Pony POV Series: Time Lord Victorious

Pony POV Series
Recursive Fiction

Dark World Side-Story:
"Time Lord Victorious"

Written by OracleMask

As she traveled from one pony to another, offering her wedding day gift of life, Libra found herself appearing before a pony that she did not expect to see.

In the infinite empty space between her Mortal Universe and the realm beyond, she appeared with a soft flare of light before a bedraggled-looking blue stallion.  He had a blond mane and tail, and his cutie mark was an hourglass.

Facing him was an equally bedraggled-looking thestral.  Mortis's child seemed ready to pounce on the blue pony, but clearly checked itself when Libra appeared.

“Fantastic,” the Master breathed, grinning like a mad pony.

---

“I do know about you, Master,” Libra informed the Master coolly, “And I have a list of the ponies who lost their lives thanks to Discord's evil.  You are not on it.”

“But you're still here,” the Master smirked, “Which means she qualifies.”

Then, before Libra could say another word, the Master raised a hoof and stabbed it into his chest.  In the mortal world, this would have been a rather horrifying sight.  But the Master was a spirit, and did not bleed.

Libra did feel bile rising when she realized that the Master had managed to grasp onto his own Light of Existence.  And then he started to pull.

“What are you  – stop that!  You'll destroy yourself!” Libra exclaimed, moving to try and stop him.

“DON'T INSULT ME!” the Master roared, startling Libra.

His body shook with pain as the Master continued to pull – and it began to shift and twist in other ways, as if his own Light wasn't the only thing the Master was ripping out.

“My shape may be pony, but I – I remain a LORD of TIME!” the Master continued, rage overtaking pain in his voice, “And if I can't make a – a little temporal duplicate, then – then I don't deserve to be one at ALL!”

With a final force of effort, something tore free.  The Master tossed it to the side and collapsed, wheezing and shivering in agony, while the torn-off piece of Light solidified into pony-shape.

The form it took was a blue-coated unicorn mare with a white and blue striped mane.  Her cutie mark was an hourglass.  Libra watched quietly as Minuette stirred, raising her head and looking around in shock.

“What?  I...what?”

“Tell Sparkler I held up my end of the bargain,” the Master growled at her, making Minuette startle as she realized who she was sprawled next to, “And that I expect the same.”

Apparently satisfied with his self-mutilation, the Master looked at Libra.

“Well?  Her life was ended when the insanity Discord inflicted on her friends made her open the watch out of desperation.  She qualifies for your little list.”

...The scary thing was that the Master was right.  But Libra didn't let her misgivings about the situation show.  If he had a scheme here, well, there was one way Libra could derail it right here and now.

“Very well,” Libra began, “I will bring Minuette back with me, if she so chooses...”

Libra pointed a hoof at the thestral, who had remained patiently waiting during this exchange.

“...So long as you go with the thestral first,” Libra finished.

An incredibly sour expression crossed the Master's face.

---

Sparkler thought over the message long and hard – once she was done hugging the living daylights out of her reborn friend.  She remembered what the bargain was.

'These are the terms for us working together,' Minuette-the-Secret-Evil-Time-Lord had said to her back then, 'I have everything in place to bring myself back from the dead.  Help me help that idiot Doctor, and I'll see to it that the Minuette you knew returns as well.'

'That's it?  What do you get out it?' Sparkler remembered asking.

In her memory, Sparkler remembered how the Time Lord with the face of her friend lost that smug, scheming look.  The arrogance and confidence faded completely as well.  And for the first and only time, Sparkler saw there was a scared pony buried deep down on the inside.

'I'm never sane anymore when I'm alive,' the Master said, 'It should have stopped – it was supposed to STOP.  But it never...and that's why I NEED the Doctor to be there.  He's the only one...'

Sparkler looked at the 'secret' spot where her mom had hidden away the fob watch.  Mom was planning to keep it locked away forever.  And Sparkler looked over to where her mom and Time Turner were sitting side-by-side, deeply in love.

She nodded to herself, and made her decision.

---

“He's the only one in the universe that can stop you?”

The Master brushed soot off his fur, ignoring the Valeyard's raised eyebrow.  Although the Master did turn his head when the Valeyard wistfully added, “Reminds me of a friend I had once...”

“Since when do you care about the Doctor's sentimental rubbish?” the Master frowned.

“Dying gave me a lot of perspective,” the Valeyard replied dryly, “Pity it never seems to do that for you.”

“My perspective is fine, thank you.”

Two evil Time Lords stood around awkwardly in Pony Hell for another few moments.  It was the Valeyard that broke the silence.

“So, what have you been up to since you landed here?”

“Me?  I'm just killing time,” the Master replied.

“Why?” scoffed the Valeyard, “You're not going anywhere.  Especially not back, I saw to that myself.”

“Yes, your little virus mentioned that.  Funny thing is...”

The Master felt something suddenly pulling on him from the inside, and his smile got wider.

“...you really thought you killed all of them.”

“All of th- wait, get back here!”

The Valeyard sprang at the Master, who dodged off to the side.  As the pull grew stronger and stronger, the Master's grin grew wider and fiercer.  He could hear them now, in the pull.  The drums, the drums were calling him!  The drums were PULLING him, the drums were TAKING HIM AWAY - !

“So long, Yardstick!  I'll post you a letter from Tambelon!” the Master cried, howling with laughter as he followed the pull - rather like a bat out of Pony Hell.