//------------------------------// // Chapter 25: The Crystal Fair // Story: Time Bubbles // by Janicethelight //------------------------------// The next day, the two woke up with the sounds of chattering outside.  Ponies were everywhere. Many of them now had coats that looked as if it they were made of crystals.  Derpy gasped, trotting over to where the Doctor had slept, but he was no longer on the couch. Derpy finally found him eating corn in the dining area “good morning Doctor!” “Goo-or-ing, Er-y.”  He managed, and Derpy giggled. “Good Morning, my little ponies.  I’m elated that of all times to come see us, you have a chance to see the crystal fair!” He grinned.  “Eat heartily, because you have a full day ahead.” He winked, walking past. The Doctor swallowed his mouthful before speaking, “He seems like he’s...up to something.” “I think he’s just excited to share this celebration with other ponies.”  Derpy smiled, making her own plate. She even tried the corn with the Doctor since he liked it so much.  She sat near him, smiling when she noticed a muffin on his. “You said that it was sweeter, so I was curious.”  He smiled, trying a bite, “ohhh, I mean, it’s not crystal corn, but it is very sweet!” Derpy shook her head with a smile, “I don’t mind that you like the corn better.”  She shrugged, “Everypony has different tastes.” She tried the corn, “I will say the corn is pretty tasty good, maybe the second best food.” They laughed, unaware of King Sombra watching for a moment, before going off, “Stage two went splendidly, it seems.  Everything is ready for a romantic day.” “Your grace.  Do our visitors need clothes for the fair?”  Topstitch asked. “Nah, we want our guests comfortable as they enjoy their day.” “You really can’t help yourself, can you, sire?” “The feelings are already there...I’m just...fanning the flame a little.”  He mused. “A little...right…” “If they could just see that they have feelings for each other, they would be as happy as my special Somepony and I.  Speaking of which, I should start on my way to welcome her and her sister soon.” He nodded, walking off to meet, “Today marks a momentous occasion, Topstitch!  After today, the Crystal Kingdom will never be the same!” He Announced , checking a small box before going off. The Doctor and Derpy finished their food, ready for the day ahead.  “We should probably take a minute to see if the storm has died down!”  The Doctor mentioned. “Yeah. But we can still enjoy the fair along the way!” “Oh, definitely.  It would be rude to leave without saying goodbye to King Sombra as well.” They nodded to each other, opening the doors to the bustling kingdom.  Already, the atmosphere around them was different from yesterday. Ponies all around seemed to be in high spirits, and the coats on many of the ponies had a crystal-like sheen.  Amazed by the sudden change, the two explored the fair, walking slowly towards the edge as they did. “Ah!  You two must be the visitors to our kingdom!”  The pony leaned out of his stall a bit, “I have just the hats for the two of you.”  He rummaged through boxes briefly before coming up with two heart hats made of straw with flowers around them.  He then turned the two to look at each other. The Doctor was the first to sputter out in hysterics with Derpy close behind.  “On the house.” He winked, shooing the two off as they continued their laughing fit. “Flugel horns for sale!  Anypony want a flugelhorn?” A couple of fillies who had recently bought one were trumpeting on the horns loudly.  Derpy stopped for a second to watch them try. Some fillies were better than the others.  Derpy’s attention was grabbed by a tiny pink crystal foal who trotted over to make an attempt.  Her yellow, dark pink and purple hair obscured her eye for a moment. Frustrated, the tiny baby shook her head, the hair falling back off her face. She tried again, only to have the same hair fall into her face. Tears filled her eyes as she cried, and she flapped her wings wildly. ‘Wait… wings?’  Confusion crossed Derpy’s face. The mother of the young foal rushed in, a Pegasus as well, and pulled the baby away from the stall. “You can’t just go wherever your heart wants, you silly filly.” “Excuse me.”  Derpy called, stopping the mother, “I didn’t think there were any other Pegasi here!” “Oh, well, not usually.  I’m from Cloudsdale, but I’ve spent a good portion of my days in Canterlot.  I was the first scout to come on behalf of the princesses a few years back. I met a crystal stallion, he stole my heart, and the rest is history.”  She sighed happily, “now I have my first, and my goodness she’s a little hoof full!” “She’s super cute!” “Thank you, sweetie.  I’m glad to see other ponies from my side of Equestria finally being comfortable enough to visit. My name is Melody., and this is-" “Yes well, it’s a beautiful place!  But we still have so much to see, so please excuse us!”  The Doctor’s pushed Derpy from the Pegasus. “Doctor, that was rude.” “I’m sorry, Derpy. I didn’t want her asking questions about where we came from without an answer.” “What are you worried about? Sombra was OK with it.” “The King seems very progressive and open-minded, but there’s no telling how the citizens would react if they knew. I don’t want to risk causing any hysteria on what is clearly an important day for this nation, and potentially getting burned at the stake is not on my to-do-list.” “Getting burned… at… the…” “Nevermind. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a good thing. But I also don’t know much about this world, so I don’t want to risk either of us saying the wrong thing and causing a major time shift. I haven’t seen anything that is in the realm of fixed points, but that may be ignorance on my part.” “Ignorance? You’re the smartest pony I’ve ever met.” “Except that I’m not. I’m a stranger. I know nothing of the history of this universe. I don’t want to risk changing pony history before I know more. I’d go back to that library right now and see what we can find out, but that’s not an option now; the TARDIS is probably buried under a 20-foot snowdrift.” “Doctor, I think you’re overthinking this.” “Even you don’t know anything about this place, and that scares me. A lot.” “Why?” “Because if knowledge of the Crystal Kingdom in the future isn’t common, even though it neighbors Equestria, then the most logical conclusion is that in your time, it no longer exists.” “If it no longer exists, then maybe we can help.” “Unless the reason it no longer exists is because of something we did.” “We did? What? I don’t understand. We didn’t do anything.” “Not yet. But maybe we will.” “How can something have changed if we didn’t do it?” “Time isn’t a straight line. If it were a piece of yarn, it’s more like a knotted ball of--” “Timey... wimey?” Derpy tried. “Exactly!” “Still, you could’ve just made something up. Just say we’re from Ponyville.” “Does Ponyville even exist yet?” “I… don’t know?” “And that proves my point. We don’t know enough to go meddling around however we wish. Sombra’s knowledge of us alone may have already been enough. I would never have volunteered such information, but he’s so clever that he figured it out himself. Regardless, we need to be extremely cautious. Avoid small-talk except where absolutely necessary.” “That makes sense, I guess….”. Derpy agreed. The two stayed quiet for a bit, unsure what to say next. They found their way to a tiny petting zoo full of baby sheep.  “Hello there.” A smiling crystal pony waved, please, you are welcome to come in and pet the ewes!” Derpy zoomed into the pen without thinking, and was tackled by cottony fluff within seconds. The Doctor nearly fell to the ground with laughter as she attempted to scramble away.  “Doctor, I’m under attack!” She cried, and then her cry changed to laughter as the sheep tickled her with their nuzzling. “Who is the attraction at this zoo, the ponies or the sheep?” the Doctor asked. “Both I think,” the zookeeper replied with a chuckle. Derpy eventually crawled back to the gate nearly dragging an ewe who was playfully nibbling on her tail. The Doctor had tears in his eyes, and was pressing his lips together trying not to laugh. Derpy grabbed one of the ewes and held it out up to the Doctor.  “You should pet one too!” The Doctor gently pet the sheep, his warm smile spreading on his face. It was amazing how easily he found himself partaking in such simple pleasantries here. After his long years which had become increasingly more serious and intense, it was a refreshing change that he welcomed. He felt young again, almost like a schoolboy. And being in this alternate dimension where things were so radically different, it was like he was seeing the universe anew, for the very first time. Derpy put the ewe back down, the two of them thanked the zookeeper, and they moved on. “Come try some crystal berries!”  A vendor called. “You two there!” The Doctor and Derpy turned their heads and noticed the vendor had picked them right out of the crowd. “You look like a couple of ponies who would love some berries!  Here you go. A cup to share. It’s on the house.” The pony winked at Derpy. The pair shared the delicious berries as they made their way towards an event that was rapidly filling up. They trotted toward the top row of the stands when an armored pony stopped them. “Halt!  You are not crystal ponies, correct?” “Cor...rect...”The Doctor answered hesitantly. “Special seats have been reserved for visitors from Equestria.  Please, follow me.” The armored pony led them back down to the front row. A pair of seats said, “Reserved” and each had their name on it. The view from there was amazing. The entire stadium was filled. A brass band began playing a royal fanfare and the commotion in the stadium quickly died down. All present stood up and looked to the left in the direction of a balcony with some empty red velvet seats. King Sombra emerged through some curtains behind the seats and was met with a loud roar from the crowd as he stepped up to the railing and waved. The cheers quieted down as he began speaking. “Greetings to you all, my mares and stallions, and welcome to the most prestigious contest of the Crystal Fair. Before we begin, however, as most of you probably have heard by now, we have some very special guests in attendance today!” The trumpets played a second time and three other ponies appeared. “Some of you already know Starswirl the Bearded, the greatest wizard of our age, who has been working with us for some time. But it is my honor now to introduce to you the leaders of our southern neighbor, the nation of Equestria. Stallions and Mares, please give a warm Crystal Kingdom welcome to the Sisters of Day and Night, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna!” The crowd cheered once again just as loudly as the three stepped forward and greeted them.  The two waved their hooves, happily standing at attention. Derpy looked between the blue pony with a flowing starlit mane to the white pony with sparkling pink, orange, and light blue hair.  Surprise covered her face, followed by confusion when she saw the white Alicorns cutie mark. “Doctor. That’s. It can’t be...but her cutie mark!” “What is it, Derpy?!” “The White alicorn!  Her cutie mark is the same as Celestia’s, but that’s impossible.  Her mane is different colors!” “Odd, certainly, but not impossible.  Trust me, there are probably several ways to change mane colors.” Murmuring swept through the fair as more and more ponies noticed the pair.  They turned around, holding their heads high. “Thank you for having us and being such a gracious host, King Sombra!” the blue alicorn shouted. “And thank you to you all, Ponies in attendance, for the gratifying ovation!” Her voice sounded monstrous and it shook the Doctor and Derpy to the core, but to their surprise, no other pony seemed even slightly frightened by it. As Princess Luna continued to speak, the Doctor whispered, “Derpy, if that’s your Celestia, who is that one?” “I...I don’t know.”  Derpy admitted. Luna continued, “We are overjoyed to have this opportunity to conduct business here at this most important festival. May this be a truly joyous day!” The crystal ponies cheered. “I agree with my sister!”  Celestia screamed with a nod. “We are happy to revel in the merriment that is the Crystal Fair, and could think of no better time to take this important step in our journey!” The words were met with more encouragement from the attendees. “But let’s not keep your Ponies waiting any longer, Sombra, for I know how anxiously they are waiting to see a contest of strength, skill, and courage!” “As you wish, Princess Celestia,” Sombra said with a nod. Sombra clapped his forehooves together and the trumpeters began playing a song introduction while a pair of soldiers brought out the Kingdom’s flag. As they hoisted it on a pole at one end of the royal balcony, the song built up to the first verse of the Crystal Kingdom’s national anthem. The spectators didn’t hesitate to start singing the words that they had known their entire lives. Sweet crystal kingdom We love your colored glow And in our hearts our love we share No Matter where we go Oh, sweet Crystal Kingdom Small, but mighty, and true Our crystal heart reminds us all To let happiness shine through All our gems and all our love We share them every day And with this song, we raise our voice To praise you in every way. Derpy and the Doctor notice the colorful flag that everypony looked to as it reached the top of the pole. They were amazed by the fabric that it was made of.  It looked purple, but seemed to shimmer a multitude of colors as it waved. “Now, my Crystal Ponies, we have a slightly longer opening ceremony for the tournament this year. Please remain standing for the Anthem of Equestria!” The sisters seemed a bit surprised that Sombra had gone through this much effort, as two more soldiers, these from Equestria’s own Royal Canterlot Guard, carried their own flag to a pole at the opposite end of the balcony. Other members of the Guard entered the arena and sang, while Sombra’s own trumpeters provided the accompaniment. Equestria, the land I love A land of harmony Our flag does wave from high above For ponykind to see Equestria, a land of friends Where ponykind do roam They say true friendship never ends Equestria, my home The crowd cheered once again at the end of the flag-raising ceremonies. Sombra spoke once more. “Let the tournament begin!” Competitors trotted out, clad in heavy armor, circling the arena to the approval of the stadium. “Is this what I think it is?” the Doctor asked, thinking on his own experiences in Earth’s history. The first two competitors were announced and they took up lances, lining up at opposite ends of the stadium, facing each other. “Derpy…” The Doctor murmured, “Is jousting something that’s common in pony culture?” “Not any longer, but I’ve heard it was popular in the past. Soldiers practiced this for war, so I guess it made sense to use that practice to give Ponies something fun to watch.” “Is it safe?” “Surprisingly. The sticks are tipped with something soft to make certain nopony is hurt. The goal is simply to knock the other pony out of the ring. See all of the hay? It’s cushioning for when they land.” The sound of a flugelhorn instructed the two challengers to charge at one another. “Nonviolent jousting so early in your history. You Ponies are all so magnificent!” Derpy looked at him with the side grinning, “Well, it was still a bit dangerous sometimes.  That’s why it’s not really done anymore except by professional ponies. Still.” She watched a pony fly backward into the hay, “it is exciting to watch.” The Doctor agreed.  “Every time I hear more about this society, the more impressed I am.  I mean, you still have your faults, but to go through this much just to be certain nopony gets hurt is amazing!” “Doctor!  You said nopony!” “I did?” “Yes!  You sound like a true Equestrian!”  The Doctor felt a moment of pride flow over him, grinning from ear to ear as the contest continued. Eventually all but two had been eliminated from the ladder and they came out for one final joust. Derpy raised her hoof to elbow the Doctor, and it was only at that moment, after feeling the release of pressure, that he realized he’d been holding her hoof throughout the tournament. Derpy pointed towards the royal seating. Sombra and Luna were exchanging romantic looks at one another and there was a brief moment of hooves making contact. The Doctor and Derpy looked at one another and quietly giggled like children trying to keep a juicy secret, and the tournament drew to a close as the champion of the joust was given his ceremonial moment in the spotlight. As the arena began to empty, the royals appeared to be returning to the castle. The rest of the crowd poured out of the stands and into the center of the arena, before making its way out the main gate that led back to the rest of the fair. “Step right up and try your luck!”  The attention of the two time travellers was taken the moment they had exited the arena gates. There were several small games set up: horseshoes, pick a duckling, oat bag throw; the one that the two time travelers had been distracted by was run by a boisterous pony, “You! Yes you, right there?  Would you like to try one of the games?” Several ponies were already playing. A few won, receiving a plush pony as their prize, but one pony scoffed at theirs. “I will not take this one.  It looks weird! The face is crooked, the mouth isn’t straight, the nose looks cockeyed.  No one would want this toy.” “My apologies.  Let me get you another.” The pony switched plushes, taking a pony that matched the others.  Derpy took a closer look at the plush the pony left behind. It was a shiny blue earth pony with two purple button eyes.  One button was a bit lower than the other. The crooked nose and scrunched up mouth made Derpy think it was concentrating. “Poor little plush. I think it’s beautiful!” The Doctor looked from Derpy’s forlorn face to the plush, determination set in his eyes.  “Pardon me, sir. How much for a try?” “Oh, for our new visitors, you can have one round on the house.”  The Crystal pony instructed, “you have three balls to try and knock down the bottles.” The Doctor tried with the first after his slight amazement that even balls stayed in pony hooves, throwing far to wide.  The second, though closer, didn’t hit the mark. The Doctor breathed throwing the third. It hit. He noticed at the same moment, the stall pony bumped the table, and the bottles knocked down. “Doctor, you did it!”  Derpy celebrated, squeezing the Doctor tight. “Yup, choose your prize!” “I’d like that plush please?” “Are you sure?” the game attendant asked. “That one is not quite made right.” Doctor nodded, “She looks perfect to me!” His eyes drifted to Derpy. He gave Derpy the plush, and she squeeze in happiness, “I’m going to call her Crystal Hooves!  Thank you so much Doctor!” “You’re welcome, Derpy!” Finally, about halfway through the day, they got to the edge of the city, “I must say I’m impressed.  It seems to me like the storm is a bit worse.” The Doctor murmured. “Well, King Sombra did say the Crystal fair happens during the most inclement weather to raise pony’s spirits.” “True, but now I’m thinking we will be here a touch longer than usual.” “That’s alright, Doctor.  It is nice to have a good time, so long as we don’t forget about Velmenni when we get back.” “Agreed, though we still need to figure out what’s happened in your past.” “Doctor, you Pinkie promised.” The Doctor bit his lip. “Alright, get the snowglobe and back to finding out more about that day.  Fair enough?” “More than fair!”  Derpy agreed as they walked back. “Pardon me.”  The corn seller now had a crystal coat, “I would like to apologize for my rudeness yesterday.” “Oh, it was nothing.” “Nonsense.  I shouldn’t have reacted so harshly. Please, take a crystal corn cob as a token of my apology.” “Wow.  Thank you.  Every pony here is so nice!” Derpy grinned, noting the Doctor’s pleading eye, gave the corn to him. “Well, it’s hard not to be on such a joyous day.  Make sure to take a look at the crystal heart on your way back!  It fills your heart with so much joy you feel like you will burst!” “Thank you, sir.  We will do so!” The Doctor nodded after finishing off the corn, licking his lips. They trotted back towards the castle, hoof in hoof.  The entire kingdom seemed to be glowing with good feelings.   The closer they came to the castle, the warmer they felt from all of the warm feeling around them, and the closer they went to each other.  By the time they reached the courtyard, they had their forelegs around each other’s necks.