//------------------------------// // The Escape // Story: On the Fields of Trenzalore // by ElderJones //------------------------------// On the fields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the Eleventh, when no living creature can speak falsely or fail to answer, a question will be asked. A question that must never, ever be answered. * * * "What's wrong?" Twilight asked the Doctor. "You look like you've seen a ghost." "I have to leave." The Doctor replied. "Right now." "Why?" "Terrible things will happen if I stay." "What things?" "I don't know. They just will." "That doesn't make any sense." "Just trust me on this." The Doctor immediately started running out of the library, toward the edge of the town. Twilight followed after him. "Wait!" she called, "I thought you said your ship was broken. How will you leave?" The Doctor stopped running. "You're right," he said, "so I'll need to borrow some things." "What things?" "Oh, just some miscellaneous items." "Such as?" "A wire, a plank of wood, a feather and some sawdust." "How will that help?" "It's complicated. Very complicated. "I see... Well, I have those things, but why should I let you have them?" "You don't want to know what will happen if I stay." "What will happen?" "I don't want to know either. Whatever it is, it certainly won't be nice." "Okay, you can have them. I'll just go and fetch them." Twilight went back inside the library. She returned a few minutes later with the items the Doctor had requested. "Here you go." "Thanks. The Doctor thought for a second. "How about you come with me." "Really! To see your spaceship!" "Sure. Why not?" "Let's go!" * * * Ten minutes later, they arrived at the TARDIS. Twilight just stared at it. "That's your spacecraft?" "Yes. Is there a problem?" "It's just that it's a bit... small." "Ah, I like this part. Have a look inside." The Doctor opened the door. Twilight stared with a look of utter amazement on her face. "It's bigger on the inside!" Twilight shrieked. "That's impossible!" "Well clearly it isn't, seeing as the TARDIS is." "But..." Twilight was unable to argue, so she decided to ask a question. "Why is it called the TARDIS?" "Time And Relative Dimension In Space." "Oh, so the inside exists in a different dimension to the outside. It all makes sense now." The Doctor was slightly annoyed that somebody had figured that out this quickly, but he had no time to be annoyed. He had a TARDIS to fix. He entered the TARDIS and started doing something with the wooden plank that Twilight didn't even think was possible. "Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked. "Actually, it'll more than likely achieve nothing and completely mess up the corridors. You have no idea how long it takes to clean those up. However, I need to try." The TARDIS immediately started to shake as sparks flew from the central console. The Doctor started using the other items as well, in ways that made Twilight's head sore from trying to understand what he was doing. Eventually, the shaking died down. Twilight felt relieved for a moment, before she noticed the Doctor. his face looked solemn and apologetic, as if he were about to break bad news to a child. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," said the Doctor, with a sadness in his eyes that Twilight could not comprehend. "Why. What's wrong?" asked Twilight. She was getting worried. "I can't leave. I'm stuck here and terrible things are going to happen and I'm so sorry-" The Doctor was starting to break down. "I'll send a letter to the princess." Twilight said, taking a new air of authority. The Doctor clearly had no solution to this problem, so Celestia was the only one she could turn to. "... You're right," the Doctor said, calming down a little, "I suppose I can't expect to stay hidden in a time like this. The authorities need to know." Together, the Doctor and Twilight Sparkle set of back to Ponyville. * * * Dear Princess Celestia, Today I met a very strange creature. I say "creature" because I do not know what else to call him. He is not a pony of any kind. He calls himself "the Doctor", and says that he is from another planet. I believe him, as he has shown me technology which I did not previously think possible. His spacecraft has crashed here in Equestria and he is stranded here. He came to the library to ask about the name of this planet. Looking through old history books, I found that the planet used to be known as "Trenzalore". Upon hearing this, the Doctor became distressed, saying that terrible things would happen if he stayed here. He attempted to repair his spacecraft, but ultimately failed in at the task of getting it to launch. He now fears that we are all in grave danger. I must ask you to come to Ponyville immediately to discuss the situation with myself and the Doctor. Please hurry, for I fear the worst. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle * * * There was a flash of green flame as the letter was incinerated. "So the message will get to your princess immediately?" "Yes." "That's very interesting. So what now?" "I've asked Celestia to come to Ponyville to discuss the situation. If she responds to the letter as quickly as I think she will, she should be here within half an hour." "That's quick." "Canterlot's not that far away." Twilight thought about every time the princess had come to Ponyville. It was strange to think that this could be the last royal visit, if the world was endi- No, she couldn't think like that. Celestia would know what to do, wouldn't she? In reality, Twilight knew that the world could easily end in the coming few days, but she tried her hardest to push that to the back of her mind. This was no time to panic. It was a time to dread.