Golden Flash nudged open the door as inoffensively as he could, peaking his head in. "Your Majesty, somepony wishes to see you."
Celestia sighed. "I told you Golden, I'm not seeing anypony today."
"Um, it's the Doctor."
Celestia, perched on her throne with a black veil upon her head, raised her eyebrows and her spirits. "The Doctor, as in Doctor Whooves?"
"Yes."
"...Okay. Send him in."
"As you wish Princess."
Golden Flash disappeared, and a few moments later the heavy pair of doors squeaked open, and in trotted a brown scruffy-maned earth stallion with an hourglass cutie mark: the Doctor. "Hello Princess."
"..."
He hung his head. "I'm so terribly sorry. I know how it is to lose a companion, and well, you see..."
"At ease Doctor. The habitual condolences aren't needed. You and I both know the cost of nigh-immortality."
He shivered. "Yes, we do."
She continued. "Yet I may observe, it is quite bold for a time traveler to disturb my mourning. Death doesn't mean so much when you can simply waltz around it I imagine."
Doctor Whooves sighed. "I wish Celestia, I wish. But in truth it only makes me all the more aware. I can dance and duck as much as I wish, but ultimately, I cannot change or prevent it. It happens. Life happens, and death happens. These are the two constants of this universe."
Celestia paused, as if unsure how to word that which she sought to speak. She rose from her throne and walked heavily down to the Doctor. "Come, let us stroll to the gardens and have some tea." As they exited the throne room, she addressed Golden Flash and another guard. "Sirs, could you prepare the gazebo for tea time please?" She turned to her friend: "Any particular flavor you desire Doctor?"
"Nahhhh, I've spent enough time with the Brits, I can handle anything. Well most anything. Not pears."
"The usual," she confirmed to the guards, and they dashed off towards the kitchen, leaving her and the Doctor to themselves.
He quickly stated, "Oh Celestia, you sure do love your tea don't you?"
She laughed, a genuine hearty laugh that felt good. "Time Turner, err, I mean Doctor, tea is the only thing that keeps me sane anymore."
"Oh really, sanity eh? I gave up that practice long ago."
She smiled, and with her telekinesis opened the door to the outside. It was around three o'clock, and in concordance with the week of mourning, the skies above were a lifeless grey. Celestia pondered how to ask the big question on her mind. She could have been angry, but she was much too tired for that, so she settled for weariness.
"Doctor, did you know?"
"Hmmmm?" he replied.
"Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"Don't play dumb. We've had this conversation before."
"..."
"Doctor, answer me NOW. Did you know Rarity Belle would die like this?"
"I... uh-uh, I ... ... no. I mean not really. I knew she would be the first to die, but so soon? Like this? I-I'm as shocked and saddened as you are. Sigh... Thirty two. So young."
Celestia just nodded.
They walked on quietly, until they reached their destination: a simple, gnarled, unpainted gazebo. It was perhaps starting to fall apart, but that was unsurprising: It had seen hundreds of years and more than a few attempted sieges and invasions. There on a table beneath its thatched roof was a plain tea set. Celestia motioned for the Doctor to take a seat on one of the two cushions that had been provided by the wait staff.
Celestia's tea was scalding hot, but she didn't seem to mind, if anything relishing the intense heat as it soothed her throat sore from crying. When you are the sun goddess, I suppose heat is a relative thing. The Doctor, on the other hoof, sipped a far cooler specimen, though steam still wisped off the surface.
As is befitting of such times, they drank their tea in silence.
Sometimes, companionship is all one wants, and so the Doctor merely sat there providing company for the diarch. When she was ready to continue conversation, she would, and soon enough, she did.
"So Doctor, what brought you here?"
Reminded of his purpose in coming, he spoke quickly. "Ah! Well, you see... I would like to show you something."
"Oh?"
"Yes, I think it may help give you a sense of perspective."
"I'm over eleven thousand years old Whooves; you don't need to talk down to me. My perspective is fine."
"I know, I know, it's just well... well let me show you what I mean. Are you up for a trip in the old TARDIS? I swear to you there will be no hijinks, no adventures, no time paradoxes involved. just a simple thirty minute trip to a time and place in space that will provide some perspective. Are you game?"
Celestia pondered the offer, then shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see what the harm is. Sure, fly me to the moon, Doctor. Or wherever it is we're going."
"Great!" The Doctor grinned a toothy grin. "Let's get to it then. I parked the TARDIS in the basement. I uh, hope you don't mind. Oh, and my wife Ms. Lee is coming too. Is that cool?"
"You're the time lord, not me sir. Though, if you are bringing Fleur, it's only fair that I bring Discord."
"Okay. How is he taking this anyway? I never imagined he would be that close to Rarity. She was never exactly fond of messes."
Celestia responded, "Well, she did always welcome his fresh creative imput. As for him, well, he's sulking. You know how he gets. Come, let us retrieve him and make this journey you are so eager for me to accompany you on."
They rose from their seats and departed from the gazebo. From the shadows sprang servants to whisk away the tea set.
The two trotted out of the courtyard and back into a castle hallway. They soon found themselves outside of discords room. Well, room isn't the most accurate description. "Pocket dimension" would do the place more justice. From inside, the Doctor and Celestia could hear sounds of... know what, I'm not even going to try to describe the noises. They were weird. Celestia knocked, and they heard Discord shout, "Go away Celly. I know it's you." Celestia rolled her eyes. "Come on out Discord. The Doctor wants to take us on a short trip."
There was the sound of pigs farting, followed by a noise not unlike that of towels playing mariachi music at a Bat Mitzvah, and then Discord opened the door. He looked as though he had a hangover, but brightened up when he saw the Doctor. "Doctor Whooves! My time travelling amigo, très bien!" He snaked out of the room which was busy exploding into dancing cantaloupes behind him, and gave the stallion a big hug. "Sure, I'm up for an adventure with Professor Whodunit anytime."
"Great!" the Doctor shouted. "Let's get going then! Fleur is waiting in the TARDIS." Like that, they were off.
Ten minutes of small talk later, the trio had arrived in the castle basement. They were about step into the police box, when the Doctor spoke up.
"Say, should we invite Twilight? She is sort of one of us now."
Celestia shook her head. "I’m not so sure about bringing Twilight. I don’t believe she is in the best place emotionally right now. Trust me, she’ll have plenty of adventures to go on, but for now the four of us will be plenty cozy."
"And besides," Discord added as they got comfortable within some hammocks he had outfitted the TARDIS with, "she doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to handling time travel." They all laughed at that, reminded of some shared memory unknown to most. Discord produced seat belts for the crew, and the Doctor started up his trusty machine. It was adventure time.