The Librarian and her Knight in crimson armor

by Camlio

A Birthday to remember, part 1

Twilight Sparkle sighed while going about her daily routine, the only surprises she got anymore was when Pinkie Pie pulled a for a lack of a better word Pinkie Pie. A little over a year had passed since the Time-Ponies, The Doctor and The Shield who as an apprentice was called the Seeker had left Ponyville on their separate journeys. The Doctor had left with the Doo family with his Tardis and had popped up on occasion but, never stayed more than the six hours it took for the Tardis to recharge. The Shield on the other-hoof was tasked by Princess Celestia to explore the world for reasons that she didn't even tell Twilight.

The Fact that her mentor had kept the fact of why the Shield was sent into the world from her, caused Twilight some much anticipated grief as she had become somewhat close with the Time-Stallion before he had to depart. She had heard a visitor from Manehattan say something about a single crimson pony stopping a rampaging army of strange robotic ponies armed with a strange sounding stick and a sword of light she smiled, as she knew that at the very least he was still alive. Ponies from all over began speaking about the Amazing 'Crimson Knight' who battled great beasts from beyond the stars with his sword of light and magic stick. Each rumor seemed to be coming from closer and closer to Ponyville, week by week this pattern continued.

Soon after hearing how the rumors kept getting closer to Ponyville in the source Twilight had decided to research the projected time tables and the locations that spawned the rumors. By her calculations The Crimson Knight would arrive in Ponyville on her... "He'll show up on my Birthday?!!" Her startled revelation had caused spike to jump at the lavender mare's yelling. "Who's gonna show up Twilight?" Spike asked curiously as he had just figured out what she said. "The Crimson Knight, or as we know him The Shield will be here by my birthday if my calculations are correct." She said with a fore-lorn gaze like a love-sick puppy.

As if on cue spike coughed up a burst of green flames that transformed into a scroll which he caught and opened but, after reading it silently he handed it to Twilight putting his finger to his mouth in a fake vomiting motion. Twilight took the letter and read it to see what could have caused Spike to behave in such a manner.

My Faithful Student, as you have no doubt discovered the Crimson Knight spoken of in the rumors is none other than the Time-Stallion The Shield. He had written to me two months ago asking if you were well and to report that he was returning from his trip. When I told him your birthday was coming up, he had asked me to let you know that he would somehow find a way to reach you in Ponyville in time for it. While your birthday and friends' return are both important there is something we must discuss. I shall be traveling to Ponyville to visit you tomorrow in order for this news as it is not something that can be discussed over letters. Your caring mentor, Princess Celestia of Equestria.

At the news the letter held, Twilight began to worry as the fact The Princess needed to discuss something with her in person. Mentioning both The Shield and her birthday made her nervous as she had noticed just how close the two became before he departed. She really didn't want to think about what the Princess wanted to discuss and after about ten minutes of constant worry she fell asleep, due to mentally draining herself.

Twilight awoke the next day in her bed to a knocking on her Door. "Who is it?" she called out to whoever was on the other side. "Sorry about, not waking you up sooner Twilight, but I had to get breakfast ready." Spike said carrying a tray with pancakes and a glass of apple juice on it. "Aww thanks spike." Twilight said as spike set her food down at a comfortable spot for her to eat it from her bed. With a your welcome, he ran of into the main library as they were still expecting the Princess.

Upon finishing her breakfast Twilight got cleaned up and ready for the day, and right on time too as the jingle of the customer bells mixed with spike calling to Twilight about an important guest, she knew that the Princess was already here. "Greeting Princess how was the Trip from Canterlot?" Twilight said with a smile as she came down the stairs from her bedroom. "It was very pleasant my faithful student." The princess said returning the smile. "But, I'm afraid this is not a social visit..." Her expression turned from joy to concern. Twilight knew that whatever the Princess needed to speak with Twilight about she was most likely not going to enjoy it. "Yes princess, please follow me." With a nod to spike to comfort him, Twilight lead the Solar Princess to the Observatory next to her room.

What the Princess had come to discuss was something that Twilight never even thought about she had asked Twilight if she thought The Shield could still be a time-lord after the way he reversed the temporal flux causing the other universe to create a copy of the Doctor from before he entered Equestria. "If that's the case, then he would never have needed to become a Time-Lord after all, If he even could." Twilight said in thought and remembered what the Doctor had told her when she kept pestering him for his name. "A Time-Lord cannot disclose his real name to anypony or risk destroying the universe, but they will never gain a new name to a Time-Lord so no matter how I try I'll be the Doctor till all my lives are up." She said as she recalled the speech word for word in a slightly mocking Doctor imitation and the fact that He was given a new name had to have some kind of meaning.

"I believe, Twilight that he lost what slight time-lord powers he had gained when he lost his Tardis." Referring to the Fact that the Doctor never had to make a choice and by that fact the Time-Lord the seeker ceased to exist. "I believe the words the shield were not a name, but a clue as to what his real name and purpose was." The Princess said in a saddened voice as that would mean that he had risked his life not realizing that he was not immortal like the Doctor. With that Knowledge in her mind Twilight Began to tear up, knowing that if she had only payed more attention to what the Doctor had said when The Seeker found that card he would be in much less danger.

"My Faithful student, it is my hope that when The Seeker returns that you will have found the clue to reveal his true purpose so that he can put the past behind him." The regal Alicorn stood up, with Twilight following suit. "I'll do my best Princess." Twilight said with a smile. With a smile of her own the Princess departed. Twilight knew that she had to finish this task by her birthday as he would show up that day.

It was finally Twilight's Birthday and much to her displeasure she thought she had found the clue when she looked in a book titled the Shield of the people. She almost gave up before she remembered what the Doctor had told her about the man he called Captain Jack Harkness and that he couldn't die much like a time-lord due to an immense temporal anomaly. That he was a fixed point in time and could not be erased or changed. "When he became fixed in time a clock stopped and couldn't be restarted. That glow gave off a glow that made my stomach feel like turning."(I don't know if it's true but, it makes sense.) She said in a low whisper as the spark of hope returned to her eyes.

She had ten minutes before she had to visit Pinkie Pie to attend her party so she had to work fast. She dashed up the stairs to her room where she had two clocks, one she used and one she had stopped using after The Seeker had returned from saving them all. "I hope I'm right..." she said solemnly as she scanned it with her magic. The glow that came off it was similar to the shining dust the doctor had coughed up during his first day in Equestria, which he later revealed to have been caused by him regenerating. "I found it!" She shouted smiling from ear to ear as the clock had stopped and began it's magical glow the very day The Seeker saved the world and exposed himself to the 'Raw Time stream' as the Doctor called it.

"Hey Twilight! You ready to go Birthday Girl?" she heard spike call out from the front door of the library as she was writing a hasty note to the princess. "Be right down!" Twilight shouted back as she took the letter and ran down the stairs using a spell she learned recently called the 1 minute make-over created by a style obsessed unicorn much like rarity, to spruce up after her long studies. "Whoa, you look beautiful Twilight." Spike couldn't keep himself from saying those words and his purple face turned red causing Twilight to respond in kind. That is until Spike noticed the letter Twilight was carrying. "Want me to send that?" Spike said while pointing to it, at which Twilight nodded and walked out the door.

At Sugercube Corner A.K.A. Twilight's Birthday party.

"Howdy there sugercube!" The orange farm pony known as Applejack said from behind a present so large that the only way Twilight could tell where her friend stood was the top of her friends favorite cowpony hat. The present however began to concern Twilight as the party went on, something seemed to be breathing inside the gift and it radiated evil. It felt as if it was waiting for something but, what?

She would get her answer as the party wound to a close and only her and her best friends were left in Sugercube Corner along with the ominous gift that pinkie said was 'not to be opened within a crowd'. As she approached the massive gift her gut began to furiously scream at her to run and get her friends out. This present was evil and a force not of this world was contained within. Her nervousness became pure terror as she read the card that was attached to the gift... "Exterminate targets Elements of Harmony... Oh no. Girls run!" She shouted as the box burst open revealing three of the Doctor's worst foes The Daleks. The sight of these evil metal beasts caused the girls to flee sugercube corner within seconds of them being released.

"Oh my goodness, these things again?!" Rarity shouted as they ran. Normally not one to engage in running but, after she had heard the Doctor's speech about the relentless extinguishers of life that nearly wiped out his people she didn't feel like complaining. "If only the Doctor or Seeker was here." Twilight said her mind in a fog as she was worried about what the Daleks would do to the residents of Ponyville while they waited for the Doctor's usually random appearance. With her thoughts on how to stop them and not running she didn't notice the loose stone in the road and within moments she tripped over it with the sickening pop of a badly sprained ankle.

"Twilight!" The other girls shouted in unison as the Daleks managed to catch up to the group. "Don't worry about me, RUN!!!" Twilight screamed as hard as she could as the lead Dalek prepared to destroy her. "Target: Element of Magic, Name: Twilight Sparkle, Threat Level: Maximum, Threat solution: Swift Extermination." The Dalek shouted with it's sinister mechanical voice as it charged it's most vicious weapon ready to destroy her. Twilight prepared for her demise as she watched knowing that her friends had managed to escape. "Oh well, I've had a good run I guess..." she said solemnly as she resigned herself to her fate while closing her eyes.

Strangely death never came, she wondered if it was just the adrenalin blocking the shot and that if she opened her eyes she would die. Suddenly a stallion's voice called out to her in the darkness, it was barely recognizable as if it was someone she knew a long time ago. "Hey Twilight! You alright?! Say something!" The stallion's voice became more clear as the it began to illuminate the darkness around her, it sounded frantic like it was worried for her. "Please Twilight, for Celestia's sake, say something! Let me know your not dead! Please..." his voice became distant as she felt like she was drifting away till tears fell onto her face.

"I came back just to see you, you can't die... Please, you just can't." She wondered why the voice was so worried then she realized why she felt like she was drifting within the darkness. The Daleks had shot her but, her magic had caused the blast to not kill her instead just severely injure her to the point of near death. The wound burned and must have looked like the normal wound which killed instantly. As she realized she wasn't dead but, couldn't tell this concerned soul she realized just who she was hearing. It was the Seeker, he had saved her friends from the Daleks just as the Doctor had. When she realized this she began to cry a single tear being all that made it from her unconscious mind.

"She's alive! I need a medic! Someone get a medic!" As his voice turned from sadness to a determined one she knew she would live, if only barely. "Don't worry Twilight, I won't let you die." The Seeker said in a reassuring voice that gently lulled Twilight's mind to sleep.

Would Twilight survive her encounter with the Daleks like the Seeker hoped, or would her noble sacrifice be cemented in a book within the library she loved so dearly? To find out watch for the next episode, Onwards and Upwards!

So how did I do? Be honest, I know it was longer than some of my chapters but, not all. This is because I was pressuring myself to finish this chapter without going to far into the story from the start. I know cliff hangers suck but, if you've seen any good doctor who series episodes you know that the best stories always are. If you have any ideas for this or any of my other stories don't hesitate to let me know via the comments, or a PM.