//------------------------------// // Christmas Day // Story: The Doctor Explains the Christmas Truce // by Crimson_Moon //------------------------------// "Right this way, ladies! I've something to show you." The Doctor proclaimed, leading the group of ponies to a blue box labelled "Police public call Box". Few ponies have seen it, and fewer have been inside, including 4 currently in his party. Sworn to secrecy, they vowed never to speak of this strange blue box, lest the evils of this world, or others, get a hold of the raw power held within. For this was no ordinary box... He motioned his friends to come inside with him and Derpy, only to receive confused looks on many of the ponies' faces save the Princesses and Twilight, whom only exchanged knowing looks with one another. "Uh Doc, hate to burst your bubble, but there ain't no way we'll all fit! Why, it's smaller than an outhouse with Big Mac in it!" Applejack exclaimed. "You will be pleasantly surprised how much room is inside, my little pony!" Celestia spoke, her sister quietly encouraging the rest to follow The Doctor and his companion inside the Box. What beheld them on the inside left them awestruck. Oohs and ahs were exchanged at the enormity of the machine. "This, my ladies, is the TARDIS!" He motioned his hoof to the wonderful contraption surrounding them. "Time And Relative Dimension In Space: T-A-R-D-I-S. Me and her have shared a lot of memories over the years..." His eyes became glossy, no doubt reliving some of those memories in his head for a moment before shaking himself back to reality. "I have something to share with you all. It might give you some hope your kind desperately needs right about now." His expression turned sombre just for a moment, before his smile came back and he began to lead the way down a corridor nearby. Twisting and turning, they finally stopped in front of a futuristic looking door, with various symbols etched above it. Using a panel nearby, The Doctor opened the door into a dark room. He motioned them to follow closely, shutting the door behind them. "What you are about to see is a fraction of one of my memories from Earth." "Woah, woah, woah. Slow down there, what do you mean 'Earth' ? You mean that weird place that Twilight went to with the Hugh-Manns?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Yeah, aren't you a pony, like the rest of us?" Pinkie questioned as well, causing small murmurs of agreement to form among the rest. "He's not. Nor is he human." Luna spoke. "He is called a Time Lord: a very ancient race of beings whose origins even us Princesses will never be told." She said. "I do hate to interrupt, but why is that, Princess? If you don't mind me asking, I mean." Rarity exclaimed. Almost afraid of answering, the Princess of the Night turned to The Doctor for sign of approval. He nodded, allowing her to continue on. Luna sighed, downcast. "It is because they do not exist anymore..." This revalation caused the ponies to gasp. "Y-you mean, t-they're..." Fluttershy uttered. "Dead? No, just... Lost. The Doctor won't talk about what happened them other than to have him tell us that and only that, no matter how many times me and my sister implore him to. If not for us, then for him." Celestia grabbed her shoulder, comforting her sister. "Yes," The Doctor spoke again "I am the last of my kind. A title I bear with a heavy heart." He stated, looking at all the sad faces around him yet again. Though, I consider myself more pony than Time Lord now. He smiled when his eyes came across Derpy, who amongst this exposition never once stopped smiling that sweet smile she always did to cheer up her beloved. "Today is not about me though. It isn't even about you, but it is about the hope that Humanity has shown me, and that is something I think you all need to see." Suddenly, a console appeared near him, allowing him to input some numbers amd data in order to activate his memory. A hologram appeared, showing the date he inputted into the console. It read "December 25, 1914; The Christmas Truce" A few more inputs lit up the room with grids of light, preparing to cast a hologram of that fateful day. Mere moments have passed, when the background changed and all around them images of soldiers and trenches appeared. Gunfire and explosions started to complete the gruesome battlefield, before the once frozen holograms sprang to life. The horrors that the ponies were witness to made some gag and others look around in utter shock. Quiet until now, Starlight spoke up. "T-this is what you wanted to show us? This is what is supposed to cheer us up?! This is a-a slaughter! A bloodbath! How is all this-" she motioned to the bloody conflict surrounding them "-supposed to cheer us up!?" She stamped her hoof down in anger. A few seconds of silence passed, Starlight still waiting for a reply. "WELL!?" She yelled, patience running out. Suddenly, the sounds of destruction stopped, and the ponies turned their eyes towards the soldiers. They weren't fighting, and they looked as confused as the ponies observing the scene. "Why did they all stop?" Twilight asked, looking around for an answer. Her answer came, in a faint but distinct sound coming from across the battlefield in the opposing trenches. It sounded like... Singing? "There is your answer, Starlight." He pointed to the groups of soldiers rising from the Enemy trenches, unarmed and singing. The other soldiers thought it was a trick, still keeping their fingers on the trigger of their weapons, ready for battle to start up again in a moments notice. That is, until one single word was uttered: Christmas. That one word caused all the sergeants to order their men to stand down. Once they did, they noticed there was no threat. "On this day," began The Doctor. ", I was reminded of the power humanity had. In one of their darkest hours, the Central Powers and the Entente lowered their weapons to celebrate their version of Hearth's Warming. It was a holiday called Christmas, and it was so powerful that it stopped the Great War." He sighed. "The reason I showed you this, is because even though I am in another dimension unable to return to my own plane of existence, I am still reminded of Humanity, this time in the form of you ponies." He smiled, ending the simulation. "Hope is just a small song away. That was the lesson I learned that day, and I see the same dejected and broken spirit here and now, that I saw all those years ago. The Storm King destroyed a lot, but you can rebuild!" He smiled at Applejack and Rarity. "You can reestablish order! Give hope to those who need it." His gaze settled on the three Princesses, bowing in respect and them bowing in return. "You can give what you can, even if it's a small joke or smile!" He giggled, turning to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. "Nothing is stopping you from doing your best, even in times of duress," He motioned to Rainbow Dash, giving her a hoofbump mid-air. "And most important of all, nothing will stop hope and love from prevailing." The Doctor trotted over to his beloved and gave her a loving kiss. Trotting back, he put a hoof on Starlight's shoulder. "Never forget that." He looked at all of them in turn. "You all have the ability to give hope. Don't stop yourselves from remembering that." And thus, they all celebrated in the confines of the not-so-small Police Box, playing games and smiling, forgetting the troubles outside its doors, even if just for a day...