//------------------------------//
// Feeling Blue 
// Story: Black and Blue and Bloodied 
// by Sixes_And_Sevens 
//------------------------------//

“Well?” the Doctor demanded as Celestia stepped out to join him in the hallway. “What do you expect me to do for ‘im? Play babysitter? Wipe his runny nose? I’m a Time Lord, not a bleedin’ nursemaid.”
“Always so dramatic,” Celestia tutted. “Come with me. We may as well discuss this over a cup of tea.”
“You hate tea,” the Doctor said.
“Tea for you, coffee for me,” Celestia replied. “Or possibly apple cider. Would you like cider, Doctor?”
He shrugged. “May as well.”
The alicorn and the Time Lord sat in the kitchens, now evacuated after the commotion of the Gala. “So. What is it exactly that you want me to do?” the Doctor asked, taking a sip from a bottle of warm, golden cider.
“You need to take him with you,” Celestia replied.
The Doctor choked slightly. “What? No. Absolutely not.”
“You will if you know what’s good for you.”
“You keep sayin’ that. What are you gonna do? Tie me up? Throw me in a dungeon? Banish me to the Moon?”
Celestia winced. “There’s no need to bring up the past…” she said.
“That's what you're asking me to do, though. Bring up the past, the future, the stars, all for his benefit.”
“Nothing new to you, is it?”
“Well, no. Obviously not. But I have standards, Celly! I can’t just take some random bloke aboard just ‘cause you asked.”
“Oh? What standards are those?”
“Well, for a start, they have to be clever, or at least curious. They need to be brave, and moral, and open to anything. I get the feelin’ little boy Blue isn’t any of the above.”
Celestia leaned forward. “But he could be,” she said. “He could grow. You could help him become a better pony.”
“Yeah? Maybe he could do that here. How much have you coddled him, Celestia? How much have you kept him away from the consequences?”
Celestia sighed, sinking back into her chair. “Too much.”
“See, there’s the truth. You just have to admit it to yourself—”
“Too much for me to undo,” she continued. “You, on the other hoof, might be just what he needs.”
The Doctor sighed. “Celly, let me tell you a story,” he said. “Once upon a time, quite recently on my timeline, I met a girl. Her name was Rose, and she was fantastic. Saved my life, saved the world from invasion by the Nestene Conscious, saved ev’ryone. I asked her to come with me in my spaceship. She turned me down flat. Said she was better off where she was.”
Celestia looked at him askance. “And the point of this is…”
“I think she could sense somethin’ about me. She could tell I was bad news. ‘Course, that might also be because I blew up the shop where she worked, but that just proves my point.”
Celestia sighed. “Doctor,” she said, staring right into his eyes, “you asked before what I meant when I said you would take him along if you knew what was good for you. That wasn’t a threat. It was a warning. You shouldn’t be alone, and right now, you’re more alone than you’ve ever been. You need a companion. That Rose you mentioned is a prime example. If you’ve gotten to the point where you’re asking ponies— people, sorry— along, you need company, stat. Furthermore, Blueblood needs a teacher. Much as you might hate to admit it to yourselves, you need each other.
He stared back at her. “Besides,” she added, “I remember a certain young, uptight alicorn that wouldn’t listen to a thing that you said. Another little pony in need of a Doctor…”
He let out a huff of frustration. “Alright, fine. But if he causes any trouble, I’m going to punish him. Properly.”
“Exactly what I’d hoped you’d say,” Celestia replied smoothly.


***

Blueblood looked up at the sound of a knock at the door. “Who’s there?” he demanded.
“Your new trav’lin companion,” came the reply.
The door opened and the Doctor walked inside. He glared at the prince, who cowered slightly. “Right. Let’s get a few things straight,” he began. “I don’t like this any more than you do. That said, I’m hoping we can both get over ourselves quick enough. So, let’s start with introductions.”
Blueblood looked at the strange stallion. “I am Prince Blueblood,” he replied, a touch of haughtiness returning to his voice. “Ward of Celestia and one of the most powerful ponies in Canterlot.”
The Doctor nodded, a cheerful grin on his face that made something deep and primal in Blueblood want to crawl into a hole and scream. “Right, nice to meet you, Blue. I’m the Doctor. Last Time Lord of the planet Gallifrey, nine-’undred-odd years old. I knew Celestia and Luna when they were barely out of short pants, took tea with Starswirl the Bearded, and I’ve saved this planet and several others more times than you’ve had hot breakfasts. Got any problems with that? No? Good. Meet me in th’ ‘edge maze when you’ve packed.”
Blueblood’s mouth flapped open and shut like a surprised fish as the Doctor left the room, humming cheerfully to himself.
Celestia poked her head in. “It’s all quite true,” she added, grinning so wide as to be almost maniacal. “Pleasant travels!”


***

Blueblood stood by his aunt’s side, staring dubiously at the box. “Really? This is a spaceship? It hardly looks big enough to fit both of us in there!”
“True,” Celestia agreed, thoughtfully. “Perhaps you should step inside, just to make sure you’ll be comfortable.”
Blueblood looked at her with open suspicion, but Celestia had long ago mastered the art of looking innocent when she most certainly was not. He trotted up to the doors of the blue box and pushed them open. He looked in. He looked back out at the exterior. “It’s— it’s—” he stammered. “It’s bigger on the inside!”
“Really?” Celestia gasped in mock surprise, “I never would have guessed. They must have redecorated.”
“I ‘ave, actually,” the Doctor commented from inside the TARDIS. “Go on, take a look. I’m not quite convinced, myself, but it’s growing on me.”
Celestia nudged the petrified Blueblood into the ship as she followed along. She gasped in earnest, this time.
“I’ll take that as a vote of approval,” the Doctor grinned.
“It looks like coral!” Celestia laughed, staring at the walls.
The Doctor grinned at her obvious delight. She caught him staring, and returned to her usual serene smile. “Goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye, Blueblood. Safe travels,” she said as she walked out of the TARDIS doors. “Don’t corrupt the time stream! Don’t cause a paradox!”
“Don’t do anything that you an’ your sister did?” the Doctor called back.
“Exactly!”
The Doctor watched after her for a long moment, a sad smile on his face. Then he turned to Blueblood, and though his smile shrunk, it didn’t completely disappear. “So,” he said. “Where to first?”
“...Gak,” the Prince said, staring blankly ahead.
“Hello? Anypony home?”
“Ook,”
“Right. I’ll take that as a no,” the Doctor muttered. “Now, if I were a whiny, upperclass twit, where would I want to go? Hm. Okay, think class. Think formality. Think like the velvet dandy. Where would they want to take Bessie?” He regarded the console for a long moment and sighed. “A party. Probably with wine and cheese tasting. Maybe croquet.” He shuddered. “Right. I can do a party. Forwards or back?”
He pulled out a bit and flipped it. It landed on the ground. Heads. “Forwards it is.” He glanced at the gibbering unicorn and sighed in annoyance. “Slightly forwards.” He doubted that the idiot prince would take well to the technological renaissance, particularly not television. He’d probably have to save him from being put on a game show or something, the Doctor thought grimly as he set the coordinates for any party on the planet, a little under a year from now.
“Erk,” Blueblood observed, staring at nothing in particular as the TARDIS rocketed off through time and space.
From outside, Celestia watched the big blue box fading away. “Be safe,” she whispered. “Both of you, come back safe.”