It took the town a few days to recover from the attack.
All things considered, it turned out pretty well. Very little property damage, and the body count was low.
The new Doctor felt that was little comfort. Ponies had still died. What was once his home had still been attacked. Davros had escaped. He wouldn't bother this universe anymore, but....
What would he do now? He couldn't just go back to watchmaking after all of this had happened. Where would he go? Did he belong anywhere?
Then Apple Bloom came to him with the answer:
"Turner? The Doctor wants to talk to you. He's down by the mirror pond."
He found the Tenth standing in between two identical blue boxes. A grin ten miles wide on his face. "Doctor," said the Tenth.
"Doctor," the new Doctor smiled.
"This," the Tenth knocked on the door of the box on his right. "This is for you. A little parting gift. Just as a way of saying thanks."
"You went and duplicated the TARDIS," the new Doctor frowned. "What'd you do that for? Do you have any idea how complex a machine that is? You can't just have the Mirror Pool belch out another one! Powering that thing is a collapsing star! How did you think this was going to go?"
"I'm not sure," the Tenth smiled. "But it went. Magic's a word I used to think was complete tosh, but after I've been here, there's very little I'll doubt I think."
The Tenth handed the new Doctor a key. "In all seriousness," the new Doctor smiled as he took the TARDIS key. "Thank you."
"Not a problem," the Tenth said. "You mind a little advice? First of all, this..." he handed the new Doctor a metal device one end of which had a blue light on it. "This is your life."
"My very own sonic screwdriver," the new Doctor chuckled. "My word. It's like you came with a whole Doctor Starter's Kit."
"Second, don't travel alone for long," the Tenth continued. "I learned early that I shouldn't spend too much time on my own. And since you're me..."
"Understood," the new Doctor nodded.
"Last but not least," the Tenth smiled. "Wherever you end up, whoever you meet along the way, get yourself into trouble." He shot the new Doctor a sly wink.
"Will do," the new Doctor laughed. "How do you know which one is which?" he asked, pointing to the two time machines.
"I made a few adjustments to yours," the Tenth explained. "For one, it's set for this universes timestream. I also changed the console around a bit so it'll be easier to work with hooves..."
"That I appreciate," the new Doctor smiled.
"Well," the Tenth moved to his TARDIS. "I can't stand around chatting all day, Doctor. Must be off. All my love to Applejack and the Crusaders, eh?"
"Doctor," the new Doctor was suddenly sad but what he was about to ask. "Where are you off to?"
"Oh, the usual," the Tenth shrugged. "Bit of faffing around. Was actually thinking of paying Liz I a visit. I've heard..."
"You can't keep running forever, Ten," the new Doctor said frankly.
The Tenth gave him a long sad look. "I know," he said quietly. "I know that I just..... Just one more stop. Just one more and then...."
The air had grown thick with tension. The new Doctor finally broke the silence. "Good luck, Doctor." He extended his hoof.
The Tenth shook it. "Good luck."
As the Tenth Doctor got in his TARDIS, the new could swear he saw a tear fall from his eye.
He was alone now. It was just him and his TARDIS. He could set off anytime he wanted to. Anytime he felt the urge he could walk into that box and go anywhere.
He couldn't do that yet though. There was something he needed.
Traveling clothes.
It took him forever to decide. He finally picked out a red waistcoat, a black dress shirt, and a blue ascot that appeared to be pinstriped. If you looked closely enough however you could tell that it the pattern was actually made of small question marks.
"There!" Rarity smiled. "Oh, you look simply fabulous. The red brings out your eyes just beautifully! Oh, and I truly love the ascot! It just screams a question! No.. it screams the question! It just shouts... Oh, what am I looking for?"
"Doctor who?" the Doctor admired himself in the mirror. Some vanity he had picked up from the Sixth.
"Precisely!" Rarity smiled. "Speaking of, where is that man... We never got the chance to truly thank him."
"That's just how he is," the Doctor smiled. "Not the kind to stick around."
"I suppose that's how you are now..." Rarity sighed. "Traveling clothes you said? You'll be leaving Ponyville tonight then?"
"Under the cover of darkness," the Doctor prepared to leave. "Oh, and before I forget..." He handed Rarity a gold pocket watch. "Here. Some unfinished business of Time Turner's."
Rarity winked. "Keep it. It goes with the rest of the outfit."
The Doctor smiled and made his way to the door.
"Doctor?" Rarity called from the boutique.
"Mm?"
"Thank you," Rarity smiled. "And come back soon."
The Doctor sat in front of his TARDIS for a good long while, pondering the Tenth's second piece of advice.
Don't travel alone.
Who could he take, though? There was nopony he would feel right asking. He knew how unsafe things could get. Anything could happen. He wasn't sure that anypony would be able to handle the danger. Well, at least anypony who lived here.
No. For now, at least, he'd have to go it alone.
He opened the door to his TARDIS.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS REPORTING FOR DUTY, SIR!!!"
The noise nearly knocked him on his back. "What? What?!"
"We're comin' with you!" Apple Bloom insisted.
"We can't seem to find our cutie marks here, so we're gonna take a look through time and space!" Scootaloo said proudly.
"And besides, without us you'd get lonely!" Sweetie Belle squeaked.
The Doctor stared at the three fillies in front of his TARDIS console. Moved by the gesture. "Trust me, girls," he said. "I'm sure I would appreciate the company, but I can't let the three of you come unchaperoned. I don't think I count as-"
"Your darn right you don't," came a thick drawl from the back of the TARDIS. Applejack walked forward from the back rooms. "And you'd better be right about this bein' a time machine. I got my responsibilities on the farm to think about. So I'd better not be gone for more'n a month. That's how long I told Granny Smith and their parents we'd be gone."
The Doctor was utterly stunned. "W-Why?"
"'Cause I saw that man's face,' Applejack explained. "He never hung around nowhere. Never asked to be thanked by nopony. All he ever wants to do is see what's out there. Find somethin' outside what he's used to. I know from experience that's hard to do alone. And if somehow you're him, I ain't lettin' nopony I can call a friend get those same sad eyes that he had."
"I..." The Doctor looked around at the four ponies who surrounded him. Each of them wearing a warm smile.
His friends.
His comrades.
His companions.
"Well, you're in the drivers seat! Where are we headin'..." Applejack shoved her stetson on the Time Lord's head. "Doctor?"
The Doctor let out a massive smile and then began to move around the console as if he were on rockets. "Well, you're the passengers! It's all up to you! Anywhere at anytime you want. Though, if I could suggest there's a period in Minos's future I'm quite curious about."
"Works for us!" Sweetie Belle squeaked excitedly!
"Fantastic!" the Doctor set coordinates and moved toward pulling the last switch. "This calls for something though. Can't just start a new adventure with a flick of a lever. Something's needed. How would Ten put it... Oh I got it..."
He flipped the switch and the TARDIS began to grind and wheeze as it took off.
"Allons-Y!" cried the Doctor.