//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10 
// Story: The Fantastic Adventures of Dr. Whooves: The Changeling Princess 
// by The-Pony-Librarian 
//------------------------------//

Exactly forty seven minutes later, they were sitting on a bench in the Royal Guard's station, an inebriated Pinkie Pie snoring on the ground at their hooves. They had attempted to lift her onto a seat, but had given up after she flailed so wildly she gave Twilight a bloody nose.
"I can't believe they kicked us out!" the Doctor huffed.
"Doctor!" Twilight exclaimed "Pinkie almost set the building on fire! We're lucky they didn't arrest us...If we weren't personally connected to Celestia they probably would have!"
She wondered absently when the others would get back with Celestia so they could take Pinkie out of the station, they had all been kicked out (save for Rarity, who pretended she didn't know them) but the guards were keeping a close eye on Pinkie in particular, and didn't want her to leave without a voucher from the princess.
"Well they didn't have to be so rude about it!"
Twilight rolled here eyes "You made three mistakes" she said, matter of fact-ly "First, you made me dance. Second, you thought my dancing was how normal ponies dance, and started dancing like me. Third, you asked Pinkie to hold your...ahem...my saddle bags, containing the Sonic Screwdriver, while you were ,quote un-quote, dancing,  forgot to ask for them back, and left her unsupervised, near alcohol while in possession of both said dangerous tool, and her party cannon"
"Party cannon?"
"Party cannon."
"So that's what those explosions were"
Twilight took a look at the police report "from there perspective, they were just removing their pyromaniac and her friends, two of which were.....this is actually written down....'reported to be having seizure-like spasms on the dance floor'....seizure. like .spasms."
"You know when most people say that they can't dance, they don't really mean it...." The Doctor said slowly.
"Yes. I am aware of that" Twilight deadpanned, an ear flicking in annoyance "But sadly, that does not apply to me"
The Doctor began chuckling, shaking his head "Apparently not....I must say, that was probably the most interesting party I have ever attended"
"PARTY?" Pinkie suddenly jumped to her feet "WHERE?" the pink mare stumbled forward unsteadily, eyes crazed, then collapsed back to the floor muttering something that sounded like "What happened to the oatmeal?"
Twilight broke, putting her head in her hooves and shaking with laughter. Soon tears were running down her face "I can't breathe" she gasped between chuckles "Celestia I can't breathe"
By the time Twilight had finally wiped her eyes and stopped giggling, her friends had arrived.The Princess was following in tow, looking less than surprised.
"I think that was a new record" she said as a way of greeting "next best was fifty three, if I remember correctly"
"Fifty three minutes and twenty nine seconds" Twilight confirmed, she suspected there was a running bet pool between some of the more laid back guards on how long it would take Pinkie Pie to show up at the guard's station after the start of a party. She knew she had seen her brother's friends exchanging bits on a similar occasion.
The princess smiled warmly "Why don't you wake Pinkie Pie up while I go talk to them, you are free to go"
Her student nodded, gently using her magical aura to prod Pinkie to her hooves
"Huh? What?" Pinkie said, eyes flicking around "I didn't eat the doughnuts! I promise!"
She throw her forelegs over her head, shaking.
"Pinkie, it's okay, Sugercube. We're just heading home" Applejack said soothingly
"Yeah Pinkie!" Rainbow said "I think you need it too...you look pretty-"
"Carry me?"
Without waiting for an answer the pink pony climbed onto her chromatic friend's back, curling up and making to go back to sleep.
"Are you sure you don't want me to carry you with my magic?" Twilight offered, seeing Rainbow Dash's distinctly awkward expression.
In reply, Pinkie mumbled something indecipherable and then buried her face in Dash's mane
"Guess not...."
"What just happened?" Rainbow Dash said, looking uncomfortable.
"You're carrying Pinkie Pie" AJ replied, patting her on the shoulder
"But-"
"Don't. Never deny drunk Pinkie Pie of being carried. She will get violent" A haunted expression crossed Applejack's face "You should be glad you weren't there"
Twilight shuddered, the image of her fuchsia companion with a enraged expression screaming "UPSIES NOW!" flashing through her mind. That had not been a good time.
Fluttershy squeaked and covered her face with her hooves.
"A-alright...."  The cerulean pegasus looked slightly scared, eyes flicking to Pinkie on her back "I'll take your word for it"
There was a strange moment where everyone was completely silent, eyes all flicking to one another's, then the Doctor broke it.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaat????"
Applejack, Fluttershy and Twilight all said simultaneously "You don't want to know"
There was a tinkle from the door, and a snow-white unicorn stepped inside, smiling.
"Oh hello!" Rarity sang "I figured I would find you all here! I got us a carriage to Ponyville that should be waiting in horseshoe square, so I suggest we all pack off!"
There were a few grumbles, but eventually all the ponies were herded out the door and onto the street, and began the short walk to the square.
"Are you coming Twilight?" Rarity asked
"Oh no, I have to talk to Time Turner really quickly, I'll catch up with you all" 
Rarity gave her a pointed look, and Twilight rolled her eyes. That designer was awful quick to start playing matchmaker....
She trotted over to her time traveling friend "you do remember where outside the maze you landed it, right?"
"ummm......"
It took a few minutes of searching around all the maze entrances, but eventually they found the recognizable blue police box, and both stepped inside. Soon they were sitting down with two cups of tea, and a box of Jammy Dodgers resting between them.
Stirring the last of the sugar on the bottom of her teacup, Twilight looked up "Alright, I want the story"
The Doctor looked up from his tea as well, leaning back "Where to start..." he mused slowly "I'm a Timelord, I come from the planet Gallifrey. I am a thousand years old. I travel around in this time machine...well...it's more than that really, the TARDIS. She takes me where I'm needed, all over the Universe, and in all different time periods. Once there, I try to help. My travels have lead me to meet many great people, and many great friends... I've had several people travel with me, most of them human beings. Humans were the sentient creatures on a planet very similar to yours, they were ape descendants, very ingenuitive, much like you ponies. Most were not quite as kind as I've seen you ponies to be, but those whom I traveled with were all stellar examples of their kind, brave and clever and good as any I've met. I lost all of them eventually...but needless to say they all hold a special place in my hearts. But that's, for the most part, what I do. I was fighting some nasty planet devouring parasites when I  fell through a space-time rift...and here I am....all equine"
For a while Twilight said nothing, just sipping her tea with a slightly awe-struck expression....What she wouldn't give to see the universe like that...
"Wow...that's incredible" she said finally smiling with a slight melancholy tint "Thank you....for sharing that, I mean. It's just unbelievable" Her eyes were wide and held a similar expression to that when she had first seen Celestia raise the sun, then she shook her head slightly and stood up.
"So I guess you'll be off now...exploring the universe"
"All of time and space, and every star...and they're all new now, not everyday you land somewhere completely new" A slow smile spread across the Doctor's face "Would you like to come with me?"
"What?"
"You know, come travel with me. As you have so graciously pointed out, I...well...am not exactly acquainted with equine culture. Could use a clever unicorn to show me around..."
"I...I..." Twilight began, before the Doctor cut her off
"Wait, don't answer that yet!" The Doctor said, going over to the controls and fiddling with a few knobs before throwing a lever "open the door"
Twilight looked deeply confused, but went over and pushed the door open, saying "I don't see why...oh...oh my goodness"
Before her hooves lay the silvery surface of the moon, and beyond that, the blue green pearl of her planet hanging on a scattered backdrop of stars and night.
Slowly, she stepped onto the powdery ground "This...This is amazing!" she spun around in a circle giddily, nearly tripping over her own hooves "It's just fantastic! I- I dont even....wow...."
"Sooooooo?" The Doctor said trotting up beside her and tilting his head inquisitively "I mean, I'm not sure if time travel is really your cup of tea....but the offer is op-" 
A lavender blur cut him off.
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Of course! How could I say no?" the purple unicorn had thrown her forelegs around his neck in a sudden hug, babbilng like a school filly.
"seeing other planets! and the future...the past! I...I... I can't.....I can't even begin to imagine...Thank you. I...I just...Thank you so much"
"My....I really thought you would be much more reluctant to travel with a mad-pony in a box" the Doctor said, having recovered from the shock. He chuckled slightly, giving a customary half smile and eyebrow raise.
Twilight released the hug, looking embarrassed "So did I..." she said, then smirked wryly "I guess you had me at time travel"
The Doctor looked confused "But I thought you said you had traveled in time?"
Twilight gave a sudden bark of laughter, lowering her forehead to a hoof and shaking it slowly "Doctor...me 'traveling in time' was my future self going about a week in the past trying to warn myself not to be so paranoid, failing to complete the message, and sending me into a spiral of worry that caused me to get injured in turn by a scroll, my dragon, the sun, and several falling objects, as well as earning me a Celestia-awful haircut before I finally realized that nothing was going to happen, traveled into the past to warn my past self not to be so paranoid, failed to complete the message and started the whole thing all over again"
"....wow."
Twilight nodded "I know right?" then she paused, something occurring to her "would knowing about you...about the fact that you're not a normal pony, put my friends in danger?"
"How do you mean"
"Well..." Twilight started "Doing what you do, it stands to reason you will have made your fair share of enemies. If one of those enemies happened to come here, would knowing the truth put my friends in more danger than they would be otherwise?"
The Doctor winced "I can't say for sure that it wouldn't"
The purple unicorn sighed "That's what I thought" she said "I couldn't tell them then...It's not worth it....I couldn't put them in danger"
"And what about you?" the Doctor asked "I couldn't tell you in clean conscience that traveling with me will be safe. I will try to keep you from harm of course, but that doesn't remove the fact that there are risks. I don't want you to jump into this without knowing that it is going to be dangerous"
"I know" Twilight said "But...I think if I didn't say yes, if I just went back to normal life, I would always be wondering what might have happened. How I could have let an opportunity like that slip through my hooves...I've always wanted to see the world, but I've never gotten a chance through except through books. I wasted most of my life holed up in my own little world, never meeting new ponies or seeing new things. My friends opened up my eyes, and I'm not going to let another chance to see what's out there, outside of the library, pass me by"
The brown earth pony's eyes softened slightly, and a small smile appeared on his face "You know, sometimes you remind me a lot of..." he trailed off "oh, never mind"
Twilight shook her head "You are such a hermit sometimes" she chuckled
"Oi! I get out plenty!" He paused "You know...if you count fighting aliens as getting out....but still!"
Twilight made a placating gesture with her hooves "Sorry, I forget the things I say usually don't make much sense outside of my head... I don't mean like in the physical sense, but more like you're a hermit inside your head. It's like, there's so much going on in there, but you keep it shut up inside with the doors locked and the windows boarded. I should know, I'm a bit of a head hermit myself"
The Doctor looked amused, laughing lightly "I suppose we both are a bit head hermit-ish...I'll have to invite you to the next meeting of Hermits United"
He snickered at his own joke.
"Hermits United?"
"Oh, it nothing, just an old-I'm doing it again aren't I?"
"You don't say?" Twilight quipped snarkily, eyebrow raised.
In retaliation, the Doctor gave her a small push, sending her bouncing lightly across the moon's dusty surface
"Watch your step!" he sang cheekily
Twilight picked herself up, now covered in grey dust, and lit up her horn "Alright smart-flank, back to the TARDIS"
"Ow! Ow! Ear, ear ear! I use that to hear you know! Oi!" the Doctor pouted as he was pulled through the time machine doors by Twilight's telekinesis "I liked you better when you were all magic deprived..."
He walked over to the control panel, adjusting levers and turning switches "I suppose I should take you back to the library. You've had quite the day......" He trailed off as he saw that during the small lapse in conversation his newest companion had fallen fast asleep on the metal floor, curled up in a ball with her hooves as a pillow.
The Doctor chuckled and shook his head slightly, a small smile on his face "Let's get you home, Sparky"