//------------------------------//
// Meeting the Doctor 
// Story: Twilight's Secret 
// by lunaisbestpony1 
//------------------------------//

	Night had fallen and the outside air was cool on Twilight’s face as she led her 5 friends through the empty streets. The darkness made her wonder just how long she had been out for, when she had fallen asleep the sun was still fairly high in the sky, though she couldn’t remember the exact time.

She might have asked Spike, who was lounging on her back at the time, but she was way too nervous. She had sworn to the Doctor that her little adventure wouldn’t be spoken of again unless completely necessary.  Really she hadn’t told her friends much. Even when she had the opportunity, she simply refused to take it, as she couldn’t fully explain what her life had been like merely 2 days prior, and 4 months before that. She had hurled through the space-time continuum, visited different dimensions, almost died more times than she could count, and did die at least once. Then she had fallen in love, he was a handsome and kind Stallion, one she wouldn’t meet on her own for many years. She had accepted that she would never see him again, at least, not the way she had seen him then. But here she was jumping at the first opportunity to crawl back to the Doctor and to crawl back to her love. How pathetic could you get?

She was interrupted from her self-pitying thoughts by voices, giggles to be precise. Female, most likely children. But the childish tone didn’t put her at ease as she felt herself institutionally tense, ready to draw the weapon she no longer had. Flashbacks flooded he mind, the giggles of Night Fillies, pretty much extra creepy zombponies who wondered the streets in search of stallions to devour and young fillies and mares to convert, were the first thing to pop to mind. Of course, the doctor had defeated the head filly and changed all the converted back to normal, including Twilight, but still, the memory was haunting.

Her suspicions were put to rest when Applejack addressed the unknown gigglers “Applebloom, what the hay are you doing on that roof?!?”

“Cutie Mark Crusaders,” said Applebloom, who was standing on the roof a her two friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle,

“NIGHT TIME STAR GAZERS!!!!” The trio yelled.

“We’re studying all the constellations we learned in school!” Sweetie Belle giggled.

“Ya,” said Scootaloo, “we’re gonna get stargazer cutie marks!”

“Well you shouldn’t be up on a roof! You’ll hurt yourself!” Rarity said.

“But it’s the best place to see the stars!” Applebloom pouted.

“You can see them just as well from the ground.” Said Applejack sternly.

“Aw, but I like it up here.” Sweetie complained.


“I won’t let you sleep over at Scootaloo’s house anymore if you’re going to hang out on roof tops when you should be sleeping.” Said Rarity.

“Same with you Applebloom.” Said Applejack. 

“Uhg, fine. C’mon girls let’s go get our sleeping cutie marks.” Applebloom muttered, she tossed down a rope ladder and the three took turns climbing off the roof with pouty expressions.

Satisfied with their work, Rarity and Applejack continued to follow Twilight through the streets of Ponyville, leaving the 3 Crusaders alone.

“Well,” Sweetie Belle started, “We won’t be getting a ‘standing up to older sisters’ cutie mark anytime soon.”

“Where do you think they’re going?” Applebloom inquired. “In the middle of the night like this?”

“Only one way to find out.” Said Scootaloo, “Cutie mark crusaders, private investigators!”

“That’s awesome AND it rhymes!” Sweetie belle gushed “Let’s follow them.”

The three took to the shadows, tagging along behind the elder ponies.

Twilight rounded a street corner that she had come to know well, she had led her friends to a cottage that everypony knew to be Derpy’s house. But this little cottage held a secret.

Twilight knocked on the door a couple times, and almost immediately it swung open.

“Ah, Twilight!” It was Derpy who answered “I’m surprised they sent you! Did you, you know, bring the goods?” She narrowed her eyes and studied Twilight excitedly.

Twilight was not amused “No Derpy I didn’t bring you muffins.”

Derpy looked out at the group of ponies behind Twilight and raised her eyebrow “But I see you brought a party. Did snowflake send you? Is this an intervention?” 

“It’s not an intervention, we've come to see the Doctor.”

“He’s out now.”

Suddenly a whirling sound came from the backyard, followed by a scream, “Ditsy, we have a problem!!!” 

“Well, maybe not anymore.” Derpy muttered.

A stallion appeared at the door. He was brown in coloring with darker brown hair and big blue eyes. On his rump was an hourglass cutie mark. Every pony around town knew him as Time Turner, a fake name Derpy had come up with on the spot, but Twilight knew the truth, he was The Doctor.

“Ditsy, Ditsy, big giant mud monsters, backyard.” Then he noticed the guests, “Oh hello Twilight! I could use a bit of help!”

“On it.” Twilight said immediately, about to fallow the doctor, but Rainbow stopped her. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To fight Aliens.” The Doctor put in “I kinda need her, so if you don’t mind,”

Twilight tried to fly over Rainbow, but Rainbow refused. “Explain what’s going on.”

“Can they come?” Twilight asked the Doctor.

“Absolutely not! Far too dangerous. Wait, you!” He zipped past rainbow and pointed at Fluttershy, “Yellow one.”

“Y-yes?” Fluttershy squeaked, cowering before the sudden movement.

“I’m told you have a stare power is that right?”

“Yes.” Her voice was barely audible.

“Haha! How would you like to use it to save the entire world?”

Fluttershy didn’t respond, she just stared up terrified.

“I will take that as a yes.”

“You can trust him Fluttershy!” Twilight chimed, “He’s the doctor.”

The Doctor pushed Fluttershy into the house, Twilight urged the rest to follow.

Derpy, who was used to this by now sat in the doorway and pouted, “Right, everypony just barge into my house and don’t even bring muffins.”

She was surprised by 3 sets of big eyes, the CMC. “Hey Derpy!” said Applebloom.

“Can we come in?” asked Scootaloo, “We’ll pay you in muffins if you keep quiet about it.”

Derpy considered this, “Three up front.”

“Deal!” Sweetie grinned, “Let’s go girls, I have some at my house, we can get there and back in no time!” The three darted away.

In the backyard, Doctor Whooves showed the mane 6 and spike the so called mud monsters. They were disgusting. Think a sentient puddle of black/brown mud with and acidic stench wafting off it and various bubbles of greens and grays erupting from the surface to give it shape. Also it had one hairy mouth with razor sharp teeth and a mixture of poison ooze and acid dripping from its long blue snakelike tongue. And there were like ten of them all melting into an oozy puddle and gnawing at a strange blue box in the middle of Derpy’s garden.

“Alright yellow one, do me you and everyone on this planet a huge favor and use your powers on those things! “The doctor said.

“What are they” rainbow asked getting a closer look, Applejack went to look as well.

One of the monsters snapped at Rainbow with its tongue and Twilight pulled both of her friends away with her magic. “Careful guys”

Fluttershy was petrified. Still staring up at the doctor.

“Yellow one-“

“Her name is Fluttershy!” Rarity interrupted.

“Fine, Fluttershy, you have to use your stare! Twilight round them up.”

“On it.” Twilight said now levitating as many of the creeps as she could with her magic. They squirmed and attempted to ooze away from her, making them extremely tough to keep in her grasp. “Fluttershy, it would be super helpful if you could-”

“OK, alright, I will.” Fluttershy walked up to the suspended mud monsters and began to use her powers.

The eyeless creatures stopped squirming and their mouths turned toward Fluttershy.

“Good! Twilight, don’t let them touch the ground, Flutter, keep them occupied, Rainbow pony, offer words of encouragement. Everypony else, come with me if you want to live!”

“Offer words of encouragement?” Rainbow asked as Spike, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity fallowed the Doctor Into the blue box.

“W-whoa” Applejack said looking at the inside of the blue box.

“Yes?” the doctor asked with a smirk.

“It’s bigger on the inside!” Pinkie cheered.

“The blasted mud monsters killed my Wi-Fi” said the Doctor, “So we have to look for information on them in the library.” He pushed the group down the hall of the tardis and opened a grand door revealing rows upon rows of books, more books than even the library at Canterlot Castle held. “Finding a book on them could take hours, so we have to work as fast as we can, the species are called mudings and they live on a-”

“Found it!” The doctor trotted up to Pinkie who was inexplicably atop one of the vast bookshelves, flaunting a rather large leather bound book. Pinkie threw a book down to the doctor and the doctor read the title, “‘Mudings, a Reference Guide.’ How did you-”

“It was under M-mmm!”

“Umm, right then” He shook his head and flipped through the pages, “Weaknesses, Weaknesses, ah, yes, ‘Mudings venom can seep through plastics, fabrics, woods, most metals, blah, blah, blah, the only known material their venom cant destroy is… aluminum. You, unicorn, fallow me!” He ran down the hall gesturing for Rarity to follow. He spoke fast as the two ran for the kitchen, “Alright, do you know any duplication spells?”

Rarity shook her head “No.”

“What about enlargement spells?”

“It’s hardly the time for that doctor.” She smirked.

The doctor gave a little giggle but quickly put on a serious face, “Not amused. You know what I mean,” The two arrived at the kitchen and the doctor had begun raiding the pantries, he stopped on a cabinet full of plates and various eating wear and pulled out a shiny object, “Can you turn this,” He held up to Rarity an Aluminum water bottle, “into a much larger version of this?”

Rarity shrugged, “I could manage.”

“Good, fallow me, I don’t know how much longer your friends can hold their magic.”

Rarity and the Doctor ventured outside of the tardis to see a truly terrifying scene. The ground where the creatures once sat was gray and dead looking, the poison had infected many flowers by now, and had eaten a hole in the side of the tardis. Twilight was sweating as she tried to hold what was now 20 or so of the mudings, they had multiplied, split like amoebas. Now a huge puddle of poison and acid floated above them, being held by the spell, suspended as if by an invisible water balloon that was full to the point of popping. Fluttershy didn’t look much better. Holding her stare for so long was making her lightheaded, she visually swayed with the effort, looking as if she needed a nap. But the mudings, despite occasionally splitting to form new monsters, all seemed to be entranced by Fluttershy’s tired stare.

Rainbow floated around the scene saying things like “You guys are doing awesome, stay focused.” And “Don’t worry, I’m sure the um, Doctor will be back soon.”

The Doctor placed the aluminum water bottle down on an untouched patch of ground.

“Gem pony,” The Doctor addressed Rarity, “Turn this into a bigger container, vast enough to hold those things.”

“It’s Rarity darling.” The unicorn said, effortlessly expanding the bottle into a large container.

“Twilight,” The doctor said “Move the mud monsters in, Flutter, keep the stare going!”

Twilight took a breath and moved the mass of muck over the container, Fluttershy hovered with the bubble of ick and kept the creature’s attention right to the point where twilight let them drop.

The monsters screamed in protest the second they were able to.

“Good work everypony.” The Doctor said. “The world thanks you.”

“What exactly are those things?” Rainbow asked.

“Aliens from the planet Horgon.” The doctor said examining the damage to the tardis, “When angered they will destroy everything in their path, eating the world thing by thing, pony by pony, until there remains only poisoned earth, themselves, and objects made of aluminum. I should take them home now if only because destroying them will get me on the princess’s bad side.” He turned away from the tardis and looked over the few ponies in the yard, “That reminds me, princess,” He addressed Twilight, “Why have you come here? Not for cookies and milk or a simple visit I assume.”

“No, I was just wondering, if, maybe you’d let my friends in on the secret. Maybe take them on an adventure of sorts?”

“You just want to go meet him again don’t you?” The doctor gave a knowing smile.

Twi blushed, “That too.”

“Well you and your friends did just help to save the world, so I suppose an adventure is in order. And maybe you can help me find the Rift I’ve been looking for,”

“It would be an honor.” Twilight laughed.

“Well then your highness, feel free to give your friends a tour. Once I make repairs to the ship, adventure awaits. He opened the tardis door and gave a low bow, Twilight smiled and took the cue to walk onto the ship, giving the doctor a kiss on the head as she passed by, “Come on girls, you’re gonna love this.”

When the girls were inside, the doctor fallowed.

“Derpy! We have your muffins!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed laughing as she ran up to the porch of Derpy’s cottage.

The mare who was writing in a notebook at the time, looked up and grinned, “Sweet! What kind?”

“We got you two banana nuts, and one lemon surprise.” Said Applebloom.

“Then enter my dear fillies, the adults are in the back.”

“Thank you Derpy!” Scootaloo left the muffins on the porch and ran into the house. They emerged from the back door and looked around the yard. There was a very large water bottle strangely positioned by the garden, and a big blue police box, but the adults were nowhere to be seen.

“Where do ya thing they went?” Applebloom asked.

“I don’t know but, this looks like a job for the CMCPI” Said Sweetie, “Applebloom, examine the water bottle thingy, Scoots let’s go check out the box.”

“Got it.” Her comrades responded.

It didn’t take long for the group to discover something amazing, Sweetie flung open the door to the blue box and stared, “Um, guys, come look at this.” Her friends huddled around her and gasped.

“Well,” said Scootaloo, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go in.” 

If only the 3 had known the trouble they were about to get into…