I Spy With My Little Eye

by Theorak

Combined

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had grown silent, they could only follow their teacher, didn't want to risk more punishment after their recent display. Derpy was still dizzied from the strong magical outburst and complained about a piercing headache. As they approached their group in the crowd, her face cleared up a bit.

“For what is the stage?” Derpy asked, “Do we celebrate something?”

Apple Bloom gave her a confused look, “It is Summer Sun Celebration, didn't you know?”

“Hmm, Dinky said something like that,” said Derpy as she tried to remember.

“The princess raises the sun for the longest day in the year! Everypony must have seen this!” Sweetie Belle pointed out.

Derpy looked around, “Huh, I never did.”

“WHAT?” the Crusaders asked united.

“Why didn't you come with Dinky then?” Scootaloo pressed on.

As her fellow Crusaders gave Scootaloo angry looks, Derpy backed up and nervously rubbed her hooves together.

“I had to … “ She stammered, “I know I shouldn't leave her, but I …“ the pause caught the fillies attention.

“I couln't leave him either.” Derpy closed, looking up and hoping for a response of understatement.

---

“Brilliant!” the Doctor shouted, “Alchemy beats natural laws once again, ha ha, I love this country!”

Dinky stared confused on the cheering stallion. What is he so happy about?

“Should I go home now?” she asked, “you know, since I ruined everything?”.

“What?” No! Please, I need you now! I mean, your mother wanted to help me fix this here.” He pointed to the blue box that rested between the massive cables in the laboratory. “It may help fixing your problem as well!”

“How can that box help me?” she had to ask even more confused.

The Doctor put on an amused smile, “Oh, It will let us return to your mother by altering time and space lines, while breaking scientific rules of this land again and reaching her just in time before she notices you are gone and even before the sunset.”

“What ever you said, but I would try anything to get back to her!” Dinky said with a smile.

He trotted over to the mail and boxes he got from Derpy earlier this afternoon, opened the biggest one and pulled out a big light bulb.

“Would you please place this on the top of the machine?”

Dinky reached for it and flew awkwardly slow to the ceiling, as she tried to get used to her wings, “What is it for?”

“Nothing specific, but utterly important.” he said with an academic tone.

“Ha ha, you're making no sense again!” she replied from the top of the blue box.

As the dawn nears, the grey pegasus and the stallion worked on the mysterious machine. The technical details where still confusing for Dinky, the Doctor tried his best to explain, but that didn't help Dinky much.

“This is a container, temporally, for it seems it can only run with lots of 'magic' here.” he paused to take breath, “Soooo, Twilight helped me to deposit magical energy in this container, difficult procedure and expensive, it's made of gemstones as you sure have noticed.”

Dinky flew beside him with a questioning face, “Twilight helped you a lot, didn't she?”

The stallion stopped in motion to his desk before turning his head to her.
“Yes, most things wouldn't run without her.” He turned back to his unfinished task, as it slowly came to his mind.

“NO! It's nothing like that!” he yelled instantly, “Nothing would have worked without your mother!”
“You smart brat, happy now?”

Dinky bursted out laughing, “Yeah, you're funny. Why didn't you invite her earlier?”

The Doctor blushed and turned to the desk, “I couldn't, she couldn't follow me when I'm leaving.”

The pegasus flipped mid-air over and stared at him with panic.
“What? You're leaving? When? Where to?”

He made a contritely face and answered calmly, “That is more difficult to explain, but don't worry I wont leave so soon. Sometime in future, the right moment so to speak, but I'm definitely gone then and no one, I mean no-pony, can follow me.”

“OK, so this explains everything?” she tried to catch his look as he turned away, “you can't go with mum because you sometime, anytime, could have to leave her. Fine, then what exactly was she helping you with? Building your escape ship?”

Silence filled the room and after some unbearable long seconds, The Doctor turned around to the pegasus with a smile on his face.

“You know, you're the first who called my blue box a ship.” He reached into the last box from the mail and pulled out a small key, shaped out of a diamond. “I'll show you what this ship can do and then you'll maybe understand.”

---

They where on tour for more than four hours now and the train only slowly made it's way across the country. Fillydelphia was some miles away from Ponyville and the adventurous fillies couldn't stand the deadly boredom that comes with long and slow travels.

“You know, they should let some pegasi carry a giant kite to get many ponies quickly from town to town!” Scootaloo suggested to her friends.

“Sure when pigs can fly.” Apple Bloom said, shaking her head.

“They can fly if you lift them with magic!” Scootaloo insisted, “Besides what's against mass teleport Sweetie Belle?”

The addressed white unicorn sighted before she responded, “Even Twilight couldn't do that! Magic is to be used for delicate matters, not simply transport for everypony.”

“Oh, you going fancy now with your magic? Sweet and elite tricks for only the great and powerful?” the orange pegasus picked on.

The purple friend of the Crusaders appeared beside Sweetie Belle.

“You know it hurts.” Dinky said with a stressed face, “I, mean physically, magic is not easy to deal with.”

Scootaloo stepped back, “OK, sorry, didn't know that.”

Apple Bloom looked closer at their friend.
“You look terrible you know? Did you, ...” she paused to make sure, “... cry?”

Dinky instantly wiped her face with her hooves and shook her head.
“Yes, but it's alright. I just had a bad headache again.”

“Again?” Sweetie Belle asked worried, “You know that this can cause magical exploits. My sister has gone mad when I ripped three of her dresses with a single stroke apart!”

“That was on purpose” Scootaloo had to bring up.

“No! This was no fun!” the with unicorn replied shouting.

Dinky turned around and trotted to the neighboring compartment.
“If anypony needs me, I'll try to survive this trip without any exploits. Crying and sleeping”

Shortly after she left to the corridor, the Cutie Mark Crusaders heard a familiar voice loudly arguing.
Quickly they trotted out look.

“Oh, and your mum missed, to give you a tent? How sad, I would cry, but you cried for both of us today.”

“Tiara!” Apple Bloom shouted at the posing pink pony, “let Dinky alone, she doesn't need your nonsense now!”

“I think she would tell me her self if it would be that way, or won't you BINKY?.” Diamond Tiara responded lightly.

“If you want it …” Dinky slowly spoke up.

Scootaloo cut her off, “No, we will stand up for her and you'll have a problem with us, Tiara!”

“Now, that's nonsense, my Dad is here you know!” with a wink to Dinky the pink pony continued, “unlike other parents, he cares for me.”

Apple Bloom set up for a response, but was interrupted by a loud cranking sound followed by her friends stumbling over her as they all fell forwards. Only Dinky hold herself on a handle and pointed after Diamond Tiara who fell along the length of the corridor.

“I don't want to talk with you right now!” Dinky shouted after her.

With shock the Crusaders realized the magic aura flowing around their friend. They also saw the purple light shining through the trains small windows, illuminating the hall.
And the train stood still.

---

Derpy listened to the Crusaders tale with growing sadness, as they finished she bursted out in tears.
Her thoughts slowly rambled over her memories and the pictures put in her head, she could find Dinky more parted from her than ever before.

How could I leave leave her? What have I done?
I should have been there for her.
She needs me now more than ever.

“You OK, Derpy?” Apple Bloom asked.

The purple unicorn got up and swept her face.
“When will we back to Ponyville?”

“Uh, that might take a while“ Sweetie Belle said, ”we've to stay here till lunch and the return trip will take us five hours again.”

“Come on, you can watch the sunrise with us, that will cheer you up!” Scootaloo suggested.

Apple Bloom took Derpy's hoof and pulled her closer to the stage.
“Yeah, this is really magical if you never saw it before!”

The sky has already lightened up with beginning dawn and the stage with the hemispherical sun symbol casted a long shadow across the eagerly waiting crowd. And then finally the princes stepped forward, smiling with her mane flowing around her head. Starting out small, a the magical aura around her horn began glowing and as she leaped to hover up to float in the circle The aura grew larger with blinding bright. The sun raised quicker than normal and the princess casted an orange shadow. Everypony cheered in joy, as the light filled the fields, shone upon their faces. Derpy's tears went dry and she could only smile, enthralled by the beautiful gift the princess shared with all of them.

---

“So when ever you make no sense, you're also most serious?” Dinky had to press on.

The Doctor sighted with a beginning sign of despair across his face.
“Would you just believe me if I can safe the day and then be out of your mind?”

“That sounds fair!“ Dinky hopped to the console in the middle of the ship. “I already checked the magical container. I couldn't help but notice that Twilight failed her calculation, the energy will only last for a short trip, we maybe won't make it to Fillydelphia.”

“How can you know that?” the brown stallion turned to her surprised, “I think it's enough for more than just ...”

Dinky cut him of, “I'm normally a unicorn you remember? And I can still kind of feel the energy we got here. We better don't try to travel with time, but you know, just getting there is more than enaugh.”

“OK, then chief!” The Doctor grabbed a seemingly random lever on the console, “Off we go! Fast forwards, not backwards!”

The lever went down with a creaking sound and the console glowed in lights of yellow, green and blue. Dinky could feel how the energy flowed through the chamber, wondering as a loud screeching sound seemed to come from everywhere around her. The ground shook, the ship swayed from side to side, never standing still. Until everything stopped suddenly with a last loud cracking sound.

The purple unicorn enjoyed the warm light on her face, she had even closed her eyes to embrace the feeling fully. And instantly opened them again as a cold shadow fell over her. The silhouette of the princess has replaced with a big rectangular shadow hovering in mid air.

“Nooo, do they have to censor everything?” Apple Bloom shouted with anger.

Scootaloo gave her a confused stare, “Who ever 'they' are, can they just spawn boxes in the air?”

“Now that's some magical trick!” Sweetie Belle had to admit.

The fillies could overcome their surprise and could take a closer look at the box hovering in mid-air. It had glowing light bulb on top and 'POLICE BOX' was written right above the door, which had small windows they couldn't see through. Everypony let out a loud gasp as the door quickly flew open and a grey pegasus appeared in it.

“MUM!” she shouted searching the familiar face in the crowd.

“DINKY!” she could hear the response from a purple unicorn in the front of the stage.

Their glances caught each other and their eyes widened. Suddenly both fell to the ground, instantly falling unconscious. The Doctor showed up in the door, worried looking after the pegasus who got caught by a dark pink pony rushing in front of the stage.

“Danger. Energy low.” Twilights voice calmly sounded from the console in the box.

One crack and the blue box followed to the ground, crashing through the planks of the stage.

A long silence took hold of everypony, the princess landed slowly and waited for any response from the hole in the stage.

“Brilliant! It worked!” The Doctor shouted, crawling on the stage. “Oh, my greetings princess.”

Their leader unamused overviewed the mess, but kindly responded to the strange stallions entrance.
“Teleporting without a unicorn is quite impressive, but why do you have to land in our ceremony?”

“Hey, that's complicated, but majorly because that filly dressed as her mother wanted to return to her and vice versa.” he pointed at the grey pegasus.
“I'm The Doctor by the way, at your service my lady.”

Dinky quickly ran to her mother as Cheerelie let her go. The schoolteacher stepped forward and invitingly led them to the princess.

“I see you have your point,” said the Princess, addressing to Cheerelie she continued, “please bring these two to me backstage. And you – Doctor,“ she turned to him, “you help the guards removing this mess.”

---

They all gathered in the royal tent, Dinky, Derpy, Cheerelie and of curse, the Princess. Dinky was the first to speak up after the depressing silence that followed their explanations.

“I'm really sorry it went out that bad. I didn't know The Doctor before, but he was my only chance to get back to mum.” She took a breath and continued, “but I'm also sorry I so selfishly tried to reach my mother without asking for help.”

“I'm also sorry for my daughter, I shouldn't have left her alone in the first place.” Derpy wrapped one of her wings around Dinky. “Please don't let it be her fault.”

The Princess put on a smile and stepped closer.
“It wasn't your fault either,“ she said calmly “your daughter is still growing up and learning, just don't forget that she also needs to learn from you.”
She turned to the exit and opened it, The Doctor entered and stood by Dinky and her mum.
“This fine colt will accompany you back to Ponyville now.” the princess finished.

All but Cheerelie were confused by this order and the teacher calmed the other ponies down.
“Zecora needs to replace her missing Ingredients from her hut back home.” she pointed at The Doctor, “I bet you can do that in no time.”

The brown stallion smiled and rose a hoof to his head.
“Of curse, ma'am!”

---

“Tardis?” Derpy said amused, looking around the chamber, “I think a strange name fits for a strange place. I mean, you know it looked smaller from the outside?”

Dinky hopped around her and cheerful answered, “Of curse, we know! It's an illusion spell. The Doctor says it could work with science, but for now, he needs me!”

The named stallion trotted to the console and invitingly bowed to Dinky.
“She-who-understands-the-magic-of-the-Tardis, would she power it up?”

Dinky blushed and jumped to the console, beginning to draw magic from her horn and filling the room with light. Her mum looked worried after her and The Doctor caught her glance.

“No worry my dear,“ he said. “Against all odds she seems to doesn't have any trouble or pain when operating the Tardis.”

“I can see where we are going!” Dinky shouted and bowed closer to the console.

As the mix of magic lights increased around them, a white blink scurried over her flank and the image of a small diamond key appeared.

---

Thanks again to all pre-readers, likers and you, the readers who give my story a try, even when it was messy and kind of "beta". I'm really grateful for all your support and critique. I want to celebrate now, with a song that inspired me while writing.Weezer - Put me back together (YTLink)

Comments

[Path_of_cloud]

Alchemy is science.

[Theorak]

763734
I just knew there was something worringly stupid about that expression. I think I got a good compromise now.

[Path_of_cloud]

Alchemy is a combination of natural law, science, and magic. Alchemy now a days is largely used to create medicine, although without the idea of magic.

[Theorak]

764035
Seems legit, but as alchemy has evolved from the idea of braking natural laws (eg. turning stone to gold), thus beating modern chemestry, I'm happy now.

[Path_of_cloud]

767561 That form of Alchemy is derived from the idea of breaking down the natural elements and transmuting them into a different form but it still had to follow natural law. Which is why it never worked for turning lead to gold.