Everfree 1000 years ago
Ditzy was the kind of mare who was happy for what she had; a clever daughter, a wonderful husband, and an exciting life full of new and wonderful things. However, just at the moment, she was happy that Dinky was too short to see the monitor in the control console. Ditzy had been rooted to the spot watching Celestia and Luna trade blows, then watched as her new Pokemon friends had engaged the madmare and saw as Nova was blasted and watched Allen light himself on fire. She was barely keeping herself from crying as she watched Celestia drop to the dirt and start to cry her eyes out. She wanted to go to the princess, to tell her that even though it hurt now everything was going to be okay in the end, but that was against the rules, not that her husband ever followed them either.
Slowly, as if learning she were alive for the first time, she raised her hoof and clicked off the monitor. "Okay Muffin," Ditzy turned and stepped towards the stairwell that lead to the door. "I'm going to go help the Doctor and Sparkler, and that means?"
Dinky frowned," That I stay here in the T.A.R.D.I.S. until you or Daddy come back."
Ditzy smiled and nuzzled her the straw coloured mane, "That's my girl. I'll be right back after I talk to Princess Celestia." When she reached the door she paused, and turned to the little Normal-type sitting by her daughter, "Take care of Dinky okay?"
Veevee beamed up at the mare, "Yes ma'am." Dinky watched as the door swung closed behind her mother when she heard the lock click into place she jumped to her hooves and ran for the stairs that lead to the console, "What are you doing Dinky?"
"Stairs please!" Dinky called into the empty room, ignoring her friends question. Veevee pinned her ears back as several metallic screeches echoed through the room and, Veevee watched as the walkway around the control console rose up into four wind steps that Dinky was swiftly climbing, "Thanks Grandma!" The filly paused and stared at her Pokemon friend before groaning impatiently, "Well come on, let’s see what's going on out there!"
Veevee sprinted to her side as she began tapping at the keyboard under the monitor, "How did you do that to the floor?"
Dinky grinned, "Grandma told me how to do it the first time, but now all I have to do is ask."
The Evolution Pokemon looked around the empty room but saw no one else, "... And your Grandma is where exactly?"
This time the filly giggled as she reached out and placed a hoof on the glass tube set in the center of the console, "She's in here. The T.A.R.D.I.S. is alive, she thinks and feels things just like ponies or Pokemon." She grinned at Veevee, “Don't tell Daddy but she taught me how to fly better than him." She looked back to the monitor and gasped, "Oh No!"
Veevee did likewise, "The Typhlosion got hurt bad." Through the monitor they could see Sparkler clinging close to Nova her horn alight and pointed towards the open wounds on his back.
"Come on Nova! Hang in there!" Sparkler gasped as she poured her magic into stopping the bleeding. It was not much of an effort on her part but healing magic was not something that she had studied much; she had skimmed over two minor spells some months ago, but they were meant for paper cuts and shallow scratches. "Why didn't I read that book when Star offered it to me?" Healing magic had never really clicked with her as it had with her roommate and Sparkler wished more than anything that she was here with her.
"I don't think that's gonna work." She started and as she saw Loki phase into sight and look down at the Volcano Pokemon with a sour look. "If it was gonna make a difference it would have already." He scowled up at the night's sky, "Where's an Audino when you need one?"
"Do you think its safe to move him?" Sparkler jumped as Ditzy and her husband walked up, the Doctor immediately looking over the Fire-type. After a moment he looked up to Loki, "Well?"
Loki sighed and looked to Sparkler, "Come on Candy Girl, let’s get him in the Magic Box." Sparkler glared but lit her horn anyway as he phased himself under the Volcano Pokemon and floated him off the ground. He looked at the pink aura that surrounded his burden," Whatever you're doing, it's working. Let’s get him inside." He glanced at the Doctor as he went by, "Doc, go get Allen so we can get the hell outta here."
“I'm gonna make sure Princess Celestia is okay." Ditzy said as she took to the air.
The ghost scoffed, "Tell her to put a princess sized band aide on it. We gotta go!"
"Y-you're and idiot L-loki."
The Ghost-type started, "Oh look, you are alive... Good." He drifted his way towards the T.A.R.D.I.S. as he heard the lock click and Dinky opened both doors for them.
"I have the First-Aid Kit over here," she gestured to a gurney that was waiting in a nearby hall and Veevee dragging a large canvas bag.
Sparkler smiled down at her, "That's perfect Dinky! Great work!" Rushing forwards they laid Nova down on his belly, the gurney dropped a few inches under the Fire-type’s weight but it held. Sparkler nodded as he settled and lit her horn, taking the kit from the little Pokemon, "Now we can get this bleeding under control."
Allen watched as Loki and Sparkler took Nova over the broken wall and out of sight and as Ditzy and the Doctor made their way over to him. Then he looked back to Celestia, she had stopped sobbing but was curled into a ball and sniffling unable to stop the tears. He wanted to say something but, it felt wrong to hear someone crying and to not help, but he didn't know what to say. Then there was the state of his legs, the swelling in his knees made even the resting position he was in uncomfortable, moving would be unpleasant.
Still as the two ponies stepped up he shifted, wincing at the stab of pain the shot up from his legs. Ditzy fawned over the princess stepping close and hugging her, she latched onto the mare and sobbed for another few minutes while the pegasus comforted the mare. "Shh... it's gonna be okay."
The Doctor smiled and hugged the princess as well, "I promise Luna will be okay, you're going to get her back." He pulled back from the hug and gave the princess a look of conviction that said he already knew his promise was true.
Celestia gave the pair a small smile that did not quite reach her eyes, "Doctor? This is all my fault, how could I not have seen how much she was hurting?" The tears returned and the alicorn started to cry, burying her muzzle into Ditzy's chest. The Doctor and Ditzy both hugged her again lending their support in what must have been the lowest point in her life.
Slowly, painfully, Allen got to his hooves grinding his teeth together to keep from groaning there was a small flash off to his right but he was too focused on standing to care. This body was still unfamiliar to him, and he was not enjoying the pain that lanced up his spine and into the base of his skull. He swayed for a moment trying to steady himself before limping towards the sobbing mare. The Doctor smiled up at him as he approached and placed a shaking hoof on Celestia’s shoulder. She stared and looked up at Allen, taking in the former human’s appearance for the first time. It was also the first time he was able to take a good look at the Princess up close. She was in rough shape, dirt was smeared across most of her coat, slivers of wood and tiny pebbles were dug into her skin and mane. The dirt smeared on her cheeks had been turned to muddy tracks. She stared up at Allen as he looked sympathetically down at her. "You're not a pony are you?"
Her voice sound harsh from her crying but there was still a soothing note to it that made him give her a sad smile. " No I'm a, Hhuurff!"
He couldn't finish his sentence as the Doctor shoved a hoof into Allen's mouth while glaring up at him, "Spoilers!" He hissed. "She's not going to know what a Pokemon is for another thousand years!"
Allen glared back at the stallion as he spit the foul tasting hoof out of his mouth and growled under his breathe, "I was gonna say Human!"
The Doctor looked ready to say more but Celestia began to pick herself off the ground, "It is fine Doctor. As before, I shall learn the truth in time." She smiled at Allen before frowning again and looking to the moon and figure of the mare that glared down at the world below her, "Forgive me Sister." She closed her eyes as a small trickle of fresh tears ran down her muddy cheeks and her horn glowed a sunny yellow, within second the world grew brighter as the moon was sent back to where it belonged in the sky.
"No freakin' way." Allen gawked as the silver edge of the moon fell below the horizon. He turned to Ditzy, "I thought your sister was pulling my leg about the whole sun and moon thing!"
Celestia and Ditzy both gave him a strange look before the Princess turned to look at the remains of her ruined home and frowned again, "I do not think I can stay here any longer it is too painful."
"Where will you go?" Ditzy asked.
Celestia sighed," We have a house in Manehat-" She seemed to choke for a split second before correcting herself, "I have a house in Manehatten, I will go there for now." She gave Allen a sidelong glance, "We are friends in the future are we not?"
It took him a moment to realize she was asking him, "Uh, no. This is the first time you and I have met." He looked over at the Doctor, "Things got crazy quick."
"Such things tend to happen when one travels with the Doctor," she said, giving him a knowing look before lighting her horn and shifting her gaze back to the ruined castle. Celestia frowned again, "Strange. I cannot seem to find the Elements." The yellow aura of her horn shined brighter but seemed to have no effect. "Where could they be?" She turned to the Earth stallion still frowning, “I must take my leave, Doctor. The Elements of Harmony appear to have vanished." (1)
The Doctor nodded, "Of course your Highness. We have to be getting back home as well." He walked next to Allen to give him something to lean on as he walked. "Come on Derpy. See you in a thousand years, Celestia!"
As the two ponies led the limping Fire-type away Celestia smiled ever so slightly, "I imagine that our paths shall cross again much sooner my old friend." She then fanned her wing and lifted off flying high hoping to spot the shine off an Element.
Dinky met her parents and Allen at the doors to the T.A.R.D.I.S. Ditzy left her husband to help the Fire-type as she scooped up her daughter in a gleeful hug. "Hi mommy! Mister Allen, I think Nova is gonna be okay!"
At the mention of Nova, Allen pushed away from the Doctor and limped toward the steps to the console, "Where is he?"
"Over here!" he turned to see Veevee standing in a hallway to his left and limped his way to her. as she turned to lead him into a large room with a tile floor that vaguely reminded Allen of the showers in a locker room. (2) Nova lay on his stomach on a gurney, his back was covered in gauze and bloody towels were piled on the tile floor.
Sparkler sat close to the Volcano Pokemon with pan of water dabbing at his forehead with a moist rag. The sound of Allen's hard hooves clopping on the tiles made Sparkler turn and gasp as she saw him, "Allen!? You look awful!"
He ignored her concern for him for the moment, "I'll live. How's Nova?"
"Oh, well the bleeding has stopped, but he lost quite a lot of blood. I may not be a doctor but he's going to need a transfusion." She looked at Allen again, "I barely know anything about pony medicine, just your basic first-aid. For a Pokemon..."
Allen nodded as she let the sentence hang unfinished, he understood that Sparkler was far outside her element right now but he was still grateful to her for helping Nova. "Thank you for what you have done Sparkler. You probably saved his life. What I wouldn't give for a Audino."
"That's what I said." Allen started and snapped his head around to see Loki floating off to his left, his usual snide smile absent. "He'll be alright, Allen. You and I both know that Hothead is too stubborn to die." He paused for a moment, "And Dawn would tell you the same thing." His cockeyed grin reappeared, "Hell, Drakarus would tell you not to worry, and he's an asshole!"
That was enough to bring a smile to Allen muzzle, "He would probably ask if he could eat him if Nova didn't make it."
"I don't care if I die... But you're not feeding me to that demented Dragon," Nova growled, but even he had a small smile.
"Shut it Charcoal Brain!" Loki snapped, "You need to rest."
"You're an idiot Loki," Nova grumbled as he tried to pick himself up only to find a Pony, Rapidash, and Gengar pushing him back down onto the gurney.
"You're not going anywhere until we find somemon who knows Heal Pulse." Loki snipped with his usual charm, waggling one of his tiny fingers in front of the Fire-types nose. Nova glared at the Ghost but didn't try to stand again.
"And it seems the only way we'll get Nova the help he needs is to get back to the present." All eyes turned to see the Doctor and his family walking toward them. "Let’s wheel the big guy out to the console and get home."
"And you're certain that you can keep us to the right time on the right planet?" Sparkler asked glaring at the stallion. "I don't want to walk outside and choke on some world with a methane atmosphere or get eaten by a dinosaur!"
The Doctor glared back at her as he grabbed the gurney and started to push it out of the locker room. "I wouldn't count on it. I'm 83.2% sure this will get us home or somewhere close to it."
Loki beat everyone to it, "And the other 17%?"
The cheery grin dropped from the stallions muzzle, "We miss and try again!" The answer was just a little too hasty and Allen suspected that any number of unpleasant things were waiting to pounce if the Doctor's plan backfired. "Nothing to worry about!" he laughed, painting on a fake grin so bad that even Veevee could see through it. They reached the main room and the Doctor took the steps three at a time, "Now then! Getting home should actually be quite simple, a quick patch job should hold together, because the Pokemon's arrive has caused huge fluctuations in the vortex." He smiled down at Dinky, "Which you realized before any of us, muffin. So all I have to do is take us back a short while before the Pokemon arrived." He muttered to himself as he began to fiddle with various switches, buttons and, one very large crank generator. "Say about eight a.m. And off we go!"
He reached forward and grabbed what Allen had come to assume was the box’s “gas peddle,” slamming the polished wood handle of the lever back and setting the alignment of crystals into motion. With the same wheezing sound as before the room began to quake and shake, but it was a kiddy ride compared to the wild roller coaster that had been their last attempt at time travel. "How bout that!?" Loki said in an almost awed voice. "I thought for sure the nerd was gonna kill us."
"Nerd?" The doctor said feigning a hurt tone," I prefer the term Super Genius!"
Dinky giggled at her father’s comeback, "You're so silly Da-" BAM SCREEEEAA "AAAAAAHHHH!" There was the sound of a massive impact, like two multi-ton steel girders being slammed together at supersonic speeds. Everything living or inanimate that wasn't bolted down was thrown towards the far wall. Ditzy and her daughter were bashed against the metal bulkhead and dropped to the floor silent and motionless. Nova and Sparkler were next to impact, the gurney missed crushing the pink mare by inches. Allen was next, only aware enough of what was happening to dig at the metal floor with his hooves that barely got any traction as the far wall closed the distance and smacked his elongated muzzle. The world flashed and he was briefly reminded of the time he sparred with a Hitmonchan that had produced similar results as the corners of his vision faded into darkness.