The Fantastic Adventures of Doctor Whooves: Hourglass

by The-Pony-Librarian

Chapter Six

Chapter Six
In which Colgate is very rude to a stranger and the subject of black holes is discussed

Colgate made it only ten feet down the bustling street in Canterlot before she decided there were much, much too many ponies milling about for her liking. She looked around, giving a small sigh.

If she was right, she should be around thirty two years in her past, but the architecture looked quite a bit older than that. She would have to make sure she was in the right time.

She trotted up to the nearest mare, grabbing her hoof and pulling her to the side of the street "You there" she barked "What date is it?"

"It's Wednesday...." the mare said slowly, brows furrowing "....You seem a bit young to be wandering around the city on your own. Where's your mother?"

"Date!" Colgate spat "Not day, date! What are you deaf?"

The mare blinked in surprise, before her expression turned to concern "Sweetie" She said softly, soothingly "It's okay, just calm down. Now do you know where you parents are?"

"Oh, shut up." Colgate said contemptuously, rolling her eyes "I'm thirteen, not some foal. If I was looking for my parents I certainly wouldn't need your help finding them."

"Now sweetie, I just want to hel-"

"And you can stop using that 'reserved only for lower life forms' voice too. If anything I should be using that voice on you, and trust me, 'lower life form' would be a compliment. Now would you stop blathering on about where my mother is and give me the Celestia-damned date?!"

The mare hesitated. This filly was obviously unstable....she looked over briefly to her friend who had been walking with her, widening her eyes at her and trying to silently convey her message. Her friend nodded and cantered off, and the mare turned back to blue filly, who was looking impatient. If she could just keep her occupied long enough...

"Well?" Colgate spat impatiently.

"Alright..." The mare said slowly, carefully "The month is February..."

"Yes..." Colgate said, making a little 'go on' motion with her hoof.

"It's the Twenty Second...."

"And the year?" Colgate rolled her eyes, Luna this mare was tedious....

"988 C.E."

Colgate blinked "WHAT?"

The mare's brows furrowed "Is there something wrong?"

Colgate's face contorted in rage as she hissed venemously "That stupid, feathering, blue, pile of SCRAP METAL!"
She stomped off back in the direction she came from, muttering explatives under her breath.

"Wait!" the mare called "You need to stay here-"

"Oh buck off!" Colgate growled in return, trotting in the direction of the TARDIS.

That was when the royal guards rounded the corner, beside them was the mare from earlier, pointing straight at her. Colgate's eyes widened. Those stallions were big....and worst of all, they had unknowingly cut off her path to the TARDIS.
The guards advanced.

Colgate ran.

Nearby, Twilight Sparkle was pulling herself to her hooves, shaking her head to clear the remnants of the time spell from her mind. It had been an easy enough matter to get from the library to someplace she could preform the time travel spell without arousing suspiscion, and now they should be near the same area and time as Colgate. Beside her, the Doctor stood up, wincing.

"No offense" he said "But I like traveling in the TARDIS better"

"Hey!" Twilight huffed "It was my first try....besides, you're only a little singed, and it's not like I crashed into any large objects..... unlike somepony I know"

The Doctor just stuck his tongue out at her in response, and Twilight chuckled rolling her eyes. They trotted out into the busy Canterlot main street, looking about.

"Alrighty then..." the Doctor said looking about "The path we followed wasn't quite precise, but we should be very close, both distance wise....I'd say she's almost certainly within this district of the city....and time wise too. I would be surprised if we were any we were any more than half an hour behind her...though I suppose we could be ahead of her too. Wouldn't that be odd? Anyway, back on track. We need to keep our eyes peeled, chances are she's very close."

They followed the flow of ponies, looking closely for any hint of the blue filly. The Doctor glanced to Twilight, who was looking pensive, biting her lip lightly, brows slightly furrowed.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Twilight looked up "Yeah....there's something I don't quite get. If what Colgate's planning to do would alter the past, then wouldn't we have seen the effects the minute she left in the TARDIS? Wouldn't the fact that we didn't see any effects be proof that she didn't achieve her goal?"

"Well..." the Doctor said "That's a bit difficult to say. You see, time is a bit of a finicky thing. I think the problem is that you're thinking about it too linearly, like the timeline is a single piece of string, when in reality it's more of a gigantic bundle of yarn. Like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey- Oof!"

The Doctor's extremely technical description of time was cut off abruptly as he bumped into a candy colored unicorn, hard. "Oh!" he exclaimed"So sorry!"

"It....it's fine" the mare said quickly. She looked younger than Twilight, fifteen if the Doctor had to place a guess, and was looking about the square in a panic, every frantic motion of her head causing her tricolored mane, tied back into a practical pony-tail, to bob about like a ship in high seas. She looked on the verge of tears.

The Doctor's brow furrowed "Are you alright?"

The young mare opened her mouth to answer, before closing it and simply breaking down sobbing instead.

The Doctor stepped back, startled. He winced and shifted back an forth uncomfortably on his hooves, unsure what to do.

"I'm sorry!" the mare sniffled, still crying "It's not you...it's just....I was foalsitting a filly, and I was taking her home from the park but she wandered off and I lost her in the crowd and I don't know where she is.......her parents are going to kill me!" violet eyes full of panic, the mare gave another choked little sob.

"I'm sure that you'll find her" the Doctor said comfortingly "What does she look like? Together we'll probably have a better chance of spotting her."

The mare gave a weak smile "Well, she's amythyst colored, with a blue mane. No cutie mark yet. A tiny bit shorter than average....I still don't know how she can be so fast on those little legs. You'd think she was a pegasus" the mare smiled fondly "Oh! And she'll be carrying around a doll. Light grey with a dark grey mane, and very, very worn. Celestia knows she loves the thing, it used to be her brother's, she'll barely let me take it to wash....That filly is as obsinate as a mule sometimes"
The mare was obviously fond of her lost charge, and talking about the filly seemed to calm her down a little.

"Alright..." the Doctor said, slowly, calmly "Now can you think of anyplace she might have gone? You said she was stubborn....Was there anyplace that she had wanted go but couldn't? She might have gone back it when she slipped off"

A thoughful look passed over the mare's face "Well, she wanted to go look at a birds nest in one of the trees....she's been watching it for weeks now. Keeps a little journal of observations on it even though she's barely learned to write....but we didn't have time to go there today. Maybe she went there...."

"See?" the Doctor smiled kindly "There's a start. Here, let me just grab my friend and we'll go see if we can find her...."
He trailed off, looking around. Twilight Sparkle was nowhere to be found....that was strange. The Doctor couldn't think of a reason she would have wandered off except for spotting Colgate, and surely she would have let him know. Where could she have gotten off too-

"Your mane is really fluffy mister!" Chirped a cheerful voice from near his hooves, interrupting his train of thought.

The Doctor looked down, eyes widening. Standing in front of him was a very young Twilight Sparkle, complete with unadorned flank and a grey pony doll, almost bigger than her, barely held aloft next to her by a tiny pink aura, matching that of her horn. She gave him a gap toothed smile.

Glancing quickly back to the mare, the Doctor now noticed that, along with her horn, the older unicorn also had wings, tinted slightly purple at the tips and ruffled slightly from her stress. That had to mean she was Cadence, Twilight's old foal sitter and current sister-in-law....

The Doctor gave a little blink of surprise.....well then.

"Twilight!" Cadence gasped, rushing over to the young Twilight "I was so worried!" She wrapped one of her wings around the filly in a hug.

Twilight, meanwhile, was busy chattering away at the Doctor "Your mane looks like a catepillar!" she peeped brightly, smiling happily. The Doctor gave a small smile, chuckling. Typical little kid talk.....

"A larval tiger moth to be exact!....Or possibly a southern flannel caterpillar!"

....Or...well...Typical little Twilight Sparkle talk.

"-Don't you even run away like that again!" Cadence continued lecturing

"-Or Arctiidae if you want to refer to it by it's scientific name! I can spell Arctiidae: A-R-C-T-I-I-"

"Twilight Sparkle!" Cadence's motherly tone grew slightly sharper "Are you even listening to me?"

"What Cadie?" Twilight asked, before saying matter-of-factly "Oh....nope. I was talking to the stallion with the funny mane"

Cadence gave a little eye roll and ruffled Twilight's tiny bangs fondly, before looking up at the Doctor "I'm really sorry to have taken your time, and thank you, thank you so much for helping me find Twily....Although, she more found us now that I think about it" She shook her head and chuckled at Twilight, who was talking about what she had found at the bird nest "Only five and already such a hoofull..."

At that, the little Twilight looked up to the Doctor, eyes brimming with inquisitiveness "What's your name?"

"Time Turner" the Doctor replied quickly.

"Cadie! Cadie, can we teach mister Time Turner the secret hoofshake?"

"Twilight" Cadence said patiently "We have to get home now, your parents are probably worried half to death...."

The smile that Twilight had been wearing through the whole ordeal turned into a pout as she turned the full force of her enormous, pleading lavender eyes on her sitter "B-but.....Please?"

Cadence caved "Alright, Twily. You can teach him the hoof shake"

Twilight gave a quick nod, then pivoted to face the Doctor, expression earnest.

"Alright Mister Turner. This is the Super-Special-Secret-Hoofshake. Me, Cadie, and Miss Smartypants are the only ponies in the whole, entire, world, who know it, and now I am entrusting it to you as thanks for looking after Cadie while me and Miss Smarty Pants went to go take more research notes. This is the highest honor, so guard it with your life! Now repeat after me"

The little unicorn began hopping from hoof to hoof in a little dance, chanting happily "Sunshine! Sunshine!"

She then looked up at the Doctor expectantly.

"Uhh.....Sunshine.Sunshine" he repeated.

"With the moves too!"

Chuckling, the Doctor crouched down and did the same little hopping dance as Twilight "Sunshine. Sunshine."
Nodding her approval, Twilight moved on to the next part of the hoofshake "Ladybugs awake!"

"Ladybugs awake" the Doctor parroted.

"Clap your hooves...." Twilight continued, face still dead serious.

"Clap you hooves...."

"And do a little shake!" little Twilight finished happily, waggling her rear in the air.

"Do I have to do the movement for that one?" the Doctor said slowly.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, and the Doctor sighed. Cadence gave an apologetic little shrug.

"...and do a little shake" the Doctor mimicked, grudgingly shaking his flank. He then stood up looking rather chagrinned, and trying to muster whatever dignity he had left. It was quickly forgotten though as the little Twilight threw her forelegs around his front leg in a hug and beamed at him so joyfully that he couldn't help but smile back.

With that done, Cadence gave a little wave of goodbye, and another thanks before leading Twilight away, the young unicorn talking happily to her the whole while. The Doctor watched them go, a small grin on his face. Once they were a safe distance away, he called "Sparky you can come out now!"

From out of a side alley, the nineteen year-old Twilight stepped out, mechanical wings fluffed uncertainly, and eyes wide.

"Sorry about that" she said "I saw Cadence and I knew that the younger me would probably be with her, and I didn't really know what the rules on meeting your past selves were, and I didn't want to cause a paradox or anything, so I figured I had better hide just in case...." she furrowed her brows "Why are you laughing?"

The Doctor chuckled "It's just funny hearing you talk about paradoxes and stuff right after your younger self told me my mane looks like a caterpillar..." he grinned "Bit of a strange disconnect"

"I told you your mane looks like a caterpillar?"

The Doctor nodded as they began to once again walk down the Canterlot street "You also taught me your Super-Special-Secret-Hoofshake" he smirked "You know....Sunshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

Twilight's face turned an interesting shade of red.

"Oh, come on!" the Doctor said brightly "Don't be embarrassed. It's a honor! After all.....you, me, Cadie, and Miss Smarty Pants are the only ponies in the whole entire world who know it. I think you even said something about guarding it with my life"

"Doctor!" Twilight snapped.

"Oh, alright, alright. I'll stop" the Doctor relented "It was pretty adorable though. You don't remember it at all?"

Twilight thought hard "Nope....but then again, I don't remember much from when I was that young"

"Who knows" The Doctor sniggered "maybe you imprinted on me like a baby bird and that's the reason why you put up with all my antics"

Twilight rolled her eyes.

"You know, I thought you had said you weren't very social as a filly Sparky..." The Doctor continued looking thoughtful "You were certainly very talkative with me and Cadence"

"I was fine talking to adults, or older ponies like Cadence and Shining" Twilight explained "It was just other fillies and colts I didn't like....or more like they didn't like me"

The Doctor tilted his head "How so?"

"Well..." Twilight said slowly "I think I came across as a bit of a know at all. I mean, It's not like I was trying to rub my knowledge in anyone's face or anything, I just liked learning, but that didn't change the fact that I liked talking about science and literature and history and all the other filly's and colts....didn't. I was kind of ostracized." She shrugged "Eventually I just gave up, all getting upset about it did was earn me the nickname 'Crylight Sparkle', so I just read my books and told myself that I didn't need friends"

"Crylight Sparkle?" the Doctor shook his head "Well isn't that typical of little kids. They always go for the insulting nicknames..."

Twilight's shoulder's slumped "Actually....that was when I was fifteen. Moondancer got the whole school to call me that for over a year" she sighed "and that was just what they said to my face."

The Doctor paused for a moment "What did you say that pony's name was again?"

Twilight blinked "Moondancer, why?"

"Oh nothing..." the Doctor sang innocently, before smirking at her "Just for my mental list of ponies to chuck into black holes at the nearest possible opportunity"

"Doctor!" Twilight yelped, looking shocked.

"Oh relax, Sparky. I'm only teasing" The Doctor grinned "Besides, it made you feel better didn't it?"

Twilight gave a chuckle, a small smile tugging at her lips "Maybe a little" she conceded, before giggling "Out of curiosity, how would you go about that anyways? Is there some sort of formal address or something?"

The Doctor burst out laughing, before saying, in a mock official tone "Miss Moondancer,would you please step into the blue box for immediate black hole depositation? Thank you" he looked to Twilight "Too pompous? Still, better than what the TARDIS manual got, I just opened the doors and threw as hard as I could"

Twilight guffawed, exclaiming incredulously "You threw the TARDIS manual into a black hole?"

"What?" the Doctor said defensively "I disagreed with it"

Twilight facehoofed, before looking thoughtful "Well, maybe that's a good thing. Wouldn't want Colgate getting her hooves on it after all."

"Maybe....but in all honestly it probably would have hindered more than it helped. I'm telling you, the thing was rubbish"

"If you say so" Twilight grinned, giving the Doctor a playful nudge with her shoulder "But dropping it in a black hole still seems like overkill"

"Oi!" the Doctor said defensivly "I tried getting rid of it other ways, but it would always just reappear. In the most inconvenient places too! One time I took a nap, and next thing I knew It was lying open on my face!"

So you're saying Moondancer, the petty high school mean-mare, is on the same level as the face-attacking book that won't go away?"
The Doctor shrugged "Well I could always write her a sternly worded letter if the black hole isn't your style. Tsk-Tsk, shame on you, etcetera"
"It would be pretty hilarious to see the look on her face reading an admonishing letter from an alien time traveler, but I'll have to decline." Twilight laughed "Besides, as far as school jerks spectrum goes, she definitely wasn't bad as some others I know of. Did you know that poor Flutters was called "Butt-Turd-Shy" during her entire four years in flight school?"

The Doctor blinked "Poor Fluttershy..."

"I know right?" Twilight said "But she had Rainbow Dash to help her out though, so that made it a little better"
The unicorn chuckled darkly "Trust me, when you messed with Fluttershy and Dash was around, you would get much worse than being chucked into a black hol-"

Twilight cut off sharply as a small flash of blue shot past them, heading in the opposite direction, followed by many, much larger flashes of white and gold. She blinked "Was that just..."

"Colgate being chased by about twenty royal guards?" the Doctor finished

"So I'm not going crazy...." Twilight said slowly, then "What do we do now?"

"Follow them of course!" the Doctor said brightly, galloping after them "Tally ho, Sparky!"

Comments

[thetravelingman]

butt-turd-shy

i don't know if i should feel sorry or laugh

[AtTheCrimsonFckr]

3035606 Both.

[Derpsterette]

better than what the TARDIS manual got, I just opened the doors and threw as hard as I could"

Twilight guffawed, exclaiming incredulously "You threw the TARDIS manual into a black hole?"

"What?" the Doctor said defensively "I disagreed with it"

1:38 - 2:08