Chapter 6: The Unwanted Surprise
Childhood Home of Twilight Sparkle, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Summer, 987 C.E.
"Shining Armor!" cried the young Twilight as she hugged her older brother happily. Shining Armor smiled as hugged his sister back.
"I hope you didn't lose faith in me," he teased.
"Nu-uh! I knew that you would come home. I bet you beat that mare all by yourself!"
"Well he did have a little help," said the Doctor. Twilight the elder then proceeded to give the Doctor a hard shove. "Okay, that was unnecessary."
Shining and Twilight the younger drew apart as Cadance walked up to them.
"Thanks for looking after my sister while I was in trouble," Shining said. Cadance blushed a bit and took a few steps forward.
"It was no problem," she said. Twilight the elder then stepped between them and pushed them away from each other kindly.
"The wedding isn't for another fifteen years so don't take things too quickly now, you two," she teased.
"Wedding?" Shining gulped. Cadance giggled and she eyed Shining with a cute grin.
"So what happens now?" Opal asked as she leaned against the nearby wall. Twilight the elder approached the Doctor and brought her muzzle up next to his ear.
"Doctor, I don't understand. Why don't I remember any of this happening?" she whispered. The Doctor turned the Twilight and patted her on the shoulder. He then approached Twilight the younger, Shining, and Cadance with a warm smile on his face.
"I know what happens next, but first I'm going to need you three to stand next to each other," he said. Cadance stood next to Shining on the left while Twilight the younger stood next to Shining on the right. "Now, Twilight and Cadance, I want you two to hold onto Shining."
Cadance grabbed Shining's front left hoof and Twilight the younger grabbed Shining's front right hoof. The Doctor then put his front left hoof on Twilight the younger's right temple and put his front right hoof on Cadance's left temple.
"Doctor, what are you doing?" Twilight the elder asked. Opal moved away from the wall and stood next to the older Twilight. The Doctor looked back at the two mares and smiled.
"Are we going to see you again?" Shining asked as the Doctor turned around to face him.
"Of course," he replied. The Doctor then looked at the four-year-old Twilight and smiled. "See you in fifteen years."
The Doctor closed his eyes and Twilight the younger, Shining, and Cadance all lost consciousness and fell back onto the floor.
"What did you do to them?!" asked Opal as she ran up and examined the sleeping ponies.
"Don't worry. They're only unconscious. I wiped a few of their memories. They shouldn't remember anything about the past few hours or so," the Doctor replied. Twilight the elder walked up next to the Doctor and gave him another shove. "What's with all the violence recently, Ms. Sparkle?"
"So you can wipe memories now?" she asked with a smirk.
"It's a Time Lord thing. Since you couldn't remember any of these events I simply assumed that you, your brother, and Cadance must have forgotten about them some way. Well, I'm that way."
"Obviously."
"Are they going to be alright?" Opal asked.
"Yes. They might have a slight headache when they wake up but, other than that, they should be completely healthy and okay."
"Are you going to wipe my memories too?"
"I see no reason to."
"Why did you help us out with Chrysalis?" Twilight suddenly asked. Opal laid Shining's head back and stood up.
"I got a warning about Chrysalis from a very sad pony. A pony who had the ability to see connections among ponies and events. She's the one who told Chrysalis about Shining Armor. She felt guilty about it and told me about it. Then, right after she told me, my home blew up," Opal replied.
"The explosion earlier," said the Doctor.
"Yeah. That was my home. I'm guessing that poor pony had a bomb implanted on her by Chrysalis."
"So that there could be no loose ends in her plan," Twilight said. Opal then began making her way towards the door. "So what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. I guess I could try talking to the Princess about a job."
"A job?"
"Yeah. I just recently graduated from Princess Celestia's School for the Gifted. I might be able to get a job there. Try to make a fresh start."
"That sounds like a good plan," said the Doctor.
"Make sure to drop by Ponyville in about fifteen years or so," said Twilight. "Just in case you want to go on another life-threatening adventure."
"I have fifteen years to think about it. Who knows? I might have that adventurous urge again one day."
"Well I hope to see you then," said the Doctor.
"Yeah...maybe."
Opal smiled, waved goodbye, and left the house through the front door.
"I guess we better be leaving before my mother arrives," said Twilight.
"Yeah. I don't have the strength for another memory wipe," said the Doctor. The two ponies then quietly walked out of the house, leaving the younger Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadance to dream their memories of Chrysalis away.
Canterlot Station, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Summer, 987 C.E.
The TARDIS seemed the glisten in the afternoon sun as the Doctor and Twilight approached it happily.
"It seems that wherever and whenever we go, trouble seems to be waiting for us," said Twilight.
"I guess that's my fate. I might never be able to settle down somewhere," the Doctor chuckled.
"Come on! Try to think optimistically!"
"I am a very optimistic person. I just don't have a lot of faith in the possibility of having a normal life."
The Doctor grinned at Twilight and she gave him another shove.
"More violence?" he teased.
"Let's just head off to our next crazy adventure," Twilight said.
"Okay them. After you."
Twilight began to walk into the TARDIS when something caught her eye. A mysterious mare was standing several yards away on the edge of the platform. She had a dark red coat and a flowing purple mane. A large, pink, brimmed hat sat on her head at a fancy angle with a single feather extending from it. The mare turned towards Twilight and smiled. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce right through Twilight's soul.
"Twilight?" asked the Doctor. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Twilight replied as she shook her head. "I just saw something strange."
Twilight quickly hopped into the TARDIS and the Doctor followed, shutting the doors behind him.
"Well it looks like she's healed quite a fair amount while we were gone," he exclaimed as he walked over to the control console. "I do believe she'll be completely healed following this next trip."
"Really?" Twilight asked. The Doctor noticed that there was both a sense of joy and sadness in her one-word-question. He smiled and nodded at the lavender unicorn. "That's...good. I'm really looking forward to...getting back home."
"Well I guess it's time to head off then."
The Doctor proceeded to begin the traveling sequence. Just before the TARDIS began its leap into the stream of time and space, the doors to the TARDIS opened. The Doctor and Twilight turned towards the doors and Twilight gasped. It was the red mare with the sharp blue eyes. The two travelers were speechless at the sight of their unexpected guest. The mare shut the doors to the TARDIS behind her as the ship began making its usual departing noise.
"Hello, Doctor," said the mare with a seductive grin. The TARDIS then gave a giant nudge and the Doctor and Twilight fell to the floor while the mare remained perfectly still.
"Great. This is just what I needed at a time like this," the Doctor groaned. "A bloody hitchhiker!"
The mare giggled gleefully as the TARDIS leaned to the left and shot off down the endless river of history.
To be continued...