The Doctor insisted that all the ponies line up once they had all reassembled in the console room. He paced in front of them, debriefing them as well as he could. River zoned out as he described how to pilot the TARDIS, knowing if that she listened she would end up correcting him and confusing everyone. Ditzy also seemed to lose interest in the Doctor, her gaze drifting around the room.
"Now, you two," he stood in front of River and Ditzy. They stood at attention in unison, making the Doctor roll his eyes at them. "You two are in charge. I'm going to be too busy trying to pull the consciousnesses apart to pilot the TARDIS." Ditzy gave a mock-salute as River nodded her head.
"I'll assign a different section of the console to each of you six," he marched in front of the Elements. Fluttershy cowered behind Rarity's new dress (she had changed about seven times, and River suspected she was hiding more clothes in the pockets of the versatile dress she had on). Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood still, heads bowed close together, as Pinkie bounced lightly on her hooves.
"Princess, you'll be with me over here," the Doctor pointed a hoof to a spot near the door where he had set up some interesting equipment. Celestia nodded silently, and Twilight moved closer to her teacher. The Doctor paused and looked at the purple unicorn.
"It'll be okay, Twilight," he mumbled to her. She closed her eyes and nodded slowly.
"I trust you," she whispered. The Doctor gave her a sad smile.
"Right then!" he called, straightening up and prancing towards Ditzy and River. "Let's get this show on the road!" He stopped short right in front of River, and rubbed his cheek against hers tenderly. River's heart sped up, afraid of what this sudden intimacy might mean.
Before she could panic thoroughly, the Doctor cantered off to show the six ponies where to go. River watched him, eyes wide.
"It'll be okay, River," Ditzy said softly. River looked at the pegasus, who was staring at the Doctor.
"I really hope so."
"River! I need you over here," The Doctor called.
"What did you break this time?" She trotted off, leaving the pegasus alone.
Ditzy watched the two of them work together, teasing and flirting the whole time. She smiled a little to herself. Though of course she loved the Doctor, she knew that River made him happier than he had been the whole time he had been in Equestria. He would never admit it to anyone, but he loved River more than anything, maybe even the TARDIS.
"But it still hurts, doesn't it?"
"Yes." Ditzy wasn't even phased by the princess reading her mind. She looked up at Celestia, who looked down at her with the same pain in her eyes. "But I'm happy for them."
Celestia turned her eyes to the Doctor and River. "I used to love somepony like that. My life, my duties, got in the way. I wanted him to be happy, but I knew it couldn't be with me. Unfortunately, he refused to take that for an answer. He thought I was lying to him, and he set out to make the rest of my life miserable." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "But that's an old mares' tale." She smiled down at Ditzy. "What's important is that you're happy."
Ditzy smiled and nodded. She watched the Doctor closely again. "I am happy. I'm just happy to be a part of this."
"Don't say that just yet." The princess's voice was grave.
"Hey, Der-I mean Ditzy!" Rainbow Dash called over to the other pegasus. "Come tell Twilight that she looks like an egghead in this outfit."
With an apologetic glance at the princess, Ditzy trotted off to see Rarity's outfit choice for Twilight.
"I think it suits me," Twilight grumbled to Rainbow.
"Exactly, it compliments your eggheaded-ness. Right, Ditz?" Ditzy looked over Twilight's outfit: a white button-up under a purple vest with a matching skirt. She decided to hold her opinion to herself, not wanting to risk her newly-made friendships.
"Now Rainbow, darling, we can't all be athletic and… uncouth." Rarity pinned a brooch on to Twilight's vest. Twilight beamed at the other unicorn.
"See?"
Rainbow rolled her eyes, but before she could retort, the Doctor called them all over to their places.
River and Ditzy circled the perimeter of the main console, checking to make sure every pony was in the right place. The Doctor and Celestia were talking quietly in the corner. River stopped, watching the Doctor, and then realized the pony beside her was looking in the same direction.
"Will it really be okay?" Twilight asked, startling River. She was under the impression the unicorn hated her. River forced a smile.
"Of course. The Doctor knows what he's doing."
Twilight nodded to herself, and then returned her attention to the console. Ditzy caught River's eye and shrugged. She had no clue why the unicorn suddenly trusted River either.
"Right, River, everything ready?" River nodded to the Doctor, who beamed back at her. "Excellent. Now, on the count of three, I want you all to take off. Do you remember how to do that?" Twilight nodded, but the other ponies looked at each other fearfully. "Don't worry, River will probably end up flying anyway. Twilight, just remember to press the trigger of the gun on three."
Twilight and River glanced at each other warily, each hoping the other pony wouldn't disappoint.
"One."
Fluttershy squeaked, backing away from the console. Ditzy quickly took her place.
"Two."
Rainbow Dash and Applejack winked at each other, both ready for an adventure.
"Three!"
Twilight hit the trigger right as the other ponies began pressing the controls. The ITG's blast was funneled into the heart of the TARDIS, allowing her to travel between universes. River watched, ready to correct anything on a moment's notice. The TARDIS shook violently, throwing Rarity from her station. Ditzy leaned over and hit a button before River had the chance. The two ponies smiled at each other. The shaking didn't stop, but the other ponies managed to hold on.
River turned her head for a second to look at the Doctor. He had his hooves pressed on either side of the princess's face, and some silver substance seemed to flow between them. River realized what he was doing, and why he had looked at her the way he did. He was taking the symbiant into himself, a process that might kill him.
"No!" River yelled, jumping towards the Doctor. As her back hooves left the ground, she felt the TARDIS tremor wildly. She heard the ponies behind her fall to the floor but she didn't care. She needed to save him.
Time seemed to slow as River went through the air. An odd feeling rushed through her, as though her entire body was being pulled apart. Too focused on her goal, she ignored it. The Doctor had turned his head to face her, sadness in his eyes beyond anything River had seen. She knew it was too late, but she had to get to him.
A bright flash blinded her as she landed on him. Without pause, she grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss, trying to suck the being out of his body.
"Please, please…" she muttered between kisses. The Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her away.
"River, it's okay." He looked at her sadly, and River realized with a shock that she was looking into a new face. A human face.
River brought her hands before her face, wiggling her fingers. She felt her hair, her legs, her body. She was human again.
"But that means…" she turned around to face the console, and her breath caught in her throat.
"What in the name of sanity…"