//------------------------------//
// Searching for the Impossible 
// Story: Missing In Equestria 
// by VoxelTron 
//------------------------------//

Clara was not having a good evening.

First, finding out that her equine-self had a completely different taste palette than what she was used to wasn’t exactly her idea of fun. And to make matters worse, the Captain ran in halfway through the night, interrupting her much needed rest, to inform her that there was a commotion down at a farm near Ponyville, and that The Doctor and another mare, named Pinkie Pie, had gone missing.

This placed the whole castle on red alert, and an immediate royal carriage was arranged for transit to Ponyville with enough room for three, Celestia had asked for Clara to come as well. Unfortunately, everypony was far too busy with the current commotion to show her where the carriage actually was. Which is why she found herself at the doors of an observatory, at around midnight.

“Urgh… Another dead end.” Clara moaned after reaching the doors of the celestial telescope. 
She tried the doors, which looked like they hadn’t been opened in a while, to find that they conceded without little effort. “Perhaps they’ve built a new observatory?” Clara questioned out loud.
“No I don’t think it was that my dear, really I think it’s because dear old Celly just won’t let go of that emotional baggage she has, but then again who to blame her? It takes years to get rid of the terrors that she’s gone through.” 
Clara looked around to find the source of the voice “Who’s there?” She called out. 
“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Discord my dear, Lord of Chaos at your service. Hehehehe.” The laughter grew gradually into complete hysterics. 
“What’s so funny?!?” Clara called out to the open air. 
The laugher died down enough for Discord to complete a full sentence “Sorry, it’s just that: That’s the exact way I introduced myself to that friend of yours, The Doctor, isn’t it?”
“Wait, you know the Doctor?”
“Well, when I say knew. We talked. We fought. He won. I went back to stone. That answer your question? Although I must say he had a dab hand when it comes to riddles.” 
Clara was getting tired of talking to thin air “Why don’t you come out?”
“Well my dear it’s all down to tactics, if you don’t know what I look like, you won’t be able to tell the Doctor who I am. Really, I thought you were meant to be intelligent.” 
“But you’ve already told me your name.” 
“Ah…Well…Yes… That does sort of give it away doesn’t it?” The echoing voice began “Bah! You can see why I don’t do plans, they never seem to bode well. I prefer to go with the flow. Anyway, tell your favoured physician I said hi!” 
A snap echoed throughout the dome, and Clara was instantly teleported in front of the carriage. 
“Urgh… I’m never going to get used to that.” Clara complained to no-one in particular. 
“However you get from one place to another Miss Oswald matters little, I find it invigorating to have a nice pop here and there” Discord began, before finally revealing himself in front of Clara, holding out his claw. Clara took it and was gently pulled back to her hooves. 
“Anyway I must dash, things to do, rules to abide, blah, blah, blah, you get the point…” And with that Discord disappeared. 

Clara waited for a few minutes by the carriage before both Princesses joined her, Although Celestia’s face showed she was hardly in a good mood.  
Celestia sighed openly. “What was it that Discord is up to this time?” 
Clara felt this question was aimed at her. “Um... Does he normally do something more than just talk Princess?” 
The solar monarch’s face fell into a frown. “That Draconecuus has been nothing but trouble for a myriad. In fact, his mischief was so great and terrible, my sister and I locked him in stone for the past millennia.”
“So why is he out now?” 
“A few of the Elements of Harmony believed he could be reformed, although that is seeming to be a more difficult task that we first thought. But I don’t doubt that Twilight and her friends can change him for the better.” 
“But sister." The younger of the two princesses began. "I thought we have a bigger problem than Discord’s chaos to deal with? Shouldn’t we be getting to Ponyville with all due haste?”
“Yes, thank you Luna.  That does take priority over Discord, although I get the feeling he’s more involved than we know.”

The three embarked onto the carriage, and took off into the sky, pulled by the finest guards in the royal sisters employ. The journey itself was without interruptions. Although all this moving around was beginning to make Clara travel sick. They landed outside Sweet Apple acres, with Twilight and Applejack waiting to greet them, although Twilight was in a bit of a state. 

Luna disembarked and began talking to Applejack about the commotion that occurred, trying to piece together the event. Celestia beckoned Clara over and both of them went over to the stressed out unicorn, who immediately began raving at the two. “Princess Celestia! I’m so glad you could make it. I’m so sorry for what has happened, if I’d have known that any of thi-“
“Calm yourself, my faithful student” Celestia quickly began, forcing Twilight to contain her panic “If you’d have known that this would happen, you would have greater powers than even that of myself in the matter. Even I did not see this. This is of no fault of your own.” Twilight still didn’t seem too pleased. “But what if both of them are lost?!? I can’t just sit here knowing both of them are gone!”
Celestia was still unmoved “Please Twilight, compose yourself. I have a task for you to complete for me while my sister and I take care of things here.” 
“Really?”
“Yes, Twilight. This is Miss Oswald” She said whilst pointing to Clara, who forced a wave and a smile in the attempt to not feel too awkward. 
It didn’t really work. 
“She requires a place to stay for a while, and I could think of no better place for her to stay than with my personal student.” 
“Oh…um... Okay Princess. Is this going anywhere?” 
Celestia chuckled “Always the curious one? Why don’t you ask her when you get home?”
“Okay, but please send me a report on anything you find tonight”
“It will be my first priority, I will send Spike any news as soon as possible.” 
The two embraced each other and Twilight turned to Clara. “Well Miss Oswald, follow me” Clara turned to Celestia before leaving, letting Twilight begin down the road.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done Princess.” She then galloped down the road to catch up with Twilight. 
What Clara failed to notice was that Celestia wasn’t smiling at all. 

The two mares reached Golden Oaks Library in complete silence. Twilight opened the door, and beckoned Clara inside. 
Clara entered and was immeditely amazed by the amount of books lining the shelves “Wow, nice place you got here” She exclaimed, hoping to get a conversation started. 
“Yeah, I like my books, so this seems the best place for me to stay. Celestia handles the lease for the place while I’m here, but the pay is taken out of my stipend.”
“Wait. You get paid?” Clara blurted out. 
“Well yeah, services to the kingdom do have their benefits.” Twilight began “That and defeating both Discord and Nightmare Moon, sort of makes me and my friends into heroes.” Her head slumped slightly when she said this. 
“Let me guess, you don’t really want that sort of attention, do you?” Clara asked.
Twilight laughed out loud “You got me. Its fine and all being Celestia’s student. But hero? Not really the attention I’m looking for, it... sort of puts an expectation that ponies seem to think you can fulfil.” 
Clara knew where this was going. “Other times it’s just tiring?” 
“Yeah! Wait… how do you know that?” 
“Well. Let’s say I’ve gone through this before. Heck you’re meant to be the brainbox here, so get started.” 
Twilight’s faced beamed at the challenge, before immediately falling into a stance of deep concentration. She began mumbling to herself deep in thought “Let’s see… Celestia knows I wouldn’t miss a trick that bad surely? So, what have we got? Strange stallion, mysterious box, Pinkie Pie, all three missing. Celestia turns up with another pony with a strange name, no offence, and asks me to take care of you.” 
Twilight stopped talking for a few seconds before looking up at Clara “You wouldn’t be somepony who knows the Doctor would you?” 
“That took a while, I would have thought you’d have got that on the walk over here” 
“Well I did have my suspicions, but I was a bit distracted” 
“Really? What could possibly distract you?” 
“Oh quite a few things.” Twilight then walked up to the only window on the ground floor. Turned around and ignited her horn menacingly. “Like her”. 

With a slam, another pony, a grey Pegasus, was pulled through the now open window, held down by Twilight’s powerful magic. 
“Ow… ok you got me. I’m sorry, ok? But I had to make sure you were talking about the right person.” Clara’s ears perked up, no-one here would say person, would they? 
Twilight didn’t notice Clara’s interest, she was far more concerned with the intruder. She picked the mare off the ground and levitated the Pegasus to her face, brandishing her horn menacingly. 
“You have five seconds to explain to me why you were at my window before I show how many body transmogrification spells I can perform on a single pony.” 
Clara however was not letting this unfurl in front of her, and shoved Twilight aside before standing over the pony which had fallen to the ground, to protect her. “Hey, That was far too much, I think she gets the point, don’t you think you should cool it?” Clara asked the now bristling mare across the room. 
Twilight screamed in anger “I’ve lost two ponies today and now someone’s stalking me! Don’t you dare tell me to cool it!” Clara turned to the Pegasus, pulled her up and said one word: “Run!” 

The two of them bolted up the stairs, narrowly missing blasts of magic sent screaming at them from the fuming unicorn. They ran through the second floor corridor, again avoiding the barrage of magic still being unleashed at them. Clara was grateful in these circumstances that Twilight had a very bad shot. Clara noticed an open door at the end of the hallway “Quick! In there!” She shouted. The two slung themselves inside and slammed the door shut. Both of them pushed against the door in an attempt to stop Celestia’s prized student from tearing both of them limb from limb. The door quaked and splintered from the brunt of the force the unicorn was slamming against it. The two mares on the other side of the door, pushed with all their might, hoping that the door could hold back the tide.

But then the sound of blasts was gradually drowned out. Replaced by another sound, a familiar sound to Clara’s ears. 
Engines. 
TARDIS Engines.
She turned round to see the most welcome sight in the entire universe, the TARDIS rematerializing in front of her. She looked towards the grey mare and grabbed her by the hoof “In here, now!” And she jumped for the TARDIS doors. 
They swung open and the two fell through. “And that’s why Pinkie- Sweet Silurians! What are you doing in my TARDIS!?!” The Doctor exclaimed.
Clara quickly got up and jumped to the console. “Hey! Don’t touch that! It is most certainly not for touching!” The Doctor warned. 
“Oh don’t worry, just a quick hop!” Clara quipped, before ramming the large red lever upwards, firing up the engines again and sending all of them sprawling, before the engine powered down after a few seconds. 
“Urgh… And that is why Pinkie you don’t touch her console…” The Doctor finished before hauling himself to his hooves. 
“Who the blazes are you?!?” The Doctor began, pointing an accusing hoof at Clara. “Most ponies would starve to death in here trying to find the light switch! You could've blown up the entire planet! Do you even know what you just pushed?!?” 
Clara got up and laughed. “Actually I didn’t. But I know this place normally keeps most of the levers the same colour. Same software, different desktop, right? That's normally where the Short Distance Recalculator is.” 
The Doctor stared dumbfounded at Clara, who just stood there, unamused. “Are you gonna keep ogling one of the only people who can actually get this girl to fly or are you actually going to answer a few of my questions?” 
This kicked the Doctor out of his lapse “Answer your questions?!? I might just have to kick you out into a supernova at this rate!” 
“Just humour me ok?” 
“Hmm, fine. But if you’re planning anything it won’t end well.”
Clara began briskly “Age?” 
“Twelve hundred and seventy.” 
“Regeneration?” 
“13, Including Mr Grumpy Face.” 
“Fez?” 
“I think I got over that actually.” 
Clara paused for a few seconds before asking her final question. “Clara Oswald?” 
“Gone. Not dead. Just gone. Home.” 
“Phew, well I suppose that’s fine enough for me.” 
“Fine enough for you? Who are you?!?” 
“Well then I suppose there’s no use beating about the bush. I’m Cla-“ 
Before she could finish, knocking was heard against the door “Come out of the box, and surrender yourself… Wait. What? Ok. Please remove yourselves from the box, by orders of Princess Celestia.” 
Clara turned back to the Doctor “Well let’s not keep the royalty waiting. You’ve caused quite the mayhem jumping off in her too early.” The Doctor bashfully chuckled, and then continued slowly towards the door “Alright, Doctor. Let’s get this over with.” He muttered to himself before forcing the doors open.