Momma had just called me muffin again and I smiled. For a while she had been so scared of muffins, but I wasn't really sure why. Once I knew I had a little talk with her and explained how she was being silly. Momma is super smart, but sometimes she doesn't get really obvious things like that. Then mom's eyes looked right at me and I knew she was super serious. It's about the only time both eyes ever looked at the same thing.
"Now I trust you Dinky, but stay away from the crusaders. You're right they are nice ponies, but they were dangerous before, and they're even more dangerous now." Then she smiled. "Now go have fun."
She then waved and I waved back. I thought about saying something how she's put me in way more danger than the crusaders ever could, but that sounded really horrible. Also, if I did that she might decide I should never go outside again, and start securing the house again like last time. That didn't end well. I then started walking over to Bon Bon's shop. Twist is her apprentice and we talk a lot. Unlike me she agrees with my mom that crusading for your cutie mark is too dangerous. It is kind of silly for me anyway. I know what it's going to be, just not when and how I get it.
Then I saw the pinatas. There were five of them in a rough circle, steamers wrapped loosely around them. Pinkie was imitating a royal guard, and thanks to her new abilities right down to looking like a pegasus. I still don't how how she learned to shapeshift, but I don't get why everypony seemed so surprised. The gingerbread armor was surprisingly accurate, but still an even bigger give away than her pinkness she wasn't a real guard. Each pinata was an hourglass, and couldn't help but remind me of him. I walked to the edge of the cordoned off area and looked at nothing but a random section of the street, not any different from any other as far as I could tell. I then looked up to see Pinkie glaring down at me. I was a little scared until she ruined it by giggling.
"Aww, that’s so hard. I mean I thought I was like a super good actor and stuff, but being all boring and stiff is super difficult."
"Pinkie, what are you doing?"
"Oh, well I had a combo, so something is going to crash into this spot super fast. I wanted to make sure nopony got hurt."
"Is there any reason for the hourglass pinatas?"
"Duh, it's not just anything, but a time traveling spaceship. There are like five of those I know of, but I figure the hourglass is a safe bet, ya know."
I nodded. "I'm probably one of the few ponies in this town who would have any idea what you're talking about." I smiled "Do you think it could be…."
Before I could say anything else I heard a noise. I didn't bother to look up, I ran, and Pinkie was soon ahead of me. After we were a good distance away she jumped in the air, somehow leaving her gingerbread armor hanging in the air. Then she swallowed it in one bite. Seriously I didn't get everypony being surprised. Shape-shifting is far less weird than some of the things she does. Then I looked back just in time to see something crash into the spot in question. Candy went everywhere, a huge cloud of dust being kicked up. I caught a few pieces of candy with my magic. I ate them while we were waiting for the dust to clear. Pinkie had already somehow gathered a large pile of candy despite not seeming to move.
"I bet I know which one you hope it is."
I nodded. "Can you see if it's blue yet?"
She shook her head. "Noph yef. But it if forta small."
I briefly turned to see Pinkie with a great deal of candy in her mouth. I then turned back to the cloud. I could see a fairly small rectangular shape, but couldn’t make out the color. Then I suddenly remembered something, and focused hard as I could. The wind spell was supposedly really simple but it took me forever to learn it. But it did the job really well, gently blowing away the dust. It was a blue box that now read "Guard Box" at the top, but I knew it used to read something else. Then he came out.
The Doctor. He looked a little shaky on his hooves, and seemed to be taking in the scenery more than usual for someplace he'd been before, but it was him. He was the bravest stallion ever. And strong and smart too. He was amazing, and he was back. I couldn’t wait any longer and rushed up to him, leaping to give him the biggest hug I could. He didn't hug me back. After a moment I sighed and let go, then backed up a few steps. He leaned in close, and stared at me.
"Fascinating. I wonder if…"
"Hiya doctor." Yelled Pinkie
"Gya." The Doctor then fell back on his haunches as Pinkie was suddenly right in front of him. "So you can talk too. I was wondering if…"
"Can talk?" I asked
"Yes little girl, this might seem odd to you but I'm from a different universe and…"
"I didn't use to be a pony." Pinkie and I echoed.
He blinked. "Then again apparently not."
"Wait, you don't even know my name and you're still confused about…" I began, then hung my head and sighed. "That means this is the first time." Then suddenly I smiled and my head shot up. "That means it's the first time. Which means…"
I then hopped around in a circle giggling. There was a good chance Pinkie actually knew why I was doing it, but I also know she wouldn’t care if she didn't and would join in regardless. Then of course she joined in the hopping. The Doctor looked quite bewildered of course. After a few minutes I stopped, but Pinkie kept going. I then bowed slightly, and smiled brightly. He smiled in return.
"Hello. My name is Dinky Doo, it's a pleasure to meet you for the first time Doctor."
He stared for a second. "You know me? Oh, now that is just terribly interesting."
"Yes, now I should really take you home. Momma will surely want to see you and Star probably will, though she's never been your biggest fan."
Pinkie suddenly stopped, halting entirely in midair a moment before falling to the ground. "Oh, and I'm Pinkie Pie." Then she gasped. "Omigosh, I can finally give you your welcome party. See the first time you came here you said you already had a welcome party so I couldn't throw it then, I mean it's just silly to have two welcome parties, even if your first welcome party is in the future, but now it's the future which means…"
Then she gasped again, took off, wings buzzing rapidly, and flew off toward sugar cube corner. The Doctor stared after her then he turned back to me and looked at me. At first I thought he was staring at my eyes, but then I realized he was staring at my forehead. Oh yea, he knows almost nothing.
"I am a unicorn."
"What?"
"You're staring at my horn right? I'm a unicorn. Pinkie looked like a pegasus, but she's really not. Like you she's really an earth pony, but she's special."
"How special?"
"That's a real long conversation, and you should ask someone else, they can explain it all better. The really important thing is magic does work here and can do amazing things."
"Magic, come now magic…"
"You could call it something else, but ultimately it's still direct manipulation of an observable, albeit to you alien, force to create desired affects. There is a scientific explanation, but mostly the explanation is magic is a force which exists to counteract the traditional forces and prevent the heat death of the universe."
"Oh. Well, you seem to be a very knowledgeable little filly, don't you." Then he tilted his head to the side. "Why did I just say that? It seems accurate enough but…"
"Someone I know calls it a filter, but it's more than that. Certain concepts don't exist in this universe, or have been translated to others. Like what you used to be for example."
"Ah, so you know that despite my appearance as a small horse I used to be a pony."
I laughed.
"Ah, I see what you mean. Fascinating. Well I'm sure I'll get the hang of it."
"You will yes. Come on, momma will be so happy."
"Hmm, well I don't see why not, but what I really need is some way to repair the Tardis. I doubt there is anypony here that…" he laughed. "Anypony? Really? Marvelous."
"There is actually. She's helped you several times before. However you certainly won't have the bits right now and Blinkie is immune to the paper."
"You know about the…" He then smiled. "Your mother is one of my companions here isn't she. She…" his face then dropped. "I'm going to be here awhile."
"It's a very nice universe. You should give it a chance."
"I'm sure it's lovely but…"
"No, I mean literally it's nice. Your universe seems so much…" I paused. "…meaner."
"Universes can't be mean or nice they just…"
"But you can have a universe where probability is shifted to make certain outcomes more likely, not to mention the effect of magic."
He laughed. "Imagine that, a nicer universe? I suppose I at least have to give it a try, regardless of whether I want to or not. Lead on. Allonsy."
For a time I just stared, smiling. Compared to how long mom's had to wait for things waiting a few months was nothing, but I still missed him so much. He got this little smirk on his face, then shook his head.
"Ah, so clearly I have a fan. Now I know I can be quite charming but this silly little crush you clearly have on me, it will pass."
I cringed. "Crush? Ewwwww."
"What? I know I'm older than you, literally ancient actually, but I know I don't look it."
"It's not that it's that…"
Then I stopped. I suddenly realized the full truth was the one thing I could not tell him. I quickly thought though what would be the best lie, and suddenly I had it. Technically it was even the truth, even if it sort of avoided the real reason I was so grossed out by that idea.
"My mom fancies you."
"Ah. Yes, I think I get it now. Hmm, and you picked up that turn of phrase from me as well, didn't you?"
I nodded. "Yes, come on, let's go. Oh momma will be so happy."
"She does know that…"
"Oh she knows exactly how you feel, trust me."
"Excellent."
Then he started marching in the wrong direction. I laughed. The Doctor was amazing, but sometimes he could be as silly as momma. He soon came back and I trotted off in the right direction.