“Doctor, are you sure we didn’t end up in another world again, or a different dimension?”
“No, this is definitely the same world. Definitely not a different dimension either, or the TARDIS would have thrown a tantrum.”
“And all of these homes are really made from crystal?” Derpy knocked on one of the homes lightly.
“Yes, it is amazing architecture, isn’t it!”
“Not just that, this kingdom must be unbelievably wealthy. Do you realize how many bits just one of these homes must cost?!”
“I don’t, to be honest, though I am surprised. From how Rarity used them, I figured gems were fairly common in Ponyville.” The Doctor explained.
“Some are more common than others, but mostly small gems are common. I don’t really know which gems are the least common, but to make an entire house out of a gemstone?!”
The Doctor laughed, “ah, so it’s the size of the gems.” Derpy nodded. “Interesting.” The Doctor looked back towards the force field to see the blizzard still beating down, “Well, it doesn’t look like that blizzard is going to let up any time soon, so how about we find out more about this strange place?”
“Sure.” Derpy said, smiling.
The Doctor grinned, walking with her toward the castle in the center of the city. “You’re sure you don’t remember anything about this in school, Derpy?”
“No. I’ve heard of all kinds of cities: Manehattan, Canterlot, Los Pegasus, Trottingham, Cloudsdale, Fillydelphia, but i think I would remember this.”
“Manehattan? Los Pegasus?! Trottingham?! Fillydelphia?!” The Doctor laughed so hard that he couldn’t stand after a few minutes. Derpy was a bit confused about why, but his laugh brought such a warmth to her heart that she didn’t want to question it. “I’m so sorry, Derpy, but...my goodness, you wouldn’t believe how hilarious those are to me.”
“I’m glad to make you smile, even if I don’t really understand why.”
The Doctor kept his happier disposition as they walked on until they came upon a group of earth ponies getting ready for some sort of event. Everypony seemed busy with preparations. “Derpy, any ideas what they might be celebrating?” The Doctor asked.
“No. I mean, no celebration I’ve ever heard of has straw hat making as part of the activities, and odd corn, and... what is that noise?” She looked over to a pony practicing on some sort of instrument, playing a bit before her coat turned a crystal sheen. Derpy gasped, jumping back only to hit a corn stand, causing a shower of crystal corn on the cob to rain down.
“Hey, watch it! Do you realize how long it will take to clean that up?!”
“I am so sorry.”
“Yikes, what’s wrong with your eyes?!”
Derpy hung her head and her ears drooped. The Doctor marched over, inches away from the mares face, “Pardon me, but what’s wrong with your manners?! My friend Derpy has gorgeous eyes!”
The shop owner huffed, “Well, miss gorgeous eyes is still going to have to pay for all the corn.”
“Oh, um...how many bits?”
The shop owner looked back to Derpy, “What in Sombra’s name is a bit?”
“Oh. Um…”. Derpy took a bit out, and the shopkeeper laughed.
“It would take a mountain of that tiny thing to pay for all you destroyed!”
“I shall take care of that for you, my dear pony,” came a soothing voice from behind them. Derpy turned to see an oddly dark grey pony with red eyes. He wore a royal purple cape so long that it was impossible to see his cutie mark. His neck and feet were adorned with silver metals, and on his head was a circlet with a gem on top matching his eyes.
“Your grace!” All the ponies around Derpy and the Doctor bowed.
“Wait...your ruler is an earth pony?” Derpy asked.
“Show some respect, this is our King!” the shopkeeper growled.
Sombra shook his head. “No need for that, now. These ponies aren’t from here. Now, about covering your damages--”
“Oh, no, no, no. I couldn’t possibly take your-”
“But you’re willing to demand it from visitors at the dawn of a new alliance?”
“No. That is-I mean-- it is her responsibility, not yours, your Highness.” The merchant bowed his head formally.
“Accidents can happen to any pony. The fair mare apologized. Tomorrow is the Crystal Fair and we do not want our guests to think us rude. Must we sully the good name of our empire?”
“No, your Highness.”
“Glad to hear it. And I will replace your corn with some from the castle as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Sombra nodded, motioning for Derpy and The Doctor to follow his lead. Derpy shrugged, trotting along. The Doctor stuck close to her. “Please forgive my subjects. On the eve of the Crystal Fair, they tend to be at their...least friendly. Between the stress of getting the holiday ready and the harshness of the weather that lay at our doorstep, they sometimes forget their manners.”
“So I noticed.” The Doctor mumbled.
“May I ask the names of our newest visitors?”
“Well, I’m the Doctor, and this is Derpy.”
“If the stress and weather is the problem, why not move your fair thingy?” Derpy wondered aloud.
“Ah, Wonderful question, young Pegasus! The Crystal fair is held every year when the blizzards are their harshest. See, Crystal Ponies are a bit different from the Equestrian Earth Pony.”
“How?” The Doctor looked around, “they seem exactly like other Earth ponies.”
“At this time, yes. As the time gets closer to the crystal fair, we lose our usual sheen, but after we channel our love into the crystal heart, our sheen comes back, our forcefield is enforced for another year, and most importantly, our hearts feel the warmth of that love and unity.”
“Why is that most important?” The Doctor asked.
“Well, because our magic is infused into all of the crystals in the ground. So the kind of crystals that spread through Equestria is helped by us. We Crystal ponies grow crystals. Those crystals spread over time, settling all throughout Equestria. Most years, the crystals are full of love and light, but a few years when some of the crystal ponies were unhappy, we have found crystals corrupted with dark magic.”
“Yikes!” Derpy cries, “So if you didn’t do the fair, there would be dark magic crystals everywhere?”
“Yes. And the magic of the land feeds a bit on the crystals. Too much dark magic and who knows what would happen.”
“Wait, are you telling me that every single crystal is infused with magic?” The Doctor questioned.
“Correct. Now, my turn. I am very interested in the two of you!”
“The two of us?!” Derpy tilted her head.
“Did the princesses send a scouting party before they left to see what to expect?” He looked down at the Doctor’s cutie mark and tilted his head, “or perhaps Starswirl was correct in his theory.”
“Starswirl?” Derpy and the Doctor said in stereo.
“Hmmm, you two don’t know who Starswirl the bearded is?” They shook their heads, “well, then that settles that.” He cracked a slight smirk. “You two are not from this time, are you?”
The two looked at each other. “Don’t be ridiculous. We--”
“Your cutie mark represents control over time. You both came into my kingdom through the worst blizzard, which the Princesses themselves have difficulty going through, yet you have nothing to show for it, neither of you have any clue who Starswirl the bearded is, who is the most well known pony in Equestria save for the princesses!”
“Princesses? As in two of them?” Derpy asked.
“And you don’t know about that either? I think that about confirms it. Time travel is possible!” Derpy and the Doctor looked at each other again even more uncomfortably. Sombra smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. But how did you manage it? Starswirl hasn’t been able to get his spell to work. You must have hired the services of a unicorn, or more likely a whole herd of unicorns! I have so many questions-- but first things first. What brings you here?”
There was a long, long silence. Derpy noticed the Doctor thinking of a way out of this. She took a breath, “You’re right.” She sighed. “We were trying to see something from my early childhood. We used a box to keep ourselves safe. Time travel can be really dangerous, after all. But we’re not sure how we ended up here. We must have gotten it wrong somehow.”
“Amazing. Simply amazing. Tell me, in your time, have you mastered the portals?”
“Um...portals?”
“Hmmm. Perhaps it would be best to show you. Please follow me.”
They were led inside the castle and meandered through corridors, all made of crystal just like the other buildings. The Doctor and Derpy both paused upon seeing a shimmering object seated on a pedestal. A pair of crystal ponies were wiping it down with cloths. “Is that what you wanted to show us? It’s beautiful!”
“Huh?” Sombra glanced over his shoulder to where they were looking, “Oh no, that’s the crystal heart. We’re giving it an extra polish before the fair. Everything needs to be perfect this year.” Hearts mysteriously floated all around him for a moment. Derpy barely seemed surprised but the Doctor’s jaw dropped open, eyes as wide as saucers.
“Are you alright? You’re looking at me like I just grew another head.”
“The… hearts… floating... around... you. How… did…”
“You never saw anything like that before?” Sombra asked. “Curious.”
“I have. Doctor, that’s how you know a pony is really in love with Somepony!.”
Sombra blushed slightly.
“Am I in a cartoon or something?” the Doctor asked.
“What’s a cartoon?” Derpy asked.
The Doctor’s face appeared to be frozen as he stared at her. “Uhh…”
Sombra chuckled, not fully understanding why the hearts were such a shock to him. “Well, let’s continue, and I’ll show you something very special.”
Derpy and Sombra walked on and the Doctor stood there for a few more seconds. His head swiveled in a hundred directions as if he hoped some answer would be there in the castle that would allow this to make sense to him. “What in the universe is going on here?!” he practically screamed in his own mind before trotting off after them.
Sombra approached a doorway watched over by a pair of guards who immediately unlocked the door and then stepped aside. The three entered into a room resembling an alchemy lab. Strange items sat on shelves, flasks of luminous liquid filled the room with a dim ethereal light.
Sombra yanked a cloth off of a large object, revealing what looked to be a basic vanity mirror. It sat on a pedestal and was framed by unusual metals and adorned with purple gems and engravings.
“A mirror? That’s it?” Doctor scoffed.
“That’s it?!” Sombra repeated the doctor, with a tone of surprise. Derpy walked forward, sensing the mirror somehow calling to her. It felt familiar. It looked familiar. Especially the oval shape. She gently placed a hoof to the glass as Sombra continued. “Doctor, this is no ordinary mirror. It’s a portal to another world!”
“You built this?” Derpy asked quietly.
“Somewhat, yes. The craftship of the device is ours, but it was commissioned by Starswirl according to his specifications, and it only functioned after he worked his own magic on it.”
“Derpy, maybe you shouldn’t play with that, you don’t know where it might take you,” the Doctor said.
“Relax, Doctor. It’s currently dormant. It won’t be usable for a number of moons.”
“Why is that?”
“We don’t know. Starswirl doesn’t even know. When he cast his spell on the mirror, it began working, but then only for three days. Then it slept for thirty moons, only to awaken for another three days. It has continued this pattern ever since.”
“This was commissioned for Starswirl and yet it is kept here?”
“He let me keep this one as part of the payment for the service. He has more of them, but disappointingly, he has been unable to get any of the others to work.”
“This reflective surface is made from your crystals, I presume?”
“Correct. The finest we’ve ever been able to produce.”
“Produce? You mean your crystals aren’t mined?”
“Some are, for different magical properties we can’t synthesize, or simply for the benefit of those who prefer natural stones. But the structures in the kingdom? Those crystals are grown magically.”
“Does the world this leads to have any glowing sticks that go vhoosh vhoosh? Or...have strange two legged creatures that lay under giant shields watching seeds fall on them?” She asked.
Sombra looked between Derpy’s eyes to the mirrors and back, “Not that I am aware, and yet, those places sound unlike anything I’ve seen beyond the mirror. However, the creatures that dwell there do indeed have only two legs. Not only that, but it somehow alters you to resemble them.”
“You’re telling me that by stepping through there, you become two legged?” The Doctor inquired.
“Even attire changes to more accurately match what the inhabitants wear, almost like a disguise. Such transformations were unexpected, and still not explained.”
“Perhaps that explains a few things,” the Doctor thought, wondering about how he had regenerated as a pony instead of a Timelord.
Sombra noted Derpy’s almost intimate fascination with the mirror. “Derpy, it sounds as if you have seen other worlds yourself, but how? And what exactly is your talent?”
“I don’t know...I just know I have seen oval shapes, almost like holes floating in the air, and they were the same size and shape as this glass. And when I looked into them, I saw a different place, like nothing I ever saw before.”
“How wonderful! It seems as though you have a rare talent indeed. I can’t wait to hear more about these-Uh.”
“I’ve been calling them windows.”
“Would you please, spend the night at the castle, and tell me everything about these visions you have had?”
“I think that’s a fine idea,” the Doctor said. “And I’m very interested to witness this crystal fair of yours.”
“Excellent!” He clapped his forehooves together. “I will have chambers prepared for you where you can freshen up, and then you can tell me of your adventures while we dine!”
The Doctor and Derpy were taken to another part of the castle where their room awaited them.
“Please enjoy the room you two.” Sombra’s servants bowed, “we will send the seamstress for your fitting soon.” They left the two in a one bed suite in the castle. Derpy and the Doctor blushed furiously, looking away from each other.
“I suppose it makes sense...they probably believe us to be a couple. Yes! This could work to our advantage!” The Doctor realized.
“Wait-What?!”
“Think about it, Derpy! King Sombra figured out within minutes of meeting us that we aren’t from this time. He might figure out in from a different dimension. Who knows what they would do with that information...then again, it might be better to tell the truth. You already told them what he figured out. He never seemed to want to take part of it for himself, plus he and this Starswirl are building portals that go to other worlds, like the one you saw.”
“Two actually.”
“Right. I’m not sure how ready I am to buy into the idea of the mirrors actually going to other worlds literally, or even dimensions, but, if they do, then the fabric of every dimension could be in jeopardy, and I could be just the Uh-stallion to let them know it!”
“ I don’t get it, Doctor. How is traveling through dimensions any different than traveling to new worlds?”
“Ah, good question!” The Doctor looked around for something to help. They had a small tray of fresh fruit with two plates. He went over to the table, grabbing the two plates, “imagine this plate is Your world, and the one on the table is Rah’ska Quri! This apple is the Tardis. With worlds, the Tardis goes through space like so.” He moved the apple to the plate on the table. Now, with dimensions,”. He grabbed a napkin, covering the plate on the table, “like my world and your, there barriers between keeping them apart, since each dimension is similar to the others...at least in theory. There’s just minor differences...in theory. Anyway, any time someone goes through that barrier, it makes a rip in the barrier.” The Doctor ripped a piece from the napkin, “and too many rips, and-“. He tore the napkin to shreds.
“But, why is that a bad thing? Then the dimensions would be together!”
“That’s the problem. It’s not just those two, every dimension seeps through these cracks, and no reality can take that much at once. It could essentially make multiple realities cease to exist!”
“I don’t think I understand...if you shatter glass in a window, it just makes a hole in that window. It doesn’t put a hole in every window!”
The Doctor was quiet for a bit. “The space between dimensions isn’t like a window. There’s a void between them.”
“What’s a void?”
“It’s an area that has no life, no planets...essentially, it has... nothing.” The moment the words came out of his mouth, the Doctor suddenly looked like he had been slapped.
“Doctor? What’s--”
“Hello there.” A mare came in, racks of clothes, “I just need to fit you two for your dinner with his majesty.”
“Oh, um...is that really necessary? My friend and I-”
“Of course it’s necessary. You’re going to dine with the king! You must look refined. Not...eck, ordinary. Now. Let’s see…”
Derpy stood as still as she could as the pony measured her all around, and looked through the many different clothes on the rack, “You are very lucky, you know. Just about any color can go with your gray coat. Yellow manes however...that’s a touch more difficult...hmmm.” The mare took out a blue ball gown, “Try this one. Now for you, young stallion!” she almost sang as Derpy hurried into the restroom. After a lot of difficulty, Derpy saw herself in the mirror, and gasped. The dress was Tardis blue. Dark blue lace topped ruffles edging along the sides. Dark blue ribbons adorned the bottom of the hoop skirt, with blue beading curving from bow to bow. Underneath was a matching petticoat with blue and dark blue diamond print. The sleeves and collar supported matching blue bows. Derpy couldn’t believe it. She felt like she had never looked so pretty. Coming out, she noticed the doctor, still thinking, a brown overcoat around him now, with his same green neck tied collar on his neck. “It’s all I could manage on him...he seems a bit out of it tonight, sweety. If he’s not feeling up to this-”
“No!” the doctor said, finally, coming out of his stupor, “No, I’m fine...just...this amazing kingdom is a lot to take in.”
“Oh, I see...One more thing. Young mare, come here, please.” Derpy moved forward only to have a small blue top hat put on her head, “Perfect. You look adorable, sweetie. Hopefully, your coltfriend isn’t so enamored with the scenery that he doesn’t notice!” she added the last part loudly.
“What?” Doctor said, looking over. Derpy blushed a bit, “Oh, Derpy! You...you look amazing!”
Derpy felt her face redden again. Her heart raced. She managed a smile, fidgeting with her hooves, “You, uh….you don’t look half bad yourself, Doc!” She giggled.
“Huh?” The Doctor looked down, finally aware of the wardrobe change, “Oh, look at that. Didn’t even notice.” He laughed, but Derpy noticed his eyes were still worried about something.
“You both look quite fetching, yes. Now, I You will follow me, I will take you to his Majesty.”
“My goodness, she reminds me of Rarity!” Derpy whispered as they walked, before turning to the Doctor, “are you okay?”
“What? Me? I’m fine. Never better!”
“If there’s something that’s troubling you, you can tell me. I don’t know if I can help, but I’ll listen.” She smiled.
The Doctor’s eyes met her steady one, biting his lip. What could he say? He might be on to the angel’s meaning, but she didn’t recall that conversation, and he was thankful for that. He only had a theory, but if they believed her to rip those holes that she sees...that might entice them to come after her. He realized he had gone quiet again, Derpy tilting her head at him, concern plastered all over her face. “Sorry, I just...I think I have an idea what’s going on, but it’s just a theory at this point, and I’m not sure how to test it.”
“You mean, about the rip that brought you and the angels?” She whispered, “or why the angels were after us?”
“Both of those.” The Doctor nodded.
“That’s good, right? I mean, if you know what it is, you can fix it.”
“That’s what worries me. And if the angels are afraid of something, then it’s something we should all be afraid of. Whatever it is, I’m not sure how to fix it. But, I’ll find a way, so don’t worry.”
“Okay...Doctor, did you decide whether or not to tell the truth?” Derpy murmured as quietly as she could.
“I’m still not sure. Just follow my lead. If I feel like he’s trustworthy, we will go to the truth.”
The seamstress turned to face them, “My goodness, you two. Please stop all the murmuring. It will look completely disrespectful to His Majesty. Now, you are about to enter the dining area. I can only hope that the two of you have some semblance of table manners. Do not speak unless spoken to, always address his Highness with the utmost respect, bow any time he stands, and for heaven's sake, do not chew with your mouth open!”
She breathed, turning to the doors closest to them, Derpy and the Doctor barely holding in laughter from her serious nature. She let the two in, “Your Majesty, your guests have arrived.”
“Splendid!” Sombra turned, “Come in, come in. I wasn’t sure what ponies like most in the future, so we are preparing a buffet. A tray of hors d’oeuvres were brought out by a servant and placed on a circular table with three chairs. Please do tell me all about your adventures and these windows which you keep seeing!”
“Wow! Thank you!” Derpy graciously bowed, “your, Uh, Sombraship.”
“You're quite welcome. Now, How long have you traveled together?” Sombra asked.
“Not very long.” The Doctor responded simply.
“It feels longer though since, you know, traveling through time.” Derpy added.
“How did you meet?”
“Uh-Well-“ The Doctor began.
“The Doctor met me when he traveled to my town for the first time. He saw that I had a hard day, and decided to take me with him.” Derpy beamed at Sombra. The Doctor was impressed by her wording.
“Ah, so you two aren’t from the same time then. When did you start to see the windows?”
“When we traveled to this ancient temple. There was a window at the end of the hallway with creatures I have never seen before! When I looked away from it, it disappeared.”
“And the Doctor Noticed this as well?”
“No...we were separated at the time.” The Doctor added in, a bit sadly.
“I see.” Sombra looked between the two, noting their faces. “Was the temple built to house this… window?”
“No, I don’t think it belonged there. And the temple was very very old and looked like it hadn’t been used for countless moons.”
“Was that the only time you’ve seen a window?”
“No, I saw one before we ended up here.”
“Was this one in a temple as well, or some other place of spiritual importance?”
“It was in a library.”
“Did the Doctor see that one?”
“No.” The Doctor answered, a little frustratedly, “I was trying to figure something out, and I missed it, but I will not miss the next one.”
Sombra smirked, “Was it the same thing?”
“Well the windows were the same size and shape, but what was inside was very different. Like the first one was dark and… artificial. The second was this gorgeous forest with giant trees and glowing seeds floating down from above.”
“Interesting. Two different worlds and only you saw them...I can see this mystery baffles the Doctor even more than it baffles me.” He laughed as the Doctor huffed a bit. “Well, Doctor, I think you deserve some time at center stage as well. It seems like you’ve been travelling in time longer than Derpy. Please, entertain me with a tale.”
The Doctor thought back on all of the amazing adventures he had, and finally picked a couple that were light on terror, sadness, or pain. Derpy was just as amazed as the King now, having heard very little so far. The Doctor changed a few of the details to make it less confusing for the Ponies to grasp. Derpy noted how the Doctor’s face seemed to light up like that of a child as he talked of the wondrous places and peoples he had seen. Sombra applauded every time the Doctor finished a story. And then both the Doctor and Derpy shared in telling him about their visit to the racoon world. As they finished, servants began bringing out the buffet. “Well, the food has arrived. And your seats are right over there.” He pointed to a table with a lit candle on it.
“There’s only two chairs?” Derpy asked.
“Yes. You must forgive me, but there is still so much preparation to do before the fair tomorrow. I’m glad to spend time with my visitors, but with everything else there is, I just can’t take too much time away from those preparations. You understand, right!” He backed up to the door, grabbing a snack from the buffet table. “You two have a wonderful dinner!” He nodded, shutting the door. Turning around, Sombra saw the seamstress. He grinned, “Hello, Topstitch, my favorite seamstress! Why are you still here?”
“With all due respect, your Eminence...don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself?”
“W-what? I have noooo idea what you are insinuating….”
“Whatever you say, Your Highness.”
“Must you think of every title in existence to call me instead of calling me Sombra like I’ve asked?”
“Oh yes, my Lord. It would be disrespectful to call you only by your name.”
“Topstitch, we’ve been through this….” Sombra sighed as they rounded the corner. “But non the matter. It’s on to step two!”
Back in the dining room, Derpy and the Doctor had filled their plates and returned to the table. Derpy’s plate held mostly muffins with some fresh fruit and oats. The Doctor had more variety. It seemed he took one of everything. They went to the table with the candle and then sat in awkward silence. After a few minutes of it, Derpy’s stomach growled. She took a muffin, eating a bite. “Wow!” Derpy gasped, “I’ve never tasted a muffin like this. They used some of the sweetest berries ever!”
“Oh?” The Doctor responded, taken out of whatever thoughts he was having before. His stomach growled as well, the smells of the food wafting to his nose.
“Come on, Doctor! You need to eat something!”
He began sampling everything he had on his plate. This was truly a meal fit for a king, for he had seldom experienced such a great range of culinary delights. When he sampled the buttered crystal corn, his eyes looked like they might pop out of his head. “This… is corn?! It’s unbelievable!”
“Found something you like, Doctor?”
“Like?! It’s heavenly!” He went back, getting an entire plate full of crystal corn.
Derpy giggled, finishing her muffin. The two got to chatting again about some of The Doctor’s journeys through time and space. The Doctor wove around the particularly sad moments, recalling some of the close calls, and hilarious moments. “And if course he’s like, ‘Captain Jack Harkness’ , flirting as usual, and when I tell him to stop, he says, ‘I’m just saying hello!’ Acting like I can’t read between the lines.’ The two laughed for a while, “but I’ve been talking a lot about myself. Tell me more about your life, Derpy.”
“There’s not really much to tell.”
“Oh come on.”
“I haven’t done anything as exciting as you. My stories are boring.”
“Any story starring you can’t be boring.”
Derpy blushed. “Okay, well, there was the time that I accidentally fell into Mrs. Cake’s shop and ended up covered in batter, or the time that I tripped and hit Mayor Mare’s filing cabinet...we had to clean up paperwork for days, or—”
“Derpy.” The Doctor interrupted, “what about a story you enjoy telling? One that makes you feel happy?”
Derpy thought long and hard. “Okay, I have two!”
“Alright, let’s hear them!”
“Once, when I was a filly, after my eyes went wonky, I entered the Ponycart racing, where you build a go kart and race around and there are trophies for the fastest, the most traditional, and the most original carts. I worked really hard on my cart. I was trying to be the fastest. I figured Rarity would have the most original. Of course, I didn’t realize that Rainbow Dash was just as fast with racing karts as she was with flying. My cart didn’t stand a chance. I finished fourth. I thought for sure that I wasn’t going to get anything that year, but then I was given a trophy! They said my cart was the most original thing they had ever seen! I was so proud that I had won. It was wonderful!”
“I’m sure you earned it. I would have loved to see this original kart! Now what about the other story?”
Derpy’s eyes seemed to shimmer with excitement, “I was part of the junior speedsters! Every year, we had a young flyers competition, and that year, I was finally ready to try. I lined up with all sorts of other ponies! Rainbow Dash was there, and and spitfire, who is the leader of the wonderbolt now was there. I didn’t know what to expect. I just wanted to try my best. The race started, and I flew with all my might! I went past Pony after pony. I even went past Rainbow Dash! Spitfire and I were neck and neck, and I past her the last second, and won first place!”
“Wow, you call that boring?” The Doctor laughed.
“I guess not. My parents were so proud, and a wonderbolt said that it was the most impressive flying he had seen from a filly my age! He gave me a wonderbolt in training pin, and said I had amazing potential. I was over the moon. I have always wanted to be a wonderbolt. I still have that pin too, to remember that day.”
“But Derpy. If you want to be a wonderbolt, why are you a mailmare?”
Derpy’s ears flattened to the side, “that was only one year. The best I got the next year was second, then third...and lower and lower until I didn’t place. It’s hard to fly fast when your eyes can’t decide which direction to look….”
“Derpy, I’m so sorry.”
She gave a bit of a sad smile, “it’s okay. The wonderbolt who gave time the pin retired some time ago, but he gave me a promise that they would always have me as an honorable member. My parents asked him to come see me after they noticed my clumsiness and slower flying because my eyes were messing up. I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t my fault that whatever happened happened. He was my hero because he saw me as an amazing pony even with my eyes.”
The Doctor sat silent for a bit before reaching over to give Derpy a long hug. Derpy hugged him back. “I want you to know that you are fantastic. You are such an amazing pony. Your eyes don’t stop that fact. They are part of it! And your clumsy nature is part of it to, because they are part of who you are!”
Derpy smiled, tears falling from her face, “Thanks, Doctor!” She wiped them with her hoof after he let go, “I did just think of one more story in my life that makes me happy!”
“Wonderful! What’s it about?”
“It’s about this time when I was doing my job, and had to go find this stallion, and the next day, I had messed up my job really bad, and I felt like I would never be good at anything...but then this stallion shows up, and brings me along on his ship to see the most wonderful things.” She blushed, “You are my favorite story so far….”
Suddenly, the Doctor was aware of a pair of ponies waiting by the door. “If our two guests are finished with their meal, entertainment will be on the veranda.”
Derpy and The Doctor were lead up to the veranda of the castle. The moon shone bright in the sky. Derpy looked up, “That’s weird…” she murmured.
“Hmmm?” The Doctor asked.
“The mare in the moon isn’t there.”
The Doctor looked up, noting that the pony like image on the moon wasn’t yet on there. He started to wonder if there was some sort of meteor shower after this point when music started up. The two ponies who lead them up to the veranda were playing a slow song. The Doctor decided to put the moon mystery on hold for the moment. “Care for a dance?”
Derpy bit her lip. “No...I shouldn’t.”
“What’s wrong? Do you not know how?”
“Doctor, I fall into things by walking in a straight line! Dancing would just end up hurting another pony. I don’t ever want to hurt you.”
The Doctor showed his warmest smile, and Derpy melted a bit, as the Doctor took her hooves, “well, I’ve never danced as a pony before, so we both can just do our best.” He winked, whisking her around before she could refuse again. It was a simple waltz, and he calmly spoke the steps as they twirled, never complaining when she made a mistake and stepped on his hooves. Sombra checked in, giving the musicians an appreciative nod before going back to his duties. They danced under the moon for song after song, Derpy becoming more confident and stepping on his hooves less. As an aurora shone above the two, Derpy hugged the Doctor. Her wings began to flutter of their own accord, carrying the Doctor with him., The two hovered just above the floor for a few moments as they became lost in the music, close together. After what seemed like both an eternity of dancing, they rested on a bench set up for two, looking at the aurora.
“This city sure is romantic.” Derpy admitted, feeling warm fluttering in her heart.
“It does feel like someone went through a lot of trouble to set this up.” The Doctor added a bit suspiciously. “But it’s not for underhanded, or rather underhoofed reasons.”
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been able to look at the night sky for so long! Usually I’m asleep by now.”
“Yes, I noticed that Ponyville's inhabitants were not at all nocturnal...wait a moment-“
“What’s wrong?” Derpy asked.
“Missing stars.”
“What?”
“I’m sure of it. There are missing stars.”
Derpy looked up, trying to see what he did, “how can you tell?”
“There was more when I came to Equestria.”
“But, Doctor. This is a thousand moons ago. Stars can come and go. Maybe the missing ones just aren’t around yet.”
“Hmmm, I suppose that’s possible….”. The Doctor nodded, and eyes still focused on the sky.
Derpy yawned, “I’m so tired.”
“Well then, let’s get you back to bed.”
“But what about you?”
“I’ll take the couch.” He shrugged.