//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Such a Strange Stallion... // by The_Whovian16 //------------------------------// Location.... Gaia (Earth)... Continent... Equestria... Time.... 2,000 ACC (After Celestia’s Crowning)... Dimensional Standard.... Unknown.... Dimensional Anchor.... Unknown.... Dimensional Time Vortex Standard.... Cannot Specify... Dimensional Time Vortex Anchor... Gaia (Earth) .... “What does all of that mean?” Twilight thought slowly, hearing this... voice in her head, start chanting those lines of code. “.... What is a Dimensional Standard? .... Or an Anchor?” Currently, the sweet librarian was lain upon the ground of some cold surface she could not feel.... The entire room around her seemed to be some... ghostly apparition- of some place she wasn’t familiar with.... She could sense an aura though.... A part of the misty room around her- there were no solid lines, no solid blocks... everything was wavy, everything was smoke almost, the entire world around her seemed to be... almost like it wasn’t even there.... The Aura... She was sensing the Aura- it was a part of the entire room.... Of Everything within the room. Then she felt the chanting start up again. Location.... Gaia Earth.... “Blast!” A firm and transfixed voice cast out against his carefully calibrated instruments. “A thousand years in this world- and you think you might get to know your surroundings a bit better...” He muttered slowly, looking back to the center console he had been walking in circles around. “... You’re Transfixed on this world... Aren’t you?” He asked it slowly, gently looking to the large lever like thing jutting out beside him. “.... It’s been a Thousand Years... We aren’t needed here anymore- they have their Princess back... No one remembers me- no one even knows I exist besides the Princesses!” He said, but the screen just flashed at him, and the chant continued. Continent. Equestria.... Time. 2,000 ACC Dimensional Standard.... Unknown. Dimensional Anchor.... Unknown. Dimensional Time Vortex Standard.... Cannot Specify.... Dimensional Time Vortex Anchor.... Gaia (Earth) .... “BLAST!” The Stallion shouted, before turning around as he came down the steps- Twilight blinked as she looked at him curiously, seeing him in such distress... but... She knew him. “.... D- .... Doctor?” She asked softly, cocking her head to the side. He stopped when she said his name, and turned directly to her. As if only just realizing she were in the room. “.....” He said nothing at first, blinking swiftly, before hurrying down the steps to her side, curiously looking the mare over. “Well now- what have we here?” He asked curiously, pulling out some... short silver device from his tie, seeming to be curious about her. “.... Some kind of... Sentience? .... Floating through Space?” He muttered to himself, frowning some. “.... A Sliver of Silver Sentience, Sifting through Space.... Try and say that five times fast.” He joked, before clearing his throat. “Not very often I get a traveler that comes with me.... I don’t know if you can hear me- or perhaps even understand me- but if you’re here then I’m to suppose you’re here for a reason.... Greetings then- I’m the Doctor. Pleasure to meet you.... Can you speak?” “... So... You are The Doctor....” She said slowly, blinking as she tried to take a step away when he approached- but quickly realized she couldn’t. She couldn’t pull herself away from him- and it was at this point that... She got to see him. Fully. In detail now- see the details she couldn’t before, foggy and slower as they might have seemed.... “Hmm?” He blinked slowly as he looked to her, confused as his little device began to buzz. “Rather fuzzy that was- I think I heard you say my name.... Would you like to try again?” Twilight blinked before she giggled slowly at the buzzing, it starting to tickle her. “Hehe... H-hey, stop that~ I-It tickles.” She told him, the little device making her giggle more as her horn began to glow with the joy she felt, and a bit of the device’s own workings. “Oh! Sorry then.” He said, before noticing something, looking to her head as he lowered his little silver cylinder. “... What’s that... Glowing thing you’re doing?” Dimensional Time Vortex Standard, in Range of Specification. The Doctor’s eyes suddenly shot back to the console he had walked away from and ran towards it swiftly, looking to the Monitor. “What?! Where?” He asked quickly, pushing buttons quickly on the console. Twilight blinked as she looked to the console now- but struggled and grunted as she couldn’t move still.... Her horn dying out slowly. Dimensional Time Vortex Standard, losing Range of Specification.... Can no longer Specify.... “No! Common!” He shouted angrily, before sighing as he fell onto his rump and rubbed his eyes... “So Close....” He muttered in a much softer voice.... She could hear the pain in his voice.... This was the Doctor wasn’t it? .... The ‘Healer’ from her story? .... She had seen him not too long ago- the stallion from Canterlot- it had to be him... Was this his advanced ship? Unlike any witnessed before it? ....Well- he had done was he needed too... hadn’t he? Watched over the world for a thousand years?.... Was he looking for some way to go home now?.... Where even would his home be- perhaps his ship could find it? .... Maybe that was the problem he was currently facing? .... “.... Are you looking for a way... Home?” She asked him slowly, still unable to move from her spot... The Doctor looked back to her slowly, and sighed as he shook his head. “.... Yes.... Home... I- ... I want to go Home....” He told her slowly, shaking his head as he looked back to the console. “.... The Problem is... I know where Home is- but.... I can’t start going Home, if I don’t know where the ‘Start’ is....” He said, looking back to her over his shoulder, before sighing as he shook his head. “.... Nevermind. You wouldn’t understand....” She could.... Her entire first Day in this town was a disaster... All she had wanted to do since she had arrived there, was stop the imminent return of Nightmare Moon, and go Home.... And- she couldn’t imagine just... Living with those feelings forever.... Alone... on a day to day basis.... She looked back to the console, and focused her energy upon it- trying to move again, this time attempting to teleport to it... and this time, it worked. She appeared beside him, looking over the console now herself- though it just... looked like a great big blob of ‘gray’ to her- everything becoming more misty with this- the aura around her beginning to scatter. “O-Oh no, my Magic! I-I must have disturbed the aura!” She said quickly- Dimensional Time Vortex Standard, in Range of Specification. The Doctor’s eyes jumped to the console, before he turned and looked directly to his side as she appeared there, before looking back to the console, and then back to her. “.... What is your name?” He asked her quickly, turning to her fully. Twilight turned back to him quickly- seeing him started to fade into dust. “W-What?!... M-My Name?!” She asked, glaring at him a bit. “You still haven’t told me yours! I should be the one asking you that!” She said, before sighing as she tried to focus on her magic again and stabilize her connection to whatever Aura was keeping her here... In this... in this dream.... “What!?! Yes I did- I told you my name! It’s the Doctor!” He said, frowning back at her, as if this was the time to be arguing about it. He took in a quick breath before he shook his head. “Oh- Oh no, you’re fading! Quickly-” “That isn’t a NAME it’s a Title!” Twilight clarified, before turning back to him. “And I’m aware of that! I’m trying to restabilize it!- Besides. I already told you my name.” She clarified for him with a small frown, before closing her eyes and focusing again. “... What?” He asked, now sounding perplexed. “.... N-no you have not! I’ve only just met you-” “I told you my name in the park 2 Days ago!” Twilight told him before sighing as she tried to refocus again- the world really starting to fade away. She needed to concentrate or else she would slip out of here and back into her body- “The Park?! What Park!?! I haven’t- ..... Ooohh- Oh! Of course!” He declared suddenly, smirking as he danced around, Twilight’s magic taking effect as she started to refocus on her surroundings. “You- you’re the Unicorn! The one I ran into! Umm. Umm... What’s your name... Midnight... Sprinkle? .... No- Uuuhh... Starlight Glimmer? ... No- no, close, but not quite.” “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me...” Twilight muttered, sighing as she just tried to ignore it now. “What was your name? .... Sunset Shimmer? No- no. That’s not it... Uumm. Hanz Zimmer? No- wait, that’s not even remotely close- Oh! Oh! I know! Midnight Sparkler!” He said suddenly, as if he should feel very proud of himself for guessing that. “UURREEGH!” Twilight glared and turned to him swiftly, now a bit angry. “It’s TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” She shouted at him, before gasping slowly as she saw him now fading away much faster. “Omigosh! Doctor!? Doctor!?!” “... Twilight Sparkle?” He asked calmly, his voice starting to fade as the misty grey slowly grew into a blank white. “... Right then... Twilight Sparkle! Keep an eye out for me, I’ll b e c o m i n g . . . ” “Doctor!?” Twilight shouted, before looking around as it all went to white- everything disappearing. “Doctor?!!?! DOCTOR?!?!” She shouted out one last time, before- ================== “DOCTOR!” Twilight let her lungs waist their remaining oxygen on that last call for the Mad Stallion, before she gasped, and looked around the room- blinking as she saw herself now once more, back in the Library she had just moved into. She took note of the couch she was laying upon... she hadn’t bought any furniture yet besides a bed, so she didn’t own a couch.... Then how was she laying on a couch? .... She blinked and followed the gaze around the room- it was bright in here. The Windows were shining too brightly, and it was hurting Twilight’s eyes to look around. “Sister. Turn thy sun away- you’re hurting her eyes.” Her ears flicked and searched for that voice, before she heard someone close some of the shades, and a sigh of relief from a very motherly and regretful voice. “Oh, thank goodness, you’re alright Twilight....” “Ow...” Twilight muttered slowly, wincing as her ears heard things so loudly at that moment. “My... Head Hurts...” She muttered, rubbing it- only to realize she’d had it bandaged. “Well I would hope so.” Another, unfamiliar voice commanded, as Princess Luna sat beside her. “You gave yourself a concussion when you fell back from shock!” Twilight blinked as she... tried to recall that... Oh- Right... The Princesses had arrived.... “Oh. Right.” She said, nodding slowly as she rubbed her head, before turning from Princess Luna to Celestia. “.... So... You got my letter?” She asked slowly, before seeing the confusion upon her teacher’s face. “Letter? ... No- did you just send it?” She asked, smiling softly as she shook her head. “Then I shall read it when I return to Canterlot-” “No, no... I’ll just tell you what it was about.” She said slowly, before blinking suddenly as she sat up straight like a stick and looked to Celestia swiftly, before her head turned to Luna. “Wait. Why are you two in Ponyville?! ... At my House?!” She asked. (Well, she couldn’t call it ‘her’ house just yet. It was still... just... the place she slept in for one night.) Luna smirked some, and giggled as she shook her head. “Oh, most likely for the same reason you wrote to Tia, I do not doubt.” Twilight blinked a bit as she looked to Celestia with a raised eyebrow and a small smile. “... ‘Tia’?~” She asked, giggling a bit- having never heard anyone call her Teacher that before. Celestia blushed and smirked at Luna who was returning it in kind with her own, before she turned back to Twilight. “It’s an old Nickname.” She explained, before laughing in the sweetest tone as she hugged Twilight. “I’m just glad you are alright Twilight....” “Yes, thy tossing and turning, and shouting of the name ‘Doctor’ was most unsettling.... And it was not a dream- if it was, I would have been able to view it in the Dreamscape.” Luna said. “Ugh- It’s not a name, it’s a Title!” She said, glaring at the Lunar Princess swiftly as she pulled herself out of Celestia’s warm embrace, before something hit her like a pony-powered locomotive. “.... Wait.” She said suddenly, turning back to Luna and swiftly getting up. “You know him- don’t you!” Luna’s smirk didn’t disappear, rather it grew larger as she looked over to Celestia, who in turn gave Twilight a worried look. “... I thought you said she wouldn’t bother bringing him up~” She teased, before looking back to Twilight. “I didn’t think she knew about him....” Celestia commented, before sitting back down. Twilight’s aghast look was almost understandable- her own teacher knew?! And she didn’t tell her?!?! “You know him too!!?!” She asked- well, almost cried out really. “.....” Spike blinked, holding up a heaping pile of Pancakes in his hands that was 3 times taller than him and looked to the 2 alicorns, and then Twilight. “.... Um.... Doctor Who?” Spike asked curiously, bringing the pancakes to the table that now separated Twilight’s couch and 2 cushions that the Princesses sat upon. ...... Luna was the first to crack as she giggled softly, trying to contain her amusement in Spike’s question with her hoof... but the credulous look Celestia had in her eye for her sister was too much- and the blue princess was laughing back in her seat, probably turning blue too, from the lack of oxygen she was getting. “... What? ... All I asked was ‘Doctor Who?’” Spike muttered, setting out the plates for the 3 of them, before shrugging and running back into the kitchen to get syrup and juice (and maybe some silverware.) Celestia sighed, and shook her head, holding it up in her hoof before speaking up. “Let us... Talk about this over Breakfast... Shall we?” She asked calmly, before looking to Twilight first. “Would you like to start with your experience with the Doctor thus far?” ================== About an Hour Later, after the recollection of the past 2 Chapters, and a whole bunch of other non-important stuff. “Oh- so then... The Book was telling the truth?” Twilight asked curiously, looking upstairs as she levitated the book and brought it down to her level, reading it again now. ‘Bedtime Stories of the Forgotten’ “Heh...” Celestia smiled as she looked upon the book herself, seeing it from her distance away from her student. “Even the smallest of stories, contain the strongest of truths Twilight....” Celestia told her calmly, as she took a closer look at it, lifting it out of her students gaze. “... Though... I will be honest- I do not know the author of this collection of Stories... Or- how they obtained such information- even a thousand years ago...” She admitted slowly. “Do not question such a gift Sister.” Luna said calmly, handing the book back to Twilight, who set it down on the couch beside her. “It is because of that book that we are able to have this conversation at all.... Though... May I ask to have a copy?” Luna inquired calmly, making Twilight smiled and nod, making a copy for her with her magic, and hovering it over. “Thank you. I think I will hold this as a new admission to my Collection of Bedtime Stories.” Luna commented calmly, seeming quite pleased with her book. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle, feeling a little better about living in a library now, after seeing Princess Luna that much happier about having the book for herself.... Though... it did make her wonder something else. “.... So.... Does this mean the Doctor’s gone?” She asked slowly, looking to Celestia first, as always, before her eyes fell upon the other Princess in the room. The silence in the room became slow but thickening.... And for a Library- such silence seemed so out of place. Celestia turned to Luna, whom gave her the same look, and sighed as she hung her head. “... I am... Afraid so.” She admitted, looking to Twilight. “.... The Doctor was our ‘Guardian Angel’ as it were.... He protected us from from beyond the Veil of Night for a thousand years- but now that-” “Now that I have returned from my 1000 Year Banishment, his time has comet to an end. Equestria- or, rather Gaia as a whole, no longer needs his protection.” Luna commented swiftly, holding the book closer to her chest still. “Well... Perhaps that is not true.” Celestia said, before sighing again, seeming so downtrodden. “It is unlikely that we would ever be seeing the Doctor for some time though... Unless our World is in grave peril of a threat from beyond the stars....” Vwwoorrpp...... The Princess of the Night nodded solemnly in return to that comment, having nothing to add with a response of her own. Vwwooorrrrpp..... Twilight sighed slowly in return, feeling that sadness at the thought... She only met the stallion once? ... A Stallion responsible for saving their lives countless times- and she only got to meet him... by bumping into him? .... That didn’t seem fair.... Vwwooooorrrpppp! “Hey- what’s that Noise?” Spike asked suddenly, walking back into the kitchen with his apron, and yellow rubber gloves on- doing the dishes apparently. Vwwwoorrrppp! ... Vvvwwwoooorrrpppp!! ... Vvvwwwoooorrrppp!!! Both Princesses gasped suddenly as there was a flashing light coming from behind Twilight’s head- her entire head swiveling around to find the source of the light, before gasping herself... As... As... “.... How did THAT get in here?!” Twilight shouted suddenly, glaring at the familiar blue Police Box she had encountered in the Forest. “That- How did that get in here!?!?” Twilight asked, turning to Celestia and Luna- only to see their still shocked faces. Their jaws nearly striking the floor... It was... almost priceless actually~ The door to the box opened on Twilight’s left with a loud, yet anonymous squeaking. Really- the Squeak was Anonymous. In this old rickety library- it fit right in with every door and floorboard this place had to offer.... “Is this the right place?” Came an even more familiar voice, before the Doctor peeked his head out to the left and then right- seeing the other 3 sat before him. His eyes mostly landed upon Twilight though. “Ah! Wonderful! There you are Miss Sparkler!” The Doctor said brightly, flashing a grin to the other two as well. “Oh, Luna! My you look ravishing~ And Celestia, as delightful as ever.” He said with a quick bow to them both as he walked around the couch..... “.....” The literal silence they were returning would have been enough to make a sane stallion question what they had just done wrong to be worthy of such shock. “Anyway- sorry to bother you all, it’s a pleasure seeing you again!” He said, coming around the couch.... Obviously- he was no ‘Sane Stallion’, but rather a Strange Stallion. “... D-... Doctor?” Twilight said slowly, seeing him approaching her- before squeaking herself with a heavy blush as he picked her up and put her on his back. “H-Hey! What are you doing?!” “Sorry Tia, need to borrow Midnight-” “Twilight!” She corrected angrily, while also trying to get down- but was feeling very wobbily. “-here for a quick moment! Promise, I’ll be back in a jiffy!” The Doctor said, chuckling a bit as he started to carry on for a moment and take Twilight back around the couch. “.....” Celestia for the most part was still dumbstruck, and just... sorta ‘nodded’ to him as he watched the two of them. “...... Do .... Doc ....Doctor?” Luna said slowly, as if she were a young child whom had just seen a puppy she thought had run away some time ago return. “Hey- Put me down!” Twilight said, struggling more noticeably now. “Are you out of your mind?! You can’t just take me-” SLAM! The door didn’t squeak this time- it just sort of shut in a very loud manner. Then the Light began blaring up above it once more. And then came that noise again- along with a mysterious breeze.... Vwwooorrrppp.... Vwwwooorrpppp..... Vwoorrrpppp! .... And then... like that... The Box was gone.... Leaving the Princesses just sitting there. Dumbfounded. Staring at the spot where the Doctor had been a moment ago- and his Blue Box. And Twilight too... but that was kinda an afterthought. “.....” Spike just blinked a bit as he looked to Celestia and Luna, and then back to the where the box had been and then back to them. “.... Soooo.... Does this mean I can have Twilight’s room now?” He asked hopefully. The answer would have normally been a firm “No” but... it didn’t seem like either of them was going to tell him that.