//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The New Companion // Story: Time Bubbles // by Janicethelight //------------------------------// "Surprise!" Pinkie shouted, causing the Doctor to jump a moment. Around the sweets shop was a myriad of ponies from around the town, "Welcome to the town, Mr.-" "Um...The Doctor." "Doctor what?" Pinkie asked, confusedly. "More often they ask Doctor who." The Doctor mumbled with a smile. "Every pony, meet Doctor Whooves!" Pinkie shouted, mishearing what the Doctor said. "Wait...what?" The Doctor breathed, "That's not...I mean..." he sighed, seeing the party was already well on its way. "Very well, I suppose here, I can be called Doctor Whooves then." he shrugged. He turned to see the gray pegasus still by him. He blushed with embarrassment. I can't believe I just blurted that out...I mean the pony doesn't know a thing about me and I go and say she has beautiful eyes like a lovestruck teenager...they are, though..they remind me of something...the golden hue...something Gallifreyan. he mused to himself. "Doctor? Wow, I'm surprised you're a doctor!" The grey mare smiled. "Why's that?" "Well, a doctor usually had a stethoscope or something doctors use...you have an hourglass as your cutie mark. I would think your talent would do with time." The Doctor looked over at his bottom to the odd hourglass shape. So, this odd mark can tell other ponies talents. Fascinating. The mare isn't wrong about mine, either. That means hers is... He looked over at her cutie mark, confused. "Pardon me...I don't believe I know your name." "Oh, my name is Ditzy...Ditzy Doo..." "Right...Miss Ditzy. If I may ask, what does your...cutie mark mean?" One of her eyes looked at the floor. "Oh...well, honestly, I don't remember... I had a bit of an accident when I was young. It messed up my eye and my memory...It happened right after I got my mark, so my parents can't even tell me what it's for...but I think I might have figured it out!" "Really?" The Doctor leaned in closer to listen. "Yeah, I think I'm supposed to be a mail pony! See, these bubbles could be the bubble wrap for packages. I had my first day today. I messed up a lot, but Sunshower said that it was normal to make mistakes on the first day. It was the first time in a long while that I felt like I could do something worthwhile." she grinned. The Doctor went from her eye to her cutie mark and back. Bubble wrap, he knew, was usually uniform, where these bubbles were not. He doubted that mail pony was her talent, but she seemed happy enough to believe so. He let it go for the moment. The ponies were merrily partying and were happy to meet him. The pink one from before had set it up. From the talk around him, she took any excuse for a party and made one, so no one was surprised to have a 'welcome to Poniville party'. This was normal in their lives. Lives of peace and prosperity. The Doctor smiled around. This world was beautiful. He had never seen anything like it...not since Gallifrey before the time war..when he was but a child. The Party ended with the Doctor feeling more at home than ever. He looked up at the foreign stars, grinning as he walked. "Well, I don't know any of these constellations. Must mean I'm on a part of space that I've never been to..." He noticed ponies going to their home. He walked back to his Tardis just outside, seeing his pony reflection, "Well, something to get used to, to say the least, but imagine, seeing this world and all it has to offer. It is nice, for once, to come to a land not in war..." he smiled, going off to sleep in his beloved box. The next day he woke up to a commotion. He wasn't sure what was going on. Worried about a disaster, he ran as fast as he could to the source of the problem, seeing a group of ponies surrounding Miss Ditzy. "good job, Derpy Hooves!" One yelled, "my package was shattered because of your clumsiness." "This isn't even my mail!" Another yelled. "You shouldn't be working until you get those eyes fixed. " A third yelled, "it's not safe for the community!" More yelling occurred with another pegasus coming to Ditzy's aid, "Now, everyone, she's still new at her job. Please, be patient!" "I should have known...I'm no good at this either...I'm no good at anything..." Derpy sighed tears in her eyes. The Doctor watch as she flew off. Feeling anger rise, he turned, "Knock it off!" he yelled, quieting the crowd, "I hope you lot are proud of yourselves, making a...a mare cry. Just yesterday she thought she found a place to belong, and you all couldn't give her a chance, could you." he shook his head in disappointment, running after her. "Ditzy! Ditzy!" he yelled, running around the town until he found her. "There you are, Ditzy." he smiled, softly, seeing her weeping. "Leave me alone." "I'm sorry your morning didn't go as well..." "Didn't go as well?! I destroyed someone's vase...I gave letters to the wrong box...I hit someone in the face with a magazine...I-I just can't seem to do anything right. Why did I ever think I could do this...?" The Doctor bit his lip, not wanting things to stand, "Come with me." "What? Where are we going?" she asked as they went closer to the box. "Sounds to me like you need a change of scenery, and me...I just can't be alone...so how about it. We take a little trip, you and me...just a quick one." "But...you barely know me.." "And you hardly know me, but that's why we could do the trip as two new friends. And, we'll come back, and you'll feel better. I promise. so what do you say? Take a little trip with me?" he grinned. He wasn't sure what prompted this. He just didn't like to see someone cry like that. Derpy sighed, "Why not...maybe a little time away will help the other ponies cool down a little." The Doctor grinned, "Right this way then!" he motioned his hoof to the Tardis.