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“Don’t touch that,” said Amethyst to Dinky, who was about to place a hoof on the TARDIS’s control panel. “Why not?” Dinky replied. Amethyst gave her sister an annoyed look. “Because, for all we know, that’s the button that blows this whole thing up,” she said.

“Why would he have a button that blows his own ship up?”

“I don’t know. Security purposes? Anyway, just quit messing around with everything, will you? Something is bound to go wrong.” Dinky rolled her eyes, but backed away nonetheless. She walked over to her sister and sat in the chair next to her. The two looked around the enormous room. “How do you think he does it?” asked Dinky.

“Does what?”

“Make the inside bigger than the outside.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t even think magic could do something like this. At least, no magic that I know about.”

“It’s cool.”

Amethyst gave a small smile. “Yeah. It’s pretty cool.” The two sisters sat together for a while longer, listening to the relaxing hum of the machine. The silence was soon broken, however, when the room vibrated with a rumble. The shaking stopped as quickly as it started. The two leapt from their chairs. “What was that?” asked Amethyst with a worried tone. “Check the screen,” said Dinky.

“What?” Dinky pointed to the screen above the control panel. “That screen shows you what’s outside.” Amethyst nodded, and walked over to the screen. She looked at the edge of the forest. Nothing seemed wrong. “Whatever it was must’ve been far away,” said Amethyst. “We’re still safe.” Dinky jumped back in her chair with a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Amethyst walked over to join her. “Yeah. It is.” But she was still worried. Whatever was happening was getting closer. She hoped that her mother and her friends were close to fixing this mess.

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“You’ve got to be kidding me!” The Doctor and his team looked at the enormous canyon in front of them. It seemed to go on for miles. There was no way to get across. The Doctor began to pace back and forth, wondering what to do. He turned to Derpy. “By any chance, would you be able to fly us across?” Derpy shook her head. “No. I could probably manage to get one of us across, but I’d be out of energy to get the rest.” The Doctor nodded, and then continued to pace. Derpy looked over the edge of the canyon. She noticed something. She turned to her friends. “Guys! Come look at this!”

The other five came over to see what she was looking at. “What in Equestria?” Octavia mumbled. From within the canyon, giant bubbles were rising. The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver. He waited until one of the bubbles came within grabbing distance. When he caught one, he scanned it with the screwdriver. He held the tool to his face, examining it closely. “Interesting,” he said.

“What is it?” asked Lyra.

“These bubbles are made of a bizarre material. It can bend and stretch, but it can’t break.”

“A bubble that can’t pop?” asked Bon Bon.

“Yes. But that’s not the strange part,” he said as he tucked away his screwdriver. “The strange part is that they’re here in the first place. Where are they coming from?”

“Does it matter?” asked Derpy. “We can get across now!” The Doctor gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“You said that these bubbles can’t pop, right? Well, that means we can use them as stepping stones.” Before any of her friends could respond, Derpy jumped out and landed on a bubble. The bubble caved in from her weight, then launched her higher in the air. She landed laughing on another bubble. She continued to cheerfully bounce her way across the canyon. “Come on, guys! It’s like a trampoline!” she called to her friends. Octavia and Bon Bon exchanged unsure looks, but the other three just shrugged. “Andiamo!” yelled the Doctor as he leapt onto a bubble. Lyra and Vinyl followed soon after. They laughed with joy as they bounced.

The remaining mares looked over the edge of the canyon. “We have to do it,” said Bon Bon. “There’s no other way across.” They hesitated, but after a few seconds decided to follow their friends, who were already halfway across.

The six friends bounced until they reached the opposite end. Octavia almost kissed the ground beneath her hooves. “Sweet Princess Luna, we made it,” she said. The group looked towards the road in front of them. They gave each other victorious looks, and then started to carry on. Vinyl took a glance back at the canyon. It wasn’t there. “Doc! Come check this out!” The rest of the group came back to see what she was talking about. Their jaws dropped. Where the canyon once was, there was now a flat spread of land.

“How can a canyon just disappear?” asked Derpy. “I don’t know, but I have a theory,” said the Doctor. His expression became more serious. He took out his screwdriver and pointed towards the clearing. He examined it as he pulled it back towards him. He frowned at what he saw. “What is it?” asked Lyra.

“There is definitely something after us, and whatever it is is going to major lengths to stop us from getting to our destination.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a massive field of psychic energy around this clearing. There never was a canyon. Our minds were tricked into thinking there was so that we’d give up and turn back. Whatever is after us, it’s starting to mess with our heads.” The rest of the group started to look worried. “But what about the bubbles?” asked Derpy. “Why would it put an escape in its own trap?” The Doctor pondered this for a second. “Maybe it didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Psychic fields mess with your mind, but sometimes the mind fights back. One of our minds must’ve placed the bubbles in the illusion in order to help us overcome it.” He looked towards Derpy. “It must’ve been you.”

“Me?”

“You were the first one to see the bubbles. You were the one that planted the idea in our heads!” The Doctor grinned. “Derpy, you are brilliant!” Derpy blushed as her friends smiled at her. “Aw. Thanks you guys.” The six friends exchanged victorious looks once more, and then continued down the road, continuing their quest.

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“Oh my,” was all that any of them could say. They had finally reached the castle, and it was enormous. “Looks more like a fortress than a castle,” said Lyra. The castle sat on a mountaintop. Its walls and barriers were cracked in several areas. It was a miracle that it was still standing.

As intimidating as it was, the group carried on towards it. They carefully walked across the crumbling stone. They arrived at the entrance gate. The drawbridge was up. “I’ve got this,” said Derpy as she flew up to the top of the gate. She pulled on it but it wouldn’t move. She tried a few more times before giving up. She fluttered back to her friends. “It’s no use. It’s either locked, jammed, or both.” The six pondered on what to do.

“Derpy, could you circle around the castle and see if there’s another way in?” asked Octavia. Derpy nodded and then took off in flight. The others sat and waited. “Can’t you just use your screwdriver thing, Doc?” asked Vinyl. The Doctor shook his head. “It doesn’t work on wood. Even if it did, that door is too massive for the screwdriver to do anything to it.”

Another minute passed, and Lyra was getting irritated. “I can’t believe we got this close and then we get stopped by a freaking door!” she said. “Derpy’s looking for another entrance,” said Octavia.

“But what if there is no way in? There’ll be nothing left to do! The world’s going to end!”

“You have to stay optimistic,” said Bon Bon. Lyra stood up. “I find it hard to stay optimistic when there’s a chance that the world’s going to blow up.” She walked over to the edge of the moat. Her horn began to glow. The other four looked at her. “Lyra, what are you doing?” asked Octavia. Lyra stared at the gate, which was wrapped in the golden aura of her magic. “Moving things along,” she said. She concentrated on the gate. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but suddenly the gate creaked. It was moving. Lyra continued to strain as her friends look encouragingly at her. None of them spoke. She needed to concentrate.

The gate gave off a louder creek. Dust and mold scraped off of the edge of the gate as it slowly but surely moved towards the group. A loud crack filled the air as the gate finally gave up its struggle and came slamming onto the stone floor. Lyra stumbled backwards and rubbed her head. Her friends rushed over to check on her.

“I’m fine, guys. Don’t worry,” she reassured them. Just then, Derpy fluttered back to report to her friends. “I couldn’t find any way in. It looks like we’re…” She stopped talking when she saw that the drawbridge was open. “Oh. You got the gate open.”

“Lyra got the gate open,” said Bon Bon. Lyra chuckled. “I’ve never been one to give up,” she said. The Doctor smiled as she stood up. He put his hoof on her shoulder. “You did great. Just don’t push yourself past your limits.” Lyra rolled her eyes and returned a smile. “Yeah. Yeah. I know.” She pointed towards the castle entrance. “Shouldn’t we get going?” The group nodded in agreement, and then carefully walked across the bridge. They entered the dark halls of the castle, not knowing what would lie ahead.

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A rumble shook the TARDIS interior again, this time much harder. “Amy?” Dinky said worriedly to her sister. The rumble came again. The room shook harder. The rumbling wouldn’t stop, and it kept getting increasingly worse. Amethyst stumbled over towards the central control console. She pulled the monitor to her face. “Oh my gosh!” she yelled.

The world outside was crumbling into the black hole, which rose like a malevolent sunrise. The destruction was coming towards them, and it was moving fast. “Amy?” yelled Dinky over the ship’s rumble. “What’s happening? Are we gonna be okay?” Amethyst didn’t know what to say. Would the ship keep them safe? Or would it be destroyed with the rest of the world? She was at a loss.

A droning bell began to ring. The ship rumbled even harder, but something was different. It didn’t feel like it did before. The ship was rumbling by itself. “Amy?” A deep roar came from within the ship. The central column began its steady rise and fall. In the cacophony, the sisters heard the wheezing roar of the engines. The ship was taking off. Amethyst and Dinky ran over to the monitor, and watched as the world outside began to disappear, and a new location took its place.

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“This place is enormous,” said Octavia. “How are we going to find these Elements?”
“We could split up. We’d cover more ground in a shorter time,” said Vinyl. The Doctor shook his head. “No. We don’t know anything about this place, and there’s something after us. Splitting up would be a death sentence.” Vinyl nodded. The group continued to navigate the corridors. Octavia kept at the back of the group. She couldn’t help but admire the castle’s décor. “This place is gorgeous,” she said. Lyra looked around her. “That’s not the word I would use. I would call it eerie.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. The group kept moving.

“Octavia…”

Octavia froze. She looked around. “Did one of you say something?” she asked her friends in front of her. “No one said anything,” said Derpy. Octavia felt a chill, but shrugged it off. “Must’ve been hearing things,” she mumbled to herself. The group kept walking.

“Octavia…”

Octavia froze again. She pivoted her head in every direction, trying to locate the source of the voice. She saw nothing. She started to walk, this time with more caution. Something wasn’t right. “You keeping up, Tavi?” Vinyl called over her shoulder. Octavia focused on her friend. “Yes. Sorry. My imagination’s getting the best of me.” She walked faster to catch up with her friends. They reached the end of the hall and rounded a corner.

“Octavia.”

Octavia swiveled around. She froze in place. In front of her was a pale white mare with a blue mane, which was tied in a neat bun. She wore a black jacket and glasses that covered her scarlet eyes. “There’s no time to waste,” she said. Octavia just stared. “Who are you?” she stuttered. The Doctor spoke from the front of the group. “Did you say something Oct-” He froze as he looked over his shoulder. The others turned to follow his gaze. “Octavia!” he yelled as he turned to run towards Octavia.

The pale mare glanced malevolently at him. Her irises shined red. Octavia looked behind her. The castle walls and her friends were fading away. “Don’t listen to her!” yelled the Doctor before he faded away. The stone walls were gone and in their place was what seemed to be a stage. The curtains were drawn, and beside them was a cello. The pale mare grabbed Octavia’s hoof and dragged her towards it. “What are you doing? What did you do with my friends?” She tried to struggle, but the mare held a firm grip. “Forget about them. You have more important things to attend to. You have a crowd to please.”

As they came closer to the cello, Octavia could hear the sounds of a cheering crowd from behind the curtain. They seemed eager to hear her play. She continued to struggle. “This is ridiculous! I’ve got to help my friends!” she yelled. The pale mare frowned. “They are not relevant! These ponies have come from all around to hear you play. You’re a star!”

“I am not!” The mare stopped walking. “What?” Octavia glared at her. “I’m not a star! I’m simply good at what I do. And right now, what I’m good at is not important! My friends are what’s important! Saving Equestria is what’s important! I have to help them!”

“That’s good to hear you say,” said a voice from behind her. Octavia and the mare turned to see who it was. “Doctor!” said Octavia with a sense of relief. The pale mare gave the time lord a glare. “Why do you interfere? How are you defeating my obstacles?” The Doctor returned her look. “I haven’t done anything. My friends are the ones who’ve beaten your little games.” He paused and took out his screwdriver. “And besides, you nearly killed us all. I think that’s motivation enough to try and put an end to your schemes.”

The pale mare frowned and released her grip on Octavia, who rushed to the Doctor’s side. He gave her a smile, and placed the end of his screwdriver on her temple. “Hold still,” he said. He hit the button and the bulb lit up. The pale mare gave another look. “You have proven to be worthy adversaries,” she said. There was a pause. “I look forward to crushing your skulls.” After that, she faded away. The stage faded away as well, and was replaced by the dark, stone walls of the castle. Octavia looked around to see her friends, who seemed relieved to see her safe. Vinyl rushed up and hugged her.

“Oh my gosh, Tavi! You’re okay! You’re okay!” Octavia gave an awkward smile. “Yes, Vinyl, I’m fine.” She looked over to the Doctor. “What happened? What was all that?” The Doctor stowed away his screwdriver. “Psychic interference. Whatever wants us dead tricked your mind into believing you were somewhere else. It created a world it thought you would be lost in.” He gave a smile. “But it seems like your mind was stronger than it anticipated.” Octavia couldn’t help but smile. She looked at Vinyl, who was still hugging her. “Um. Vinyl, you can let go now,” she said, trying not to sound rude.

Vinyl looked up at her friend. She realized what she was doing and let go. She gave an awkward smile as she stepped back. She chuckled. “Oh. Sorry.” Octavia smiled as she dusted herself off. “That’s quite alright,” she said. She looked around at her friends. “So, where to next?” she asked. The Doctor pointed down a long corridor with a large door at the end of it. “That way,” he said.

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On the other side of the door was a crumbling stone bridge that overlooked the forest below. It led towards a smaller building with a rotting wooden door. The group gave each other nervous looks before deciding to walk across. “Be extremely careful,” said the Doctor as they slowly made their way across.

After a short time, they managed to make it to the other side. They looked up at the giant door. “How are we going to get in there?” asked Bon Bon. Before anypony could answer, Lyra ran up to the door, turned, and bucked it open. The wooden planks snapped as they fell to the floor. She smiled at her friends. “Well that’s one way to do it,” said Bon Bon. The group entered the building.

They found themselves in a large chamber. There weren’t any paintings or statues anywhere. The only structure in the room was a stone platform with five slabs jetting from the sides. A stone sphere sat on end of each slab. They all had carvings in the shape of gems on their sides.

“Is that them?” asked Derpy. “Are those the Elements?” The Doctor took out his screwdriver. “Possibly,” he said. He pressed the button and scanned the spheres. He stared at the device. “This has to be them. The amount of energy coming off of them is off the charts!”

“But there’s only five. Where’s the sixth?” asked Octavia worriedly.

“I don’t know,” said the Doctor, still holding his screwdriver. There was a sudden clicking sound coming from the platform. It began to rumble as the five stone slabs began to lower to the floor. They rotated until all five of them were sitting side by side. The rumbling stopped. The group walked forward with caution. The Doctor reached a hoof out to touch one. Nothing happened. He put his hoof to his chin. He recalled what he read earlier. “The article said: when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed,” he said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Vinyl. The Doctor shook his head. “I’m not sure. Let me try something,” he said. He pointed his screwdriver at the Elements. He was deep in concentration. His friends backed away towards the door, giving him room to work. The Doctor waited for a few seconds, fiddled with the setting on his screwdriver, and then continued to work. The light at the end began to flicker. The whirring sputtered as the screwdriver glitched out.

“Oh, come on. Come on!” said the Doctor as he beat it on his hoof, hoping that it would somehow fix it. He was so focused on his problem that he didn’t notice the small ring of blue-green flames that was surrounding the Elements. The flames grew higher and higher, swirling as they grew. The Doctor noticed the sudden change in brightness and looked up. He jumped back. He stowed away his screwdriver. “What? Oh, no, no, no, no!” he yelled.

His friends looked over from across the room just in time to see him jump head-first into the flames. The flames withered away to reveal that both the Elements and the Doctor had disappeared. The five gasped in unison. “What happened? Where’d he go?” asked Derpy with panic in her voice. Vinyl pointed out a window. “Guys, look!” she yelled. The others rushed over to see what she was referring to. They saw a nearby tower. An intense light was coming from within. They looked at each other and nodded in agreement. “Let’s go,” said Lyra.

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The Doctor rubbed his head as he stood up. He glanced around him. He was in a new location. “Teleportation,” he mumbled. “I always hated teleportation.”

“I find it rather efficient,” said a few from behind him. He quickly swiveled around. By a cracked window at the end of the room, was a tall, black mare with crimson eyes and a mane like fire. The Elements were caught in her magic’s grasp. “Black Hole Sun, as I live and breathe,” said the Doctor. He was not happy. He returned Black Hole Sun’s evil grin with an angry frown. “I should have known. You’re the one who’s been attempting to stop us from getting here. You’ve taken some desperate measures to do so,” he said.

“You’ve been a real pain in my side, Doctor,” said Black Hole Sun. “I’ve never known anyone who could survive the things you and your friends have faced.” Her grin widened. “But, alas, it wasn’t enough,” she said as she shook the Elements for effect. The Doctor snorted, which he found weird, and scraped a hoof on the ground. He was ready to charge. The dark mare gave a look of disbelief. “You’re kidding. You’re kidding, right?” she said. The Doctor wasn’t kidding. He charged across the room towards her. She placed down the Elements. She mimicked the Doctor and charged at him as well, her horn aimed at his head. The two closed in and Black Hole Sun braced for impact. The impact never came.

The Doctor dropped down and slid underneath the dark mare. He yanked out his screwdriver as he got back up. He darted towards the Elements. “What? No!” yelled Black Hole Sun as she figured out what happened. The Doctor pressed the button on his screwdriver. The Elements were starting to glow. The dark mare teleported in front of him, and swatted him across the room. The Doctor rubbed his head as he stood up. He looked over to where he was. The Elements were still glowing. He smiled. “Yes!” he yelled in victory.

“No!” yelled Black hole Sun. The Elements’ glow intensified. And then, as quickly as it started, the glow stopped. The Doctor stared in disbelief. Black Hole Sun let out an evil chuckle. She reared up on her hind legs, and then brought her hooves slamming into the ground. The force was strong enough to leave the crumbling stone spheres in pieces. The Doctor continued to stare. They’d lost.

Black Hole Sun began to gloat. “You little foal! You thought you could defeat me? Vengeance will be mine, and now, there is nothing that can stand in my way!” Suddenly, the room began to shake. The dark mare continued to laugh. The Doctor stumbled as he ran to a window. His face became grim when he saw the horizon. The horizon crumbled as the blackened sun rose. Trees were yanked out of the ground. Chunks of earth were crumbling into the sky. The world was coming to an end. The Doctor hanged his head.

“Doctor!” called a voice. The Doctor looked around. He saw his five friends climbing the steps to the castle. “Hold on! We’re coming!” yelled Derpy. The Doctor stared. “Oh,” he said as a realization hit him. “Oh, that’s brilliant.” He paused. A smile spread across his face. “That is bloody brilliant!” he yelled. Black Hole Sun looked at him, confused. “What are you going on about?” she said. The Doctor ignored her question and turned to face her. “You think that smashing those rocks are enough to destroy the Elements?” he said with triumph. “Well, let me tell you, it isn’t.” His friends had entered the room. The Doctor rushed to join them. “Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!”

The shards of broken rock began to glow beneath the dark mare’s hooves. She tried to back away, but something seemed to keep her hooves stuck in place. For once, Black Hole Sun looked nervous. “What?” she said. The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at Vinyl. “Vinyl, who turned a deadly cacophony into a beautiful melody, represents the spirit of expressiveness!” Some of the shards began to levitate, and they flew towards Vinyl. They circled around her like planets around a star.

The Doctor glanced at Bon Bon. “Bon Bon, who withstood something that others would run from, just to help someone in need, represents the spirit of tolerance!” Another set of shards began to circle around Bon Bon. Black Hole Sun continued to try to break free from whatever was holding her.

The Doctor continued. “Derpy, who conquered an unsolvable problem with a bubbly mindset, represents the spirit of effervescence!” More shards surrounded Derpy. The Doctor glanced at Lyra. “Lyra, who threw everything she had at an impossible obstacle because of her determination to help others, represents the spirit of passion!” Outside, the blackened sun was slowing. The destruction was coming to a halt. The Doctor looked at Octavia. “And Octavia, who chose to fight for her friends instead of her talents, represents the spirit of subtlety!” The last of the shards surrounded Octavia. The orbiting rocks’ glow intensified.

The Doctor turned to face Black Hole Sun. “The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge that was thrown at us!” he said. The dark mare stuttered. “You still don’t have the sixth Element!” she said with doubt in her voice. “The spark didn’t work!” The Doctor’s grin widened. “Oh, but it did!” he said. He glanced at his five friends. “I felt it when you came in my darkest moment, when all hope seemed lost. I saw you, and I thought about how close we’ve all become in just a matter of hours. You showed me kindness and trust. Me, a mad old stallion who seemed to be a nutty stranger to all of you. The spark ignited inside of me when I realized that all of us are true friends.”

Suddenly, a bright light shined above their heads. A stone sphere almost identical to the others faded in from the light. It slowly drifted downwards, and then levitated above the Doctor’s head. The Doctor continued his speech. “You see, Black Hole Sun, when those elements are ignited by the spark that resides within all of us, it creates the sixth Element: the Element of Companionship!”

The shards’ glow grew even brighter, as the six friends began to levitate into the air. The shards stopped circling the five mares. They flew towards their necks. They began to quickly shift in shape. The mass of shards turned gold as they wrapped around their necks. A gem formed on the front of the newly formed necklaces. A similar phenomenon happened to the Doctor, except the stone above him formed a jeweled crown on his head. The jewelry’s glow shined brighter. The six friends stood at each other’s sides. Black Hole Sun struggled desperately to get free.

A swirl of colors formed behind the six friends. The colors formed into what looked like a rainbow, which shot up towards the ceiling. When it reached the top, it changed direction. It aimed directly at Black Hole Sun. It struck beneath her hooves and began to swirl around her. It wrapped around the dark mare like a colorful snake. She struggled to get away, but it was no use. She let out a yell as the swirling mass of color completely surrounded her.

The glow of the gems filled the entirety of the room. It blasted out the tower’s windows. The blinding light stretched all the way into the horizon. The world went white.

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When the light faded, the six friends were on the floor. They all rubbed their heads as they stood up. “Everypony okay?” asked Vinyl. The others nodded their heads. “Yeah, we’re fine,” said Lyra. She glanced at the group’s new jewelry. “Hey check these out!” she said. The others all looked at their accessories. “The gems look like our cutie marks!” said Derpy. They took a moment to examine the gems, admiring the shapes.

Bon Bon turned to the Doctor. “Well, what do you know? I guess you were right. It looks like we do represent the Elements of Harmony. And here I was thinking you were crazy.” The Doctor chuckled. “Bon Bon, the first thing you need to know about me is this: I am, by every definition of the word, crazy,” he said.

“You’ll get no argument from me,” said a voice. The group turned in the direction it came from. A bright light appeared in a window. It slid into the room. As it faded away, a figure took shape. The figure stepped forward to reveal Princess Luna. The five mares bowed as she greeted them. The Doctor just smiled. “Well, well,” he said. “And what happened to you? You missed all the action. We stopped the bad guy!” Luna chuckled. “Indeed you did, but it seems you did more than that.” The princess nodded her head towards the window. The six friends rushed over to have a look. The Doctor grinned. The forest was undisturbed. Everything that had been destroyed was back in its proper place, unscratched. The sun sat high in the bright, blue sky. It wasn’t the malevolent black it used to be. It shined with a benevolent gold.

Derpy turned to the princess. “But if everything’s back to normal here, than that means everything else is too. Right?” Luna smiled and nodded. The Doctor stepped away from the window. He began to prance around the room with glee. “Yes!” he yelled. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” The others turned to watch him. “My, my. You seem rather happy,” said Octavia. The Doctor paused to smile at his friend. “How can I not be? Everybody lives!” he said, and then continued to prance. “Everybody lives!”

Luna smiled at him. “Yes, Doctor, everybody lives.” She paused, and turned to look at the other end of the room. “Everybody,” she said. The princess began to walk towards where she was looking. The others followed her gaze. At the other end of the room, pieces of broken golden armor were spread across the floor. In the middle of it all, where Black Hole Sun was standing, a white alicorn with a pink mane was laying on the floor. She seemed taller than Luna, but only by a couple inches. Her eyes were closed. Luna stood over her.

“Celestia?” she said. The white mare’s eyes shot open. She gasped as she looked up at Luna. She nervously shook. She was afraid. Luna tried to give her a comforting look. “Celestia, it has been a thousand years since I’ve seen you like this.” Her mood was hopeful, but somber. “Please. We must put our struggles and differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, side by side.” She paused. “Please, big sister.”

The six friends gave a soft gasp. “Sister?” they whispered in unison. The white mare continued to stare. Luna persisted. “Will you accept my friendship?” There was a long pause. Celestia stood up and rushed over to hug her little sister. Tears filled the eyes of both siblings. “I’m sorry,” said Celestia. “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. I’ve missed you so much, little sister.” Luna smiled through her tears. “I’ve missed you, too,” she said. The others walked over to the two sisters. Lyra was on the verge of tears.

The Doctor smiled. “Well, then,” he said. “Happy ending! My favorite kind. We should probably start heading back. We could be in Canterlot before nightfall if we…” He paused. “What is it, Doc?” asked Vinyl. He shushed her quiet. All eight of them stood in silence. A noise began to pick up. A wheezing groan filled the air. It grew louder and louder. The Doctor smiled. “On second thought,” he said. “It’s always better to take the shortcut.” He turned to look behind him. The familiar shape took form as a blue box faded into existence. The box’s shape became solid, and the noise stopped.

A knocking came from within. “Oh!” said the Doctor as he pulled out his screwdriver. He pointed it at the door and pressed the button. A clicking sound came from within the box. The doors flew open and Amethyst ran out. Dinky followed close behind. “Mom!” she said as she ran over to Derpy. “Mom, the world’s coming to an end! We have to do something!” Derpy smiled at her panicking daughters. “But, girls, we already did! We all saved the world! Look.” Derpy pointed to the window. Amethyst and Dinky looked confused at the clear blue sky. “But… But… We saw it. A few seconds ago, the world was blowing up!”

“Time travel,” said the Doctor. “The TARDIS noticed the coming danger, so it came here in the future. It knew it would be safe here.” Amethyst looked at the Doctor. “You weren’t kidding, were you? You actually have a time machine.” The Doctor smiled and shrugged as if it was nothing special. Dinky perked up. “That’s awesome! What kind of adventures can we go on next?” she asked. The Doctor ruffled her mane. “That’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get there,” he said. “Right now, we should get back to Canterlot.” He began to walk towards his box. “All aboard!” he said. The others followed him.

Celestia gave her sister a confused look. “How are we all supposed to fit in there? It’s tiny.” Luna gave her a reassuring look. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, sister,” she said. Celestia looked doubtful, but continued on anyway. All ten ponies entered the box.

Celestia looked in awe at the enormous room that she found herself in. The lights flashed and circled around them. “It’s…” she stuttered. “It’s bigger on the inside.” The Doctor, who placed his hoof on one of the control panel’s levers, gave a joyful smile. “I love it when people say that,” he mumbled. He yanked on the lever. The room rumbled as the engines gave off a wheezing roar. The central column moved gently up and down. The box began to fade from existence. The sound increased in volume before the box slipped into the time vortex. The stone room of the tower was empty and silent.

Description
“Don’t touch that,” said Amethyst to Dinky, who was about to place a hoof on the TARDIS’s control panel. “Why not?” Dinky replied. Amethyst gave her sister an annoyed look. “Because, for all we know, that’s the button that blows this whole thing up,” she said.

“Why would he have a button that blows his own ship up?”

“I don’t know. Security purposes? Anyway, just quit messing around with everything, will you? Something is bound to go wrong.” Dinky rolled her eyes, but backed away nonetheless. She walked over to her sister and sat in the chair next to her. The two looked around the enormous room. “How do you think he does it?” asked Dinky.

“Does what?”

“Make the inside bigger than the outside.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t even think magic could do something like this. At least, no magic that I know about.”

“It’s cool.”

Amethyst gave a small smile. “Yeah. It’s pretty cool.” The two sisters sat together for a while longer, listening to the relaxing hum of the machine. The silence was soon broken, however, when the room vibrated with a rumble. The shaking stopped as quickly as it started. The two leapt from their chairs. “What was that?” asked Amethyst with a worried tone. “Check the screen,” said Dinky.

“What?” Dinky pointed to the screen above the control panel. “That screen shows you what’s outside.” Amethyst nodded, and walked over to the screen. She looked at the edge of the forest. Nothing seemed wrong. “Whatever it was must’ve been far away,” said Amethyst. “We’re still safe.” Dinky jumped back in her chair with a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Amethyst walked over to join her. “Yeah. It is.” But she was still worried. Whatever was happening was getting closer. She hoped that her mother and her friends were close to fixing this mess.

------------

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” The Doctor and his team looked at the enormous canyon in front of them. It seemed to go on for miles. There was no way to get across. The Doctor began to pace back and forth, wondering what to do. He turned to Derpy. “By any chance, would you be able to fly us across?” Derpy shook her head. “No. I could probably manage to get one of us across, but I’d be out of energy to get the rest.” The Doctor nodded, and then continued to pace. Derpy looked over the edge of the canyon. She noticed something. She turned to her friends. “Guys! Come look at this!”

The other five came over to see what she was looking at. “What in Equestria?” Octavia mumbled. From within the canyon, giant bubbles were rising. The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver. He waited until one of the bubbles came within grabbing distance. When he caught one, he scanned it with the screwdriver. He held the tool to his face, examining it closely. “Interesting,” he said.

“What is it?” asked Lyra.

“These bubbles are made of a bizarre material. It can bend and stretch, but it can’t break.”

“A bubble that can’t pop?” asked Bon Bon.

“Yes. But that’s not the strange part,” he said as he tucked away his screwdriver. “The strange part is that they’re here in the first place. Where are they coming from?”

“Does it matter?” asked Derpy. “We can get across now!” The Doctor gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“You said that these bubbles can’t pop, right? Well, that means we can use them as stepping stones.” Before any of her friends could respond, Derpy jumped out and landed on a bubble. The bubble caved in from her weight, then launched her higher in the air. She landed laughing on another bubble. She continued to cheerfully bounce her way across the canyon. “Come on, guys! It’s like a trampoline!” she called to her friends. Octavia and Bon Bon exchanged unsure looks, but the other three just shrugged. “Andiamo!” yelled the Doctor as he leapt onto a bubble. Lyra and Vinyl followed soon after. They laughed with joy as they bounced.

The remaining mares looked over the edge of the canyon. “We have to do it,” said Bon Bon. “There’s no other way across.” They hesitated, but after a few seconds decided to follow their friends, who were already halfway across.

The six friends bounced until they reached the opposite end. Octavia almost kissed the ground beneath her hooves. “Sweet Princess Luna, we made it,” she said. The group looked towards the road in front of them. They gave each other victorious looks, and then started to carry on. Vinyl took a glance back at the canyon. It wasn’t there. “Doc! Come check this out!” The rest of the group came back to see what she was talking about. Their jaws dropped. Where the canyon once was, there was now a flat spread of land.

“How can a canyon just disappear?” asked Derpy. “I don’t know, but I have a theory,” said the Doctor. His expression became more serious. He took out his screwdriver and pointed towards the clearing. He examined it as he pulled it back towards him. He frowned at what he saw. “What is it?” asked Lyra.

“There is definitely something after us, and whatever it is is going to major lengths to stop us from getting to our destination.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a massive field of psychic energy around this clearing. There never was a canyon. Our minds were tricked into thinking there was so that we’d give up and turn back. Whatever is after us, it’s starting to mess with our heads.” The rest of the group started to look worried. “But what about the bubbles?” asked Derpy. “Why would it put an escape in its own trap?” The Doctor pondered this for a second. “Maybe it didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Psychic fields mess with your mind, but sometimes the mind fights back. One of our minds must’ve placed the bubbles in the illusion in order to help us overcome it.” He looked towards Derpy. “It must’ve been you.”

“Me?”

“You were the first one to see the bubbles. You were the one that planted the idea in our heads!” The Doctor grinned. “Derpy, you are brilliant!” Derpy blushed as her friends smiled at her. “Aw. Thanks you guys.” The six friends exchanged victorious looks once more, and then continued down the road, continuing their quest.

------------

“Oh my,” was all that any of them could say. They had finally reached the castle, and it was enormous. “Looks more like a fortress than a castle,” said Lyra. The castle sat on a mountaintop. Its walls and barriers were cracked in several areas. It was a miracle that it was still standing.

As intimidating as it was, the group carried on towards it. They carefully walked across the crumbling stone. They arrived at the entrance gate. The drawbridge was up. “I’ve got this,” said Derpy as she flew up to the top of the gate. She pulled on it but it wouldn’t move. She tried a few more times before giving up. She fluttered back to her friends. “It’s no use. It’s either locked, jammed, or both.” The six pondered on what to do.

“Derpy, could you circle around the castle and see if there’s another way in?” asked Octavia. Derpy nodded and then took off in flight. The others sat and waited. “Can’t you just use your screwdriver thing, Doc?” asked Vinyl. The Doctor shook his head. “It doesn’t work on wood. Even if it did, that door is too massive for the screwdriver to do anything to it.”

Another minute passed, and Lyra was getting irritated. “I can’t believe we got this close and then we get stopped by a freaking door!” she said. “Derpy’s looking for another entrance,” said Octavia.

“But what if there is no way in? There’ll be nothing left to do! The world’s going to end!”

“You have to stay optimistic,” said Bon Bon. Lyra stood up. “I find it hard to stay optimistic when there’s a chance that the world’s going to blow up.” She walked over to the edge of the moat. Her horn began to glow. The other four looked at her. “Lyra, what are you doing?” asked Octavia. Lyra stared at the gate, which was wrapped in the golden aura of her magic. “Moving things along,” she said. She concentrated on the gate. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but suddenly the gate creaked. It was moving. Lyra continued to strain as her friends look encouragingly at her. None of them spoke. She needed to concentrate.

The gate gave off a louder creek. Dust and mold scraped off of the edge of the gate as it slowly but surely moved towards the group. A loud crack filled the air as the gate finally gave up its struggle and came slamming onto the stone floor. Lyra stumbled backwards and rubbed her head. Her friends rushed over to check on her.

“I’m fine, guys. Don’t worry,” she reassured them. Just then, Derpy fluttered back to report to her friends. “I couldn’t find any way in. It looks like we’re…” She stopped talking when she saw that the drawbridge was open. “Oh. You got the gate open.”

“Lyra got the gate open,” said Bon Bon. Lyra chuckled. “I’ve never been one to give up,” she said. The Doctor smiled as she stood up. He put his hoof on her shoulder. “You did great. Just don’t push yourself past your limits.” Lyra rolled her eyes and returned a smile. “Yeah. Yeah. I know.” She pointed towards the castle entrance. “Shouldn’t we get going?” The group nodded in agreement, and then carefully walked across the bridge. They entered the dark halls of the castle, not knowing what would lie ahead.

------------

A rumble shook the TARDIS interior again, this time much harder. “Amy?” Dinky said worriedly to her sister. The rumble came again. The room shook harder. The rumbling wouldn’t stop, and it kept getting increasingly worse. Amethyst stumbled over towards the central control console. She pulled the monitor to her face. “Oh my gosh!” she yelled.

The world outside was crumbling into the black hole, which rose like a malevolent sunrise. The destruction was coming towards them, and it was moving fast. “Amy?” yelled Dinky over the ship’s rumble. “What’s happening? Are we gonna be okay?” Amethyst didn’t know what to say. Would the ship keep them safe? Or would it be destroyed with the rest of the world? She was at a loss.

A droning bell began to ring. The ship rumbled even harder, but something was different. It didn’t feel like it did before. The ship was rumbling by itself. “Amy?” A deep roar came from within the ship. The central column began its steady rise and fall. In the cacophony, the sisters heard the wheezing roar of the engines. The ship was taking off. Amethyst and Dinky ran over to the monitor, and watched as the world outside began to disappear, and a new location took its place.

------------

“This place is enormous,” said Octavia. “How are we going to find these Elements?”
“We could split up. We’d cover more ground in a shorter time,” said Vinyl. The Doctor shook his head. “No. We don’t know anything about this place, and there’s something after us. Splitting up would be a death sentence.” Vinyl nodded. The group continued to navigate the corridors. Octavia kept at the back of the group. She couldn’t help but admire the castle’s décor. “This place is gorgeous,” she said. Lyra looked around her. “That’s not the word I would use. I would call it eerie.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. The group kept moving.

“Octavia…”

Octavia froze. She looked around. “Did one of you say something?” she asked her friends in front of her. “No one said anything,” said Derpy. Octavia felt a chill, but shrugged it off. “Must’ve been hearing things,” she mumbled to herself. The group kept walking.

“Octavia…”

Octavia froze again. She pivoted her head in every direction, trying to locate the source of the voice. She saw nothing. She started to walk, this time with more caution. Something wasn’t right. “You keeping up, Tavi?” Vinyl called over her shoulder. Octavia focused on her friend. “Yes. Sorry. My imagination’s getting the best of me.” She walked faster to catch up with her friends. They reached the end of the hall and rounded a corner.

“Octavia.”

Octavia swiveled around. She froze in place. In front of her was a pale white mare with a blue mane, which was tied in a neat bun. She wore a black jacket and glasses that covered her scarlet eyes. “There’s no time to waste,” she said. Octavia just stared. “Who are you?” she stuttered. The Doctor spoke from the front of the group. “Did you say something Oct-” He froze as he looked over his shoulder. The others turned to follow his gaze. “Octavia!” he yelled as he turned to run towards Octavia.

The pale mare glanced malevolently at him. Her irises shined red. Octavia looked behind her. The castle walls and her friends were fading away. “Don’t listen to her!” yelled the Doctor before he faded away. The stone walls were gone and in their place was what seemed to be a stage. The curtains were drawn, and beside them was a cello. The pale mare grabbed Octavia’s hoof and dragged her towards it. “What are you doing? What did you do with my friends?” She tried to struggle, but the mare held a firm grip. “Forget about them. You have more important things to attend to. You have a crowd to please.”

As they came closer to the cello, Octavia could hear the sounds of a cheering crowd from behind the curtain. They seemed eager to hear her play. She continued to struggle. “This is ridiculous! I’ve got to help my friends!” she yelled. The pale mare frowned. “They are not relevant! These ponies have come from all around to hear you play. You’re a star!”

“I am not!” The mare stopped walking. “What?” Octavia glared at her. “I’m not a star! I’m simply good at what I do. And right now, what I’m good at is not important! My friends are what’s important! Saving Equestria is what’s important! I have to help them!”

“That’s good to hear you say,” said a voice from behind her. Octavia and the mare turned to see who it was. “Doctor!” said Octavia with a sense of relief. The pale mare gave the time lord a glare. “Why do you interfere? How are you defeating my obstacles?” The Doctor returned her look. “I haven’t done anything. My friends are the ones who’ve beaten your little games.” He paused and took out his screwdriver. “And besides, you nearly killed us all. I think that’s motivation enough to try and put an end to your schemes.”

The pale mare frowned and released her grip on Octavia, who rushed to the Doctor’s side. He gave her a smile, and placed the end of his screwdriver on her temple. “Hold still,” he said. He hit the button and the bulb lit up. The pale mare gave another look. “You have proven to be worthy adversaries,” she said. There was a pause. “I look forward to crushing your skulls.” After that, she faded away. The stage faded away as well, and was replaced by the dark, stone walls of the castle. Octavia looked around to see her friends, who seemed relieved to see her safe. Vinyl rushed up and hugged her.

“Oh my gosh, Tavi! You’re okay! You’re okay!” Octavia gave an awkward smile. “Yes, Vinyl, I’m fine.” She looked over to the Doctor. “What happened? What was all that?” The Doctor stowed away his screwdriver. “Psychic interference. Whatever wants us dead tricked your mind into believing you were somewhere else. It created a world it thought you would be lost in.” He gave a smile. “But it seems like your mind was stronger than it anticipated.” Octavia couldn’t help but smile. She looked at Vinyl, who was still hugging her. “Um. Vinyl, you can let go now,” she said, trying not to sound rude.

Vinyl looked up at her friend. She realized what she was doing and let go. She gave an awkward smile as she stepped back. She chuckled. “Oh. Sorry.” Octavia smiled as she dusted herself off. “That’s quite alright,” she said. She looked around at her friends. “So, where to next?” she asked. The Doctor pointed down a long corridor with a large door at the end of it. “That way,” he said.

------------

On the other side of the door was a crumbling stone bridge that overlooked the forest below. It led towards a smaller building with a rotting wooden door. The group gave each other nervous looks before deciding to walk across. “Be extremely careful,” said the Doctor as they slowly made their way across.

After a short time, they managed to make it to the other side. They looked up at the giant door. “How are we going to get in there?” asked Bon Bon. Before anypony could answer, Lyra ran up to the door, turned, and bucked it open. The wooden planks snapped as they fell to the floor. She smiled at her friends. “Well that’s one way to do it,” said Bon Bon. The group entered the building.

They found themselves in a large chamber. There weren’t any paintings or statues anywhere. The only structure in the room was a stone platform with five slabs jetting from the sides. A stone sphere sat on end of each slab. They all had carvings in the shape of gems on their sides.

“Is that them?” asked Derpy. “Are those the Elements?” The Doctor took out his screwdriver. “Possibly,” he said. He pressed the button and scanned the spheres. He stared at the device. “This has to be them. The amount of energy coming off of them is off the charts!”

“But there’s only five. Where’s the sixth?” asked Octavia worriedly.

“I don’t know,” said the Doctor, still holding his screwdriver. There was a sudden clicking sound coming from the platform. It began to rumble as the five stone slabs began to lower to the floor. They rotated until all five of them were sitting side by side. The rumbling stopped. The group walked forward with caution. The Doctor reached a hoof out to touch one. Nothing happened. He put his hoof to his chin. He recalled what he read earlier. “The article said: when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed,” he said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Vinyl. The Doctor shook his head. “I’m not sure. Let me try something,” he said. He pointed his screwdriver at the Elements. He was deep in concentration. His friends backed away towards the door, giving him room to work. The Doctor waited for a few seconds, fiddled with the setting on his screwdriver, and then continued to work. The light at the end began to flicker. The whirring sputtered as the screwdriver glitched out.

“Oh, come on. Come on!” said the Doctor as he beat it on his hoof, hoping that it would somehow fix it. He was so focused on his problem that he didn’t notice the small ring of blue-green flames that was surrounding the Elements. The flames grew higher and higher, swirling as they grew. The Doctor noticed the sudden change in brightness and looked up. He jumped back. He stowed away his screwdriver. “What? Oh, no, no, no, no!” he yelled.

His friends looked over from across the room just in time to see him jump head-first into the flames. The flames withered away to reveal that both the Elements and the Doctor had disappeared. The five gasped in unison. “What happened? Where’d he go?” asked Derpy with panic in her voice. Vinyl pointed out a window. “Guys, look!” she yelled. The others rushed over to see what she was referring to. They saw a nearby tower. An intense light was coming from within. They looked at each other and nodded in agreement. “Let’s go,” said Lyra.

------------

The Doctor rubbed his head as he stood up. He glanced around him. He was in a new location. “Teleportation,” he mumbled. “I always hated teleportation.”

“I find it rather efficient,” said a few from behind him. He quickly swiveled around. By a cracked window at the end of the room, was a tall, black mare with crimson eyes and a mane like fire. The Elements were caught in her magic’s grasp. “Black Hole Sun, as I live and breathe,” said the Doctor. He was not happy. He returned Black Hole Sun’s evil grin with an angry frown. “I should have known. You’re the one who’s been attempting to stop us from getting here. You’ve taken some desperate measures to do so,” he said.

“You’ve been a real pain in my side, Doctor,” said Black Hole Sun. “I’ve never known anyone who could survive the things you and your friends have faced.” Her grin widened. “But, alas, it wasn’t enough,” she said as she shook the Elements for effect. The Doctor snorted, which he found weird, and scraped a hoof on the ground. He was ready to charge. The dark mare gave a look of disbelief. “You’re kidding. You’re kidding, right?” she said. The Doctor wasn’t kidding. He charged across the room towards her. She placed down the Elements. She mimicked the Doctor and charged at him as well, her horn aimed at his head. The two closed in and Black Hole Sun braced for impact. The impact never came.

The Doctor dropped down and slid underneath the dark mare. He yanked out his screwdriver as he got back up. He darted towards the Elements. “What? No!” yelled Black Hole Sun as she figured out what happened. The Doctor pressed the button on his screwdriver. The Elements were starting to glow. The dark mare teleported in front of him, and swatted him across the room. The Doctor rubbed his head as he stood up. He looked over to where he was. The Elements were still glowing. He smiled. “Yes!” he yelled in victory.

“No!” yelled Black hole Sun. The Elements’ glow intensified. And then, as quickly as it started, the glow stopped. The Doctor stared in disbelief. Black Hole Sun let out an evil chuckle. She reared up on her hind legs, and then brought her hooves slamming into the ground. The force was strong enough to leave the crumbling stone spheres in pieces. The Doctor continued to stare. They’d lost.

Black Hole Sun began to gloat. “You little foal! You thought you could defeat me? Vengeance will be mine, and now, there is nothing that can stand in my way!” Suddenly, the room began to shake. The dark mare continued to laugh. The Doctor stumbled as he ran to a window. His face became grim when he saw the horizon. The horizon crumbled as the blackened sun rose. Trees were yanked out of the ground. Chunks of earth were crumbling into the sky. The world was coming to an end. The Doctor hanged his head.

“Doctor!” called a voice. The Doctor looked around. He saw his five friends climbing the steps to the castle. “Hold on! We’re coming!” yelled Derpy. The Doctor stared. “Oh,” he said as a realization hit him. “Oh, that’s brilliant.” He paused. A smile spread across his face. “That is bloody brilliant!” he yelled. Black Hole Sun looked at him, confused. “What are you going on about?” she said. The Doctor ignored her question and turned to face her. “You think that smashing those rocks are enough to destroy the Elements?” he said with triumph. “Well, let me tell you, it isn’t.” His friends had entered the room. The Doctor rushed to join them. “Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!”

The shards of broken rock began to glow beneath the dark mare’s hooves. She tried to back away, but something seemed to keep her hooves stuck in place. For once, Black Hole Sun looked nervous. “What?” she said. The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at Vinyl. “Vinyl, who turned a deadly cacophony into a beautiful melody, represents the spirit of expressiveness!” Some of the shards began to levitate, and they flew towards Vinyl. They circled around her like planets around a star.

The Doctor glanced at Bon Bon. “Bon Bon, who withstood something that others would run from, just to help someone in need, represents the spirit of tolerance!” Another set of shards began to circle around Bon Bon. Black Hole Sun continued to try to break free from whatever was holding her.

The Doctor continued. “Derpy, who conquered an unsolvable problem with a bubbly mindset, represents the spirit of effervescence!” More shards surrounded Derpy. The Doctor glanced at Lyra. “Lyra, who threw everything she had at an impossible obstacle because of her determination to help others, represents the spirit of passion!” Outside, the blackened sun was slowing. The destruction was coming to a halt. The Doctor looked at Octavia. “And Octavia, who chose to fight for her friends instead of her talents, represents the spirit of subtlety!” The last of the shards surrounded Octavia. The orbiting rocks’ glow intensified.

The Doctor turned to face Black Hole Sun. “The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge that was thrown at us!” he said. The dark mare stuttered. “You still don’t have the sixth Element!” she said with doubt in her voice. “The spark didn’t work!” The Doctor’s grin widened. “Oh, but it did!” he said. He glanced at his five friends. “I felt it when you came in my darkest moment, when all hope seemed lost. I saw you, and I thought about how close we’ve all become in just a matter of hours. You showed me kindness and trust. Me, a mad old stallion who seemed to be a nutty stranger to all of you. The spark ignited inside of me when I realized that all of us are true friends.”

Suddenly, a bright light shined above their heads. A stone sphere almost identical to the others faded in from the light. It slowly drifted downwards, and then levitated above the Doctor’s head. The Doctor continued his speech. “You see, Black Hole Sun, when those elements are ignited by the spark that resides within all of us, it creates the sixth Element: the Element of Companionship!”

The shards’ glow grew even brighter, as the six friends began to levitate into the air. The shards stopped circling the five mares. They flew towards their necks. They began to quickly shift in shape. The mass of shards turned gold as they wrapped around their necks. A gem formed on the front of the newly formed necklaces. A similar phenomenon happened to the Doctor, except the stone above him formed a jeweled crown on his head. The jewelry’s glow shined brighter. The six friends stood at each other’s sides. Black Hole Sun struggled desperately to get free.

A swirl of colors formed behind the six friends. The colors formed into what looked like a rainbow, which shot up towards the ceiling. When it reached the top, it changed direction. It aimed directly at Black Hole Sun. It struck beneath her hooves and began to swirl around her. It wrapped around the dark mare like a colorful snake. She struggled to get away, but it was no use. She let out a yell as the swirling mass of color completely surrounded her.

The glow of the gems filled the entirety of the room. It blasted out the tower’s windows. The blinding light stretched all the way into the horizon. The world went white.

------------

When the light faded, the six friends were on the floor. They all rubbed their heads as they stood up. “Everypony okay?” asked Vinyl. The others nodded their heads. “Yeah, we’re fine,” said Lyra. She glanced at the group’s new jewelry. “Hey check these out!” she said. The others all looked at their accessories. “The gems look like our cutie marks!” said Derpy. They took a moment to examine the gems, admiring the shapes.

Bon Bon turned to the Doctor. “Well, what do you know? I guess you were right. It looks like we do represent the Elements of Harmony. And here I was thinking you were crazy.” The Doctor chuckled. “Bon Bon, the first thing you need to know about me is this: I am, by every definition of the word, crazy,” he said.

“You’ll get no argument from me,” said a voice. The group turned in the direction it came from. A bright light appeared in a window. It slid into the room. As it faded away, a figure took shape. The figure stepped forward to reveal Princess Luna. The five mares bowed as she greeted them. The Doctor just smiled. “Well, well,” he said. “And what happened to you? You missed all the action. We stopped the bad guy!” Luna chuckled. “Indeed you did, but it seems you did more than that.” The princess nodded her head towards the window. The six friends rushed over to have a look. The Doctor grinned. The forest was undisturbed. Everything that had been destroyed was back in its proper place, unscratched. The sun sat high in the bright, blue sky. It wasn’t the malevolent black it used to be. It shined with a benevolent gold.

Derpy turned to the princess. “But if everything’s back to normal here, than that means everything else is too. Right?” Luna smiled and nodded. The Doctor stepped away from the window. He began to prance around the room with glee. “Yes!” he yelled. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” The others turned to watch him. “My, my. You seem rather happy,” said Octavia. The Doctor paused to smile at his friend. “How can I not be? Everybody lives!” he said, and then continued to prance. “Everybody lives!”

Luna smiled at him. “Yes, Doctor, everybody lives.” She paused, and turned to look at the other end of the room. “Everybody,” she said. The princess began to walk towards where she was looking. The others followed her gaze. At the other end of the room, pieces of broken golden armor were spread across the floor. In the middle of it all, where Black Hole Sun was standing, a white alicorn with a pink mane was laying on the floor. She seemed taller than Luna, but only by a couple inches. Her eyes were closed. Luna stood over her.

“Celestia?” she said. The white mare’s eyes shot open. She gasped as she looked up at Luna. She nervously shook. She was afraid. Luna tried to give her a comforting look. “Celestia, it has been a thousand years since I’ve seen you like this.” Her mood was hopeful, but somber. “Please. We must put our struggles and differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, side by side.” She paused. “Please, big sister.”

The six friends gave a soft gasp. “Sister?” they whispered in unison. The white mare continued to stare. Luna persisted. “Will you accept my friendship?” There was a long pause. Celestia stood up and rushed over to hug her little sister. Tears filled the eyes of both siblings. “I’m sorry,” said Celestia. “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. I’ve missed you so much, little sister.” Luna smiled through her tears. “I’ve missed you, too,” she said. The others walked over to the two sisters. Lyra was on the verge of tears.

The Doctor smiled. “Well, then,” he said. “Happy ending! My favorite kind. We should probably start heading back. We could be in Canterlot before nightfall if we…” He paused. “What is it, Doc?” asked Vinyl. He shushed her quiet. All eight of them stood in silence. A noise began to pick up. A wheezing groan filled the air. It grew louder and louder. The Doctor smiled. “On second thought,” he said. “It’s always better to take the shortcut.” He turned to look behind him. The familiar shape took form as a blue box faded into existence. The box’s shape became solid, and the noise stopped.

A knocking came from within. “Oh!” said the Doctor as he pulled out his screwdriver. He pointed it at the door and pressed the button. A clicking sound came from within the box. The doors flew open and Amethyst ran out. Dinky followed close behind. “Mom!” she said as she ran over to Derpy. “Mom, the world’s coming to an end! We have to do something!” Derpy smiled at her panicking daughters. “But, girls, we already did! We all saved the world! Look.” Derpy pointed to the window. Amethyst and Dinky looked confused at the clear blue sky. “But… But… We saw it. A few seconds ago, the world was blowing up!”

“Time travel,” said the Doctor. “The TARDIS noticed the coming danger, so it came here in the future. It knew it would be safe here.” Amethyst looked at the Doctor. “You weren’t kidding, were you? You actually have a time machine.” The Doctor smiled and shrugged as if it was nothing special. Dinky perked up. “That’s awesome! What kind of adventures can we go on next?” she asked. The Doctor ruffled her mane. “That’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get there,” he said. “Right now, we should get back to Canterlot.” He began to walk towards his box. “All aboard!” he said. The others followed him.

Celestia gave her sister a confused look. “How are we all supposed to fit in there? It’s tiny.” Luna gave her a reassuring look. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, sister,” she said. Celestia looked doubtful, but continued on anyway. All ten ponies entered the box.

Celestia looked in awe at the enormous room that she found herself in. The lights flashed and circled around them. “It’s…” she stuttered. “It’s bigger on the inside.” The Doctor, who placed his hoof on one of the control panel’s levers, gave a joyful smile. “I love it when people say that,” he mumbled. He yanked on the lever. The room rumbled as the engines gave off a wheezing roar. The central column moved gently up and down. The box began to fade from existence. The sound increased in volume before the box slipped into the time vortex. The stone room of the tower was empty and silent.