The all too familiar, heavy mechanical noise of the TARDIS made the mare look up from her books, her eyes widening for a moment in recognition and deciphering the meaning of said noise. Turning around, she witnessed the TARDIS appearing in this time and space, what brought a smile upon her face. A happiness that was only brief, for she knew that if he was ever to come back to her to pay a visit, it would not be for a simple visit.

No, the Doctor was always doing things with a purpose in mind.

Turning around as she heard the door opening, Queen Faust smiled upon the visitor.
"Hello, Young One."

Upon seeing her, the Doctor bowed down. A sight Derpy saw for the first time. Usually, no matter the title or standing, the Doctor bowed to no one. This mare was somepony unique. Upon recognizing Derpy noticing his behavior, the Doctor harrumphed briefly.
"Brace yourself, Derpy... May I introduce? Her majesty, Queen Faust, mother to Princess Celestia and Luna. Creator of the known universe."

Derpy's eyes widened in realization.
"T-the the queen..." Without further hesitation, she bowed down to the mare in front of her.

As golden horseshoes stepped in front of her, Derpy could hear that melodious voice again.
"My, what a nice companion you got yourself this time... So well mannered."

She was helped up and looked into the queen's face. The aura Derpy felt was overwhelming, prompting her to be at a loss for words.
"I'm... Uhhh..."

But nothing but a smile formed on the queen's lips as she bend down and placed a gentle kiss on Derpy's head
"Don't be afraid, child... Traveling with him means seeing places and ponies of importance." Gently shoving aside Derpy's wild mane, the queen then noticed Derpy's cross-eyed glance, prompting her to embrace the gray mare gently. "And becoming a pony of importance. Your eye... A temporal violation took place. I am so sorry, my dear, that you had to learn to know him like that." The queen leaned in a bit and Derpy was feeling inspected in a way. That feeling got confirmed when the queen suddenly turned to the Doctor. "She's with foal! My dear Young One! Have you lied to me when we spoke about your kind?"

"No." The Doctor replied on the spot. "Someone caused this to happen. I'm looking into that one as well."

Looking back to Derpy, the queen's hoof gently caressed over the Pegasus' cheek.
"Don't you worry. If my prized pupil is onto it, the culprit will be found quickly." Trotting over to the balcony, the queen looked into the distance. "You risk much coming to me in this day and age, my old friend. The face may be a different one, but I still see the young stallion that got stranded here a few years back. Seeing you coming out of your new blue box must mean that you continued your travel just in time."

The Doctor now approached the queen with a stern look on his face.
"Yes... And currently I'm searching for answers. Answers to the most difficult questions. Riddle me this: How can somepony alter time and space to a degree that several fixed points in time dissapear? And all that without time and space to crumble in the process."

Entering the room once again, the queen frowned in thought.
"A difficult riddle, indeed. But have you looked at all possible ways to do this?"

"What do you mean?" The Doctor retorted.

"I mean that you are only thinking of changing, erasing or replacing one part of the timeline with another outcome."

"What...?"

"Remember your studies while you were in my halls, Young One. Surely you know that there isn't just creation, destruction and replacement. If you think about it, the answer will emerge to you. And this you can consider my only help in this regard."

The Doctor nodded, seemingly having the answer to this riddle of his being yet another riddle. Glancing back to the horizon, Derpy cocked her head in confusion.
"What's that fiery storm at the horizon?"

Coming to her side, the Doctor looked towards the horizon.
"Derpy... That's not a natural caused storm. What you are seeing there are the mere outskirts of the conflict known as the Alicorn War. The first, greatest and bloodiest war planet Equis has ever seen and will ever see for a long, long time."

"A war that will soon come to an end." The queen commented on that, her voice void of all emotion.

Both the Doctor and Derpy looked back to Queen Faust before the Doctor sighed.
"But not to the outcome you wanted to."

Closing her eyes, the queen fought against the tears. A struggle she got all too familiar with since the beginning of this dreaded war.
"Oh... You have no idea, Young One."

"I am starting to get one, but the picture is still too vague! No alicorn alone has the power to perform such a spell on his or her own! Not even you!"

Looking over to the Doctor, Queen Faust had a minor glimpse of pride in her eyes. He surely paid close attention while studying under her guidance.
"A proper assessment, my young student. Yes, I will take the magic from someplace else. A place having little need for it. For it only houses primitive eating machines the size of houses. But this is not the reason why I'm unhappy with this outcome."

"No? Then perhaps the time dilation between the other universe and ours meaning that on their end 65 million years will pass and 1 million here until both universes run in about the same speed? Or the massive detonation on their counterpart world? One does not punch transdimensional holes without leaving a mark, you know."

By now her voice became frail and Derpy wondered in silent horror what this queen could be planning to be so fearful about it herself.
"No! No, no... Doctor, you don't understand the extent of the crime I'm about to commit. I will end this war in the only way I can. I will banish all adult alicorns, creating stars with them."

Shrugging it off, the Doctor went on.
"I know. And this will spark so many populated worlds... You could never comprehend. You will bring the entire race of alicorns to the brink of extinction and extinct several species on the world you're punching a hole to in order to cast this spell."

"But what you don't comprehend is what I'm about to create along with this." the queen countered. "Not only an entire universe, but also something far worse!"

Now the Doctor was stumped. What could it been that he overlooked in this entire scheme?
"What do you mean?"

"I will create an opportunity with the Abarasion spell."

This prompted Derpy to frown in thought.
"Doctor? Why is that a bad thing?"

Looking over to his assistant, the Doctor made an elaborating hoof gesture.
"Derpy, an opportunity is a very powerful thing when it comes to time and space. Imagine an opportunity to get rid of all of my enemies at once. But creating such an opportunity would mean drastic measures." Looking back to his former teacher, the Doctor's face was very strict. "What opportunity did you create? Or will you create for that matter?"

Yet when the queen glanced over to the Doctor, he saw open fear in her eyes.
"An opportunity for a war morale destroyer. I will create the opportunity for an anti-alicorn fighter. He will stop the senseless fighting even if it means for him to battle future generations to come. He will make use of utmost brutality and force to strike down his enemies and demoralize them so they never dare to rise against him again." After a minor pause, she looked down and shook her head. "I created the very chance for the legendary Tilerions to come to be in the first place.

Arching both brows, the Doctor looked at her amazed. This was a whole new viewpoint on the entire thing. Then his eyes narrowed down and he nodded.
"It makes sense. You can only create, never destroy... So you created the ultimate morale destroyer, able to destroy with such precision, that fear would force its way alongside him. Of all the things you alicorns have done, of all the atrocities of the alicorn war... this is the most horrific. You will tear the fabrics of time and space between the universes wide open, causing the crossing to widen and siphon all magic from one universe to the other. And due to that, the evolution of life on planet Earth will skyrocket due to all that energy flowing through the planet." While the queen looked down in shame, Derpy came to her side and rested a hoof on her shoulder.

The Doctor however closed his eyes and shook his head as he spoke with a calm, strict voice. "There are no laws to punish this properly. Not even among time ponies or alicorns. What you are about to do will forever be condemned as the biggest and final sin of the alicorn war."The silent weeping of the queen caused Derpy to look up to the Doctor, who looked down to the two mares. His voice became warmer. "But also its biggest wonder. Anypony else I would urge to find another way, to think of any possible solution. You were a queen when it was made impossible to make the right choice. A situation I myself faced long ago. But unlike you, my unfortune to share the fate I crafted for others meant I could guard over the rest of the universe. Your final solution means the end for some, but the beginning for oh, so many more."

Hearing these words, the queen calmed down again and wiped the tears out of her eyes.
"Yes, our fates are alike, my friend. Thank you for these words of comfort. Yet my only hope is that our other project will come to fruition."

Frowning upon this, the Doctor briefly shook his head, no clue what she was referring to.
"Excuse me? Other project?"

Him having no clue prompted the queen to go into a low level panic mode, audible in her frantic voice.
"Young One? The seeds? Have you not seen the Seeds of Royalty sprout in the future?" Upon hearing this, the Doctor gasped and showed some interest as if he had been around these seeds at least once. This relaxed her a bit again.

Glancing between the queen and the Doctor, Derpy's eyes narrowed down.
"Seeds of Royalty? What are those?"

Turning over to her, the Doctor began to explain the situation for Derpy.
"The alicorns of old had started many wondrous projects, Derpy. Six seeds of royal trees, to be planted hidden around the world, ripening until found, unified and utilized." Glancing over to the queen, the Doctor arched a brow. "By Tilerions, I presume. Your created surpreme being, the ultimate warrior, created to keep future generations of alicorns in check after the war, once the world has recovered from it. That young lad isn't even aware of this potential. You bestowed the task of being a hero and failsafe upon him, despite of his kind being so very young, so very easily corrupted.

"So what about the trees, Doctor?" Derpy then asked.

"Oh! Yes, I digressed. Uh... The Tree of Harmony is one of these six trees. At least this one sprouted in the future. Yet I don't know where the other trees are."

With a nod, the queen continued to explain.
"Together they should produce what can only be described as the Light of Creation, a power able to bring life to the furthest reaches of the world... Or, in your time, the universe. But if the agents of darkness should destroy them or kill Tilerions before he reaches his full potential... This could mean the beginning of the reversal of the Abarasion Spell. Either in the short or long run."

"Then what...?" Derpy asked, not sure what the result could possibly be.

Closing her eyes, the queen's voice became hard and almost bitter
"Then light turns to dark, life to death. Forever. The Alicorns banished into stars will return to Equis, leaving the rest of the universe in utter darkness without the life giving warmth of the stars and the Alicorn War will ignite on Equis once again, ending all life on it. And what was given to this universe will be taken away again. So even we alicorns, should we survive this war one way or another, will perish as the magic will cease to be." Now looking over to the two of them, her voice took a commanding tone. "Doctor! It is of utmost importance that my daughters are told of this and use the powers of these trees for the sake of Equis!"

Replying with a nod, the Doctor gave a smirk.
"They have already started to do so. They have utilized the elements from the Tree of Harmony. I myself have aided them in finding the tree."

Leaning forward, the queen glared at the Doctor.
"In that case, somepony must tell them that there are more trees like that and how to properly use them. The power within them is vast and could be abused. Taking the elements out is not a good thing to do in the long run."

"I'll be right on it." Trotting over to his TARDIS, the Doctor looked back to the queen over his shoulder as he stopped at the doorsill of his blue box. "But first I'll need one last question answered..."

Blinking twice, the queen then cocked her head.
"Well, what is it?"

Leaning at the doorsill, the Doctor looked up to the ceiling
"These Rings of Regnancy... You got any idea what they are? I was tasked to find them by Lord Aranax. But I have no clue what or where they are."

"Aranax..." The queen looked down in thought. Aranax was the alicorn noble she had ordered to house the Doctor. "Could he be right?" Looking up again, the queen's face showed uncertainty. "Young One, there are those of us, like me, that believe that Tilerions, the anti-alicorn fighter will be someone to keep us in check, indifferent to us. Someone to be feared for breaking through the restraints of normal pony magic. However, Aranax and several others are believing in the theory that Tilerions will be a benevolent being, willing to enrich pony society and to protect it."

Derpy and the Doctor exchanged some glances, both smirking before addressing the queen once more.
"Well, you see..."

"It appears both theories are partially right." Seeing the queen's confusion, the Doctor continued. "You see, he battled two Alicorns of Darkness, but he showed romantic interest to several pony mares, among them your daughters."

The queen whirled around, her crimson mane waving in the motion and shot the Doctor a glare.
"Is that for certain?"

Yet while Derpy backed away a little, the Doctor showed no sign of intimidation.
"The last time I checked, your daughters were in a relationship with him and he was crowned a prince."

The queen sighed in frustration, closing her eyes.
"Girls, what are you doing? Aren't there any alicorn colts in this time that you'll have to undertake such drastic measures to repopulate?" Looking down to the Doctor again, Queen Faust then nodded, her face softening again. "In that case, you will have to look around this young man, Young One. In Aranax's theory the Rings of Regnancy will mark the deepest bond between Tilerions and his mare or mares. But only if the bond is the absolute strongest will such a ring appear. If the bond is broken, the ring will perish until the bond is renewed once more. The theory rumors of ten rings. Five for the mares and five for him."

The Doctor's eyes widened before he went backwards to the TARDIS.
"Thank you! That was most helpful!" The being they've met in Golden Milennia... He had the power of five alicorns. Meaning that there had to be five rings from five mares he was with.

"Farewell, Young One. May your path be easy once in a while..." The queen uttered while the Doctor made haste to his TARDIS. Upon standing in the door, he shot her a last wide grin while Derpy entered the TARDIS and they both were leaving. The light of dusk lit up the balcony as the TARDIS vanished from existence and the queen of the Alicorns of Light looked at the horizon with the uncertainty she had for several days now. To commit such a grave and irrevocable action like the Abarasion Spell. To banish all adult alicorns into stars. But the Doctor had given her hope merely by existing. If his people, the time ponies, came to be, then more people would be born out there in the void she would fill with her spell. She then shook her head in conflict with her doubts. These sacrifices would not be in vain. A thought that made it that much easier. 'It has to be done' It was then when the sound of clopping hooves reached the queen's ears. Little Celestia was still up and the young princess with her pink mane approached her mother,
"Mommy...?"

* * * * *

Back in the TARDIS, Derpy glanced over to the Doctor.
"Doctor, how do you know about the Seeds of Royalty?"

Ever watchful of the displays, levers and buttons of the command console, the Doctor shot Derpy a short glance.
"When I first landed on Equis in my travels, I stranded here. That was in the ancient days of alicorns. One of them, Lord Aranax, took me under his wing and taught me many things even a time pony could still learn. He gave me a new TARDIS as well. The understanding of the alicorns was divine in elder days. Like Gallopfrey, their fall was such a waste. Such a great civilization lost forever..."

Kicking the ground, Derpy was partially out in thought.
"If not for their fall, the universe would have not existed in the first place, Doctor. You would have never existed. And we would have never met." Looking up again, she realized that the Doctor wasn't paying attention to her. "Doctor!"

Yet the time pony seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as well.
"Not creation, not destruction, not replacement... I don't get it! What sort of answer does she expect me to emerrrr...." Suddenly it occured to him. "MERGE!!! To merge! Oh, brilliant! The timelines of Earth and Equis weren't exchanged with one another! They were merged!"

Narrowing her eyes, Derpy tried to follow, yet had difficulties doing so.
"What does that mean?"

By now the Doctor was growing excited.
"It means that the fixed points can also be on the other side of the crossing! One alien species evolved in Earth universe instead of ours and vice versa! Obviously not all events since most of history had been preserved, but it explains why some fixed points are out of reach: They are taking place in another universe-" He halted in a moment of shock. "Stranding all timeponies currently in them on the other side. In a universe they don't know. Mapping one galaxy alone takes time enough for a timepony regeneration... And we already learned how vast the other universe is." Looking down, the Doctor shook his head. "No... It's no use... By now they should be dead. The percentage levels are just too low."

All of a sudden, the TARDIS was shaking fiercely, making it hard to stand for the two of them. Taking flight, Derpy looked over to the Doctor.
"What's wrong? What is happening?"

While Derpy had no problems being in the air as a Pegasus, the Doctor struggled to keep on his hooves.
"Something's ripping her out of the time vortex. She doesn't like it one teensy bit! Hang on!"

All around them the sparks were flying and several parts of the TARDIS were set ablaze. The spectacle was enough for Derpy to make herself tiny even when in midair.
"Whatever this is, Doctor... I don't like it."

"I know what you mean, Derpy. There's one thing calling for me, another trying to get my attention... But pulling me out of the time vortex just like that is something only someone with very rude manners would do. Or no manners at all." Then, all of a sudden, there was a sudden stop to all the ruckus and the Doctor looked up from the command console. "She landed. Some place, some time... All sensors have been jammed. Whosoever or whatsoever is out there, it surely knows a thing or two about the TARDIS." Opening the door of the TARDIS, they both looked into pitch black darkness with only the floor partially illuminated by inner lights of the TARDIS. Then, all of a sudden, a path was illuminated by a series of small lamps at the sides of the path. Looking over to Derpy, the Doctor beamed widely. "Well then, this looks inviting."

Gulping down a heavy lump in her throat, Derpy didn't trust this all too much.
"Yes, but why all the manners all of a sudden?"

Looking determined at the path ahead, the Doctor nodded.
"Precisely. Don't walk astray, Derpy. Stay at my side." They went a few meters away from the TARDIS, when the ground gave in and the Doctor's precious box descended quickly into the ground. Whirling around, the stallion grumbled a bit frustrated. "All this effort to steal a TARDIS? And not having the decency to show yourself to brag about it? Now come on now! This time pony doesn't bite. Show yourself!"

"As you wish..." a female voice exclaimed in the darkness. And all of a sudden, the darkness made way to a throne room of cut stone. The hall seemed made entirely out of magic, at least the Doctor could see no signs of craftsmanship and even the sonic screwdriver couldn't find any residue of energy forms. That was until they spotted their host. There she sat down on a mere stone chair, almost looking like a humble throne. Eying the two newcomers, the black alicorn nodded over to them with a genuine, yet somehow cold smile.
"Come closer, you two. I won't bite either." Both the Doctor and Derpy glanced at one another, before they complied and approached this dark mare, who, upon their arrival, arched a brow. "Surprised to see me again so soon, Doctor?"

Eying the mare closely, the Doctor nodded. It was getting colder in the room, one could feel the chill creeping up the hooves.
"A little bit, yes... I kept my word, as promised."

"I know... You are a stallion of your word, you have my respect for that. Certainly a trait getting lost in the future..."

Leaning in to the Doctor, Derpy tried to whisper as silent as possible not to be heard by the mare, yet heard by him.
"Doctor, who is that?"

Harrumphing a bit, the Doctor nodded at their host as a sign of paying respect.
"Derpy? That is her majesty, the Queen of Change, Shiria."

Noticing his passive aggressive tone, Derpy knew that the time pony wasn't at the best terms with this queen. It wasn't fear for his life, nor was it anger. The Doctor wasn't intimidated that easily. It seemed more like some sort of an unwelcomed reunion. Looking again at the queen, she recognized the green eyes of hers. Derpy's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed down as she went into fighting stance, both her eyes fixing on the queen. She had seen these eyes once before.
"You! You were the one who killed the Doctor's clone above Paretoka!"

Not showing any signs of alarm for Derpy's hostility, Shiria glanced over to the Doctor.
"You have quite a sharp assistant this time around, Doctor. She's far brighter than the last one... Yes, I killed the Doctor's double and forbid him to tell Tyler Jones."

This now stumped Derpy and her hostile behavior made way for confusion.
"But why?!? Why make him or anypony believe the Doctor would be dead?"

"So Tyler Jones wouldn't get the idea of counting on the Doctor's help." Shiria flatly replied.

Looking up to the Doctor, Derpy arched a brow.
"Does this make sense to you?"

Taking in a deep breath, the stallion cocked his head.
"Yes, I just can't see the justification."

Looking down the queen began to elaborate.
"Tyler Jones became the Prince of Willpower. That was the natural way of things since his arrival in this universe. Ponykind and humankind learned to coexist and prospered in Equestria. He became their protector and the Harmony Rangers, Wonderbolts as well as the Royal Guard became arms for him to stretch out and brought law and order to those who didn't have it. Then, centuries later, when harsher threats approached our world, his growth of strength couldn't cope with the pace they came and oh so many died because of that. So I changed the timeline with careful study and selective alterations. Some changes to expand his strength, some alterations for increasing his mental capabilities..."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed down.
"You mean altering him into Tilerions!"

Looking up to him, the queen nodded.
"Yes. Altered to become Ponykinds mightiest and most frightening warrior, but altered also to feel compassion for our subjects. You see: We didn't desire a mindless and expendable puppet we could throw at the enemy. We wanted to preserve his essence as a living being, able to love and differ between right and wrong and to be a loving father in times of peace. We wanted a king, not a weapon."

By now the Doctor's right eye began to twitch.
"You convinced him to see things your way..." Derpy gulped down nervous. The Doctor's voice became hard and unkind. Hearing all this angered him audibly. And if there was one rule in the universe, it was that no one, pony or otherwise, should ever dare to make the Doctor angry.

Yet a dark smirk came onto Shiria's face.
"Not just him..."

Another sharp breath was inhaled by the Doctor.
"Even the royal herd... So it's not enough that you altered him after his coronation and coming to power?"

Shiria's face sobered up and she made an explaining hoof gesture.
"That's his role in our universe."

Narrowing his eyes, the face of the Doctor grew grim.
"To be your accessory to murder against those who oppose harmony?"

A heavy sigh escaped Shiria and she nodded in confirmation.
"Yes... Whosoever opposes harmony must be penalized, including us. It is the only way we, the remaining alicorns can coexist with the rest of the universe. He is the one force to oppose us, to keep us in check. A neccessary evil since our numbers are growing again. Three fillies and one colt are the basis for a repopulation effort. And the colt already got somepony among the star ponies, pressing the issue further."

Derpy couldn't stand idly by saying nothing to all of this anymore. Stomping her hoof down, she shook her head.
"Did you not consider the morale cost of what you were doing? Tyler Jones was always nice to the ponies of Equestria! He's a good friend!"

"I'm quite sure he is..." Shiria retorted, "...but this goes beyond him being nice. He needs to be able to fight for those who rely on him."

"He saved you from the existence as a Changeling!" Derpy countered. Shiria now stood up with an angered glare on her face, yet the Pegasus stood her ground."I Just can't understand how you can talk about him with such indifference?"

"We all paid our price for the things we did, didn't we, Derpy Hooves?" Passing her, the pegasus mare could see that one wing of the queen had been crippled, denying her the ability to fly in battle. Derpy looked at the ground for a moment, realizing the meaning of these words. It was true, she had paid her price with the alteration of her eye by the grey stallions for helping the Doctor and in the process, became the Eye of Time and thus was a target now for those who wish to harm the Doctor. But how was this mare any better than her?

Whirling around, Derpy now gritted her teeth. "An injury? Is that all? I've been through more with the Doctor! What do you know about sacrifice?" Stopping in her motion, Shiria stood perfectly still and for a moment while her horn charged up, Derpy feared she would have crossed a line.

Shiria's horn charged up and in the very next moment, the dark scenery of the cave they were in before vanished and made way for a brightly lit throne room, bathed in an almost divine golden light. A bright figure stood in front of a throne, surrounded by the alicorn mares Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Twilight. Looking down to Shiria, this figure pointed a finger at her. Five precious looking rings rested on the fingers, including the thumb. Each of the mares had a ring resting at the base of her horn, each one different from the others, yet complementing her respective tiara.
"Shiria! By our own laws we are strictly forbidden to interfere with the progress of the mortal ponies. Especially within the frail fabrics of time! Yet in aiding Nova with her misguided plans, you have done so! Brazenly!"

Facing the others, Shiria pointed back at Tilerions.
"All I am guilty of, Tilerions, is not accepting the millions dead over the ages. Millions we could have saved! I utilized the princess, yes! But I did so to bring change for the better into the past, while you all were hiding behind the comfort of Golden Millenia!"

There came a certain uproar of hostile arguments among the queens before Tilerions himself rose from the throne.
"Silence!!!" Leaping down to Shiria, the bright figure took her throat into a tight grasp. "I've had enough of your transgressions, endangering all of our sacrifices and hard work along the ages. Too long I've watched you, doing nothing to stop you! Time to correct your attitude... Do not believe I have forgotten what was taken from the rest of this herd! Now things are becoming clear for me..." Upon uttering these words, a spear of pure light formed into the other hand of the bright figure. But before the spear came to a use, Shiria had kicked herself free and performed a somersault to get to some distance. Glares were exchanged within the herd.

Lowering her horn to combat height, Shiria showed clearly that she was willing to utilize it if need be.
"Even with all our might at your disposal you can not alter my stance on this, beloved! None of you can! I am Change itself! We were meant for more than this. To protect and guide those under our divine rule. As many of them as we possibly can! But if our foolish laws bind you to choose standstill and inaction over me, then I will no longer stand as one of your queens..."

Taking a step back in shock, Derpy gasped as the vision blurred for a moment.
"You chose... to deny them your strength and love... weakening him!"

One of the king's five rings dissolved around his finger and its particles returned to the alicorn mare.
"No! Our bond is breaking! What have you done?!?"

Trotting away from the herd, Shiria shook her head as she left, never to look back.
"What was long overdue, beloved..."

Once the vision had ended, the queen's teary eyes closed with her head shaking.
"Yes, I chose to oppose the king, my husband. Thus I left the royal herd and weakened the protector of the realm. Willingly. Possibly causing the downfall of Golden Millenia. Because change is the only constant I am willing to accept in this, our universe."

But the Doctor wasn't so easily persuaded.
"So you are forcing one man through cruelty and pain to forge him into something he should be earlier in your eyes?"

Shiria deeply sighed and approached a pool of water, her voice calm and peaceful
"Doctor, who are you to question one million years of peaceful rule...? I crafted these alterations so very carefully, researched and tried so many, many times to create this peace... Can you showcase a similar success?"

Stomping his hoof down, the Doctor shook his head, his voice now becoming louder.
"This is peace based on a perversion of every temporal law I know!"

In the next moment, the Doctor was in the tight grasp of her alicorn magic and pulled directly to her. Glaring into his face, she gritted her teeth, her voice suddenly cold as liquid nitrogen.
"And what is time travel?!? But your pathetic attempt to have a say in the worlds around you, Doctor! Your puny little attempt to flee from your own sordid past! Do you really think I don't know what you have done, Oncoming Storm? I have studied your path deeper than anyone else in the entire universe. All its cruelty... all its cowardice... The Royal Herd had access to your nightmares... Your dreams! You're a timepony stallion haunted by the two most terrifying words..." Looking deep into his eyes, Shiria then softened her voice, the words flowing out of her lips like sweet poison. "What... if...? What if Gallopfrey would have never been destroyed? What if you would have destroyed the Daleks in their wake on Skaro?"

Next another scene became visible in front of them. Not the marble halls of Canterlot or any other throne room. It was a garden. Green and bountiful. Approaching the scene, the Doctor heard something that made his two hearts almost skipped a beat or two. It was the laughter of children. Stepping closer, he saw Derpy surrounded by three of them. A filly, almost a young mare, a colt and another, younger filly. These were their children. Taking notice of him, the colt called over to him.
"Daddy! Daddy! Come play with us!" Looking over to Derpy, the Doctor saw her returning the glance. A glance full of joy and happiness. Not of worry, not of fear of any of the terrors they always faced. A feeling of satisfaction filled him as he saw that smile of hers.

Shiria's voice became audible in his mind, warm and motherly.
"A peaceful life with the mare you love, watching your foals grow up... A life full of happiness and joy for the both of you..." Now the illusion about them turned dark blue and finally dark red as countless of planets were depicted burning. Her voice was now as cold as liquid nitrogen. "But if you would... Oh, how the universe would suffer. Your happiness would make you deaf for the screams of agony on millions of worlds. Septillions who call out for you as your enemies devour them alive!"

When Derpy awoke from this illusion, tears had run down her cheeks. Tears of joy, now followed by hot tears of sheer hatred. Yet still, Shiria continued. "The both of you can never have what you crave for the most... for the price would be unbearable." Looking over to the Doctor, Derpy saw tears running down his cheeks as well, his teeth clenched together. She knew that face. He was furious.
"The unhappiness of the few for the sake of the universe... Doctor. Who, if not you can I expect to understand this?"

Shivering, the Doctor closed his eyes and took a deep breath in.
"This explains your motivation... but it doesn't justify the means. And you keep creating new problems..." By now he was pointing at Derpy.

"W-what?" Uncertain what the Doctor meant, the Pegasus shrank a little in fear. Was something not right with her?

Queen Shiria, however, waved the thought away as to feign knowing nothing about the accusations brought up against her.
"I did nothing... And I have no idea what you are talking about, Doctor."

Giving her a sneer, the Doctor briefly shook his head.
"Oh, yes you do have! Normally time ponies are barren! Normally there would be no way Derpy could have get pregnant from me, except someone altered me. Even a time pony has to sleep at some point. So someone... or somepony with the special talent for 'changing' things... had every opportunity to alter me without me noticing anything. And Derpy was still thinking that I was barren. Quite a scheme you've laid out there, your highness..."

Derpy's eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat as she glanced over to the queen.
"Is that true?"

Arching her brows, the queen smirked as if she wasn't expecting this outcome.
"Magnificent... I wasn't sure if she would go for it. But the fact that it worked made her that much more important."

Now stepping between Derpy and the queen, the Doctor's eyes narrowed down to a hostile degree.
"I wasn't mad at her. She was just giving in to her feelings. And normally this would have resulted in nothing. But the result is neither her fault nor mine... It is yours! You've done enough damage already... If you continue to mess with Derpy or our foal, you can believe that I myself will become a problem for Golden Millenia and your aspirations! You don't want that to happen..."

Eying the Doctor with caution, the queen then nodded.
"Alright... Alright! The mare is of no importance to me if meddling with her from now on turns you into an enemy. You're a greater asset as an ally than as an enemy." Nodding behind them, Shiria then charged her horn. "However, you two have overstayed your welcome. You've had your answers, Doctor... I suggest you take them and leave this time." The TARDIS was lifted up into sight again and its open doors lured the timetravelers back. "Leave this time and never come back. Forget about Tilerions. His timeline is too important, even for you."

Lowering her voice, Derpy briefly shook her head while glancing over to the Doctor.
"Doctor, we can't just let her bring so much misery to Tyler Jones."

Looking to the front at his TARDIS, he nodded.
"I know, Derpy..." Stopping at the doorsill to the TARDIS, the Doctor then halted. Turning his head around, he gave the queen a final glance. "What guarantee do I have that you won't bother us again?"

"I'm afraid that there is no guarantee I can give you, Doctor..." Coming closer, the queen stepped towards them. "You travel trough time and space, I alter time from a stationary point in time... Our methods may be different, but in the end we both want a brighter future..." Now standing in between the two of them, the queen gave them a genuine smile. A smile they both couldn't reply to wholeheartedly. "Even without time machines like your TARDIS we're all time travelers in a way, aren't we? The time machines bringing us back into the past are memories. And those bringing us into the future are dreams..."

The Doctor closed his eyes. She was way too powerful and even attempting to bring her down was bound to be fruitless. But if not able to bring her down, he should be able to stall her until the royal herd would come to their senses. A smirk formed on his lips.
"You forgot one thing..."

Arching a brow in wonder, Shiria cocked her head, puzzled what could have slipped her mind.
"Hm?"

Looking up, a fat grin was on the Doctor's face.
"What if?" And as on cue, Derpy and the Doctor gave the queen a forceful push into the TARDIS, causing her to roll over the ground. Slamming the door shut behind them, the Doctor galloped over to the control console. With a swift movement, the TARDIS was started and sped up through time and space.
"Did you really think that I as a time pony could allow you to do all that to this man? To change time to that degree?"

Stemming herself up, the queen growled in anger, facing the two time travelers.
"You little fools! These changes? It is absolutely NECCESSARY that they happen!!! Millions will be saved!!!" Lifting the Doctor up with her own hoof, Queen Shiria gritted her teeth. "And I won't let you undo this! I'd rather get rid of you!"

The first punch made Derpy gasp in shock. Her Doctor had hit a mare. An evil mare, but still a mare. That the situation was so dire and dangerous made the gray mare gulp in silence. And even the queen's eyes were wide in surprise. That changed, however, when the Doctor punched her a second time, bringing a dark smirk onto her face. No harm could ever be done to her by him, her being an alicorn.

Tossed by her through the TARDIS, the Doctor slid over the ground, Derpy coming to his aid, calling out for him in worry. But the stallion shoved her behind himself to shield her from the Alicorn of Darkness in front of them. Slowly approaching them as the TARDIS fell through the time vortex, Shiria's eyes and horn began to glow. The flickering lights of the control room flashed up every now and then as her horn charged up.

"I've swatted away so many obstacles to change the future for the better... The Cyberponies, the weeping Pegasi, the Daleks... For thousands of years I scared off the spacefaring species in order for Equis to develop undisturbed. I even left the royal herd, abandoning the man I love! Do you really think I would hesitate to swat you two aside if you dare to stand in my way?"

Raising his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor switched it to maximum just in time when her magic was shot at them, causing the small utility to screech loudly as the destructive magic now shot at them was converted into pressure, pressing both him and Derpy into one of the walls of the TARDIS.
"Since you know of our impact in time? Certainly!" His shivering hoof made the Doctor realize that they couldn't withstand this for much longer. The sonic screwdriver could never hope to pose a proper defense against an alicorn that was fighting seriously. But it was so much longer than it should normally be, her levels of power considered. She could easily utilize more magic, even in her wounded state. An amount of magic that would turn them into a bloody pulp on the TARDIS wall. "You're able to do much more! You could kill us on the spot! So why don't you do it?" But when he saw her grinning face, his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "No... Derpy, she's stalling us!"

Throwing her head back in roaring laughter, the Qeen of Change shook her head, her victory already certain, the magic attack ceased now.
"Right you are, Doctor! The worst change is yet to occur! Ahh... and don't you get your hopes up you could stop that. I arranged it moments before you two arrived. And the resulting death and misery will change him into the king he needs to be. Decades before the natural chain of events. I saw the result, which settles it. The Rebirth is now unavoidable! Even for somepony like you, Doctor!"

Suddenly, a distressed beeping came from the command console, causing Derpy to shoot a glance at it. And what she saw alarmed her.
"Doctor! It says we're about to crash into a timelocked timeframe!"

Turning around, the Queen shot a glance at the console.
"WHAT?!?" Turning to the Doctor again, her horn supercharged this time, readying herself for the killing blow. "Why you little... What are you trying to pull-" But before she could recognize what was happening, the Doctor had pointed the sonic screwdriver towards the exit door and opened it via remote, causing Shiria, standing right next to it to be sucked out into the vacuum near the moon of Equis.

A second later, the door closed and the doctor let out a sigh of relief.
"You out of my TARDIS..."

Peeking up behind the Doctor's shoulder, Derpy looked to the door.
"Is she dead?"

Helping Derpy up, the Doctor inspected her for injuries. While he found none on the surface, he waved his sonic screwdriver over her belly to see if the foal was alright. Another sigh of relief escaped him when he saw that nothing worrying had occured.
"No... She's floating towards the moon of Equis. There, she will stand before the king to be trialed for her temporal crimes. Hopefully. Still, we lost a lot of time with her. We attempted to stall her, but in the end, it was the other way around. She planned and executed an assassination attempt! But on who I am not certain yet. But we will find out sooner or later."

Just as he attempted to return to the command console, Derpy glanced after him.
"Wait a second! I mean... She said she did this to save millions. Doctor... Maybe she had-"

Yet the timepony stallion shook his head.
"No! Derpy, don't be fooled!"

"But what if she really had the best-"

Now the Doctor's voice became very strict.
"Let me tell you a thing about 'best intentions', Derpy! The ugliest things in pony and human history were done in 'best intentions'..." Suddenly the Doctor became quite silent. "I ended the timewar with 'best intentions'. And what did it bring? The rest of the universe lived on, but 2.47 billion children were left to die on Gallopfrey. That's what my best intentions meant for all these colts and fillies. For the survival of the universe I had to commit genocide on two species. Maybe several quintillion lives of the rest of the universe beg to differ, but from what I know? I'm the sole survivor getting away with murder."

Derpy looked down, glum. The Doctor never liked talking about the time war. She knew he could be angry, outright furious. Some even dared to call the Doctor an agent of destruction, but she never believed in that. For somepony regretting all these terrible things to the extent the Doctor regrets them could never be evil to the core. She knew the Doctor remembered these days of peace and tranquil on his homeplanet Gallopfrey. Even a stallion torn by so much misery and adventure had to long for something.
"The things she showed us... That illusion... Doctor... Do you really feel that way?

"I... er..."

Now coming to his side, it was her turn to be strict with him. Tapping his chest with her hoof twice, she shot an angered glare up his face.
"It's too late to push me away in order to protect me from the monsters, Doctor. She may have altered you, but this means that this foal growing inside me is yours as well. So spill the beans, buster! You owe me at least that!"

Hanging his head in defeat, the Doctor then finally nodded.
"Truth is... What point was there to pursuit a relationship when no foal could result of it? I couldn't use you like that, you know that." Looking up to the ceiling, he hummed in thought. "Although I must say that this barren state always protected me from the consequences of this heat state. It's been a long time since I had one. I hope it's not endangering anything...

With a playful chuckle, Derpy then turned her back to him, a shy glance over the shoulder following a slight blush and a wink.
"Oh, you have somepony quite capable and eager to assist you with that problem, should it come across..."

Whirling around, the Doctor stammered for the right words.
"Derpy, I-"

But with a swift move she had lifted the tip of her hoof to his lips.
"No! Hush! Don't ruin it! It may not be a perfect or safe place to be pregnant at your side, but nothing makes my heart race even faster. Where would a timepony foal be safer than inside this TARDIS of yours? And you? You will fight even harder for a universe at peace with a child of your own on the line." The Doctor grumbled a bit, much to Derpy's delight. Couldn't argue against that.

* * * * *

Borderstation AEGIS Research Facility, Florida

The helicopter landed on the helipad and General Julius Livingston stepped outside. He was in a fowl mood, for he was tasked to run an errand. The extraction team that brought Agent Hopkins in from a crossing portal at the edge of Death Valley near Shoshone had brought the CIA agent back to civilization and his report and recovered data were transferred to AEGIS. Now, copies of said report files as well as some data sheets were transferred to the biggest member nations supporting AEGIS in order to stay on record. Great efforts were undertaken to ensure that this information was completely safe. It was deemed too valuable for email- or sattelite communication, nothing to intercept the information of this report, it was deemed too important to go out to the public in any shape or form.

That was that his plane was escorted by two fighter jets and his helicopter by two gunships. Livingston understood the justification for the need for all that. This time it wasn't just labcoat talk he was always tempted to roll his eyes at when someone tried to explain to him that dry crap no normal mortal could understand. Theories were already widespread inside the AEGIS organization and reached from wormholes to alternative dimensions, not to forget the string tunneling. Each theory with so much math a normal person would go dizzy after five minutes.

But this was different. It was the actual report from someone who went to the other side. A field report from another world. An exciting and at the same time frightening thing for him. Bronson was a general like him, yet from the United Kingdom. They both knew each other on a first name basis due to some joint operations and the occasional meeting on some conferences. After exchanging pleasantries, Bronson cut right to the chase.
"Were you already briefed on the report?"

"No, not yet. All details of the report are on a need to know basis." Livingston answered, "As far as I know, I am here to to collect these reports, study them after being shown other several important issues and bring them home so that the Commander-in-Chief can get the right picture. With this househould there is no room for wasted finances."

Bronson nodded and remembered some of the facts given in the report.
"I heard they got your man found out rather quickly.

Livingston nodded as well, but his facial expression darkened. It was unusual to have a cover blown so quickly.
"I was told the same thing, but this doesn't make sense. They find out about our agent and send him back to Earth? No accusations, no threats, no nothing?"

"Well, maybe they have their hands full with whatever happens over there, already. So they send him home, yes. After interrogation of course. Word is some parts of his report were altered, some notified as deleted. Your man stated that they found out about him due to... his dreams."

Livingston looked over to him again, doubt in his eyes.
"What?"

Yet Bronson shook his head with a smile.
"I kid you not, Julius. He claims that one of them has the ability to monitor dreams."

"If that is true, then this poses a new difficulty level to espionage as we know it."

"Yes, Makes you wish you could go against the soviets again instead of this." Both men chuckled and exchanged some nods before entering a room with two further men.

Livingston only knew one of them well. Meier, a general from Germany was talking to another general, who was from Russia. Livingston didn't know much about him, only his name. Stanislav Gerzenko. Upon stepping closer, Gerzenko took notice of them and nodded with a smirk.
"Ah, the colleagues from America and the United Kingdom. Quite extraordinary that we four are meeting here today. Don't you think?"

Livingston arched a brow, but remained calm.
"I am not here to discuss policies, Gerzenko. I'm only here to play errand boy."

"Of course," Gerzenko countered, a heavy georgic accent in his voice, "that's what I am here for as well. However, I dare to say that I find it most refreshing that our nations are actually preparing Earth's defenses side by side and not fighting over minor disputes.Especially considering the clashes our nations were having with one another in the past."

Meier nodded in agreement.
"It should have been like that all the time. The world used to be whole. Unfortunately, men like us were always on different sides of the board in this game we call warfare. It often divided us from one another. But with this alien threat, it's actually strange in a way to see mankind so united all of a sudden."

Bronson took a look around.
"We lacked a common enemy. Someone no single nation could stand up against. I hear you, it's quite odd to see the world as whole as it is today instead of divided into several nations. But men like us have always known that peace can only last until the next war. Now, this war may come from a place we can't simply drop some bombs onto."

Another voice now sounded off, causing the four men to look toward the two newcomers, a bald, old man and a middle aged woman in labcoats.
"Or maybe we'll forget the whole bomb thing and focus on other means to strike back."

Livingston harrumphed as he inspected the both of them.
"You must be our AEGIS contacts who will hand over the reports and showcase the data not mentioned yet in said report."

The old man grinned widely while holding out his hand, presenting the reports on a nearby table.
"Guilty as charged. The reports are right here. But first: I am Doctor Eduard van Stetten and this here is my American colleague, Doctor Andrea Borielli. She's in charge for the biology R&D department in our small facility here while I'm responsible for the engineering R&D department."

Hands were shaken and Bronson nodded over to Borielli.
"Doctor Borielli, Doctor van Stetten, my pleasure. Doctor Borielli, I've read your previous reports on the subjects and samples from these insectoid creatures. Most interesting read."

After shaking hands, Borielli took out her lighter to light herself a smoke.
"Sure thing, just do me a favor? Don't be these generic stiff-ass military guys around us. It might hurt your neck or brain with all the amazing stuff we deal around here."

"Doctor Borielli is always eager to get right into it," van Stetten intervened, "I sometimes have to slow her down a nodge for her own good."

Waving the thought away, Borielli blew a heavy load of smoke into van Stetten's face, prompting him to cough.
"Eh, Eduard... If I had a containment facility, I could research living subjects. Behavior patterns or the capacity for speech would bring us so much further that cutting these things open. I'm quite certain these gentlemen would prefer means for interrogations, resulting in way more information."

A chuckle was had among the men at her bluntness and Livingston nodded with a wide, genuine smile while grabbing his report from the table.
"Right to the point. I like that." now the other generals also took their report.

Taking note of him, Borielli shot him an indifferent glare and pointed her cigarette at him.
"Yeah, right... You're the one from America, you better watch it. What your secret agent dork brought over will knock you right out of your socks, general. That's how on point it is."

This was when van Stetten stepped in to shake his head.
"Andrea... Please!"

"Alright, alright... They'll see it for themselves." Approaching a big and heavy blast door, both scientists slided their keycards through the electric locks and two sets of lights changed from red to green with an audible cue. Upon entering the lab, Borielli spread out her arms. "Welcome to our humble little lab. Nothing compared to the laboratories in the core facilities back at headquarters, but surely a huge step forward from what I'm used to work with a few months ago. Grabbing a remote control, she switched on a computer monitor.

The monitor showed a live feed from the nearby microscope. Inside the fluid, several blood cells floated around. Yet they were not completely round, but had bumps making them a bit triangular. Every now and then, tiny lightning strikes were exchanged between the blood cells. Going through their reports, the generals each arched a brow and a low murmur went through the group.
"Well, the report says something about a blood sample from Tyler Jones. I'm no expert, but this isn't text book human blood. So before we all die stupid: What is this, Doctor?"

Doctor Borielli took another glimpse through the microscope, a wide grin forming on her face.
"It's... remarkable! If I wouldn't see it with my own eyes... This man has cells with three nuclei instead of one nucleus. Even his blood cells seem to be affected by this! He seemed to have developed this... this sort of evolutionary jump that goes through every cell of his body and can store vast amounts of energy in each cell. Like a benign superman-cancer."

Meier frowned at this as he understood the implication, but couldn't believe the extent of this.
"Nuclei... You mean cell core? Does this mean that each of his cells..."

"...carries three times the DNA as any other human, yes." Borielli answered.

Looking at each other, the generals shook their heads in disbelief.
"What kind of freak...?"

Doctor van Stetten shook his head while activating another screen with diagrams.
"Not a freak show, a very useful advantage. My team analyzed the data recovered from the CIA agent. If these data files are correct, it would rewrite what we know about biology or at least add several chapters. Seemingly that man, Jones, can defy the gravity of the planet the crossing leads to. And our thesis is that this ability stems from... guess what? This blood! According to the information gathered by your agent, General Livingston, this blood is also able to store enough of this 'magic' power to do all sorts of things, empowering him to store magic in his body for later use. So if the Equestrians find a way to preserve his blood for a prolonged time and utilize this in a machine of any kind, they will, even if they are behind us right now with technology by several decades, outrun us in the long term. Each of these unicorns is able to generate this 'magic' power. DARPA sure is interested in this field of research to power machinery. Their exoskeleton research would surely benefit from this."

Going to another screen, Doctor Borielli smirked while raising her left index finger.
"My team on the other hand is more interested in the genetic altering of these Rangers. We've got report files of one of them go faster than a fighter jet, one has superhuman strength and in case of Mr. Jones, we have enough power to engulf all of Manhattan in a magic force field or weapon of sorts. If we send troops to Equestria, chances are that some of them will return as super-soldiers, their capabilities enhanced in one way or another. Enhanced senses, speed, strength... In short: enhanced combat abilities. However, whatever process triggers this evolutionary jump is what we have yet to learn. Even with the tens of thousands of civilian reports of open wounds that close in an instant while coming in contact with these energies we had from Manhattan, we can only assume that even if it can be triggered here on Earth, the capabilities in the human body, whatever they can be, are maybe only active on their world. We lack too much data to safely confirm anything."

Livingston frowned in thought. Whatever it was that caused these wounds in the civilian population, it was contained as long as no further 'magic energy' was in the area and the preservation of magic power within human blood only meant some weak points to target. A blood tank or something similar. It sounded acceptable enough to prompt him to nod.
"So all this magic hocuspocus doesn't seem to last long on Earth if there are no dimensional rips to their world. The higher-ups will have to decide what would be most beneficial of these informations. Is there anything you agree on? "

Taking a clipboard to make a short notice, Borielli glanced onto it before looking to the generals again.
"Based on the facts that the contact with some form of energy from their world enriched these once human Rangers and helped them to step outside of natural human boundaries that would take millions, maybe even billions of years of evolution to overcome within seconds, we agreed to a not scientific term..."

She looked over to van Stetten and the old man nodded before facing the generals.
"Transcendants."

* * * * *

Washington DC, 9AM, the following day

Frowning while reading, the president worked his way through the report. At the end of it, his eyes had widened.
"Is this report authentic? I mean..."

"Yes, Mr. President. I am afraid that this is indeed the case. Agent Hopkins was sober and all drug tests have turned out negative. He didn't make this story up."

The old man's face darkened a bit. Magical wolves made out of wood, magic usage, beings able to move entire moons and stars, a human with superhuman magic capabilities... Paired with the knowledge that these 'alicorns' were capable of stopping nuclear weaponry, his list of options grew thin, especially now that the world had joined forces under the banner of AEGIS. However, he had a few final trump cards he could play.
"Alright, this is enough. Do it!"

"Sir? Do you think this is wise? The sea blockade around the imminent crossing area will be established in about a week. That was already our agreed part in the AEGIS project since the Bermuda Triangle is right in front of Florida. But sir, do you think no one might ask unpleasant questions if word comes out that we send soldiers over there?"

"I thought I had capable people making sure no word comes out?" The presidents advisor cocked his head and folded his arms. The sudden silence made it clear that he deemed the last sentence a low blow. " Sorry, Jim... I know you guys work hard out there. It's just the current and constant flak I'm under. Letting off some steam. We've agreed to partake in the AEGIS project, yes. But I want to know first hand what happens on the other side. We need to establish a foothold and some grade of communications. If more of these flying fortresses appear, we need to be ready for a swift strike. If they attempt to cross over, it would be best if there would be some sort of welcoming party on our end of the crossing standing ready. No one can blame us for attempting to establish communications. Even if it's temporarily only in one direction." Glancing over to Jim, the old man nodded at him. "Make preparations and gather some volunteers. I hereby give 'Operation Daedalus' green light."

* * * * *

The SUV was driving silently over the New York highway. On the backseats, two men were discussing things together. One of them, Neil Braxton, was wearing a business suit and a tie. Beside him, Barkster looked outside the window for a moment, when Braxton spoke up.
"Your appointment to AEGIS should be finalised within the week, Mr. 'Barkster'. I've already discussed the matter with the governor."

Barkster nodded silently. There was way too much effort to recruit one single man specifically for AEGIS. He knew he was there for only one reason: His past with Tyler Jones. He was a means to an end for these people and they only wanted him to get rid of one individual they deemed an even greater obstacle. For him, it was of no importance what their beef with Jones was. Only his own unfinished business with Tyler 'Magic' Jones mattered. If a chance for that meant being their lap dog for some time, it was just playing along.
"I take it he was agreeable?"

A smirk grew on Braxton's lips.
"He didn't really have a choice..."

"Isn't this year a re-election year for him?" Barkster asked.

An amused chuckle now escaped Braxton, causing Barkster to arch a brow.
"Oh yes, indeed. When I mentioned that we could support his campaign with our black project funds, he was so willing to arrange the wiping of your criminal records, it was almost pathetic."

While listening carefully, Barkster studied the reports made available to him already. AEGIS was growing fast, very fast. But it was without saying that such growth would not come without growing pain. Despite their growing numbers and finances, the incidents in Antarctica were stacking up with few weekly reinforcements.
"These reports stating that these creatures crossing over in Antarctica... Their appearances are speeding up to a degree that our current forces may not be able to contain them."

The smirk on Braxton's lips now became sadistic.
"Why contain them? Let them spill over to civilized areas with schools and churches, let the bodies pile up in the streets. In the end, the people will beg us to save them and throw any amount of money at us we require to battle the invaders."

Taking a glance at the reports, Barkster slowly shook his head.
"Hmmm... I would not underestimate 'Magic' there. If news spread over to their world, he will try to stop these things from crossing over. He has a habit to toss wrenches into well running clockworks."

Yet Braxton waved the thought away.
"A rogue hacker by himself is not a threat when contained in a world of talking ponies. The Americans have sent a group of spies over and the first reports were transferred to us already. Unconventional and highly unstable forms of government trying to run their world. Our research capabilities outshine theirs greatly. And their ethical inflexibility will result in us leaving them in the dust. Xenocell is already making progress on the samples of entity B001. We already have developed new concepts for alloys, medical eqipment, body armor... Developments hidden from the public in order to preserve international security."

Now Barkster was certain. This man, Braxton, was certainly underestimating Tyler Jones. A mistake he made only once in his life, costing him several years in prison.
"These developments of ours and their exotic 'magical' powers should be understood and utilized soon. I have no doubt that Jones is advancing their efforts to bolster their defenses as we speak. He knows how we think; is a very cunning and dangerous opponent. He will stand in our way."

Braxton looked up to Barkster and for a moment seemed to recontemplate the situation.
"I see. Thank you for this advice, Mr. 'Barkster'. In that case you will get your projects funded to the fullest degree. This new world is a big chance for us, but only if we are swift and decisive. There are still many obstacles in our way, but soon there will be order to this messy chaos again. A new age! Once Tyler Jones is captured, we can finally study his powers, learn to harness them for ourselves. Then, on this world, we will be crowned its kings. No, better than kings... Gods!"

Author's Notes:

Not proofread yet. Notify me if you see something. Thank you!