Epilogue
The Last Page
The Everfree Forest was always a fascinatingly dark and dangerous place, and tonight was no exception. It was only early evening, yet the darkness was nearly equal to midnight. Not that the Doctor minded. To him, the forest remained one of the most interesting places on the planet for that very reason. A cockatrice stood in his way, locking eyes with the alien pony. The Doctor simply smirked humorlessly and met its red eyed gaze with his own green eyes. "Not going to work on me, mate," he muttered.
The cockatrice began to back off. It wasn't just that its stare proved completely ineffective on its prey. There was something in his eyes that unnerved it. He wasn't openly aggressive or threatening, but the dispassionate look he tossed its way was even more unnerving than the Stare used by certain locals. After mere moments of shared eye contact, the creature slunk back into the foliage. The Doctor harrumphed cockily, brushed off his tweed jacket, readjusted his bow tie, and continued on to his destination.
Before long he reached the last leg of his journey, the bridge crossing the deep ravine that lay mere minutes from the ruins. The Doctor unhesitatingly walked across the rickety old bridge to the other side. Moments later, the Doctor arrived at the ruins that were formerly the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. He sat down before the entrance and just... sat there. He didn't exactly know why he came here. He wasn't even sure what year it actually was. His last jump was something of a blind one. The Doctor wasn't exactly at his best recently.
He reached into his jacket and slowly withdrew a page of paper. "Dear friend. Here we are; at the last page..." The Doctor couldn't continue to read without his vision blurring up. Damn it all, he thought in disgust. My previous life was nowhere near this sentimental, and he stayed in Ponyville off and on for over a decade just to be with her.
"This place was so beautiful once," a sudden voice spoke from behind. The Doctor turned and saw his Little Celestia standing there behind him, ever the same, ever constant, so unlike the Doctor himself.
Hastily stashing his paper back in his jacket, the Doctor turned to face his old friend, a fake as fake can be smile on his face. "What do you mean 'used to be'? All the history this place holds, all the history both good and bad, all that history comes together to make one amazingly beautiful whole. To say nothing of the personal memories I have of this place. No wonder I come here to think."
Celestia's calm smile was a bit teasing, yet sad. "And here I was hoping you were here for my benefit."
"For your...? Why would I have been here for your...? Wait, wait, give me a moment." The Doctor brought a foreleg up to his face to look at his backward wristwatch. Okay, so it was the year one thousand seventy four C.R. Third day of the fourth month. What was significant about that date, again? What was... Ooooh. The day after the funeral of... "Ah. Sorry about that. I really should have known. I've not exactly been my usual brilliant self as of late."
Celestia sat herself down next to her old friend, her own eyes a bit misty, but a kind and understanding smile on her face. "She was probably the best student I've ever had the pleasure of teaching. She's done so much, both for the kingdom as a whole and myself personally." She sighed and shot the Doctor a significant look. "It really is very difficult when they leave, isn't it?"
The Doctor scowled and looked away. "Let's not go there. Not today."
Celestia laid herself down and put her face at eye level with the much smaller stallion. "In all honesty, Doctor, I think we need to 'go there' tonight. The two of us, we're very much alike when it comes to these matters, I think. We both know, from day one, that the day will come..."
"When they leave us, yes!" The Doctor growled, a challenge in his eye as he gazed unflinchingly into hers. "As will the next ones. And the next! And the next! Well, I for one am sick of it!" He slumped in defeat. "It's just not fair."
Celestia unfurled one of her impressive wings and covered the Doctor with it comfortingly. "No, it is not," she agreed softly. "But it still is."
The Doctor let the tears fall freely now. Here, in the presence of quite possibly the one other being who truly understood--even more so than her sister, who had less experience, and was less mature--he was safe to do so. "Travel with me. Please?" he asked, almost pitiably.
Celestia had allowed a few tears to fall herself. "I think we both know the answer to that. I love you, Doctor. You really are my best friend in the world, and beyond. But my place is here." She tightened the hold she had on the ancient traveler in her wing. "But know this--I will always be here. Always."
The Doctor nodded numbly. "I suppose... for now... tonight... that's enough."
Off in the distance, a timberwolf howled as Luna rose a spectacular full moon. And here, two old friends sat together, and mourned together, and were comforted by the other's presence. Together.
~DrW~
"Lulu! Lulu, I'm home!" the little filly shouted as she ran into the castle.
The Doctor watched from the cover of the forest as she was practically tackled by a midnight blue filly and the two hugged and cried and laughed for a moment before entering the castle out of sight. He almost didn't notice the fair white mare with the golden hair and the straw hat approach from behind. "Well, now. Isn't that interesting," she said playfully.
"Oh, don't start, Romana," the Doctor groused. "I've already explained that when I met her in my previous regeneration, she already had memories of me. Not appearing would have caused all kinds of paradoxes."
"Don't give me that," Romana replied. "I've yet to meet a fellow Time Charger who disregards the Laws of Time like you do. You don't care one whit about paradoxes and the like. Why can't you just admit that maybe, just maybe you're looking for a friend? One of the lifelong variety?"
"I will admit nothing of the sort. Now come along. We mustn't stay in any one place for too long, you know. Never know when the Black Guardian might be on the lookout."
"And whose fault is that?" Romana asked as he led her down the path to where the TARDIS was patiently waiting. The Doctor barely heard her. He cast one last look at the castle before trotting down the path himself. Maybe he should take Romana to see Prance. Yes, Prance was always a good choice, even if he couldn't quite control the year. Prance it was, then.
~THE END~
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR (that would be me):
So, there we go. The end of the story. And I'm sure some people will notice that I skipped right over Tennent, thus writing a Doctor Whooves story that doesn't actually have the Doctor Whooves background pony in it. That was so totally not the intention. I had a scene with Doctor #10 all planned out. It would have been at the Royal Wedding reception. There would have been talk about where the Doctor currently was in his life. There would have been a brief cameo of 11 "dancing." It was a good scene at the time.
But, when I sat down to actually write it, it felt... superfluous, trite, and unnecessary. Not exactly what you want to end the story on. And, for better or worse Angels Take Manhattan is still rather fresh in my mind, so this ending is what came to mind. Also, what that scene had to say about the Doctor's life at that point, as well as his current status with Celestia, were already said better and in more detail over at my other Doctor story A Storm of Chaos. If you're looking for a Tenth Doctor fix, head on over there. I'll be waiting.
Two things that always hurt in Doctor Who his death and when his companions leave him. Still hurts even in a ponified version.
The cameo of 11 'dancing' actually sounds pretty good.
But, the chapter and story was great, and I really enjoyed it.
that hurt, a little bit.
Such a fast ending.
THE SAME STORY WITH ALL IMMORTALS...
WE ARE ALWAYS THE LAST TO SEE 'THEM' GO...
Oh, god, the feels.
that was a great story.
Ah, you still have "Angels in Manhatten" in your mind...
I am so, so sorry...
That episode was so filled with plot holes, contrivances, and flat out disregard for previously stated canon, I felt nothing but annoyance when it was finally over (Mr. Tardis agrees with me). I, at least, can block it easily enough.
I'm always sad when a good story ends.
Another amazing story comes to an end. The curtain closes, and the crowd applauses. Good job. Bloody god job.
Good story
even after the snowmen ep I still feel bad for him he rly needs good in his life
the feels are returning from when i watched that episode
alas poor doctor....the pain of hundreds of years of lost companions really starts to add up doesn't it
also.....TWILIGHT!!!!!!
really enjoyed reading this fic, forget my d'aww meter breaking from the first chapter (got it fixed btw) this story completely SHATTERED my nostaliga meter. (the people on this site hate my gadgets)
and think i may just read your "a storm of chaos"
you've got me interested
well done.....well done
1521226 YES!!! Someone who recognizes who the BEST Dr is!
Another fantastic story, I really enjoyed the format/idea/concept of this story, it just being snapshots of the doctor and his interactions with Tia. Each and every installment felt heartwarming, emotional, and natural. I love the relationship they share.. and how jumbled up it is! It just goes to show, you don't need an enemy, or a convoluted plot, or an adventure to have a wonderful story, even when the doctor s involved. (Just to let you know, this whole story reminds me of the feels you get at the end of the Van Gogh episode... and you being the Who expert you are, you know that means a hell of a lot)
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i dont think river ever met jack...or we havent seen that yet...or something ARGH TIME TRAVEL!
well it caught up to him the doctor is lucky to have befriended tia its probably the one and only best friend he could keep nearly forever loved this fave and a folllow
Fantastic! That was the best Dr. Who pony crossover that I have ever read! In fact it was one of the overall best pony fics I have read as well. If not for my idiotic strict policy of not listing stories under 10,000 words in my top favorites it is very likely this story would make my top 10. I am greatly looking forward to reading your other Dr. Who pony fics!
this was absolutely brilliant. I loved it. memory lane of just about all the previous Doctors, my question now is, where's the impossible girl?
'
...
Who died?
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Probably.
All of these are lovely. They hurt, but it's the good hurt.
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John Hurt
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you mean Clara Oswald?, the one that travelled with the 11th and 12th doctor?, the normal and british one?, the one that got turned into a Dalek in the Dalek Asylum on Skaro, saved her humanity by retreating into a fantasy(her humanity), and sacrificed herself to save the doctor?
12 WAS TALKING TO TIA, BUT I GOT THE FEELING THAT ROMANA WAS TALKING TO 4. SOOO....4 IS WATCHING 12 FROM THE FOREST....WHERE IT ALL BEGAN....