//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The good doctor's universal substitute // Story: Paging The Doctor // by Camlio //------------------------------// Ah welcome back to my little nook in the fiction world. Before we resume know that save for two characters in this story all the others are not owned by me in any way shape or form. The character's should be really easy to spot so if you notice that they need more fine tuning please let me know. Well without further ado Onwards and Upwards! Twilight Sparkle had finally calmed down enough to listen to the strange stallion's story. Well after he reminded her that as a time-lord, if he wanted to hurt her she would already be dead. At which she was reminded of how brutal the Rani was when dealing with her enemies or other perceived threats. "I'm sorry, but to claim your a time-lord is rather far fetched for me to believe as The Doctor is supposed to be the last of them." Twilight said remembering how the Doctor had explained what had happened to Gallifrey. This didn't phase the stallion in the least as he seemed to know that it should be impossible yet it wasn't, he then waited for her to sit and began to speak. "I know the stories and yes I am a time-lord, well more or less a substitute. Has the Doctor explained that there are certain periods in time that must remained unchanged to your group yet?" The stallion asked with a kind and gentle demeanor and an expression like he really did not want to do what he was sent to. "Yes, but what does that have to do-" She said but, was interrupted near the end of her question by the door of her library being thrown open and the Doctor running in followed by the rest of Twilight's friends. The Doctor looked at how the stallion was dressed in a manner similar to him before coming to Equestria and the hour-glass adorning his rump. "Alright! Out with it! Which one are you? The Monk? The-" His voice filled with anger and fear but, was interrupted by the stallion raising his right fore-leg and revealing a sonic screwdriver but, on the end was a key-chain that looked like it had a small stuffed animal attached to it. While it was strange the Doctor seemed to know what it meant. "Ah, the substitute has finally arrived eh?" The doctor said as he began to relax. At this the girls stood for a moment then decided to try to figure out what he meant. "Oooh oooh Like a substitute teacher?!" Pinkie Pie said the pink pony's endless energy causing her to bounce as she asked her question. Strangely at this the new time-lord nodded. "In a manner of speaking yes. You see there are thousands of parallel universes similar to this one although they will always have the same amount of life the events of the universe and the shapes of the beings therein are most often never the same." The stallion explained as the girls all looked to the doctor who simply nodded confirming that the stranger spoke the truth and gesturing for him to move on with the subject. "Well there are times these universes meant to be kept separate are forced to interact by the grand design of time and space. The problem being that the Doctor's trip here was never meant to be an extended one. Thus when he decided to take the power core from his Tardis in an attempt to defend you girls he messed with this design." The Doctor's face became pale as he knew now why the new time-lord had come, it was to either replace him in the world he knew or the one he sought to forget. "Doc what's going on?!" The cyan Pegasus known as Rainbow Dash said impatiently as she had yet to figure out why the Doctor looked afraid. "I'm afraid he's making me choose whether to stay in Equestria or return to my old world." The Doctor said sadly while looking to the floor. These words caused the 6 girls to take up defensive stances around the Doctor. "I'm sorry ladies. I honestly wish I didn't have to force this choice on the Doctor, but if I don't both your universe and ours will cease to exist." At these words the Doctor looked at the Stallion in shock knowing what he meant. "The Parallel Purge effect?!" The Doctor said in a terrified voice to which the Stallion nodded. --------------------------------------------- "The Parawhosiewhatnow?" Rainbow Dash said in a confused voice. "The Parallel Purge effect is a worst case scenario caused by interference into a parallel world beyond the scheme of the grand design by a Time-Lord or Agent, it entails that both the original universe and the parallel the time-lord now resides in will eventually collide causing both to fade from existence." With this the Stallion looked to the floor in a sad expression. "Ain't there anyway to stop them watch-a-macallits from crashin'" The Orange Pony with the Stetson known as Applejack said with her famous southern drawl. "There is one, but I'll need a while to think on it." The Doctor said as he left the library making a motion for nopony to follow him. "W-what's wrong with the Doctor... he looked so sad." the yellow Pegasus known as Fluttershy said in her typical meek and adorable tone. "He's sad because if he doesn't choose he will doom both your world and his own." Said the Stallion in a regretful tone of voice. "What do you mean he has to choose, aren't you supposed to be filling in for him?" Twilight asked in a rather confused tone. "If only I could, but sadly I'm not a full time-lord until he chooses which universe to stay in and I will become his replacement in the other." The Stallion said in an extremely depressed voice knowing the kind of pain the Doctor must now be going through. --------------------------------------------- At the Doctor's Tardis House. "I had completely forgotten about that little snag..." The Doctor said as he stood in his chamber of memories which now had two distinct sides to it one of his lives as a human and the other of the current life as the Chestnut pony who everyone seemed to love. "Actually I couldn't forget... I had simply hoped that it wouldn't happen." The Doctor said looking at the room with tears in his eyes. The pros to staying were just as great as the cons. If he stayed he could spend the rest of his days with his new friends and even gain more regenerations. As the time's he would have only regenerated in this universe once and that was to assume his current form, so it would count as his first life seeing as he had never died here and the new form was technically a rebirth. The con of this was that he would need to repair the Tardis and risk injuring his friends once more in order to send the new Time-Lord on his way. If he left he would never have to worry about them being at risk again, but that would be because he would never see them again. Ever. "Blast! Why now, why make me choose! I want to stay but, I don't want them hurt!" The Doctor was shouting while pounding his head against the magical water case (It's magically forced into being a glass-like structure but is much safer to do things like this with. As water doesn't risk shattering and leaving shards in your brain.) holding the outfit of the 10th doctor the form he had before coming to Equestria. Soon after leaving the room he ran into a concerned twilight who had just received the explanation in full from the other time-pony known as The Seeker. (If this name is taken please let me know and I'll edit it.) "I-i really don't know what to say..." Twilight said as tears formed in her eyes. She always had a feeling that this strange pony who appeared in the blue box would leave but, she hoped with all her heart that is was just a paranoid feeling. "I'm sorry Twilight I wished this day would never come, but as you and I both know we don't always get what we wish for. Even with magic." The Doctor said while giving her a hug. She could tell he had begun to cry which was a first for him by her standards. Sure she had seen him sad, really sad, but she had never seen him actually cry. It was as if crying was something he couldn't do, but she was glad to know he could as that proved all the emotions he felt were real and not some act meant to blend in. Moments later the Tardis began to beep registering the Time-Lord's successor to one of the universes as it's newest visitor. "Come then Twilight, I believe we have a visitor." The Doctor said whilst rubbing the tears away. They then met the visitor at the front room. "Seeker was it?" The Doctor said to the stallion to which he nodded. "As per the laws of time and space I must know that you are a fit replacement for me no matter what universe I decide to make my home." At these words Twilight looked to the ground knowing that she may never see him again. "Doctor as per the rules I must remind you that we have a week from our first meeting until the collision will occur so by that time you must have made your decision or your new and old friends alike will be destroyed along with you and I." The Seeker's voice both authoritative and sad as he said this. Much like the Doctor he couldn't stand watching someone get hurt but, he seemed to be honestly saddened by the chain of events he was now forced to begin. --------------- What will the good doctor decide? Will he even be able to make such a choice? If he doesn't both worlds are doomed?! To see the conclusion stay tuned for Chapter 3: Every rule has a loophole. Till then, Onwards and Upwards!