Looking back to his sonic on the ground, the Doctor added, “Oh, yes! This doohickey is a…uhhm screwdriver. You have screwdrivers here right? Screwdrivers that can only tighten or loosen screws, and have no other purpose.”
Applejack raised one eyebrow, “Uhh yeah. That’s the strangest screwdriver Ah ever did see. Anyhoof, here is your screwdriver.” She picked up the sonic and held it out for the Doctor to grab. He looked hard at his sonic “She’ll be suspicious if I don’t grab it…"
The Doctor looked back up at Applejack, “You know what? I’ve been very clumsy today and I can’t afford to lose this screwdriver. Do you think you can take me into town and help me find a jacket with pockets of some sort, so that I won’t lose it?”
Applejack’s eyes lit up and started to lead the way towards town, “Ah sure can! But Ah got to get back to da farm to help Big Macintosh. We’re ‘bout to have a family reunion soon. There is one place in town but it is kinda fancy shmancy.”
The Doctor slowly trotted beside her, “I don’t mind at all, but would you mind telling me more about your town? It really seems…interesting.”
“Ah don’t mind! This here is Ponyville, we ain’t no big city like Manehattan or Fillydelphia but we do have good folks and apples.” The Doctor smiled at Applejack’s wink with the mention of apples. “Oh! We also have a nice view of Canterlot.” Applejack motioned with her head to the castle’s general direction; they had a pretty good view in their current position.
“I’ll assume that the king and queen live in the castle, right?” The Doctor asked with his eyes stilled glued on Canterlot.
“King an’ Queen? Ain’t nopony like that, but there is Princess Celestia. She is in charge of bringing day an’ night in Equestria. Which reminds me, Ponyville is also going to be holding its first ever Summer Sun Celebration!”
The Doctor was just about to ask more question when they reached the entrance of town. “Wow, there are more people… I mean ponies here than I expected!” Apple raised an eyebrow, “Peop-“
“So! Applejack, where is this fancy shmancy clothes shop? Do you think they have anything in my color? I’m not quite sure if I’m a spring or autumn…I suppose there will be some fashion expert there to help me.” The Doctor noticed a mare with a long purple dress with colorful sparkles. “Do you think I could pull that off, I might without the sparkle…”
Applejack chuckled forgetting the earlier mention of people, “Ah think you’ll look mighty lovely in something more red.”
The Doctor returned his gaze forward and saw a tall, lightly colored carousel-like building. “It looks like a cross between a merry-go-round and a wedding cake…” The Doctor thought with a small smirk. Applejack turned towards the Doctor and put the sonic screwdriver on the ground, “Well, this is it! If Ah don’t leave now, we won’t finish in time for the reunion. It was nice to meet cha’, Doctor…what was it again?”
“Oh, it’s just the Doctor. It was a pleasure, Applejack. Well, I suppose I’ll see you around.” The Doctor said with a smile and a slight wave. “Sure thing! Don’t be a stranger!” , with that Applejack galloped away towards Sweet Apple Acres.
The Doctor picked up his sonic with his mouth and entered the building. As soon as he entered he heard a loud commotion coming from upstairs. “Oh, Sweetie Belle what am I going to do with you?” The voice sounded like it was straining to be nice.
A younger voice got louder as it headed downstairs, “I was just trying to help”. Soon a white filly with a pink and purple, curly mane appeared at the foot of the stairs. Her eyes widen with delight a she saw the Doctor, “Ooooh! A customer! “. She ran up to the Doctor, “Welcome to the Carousel Boutique where everything is cheap, unusual, and magnified!” her voice squeaking with enthusiasm.
The Doctor couldn’t help but smile while the little filly recited the obviously incorrect business motto. Before he could reply, there was the sound of hooves quickly coming downstairs and galloping towards the little white filly. A white mare with a purple mane curled in a more coordinately fashionable way than the smaller white filly. She pushed the filly behind her, “I’m terribly sorry sir! My sister, Sweetie Belle, meant to say Welcome to the Carousel Boutique where every garment is Chic, Unique and Magnifique!” After her quick intro, Rarity finally noticed that the stallion in front of her had a strange device in his mouth. With a strange look she continued,” Uhh… I am Rarity, how may a help you this fine morning? ”
Rarity’s expression change reminded the Doctor that he still had the Sonic in his mouth. He chuckled as he laid it onto the ground, “I’m sorry, I forgot I still had that in my mouth!” The Doctor extended his hoof “It is a pleasure, Miss Rarity. I am the Doctor”
Rarity couldn’t help but blush as she took his hand and daintily shook it, “My, what a gentlecolt! You couldn’t possibly be from Ponyville.” Before the Doctor could reply, Rarity squealed, “Oh, My! Are you from Canterlot, darling?!” The Doctor opened his mouth to speak but was cut off, “I should have noticed sooner!”
Rarity began circling the Doctor as she spoke, “I should have noticed the regal poise!” She ran her hoof through his mane, “The unique hairstyle!” Rarity then retook her place in front of him and leaned in a little too close for comfort, batting her eyelashes as she spoke, “Lastly, dare I say… Devilish good looks…”
The Doctor quickly moved back, Rarity followed in suit. The Sonic Screwdriver laid in the middle of the room forgotten by the room’s occupants except one. “I must say, I am flattered, Miss Rarity.” It didn’t take long for the Doctor to back up against a wall. As Rarity started to lean in, he couldn’t help but raise his voice, “But, I’m not from Canterlot!”
Rarity immediately stopped dead in her tracks, and her face deflated in disappointment, “I was so sure… But you can’t be from Ponyville; I’ve never seen you around. So where are you from?”
“Well I am from… Well you probably never heard of it, it is really far away from here.”
“Do tell, darling”
The Doctor looked around the room for idea for an imaginary place and his eyes quickly spotted Sweetie Belle in the middle of the room. Rarity followed his gaze, “Sweetie Belle! What are you doing?”
Suddenly a buzzing noise filled the room along with a high-pitched scream of a certain white filly. The Doctor quickly galloped to Sweetie Belle and yanked the Sonic Screwdriver from her hoof. “You really shouldn’t play with this! It is very dangerous…” The Doctor looked at sonic in hoof, “Well, will you look at that! I finally got the hoof holding down!”
While the Doctor was being proud of himself, Rarity ran over to Sweetie Belle and enveloped her in a hug. “Are you ok, my dear? You aren’t hurt are you?” Sweetie Belle had recovered from her shock and began squirming in Rarity’s hug, “Raaarity! I’m fine but you’re hugging me too tight! I….Can’t………Breathe!”
Rarity released Sweetie Belle from the bone crushing hug and marched over to the Doctor, “Do you care to explain the THING that almost took my dear little sister away from me, Doctor?” The Doctor returned to reality, “Well…”
Rarity gave the Doctor a very skeptical look, “Well what, Doctor? If I recall correctly, which in fact I do, you said yourself that THING was dangerous. So do carry on, dear.”
The Doctor began to lightly stroke the sonic, “Please stop calling my screwdriver a thing; you are going to hurt its feelings. And it is somewhat dangerous…"
“That is a screwdriver? Darling, despite never ever using a screwdriver, I am quite sure that they do not look like that. Also, screwdrivers are not dangerous…if used probably.”
Sweetie Belle trotted next to Rarity and her eyes lit up as she reached an explanation, “Maybe where he is from, that type of screwdriver is normal!” Rarity looked at her sister then back at the Doctor, “Is that true?”
“Yes, of course!”, the Doctor said almost too eagerly. Rarity half-heartedly took the answer “Speaking of which, Doctor, where are you from?” The Doctor’s happy mood deflated, “Well, I suppose you could say I’m from Gallopfrey.”
Rarity’s eyes squinted with suspicion and confusion, “Hmm. I do believe that I have never heard of such a place. Oh well, you can explain while I fill out your order. You did come here for something fabulous, didn’t you?”
The Doctor just smiled, “Of course, and I have something very specific in mind.” Rarity beamed, “Wonderful, now step this way and we can get started!”
They both moved to one side of the room with a table, and were followed by a very excited little filly. Rarity looked down at her sister disapprovingly, “Sweetie Belle, this is a business meeting so no little fillies allowed. Why don’t you go play with your little friends?”
Sweetie Belle looked down in disappointment but then lit up with happiness, “Yeah! They would love to hear about this new guy!” She disappeared in a flash of white, pink and purple.
Rarity turned the Doctor ready to get down to business, “now let’s begin.”