The Doctor was in the back of his makeshift kitchen preparing a simple meal, at least to him. Hay and Oats were pretty easy to make, throw in an apple and presto! The perfect lunch for his newest regeneration's taste buds. Simplicity was something that used to be foreign to the Doctor, but as his tenure in Ponyville grew he was slowly incorporating it into his everyday life. His Tardis was now a lot simpler, and more centralized. Case and point his kitchen being in what was once the main terminal. He figured that the terminal was a lot of dead space for the front room, so a cupboard and plates later it was quickly refitted to be his new kitchen. Now that he was walking around through it he was glad he had made the change. It would have felt weird to have this conversation anywhere else in the Tardis. Somethings were just special.
"So Rainbow Dash, why don't we start at the beginning. No, that's too cliched, well I guess its like that for a reason. You know what go from the beginning. Or wherever you want. Preferably the beginning." First Rainbow was confused, but then she realized that the Doctor was pausing for her to speak. "First time for everything," Rainbow thought. "Lets just try and stay cool through this and save the emotion for later. Or at least the lame ones."
"Well," Rainbow started. She wasn't exactly sure what to say, but she knew where to start. "One day I was with my friend Twilight, Who I'm sure you must know from the library she runs, and we were trying out this new spell. Well, long story short the spell didn't work, and I suddenly found myself on Earth as a foal. Really I don't remember anything from that for a few years, but I was like two years old so you know. Or 24, or... really I don't know. I just know what my father told me about it."
"Wait, what does your dad know about Earth? Was he launched there too by Twilight's spell? This Twilight sounds like someone who needs a shorter leash."
"No no no, my Dad was still in Cloudsdale the whole time. I still haven't talked to him about this. But I guess what I meant was that I have two Dads. Whoa no, that came out wrong, even though there is nothing wrong with that! Sorry, what I meant to say was that I've had two Dads. Because when I arrived on Earth my dad, he took me in. He raised me single handedly." Rainbow had slowed down to a halt now. She still wasn't exactly comfortable discussing this with herself, so saying it out loud wasn't easy for her. She wasn't going to cry, she was tougher than that. Or at least her old self was, now she was going to need to take a deep breath. The Doctor just waited. He was still getting used too that new action, and its novelty was starting to wear thin. But he understood how serious this was for Rainbow, and tried to make it as easy as he can for her.
"It wasn't easy, you know that? He had too hide me from the whole world, and that meant both ways. No one could come over and visit for long, and he had an angry, confined, rebellious pegasus in his room to thank him for his hard work. I never really understood it until the end, just how much work that must have been. He couldn't have let me out on my own, I'd have died in a week or worse, been discovered. That commitment, its... a lot. And I'm the element of loyalty, so I should know. Anyway, he raised me. I can't make it anymore clear than that. No qualifications, no buts or ifs. That man was my father. And now, my dad is out there all by himself and he doesn't even know what ever ended up with me."
"We barely even got to say goodbye. I bet Celestia thought she was a real hero, giving him those few minutes to say his goodbyes. What the hell is a few minutes compared to a lifetime bond? Its nothing! I understand that I can't stay with him, I get that. I have friends here who need me, I have a life, I have a dad. But all my dad has is a big house and empty rooms. I can't leave him like that. Doctor, I need you to take me back to earth." Rainbow Dash calmed herself down, she couldn't let her emotions get the best of her today. No there would be time for that later.
The Doctor on the other hand was now wishing he could go back to waiting to speak. He loved to speak usually, with irreverence and wit and just general good humour. But this wasn't a time for a good joke, this was serious. Much too serious for the Doctor. On one hoof, he of course wanted to help Rainbow Dash. This was what he lived for, helping his friends he met in his travels. One quick hop in the tardis, probably no monsters even and it would be all over. Rainbow Dash would get the closure she deserved, and he could go to bed happy. But he also knew why he had stopped traveling. Of course his Tardis was broke, but not beyond repair. The real reasons for his stability were much closer to his hearts.
Fear, sadness, betrayal all flashed through his head. He hadn't felt this way since he had first fell in Equestria, and he knew why. Equestria was the crutch he had used when his world had fallen apart and out of the sky at the same time. It was a place that literally was magical, and where friendship was more powerful than any weapon. It truly was a paradise that the Doctor never wanted to leave. But seeing Rainbow Dash he knew what he had too do. This was his catch, the method which he would repay his debt to Equestria.
He would rebuild the Tardis. Hopefully in a week he could have it running and be able to get Rainbow Dash to her destination. And maybe he would be able to get to his destination by then. At the very least he could hear the Tardis one more time.
After what seemed to Rainbow Dash to be an eternity, she opened her mouth to try and persuade the doctor even more. She even puffed up her chest a little bit, because to be honest, the Doctor didn't exactly look that strong and a little intimidation in desperate times never hurt anybody. But keeping with his constant unpredictability, the Doctor finally spoke. "Well, what are we doing wasting time? I know this is a time machine and all, but that really is no excuse! Time may be ours to control but it still doesn't grow on trees!" And with that the doctor flashed her a big grin and set out to fiddle with the controls.
For the briefest instant Rainbow Dash saw just how fake the grin the Doctor was giving her. It wasn't malicious, but it was forced. Rainbow knew that something was off, but she decided not to do anything. She needed a trip to Earth and there was only one willing airline. Maybe later she would deal with this problem. But in the mean time she had to figure out why the Doctor was apparently reprogramming his toaster.
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It's not dead! Yeah, just posting to say this fic is still alive and I hope to finish it someday. I'd say it's nearing the midpoint in length about now. Anyway, sorry if this chapter isn't as great as any before it, I was tired of it stopping my writing. From here on I've got a better idea of what I'm doing. Its tough getting back into something after a month off, but hey you live and learn.