The doctor took one step out of the tardis and fell flat on his face.
He had landed in a small clearing in the forest. It was dark and the moon was high in the sky. A dark shadow seemed to loom over the forest at all times, and the brambles seemed to try and trip the travelers that came by. The trees seemed to have faces and the feeling of being followed was never lost.
"Well, at least it was a good landing," he said trying to get his bearings," Although, still not a ginger!"he discovered, brushing his hair down in front of his face.
He tried to stand up again, but fell strait down. No matter how he tried his legs didn't seem strong enough to get him of the ground. Eventually, he got up on all fours, for he couldn't seem to stand all the way up correctly. The doctor turned around ready to go back into the tardis, unfortunately it had disappeared from sight. Where it had been was just a continuation of the grass he was standing on.
"H-How?!" the doctor stammered in surprise," It's not possible. A thing as big as that couldn't just disappear! I mean, no ones around, there aren't any drag marks, where is it?!
The doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver to get a reading. Maybe it had some how teleported on its own. But when he tried to grab it, it slipped out of his hands... Err wait a minute. He didn't have hands.
"I don't have hands, how could I not have hands. It's not possible. Unless..." reasoned the doctor.
The doctor ran over to a small pond, which he had seen through the trees. There he stopped and looked at his reflection. He saw a tan coated pony with blue eyes and brown hair staring back at him." Why that's brilliant, I can't believe it! I'm... I'm a horse. What a regeneration this is! But if I am a horse, than where am I?" The doctor suddenly swooned and slumped against a nearby tree."Aghhhhh! That.. That's not good. Not good at all, I'll need find somewhere safe I can rest quickly. Before I pass out. I certainly can't stay here. I don't know what's in this forest."
As fast as he could the doctor ran/stumbled forward toward the lights he could see through the brush. When he did burst through the thick lining of trees, he came upon a strong, wood bridge. Across the bridge there stood a huge castle made of stone, with the moon standing behind it. He crossed the bridge in a hurry and rapped on the door. It was answered by a pony with a white coat, and blue mane. His mane was pushed up in between a hole in the top of a helmet he wore. It was gold, and with it he wore a matching golden breast plate and shoes.
" 'ello, my name is the doctor and I am in need of accommodations, as for I've just come from the woods and,"He was stopped abruptly by the guard.
"Are you blind?! That's the ever-free forest, you shouldn't be in there, let alone at night!" the guard exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief,"As for accommodations I can definitely offer you a jail cell. Seeing as you have violated the royal decree of not coming near the castle until further notice. Have you not seen the signs?! The princesses have not been well lately. And since you have violated that decree, you'll be coming with me." the guard ordered.
"you see, while I would love to oblige, at the moment I... I feel," The doctor then collapsed on the steps, in front of the guard. When he did, his screwdriver fell out of his pocket. The guard dragged him inside by the edge of his coat, and ordered someone to grab the strange piece of technology, in case it was dangerous.
* * * * *
One last wisp of energy flowed from his lips, before he woke up. The gold smoke curled and twisted up in the air before disappearing. The guard looked up in disinterest, the strange mare had been spouting that mist ever since he arrived. If it hadn't been for the smoke, they would have thought he had been dead, he hadn't so much as twitched since he had collapsed three days ago.
Suddenly his tan coat shifted. A small mummer escaped his lips and his eyes began to slowly flutter open.His ears twitched as he heard someone yell.
"He's awake!" the guard whispered under his breath, then louder it became as he started shouting,"He's awake, the stallion you wanted is awake, Princess."
When the doctor awoke, he found himself in a jail cell on the cot. The cell was plain grey, it was obvious that it had been made of concert. The doctor waited several minutes. He still wasn't used to his new legs though, which made him fall a few times as he paced the cell. He thought about escaping with the sonic screwdriver, since the guard had left. But when he checked it wasn't in his pocket and as he scanned the hallway outside, he realized it had been put on a table out of his reach. Instead of trying to receive it, he decided it was better to just to wait and find out where he was. Although, by now he had started to worry, as for he had no idea where the tardis was. There was no way of telling. He looked up again as he heard hoof steps coming down the stairs.
" He's right down here, in the third cell on the left." It was the guard's voice again, drifting down the hallway. He made sure to make a mental note of that, in case worse got to worse.
"Thank you, I'll take him up to one of the rooms in the palace where we can discuss. Privately." Said another voice, this one belonging to a tall, lanky mare with a flowing, rainbow like mane, and a light pink coat. She was quick and precise, with no uncertainty in her voice. She was taller than both him and the guard.
She looked at him distastefully, and opened the door with her magic, and with that turned around and started to trot the other way. She made a small movement with her head, motioning for the doctor to follow her up the stairs. As they continued the clime upward, he noticed that not only was this mare strangely colored, but she also had a long pointed horn producing from her head, and a pair of large, feathered wings on her back.
"Err... , excuse but I couldn't help noticing you had,"the doctor hesitate,"Wings."
"You really aren't from around here are you?" the princess, a slight smile playing across her face.
"Ah, no I very recently just arrive, speaking of which... have you by any chance seen a box?" Celestia gave him a quizzical look.
By now they had reached the private room and the door was shut behind them.
"A... box?"
"Yes! It's a big, blue box that you can walk into. With a telephone outside of it. Of course, the telephone doesn't work, but it's on the box. Also, it says 'police public call box' on the top in white. I showed up with it, but as soon as I stepped out it, it... well I lost it." The doctor explained.
"Right." The princess walked through the doors and exchanged words with one of the guards outside about finding the box. When she came back she was ready to start questioning this strange stallion.
"So you don't know where you are?"
"You know, that's always the fun part of traveling, you never know where you're going to end up. Brilliant, isn't it?!" the doctor said, continuing to walk around and examine the room as he talked." Wonderful architecture, I haven't seen this work for quite sometime. What time is this 1890? 2000?"He whistled," Oh, right! Sorry where was I... um, no. Absolutely no idea where I am as a mater of fact."
"Well, in that case, this is Equestria and I am one of the rulers here, along with my sister Luna." Celestia's eyes saddened," Well, she was until four days ago." She put on a stern expression and turned to the doctor." Which is why I wanted to speak to you, doctor is it? Doctor what?"
"Just the doctor."He said. The doctor had stopped walking and was standing in front of the princess.
"Right, well Doc-to-r, I have some questions for you. Your whole situation is fishy to say the least. You arrive on the night my sister turns, with no reason of being there, you don't know where you are, and then you pass out for three days strait, all the while spouting energy. We thought whatever it was, it would have killed you. I just don't have any answers, and... and I just,"Celestia stood still, with her feet spread apart and her body shaking. She refused to talk as the tears slipped down her face. She did not make a sound, not a sob, not a whisper, nor any murmurs or stifles of pain. She just let them fall. They splashed down on the carpet of the room leaving some places darker than others.
"Need them."Finished the doctor for her," It's alright, I know how you feel. Now, I did not do anything to your sister, but... I may be able to help if you take me to her."
He offered her his hoof and after a short hesitation she took it.