//------------------------------// // Christmas Ball // Story: Doctor Whooves: The Changeling Invasion // by Draconaquest //------------------------------// The Doctor had his trench coat buttoned up as he walked up to Canterlot High. The snow crunched under his feet with every step. He wasn't sure he should be at the party, but, it was Christmas Eve. And, that's what worried him the most. There was a guard at the entrance, checking students IDs. The Doctor walked up, and said, "Hello, who are you?" "I'm the guard, that's all you need to know." The guard replied. "Oh, the guard, well, I'm the Doctor." The Doctor said, "What do you know, we both go by a title, rather than a name." The guard frowned. "Are you on the list?" "No, I got invited late." The Doctor lied, "An invitation from a friend, just got it." "Show me." The guard said. "Right, here you go," the Doctor said, pulling out his psychic paper, and handing it the guard. The guard examined the psychic paper, and smirked, handing it back to the Doctor. "Nice try. This paper is blank." The Doctor's eyes widened in shock. "Blimey, takes a whopper lacking of an imagination to beat psychic paper." "What was that?" The guard asked. "Nothing, I must've left the invitation in my other suit." The Doctor mumbled. "Then I'm not letting you in." The guard said, crossing his arms. "Oh, you would wouldn't you?" The Doctor asked. "Look, if you just get Principal Celestia, I'm sure she-" "Doctor!" A voice behind the guard said. He swerved around to see Sunset Shimmer, walking toward him. "It's okay Joe, he's with me." Sunset said. The Doctor smiled with triumph, and entered the school, joining Sunset. "Thanks for that." The Doctor said, proceeding down the main hallway, towards the gym. "Don't mention it." Sunset replied. She was wearing a purple dress, which went down to about her knees. It was printed with a sun on the bottom, and on the shoulders. She was actually quite beautiful. Upon reaching the gym, another guard approached the Doctor, and asked, "May I take your coat sir?" The Doctor smiled, and pulled off his trench coat, revealing his black tuxedo, with matching bowtie. "Here you go mate. Don't lose that." The Doctor entered the gym, chatting with Sunset Shimmer. "I'm a bit worried about how this will end." "What do you mean?" Sunset asked. "Well, it's just the last time I was at a Christmas party, I had to save the world from a falling starship Titanic." The Doctor said, walking over to the punch table. "Falling starship Titanic?" Sunset repeated. "Yeah, long story." The Doctor said. "Not to mention how unlucky this suit is." "Unlucky?" "First time I got this suit, there was a Cybermen invasion," the Doctor explained, pouring a glass of punch for himself, "second time, I had to deal with a man who was turning into a giant scorpion monster, and last time it was the falling Titanic." "That is unlucky." Sunset said, nodding. "But, with a Changeling problem, I suppose we're already unlucky." "Good point." The Doctor said, taking a swig of the punch. He immediately recoiled, as his face scrunched up, "Oh, that's disgusting. Who made this?" "I did." Twilight said, approaching the Doctor and Sunset. "What flavor is it?" The Doctor asked. "Punch flavor." Twilight said. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Okay, its pear flavored.” "Oh, that'll do it." The Doctor said, setting the cup down. "I hate pears. I'm gonna have a look around, okay?" Sunset nodded, and the Doctor walked off. Twilight walked over to Flash Sentry, and started up a conversation with him. The Doctor walked towards a student with blue skin, and black hair, who wore a black velvet suit jacket, over a red waistcoat, and blue dress shirt, with a red bowtie on it. He also wore a tan Stetson. “Hello, I’m the Doctor, who are you?” the Doctor asked the student, extending a hand. The student took the hand and shook it. “I’m Galaxy Nebula. Nice to meet you.” “You too, Galaxy.” The Doctor withdrew his hand. “Um…why are you wearing a Stetson?” “Stetsons are cool.” Galaxy replied. “At a Christmas party?” Even Applejack wasn’t wearing her usual headwear. “It was either this or a fez.” “Wouldn’t a Santa Claus hat be more fitting?” “I don’t look good in those.” “Right…” the Doctor noticed that he was looking at Flash and Twilight. “Why are you staring at them?” “Oh,” Galaxy stuttered, “it’s just that, several students and I ship them together. Crystal even had a fanfic idea once.” The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Ship them?” “Yeah, you know, shipping.” Galaxy said, which didn’t help the confused Doctor. “When you think that two people should be together, you ship them.” “Together, as in…” “Yep.” The Doctor eyed him oddly, and slowly stepped away. The Doctor decided to step over to a student with curly brown hair. He seemed to be nervous. "Hello, I'm the Doctor." The Doctor said, shaking his hand. "I'm...um...I'm Hoofenmouth." Hoof stuttered. "Nice to meet you." The Doctor said, crossing his arms. He noticed Hoof seemed to be staring at something. The Doctor followed his gaze, and noticed he was staring directly at Sunset Shimmer. "Um... why are you staring at Sunset?" "No reason!" Hoof shouted quickly, recoiling at looking at the Doctor, eyes wide. "Um..." "Doctor, who are you talking to?" Sunset said, walking over to the Doctor and Hoof. She looked at Hoof, who was now staring at her, wide eyed, and shaky. "I remember you! I saw you just before the Battle of the Bands! It was...Hoofenmouth, wasn't it?" Hoof stood there, shaking even more, before shouting, "I NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM!!!" Hoof ran off, toward the men's bathroom. The Doctor and Sunset stared at him as he ran off. "What's wrong with him?" the Doctor asked. "I don't know." Sunset replied. The Doctor then noticed someone in the corner. He was wearing a blue suit, white shirt, and a red tie, all practically covered by a tan trench coat. And, his facial features, hair, and even sideburns, all looked very similar to the Doctor. The only difference is that this man looked slightly older. He had more wrinkles in his face, and his hair was peppered with grey hair. The Doctor looked toward Sunset, and asked, pointed toward the man, “Who’s he?” “Oh, that’s Mister Turner.” Sunset explained. “He’s a science teacher. I have him as my last class of the day.” “He looks like me.” The Doctor said. “Kinda.” Sunset explained. “He looks older though, and has a few problems. Particularly with his past. It’s a long, and rather depressing story.” “Past issues,” the Doctor mumbled, “I know how that feels.” “He was one of the few people who believed I had changed shortly after the Fall Formal.” Sunset explained. “Him and Rainbow Dash. But, I wasn’t the only one with problems.” “Did he tell you his story?” the Doctor asked. “No, I um…overheard him, one day, telling it to someone.” Sunset explained. “Right.” The Doctor said. “How come you never mentioned him before?” “Did I have to?” Sunset asked. “You two may look similar, but, your mannerisms are actually quite different. Plus, I think you’re braver.” “Really?” The Doctor asked. “Nice.” “He also sound different.” Sunset said. “Still British, but the accent is a bit different.” “Okay.” The Doctor said. “I think I’ll have a chat with him.” And, he headed toward the corner where Turner was standing. “No!” Sunset exclaimed, causing the Doctor to whirl back around. “What?” “You can’t talk to him.” “Why not?” “Wouldn’t it be a bit…shocking?” Sunset asked. “Not for you, but for him. I mean, you’ve met different versions of yourself before, but he hasn’t. It be like looking in a mirror.” “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.” The Doctor said, and walked toward Turner. He approached him slowly, and, when he was right behind him, he said, “Hello.” Turner jumped, and exclaimed, “Great whickering stallions! Don’t you know better than to sneak up on people like-“he turned to face the Doctor, and stopped at the sight of him. “That.” “You know,” the Doctor began, “there’s an age-old belief with a strange appeal that somewhere on this planet, alive today, is someone who looks exactly like you.” “Yes, but,” Turner replied, “maybe not precisely. Someone close enough to be your double, or in essence, your doppelganger.” “It can be fascinating to imagine.” The Doctor said. “Yes, but, it’s a bit impossible.” Turner replied. “But, not completely.” The Doctor replied. “Very well, improbable then.” Turner gave in. “And, 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'” The Doctor said. “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a Study in Scarlett, eighteen-eighty-seven.” Turner replied. “You know your history.” “As do you.” Turner replied, and stuck out his hand, “I’m Time Turner, science teacher.” “Hello, Time Turner, I’m the Doctor.” The Doctor. “Name please, not position.” Turner replied. “I just told you, the Doctor.” “You name, sir, not your career.” “Oh, um… Smith, John Smith.” The Doctor replied, “But, most people just call me the Doctor. I don’t know why. I call me the Doctor too; still don’t know why.” “Okay.” Turner replied, and asked. “What are you a doctor of?” “Oh, a bit of everything.” “Medicine?” “Depends on the situation.” “Science?” “Quite often.” “History?” “Very often.” “Teacher?” “I dabble.” “Doctor!” a voice called. The Doctor turned to see Twilight waving at him. “Oh, sorry, gotta go.” The Doctor extended his hand. “Nice to meet you Mister Turner.” Turner took his hand, and shook it. “You as well, Doctor Smith.” The Doctor turned, and headed toward Twilight, who was standing by Flash. “Hello, Twilight.” “Doctor, you remember Flash, don’t you?” “Vaguely.” The Doctor said, and shook Flash’s hand. ` “Hello, Doctor.” Flash said. “I think we got off on the wrong foot.” “No, it was the right foot.” The Doctor said. “I distinctively remember you stepped on my right foot.” Twilight chuckled at that, and Flash said, “Yeah, sorry about that.” “It’s fine, but, if you really want to talk to someone, maybe you shouldn’t bump into them.” The Doctor explained, “Its better if you just start up a conversation, like asking what they had to eat for breakfast.” “Um…” “And, last I heard, you were dating Princess Twilight.” This caused Twilight to perk up. “What!?” She shouted, looking angrily at Flash. “Yeah, I remember Princess Twilight telling me, when the world was ending, I believe.” “What!?” Twilight shouted again, causing Flash’s face to flush. “You told me you two never had something going on!” A few meters away, Sunset noticed the commotion, and walked toward the Doctor. She took the Doctor by the arm, and led him away from the Twilight and Flash. “What?” The Doctor asked. “You’re causing a tizzy.” Sunset replied. “A what?” The Doctor asked. “A commotion.” Sunset said, and led the Doctor to about the center of the gym. “Dance with me.” “What?” The Doctor asked. “You need to blend in with the crowd.” Sunset explained, “Walking around, talking to various people, isn’t the way to do that. If you dance, with a partner, you’ll blend in better.” “Oh.” The Doctor said, and placed his right hand in Sunset’s, and his left on her waist, and began dancing. Despite how uncomfortable the Doctor looked, Sunset did the best she could to hide a cheeky grin as they danced.