The Earth had fought, united for once against a greater enemy. Pulled from their Sun into the heart of the Medusa Cascade, Humanity fought with the ferocity of a cornered animal. But against the power of the Daleks they had no hope. First the Valiant, then UNIT, the military powers fell... eventually there were none left. The world surrendered. But hidden in nooks and crannies the last holdouts initiated one last plan: A call out to the one man who could save them all, a man who had protected earth for all of its history, a man who was not a man at all. A man... who wasn’t picking up his phone.
“He should have been here the moment we sent the boosted signal. If the Doctor won’t come to us, then I’ll just have to go find him. Ianto, get me the defabricator. Gwen, open the rift to maximum. Martha, open the main panel of the Indigo device. There should be a string of constantly changing numbers, with the fourth one oscillating between two digits, tell me what they are.” Jack commanded, preparing himself for what he had to do.
“It’s a four and a nine. We never could figure out what that was. Why do you need it?” Martha responded over the subwave network.
“Teleport base code, that’s all I need to get the vortex manipulator working again.” Jack replied, shrugging on his trench coat.
“Jack, how will that help find the Doctor?” Martha asked.
“Well, as near as I can tell, the Daleks have put this entire new system of theirs a second out of sync with the rest of the universe. Normally, this would make time and space travel from here to anywhere in the universe nearly impossible, and here to anywhere. But with this wonderful rift here, I can boost my manipulator enough to punch through and find The Doctor, once he knows what the problem is, the TARDIS should have plenty of power to return.
“Jack, wont the time energy kill you?” Sara Jane, the third party on the network said, “You aren’t any good to us dead.”
“Oh, it will kill me alright. But that hasn’t stopped me before. Wish me luck.” Jack said with a sardonic smile, before turning and jumping into the rift.
The fourth and final image which had been static since its party, one ex-prime minister, had been found and exterminated by the Daleks, now sharpened into a fresh image, one with The Doctor and his companion beaming from it.
---------------
Applejack was awoken by a loud bang from the southern orchards, followed by rumbling and crashing as displaced dirt, rock, and chunks of tree rained down on the roof of the house. She lay still until it had stopped then jumped out of bed and ran for the door, stopping only to grab her hat. She was stopped in the hall when her little sisters door opened.
“What was that Applejack?”
“I dun rightfully know Bloom, but I aim to find out. You stay here with Big Mac. You hear that brother?” she called to the stallion behind her.
“Eeyup.”
Family matters taken care of, she galloped over to where the blast had originated, the southern orchards. When she arrived, several of her friends were already there, namely Rainbow dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle. They were all looking at the still smoking crater that had replaced the center of the orchard.
“What happened here?”
“Oh Applejack we were so worried. We thought you might have been caught in the explosion,” Twilight said, wrapping her forelimbs around Applejacks neck.
“Easy sugar mah families fine, a little rattled, but no injuries. Now what in tarnation caused this?”
“We have no idea,” Rainbow Dash said, fluttering her wings to clear the smoke around them, “The smokes still too thick to see through. Pinkie thinks aliens crashed here… right Pinkie? ...Pinkie?”
Pinky was staring at the center of the crater her face looking slightly green. The other three ponies crowded around and watched as the smoke cleared. There, in the center of the crater, was a corpse wreathed in golden tendrils. It may have been a pony at one time, but the burns were so horrific that it also could have been any other quadruped as well. The tendrils surrounding looked a bit like smoke, but moved against the wind and clung stubbornly to the body.
“Twilight, please tell me that magic didn’t cause this.”
“If that’s magic then it isn’t any magic I’ve heard of.”
----------
Pine Box was not happy. In his line of work, one was either unhappy, or a very, very messed up pony (or both). But today was worse than usual. He looked at the corpse lying on the table in front of him. He had brought it in from Sweet Apple Acres during the , the source of the explosion they had told him. Certainly looked like it. He sighed and gazed at the clipboard in front of him. On it was a report to the guard, as was required with all deaths. Just routine paperwork in his job… usually.
Name: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Sex: Male
Race: Pegasus
Cause of death: 3rd and 4th degree burns to entire body.
Details: Pattern of burning suggests that subject was clothed though none remains for sampling. A strange watch and an odd metal construction were found near the body. Both were taken by lady Twilight Sparkle for closer examination as to purpose. Reported ‘golden energy’ surrounded body, possibly some sort of magic. Scans turned up no residual natural magic or spell traces.
Pine Box groaned. All the signs pointed to a magical accident. Except that it was impossible to accidentally kill with magic, Everypony knew that, just as Everypony knew that the only spell that could kill was in the hooves of the Guard, only to be used as a last resort. Anypony that knew a guard also knew that the knowledge of said spell was given on graduation from cadet school and removed on retirement by none other than Celestia herself. If the guard's spell had slipped their hooves it would mean months of hunting down the perpetrator and years of cleanup afterwords. Not to mention enough paperwork to recreate the Everfree and a rundown of every guard, current and retired, to see who slipped. And Pine Box was caught in the middle of it all. And that was if they were lucky; If somepony had invented a new death spell…
Pine Box sighed. He placed the report in an envelope and magicked it into the mailbox. He then turned away, intending to get some sleep before it all came crashing down. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud gasp from behind him and he turned back to see a dark blue stallion lying on the table in the place of the heavily burnt corpse. In his surprise he said the first thing that came to mind, “What?”
The pony looked at him surprised, “Oh, hello. Can’t say I’ve met one of you before, a shame really, you’re rather cute.”
“One of… me?” Pine Box asked, ignoring the last bit for the sake of sanity.
“You know, small colorful horned equine.”
“You speak as if you’re an entirely different species.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes… oh forget that. How is a human in any way similar to a…whatever it is you call your race.”
“I’m a unicorn and you’re a pegasus, not a... human?”
“A pegasus?” the stallion finally looked down at his body, “Oh, that’s new. Look ma, no hands!” he rolled off the table laughing and fell flat on his face, “Oof quadruped, that’s new. And that’s very new,” he said excitedly looking over his shoulder at the wings that now resided there and giving them a few experimental flaps, before something occurred to him, “Nope, that’s old, thankfully… wonder if what they say about horses is true…”
“Are you…okay?” Pine Box asked, his tone showing that it was definitely not the physical he was worried about.
“Just peachy. Know how The Doctor feels now. Speaking of the devil, you wouldn’t happen to know where I could find him?”
“A… doctor?”
“Didn’t think so, it’s never that easy. In that case, could you direct me the most danger-prone area on this planet?”
“That would be here in Ponyville.”
“Oh? That’s convenient. Hmm… you wouldn’t happen to have seen my vortex manipulator or defabricator anywhere would you?”
“Your whats?”
“You know, watch like thing and big, heavy metal object?”
“Twilight Sparkle took them for analysis… But if those were yours then…” Pine Boxes mind jumped to the only possible conclusion, “Oh Celestia… you’re going to kill me.”
“What? Why would I do that?”
“You killed that other stallion... now you’ve taken care of the body and you’re going to get rid of everypony involved so you can’t be traced,” Pine Box started to shake “Please don’t kill me.”
“What? Killed… oh. Oh…” the stallion started laughing, Pine Box just looked at him with a strange look until he stopped, “I haven’t laughed like that in a very long time. Anyways, I didn’t kill the stallion… actually check that, I kind of did, but that’s besides the point because that body was me. Bit of a bad habit of mine, dying.”
Pine box stood there stunned, staring at the stallion that claimed he had just come back from the dead.
“Now I would love to stay and get to know you better, but I’ve got a doctor to find and all of reality to save.” With that he leaned forward and planted a very unchaste kiss on Pine Box’s lips before heading out. Box just stood there for a minute before what had happened finally made its way to his brain and he passed out.
----------------
Jack was lost. For all that Ponyville gave of that ‘small town’ vibe; it was not, in fact, a small town. And it did not help that he kept tripping over his own hooves. Finally after an hour of wandering, he decided to stop and ask for directions. Half an hour after that he found himself in front of a large tree near the center of town that, if the sign out front was anything to go by, was a library. Supposedly this was where the pony he was looking for lived.
Jack knocked, “Anyone home?”
“Come in, it IS a public library.”
Jack carefully opened the door and walked in, “I was told that it was also a private residence so I figured…” his eyes finally came to rest on the one who had invited him in, “You’re not a pony.”
“Obviously not. I’m a dragon. Now, is there a specific book you want or are you just here to browse?”
“I’m actually not here for a book; I’m looking for Twilight Sparkle.”
The dragon sighed, “She’s been cooped up downstairs ever since last night. Won’t eat, won’t sleep, not even her friends can get to her; all she wants to do is study those two objects that she found.”
“That’s actually why I’m here, I may be able to help with them.”
“Really? Oh thank Celestia. The last time she got this way she brain-washed half the town. One second.” The small dragon sprinted over to a large wooden door and opened it with some difficulty, ”Twilight there’s a stallion here who claims he can help you with the… objects.”
A somewhat muffled came through the door, “What?”
Spike sighed and yelled even louder, “The objects. You know-“
“I heard what you said. Send him down.”
“Well, you heard her. And please don’t make too much of a mess down there.” the dragon said opening the door further.
“I’ll try not to,” Jack said as he walked through the door, “Can’t promise anything about the mess that is doubtlessly there already.” Just as Jack made it all the way through the door it slammed shut, startling him off his precarious perch at the top stair and providing a fast route down to the basement floor, “Ow.”
“My apologies. Didn’t mean to close the door that fast, after 31 hours and 27 minutes of no sleep magical control tends to deteriorate. Spike said you could help me. I hope you can because honestly, I haven’t the slightest clue as to what either of these is.”
“Oh, but I do. I know exactly what they are,” Jack said with a smile.
“What?”
“This,” he said, going over to the defabricator and slinging onto his back, “Is a re-purposed defabricator with a variable resonance frequency dial.”
“What’s a defabricator?”
“-and this,” Jack continued, ignoring Twilights question, “is a Time agency vortex manipulator,” He slapped it on his left foreleg and, leaning on the table for balance, started tapping buttons.
Twilights horn glowed for a moment before dissipating, “And what does a ‘vortex manipulator’ do?”
Jack looked up with a smile, “In a way, It’s a watch. But instead of telling time, it tells time what to do. Shame really, not every day you stumble across a sentient race that doesn’t wear clothes… my kind of planet. I'll have to visit once all this is over.” He hit one final button and got a spray of sparks in his face for his trouble, “Blast! Fried again. Why did I have to get stuck with one of the older versions?” He glared at it angrily for a moment, “I’ll have to take the long way… again.”
Jack trotted up the stairs to the door and tried to pull it open, only for it not to budge, “It’s not going to open you know.” He turned back to Twilight, “Did you really think I was that stupid? Those two items were found on the scene of a murder, and no one knew what they were. Then you come in, not even a day after, identify them, and try to walk out the door with them. I think I’m smart enough to put together the facts.”
“And you, being the upstanding citizen you are, you risk your life to capture and contain the killer. Admirable… stupid, but admirable.”
“Who was he and why did you do it.”
“I was looking for someone. Didn’t find him unfortunately.”
Twilight recoiled a little, a look of disgust on her face, “So you killed somepony just to find somepony else? I was hoping you had a good reason, but that… that’s just sick.”
“Some people are worth dying for.”
“If you believed that then you should have given your own life.”
“Then who would have delivered the message? Besides, I did.”
“What?”
“I never answered your first question: who? And the answer is me. I was the one who died.”
“That’s impossible, no amount of magic can bring somepony back to life.”
“You want proof?” with one fluid motion Jack drew his compact laser deluxe and shot himself.
---------------
Twilight stood there stunned until the guards came, just staring at the body. The laser had blown a hole clean through his head, a hole that she could see straight down with the way the body had fallen.
“Twilight, there are some guards here to see you… Twilight?” Spike called down. There was some mumbling from the door.
“Lady Sparkle, open the door now.” Came the no-nonsense voice of one of the guards, “If you don’t we will have to break it down,” there was more mumbling from the door, and if was forced open, pushing the body off the stairs. A pair of guards came through, each covered in a magical shield, “Lady Sparkle are you alright?” one of the guards ventured cautiously.
“He killed himself.” She said quietly, her gaze still focused on the body. ”As if it was the most normal thing in the world, Just… killed himself.”
The guards followed her gaze down to the body. From there they found their gaze drawn to the perfectly circular hole in the bodies head, “Sweet Celestia, what caused that?”
“He thought he would come back… but he didn’t.”
“Come Lady Sparkle, there’s no need to stay here.” One of the guards called.
Twilight looked at the guard for the first time and nodded, before slowly making her way up the stairs.
The guards took one last look at the body before closing the door behind them.
There was a loud gasp and Jack sat up, “There, see Miss… Huh. Must have done more damage than I expected.” he looked down at the weapon in his hoof, “…How did I pull the trigger anyways?” He got back up and stretched his body, “Really have to stop killing myself to prove a point.”
Jack climbed up the stairs reached for the door, and opened it, “Oh hello! Is this party for me?” Before him were 8 guards, one dragon, and one very surprised librarian.
The guard captain was the first to recover, “I don’t know who you are, or how you did what you just did, but you are under arrest for suspected murder, tampering with evidence, and possible necromantic acts.”
“Looking fine yourself captain, that is your rank isn’t it? And I must say you pull of the rugged look perfectly. Now I would love to stay and chat but I have someone to find and probably a very short time in which to do so.” Jack made his way toward the door only to be blocked by the remaining guards; at this point Jack was starting to get annoyed. Somewhere, his gang were fighting and dying, and here he was getting threatened with pointy sticks, “Tell me captain,” He said softly as he turned to the captain, his wings and tail twitching in annoyance“Have you heard of the Cybermen?”
“How is this relevant?”
“Have you heard of them?”
“No…”
“How about Sontarans?”
“What’s a Sontaran?”
“Pyroviles? Carrionites? Weeping angels? Racnoss? Reapers? Toclafane? Vashta Nerada?” the captain shook his head for each name that Jack spit out, “All these races have three things in common. First, they all want to kill you. Second, they all attacked my planet at one point or other. And third, they all fear the person I am searching for.”
“Why would you search for someone like that?”
“Because the race that is currently attacking my planet is worse than all of them combined. They exist only to kill all other life forms in the universe, and they possess the technology to do so. They are called the Daleks, and the man I am searching for is the only being to ever truly defeat them.”
“Dalek?” both stallions turned to look at Twilight, “I’ve heard that name before,” she trotted over to a bookcase, ”Yes here, in Strange Encounters. Says that in the year 1047 BNM, a strange metallic creature that identified itself as a Dalek appeared out of nowhere and killed 6 guards before being destroyed by an earth pony stallion that it identified as ‘the Doctor’ and a pegasus mare it identified as ‘the Doctor’s companion’.”
“That’s not right… the Doctor doesn’t look anything like one of you lot… and his companions have almost always been human.” Jack said confusedly.
“How would you know? That was over two thousand years ago- they would be long dead by now, as well as anypony who knew them… wait,” Twilight looked at Jack suspiciously as she connected the dots, “You said that vortex manipulator thingy ‘tells time what to do’… you meant time travel didn’t you?”
“And if I did?” Jack said, a smirk slowly growing on his face.
“Just who are you anyways?” Twilight asked slowly.
“Captain Jack Harkness, former time agent, former con-man, former companion of The Doctor, and current commander of the Torchwood institute.”
“What’s ‘Torchwood’?” Twilight asked, her interest piqued.
“An institute dedicated to protecting Earth, that’s the name of my planet, from the unusual, strange, mysterious, or paranormal, up to and including extraterrestrial objects.”
“So… you fight aliens?”
“Yup, and the irony of me being on a different planet is not lost on me. Now I really must be going.”
“You’re not going anywhere Jack, if that’s even your name.” The guard captain said, “All you’ve proven to me is that you belong in a mental institution.”
Jack’s smile instantly disappeared, ”Do you know what the device on my back is captain? It’s a weapon. Now, I don’t want to start my time on a new planet with murder, especially a planet that seems as innocent and pleasant as this one, but you are pushing your luck.”
“I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, but that is no weapon.”
“No?” Jack slung the defabricator off his back and pointed it at the guard captain, “Want to test that theory?”
The guard captain decided to be cautious and conjured a small shield around Jack, “Even if it was, it wouldn’t make it through my shield, Will you come quietly or will we have to subdue you?”
Jack opened his vortex manipulator and scanned the shield and the captain behind it, "A telekinetic force field fed by psychic energy and focused by the horn. Capable of repelling up to 1.354 tons of force... That’s impressive.” Jack fiddled with the knob on his defabricator, “Tell me Twilight, what happens when a unicorn’s horn gets damaged?”
“Well… the horn will be shed and regrow over several months… why?”
“Good, I won’t feel bad about what I’m about to do.” Jack aimed his defabricator and pulled the trigger. A beam of light lanced out and pierced the shield, instantly hitting its target. The guard captain’s horn resisted the light for a moment before slowly disintegrating, “Just remember, that could have been your entire body if I had wanted to,” Jack slung the defabricator back over his shoulder and turned back the guards, “Now get out of my way.”
The guards slowly opened a path to the door. Jack walked to the door, “Nice meeting you guys, maybe we could have a drink sometime to make up for this, if I’m around long enough.” He turned back to the door and opened it, only to come face to face with a brown earth pony stallion.
The stallion blinked once, “You’re impossible.”
“I’ve been called that before, but usually it’s from someone I know.”
“You can’t be,” The stallion pulled out a metal rod with a green glowing tip, and waved it around Jack’s face, “But you are! You are a fixed point in time and space!”
Jack blinked, “Doctor?”
“Yes, that’s what they call me.
“It’s me Jack! You know, Torchwood? Satellite 5? The Master?”
The stallion stared intently at Jack, “The Master is dead; he died with the rest of my race... aha!”
“What?”
“You’re from my future!” the Doctor said triumphantly, “I’m not the last one! Oh I could just kiss a Dalek!”
“Doctor, I’m sorry but that’s impossible… I think I would have heard the story of the time you regenerated as a pony.”
“But I’ve always looked like a pony.”
“Wait… if you’ve always been a pony, and I only became a pony since I jumped into the time rift…”
“You did what?”
“Tell me doctor, if there was a rift in time within say… a few million miles of a rift in space, could one theoretically jump between dimensions?” Jack asked.
“You didn’t.”
“I think I did…” Jack slumped down, defeated. Then he jumped back up, “I came looking for The Doctor, and I found him. Not the one I was looking for, but I found him none the less. Doctor, I need your help.”
“The TARDIS can’t travel between dimensions.” The Doctor said, guessing Jack’s request.
“I don’t want it to. Two doctors in one universe? Wouldn’t end well, as much as I would love to see it happen. No, I want you to let me look into the heart of the TARDIS.”
“What?”
“In my universe, if you look into the heart of the TARDIS, it will grant your deepest desire. One of your companions did it to save your life. Now tell me, would it do that in this universe too?” Jack reasoned.
“Well, opening up the console would disable the dampening field allowing the psychic interface to see such a thing, and the eye of harmony does is powerful enough to do almost anything, BUT ultimately it would be up to the TARDIS to decide how and if your wish gets granted.” The Doctor mused, “Quite the defense mechanism, anything that threatens her gets its greatest wish, and likely leaves happily.”
“Is that a yes?”
“No are you daft? You admitted that you want to go to a different universe. If it went wrong you could potentially blow up both of them.”
“Doctor. In my universe, my version of Equestria is being attacked by Daleks. I don’t know what they are up to, but they pulled 23 planets out of their orbits and half way across the universe to accomplish it.”
“Fine. One try, you got it? That’s all you get. One. Try. Now come on, we haven’t got all day.”
“Now hold it right there,” the now hornless guard captain said, “This pony is wanted for assault of a guard, tampering with evidence, suspected murder, and acts of necromancy. He isn’t going anywhere unless it’s prison.”
“I’m with Celestia’s special forces,” he said flashing a seemingly black piece of paper, ”Code name ‘The Doctor’. I’ll be taking this pony off your hooves captain.”
“I may have believed that charade if I hadn’t overheard your little conversation there. As it is, impersonating a member of the special forces is considered treason.”
“Oh well, I was hoping you would overlook that. Jack?” The doctor said, putting away the paper and looking over at Jack.
“Oh I missed this,” Jack said, an absurdly large smile on his face.
“Run.”
--------------------
The two ponies booked it, chased closely by the guards. Jack closely followed the Doctor, letting him direct them. Jack occasionally knocked something over to try to slow the guards down.
“Doctor, is there a reason we’re going in circles?” Jack asked, almost panting, “Because I’m sure we passed this house before.”
“I parked my TARDIS at my companion’s house,” the Doctor said, taking a sudden right turn into an alley, ”And I’d rather not make things difficult for her by leading the guards to her house.”
“Still going for the girls I see.” Jack said, knocking over some trash cans and tripping up the leading guard, “so what’s she like?”
“Is this really the time?” the Doctor asked, taking a left into the main street, the crowd parting before him.
“Unless you want to swap stories about our past exploits, I don’t see why not,” Jack said, “A good brisk run is always a good time to talk.”
“You know, if I had doubts about you being the companion of my alternate,” the doctor replied, again turning sharply, “The way you’re taking this has thoroughly crushed them, duck.” Jack ducked as the Doctor collapsed a large pile of debris with his sonic, “There, that should stop them.”
“I should have known you would be in the middle of this Doctor. Mind explaining to me why the squad I sent to investigate the recent murder is chasing you?” both stallions turned back around to face the owner of the voice.
“Tia!” the Doctor exclaimed, “Fancy meeting you here!”
“Who?” Jack asked, thoroughly confused.
“Jack, meet Princess Celestia, diarch of Equestria, Celestia meet Jack” The Doctor explained.
“A pony who doesn’t know who I am?” Celestia said, taking a quick circuit around Jack, “That’s quite remarkable. I would assume that you are one of The Doctors companions, except I have yet to see him take a stallion as a companion. Am I right then Jack, which is a very un-pony-like name, that you are not native to this world?”
“Brains to match the body, now there’s something you don’t see every day,” Jack said with a smile, “Captain Jack Harkness, at your service your highness.” He finished with a slight bow.
“Oh, this one has manners. That is a first Doctor. What exactly are you Jack, if not a pony?“
“Oh, he’s more alien than you know Celestia,” The Doctor said with a smile, “what stands before you is not a trans-spatial or even trans-temporal visitor. Jack here is from a different dimension altogether.”
“You said that was impossible Doctor.”
“Not impossible… improbable, and very difficult besides. Jack here jumped into a temporal rift right as it aligned with a spatial one, threw him at the walls of the universe like a bullet. The energies fried him better than a gryphon barbeque.”
“Thank you for the wonderful image Doctor. But that brings up the question, why aren’t you dead Jack?”
“That is a long tale that we don’t have time for,” Jack said, ”Doctor?”
“Ah, right. Sorry Celestia, but we’re in a bit of a rush.” The Doctor said before running off. They made it as far as the end of the alley before being dog piled by guards and shackled with magic.
“Got you criminal scum,” the guard captain said triumphantly, “Suspected murder, tampering with evidence, necromantic acts, assaulting a guard, and resisting arrest. The charges are just piling up.”
“What was that you were saying Jack?” Celestia asked, walking out of the alley at a leisurely pace and a smile on her face, “I do believe you have a question to answer.”
“Princess Celest-“
“Hush captain, I’m busy. Jack?”
“Fine. You want to know who I am, why I’m not dead?”
“Yes.”
“I am not dead because I can’t die. I have been murdered countless times, each time getting back up afterwards… I am immortal your highness.” Jack said “I have dedicated this, my immortal life, to protecting my planet to the best of my ability. I’ve fought Daleks, Demons, and even a Time Lord to protect my planet. Release me, or I’ll fight you too.”
“Do as he says captain.” Celestia commanded.
“But Princess-“
“Now captain.”
“Yes your highness.” With a nod the shackles binding the Doctor and Jack vanished.
“It is rare that I meet another immortal. It is rarer still that I meet one with the same morals as the Doctor and myself… but too many are the times that that I have been lied to. I will not hinder you Jack, but I will watch you,” Celestia warned.
“If you want lies, talk to the Doctor,” Jack said, “Speaking of which, Doctor, please tell me we didn’t end up on the opposite side of town from the TARDIS.”
“Of course not. Why do you think I chose that pile of rubbish to knock over? We would have been inside the TARDIS before the guards had made it around had Tia not shown up.”
“I don’t see a TARDIS anywhere nearby,” Jack said, looking around, ”Of course, that’s assuming that it looks the same as the one I know.”
“It’s inside,” the Doctor said, walking over to the door of the house on the left and knocking, “Ditzy! It’s me.”
“Doctor!” a grey Pegasus said as she flung open the door, “Did you find that temporal anomaly the TARDIS was complaining about?”
“Yes, and a bit more. Ditzy meet Jack, he’s our anomaly. Jack meet Ditzy, she’s my current companion.”
“Nice to meet you Miss Ditzy,” Jack said.
“You don’t look like a temporal anomaly,” she said, focusing first one eye then the other on Jack, “Wait, yes you do… annnd now you don’t. Oh! You look like a pony but you’re an anomaly.”
“Pony-Time lord metacrisis,” the Doctor explained, “Half pony, Half Time lord. Right and left cerebral hemispheres respectively.”
“Yup!” Ditzy stated happily, “Didn’t get far enough away when he last regenerated. When I came too, one eye was normal and the other could see all sorts of new things! It was scary at first but the doctor helped me.”
“Ah,” Jack said utterly uncomprehending, “Back to the matter at hand. TARDIS?”
“Right this way Jack,” The Doctor said trotting upstairs and into the attic, there in all its majestic glory, stood the TARDIS, “I really hope you know what you’re doing Jack.” The Doctor said as he opened the door.
“About as well as you do Doctor,” Jack replied with a smile before walking into the TARDIS.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” the Doctor said before entering the TARDIS and closing the door.
---------------
“How do you plan on opening the console anyways?” the Doctor asked.
“Simple, the TARDIS doesn’t like me. It, sorry she, will want me gone as soon as possible… and I’m not going until I get what I want.” Jack said, sitting down in front of the console as the TARDIS gave a slight shake, “That’s right, I’m not moving until I get what I want… I don't need to eat or sleep, so make it easier on both of us and let’s make it sooner rather than later hmm?” With a soft click the panel in front of Jack slowly opened, “There we go. Wish me luck Doctor,” with that Jack looked into the time vortex and saw.
…Rose sitting at a laptop and watching the subwave network…
…Davros surrounded by fire…
…Rose meeting the Doctor again…
…Sarah Jane threatening the Daleks with a warp star…
…the Doctor getting shot by a Dalek…
…Martha threatening the Daleks with the Osterhagen key…
…the Doctor regenerating…
…the Doctor trapped in a containment field…
…the Doctor facing the supreme Dalek with Rose at his side…
...a single Dalek, laying in broken battle-armor, it’s lone eye staring right at Jack, “One must die,” it chuckled, “One must die for all to live,”…
...a final image of Earth floating around a lone star, its denizens recovering from the catastrophe...
Jack blinked, his connection with the TARDIS broken, he looked down at his still-hooved forelimbs, “Guess I’m stuck here,” he sighed, “Well, could be worse… always wanted to fly. I won’t be intruding on your hospitality any longer Doctor.” He said, opening the doors to the TARDIS, “And sorry for forcing you to do that girl, I’ll be seeing you around Doctor, whether you know it or not,” he finished, rubbing the door.
“And I you, Jack. Come on Ditzy! I’m in the mood for an adventure!”
A grey blur shot by Jack and the door to the TARDIS slammed shut. There was a loud wheezing sound, and the TARDIS faded from sight. Jack’s face fell, “If only you knew how much I wish I could travel with you Doctor.”
“And why can’t you?” a voice asked him from behind.
“The TARDIS hates me. Traveled all the way to the end of the universe once just to get rid of me.”
“So what will you do now?” the voice asked.
“Join the guard I think, Celestia seemed like a nice person to work under. Not to mention being unable to die has advantages in a job like that.” Jack chuckled “Protecting ponies as I protected humans… I like the sound of that.”
“And you did this on your planet?
“Yes. Outside the government, beyond the police… fighting for the future on behalf of the human race I used to say. But that’s all over now. No more running with the Doctor, no more fighting aliens, no more Torchwood... just guard duty.”
“And if I said I could fund a new Torchwood?”
Jack looked up at that, seeing for the first time the owner of the voice, “Celestia?”
“I came up here to watch the TARDIS take off, there’s always something… special about the TARDIS taking off. What about it? If I funded a new Torchwood, would you direct it?”
“Of course… but why?”
“You would be wasted as a guard, they're mostly there so my little ponies think that they are helping,” she whispered conspiratorially, “In reality, I have been the only one protecting Equestria from threats.” She sighed, “And I’m ever so tired of it. So the deal is this: I will personally fund your institution and lend it all the power and authority I hold when necessary. In return, you will protect this planet from extraterrestrial threats and attempt to keep the institution a secret. Are these terms acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Then Torchwood is reborn, different planet, different species, but the same purpose: to protect and defend.”