DAiE Ch. 8 P. 2/??? Ch. X P. 1 - The Point of Departure

>You are Doctor Anonymous.

>And right now, you are falling.

>There is no air here to rush past you.

>No gravity.

>There is only the sense, deep in your gut, telling you.

>You are falling.

>Tears trail above you as you plummet, your chest heaving with every aching sob.

>You are falling.

>No.

>You try to speak it, but the word doesn't come.

>No.

>Again, you try. Even through your painful convulsions, you scream out into the deafening silence, no more loud than the piercing quiet.

>But glowing with defiance.

>NO.

>You scream out again, not expecting a response, knowing no one will hear you.

>NO.

>You reach out, as you try to scream again.

>NO.

>They say that attempting the same action over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of madness.

>NO.

>Being a scientist, you have a slightly different, more rigorous definition of madness.

>NO!

>But then, again...

>NO!

>Some people HAVE referred to you as a 'mad scientist.'

>NO!

>NO!

"NO!"

>Your reaching hand finds something.

>And you pull.

 

>No!

>No no, no no no, no no nononono!

>You are Pinka-... Pinkie Pie.

>And right now, you just...

>You don't understand!

"No, no, no, no, no!"

>You frantically search around the now empty wheelchair.

>Where did he go?

>Why did he call you Pinkie?!

>Why the buck until he wait until now?!

>WHY THE BUCK DO YOU STILL CARE?!

>You check behind the chair.

>In front.

>The sides.

>He can't be gone.

"No, no, no, nononono!"

>You circle the chair once more, before standing on your back hooves, placing your forelegs onto the chair, looking helplessly, desperately for where he could have gone.

>You look around you.

>The girls are still confused, dumbfounded even.

>And Albert?

>He's gone too.

>Then...

>Then...

>Then they really...

...

>You can't finish that thought.

>You kneel down into the chair, where he was sitting just a minute ago.

>And cry.

>You feel a hoof find its way to your shoulder.

>A comforting, caring hoof.

>You push it away.

"No! No, no, no, no, no!"

>It's all you can say.

>No.

>Wait, what?

>Your ears perk up.

>NO.

>What was...

>NO!

>Okay, what the buck?!

>"NO!"

>You feel something grab your hoof.

>And it pulls.

>You are falling.

 

>You are Doctor Anonymous.

>And right now, you are no longer falling.

>Your back hurts.

>Every part of you hurts.

>It seems like hours before you stir.

>But you prop yourself up.

>And with trepidation... you open your eyes.

>You never thought you would be so unhappy.

>So unhappy to see home.

>You're back in your lab.

>Just like you left it.

>Just like you thought you wanted.

>With difficulty, you stand up.

>Well, more like throw yourself up, and then onto a counter.

>You don't have the strength.

>You don't want the strength.

>All you want to do is to go back.

>But you don't know if you can.

>You

>Don't

>Know

>If...

...

>Damnit.

>Damnit.

>DAMNIT.

>DAMN IT.

>You slam your hands down onto the counter, as hard as you can.

>The metal bends and twists before your augmented strength.

>Before your sorrow, and rage.

>Pain shoots through your arms, but you don't care.

>You don't want this.

>You don't want any of this!

>This isn't home anymore!

>You drive your fist through a nearby machine.

>The metal shatters, tearing into your skin.

>But you.

>Don't.

>Care.

>You slump down, and the tears return.

>All you care about.

>Is her.

>Seeing her again.

>Hugging her again.

>Telling her how sorry you are.

>How much she means to you.

>But you can't.

>You'll never.

>See her.

>Again.

>The tears stop.

>You don't have anymore.

>Anymore tears.

>Anymore strength.

>Your body goes limp, and you slide unceremoniously to the floor.

>"Doctor?"

 

>You look up, your heart skips at what you see.

>There is a pony.

>There is a pony in your lab.

>There is a pony in your lab, and she has long, flowing pink hair.

>With newfound vigor, you spring up into a dash and throw yourself into the tightest, warmest hug around her you can possibly muster.

"Pinkie! Pinkie, I'm so sorry, I'm so-"

>"Oh.. oh my."

>Wait.

>You look down.

>You're hugging...

>Fluttershy?!

>She looks up at you with a terrified expression.

>"Hello."

>You drop Fluttershy, and whirl around.

"...hello."

>Your eyes narrow at what you see.

>"Who are you?"

>He's as ready for a fight as you are.

>"What are you doing in my lab?"

>Your doppelganger.

>"Why do you look exactly like me?"

>You've been prepared for this moment.

>"And why were you hugging my marefriend?"

>Wait, what?

"Marefriend?"

>The fiend who looks exactly like you spring as the opening in your defense.

 

>You are Doctor Anonymous.

>And right now, you have your doppelganger where you want him.

>You always knew he'd come for you, try to destroy your work and steal your identity.

>But you never knew he'd follow you to Ponyville.

>It doesn't matter though, he's pinned, and you're about to drive the life right out of him.

>"W-wait!" He chokes out from under your grip.

>"C-... code 83-B-27-5-6-6-5!"

>...what.

>How could he know-

>He takes advantage of your surprise, getting you into a grip of his own.

>You manage to weasel your way out of it, however, and after a short tussle, you both end up with your hands around eachother's throats.

>You look into his eyes, and he into yours.

>"...on three."

"...fine."

>"One..."

"Two..."

>"Three..."

>You both call it out at the same time.

>"INTELLIGENT DESIGN IS AN EQUALLY VIABLE EXPLANATION FOR THE ORIGIN OF MAN AS EVOLUTIONARY THEORY!"

>You both collapse onto each other, gasping for air as you try to recover from the stupidity you just uttered.

>Shit.

>He's not a doppelganger.

>"Uhm... doctor?"

>...what.

>"Doctors?"

>You look over. Is that...?

>"What the hell was that?"

"ALBERT?!"

 

>You are Albert.

>And right now, you are so confused.

>You were falling.

>And then you were home.

>But Fluttershy is here.

>And so is Anonymous.

>But there are two of him?!

"What in science's name is going on-"

>One of them springs up, crying you name and rushing over to you.

>He... hugs you.

>He's never hugged you.

"D..doctor?"

>"Albert.. how did you.. I thought I'd.... okay, what's going on?"

"Was... that...?"

>The other Anonymous stands up, brushing some dirt off his coat.

>"Yes. A method of identifying ourselves. A phrase so utterly incorrect, no intelligent human being would ever utter it unless they were insane, horribly maleducated, or..."

"...you?"

>"...well, when you put it that way, I-"

"Okay, hold on, this is all really confusing, why are there two of you?"

>"Isn't it obvious, Albert?"

>The Doctor who DIDN'T hug you walks over to a window port, and opens it up.

>"We're not home."

>Your optics struggle to process what they're looking at.

>"We're in Ponyville."

>He pauses.

>"Well, a different Ponyville."

 

>You are Doctor Anonymous 1.

>And right now, you can't believe you're being so stubborn.

>Well, YOU'RE not. Doctor Anonymous 2 is.

>"And why the hell should -I- be number 2?! You're in -my- Ponyville!"

"Well, that makes me a guest, and you should respect your guests! Therefore, Doctor 1."

>Albert sighs. "What are you talking about. -Your- Ponyville?"

"Yes! The sudden change in Pinka-.. Pinkie's emotional state disrupted the reaction! It didn't send us home, it sent us to an alternate Ponyville!"

>"An alternate Ponyville?"

>"Yes." Doctor 2 continues. "Multiverse theory, Albert."

"Infinite universes, every universe a slight deviation from another, maybe even a single point of departure from the last."

>"Which results in there being a universe for every single possibility, infinite places where anything that was possible, has happened, somewhere."

>"That's very obtuse."

"Yes, well, why do you think I didn't accept it? We're in a parallel Equestria, Albert. Where a parallel Doctor Anonymous was sent to. The point of departure seems to have resulted in me, or rather, Doctor Anonymous 2, ending up with Fluttershy instead of Pinkie."

>"I told you, -I'm- Doctor Anonymo- wait, you ended up with Pinkamina?"

>You sigh.

"Listen, I'll be Doctor Anonymous 1..."

>The alternate you glares.

"And you can be Doctor Anonymous A."

...

>"...that's acceptable."

"Anyway, we need to hurry."

>"Hurry? What for?"

"Because I don't think I came here alone. And I don't mean Albert."

 

>You're Pinkie Pie!

>And right now, you are looooving this cake.

>It smells so good!

>You might eat it all yourself if you weren't already enjoying a lollipop.

>You hum merrily to yourself as you work, dancing about the kitchen in a blur of flour, sugar and pink fun.

>You hear the bell signal someone entering Sugarcube Corner.

"Hi there! I'll be right out~!"

>You call out to the incoming customer.

>There's no response. But you hear something.

>Are they... crying?

>Oh, you can't have that!

"I'll have you know, the Sugarcube Corner has a very strict no-sadness policy!"

>You giggle, making sure it's clear that you're joking.

>"W-what?"

>You trot up to the counter, throwing off your messy apron to get a good look at the customer.

"That's right! Now, what can Pinkie do to make you..."

>You freeze.

>Standing in the room, staring wide-eyed at you, is...

>You.

>But it can't be you.

"..you... smile..."

>There's a horrible silence.

"Ch...ch.."

>You know just what's going on.

>The fake Pinkie's eyes widen.

>She didn't even get your hair right.

"CH.."

>"N..no.. please, I-I'm not-"

"CHANGELING!"