??? P.O.V
I watched curiously from my perch as the green box appeared out of thin air, the light atop it glowing as bright as the moon. The light cut through the mist of the forest, illuminating the area around it as three figures stepped out of the box- two being rather large, the other being rather small. My ears swung forward, attempting to listen to the conversation.
"-not my fault!" the female shouted to the male "How was I supposed to know one of the thrusters would give out?"
The stallion sighed in frustration as the three looked around the surrounding areas of the lush rainforest.
"Well...at least we landed here, we could have wound up somewhere a lot less...nice..."
"..."
The silence was heavy in the air, the stand-off between the two larger of the ponies mixing with the usual sounds of the forest.
"I'm going to look around a little..." the male finally said "...maybe find some food..."
"You know we've got plenty!" the mare shouted after him.
"But what fun is there in that?" he asked, turning and walking backwards to face her as she picked up the foal.
"I swear...sometimes I don't know what runs through his head..." she mumbled, walking into the box and closing it.
'Such an odd bunch' I thought, swinging through the trees, closer to the box. I inspected the words written near the top, as well as a smaller sign on what appeared to be one of the doors.
'Pull to open?' I wondered 'Then...why did the doors appear to swing in?'
The sound of the forest floor being disturbed made itself known, I quickly reacted by diving into the bushes, the foliage giving me a proper disguise.
The male swore to itself as it removed thorns from its hide. He stopped, and inspected the forest. He slowly reached into his pocket, producing a stick- it activated, a light turning on as it resounded. It shut itself off, and he checked it, before placing it back into his
pocket.
"I know you're out there" he said, his voice quivering a bit as his gaze shifted.
I stopped cold, as I realized that he had, in fact, heard me.
"No point in hiding anymore" he continued.
"No point in hiding anymore" I said, praying that whatever this was wasn't some jungle-form of Timberwolves.
The foliage to my right rustled, and looked like a flower walking out.
Well...I was half-right...
A large, blooming flower sat on the back of the 'pony', leaves and everything. The eyes were a deep green, barely contrasting with the lighter green coat. Smaller flowers decorated the frame- and now, I noticed, some of her body was...well...let's just say...'decaying' for the sake of argument...I could literally see the ribs showing through the left side of the chest.
"Hello" I greeted "who might you be?"
The pony was quiet, staring at me through those emerald orbs.
"..."
The doors to the Tardis opened, revealing the pony filly. She was venturing out, presumably because Idris had slipped back into the Time Vortex.
She stared at the both of us, and we stared back.
"You...you have a little one?" the floral pony finally asked.
"Not exactly- we found her out in the cold, thought I'd find out how she got out there in the first place" I responded.
"Then...why have you come to this section of the jungle?"
"That...isn't so easy to explain"
"Why ever not?"
"It just isn't"
The pony looked me up and down, sizing me up in her mind.
"So, how did you get out here?" I asked, pointing to the large flower on her back.
"That tale might require some time...would you care to join me in my hut?"
"How far?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Just a little ways" she responded "Come, you must be tired after venturing so far"
I stared at the leaving pony, and looked to the filly. I motioned her to follow, and she came, trotting at a fast pace in front of me.
'Well...here we go again...'
"Pardon the mess" the plant pony said, walking into a rundown shack "I don't have many visitors out here"
"Don't mind at all" I replied, the filly following me "I'm a bit messy, myself"
'Or...my other self was...'
That's gonna take some getting used to...
She smiled a bit as she sat, the two of us doing the same.
"So...perhaps I should begin?"
I nodded.
"Well...I suppose it happened a few months ago...hard to keep track of time out here, you see"
"I imagine it would"
"Can I ask what your name is?"
"Only if you tell me yours"
"I'm Zero"
"Blooming Lotus"
"...well...I suppose we'd better talk?"
"Very well..."
She took a deep breath.
"I was madly in love, and you know what? I don't even remember his name..."
I stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.
"We were hiking, it was our honeymoon...he suggested that we go camping, and- and- when our guide left us...he...he..."
I knew more than enough, based on her tone and stuttering.
"...what happened after...that?" I asked, watching my wording carefully.
"He just...he left me...here...he didn't even...even look back..."
"I'm so sorry..." I said genuinely.
"It's alright...I get a bit broken up when I think about it...but...it happened...and there's nothing I can do to change it...so...no reason to...dwell on it..."
I had a time-machine, and I could, theoretically help her...but if I did...it would cause a paradox, and I wouldn't want Reapers around, would I? So, in the long run, there was nothing I could do...at least in that respect...
"So I've lived here ever since" she said, gesturing to the hut.
"...and...what brought on your...transformation?"
"I became one with the jungle..." she said, a small smile gracing her features "it saved me...and I've no desire to go back...to my old life, I mean"
"You're content here, I take it?"
"Oh yes, I absolutely love talking to the flowers"
"..."
"I know what you must be thinking- and yes, they do talk, you must listen hard enough"
"Ah"
"Well...I suppose that would be about it for me..." she said.
"Lotus, hypothetically, what would you do if presented with the chance to go back home?"
"I believe I would turn it down" she replied, a bit of uncertainty in her voice.
"But?"
"But...I'd very much like to go back, if nothing else, to give my family closure..."
"Well, I think that could be arranged" I said, standing up.
"Where are you going?"
"Surprise, now come on"
She cocked an eyebrow, and hesitantly followed the filly and myself back to the Tardis- it took a while, given that the Tardis was almost the exact same color as the trees and foliage surrounding it.
"Here we are" I said, removing the key from my pocket.
"How will...this...help us in anyway?"
"You'll see" I said, unlocking the door and stepping in.
The filly walked in, followed by Lotus, her jaw hanging open in surprise.
"Which city did you live in?" I asked, ignoring her reaction.
"F-fillydelphia..." she responded, staring amazedly at the console room.
"Let's see...Fillydelphia...aaaaaannnnndddd...here we are!" I shouted, stepping away from the console.
"Stay here" I said, setting the filly on the seats before the console.
Her ears flattened against her head, as she watched me leave with Lotus.
"This should be the right place" I said, staring out at the city as I closed the doors to the Tardis. We had apparently landed on the rooftop of an apartment building, the time being about three in the afternoon.
"We moved? How is that even remotely possible?" she asked, looking around in confusion.
"Tardis stands for 'Time And Relative Dimension In Space'." I explained "Is this the right area?"
"I know it is" she confirmed "I remember coming up here as a filly- my parents should be downstairs"
"Do you need me to come with you?" I asked.
"Would you? I think it would make it a bit easier to tell them..."
"Of course" I responded.
I walked to the doorway leading down, and held it open for Lotus, before the both of us walked down two flights of stairs.
"Here we are..." she said quietly, the both of us stopping in front of a door marked 'F-6'.
I knocked, and stood back.
The door opened, revealing an aqua-colored earth pony with a silvery mane.
"What do you want?" the stallion asked gruffly.
"Dad?" Lotus asked.
"W-willow?" he stuttered.
"Dad..." she said in relief.
The door flew open, practically thrown from its hinges as the stallion stared at her.
"...you're not my daughter..." he said.
"Wh-what?!" Lotus cried.
"My daughter doesn't look anything like you! Who are you?! Who is he?!"
"Sir, if I may" I interjected "If you would allow us to do a bit of explaining, I'm sure you can verify for yourselves that this in fact, is your daughter"
The stallion stared at the both of us, his blue eyes flicking back and forth between Lotus and I.
"Let me get my wife, and then we can talk" he said stiffly, walking into the apartment.
Lotus walked in ahead of me, and I followed, closing the door behind me as we entered.