//------------------------------// // Living In The Past With a Dead Colt // Story: Octaves of Time // by KodyMcQ //------------------------------// Starburst and Octavia wandered through the EverFree Forest looking for The Doctor. The two Ponies walked flank-to-flank, as if they were already a couple. Octavia considered they were, and she found the whole situation just that much more awkward. He's taller, he's handsome, and he knows more about the TARDIS than me. He's perfect. Those lines continued running through the gray Mares head, until she finally broke the silence between them walking and the leaves crunching. “Where do you think he went?” She asked Starburst, turning her face slightly towards him. She had trouble walking like this, her head facing one way, walking the other, but she managed. “This is The Doctor we're talking about. He could be kidnapped by Tribbles or be frolicking in some field chasing butterflies for all we know. We just have to keep looking.” Starburst replied calmly. “Dear god boy, are you always this calm?” Octavia exclaimed, surprised by how cool headed he can be. “No,”, He replied, crunching a branch under his foot, “I just expect it. At the Young Fliers Competition, remember when that lady's wings burn up and she fell?” “Um, yeah. Rarity's her name.” “Yeah, Me and The Doctor had already seen that coming. As well as the RainBoom after it. The Rainboom was our signal that the Changelings had found the Weeping Angels. We didn't expect it to destroy Equestria.” Octavia thought on this for a while. The Young Fliers Competition was a long time ago, and this Colt had been travelling and helping The Doctor for much more. She then realized the look of worry in his eyes, how much The Doctor must've meant to him. She nuzzled her head into his neck comfortingly, making the Colt slow down. “We'll find him, don't worry. He's probably off chasing some Butterflies somewhere.” She told him. Although she didn't sound too reassuring herself, he let it slide and nuzzled back. “STARBURST! OCTAVIA!” A voice cried. The two ponies instantly recognized it and galloped in the direction of the voice. They galloped for about 2 minutes, and then they came across the scene. There were hundreds of Doctors, surrounding a body triumphantly. Starburst and Octavia quickly ducked into the bushes, as Rose walked on to the scene. “Well done, minions. You've killed the Doctor.” She said, poking the Doctor's body a few times with her hoof. “Now, go find his TARDIS. He must not be allowed to bring back Equestria, no matter what. And kill all those who oppose you.” With a roar of battle cries and high pitched squeals, the herd of Changelings and Weeping Angels transformed into a group of random ponies. Octavia had spotted Lyra in the bunch, as well as Snowflake, the Steroids Pony. It was quite obvious they were on some reconaissance mission, and didn't want their cover spoiled. Then she realized it, and Starburst must've as well, because they noticed that they had left The Doctor laying on the ground, while the herd left. The pony duo waited around 3 minutes after everyone was gone, before running over to the corpse of The Doctor. “He said he could Regenerate. Why didn't he regenerate! He could've saved himself!” Octavia managed to spit out, weeping over the body. “When a Time Colt is struck once, he regenerates. But if he is struck while he's regenerating, he dies. It was only a matter of time, I guess.” Starburst said quietly, the calm pony finally letting out some steam and letting the tears flow. They sat in silence as they stared at the dead body. The Doctor, they knew and loved. They sat there, for hours. When sunset finally came, Starburst finally stood up, and slowly brought Octavia up with him. Octavia's suddenly happy personality disappeared into her usual depressed, suicidal figure. She didn't want any more ponies dying for her. Her parents, The Doctor, she didn't want anypony dying for her. She didn't deserve it. They stared at the body. “Wh-what do we do with Him?” She managed to say. “I remember him talking about some Traditional Gallifreyan Burial thing, but I can't remember what it was. I guess the only thing to do is bring him to The TARDIS. It's not like they could've found it, in the leaves we left it in.” Starburst said, slowly picking up the body and keeping it steady on his back with his wings. The two ponies walked back to the TARDIS in silence. Not even any cuddling or flank-to-flank trotting. Just silence. Octavia distanced herself from Starburst, unwilling to let anypony love her. Her constant thoughts raced through her head. 'Nopony loves me. I will not let anypony love me. Nopony deserves to die for me. I don't deserve to live.' She thought, staring down at the leaves under her feet. Starburst figured Octavia would be pretty sad about The Doctor's death, but not this sad. The once happy, energetic, loving Mare he knew before was now this depressive, probably suicidal pony. He had to wonder if she lived her whole life in this state, before meeting The Doctor. He figured that was why he had such an impact on her. When they finally entered the TARDIS, they set The Doctor down on the glass platform in the middle. The Time Colt looked graceful, sitting in his dying position. Then he remembered something, from long ago, when He and The Doctor first met. “I will never stop existing, as long as you Remember Me.” Starburst mumbled quietly. Octavia gave him a confused look, before giving him a solemn nod. They had to wait 10 years, for the End of Equestria, to bring back The Doctor. -5 Years Later- Starbust and Octavia had been living together for a while now, in a small cottage, up in the mountains. Since neither Octavia nor Starburst had ever gone to the Mountains, with the exception of Bass Mountain on the other side of Equestria, across from a lake where there were no towns or ponies. They had kept the TARDIS with them, and had managed to bring it up the mountain to their cottage, with The Doctor inside. They had no choice, as neither pony could fly the thing, but to wait for the End of Equestria. Starburst had even managed to set a timer, when 5 minutes to Equestria's End came, they would drag the Body out and let it be deleted from The Universe. They had discussed this theory over countless years, living together for 5 already. They had even had a Child up on the mountain, whom they dubbed Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl had long flowing black hair, like her mother, but extremely pale, probably from a mix of her Father and Mother. Her eyes were also a deep magenta, from her Mother. They had already known, not knowing it at the time, but once they had named her, that Vinyl was going to be a succsessful DJ in their time. Today was Vinyl's 5th Birthday, the day they decided to sit Vinyl down and explain everything to her. Their origins, the story, and what would happen when she turned 10. Vinyl understood it fairly well, being very mature for her age. She also understood that at some point she'd be travelling with a man called The Doctor, to age her to their age, so they didn't cause any more Universe Corruption. They kept The TARDIS outside behind their log cottage, just barely hidden by the roof. It's not like the tall blue Police Phone Booth was very easy to hide, in itself. But they kept it there, locked, for when the Day Came. Starburst wandered the Family Orchard, where they were growing fresh apples, pears, and any kinds of fruits or veggies you could think of. They never had to make a trip into town, except for the one time Octavia went in and bought a Cello, made of sedar wood and lined with a Gold Trim. She kept this in the TARDIS, an easy memory, so she didn't forget anything. -5 Years Later of the 5 Years Later- “Vinyl come on! Tomorrow's the day, and we can't wait any longer!” Starburst cried out in the house, and they needed to dye Vinyl's hair a bright blue, as she had begged for for 2 years. The effect of living by the TARDIS for so long had aged all 3 ponies by an added 5 years, making two 33 year olds and one 15 Year old Vinyl. The Adult Ponies were 8 when the 10 Years started, and 18 when Equestria ended. But the simple fact that Starburst and Octavia lived those 10 years again, beside the TARDIS, had added 15 years onto their 18 year old bodies. “Vinyl, dear! What's taking you so long?” Octavia asked, knocking on Vinyl's door. The parents had been waiting for at least an hour, now that time was actually constant. Finally, the perky white Mare came out of her room, wearing her fancy magenta goggles under her Unicorn Horn. Her horn grew in late, at 7 years old she had only started developping it. But it wasn't like she would be picked on, if anything, it'd be hard for her to make friends once she was ejected back into Society. They spent 2 hours dying the Mare's hair multiple shades of blue, while the Mare looked in the mirror approvingly. Sadly, she knew, she wouldn't be able to see her parents again. She'd know her mom as a friend, a very close friend, but it still saddened her that she wouldn't be able to be close to them. Sure, they'd be able cuddle/nuzzle whenever they wanted, but Vinyl personally couldn't stand the thought of nuzzling her dad or her mom. Octavia let a few tears out, knowing that Vinyl was the one part of Octavia she couldn't keep. Vinyl shouldn't have existed, if not for The Doctor. You could say that none of them should've existed, if not for the Doctor. And when Time is re-written, they will all be the same age. Even Vinyl, but whether they'd remember eachother as Mom/Daughter, or Friends, was unknown to Octavia. “Honey, it's getting close. You've got to get to Ponyville.” Starburst said calmly, checking the clock up above the mirror in Vinyl's room. “I'll finish up everything here, you just get to Ponyville. After all, we need you to cause a paradox, hmm?” This was true. Octavia nuzzled her family before leaving the home, leaving her Sedar Wood Gold Laced Cello in the TARDIS, along with the Dead Doctor. She took off town the path leading off of the jagged mountain as fast as she could, reaching the lake. She trotted around the width of the lake, reaching the other side in an hour. It was 11:00 PM if she had counted right, and she'd be to Ponyville by 1:00 AM, staying in a hotel not too far from Sugarcube Corner. She continued down the path, extremely worn out, until finally 1:00 AM came, and she was sanding in front of the Ponyville Motel. She signed out a room on the 12th floor, and finally slept. Her family had a detailed schedule of all the things that were to happen, and all she needed was to find a 10 year younger version of herself and look into her own eyes. Vinyl sat on the porch in front of the cottage, wondering what she'd be doing right now once the Story is set straight. They were all supposed to ejected to the Day The Doctor Died, and then they'd all meet up with The Doctor's body, in the TARDIS sitting behind their house. “Time and Relative Dimension In Space.” Vinyl said out loud. She knew her parents had journeyed with The Doctor, officially making them Time Travelers as well. She'd have to come up with her own memories, those of a false childhood and then her friends would slowly remember those days as well. She'd then have to think up a cover story, of her going on a buisness trip back to a small village where she was born, up here, in the mountains, while in reality she'd be getting her turn Travelling with The Doctor. Her family, plus The Doctor, was effectively rewriting Time, and fixing any paradoxes along with it. Kinda like restoring a computer to Factory Settings, she thought, Wipe it clean and nothing should be wrong. “Vinyl, come eat. Big day tomorrow.” Starburst poked his head out the door and told her. Vinyl sat up and walked in, and ate the delicious feast her Father had made her. She would have to inject thoughts into their heads as well, she figured, to be able to cope with the fact they're her parents. She'd have to imagine fake parents, who were dead, and she'd be the only one with a certain idea that they were her parents, except for, of course, her parents. Vinyl was basically the key element, the one who'd be able to re-write time. The Doctor better be impressed, seeing as she was concieved near the TARDIS, she was a Time Colt, or Time Mare for the females. One of the last. -JUST A NOTE TO KEEP YOU GUYS ON TRACK IF YOU DON'T WATCH DOCTOR WHO- Vinyl Scratch is the River Song, who was concieved of two companions of The Doctor while inside the TARDIS. River was then born a Time Lady, who can regenerate just like a Time Lord. And when Equestria ceases to exist, Vinyl is the key element to re-write it, seeing as she's a Time Mare. There goes all your Octavia/Vinyl Shipping stories. Octavia is Vinyl's mom. As well, Starburst is an actual background Pony, who was the only one who wasn't surprised by Raritie's wings burning or the Sonic Rainboom.