//------------------------------//
// Visitation 
// Story: Coming to terms 
// by The Infinity Doctor 
//------------------------------//

I looked on in wonder at the inside of the Tardis, it was still distinctly like the 10th Doctor's, but different at the same time. The previously broken wires and console were now fixed and fully operational, it was all impressive to say the least- I walked up the stairs and up to the console, inspecting the knobs and levers attatched to it, it was just now occurring to me that I was in an actual Tardis, and I- I was the pilot. As this concept was sinking in, I backed away from the console; I gripped the railing as I began hyperventillating. What if I landed in the wrong place at the wrong time? What if I do something in the past that effects the show entirely? Or set Discord free? Or...

'Okay...calm down...breathe...'

I walked back to the console and ran a hand over it.

"Very impressive" I said.

*Beep*

"You're welcome"
I pulled the scanner down and glanced at my surroundings.

"Alright, let's go for a test run, shall we?"

'Aaaannnddd I'm talking to a machine...'

*Kssshhh*

"Good, why don't we try..."

I set the controls as best I could, setting the place, not the time, not ready for it quite yet.

Whhiiirrr.
WhooOOOosh.
WhooOOOoosh.
WhoooOOooosh.
WhooOOosh.

I ran to the doors and took a deep breath. Pushing them open, I was greeted with four crude spears pointed at me, a diamond dog attatched to the end of each one.

"Whoops, sorry, I really must be going-"

I tried to slam the door shut, but a dog gripped the door and forced it open.

"You come now, meet Alpha" he ordered.
"Ah, no, thank you, I'm late for a very important appointment with a little filly, unavoidable-"
"You come NOW!" he shouted, threatening to skewer me.
"Okay, okay, now"

The four diamond dogs held me under close guard as we proceeded through winding networks of tunnels, other dogs at work filling in and digging new ones.

'Interesting' I thought 'But what do they want with me?'

X X X X X X X 

"Alpha, we bring prisoner" the guard said.
"Good, leave us" a male dog ordered.
His yellow eyes and matted fur especially stood out, considering the other diamond dog's coats were shades of grey- his was more of a light brown.

"But Alpha-"
"Leave us!" he commanded.
Their ears slapped against their skulls, and they obeyed, leaving the cavern.

"Who are you?" I asked, eyeing him.
"Snaggle Tooth, the Alpha of my pack- a better question would be, who and what are you?"

'At least his english is good...'

"Nopony you need to worry about" I said, pulling at my tie.
"Really? You don't think I need to worry about just how in Tartarus you managed to sneak a pony box into one of our most secure tunnels?"

'Well when you put it that way...'

"It was an accident, I swear- if you let me go, I'll leave you alone"

"No"

"No? Why not?"
"You could be a spy for all I know, for what species, I have no idea, but we won't allow you
to leave"
"Oh perfect..." I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Snaggle Tooth called for his guards, and I was escorted through more tunnels and placed in a holding cell.

"Hello?" I called into the dark cell "Is anypony in here?"

"I am" a little girl's voice answered "Who are you?"

"Just a visitor...what's your name?"
"Shimmering Dust; why are you here, Visitor?"
"Oh, just passing through" I answered "but why are you hiding? Why don't you come into the light?"

No answer.

"Hello?"
"The other dogs, Visitor...they're afraid of me"
"Why?"

I reached into my jacket for my Screwdriver as I heard something shuffle in the back of the cell.

"I'm going to turn on the lights for a moment, alright?"
"...okay..."
The Screwdriver whirred as the cavern lit, I staggered as an enormous mammoth of a diamond dog sat in one corner of the cell, staring at me. I turned off the Screwdriver and shoved it into my jacket.

"Are you Shimmering Dust?"
"Ye-yes"
"What happened to you? How old are you?"
"I'm s-six, there were these gems in one of the caverns, and- and- and-"

'Ah, so she's just a pup'

She sobbed inot her paws as she leaned against the wall, tears slipped from her yellow eyes as her crying grew louder. I walked toward her and reached up, placing a hand on her shoulder and the other under her jaw. She calmed somewhat and stared into my eyes.

"Wh-what are you doing?"
"Hmm? Nothing, has anypony else been able to help you?"
"N-no...they-they've tried..."
Well, let's get cracking then, where and when did this happen?"
"I- I was mining with my mom, and then, it just- it just happened..."
"I'll get this fixed, you'll see" I smiled. I turned and went to the bars of the cell. 
"How? You're locked in here with me"
"Not necessarily..."

I removed my Screwdriver from my pocket and toyed with it while trying to think of an escape
plan.

"Is that your wand? Are you a magician?"
"I...guess you could say that..."

'God, I wish the Doctor was here- but what would he make of me? Confuse me for the Master? What?'
Well here goes nothing-

I pointed the Screwdriver at the roof and prayed, it whirred for a few seconds before I shut it off.
'Come on, please work...'

"What did you do, Visitor?"
"Wait for it..." I said, pocketing the Screwdriver.
"Wait for what?"

Her question was soon answered as the Tardis materialized, surprising both of us. 
Then of course- 

"How is this supposed to help us escape?"
"You'll see, come on" I said, pulling one of the doors open "and close the door on your way in"

She managed to squeeze herself in, and gently closed the door. Staring on in wonder, the expression on her muzzle was priceless.

"It's bigger than me- it's- it's-"
"Smaller on the outside, yes I know; where did you say this cavern was?"
"I- I don't think I remember...I know what it looks like though..."
"Okay then-"
"You must have powerful magic to create this place, able to fit so much in that box"
"Heh, yeah, magic..."

'Sister, you have no idea-'

*Whoop*

"What do you mean, 'Who is she?'? She needs help, and I'm helping her. Why? Jealous?"

*Whirr*

"Yes you are, I can see you blushing"

*Beep*

"Knock it off! She's six!"

"Who are you talking to?" Shimmering Dust asked.
A blush of my own spread across my face as I looked back to Dust.

"Ah, nopony, I'm just insane-"
'Ha! As if-'
Who said that?

I rattled off a command on the keyboard of the console and checked the scanner.

"Hey Dusty, is this it?" I asked, running to the other side of the console.
"Dusty?" she asked, walking closer to the console.
"Figured it was better than calling you 'Shimmer'"

She shrugged and looked to the scanner.

"No, that's not it" she said.
"Okay, how about...this?" I asked, yanking two levers and pushing a switch.

"No"

It went on like that for what felt like hours, dancing around the console, searching for that
paticular cavern.

"This one?" I asked.
"No..." she responded tiredly.
"Alright, one last try, aaannddd- there!"
"No"

I swore under my breath and went back to the console.

"No, no, no, yep, no- wait! Go back, go back! That was it!"
"Ah-ha! There we are! Well what are we waiting for? Come on!"

She and I exited the Tardis, wandering into a small cavern filled with large orange gems.

"We moved, how did we move?" Dusty asked.
"'Tardis' stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space" I replied.
"You're a time traveller?"
"Not exactly- so you say you and your mother were digging here?"
"Yes, have you found anything?"

I pointed the Screwdriver at a nearby gem, and checked it.

"Found anything? I'll say! These gems are laced with chaos magic! No wonder you were transformed..."

'But where's her mother?'

"So how do we fix it...uh, me?"

'The Elements of Harmony could fix this, but I have no clue where they are right now, the start of season one isn't for a while...'

"Option One: We go and see Princess Celestia and see if she has any suggestions"
"And option two?"
"Option Two...we use the Elements of Harmony" 
"What are they?"

'Ah, right, that's going to be a problem- the Elements aren't overly well known in this time
period'

"You'll see, now let's go"

She and I went back into the Tardis, now that Dusty had at least some of her problem figured out, some of that information was beginning to sink in.

"Alright, time: I don't know, 900, I guess? Place: Canterlot Castle"

"Does it hurt? Travelling through time?"

"I don't know, but you know what?"

"What?"

"Allons-y!" I shouted, sending the Tardis hurling into the Time Vortex.