say as much, but thought better of it.

Pinkie: Because Twilight never gives speeches!

She didn’t want Celestia coming up with a retort.

Pinkie: (Celestia) No you!

She wanted at least a shred of the teacher she once knew and loved to remain, not tainted by the fear war inspired in her.

Doctor: You know, this might have actually worked if you gave her a proper reason to be so fearful instead of tacking it on her character out of nowhere.

It then struck her. She knew she couldn’t do anything to the barrier or Celestia that would make the alicorn release her, but to sacrifice herself…

Twilight rose to her hooves and ignited her horn. The magical aura surrounded her and took on the shape of a sphere, twirling around like mist in a crystal ball..

Pinkie: (Twilight) Now Celestia releas- Hey with this I can catch the college hoofball game with this! Go Canterlot Phoenixes!

“What are you doing?” Celestia asked, standing up and backing away from the unicorn. Twilight knew she had to answer in order for the threat to work, but the dissatisfaction of having to speak to her former teacher once again almost made the attempt seem not worth it.

Ditzy: (Twilight) I never liked you tea! There I said it! I thought it tasted like chalk and would dump it...wait. I’m getting off topic.

“If I can’t see Spike, then I see no reason to remain here, here in this room, or in this mortal coil.” Celestia seemed confused at first, but further explanation clarified the meaning behind the sphere.

“As powerful as Spike is, he might not be able to defeat every Gryphon and when he least expects it, he’ll die.

Pinkie: By tripping down some stairs!

I see no reason to live should that happen.

Ditzy: (Twilight) Well, the new Avengers movie comes out next week. Maybe I could hold on for that long.

If You don’t let me out, I’ll kill myself, and I suppose you, while you’re within the barrier.” she declared. Celestia’s eyes widened with surprise.

“Twilight, surely you wouldn’t?”

“I would. I’ve had suicidal tendencies during the three years Spike was missing,

Doctor: Like we needed a reminder of that.

if I can’t see him because of you, I don’t want to live in this world anymore.

Doctor: (Twilight) I’ll live in that universe with those weird naked bear creatures instead!

And you don’t need me to tell you what he’ll do when he finds out I died as your prisoner.”

Pinkie: (Twilight) He’ll file a lawsuit!

Celestia struggled to find a way to defuse the situation without losing Twilight to the open world, but she was unable to accomplish this task. With a sigh of defeat, she turned her head to the door.

Doctor: Poor Celestia. Not allowed to succeed at anything.

“Luna, drop the barrier.” Celestia ordered. There were muffled curses from behind the door, but Twilight could feel the barrier drop. Just as the door opened, Twilight released her hold over the magic and let it dissipate harmlessly.

Ditzy: That was easy.

Pinkie: (Twilight) It looked like I smuggled that nail filer in my… you know for nothing!

“Would you have really let yourself become a slave to chance?” Celestia asked as Twilight walked past Luna. She stopped half way through the doorway and turned back to her former teacher with a smug grin on her face.

“Is it slavery when you get what you want?” she asked in return. As Twilight closed the door behind her, she had a sinister idea.

Doctor: (Twilight) I’m going to rabbit ears every book in the library!

Using her magic, she sealed both princesses in the room together, using the same barrier attuned to their own magics. She then placed a seal on the door so nopony could enter and break the barrier from within using their own magic. It didn’t tke the sisters long to realise what had happened. Twilight waited for the classic words;

Doctor: (Celestia): How rude!

“Twilight Sparkle, open this door!” There it was, straight from the horse’s mouth.

Pinkie: Come on. You can do better than that. Raise a hoof in the air and screen “Twiiiiiliggghhhtttttt Spaaaaarrrkkklllleeeeee!”

Celestia was less than pleased. Satisfied, Twilight left the princesses to their own devices, making a mental note to release them once everything was over and done with.

Doctor: Unless they create a failsafe in the spell for just such an occasion.

“Spike, we’ll obliterate the Gryphon kingdom together. Wait for me.” she said as she stepped out into the open, saluted by the royal guards stationed at the entrance.

Ditzy: (Twilight) I can’t wait to slaughter more mares and children too!

Doctor: (Twilight) Genocide is so much fun!

Chrysalis was disturbed from her slumber by the sudden movement of her companion. The Angel had sat up and was looking around as if there were an intruder in the room.

“Is something wrong, my love?” she dared label the Angel as such.

Pinkie: (Mar) I want you to call me Snugglebug!

He seemed unphased by the title, still focused on whatever had distracted him from his slumber.

Doctor: (Mar) Why did she get such a annoying loud refrigerator?!

“Something’s happened. The power has shifted somehow. An event I had not foreseen has occurred.” he replied.

Doctor: I thought you didn’t make mistakes Grimmy.

Chrysalis sat up, happily sore from the events that had taken place before.

Doctor: (Chrysalis) Who knew jazzercising was so tiring.

“Is that good or bad? I mean, has this power shifted in our favour or the gryphons’?” she asked. The Angel seemed to consider the question, delving into whatever psyche or third eye he used to view the world above for the answer.

Pinkie: (Mar) Ask again later?

“They have a Leviathan.” he said. Chrysalis considered the creature she knew all too well.

Ditzy: The last Queen kept one as a pet!

“A Leviathan is a slow moving creature with water based attacks that couldn’t penetrate a dragon’s scales, I don’t see how Spike could lose to that.”

Doctor: Or even bother with it.

Pinkie: It has a ten percent chance of dropping the rare Leviathan Scale.

“And this, my dear changeling, is why I am the ringleader and you remain naïve to the important things in life.”

Pinkie: (Mar) I know every Hoofball player stat for the last 10 years!

Chrysalis, although hurt by the Angel’s response, could not fault him.’

Ditzy: (Chrysalis) Nerd.

“Spike just so happens to be susceptible to water when he is in the form he is in now. Should he be hit by water, his body will burn and he will be reduced to a dragon without scales. I’ve seen such a dragon. It was a suffering unlike anything I could hope to give to another.” he replied.

Ditzy: No dragon ever wanted to go out with him.

“I don’t understand.”

“Imagine if you will, a dragon without scales. You’re probably thinking he’d have a surface similar to that of a bald pony, but that is not the case.

Doctor: (Mar) Think of it like a bald pony with a bad toupee.

Beneath those scales are the muscles and veins filled with blood. Think of a skinned Pony, still alive, a changeling without an exoskeleton. Just standing on their paws, feet or hooves would be an agony that forces one to welcome death.

Doctor: I guess the author is trying to balance out Spike’s powers by giving him a big weakness.

DItzy: Even kryptonite doesn’t hurt Supermare that badly!

They would be unable to lay down without suffering as though they were lying on a collection of red hot branding irons.”

Ditzy: So...I could defeat him with a glass of salt water?

Pinki: (Spike) I could be defeated by a sponge it won't’ even have to be an evil sponge!

Chrysalis cringed with every detail and thought that entered her mind. to be reduced to muscle and bone, live through it and suffer simply standing.

Ditzy: Wait, the griffons don’t even need the Leviathan! They could take him down with a bunch of supersoakers!

She would have begged for death then and there just to make sure such a thing would never be possible for her if she didn’t cherish her life and her children so much.

Pinkie: (Chrysalis) I could never live without you Phil.

Doctor: (Changeling) The name is Photocopy.

Pinkie: (Chrysalis) Whatever.

“Please, Angel, help him. Even if he means nothing to me, I could not stand to know something lives a life such as that.”

Ditzy: Her dream of being a world class river dancer would be ruined!

The Angel looked Chrysalis directly into her eyes. There was a moment of silence before he rose from the sleeping chamber they shared and stretched himself, then with a crack of his neck, he sighed.

“As you wish, your majesty. And so, the Angel of Death shall go to war.”

Ditzy: (Rolls eyes) Of course Spike needs Mar to save his flank.

Pinkie: (Author) Only 61 on the Mary Sue litmus test? I can do better than that! Next Chapter: Episode 20 - The Spread of Darkness - Chapter 12 Estimated time remaining: 11 Hours, 43 Minutes