The train ride to Ponyville was uneventful. Scootaloo had been working with a stunt team known as the Whirling Dervishes in Witherston, just a few miles north of where Sweetie Belle had been singing in a nightclub in Sire’s Hollow. Therefore, the mares had arranged their schedules to catch the same train back to Ponyville.
“So,” said Scootaloo. “How did it go?”
Sweetie beamed. “Really well! I even got called back for an encore, and a cute mare bought me a drink! What about you?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “It went okay. The Dervishes definitely aren’t the Wonderbolts, but, y’know, who is? I helped them work out a few kinks and problem spots in their routine, but they didn’t seem that interested in any of my ideas for new tricks.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Sweetie said.
Scootaloo shrugged. “Their loss. Ah, well, maybe next time. At least I got a paycheck.”
“That’s good. Are you still thinking of moving out of your aunts’ house?”
Scootaloo shrugged. “Yeah, eventually. Gonna have to save up for a place, though, unless you want to make like Rumble and Button and go halfsies on the rent.”
Sweetie thought about that. “...Maybe. Seems like it might not be a great idea since we both have to travel so much, though.”
“That’s fair.” Scootaloo leaned back in her seat. “So. Today’s the day, huh.”
“I guess so,” Sweetie said. “Are you nervous?”
“Uh, well, considering the last time we got into the TARDIS we nearly all died… yes. Yeah, I’m a little nervous. But I’m looking forward to it, too. It feels… I dunno. Right.”
“I know what you mean,” Sweetie said, kicking her hooves thoughtfully. “I mean, I’m scared spitless. But I think things are going to be different this time.”
“Well, I mean, yeah,” Scootaloo said. “Obviously. I mean, even just the fact that we evicted the fuckin’ Nightmare from the TARDIS is gonna have a pretty big impact.”
“And Dinky mentioned that she thinks that she and the Doctor are making good progress.”
“Good,” Scootaloo said. “They both need it.”
“...So, you know, sometimes I really feel like I’m fated to outlive all my friends,” the Doctor said, staring at the floor. “It’s like… I think Time Lords just live too long.”
“Interesting,” said the one in the armchair. “Is that why you rush into dangerous situations?”
“Probably at least in part,” the Doctor admitted, rolling back on the couch. “The other part, of course, is being addicted to the adrenaline rush. Plus, if I don’t… well, the fact is that there aren’t always people around as well-equipped as I am to dealing with dangerous situations.”
“Mmm… I suppose that’s fair. But tell me, Doctor, is it that your friends die which bothers you? Or merely that you feel they outgrow you? Mortality or abandonment?”
The Doctor puffed out his cheeks and blew out a long breath. “Blimey, you don’t pull punches.”
“You specifically asked me not to.”
“True. I mean…” The Doctor stalled for a moment. “I’d say it’s both. But abandonment, that is a much larger part of it.”
His conversational partner rose from his chair and looked out the window. “You know, Doctor, I once knew a diamond dog without a nose.”
The Doctor hesitated. “...How did they smell?”
There was a glint of teeth in the light. “Terrible. Another creature of my acquaintance is a veterinarian, one who cares for the animals whom she loves so dearly. She holds them, feeds them, heals them -- yet they must all eventually leave her one way or another, for the wilderness or the cold earth. Each time it kills her anew, but her heart is still so open, so loving.”
They turned dramatically. “Tell me, Doctor -- will you set your feelings to roam free? Or will you bury them?”
The Doctor looked up at the tall, gaunt figure who cast an antlered shadow across the ground. “Look, Discord, if you’re going to play at psychology, could you choose literally any other archetype?”
“Spoilsport.” Discord snapped their fingers and the sharp lighting of the room dissolved into the soft hues of a bright summer day spilling in through the windows of Fluttershy’s sitting room.”
“Thank you,” the Doctor said.
“You haven’t answered my question yet,” Discord observed.
“I haven’t,” the Doctor agreed. He inhaled through his nose and slowly let out the breath through his mouth. “I mean, it’s never that simple, is it? Just saying, ‘Oh yes, let me take all of my emotional trauma and push it to the side and open my heart for feeling again,’ doesn’t actually accomplish that goal.”
Discord shrugged. “It’s a start. Frankly, if you’re willing to come to me for advice, I’d say that you’re probably desperate enough to try anything.”
“It’s not like I don’t bring it up with my actual therapist,” the Doctor pointed out. “But I thought that you… well, you might bring a certain perspective to this topic that not many on this world will ever possess.”
Discord shook their head. “I spent a thousand years as a pigeon toilet, which I would argue is also not the best way to deal with other creatures’ embarrassingly finite lifespans.”
“Hrm. Well, did you learn anything from your mistakes?”
“Aside from ‘If you see magic jewelry being aimed at you, duck’?” Discord stroked their goatee. “Huh. Uh… I suppose…” They glanced at the side table and saw a photo of them and Fluttershy smiling back.
They sighed. “What matters is spending time with the ones you love while you still have the chance. Even a Time Lord can’t get that back.”
They paused and gave the Doctor the hairy eyeball. “If you even think of telling anypony I got soppy --”
The Doctor grinned. “I know, I won’t.”
“Good,” Discord grumbled, sitting back and crossing their arms over their chest. “I couldn’t think of anything good to threaten you with.”
“Well, this has been constructive,” the Doctor said, rising from the couch. “Unfortunately, I’ve got places to be today, so if you’ll excuse me…”
Discord waved him off and the Doctor trotted out the front door. Before he could make it to the gate, however, he was arrested by Fluttershy calling his name.
“Yes?” he asked, turning to face her.
She smiled and traced circled in the dirt with a hoof. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But Ditzy mentioned something to me the other day about how you were complaining about an empty room in the TARDIS…?”
The Doctor tilted his head. “An empty… Oh, the Butterfly Room, yes. Good heavens, that must’ve been weeks ago, now, and I haven’t done a thing about bringing in new residents. What about it?”
“Well, you see, I’ve been asking around,” Fluttershy said. “And, er, I found a few volunteers.”
The Doctor tilted his head. “Volun--”
He cut himself off and turned around to see a flock of butterflies dancing in the air. There must have been some two hundred of them.
“Of course, they’d like to see the room first,” Fluttershy said quickly. “Just to see, you know, if they’d be happy living there. I’m sure you’ve got it set up already, of course -- eep!”
She fell silent as the Doctor pulled her into a tight hug. “Fluttershy, has anypony ever told you that you’re an absolute marvel?” he asked.
She blushed. “I do my best,” she said.
The train squealed as it rolled to a halt in Ponyville Station. Scootaloo was among the first to disembark. Sweetie Belle, lugging several suitcases out of their compartment, trailed very much behind her. Scootaloo danced impatiently in place, waiting for Sweetie to catch up. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s get a move on! I’ve been waiting for this all weekend!”
“Huh,” said Apple Bloom. “An’ here Ah thought y’all might be exited just to see yer friends.”
Scootaloo spun around to give Bloom a half-teasing eye-roll. “You say that like you aren’t excited, too. It’s been so long, and now the Doctor says she’s finally in flying shape again? Hi, by the way.” She reached out and pulled Apple Bloom into a quick hug.
Bloom returned the embrace with interest. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Ah mean, it’s definitely thrillin’, but Ah would hope that at least some of that enthusiasm would be reserved fer th’ company onboard.”
“Course it is, don’t be a jerk,” Scootaloo said, pulling away.
Bloom grinned. “Jus’ ribbin’ ya,” she said.
Meanwhile, Rumble helped Sweetie Belle load her suitcases onto a cart. “How was the show?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It’s a start. They certainly seemed to enjoy it. How’s your brother?”
Rumble cocked his head thoughtfully. “Well, he’s sort of past the point where he really had to grapple with the fact that I didn’t need to live with him anymore. Now he’s got to grapple with the fact that I’m the only one in that household who ever did the dishes.”
Sweetie snickered. “I know. Up until Rarity and Spike got together, I didn’t think I could ever move out. Who would make her stop obsessing over her latest commission for long enough to actually eat lunch?”
“But you still haven’t moved out,” Rumble said.
“Well… yeah,” Sweetie admitted. “But I could, and that’s what matters.”
“Guess so,” Rumble agreed.
“Sweetie Belle!”
Rumble chuckled quietly as Sweetie’s head whipped around. “Button!” she said, her smile stretching from ear to ear. The two ponies galloped across the platform to crash together in the middle in a tight, warm embrace.
“Dorks,” Rumble murmured, grinning.
“It’s absolutely stomach churning,” Dinky said, trotting over to help straighten the pile of luggage. “Do you think they even realize how sickeningly adorable they are?”
Rumble glanced over. Sweetie’s tail was entwined around Button’s leg as they chatted away excitedly. “Not a chance. You want to help me get this back to the Boutique? It would be a crime to interrupt those two when they’re like this.”
Dinky nodded, lighting her horn, and the two ponies, the cart, and the luggage all vanished in a flash of golden light.
There was a clattering that echoed through the Carousel Boutique as two ponies collided with a cart, sending a pile of luggage to the floor in a great heap.
“Y’know,” Rumble said, struggling to rise and dislodging even more luggage in the process. “I was really just asking for you to steer while I pushed.”
Dinky shrugged as best as she could while pinned under two suitcases. “My way’s faster.”
He finally managed to pick himself up and drag Dinky out of the pile. He didn’t say anything, but his expression spoke volumes. She just grinned back at him until he rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Guess you’re not wrong,” he allowed.
“Hello?” Rarity called from the next room. “Who’s that?”
“It’s only us,” Rumble called back. “Just dropping off some of Sweetie Belle’s luggage.”
Rarity poked her head through the door. “Ah! Dinky, just the mare I wanted to see. I’ve finished that suit you wanted.”
“Oh, nice.” Dinky said. “I was hoping it’d be done before the big launch.”
“Suit?” Rumble echoed, arching an eyebrow.
Dinky just trotted deeper into the Boutique after Rarity, leaving Rumble to bring up the rear. “Here we are,” Rarity said, levitating out a small dress form. “What do you think, darling?”
Both Crusaders studied the blue velvet suit and red ascot. Rumble glanced sidelong at Dinky. “Isn’t that the outfit from the Matrix?”
“Yeah. Turns out it’s not in the wardrobe room in reality, but…” She scratched the back of her head. “I dunno what to tell you, it just felt right.”
“And how does the reality match up to the illusion?” Rarity asked.
Dinky nodded, circling the dress form slowly. “It looks just about perfect, right down to the tie pin. Do you mind if I change into it here?”
Rarity waved her over to the modesty screen in the corner, and Dinky pulled the outfit off the dress form and back behind the board.
Spike wandered in through the front of the shop. “Hey, Rares? Did you know that there’s a bunch of suitcases on the floor? Oh, hey, Rumble.”
“Hm?” Rarity said, turning. “Oh, yes, would you be a darling and take them up to Sweetie’s room while I finish up with Dinky?”
He gave a joking salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Rumble turned. “I’ll give you a hoof, Spike.”
Spike grinned at him. “Thanks.”
The duo made their way back to where Rumble had teleported in.
“So,” Rumble said softly when they were out of earshot. “How’re you holding up?”
Spike looked up at the ceiling for a long moment. “Better,” he said eventually. “Rarity is… still putting on more aging cream than she used to, and I’m… I’m dealing with the fact that I’m going to inevitably outlive her. But we’re doing our best to live in the present, y’know?”
Rumble patted the drake’s back. “I know. Thanks for telling me.”
“All things considered, I think we were some of the luckier ones,” Spike said. “I mean, compared to what the Princesses went through, and Applejack, and you Crusaders…”
“Maybe,” Rumble said. “Maybe not. Trauma’s not a contest or anything, you know.”
Spike chuckled, hefting a stack of suitcases against his chest.. “Yeah. I know.”
Rumble tilted his head slightly, then continued, perfectly deadpan, “If it was, I’d be winning.”
“Dude!” Spike said, nearly fumbling all the luggage to the ground as he tried to hide his laughter behind one clawed hand. “That’s not -- are you sure you want to laugh about that?”
Rumble shrugged. “Better than the alternative.”
Spike steadied the suitcases and stood upright. “Yeah,” he admitted. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
Up at the Castle of Friendship, it was a quiet morning. There were no diplomats or heads of state to greet, no friendship problems to solve with a smile and a song, not even any overdue library books that needed collecting.
Twilight was, therefore, doing some light reading in the library. She only glanced up from The Compleat Works of Spear Shaker when there came a knock at the door. She didn’t get many knocks from any of her housemates -- Trixie and Sunset tended to just barge right in, whereas Sombra just snuck up on her by accident. It wasn’t exactly his fault -- he was just very unobtrusive.
“Come in?” Twilight said, placing a ribbon in the thick tome to mark her page.
The door swung open in a manner that could only be called ‘shy’, and a square red muzzle nosed its way into the room.
“Mac!” Twilight said, shutting her book and setting it aside. She folded her hooves on the table and leaned forward. “How are you today?”
Mac smiled at her bashfully. “Ah’m well,” they said. “An’ yerself?”
“I can’t complain,” Twilight said. “What brings you all the way to my library? Did you finish that book on the history of zero?”
“Oh? Er, jes’ about,” Mac said. “But, um… Ah ain’t here for a book today.”
“No?”
“Nope.”
There was a long silence. Mac’s heart felt like it was about to beat out of their chest. They tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. They saw Twilight looking at them expectantly. They could only look back with helpless longing.
After a moment, Twilight nodded. “Would you like to sit down, Mac?”
“Eeyup.”
They slid out the chair opposite Twilight and sat, hooves folded on the table.
“Would a glass of water help?”
“...Nope.”
After a moment, Twilight tried again, hesitantly. “Would you like me to… try and guess what it is you want?”
Mac considered this, gnawing their lower lip. They glanced up at her. “Would y’all… wait fer me?”
“As long as you need,” Twilight promised.
It took nearly fifteen minutes for Mac to gird their loins once more. “D’you… remember…” they began. “Well. ‘Course you do. But… when th’ Nightmare… made ev’rypony forget ‘bout us?”
Twilight nodded.
Mac cleared their throat. “Uh. Well. Reckon we got a little, er, business that mighta gone… unfinished? Er, Ah mean, Ah don’t want to assume nothin’, but…”
Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded. “I agree completely. Would you like to… finish it?”
Mac blinked back tears. “Eeyup.”
Neither of them knew who initiated the kiss. Neither knew how long it lasted. Twilight knew only the scent of sweet-tart apple pie and dirt, the feeling of rough lips on hers. Mac knew only the taste of lavender and old pages, the passionate press of her hooves on their chest as Twilight leaned in, hungry for more.
The door slammed open. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to… um… hm. Trixie will just… come back later, then.”
Neither of them paid her the slightest attention, and there was no more reading done that morning.