He had opened his mouth to speak five times. There was unfortunately only one point in time that our relationship could be this awkward. I was still in a good mood after that last trip with the doctor and momma. It wasn't as safe as the Doctor promised, but we ended up bringing back four pieces. Clearly though this was right after he discovered the truth. It was a nice spot, a lonely hill will a nice big tree on it. The Tardis was just on the other side of the large tree.
"How about I start. Yes, I'm your daughter. Now keep going."
"You know where this conversation is going, don't you?"
I shook my head. "I only tell myself stuff I should know. All I know is this awkward conversation should have happened last week but as you know by now one side effect of this different system of time and space is a bit of drift."
"Yes, it's not really your exact future self, or just one possibility or…"
"So on. But…"
"So you're not just any little time filly, but mine? I don't understand Derpy…"
"Is my mother yes. Can you really not figure out how that could happen."
"You can?" he asked
I looked away. "Well, maybe not all the particulars, but yes, I get sex. At least in a health class sorta way. I thought I already told you this?"
He blinked "Maybe you did. Don't think I forgot so maybe it wasn't me exactly. Or further down the line."
"Maybe."
"I didn't just mean…" He took a deep breath. "Genetically speaking…"
"Pony genetics are kinda weird. For the most part other than the four tribes donkeys and zebras there should be no compatibility. The last two are limited as well. Except…"
"Oh yes, magic smoothes things out. I remember now."
"Plus you've at least heard of Chronos right?"
He nodded. "Oh yes, Rommana nearly bit my head off when I didn't recognize the name. The alicorn of time correct?"
"Yes. He's also Luna and Celstia's father."
He went wide eyed a moment. "So the not quite god of Gallopfree…"
"Has a direct connection to this world. There are a good number of ponies that aren't quite normal because one of their parents was a time lord or lady, and a few who like me even ended up full fledged time fillies or time colts."
"Wow. Now that is just…" He smiled
"Yea."
We sat in silence for a while. Then I had a sudden revelation which made me feel like a genius, followed shortly by feeling like a complete idiot. I am a filly, but a full fledged member of one of the smartest races in the entire universe, and my father the most amazing of them all, and that's not even taking momma into account. But I was still a filly and missed really obvious things sometimes. I smiled and turned to the doctor.
"This isn't stress about raising a family. You already know I turn out fine. Despite what you say you do far more than stumble though parent hood somehow."
"I do what now?"
"You know all that. It might be confusing and distressing, but you ran."
"I always run." He turned away
I teleported in front of him. "No you don't." I smiled. "There is so much running, but that's not what I meant, and it's not what you meant either is it?"
"Aren't you a bit young to teleport."
"Maybe. I'm a time lady who's practiced magic since I was very young. The point is you ran because you were afraid. Rosey and momma say it all the time but I just now got it."
"Got what?"
I smiled. "There is only one thing the Doctor truly fears. Loss. You fear it like nothing else. Not just your own loss, but everypony's. You want to make sure nopony…" I then shook my head. "No, no one at all has to suffer it. You want to make sure no one dies."
He just blinked, saying nothing, posture going stiff.
"But this isn't your world. This isn't a world where the odds are always stacked against you. And even when they are that doesn't mean you can't turn it all around anyway. You've done it before, and here it's not even as hard."
Now he was standing. "Now listen here young filly you don't know…"
"Yes I do." I closed my eyes. "I have seen the stallion you become. The stallion I'm proud to call my father, and you are already so close. But I don't need to tell you anything more to make you become him. You're going to keep trying anyway. Even when it seems hopeless, even if it is, you keep trying." I started to cry
"Dinky? You've left this world before, haven't you?"
I nodded. "I'm really not fond of those weird pink fleshy things, but at least the dresses were pretty." I opened my eyes and looked up. "There is always hope here. Magic is the power of life altering the physical universe."
"The power of life? The power of living things." The Doctor then smiled. "Oh, what an amazing way to put it. That's magic?"
I nodded. "And it can do amazing things. We won't leave. Momma is in a loop of time, Star and I are at least as unkillable as you, and she won't let any of us die."
"Loop of time? Do you mean a fixed point in time because now that I think of it Jet didn't seem to be one but…"
I shook my head. "That's impossible. I mean her physical form will loop back to exactly the moment of the incident, whatever it was. She's never said but…"
"Most likely it's my Tardis somehow. I remember. I understand."
I smiled. "The point is we won't leave. Star might not like you very much but she knows how much mom cares about and would do anything to save you."
He laughed. "In retrospect I can actually see the tenacity of my old friend in her. We are most certainly two of the most stubborn time lords in existence if nothing else."
"So we won't leave. You just have to stay. We can be a family we…"
He looked away. "I can't stay. I…"
I rolled my eyes. "I mean with us. Or at the very least with momma. You have a place to come home to, even if you don't yet understand why you deserve it."
He opened his mouth, then closed it. "I…" Then he suddenly smiled. "So little lady, how exactly did you get so smart?"
"Weren't you paying attention? I'm your daughter."
We both laughed. I knew there was something else he wanted to say, but I wasn't smart enough to guess. There are some things about him I never quite understood, and maybe never will. I then gave him a great big hug. He was a little uncomfortable, but then hugged me back.