The two walked through the royal city. Doctor Whooves marveled. How do these ponies make buildings with their hooves? He wondered, noting that there were more unicorns than any other kind of pony. Derpy-I mean, Ditzy said unicorns can use magic. Perhaps they have magic to help build. Everyone seemed preoccupied with something. He noticed an “oomph.” He turned to see Derpy, who had bumped into a white unicorn with two shades of blue in her spiky hair. It was impossible to tell what her eye color was due to the sunglasses she wore. Her head was bouncing to unheard music from a pair of headphones.
“Oops, by bad…” Derpy sighed, helping the white Pony up as well.
“Sorry about that!” Derpy jumped at the sudden shout, “wasn’t paying attention!”
“I wasn’t either...hope you aren’t hurt.”
“You alright?”
“Uh...yeah, I’m okay…”. Derpy was starting to wonder if this pony could hear a word she was saying.
“I Guess you’re here for the wedding?”
“Oh? Uh, yes. Ditzy and I love weddings!” The Doctor nodded, “Who is getting married?”
“Sorry if everypony is super on edge today. Most are saying that the force field is to stop a threat that was delivered. I think it’s cool though. Too bad we can’t change the color though. It would turn Canterlot into a huge rave floor! Awwww yeah!”
“...you can’t hear a word I’m saying, can you?”
“Hope to see you two around! Bye Doctor! See ya, Derpy!”
“Doctor?” Derpy asked as the odd pony Walked off, “how did she know us?”
“All I can guess is that we have met her before.”
“But...but we haven’t. I’ve never seen her.”
“Yes, but she has met us!”
“W-what?”
“Der-uh, Ditzy. Don’t you see? I have a time machine! So we probably see her in our future, but it would be her past!”
“............You lost me…..”
“I’ll try to explain better once we’re back on the TARDIS.” He gave a smile to her, “right now we need to find a way into this odd wedding. I think we’ll find our answers there. Maybe if we split up, we can get more clues on what’s going on, and where that wedding is. It’s not much, but it’s what we have to go on.”
“Alright. But don’t forget me before you leave, okay?”
The Doctor laughed despite himself, “trust me, my dear Ditzy, I would never forget a companion!”
Derpy watched the Doctor's face sadden. The excited gleam that had been in his eyes turned to memories of a troubled past that she could only guess of. There were rumors, of course. Rumors of places outside the wondrous nation of Equestria. Towns taken over by a ruthless dictator. Cities turning to crime, showing only care for their own ends instead of everypony. That's all Derpy thought of them before now...simply rumors, but the heartache that covered the Doctor's face betrayed his background. Her heart sank a bit. This Stallion helped her when everypony else fumed over her mistakes. She flew to him, hugging him with everything she had. "I believe you." she murmured, releasing her new friend, "I'll go south." She pointed.
"Derpy...unless I'm mistaken...that's north..." he bit back a smile. When was the last time he had been hugged? He couldn't remember. He had to shake the warmth away or be lost by it. “I have gotten lonely…” He admitted to himself.
"Uh...right...north then. Let's meet close to the Castle, alright?" He gave a nod before she flew off.
The doctor didn't have trouble finding his first help. A mare with a young child was shopping nearby. "Pardon me. I don't mean to interrupt your shopping day, but I have just come to town, and I was wondering what kind of commotion was going on. All I know so far is there is a wedding."
"To be honest, I don't know much myself. I was asked to fillysit last minute." The orange pony admitted, "I don't live around here, so I'm as surprised as you are about all the commotion!"
"Why would someone ask you to baby-I mean, filly-sit when you lived so far away?"
"I guess every other pony was busy planning this big wedding. If I didn't know better, I would swear Celestia herself was getting married." she laughed.
"Not Celestia, Carrot Top! Shining Armor! He's the best captain of the guard ever! Once, he was doing training, but he stopped to pick up my dolly I dropped and gave it back to me! He's the coolest. And to think he's marrying-"
Bam!
The filly stopped as everypony heard the unmistakable sound of something bashing into the forcefield above them, followed by another and another until it echoed the sounds of a pounding thunderstorm. The forcefield cracked as the doctor looked up, witnessing thousands of black pegasi type creatures pummeling themselves into the already weakened barrier.
"Oh no..." The doctor murmured, searching for his sonic. His eyes widened. No pockets At best, his sonic was in the Tardis where he had put it down to examine and understand the properties that allowed it to grasp the device in the first place. Blast my innate curiosities! He thought to himself. Maybe, he still had enough time to get to the Tardis. The barrier might hold up long enough to.
He heard the unmistakable sound of shattering glass as the barricade fell around them, dissipating into nothingness before any piece reached the ground. The black pegasi dove into the city, squishing into the ground like falling meteors. Hissing sounds were made from these odd creatures, along with insect-like noises. Ponies scrambled all over as the vicious creatures chased. One pony nearby fell with a beast standing over them. They seemed to breathe in some essence from the pony. Whooves could only hazard a guess before more came there way. "RUN!" he exclaimed, taking the mare by a hoof, the filly pulled along by her sitter's grip. "They're everywhere!" The orange mare shouted as another came past them, morphing into the Doctor. Memories flew of another time he had spoken to a copy of himself. This was animalistic.
"Listen. I'm the Doctor. I'm a timelord. I don't know what you're after, but I can help you find a different world where you can live in peace."
"Oh, Doctor, live in peace?" It mirrored his voice perfectly, "That is impossible for a changeling. We feed on love! You have a lot of it! " It flew to attack him, and the Whooves turned, his instincts kicking in as he bucked the changeling away.
Well, a good thing to note, they can become anything. His worry grew for Derpy, still somewhere in the city having to fight these invaders. He wanted to find his new companion, but the two behind him needed him now. He could only hope she would make it as he dodged the changelings left and right, kicking whenever they got too close. He didn't know the layout of the town, and soon, the three found themselves in a blocked alleyway. Three changelings surrounded the only entrance there was.
As the three moved closer, the doctor's mind reeled. I could try kicking them, but I can only kick one at a time. I could cause a distraction. They might make it out at least. They feed on love, so maybe concentrating on another feeling...no, that wouldn't work. Think, Doctor, Think. There has to be a way of-.
AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! A familiar voice screamed as a grey pegasus fell from the sky, on top of the three changelings, "Owww." She groaned, one of her wings wounded from an attack. She realized what she was sitting on, her wall eyes growing in shock before she stood, looking up at the three. "Doctor! Thank Celestia I found you!" She sighed, "All these things broke the shield thingy, and now there's chaos and everypony is in trouble, and I just don't know what went wrong!" she lamented.
The doctor to a step toward her, cautiously. The Changelings wouldn't have known they were together. They couldn't have...could they?
"What's your nickname?"
"W-what?"
"Please, Ditzy, there are thousands of those things out there and any of them can turn into any of us...Please...what. Is. Your nickname?"
She starred in shock for a moment, her mind seeming to take in the information. She breathed, "Derpy Whooves." She nodded, "Now, my turn...what's the name of your box?"
"It's the Tardis." He smiled, "And I am bloody glad to see you!"
"Wait, you're bloody? Where?" she asked, checking over him.
"No...sorry. I mean, I'm really happy."
"What do we do, Doctor? How can you fix this?"
"I don't know Ditzy, but we will think of something." He nodded as another changeling spotted them. "Bollocks." he breathed, running out before they got cornered, "Come get me, you overgrown mosquito!" he called, causing the changing to give chase. Derpy snuck the mare and filly out, staying along the ledges. Five changelings spotted them, stalking up as the three terrified ponies backed up. Derpy's hoof caught on another falling onto a fruit stand. The fruit catapulted into them, smacking them with apples, oranges, pineapple, and watermelon. They were dazed as Derpy rushed, headbutting one away, "Leave us alone!" she demanded.
The Doctor had doubled back. "There's no end to them. There's no way to the Tardis. How can they be stopped?"
A warm pink light enveloped around them, expanding, pushing the changelings back. In a single moment, a magic that warmed every heart in Canterlot drove the invasion away. He breathed, amazed. “For once, the people-no, the ponies saved themselves. Somehow, they found a way.” He smiled as Derpy hugged him in relief.
"I think I'm ready to go home, Doctor." she breathed, exhausted.
"I think I am too. It seems I have much to learn about you ponies..." he mused to himself, not noticing Derpy's confused face.