//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Doctor Whooves and Friends // by TheDanishGuy //------------------------------// Doctor Whooves turned his head with the others, curiously looking at the gray pegasus mare and blindingly white unicorn stallion entering the boutique. His confused look became one of recognition. ”It's Derp--” Rainbow Dash swooped over to him on fast wings, planting a blue hoof in his mouth. ”Shush, you idiot!” she whispered. ”Do you want to get bucked in the face?” He shook his head with a pained look on his face. She realized she'd been pressing too hard, and removed her hoof with an apologising smile. ”Nopony calls Ditzy Doo Derpy Hooves! It was a mocking nickname created by the jocks at the young fliers school.” ”Like Rainbow Crash!” Pinkie yelled, literally jumping into the conversation. ”Yes, Pinkie Pie. Like they called me Rainbow Crash.” she sighed, putting her left hoof to her face. ”Eh, Rainbow Dash, that hoof's been in my gob.” he commented, cringing a bit. She quickly removed it. ”And what's that gesture, anyways?” ”Oh, the facehoof? It's used to signal something embarrassing or silly.” She glared down at Pinkie, who smiled innocently. ”Don't you have that where you're from?” ”Well, yes, but in a slightly different form. Oh, the whimsy of this universe ….” ”Anyways, as I was saying,” Rainbow Dash began, lowering herself back onto the ground and getting back on track. ”You're a stranger to her, so she's more likely to just smack you a couple than shout at you.” the over-dressed pegasus explained. ”Bah, I can shout with the best of 'em!” the colt exclaimed. ”The Sycorax cowered at my bellowing! Why, if the Dovahkiin was here, he'd admire me too!” he boasted. ”Well, he's not.” Twilight added. ”He left a couple of days ago, in fact.” Both ponies shuddered at this. The Doctor went silent for a bit, before thinking of something. ”But wait, that other pony got off scotch-free back when I first landed! Why was that?” ”That's because, despite all their ups and downs, Golden Harvest and Ditzy Doo are still rommies a- nd good friends. She even lets her use her nickname, Carrot Top. She also likes her home-made carrot muffins.” The unicorn, having explored the entirety of the Carousel Boutique during the conversation, finally addressed the group with a welcoming smile and a charming ”Hello, ladies.”. The four mares blushed, as neither of them had been flirted with like this before. ”Stop it!” Doctor Whooves intervened with a frown, then remembered his manners. ”Oh, I'm sorry, I really am! You see, I had this friend long ago, who kept ….” ”Doctor, it's me.” the stallion interrupted with a slight smile. Doctor Whooves looked like someone's Mum had just slapped him again, then regained his calmness a bit before asking Rarity: ”Mademoiselle, is there a place where I can speak with him in private?” Rarity pointed a hoof at a back room, looking puzzled at the newcomer. The sole male ponies in the room rushed to the other, which appeared to be a unlit storage room with a tiny window, and boxes of linen stacked neatly, waiting for use. The colt closed the door behind them, and locked it with the sonic screwdriver flashing bluishly in his mouth. ”Jack?” he began slowly, unsure, after putting the screwdriver back in his bag. ”Captain Jack Harkness?!” He nodded, the perpetual smile on his face changing to a knowing one. ”The very same. Although here I've taken the alias James S. Coltton.” ”What does the S stand for?” ”Stallion.” he winked slyly. The Earth pony rolled his eyes. ”Of course it does. But …. how did you end up here?” The handsome unicorn shrugged. ”I have no idea. My votex manipulator just started to glow in an unhealthy kiwi.green colour, and next thing I know I was here. It's a month or so ago. I'd just come back to Earth after recovering from what happend to its children, too ….” They both bowed their heads in sadness. ”Yes, I heard …. But this world is weird, I mean, look at us!” he said cheerfully. ”Yeah, an Earth pony. Fitting for you, old man. You were always plain. And your Cutie Mark?” He inspected Doctor Whooves a bit too thoroughly. ”An hourglass? Ooh, I see, because you're a Time Lord! Ha, this place pulled one on you, didn't it?” he grinned. ”Ha, look who's talking!” he laughed back. ”Why are you a unicorn?” James looked up at his horn. ”The universe recognized my magic with the ladies, of course.” ”And the blooming rose?” Doctor Whooves pointed a hoof at his Cutie Mark. ”Think about it.” he nudged, the impudent smile appearing again. Doctor Whooves stared blankly for a second, then looked as if an exclaimation point had formed above his head. ”Ooh, I see! Clever!” he grinned. ”So, what's this world like?” he asked. ”The technology I've narrowed down to around 1700-1900, judging from an Earth viewpoint. Although the pink one out there,” he pointed a hoof at the carved ornamented door, ”can apparently predict the future, since she has ”dabbled in lasers”.” He sighed and rolled his shining eyes. ”No wonder everypony thinks she's crazy.” His eyes widened a second. ”Oh, blimey, I've gone native.” The Doctor chuckled, then asked if he needed to know anything more. ”Yes, this place has monsters everywhere.” Coltton said, stroking his obsidian mane. ”Bah!” his friend scoffed. ”Every report of monsters ever had turned out to be aliens. Ancient aliens, sometimes. Heck, there was even one case of a sexy red-skinned ancient alien Queen!” They looked each other dead in the eyes for a moment, before throwing their arms around each other's necks, laughing and crying at the absurdity. ”But why did you seek me out, you old alien cad?” the colt asked with a grin while wiping his face clean with a hoof. ”As I said, I've been here a month, being invited to every get-together Pinkie has thrown. It got a smidgen old in the long run, so when the mailmare out there wanted to meet you, I obliged. She knew I was the best choice, as I've appeared in Ponyville as sudden as your crash. I traced your energy signature with a bit of tech I had on me, and here we are.” ”Okay then, let's go hear what she has to say.” he nodded, and the unicorn opened the door back to the main room in a flash of dark red magic enveloping it. They exited at the end of a lively conversation between the mares about the visitors from outer space. The room went silent, and the mailmare rushed up to the colt. Her wall-eyed expression met his century-old gaze, then she reverted her eyes to the floor, blushing and scraping her right front hoof on the tiles. He started with ”Ditzy --” before being interrupted by a stream of words from the nearly crying mare: ”Ooh, Doctor, I'm so sorry about all the mean words they said to you and how they made you so mad that you left, and I've been looking for you all day to say i'm sorry on their behalf and especially the scene I caused. Can you ever forgive me?” He looked at her with age-old sorrow. ”Oh, Ditzy, Ditzy, Ditzy.” he said in a calming and fatherly tone. ”Of course I forgive you, young one. Thank you for the apology, but you really didn't need to.” ”Oh, but I do! Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” ”Well, I really need a companion on my journey in this world, maybe that was something? James, old man, are you coming too?” ”I have to decline, buddy. I'm not comfortable without the luxuries of the modern world's weaponry.” ”Fair enough.” He turned to the waiting Ditzy and spoke these words of caution: ”Ditzy, my journey will be dangerous, as I am sure there is someone out to get me. I don't want to see you hurt just because you were making up for some silly incident. So I ask of you: Will you travel with me this once, on your own accord?” She swallowed hard, then nodded a bit glumly. ”In that case, young one,” he said, leaning in cofidentally. ”I'm going to say something I haven't said in a long while:” The six ponies and the little dragon looked at the alien in bewilderment, as he reared up on his hind legs and waved his front hooves in the air. ”Allons-y!” * * * The cloaked pony was reading by candlelight in the study of the ice cave, when a minion barged in. He turned from the desk, letting a winged hourglass underneath a gem-encrusted crown with three jagged spikes on his flank show in a flash of clothes before they settled. His eyes glowed orange inside the cowl. ”This better be good.” he snarled. The dark-blue pegasus bowed before the shrouded pony, cowering and stammering. ”M-my liege, he has taken a companion, as per your predictions.” ”That is good.” he boomed, smiling wickedly. The pegasus eased up, trying a weak smile, but bowed his slender body fimly to the ground and cringed in fear as his boss spoke up. ”All the pieces are set up. It's his move now.”