“So I'm in a universe where magical talking ponies with pockets runs everything?” River asked, “Okay, that's new.”
The four of them have already stepped out of the TARDIS, and now with a heavily guarded escort, were lead towards the castle with smoke coming out of it.
“Something isn't right.” Ditzy said, “Where did you say we were again?”
“The Everfree forest.” the Doctor answered.
“This is the Everfree forest?”
“Yes.”
“It can't be.”
“And why not?” Tick Tock asked.
“I mean, look at this place, it looks more like a garden then a creepy forest.”
The forest they were in wasn't the dark and chaotic forest when the Doctor first came in. It was full of light and tamed, like an expensive painting that belongs to a famous museum. There were no signs of dangerous wildlife like timberwolves or snakes or anything of the sort. If anything, this forest was welcoming and safe.
“With time, everything eventually changes.” River told Ditzy.
“Excuse me River,” -Tick Tock said- “You still haven't answered my other question, how did you know the Doctor?”
“I'm not sure you'll believe me if I told you.”
“Try us.” Both Ditzy and Tick Tock said at the same time.
“I'm his wife.”
If it weren't for the guards to keep them moving, they would have stopped to register what was just heard.
“You're his... what?” Ditzy asked.
“His wife. Which reminds me, as soon as we stop somewhere, we need to figure out where in the book we are.”
“What book?” Tick Tock asked.
“I'll show you later.”
_*_
If there was anything that Ditzy know about the Doctor, was that if he wasn't talking very much, something was not right. Along the way from the ship to the castle, the Doctor didn't say much other than giving a short explanation of their world to this mysterious pony.
As she noticed, the Doctor seemed not his usual curious excitable self, but he seemed, somber, almost borderline sad.
When they came to the castle, other then the smoke coming out of one side of it, the castle looked oddly familiar to Ditzy, except, she couldn't put her hoof on why.
They were taken to the throne room, inside were many ponies there, most of whom were nobles, servants, guards or advisers. But at the end of the room, there was a single throne, and on this throne, was a very young mare with a pink mane. If one didn't know any better, one might say that she's a young teenager.
“Your majesty,” -one of the guards said- “we've captured the mare who crashed into the royal suites along with her accomplices.”
“Excuse me!” the Doctor interjected. There was a short argument, which came to an end at the word: “SILENCE!!!” They turned to Celestia. “Now that I have your attention, I would like to hear from them before I pass judgment. First of all, what are your names?”
“River Song.”
“Ditzy Do.”
“Tick Tock.”
“The Doctor.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow and tilt her head to the side: “A doctor who, and of what?”
“Just, the Doctor. And I'm a doctor of, well, everything.”
“Next question: who crashed into the royal suites and why?”
“That's partly my fault your highness.” River said giving a bow. “I can assure you, it was an accident on my part.”
“Where did you come from?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
“Do you want the simple answer or the real answer?”
“What's the difference?”
“One of them you can clearly understand.”
“Just give me an answer.”
“My ship fell from the sky and crashed into your Majesty's palace.”
Celestia blinked. “A ship, that fell from the sky? That is by far the strangest excuse I've ever heard by far.”
“It is not an excuse, my ship (what remains of it) is proof of that.”
Celestia was about to ask another question, then came a familiar voice, “Sister?” She turned to her right to find Luna entering the room. The four took notice of her as she entered the room. She was much younger than her sister. Her messy mane and tale as a pale blue, her small wings on her side looked ruffled, and her eyes had dark bags. But what the Doctor, Ditzy and Tick Tock did not expect, was that she had no cutie mark on her.
“Yes, Luna? I'm a little busy at the moment.”
“But Celie, what about...” the young Luna trailed off at what she was about to ask. For now, that question was lost when she saw River.
“R-River? Is that you?” Luna asked as she approached the pony in question. “Am I not dreaming? Is it really you?”
“Uh, I'm sorry but, who are you exactly?”
“Don't you even remember me? It's me, Luna, remember?”
“Luna, what are you talking about?” Celestia asked.
“Don't you remember River Song? My “imaginary friend” you called her a long time ago?” Luna asked her sister.
“Luna, I think you must be mistaken-”
“But I'm not!” Luna whined. “It's her! It's really her! I can prove it!” She went up to River.
“River, do you have your little blue book?”
“How did you-”
“Just open to page 218, it's the one that tells how you and your husband escaped from natives from being sacrificed to rain gods.”
River, not letting her eyebrow down, sat on her haunches and reached in to retrieve her book. And sure enough, on page 218 was the day of that one date that nearly gotten them sacrificed. “Luna, sweetie, how did you know that?”
“I asked you to read me an adventure story. Like the time you told me the one about how you rescued a queen because she turned into a goldfish on another planet. Don't you even- oh.” Luna said with realization. “That right, your a time traveler aren't you?”
“Um, yes?”
“Maybe... Is this the day that you've first meet me?”