Doctor Whooves - The Series: Episode Three - Along Came a Spider

by Loyal2Luna

Ch. 2: A Dry Reception

Chapter 2: A Dry Reception

Intensive Care Ward, Room 7
Pranceton Plainsboro Memorial Hospital
29th of Summer, 1001 C.R. (Celestia’s Reign), 5:33 p.m.

“Said this before, I know that I did…” Zecora’s eyes narrowed on the nursemare before her, herpink mane tied up into a conservative bun, as the zebra reached a hoof up, gingerly touching the freshly replaced bandages at her neck. “I will not be made into an invalid.”

“I assure you, Miss Zecora,” Nurse Redheart pleaded, holding out a hoof with two small red and white capsules. “It will help. The side effects are--”

“Better it is, to endure the pain… than to be without a brain.”

Apple Bloom stood off to the side, her eyes moving back and forth between the concerned nurse and the stubborn, sickly zebra, confusion obvious on her face as the nurse lowered her head with a sigh, setting the two capsules on a tray next to Zecora’s bed.

“In case you change your mind…”

Zecora opened her mouth to speak, but whatever she was going to say was lost as her eyes clenched shut, wincing with a now familiar fashion while a painful spasm caused her to curl up slightly on the bed a moment before relaxing back as the wave of agony passed.

Not wanting to initiate a new argument with the nurse, Zecora nodded in compliance, biting back what was likely another remark condemning the hospital’s approach to treatment.

The medical mare then turned to Apple Bloom with a soft smile and nodded. “We’ve let your brother know that you’re here, sweetheart. I understand that he’ll be along shortly. Now, if there are any problems, dear, if you see anything wrong, you let us know, alright?”

“A’course!” Apple Bloom nodded, practically projecting a golden halo over her head as she stood up straight and proper.

With one last look of concern to her patient, the nurse walked politely out of the room, turning to close the door behind her and soundlessly walking past the observation window.

“Ya know, Ah don’t like takin’ medicine neither…” Apple Boom stated, moving to the zebra’s bedside, her eyes soft as she brought her front hooves to rest on the mattress. “But if it hurts so much, why don’tcha?”

“It is difficult to explain, my dear… But to survive this, my mind must be clear.” The zebra let out a heavy sigh, looking to the filly a moment before allowing a slight smile to grace her lips. “My outlook would be filled with gloom… without you here, Apple Bloom.”

This seemed to lift the filly’s spirits a bit. “So, um… W-what can Ah do? Ya know, ta help?”

“A game, of sorts, if you would be so kind… A back and forth to ease my mind.” The zebra nodded, before one eye suddenly clenched shut as she suppressed a grunt of pain, the glowing green veins along the side of her face almost visibly throbbing. “...Ask what you will, and I’ll answer as best I can… Though, if some things I withhold, understand I mean no harm.”

The zebra gasped, although not in pain, her eyes widening as Apple Bloom rocked back slightly with realization. “Z-Zecora... that didn’t rhyme.”

“It did not. Now there is no doubt…” The zebra brought a hoof to the left side of her head where there were no markings. “...that my time… is running out.”

“How did this happen?” Apple Bloom asked, her heart falling as she noticed the bandages that had been changed only moments ago were starting to show a splotch of green bleeding through from the wound on the zebra’s neck.

Zecora lowered her gaze a bit, looking down at the foot of her bed as she mulled over the question she had most anticipated… and dreaded. “It began on a day… far away and lonely…” the zebra began, obviously struggling for every word. “The day I saw my very first pony…”

————————
The TARDIS
-In Transit-

The door to the TARDIS swung open suddenly as the brown-coated stallion rushed in, soaking wet and dripping all over the smooth floor. Behind him, angry, unintelligible shouts could be heard as the Doctor kicked the door shut, the sound of impacts heard a few moments later as something heavy slammed into the door.

“Well, that could have gone better.” The Doctor shook his head. “Twilight, can I see that map of yours again? I think we’re a little too far north.”

“You were gone for less than two minutes…” Twilight looked up, half amused, half surprised by the Doctor’s dripping mane and panicked entrance. “What happened?”

“Apparently, we landed inside of a bathhouse.”

“How does that…?” Fluttershy started as the Doctor walked over towards the center console while he tried to shake his hooves dry and wipe some of the sand sticking to him off of his vest.

“Well, if I had to guess, I would think the bathhouse was currently catering to a sultan’s daughter… and the laws of local etiquette didn’t take kindly to my accidentally falling into her bath.” Twilight had to hide a smirk while Fluttershy’s blush practically turned her yellow fur a burnt shade of orange. “I honestly don’t think she minded so much, but the guards seemed to lack her sense of humor.”

"So we are in the Sandhara, then?” Twilight smiled smugly, glad to have been proven right in her initial assumption when they had opened the door and noticed the completely unzebra-like decorum of the storage room the TARDIS has materialized in.

“It’s hardly my fault that your cartographers take artistic liberties with their world maps.”

“Are you sure you’re not just holding the book upside down? It wouldn’t be the first time,” Twilight teased lightly.

The Doctor huffed, his ego a bit bruised, letting the comment slide as he started moving around the time rotor, focusing instead on trying to redirect the TARDIS to their desired location. So involved was he that Twilight felt more comfortable in turning back to Fluttershy, continuing their conversation from before the Doctor had burst back in.

“So, what is this ‘Ashmed’ plant?” Twilight asked curiously. “I’ve never heard of anything like it in Equestria and I don’t remember it being in the Super-Naturals book.”

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy admitted. “From what she said, it sounds like it’s poisonous and really dangerous to handle. But her father used to make a potion with it that would help her now.”

“Did she tell you anything about her dad?” Twilight asked, worried that trying to find a specific zebra in a Zebrican city was going to be like trying to find a black and white needle in a striped haystack.

“His name’s Zilaka,” Fluttershy explained to her friend, looking over to the Doctor as he started talking to the TARDIS in a rambling fashion, much of what he was saying flying right over her head. “He was some kind of potion maker. She didn’t give me many details, but from what I understand... he passed away when she was a little filly.”

“That’s it? You didn’t ask anything else?”

“I didn’t know how...” Fluttershy cringed back a bit at the perceived accusation. “I was afraid that she would get suspicious, and then I would have to tell her about the TARDIS and the Doctor after we all promised to keep it a secret.”

Twilight sighed, nodding. “I know… You’re right, I’m sorry.” The unicorn facehoofed as she tried to think over the vague information they had been given. “Okay, we can do this. We pose as explorer ponies, say we’re there to study the plant life, and try to find out where Zilaka is. Maybe we can find something to trade him for some of this potion. From what I've read, zebras were really impressed with unicorn magic back in the Reneighssance, so it should be easy enough. Probably... Hopefully."

Fluttershy perked a bit at this news, daring to hope for a moment that everything would be alright soon.

“Twilight!” the Doctor’s voice suddenly came from over the sounds of churning and humming that were coming from the TARDIS’ center console. “Remind me when we get back to Ponyville to lodge a formal complaint with -- hold on, who published this thing…? -- the Equestrian Explorers League. Any Cambridge professor worth his salt would be horrified with the egregious inaccuracies of this map!”

Twilight rolled her eyes as she looked around to the Time Pony, who was watching an image of spinning glyphs and sigils on one of the monitors, although what it told him, Twilight could only guess. “Are we going to have to stop in Prance for directions again?” the unicorn mused sarcastically, a tone that drew a slight glare from the chestnut-colored pony.

“Oh, hardy-har-har,” the Doctor replied flatly. “Alright! Here we go, take two.” With a quick flourish of his hooves drawing himself up dramatically, the Doctor made sure that he had both of the mares’ attentions before pressing down on a single apparently random button.

The TARDIS was jarred violently in reaction, sending the poor brown pony stumbling back on his hooves as he lost his balance while Twilight quickly grasped for a railing again. Fluttershy, taking a page out of Rainbow Dash’s book, pulled herself up and hovered a few inches over the floor to keep from being affected by the worst of the time machine’s erratic shaking.

Soon, with a heavy thump, the shaking stopped, a now-familiar sound ringing around them that Twilight had come to relate with the blue box’s landing and taking off.

“Okaaaay…” The Doctor untangled himself, taking a moment to get his hoofing before getting back upright and shaking his head. “She didn’t like that one little bit. Sorry about the temper-tantrum, girls, but my old TARDIS tends to get a bit… Oh, what would be the proper expression…?” The Doctor tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment as he mulled over his admittedly large vocabulary. “…ornery when she gets a feel of something she doesn’t like.” The colt moved to the center console and looked over the monitors, which continued to flash in the symbols that Twilight, in spite of what she had been told about the TARDIS’ Translation Circuit, still couldn’t comprehend. “Hmmm, we overshot the mark in the time-stream a little bit. We’re about twenty-six years before the time we left.”

“Doctor, why does the TARDIS shake like that?” Fluttershy asked, genuinely curious as she set her hooves back down on the floor and folded her wings to her sides.

“Oh… well...” The Doctor hesitated, just for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck with one hoof and drawing Twilight’s attention.

Normally he loved answering these sorts of questions, although the purple unicorn realized that this was the first time she had considered this particular point. She had just assumed that that was the way the time machine was supposed to travel, like how a boat rolled on the waves of the ocean and had to adjust for the pull of the tides. But the fact that the Time Pony seemed to grow uncomfortable immediately made Twilight reassess whether or not it was something that should have been asked sooner.

“Truth be told… she’s a bit of an older model,” the Doctor explained. “She's a Type 40 TARDIS, and by the time I departed Gallifrey last, they were already producing Type 100s. Plus, I have run her rather hard over the years; burnt out the shock absorbers long ago. Close call with a neutron star collision… long story. Never got around to replacing them. Besides, it’s more fun that way, isn't it?”

Twilight didn’t know why, but there was something about the Doctor’s smile that made her doubt this was actually the case. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, just nodded and made a small, accepting noise that replaced any words she might have had on the subject.

“Alright! So, since we were obviously off the mark last time, Twilight...” The Hourglass Stallion turned his attention to the unicorn. “What is it that we should be looking for if we’re in the right place?”

“Oh.” Twilight stood up straight, smiling as she effortlessly summoned some of the research she had done on Zecora’s homeland after she had met the zebra a year ago, walking alongside Fluttershy while the Doctor led them towards the door. “Well, Zebrica's supposed to be a particularly beautiful place. Rolling plains of golden grass that go on forever, dotted by solitary acacia trees. Since the zebra herds are nomadic in nature and don’t have the same ability to control the weather or tame nature like ponies do, they are better equipped to live off the land, and their culture reflects an admirable respect for the whims and ways of the wild.”

The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS door and pulled it open, stepping outside with Twilight and Fluttershy right behind him.

“It’s too bad we’re only here for a short visit. I would have loved to take some time to study the zebras’ shamanic magical disciplines. Zecora’s shown me a few things, like that Illustration Powder she used on Nightmare Night last year, but she admitted herself that her knowledge of that sort of magic is limited compared to--”

*crunch-crunch*

Twilight’s rambling lecture was cut off as she stepped over the threshold of the TARDIS and onto the ground, which sunk half an inch with her hoofstep and gave a distinct crunching sound as she pressed her weight down on it. Her own startled silence at hearing and feeling this was then replaced by a gasp as she looked up and past the Doctor’s flank, taking in the scene before them.

Fluttershy paused, completely speechless as her eyes widened with horror, she too fully realizing what it was they were seeing.

The TARDIS stood atop a soft rolling hill, elevating the trio a bit above the plains before them and granting a panoramic view of what Twilight was sure should have been a beautiful, natural landscape.

But instead of waves of golden grass, a muted, dull, dusty brown color dominated the ground, cracked lines creating patches of broken earth where absolutely nothing grew. The Sun, normally such a soft and comforting beacon of warmth, bore down on the dry land with a blistering, baking heat that was all but unheard of in Equestria, causing shimmering waves to rise from the ground in the distance.

Off to one side, the trio was able to take note of a deep depression in the ground that dipped in an irregular pattern that was, like the higher ground surrounding it, bone dry. It took Twilight a moment to come to the realization that the ‘depression’ must have been a lake at one time.

It wasn't as if Twilight was any stranger to arid habitats. Last year she had joined Applejack on a trip to Appleloosa and saw firsthoof the sort of environment that lay outside the jurisdiction of Equestria’s Weather Control Authorities. But the native lands of the buffalo-held Southwestern Equestrian Continent, which may have seemed barren at first glance, actually teemed with all manner of hardy flora and fauna that had adapted to the lack of rain and somewhat poorer soil.

This was something different, however... This land was not arid, or even harsh.

It was dead.

“Oh… my… Celestia…” Twilight managed, taking another set of steps, each one crunching as the topsoil broke away into dust under her hooves. “...Doctor?”

The Doctor took a deep breath, but his expression and voice remained neutral. “Well, this is just… bad timing,” he sighed. “It looks like we'v arrived right in the middle of a drought.”

“What’s a drought?” Fluttershy asked, moving up to stand alongside the Doctor’s other side as Twilight just kept looking out, unable to tear her eyes away from the ecological devastation before her.

“Really?” The Time Pony’s snarky tone shook Twilight from her stunned state, turning to glare as he started speaking. “How could you not know what a drought--”

“Doctor,” Twilight scolded before the Time Pony could (even unintentionally) undermine her winged friend’s confidence. “Pegasi are masters of weather manipulation. What you’re talking about hasn’t happened in Equestria for centuries, not since before Cloudsdale produced the first working storm cloud prototype. Heck, most towns maintain a weekly weather schedule that's posted in the daily newspaper. Most ponies have never even heard of the sort of disaster you’re talking about, unless they specifically study history.”

“Really?” The Doctor raised an eyebrow, sounding stunned and clearly impressed. “I thought that was just the weekly forecast.”

He had learned, of course, that pegasi like Rainbow Dash could indeed control the weather, moving clouds around to create rainstorms and kicking them to expel lightning bolts. But apparently he had failed to realize the extent to which the winged ponies' mastery of Equestria’s skies reached.

“No, that’s a schedule.”

“Um… I’m sorry… I don’t mean to interrupt, but…” Fluttershy’s soft voice suddenly drew the two more academically minded ponies attention. “You didn't answer my question...”

“A drought, my dear Fluttershy, is what happens when there is no precipitation for a prolonged period,” the Doctor explained. “It prevents the continual evaporation and condensation cycles from taking place, and tends to cause a complete breakdown of an ecology if prolonged.”

Fluttershy blinked a few times and then turned to Twilight.

“It means that it hasn’t rained in a long, long time, and everything’s dried out,” Twilight simplified, then thought for a moment. “Wait, Fluttershy, you’re from Cloudsdale. I could see an earth pony or even a unicorn not knowing about ancient ecological conditions, but don’t they teach that in pegasi history or at the Weather Factory?”

“Oh, I didn’t attend the advanced lessons in Flight School like Rainbow Dash did. I kind of... 'dropped out,’ remember?" Fluttershy reminded her friend. "I finished my basic education when I moved to Ponyville.”

“Oh, right…” Twilight nodded, then turned back to the more immediate concern as she scanned the area. “So, what could have caused this?”

“Well, not to get all technical...” The Doctor took in a short breath and nodded academically. “But I would say ‘a lack of rain.’”

Fluttershy blushed, obviously feeling more than slightly put down while Twilight glared at the Doctor again for his sarcastic snark, but the Time Pony, prepared this time for a reprimand, shook his head with a short huff.

“As tragic as seeing something like this always is, I think we can both agree it has nothing to do with why we are actually here. So, not to sound cross, or anything, but let’s focus on that and get back to Ponyville quickly, shall we?” The Doctor turned around, trying to get a better view of their surroundings as he moved to the other side of the TARDIS, attempting to get some bearing of where they were as Twilight followed him with her eyes.

More than slightly agitated, the unicorn suddenly moved after him while Fluttershy continued to be held in terrible awe of the devastation. “Okay, that’s it! What is your problem!?” Twilight demanded, keeping her tone low enough to keep from drawing the timid yellow pegasus into the confrontation.

“Twilight, I don’t have a--”

“No! You’ve been snappish ever since I mentioned Zecora back in the library,” the unicorn pressed. “In the past month, we’ve gone on how many of these trips together? Six? Seven? And you’ve never been like this. Even when we went into that…” Twilight grunted a bit, not caring for the memories she stirred up when she considered her first trip in the TARDIS. “…future… you were taking it all in stride. I mean, Roan, Party City, Cloudsdale; you were all for it. Enthusiastic, excited, even. But now, when there is something actually important to us at stake, you’re acting like you’re being dragged along for some chore you don’t want to do!”

The Doctor shook his head roughly and avoided the unicorn’s eyes. “I don’t like traveling with an agenda. It never ends well.” the Time Lord stated plainly. “And I also don’t appreciate having my friends hold back information from me only to exchange it in low whispers while I’m busy driving.”

Twilight cringed slightly at this accusation, but didn’t argue or deny it.

“Your friend gets sick right after meeting me, and shortly after, we find ourselves in her homeland, years earlier. Coincidence-driven events like these are the temporal equivalent of thin ice and we are skating out onto it. We know just enough to get us into trouble and not nearly enough to avoid it.”

Twilight looked up into the Time Pony’s blue eyes for a moment before she spoke again. “What did she say to you?” the unicorn asked.

Now it was the Doctor’s turn to cringe, cursing his proportionally larger eyes as they betrayed his emotions so much more clearly than a humanoid face ever could. He had no doubt that Twilight was certain she was on the right track.

“Um, Twilight...” Fluttershy’s voice could barely be heard as her wings brought her up to stand on the top of the TARDIS, looking down upon the two earthbound ponies.

“Fluttershy, we’re kinda in the middle of something.” Twilight suppressed a disgruntled sigh, already fairly sure the Doctor was going to use her interruption as an excuse to evade the question.

“The giant bird...” Fluttershy started again, her anxiety clearly showing even as the two ponies had to strain to hear her ever-lowering voice. “...the one that Apple Bloom was talking about...”

“What about it?” Twilight looked up, ignoring the curious expression of the Doctor.

“It’s...”

A sudden shadow fell over the three ponies and the blue box, sending a certain chill down Twilight’s spine that she had only felt a few times in her life. Looking up, it was a simple matter to find the culprit overhead: an enormous bird that was easily half the size of a dragon flying only a few hundred feet above them.

Then, just as suddenly as it had fallen, the shadow of the large creature passed by, the unearthly chill disappearing as the sun again bore down on them.

“...here...” Fluttershy finished with a squeak, her irises having shrunk to pinpoints against the whites of her eyes as she remained frozen in place.

Pausing only for a brief glance to her friend to make sure she wasn’t about to fall off the top of the TARDIS, Twilight quickly moved to the Doctor’s side and followed his gaze to watch the creature as it soared with an eerie majesty over the desolate plains.

“Bird of prey? No, the build is all wrong. More like a condor... or a vulture. I take it that sort of thing isn’t common in Equestria?” The Doctor’s eyes narrowed, his flat tone indicating that what the unicorn had felt had not been a product of her imagination. He had felt it too.

“Not even a little.”

The large avian’s direction of flight changed suddenly as it neared the limit of the ponies’ range of vision, the feathered creature turning into a wide angle that became a gentle curve in the air.

Fluttershy’s wings brought her to the ground as she watched with a growing anxiety. “Oh, please don’t start circling... please don’t start circling...” the timid pegasus pleaded under her breath where Twilight could only barely hear it. And there was apparently no chance that the distant creature could hear it either, as its curve came, quite literally, full circle, causing the creature to fly in a wide ring over the distant plain.

There was a moment of silence shared between the three ponies. None of them needed to ask what the significance of this was.

“I know I’m going to regret this...” the Doctor stated, gritting his teeth.

Twilight’s eyes darted to Fluttershy, who was already taking deep breaths as her innate protective instincts overrode her timidness, and then back towards the Doctor. “No, you won’t,” she replied simply.

————————

Zebrica Plains
69th of Spring, 975 C.R., 6:45 p.m.

Not a word had been spoken between the three ponies for more than half an hour since they had started their trek (or in Fluttershy’s case, extreme low-altitude flight) across the barren Zebrica plains, eight hooves and two wings kicking up a small dust trail behind them as they carried on at a quick canter.

Weighed down by saddlebags packed full with water, the run was grueling, but although Twilight had suggested traversing the distance in the TARDIS, the Doctor had vetoed the idea. Aside from citing the obvious need to preserve fuel after their previous close call in Roan, he had brought up a valid point that the appearance of a flying magic box filled with ponies would likely cause a panic among any of the native zebra in the area. It would be hard enough on the perception filter already, distracting attention from the tall blue rectangle sticking out amid the barren savanna landscape.

Although Twilight was only just beginning to develop a stitch in her flank from the continuous run, the Doctor kept himself face forward, intent on what had come into view in the distance a short time ago as they followed the shadow of the circling bird. Fluttershy, however, seemed to be having far more serious endurance problems.

“Could we please... hah... take a break now...? These bags are heavy,” Fluttershy panted, her wings beating in a slow, steady manner as she struggled to keep up with the two running ponies. The Doctor looked back up towards her over his shoulder, noting with a little annoyance how the pegasus’ hooves were nearly dragging along the ground before he acquiesced.

“Alright… I suppose we can slow down a bit, take a drink, and catch our breaths. We don’t want to be completely worn out,” he said, slowing to a trot, then a walk, as the yellow pegasus came to ground, drawing heavy breath. Twilight was also glad to slow down for a moment, looking back and realizing just how much distance they had put behind them. The TARDIS and the hill it sat on were out of view now, and the flat, dusty nature of the plains would have made it all but impossible to tell which direction they had come from were it not for the trail of hoofprints they had left in the dead ground.

She also was astonished that, in spite of the late afternoon heat, the stallion had barely broken a sweat yet. But then again, judging by some of the stories she had heard him telling Spike, it was apparent that the Doctor was quite used to running.

“The sun will set soon, but it’s still a good idea to stay hydrated,” Twilight commented, reaching back into her own satchel and withdrawing a small container she could hold in one hoof, pulling the cork open with her teeth and downing its contents quickly before adding, “I’ve read that there are places in the Buffalo Southwest and the Sandhara where the heat can sap a pony’s strength in no time flat.”

“Oh, it can do worse than that if you’re not careful. Hmmm…” The Time Pony looked up towards the bird, which continued to circle overhead as they closed in on it. “Fluttershy, Twilight told me that you’re a professional animal caretaker. Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to try and get a bit of altitude; get a closer look at this creature. We can hold onto your water pack if you--”

“Ummm, I’d really rather not, Doctor.”

“But, Fluttershy...” Twilight seemed taken aback by her friend’s reluctance. “You’re great with animals. Why wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t know, I just…” The pegasus looked upward and Twilight noted how her wings pressed a bit tighter against her side. “I have a bad feeling about it.”

“Well, that’s not a good sign.” Twilight shook her head, then turned to explain to the Doctor. “I’ve learned to trust Fluttershy’s instincts when it comes to animals. If she says it’s dangerous, then it’s really dangerous.”

“Well, it’s ignored us so far and I doubt it just hasn’t seen us. No offense, girls, but out here, you do stand out quite a bit,” the Doctor thought aloud. “And judging from the circling manner, it’s probably a scavenger. And since it hasn’t descended yet… there’s a chance we may be able to do something to--”

“Come no closer!”

“EEP!”

“WHOA!”

“Oh… hello, there.”

The sudden bellow of a deep and baritone voice all but blew over Fluttershy, the pegasus cowering behind Twilight as the lavender unicorn, taken by surprise, tried to comprehend the situation.

Less than twenty feet away from them stood a zebra stallion, his coat a dusty white with long, thin black stripes that wrapped around his body at regular intervals. He was nearly as tall as Big Macintosh, but was much leaner in build, his ribs visible through the fur as if he had not been eating well recently. Along his back, a small harness made of reeds and wicker held two short spears, although there looked to be spaces for at least four more, angled so that the stallion could easily turn his head and grasp the nearest in his teeth to pull free.

Where did he come from!? Twilight wondered.

They hadn’t seen or heard any signs of approach, and while it was true they were a bit distracted discussing the giant bird, it just didn’t seem possible that a monochromatic pony of that size could have gone unnoticed against a flat, dusty brown, perfectly lit plain. Sparing a glance behind him, Twilight realized the zebra had left no hoofprints in the ground, and even where he now stood, his weight did not break the thin, brittle layer of crunchy topsoil.

For one embarrassing moment, Twilight found herself suddenly very concerned about her weight.

“The Towiki Herd has claimed this place for the night!” the colt started again, his tone lowered and a subtle edge of concern laced with his hostility. “We have our own to tend to. We have not the time to play host to… to…” The zebra broke off as he looked between the three, his earlier outrage giving way to what sounded like fear as he realized that in spite of their similar shape, these three creatures were not zebras. “…What in the name of the Plains are you?”

“How do you do? I’m the Doctor,” the Time Pony started with a smile, bringing a hoof up to point at himself, then his companions. “My friend here with the horn is Twilight Sparkle, and the yellow mare in the fetal position here is Fluttershy.”

“We’re ponies,” Twilight quickly interjected, stepping a bit forward to cut into the Doctor’s introduction. “Explorers from the land of Equestria across the sea. We did not mean to intrude, we were just following that bird.” Twilight pointed a hoof to the sky, the zebra only taking a brief glance back.

This seemed to take the colt aback as he looked between them, clearly confused. “I know not this... ‘Equestria’... but you must certainly be strangers here, for only a foal seeks out a Roc. You should simply be grateful it passed you by this day, ponies. It seems our misfortune is your gain this night.”

“Oh, my goodness… you poor thing,” Fluttershy interrupted suddenly, pulling herself up and out from behind Twilight, her eyes glimmering with a familiar shine. “When was the last time you had something to drink?”

Any fear that she had shown before was gone in that instant, the pegasus’ wings pushing her forward in front of the zebra so quickly that the native stallion drew back a step, turning as if preparing to reach for one of his spears. Then he stopped, the hostility in his eyes fading the moment they locked on the large blue orbs of the yellow winged pony.

“A… drink…?” The zebra sounded astonished as Fluttershy turned and dipped into the saddlebag at her side, offering a corked container similar to the one Twilight had drank from only moments ago.

“Just look at your lips… They’re all dry and cracked, and your coat is so dusty!” Fluttershy commented, her voice taking on a soft and tender quality that all but disarmed the zebra as she shoved the bottle to his chest.

There was an awkward pause, the native zebra clearly unsure what to do as he looked down at the open container a moment before his eyes widened in realization.

Bringing a hoof up to balance the bottle, the zebra tilted it back quickly, pouring the clear water into his mouth with a desperate surge. Some dribbled down the corners of his mouth before his rush to gulp down the water caused him to choke up slightly, requiring Fluttershy to quickly catch the bottle she had offered him.

As the zebra recovered, Twilight caught the small smile that played on the Doctor’s lips, indicating to her that he had a plan already in mind.

“A gift for the Towiki Herd.” The Doctor shifted his back to slip his own saddlebags off to the side and then scoop them up with one leg, offering it towards the zebra with a small shake to indicate that it was filled with similar containers to the one that Fluttershy was passing back to him, allowing him to drink the rest. “Which we are more than willing to trade in exchange for a small favor. Please, take us to your leader.”

————————

With the sun rapidly falling into the west, their new guide did exactly as he was bid, leading the three ponies straight across the barren landscape and under the shadow of the circling bird.

What they found on this approach shocked Twilight and Fluttershy nearly as much as what they had witnessed as they first stepped out of the TARDIS, for it was not until they were directly on top of of their location that they saw another living thing. Completely cut off from view to anypony not at its edge, a large depression in the plains formed a bowl-like dip several dozen feet across. While it was only perhaps six hooves deep and sloped gently enough down that the three ponies were easily able to follow the young zebra colt down into it, the simple trick of the landscape had completely hidden two raggedy-looking tents, what looked like a large, overturned drum, and at least a dozen zebras that were milling and laying about, looking thirsty, hungry, and exhausted. While she had read about and knew something of the zebras from her tea time visits with Zecora, Twilight still found herself somewhat surprised at the lack of variation that there seemed to be among the natives of this land.

In Ponyville, Zecora’s striped coat was so unique, so exotic, that she had on occasion pondered what it would be like if there were many more zebras about. And the answer to that question? Confusing.

The patterns were different, but unlike the ponies, the differences were subtle and (quite literally) written in black and white. Much to her shock, Twilight realized that none of these zebras had cutie marks, a realization that sent her scholarly mind for a loop. Whereas ponies tended to stand out regardless of the situation with bright colors and identifying cutie marks, these zebras almost blended together, particularly when they started to gather into groups. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was having some difficulty telling them apart from one another.

But as strange as she found the situation, it quickly became clear that, to the inhabitants of this land, she and her friends were the strange ones. Fluttershy cringed and tried to pull herself low to the ground between the Doctor and Twilight as the trio of more brightly colored equines instantly became the center of attention for the zebra herd.

Small murmurs could be heard among those that watched on as the colt they met on the plains led the ponies towards the nearest of the two tents; some of curiosity… and others of fear.

“Wait here, travelers,” the colt said as they drew closer, waving to the ponies as he continued into the tent, the Doctor’s saddlebags still over his back.

“This is going quite well.” The Doctor smiled, nodding to Twilight, who gave a sarcastic grunt.

“Yeah, we’re not being attacked. That’s a plus.”

“Well, the day’s not over yet,” the Doctor replied, sounding far too excited over the prospect.

“Um, Doctor…? Why are they staring at us?” Fluttershy’s voice was low as she ducked her head down, practically hiding behind her hair and tail.

“Well, judging from our new friend’s reaction, I would guess they’ve never actually seen a real pony, unicorn, or pegasus before. And now all three in one day, well, that’d be enough to get anyone curious. I’d guess that they have more dire problems to deal with, but we serve as a much-needed distraction.”

Only half listening to the Doctor’s explanation, Twilight looked over the zebras that had gathered around them and gave a soft and friendly smile to one of the closer fillies, a small, wiry foal with a long, solid white mane. “Hello…”

Almost immediately, the filly was pulled back and two older zebras stood in front of her, pressed side to side as if attempting to form a striped wall.

Unbidden, a memory bubbled up in Twilight’s mind…

"No good reason!? You call protectin’ yer kin no good reason!?"

The mental image of Applejack, in a frightened panic inside Sugarcube Corner that day more than a year earlier, was nearly enough to make Twilight physically ill. That was how they were perceived by these zebras?

Considering how it felt, Twilight was developing a whole new respect for Zecora.

The sound of the rough, canvas-like material being pushed back from the tent opening snapped the unicorn from her thoughts as their guide reappeared, followed by a smaller, elder zebra mare that for some reason immediately reminded Twilight of Mayor Mare.

“Oh, good evening, Ma’am. Or Chief. Or what-have-you.” The Doctor bowed his head respectfully, while Fluttershy remained quiet at his side.

“I had hardly believed it… but it is true. Ponies, here.” The mare seemed taken aback for a moment, then nodded to the colt, who immediately darted away, drawing the attention of the crowd away from them, towards the large, overturned drum a short distance away. Pulling the saddlebag open while the zebras moved into a line at the drum, they watched eagerly as he began uncorking the bottles in the pack one after another, dumping their contents inside.

“Your gift is appreciated, pony, and it has bought you my time and tonight’s favor… although you will forgive us if we are not as hospitable as we once were. These are harsh times, resources are scarce, and trust is a commodity few among our herds can afford. And no offense is intended, but many of the herds consider your kind little more than myth,” the mare told them, drawing Twilight’s attention as Fluttershy managed to get to her hooves, watching the Doctor stand with a soft expression apparently glazed over his face. “I am Teaka, Acting Chief of what remains of the Towiki Herd. Who are you?”

What remains? Twilight didn’t like the sound of that at all.

“I am the Doctor,” the Time Pony stated, which drew a confused look from Teaka.

“The what?”

“Doctor,” the stallion stated again, genuinely surprised by the lack of recognition of the word. “You know… a Doctor. I’m sure you have those here. Every culture has them, it’s a fairly universal title. Wisema-- pony… Wisepony. Scholar. Academic. Intellectual. Healer.”

“Healer!?” Taeka’s stern, guarded demeanor fell away in an instant, looking to the stallion as if he had just turned to solid gold. “You are a healer!?”

“Well, I don’t like to brag, but… yeeaaaah, I’d say I’m pretty good.”

“Come with me!” The older zebra mare didn’t allow the Doctor to finish, nor take interest in the two other ponies as she suddenly turned and moved towards the second tent.

————————

“Twilight...” Fluttershy whispered, her eyes wide in horror as the two young mares stood at the entrance to the second tent.

“I know...” the purple unicorn answered, her own expression guarded as she took in the scene in front of her.

Laying on a cot in the center of the room, the Doctor now leaning over him with a grim expression on his snout, was a young zebra, a colt perhaps a year or two older than Apple Bloom and her little friends.

On his right hind leg, just above his fetlock, there was a green, ulcer-like wound from which radiated a throbbing, almost glowing web of veins that encompassed his leg and looked to be working up his flank. The agony the foal was in was apparent on his face as he grimaced, his fur splotchy and crusted over with dried tears as if he was unable to cry any more.

“How long has he been like this?” the Doctor demanded, examining the colt while avoiding contact with the young zebra. There was no sign of his usual, pithy self at this moment, the stallion’s intense eyes narrowed in an almost frightening determination as he studied the affliction.

“Three days,” Teaka answered. “And he is only the most recent. We have lost many of our herd to the Bite. We had hoped that he could last until we reached Thunder Drum... but his Roc already circles in the sky. Without an intervention, I fear he will not make it.”

“Twilight,” the Doctor called out, flicking a hoof forward as his sonic screwdriver extended. “I’m kind of busy... could you ask Acting Chief Teaka the obvious questions outside the tent, please? I’ll get the Cliff's Notes later. Fluttershy, I need you to see if you can scrounge up a towel, some smooth pebbles, and something with a sharp edge. The tips of that spear that our friend was carrying should do. Then get back here, I might need your assistance.”

“But... I... I only really take care of animals... I don’t know if...” Fluttershy hesitated.

“Fluttershy, a colt’s life is on the line,” the Doctor stated, his tone remaining neutral. At this, the yellow pegasus’ demeanor almost completely changed, her shoulders straightening and her trembling ceasing in an instant.

“Yes, Doctor,” she responded simply before turning and exiting into the quickly darkening dusk.

Twilight, meanwhile, looked to Teaka, who still seemed worried as the Doctor ran his alien device up and down the colt’s leg. “Silurian? No, the toxin’s not mutagenic. Similar appearance, different method of attack,” the pony mumbled under his breath while Twilight set a comforting hoof on the zebra mare’s shoulder, leading her outside.

“Trust me... he’ll figure it out,” Twilight told her. “Now, Teaka, please... tell us what is going on.”

The older zebra turned her worried expression towards Twilight, seeming to size the unicorn up for a moment as her harsh grey eyes fell into their earlier state of guarded suspicion. “Our matters are our own, pony.” Teaka shook her head, pushing the unicorn’s hoof from her shoulder and moving past Twilight and to the tent’s exit. “I thank your friend for his aid, and you may share our camp tonight. But we leave at dawn for Thunder Drum. Now is the time for rest... not talk.”

“But...”

“Twilight, don’t push her,” the Doctor said suddenly, drawing the unicorn’s attention. “She’s got the weight of her entire world on her shoulders and I have a feeling if she were not so desperate, we wouldn’t be here.”

“But isn’t she the chief? I mean, that’s what she’s supposed to do. I get that we’re strange, but we’re just trying to help. You would think she’d be grateful.” Twilight shook her head, shocked at the proverbial cold shoulder they had garnered from the zebra leader.

“That’s because you are still thinking like a pony, Twilight,” the Doctor responded, holding up his sonic screwdriver to look at it. “Cultural standards are different here. They are not looking to make friends or add to their herd. To them, we’re not guests; we're three more mouths to feed when they can barely keep themselves fed.”

“But we brought them water,” Twilight debated, still having difficulty understanding their host’s actions.

“And you didn’t stop to ask why they dumped it all into one barrel?” the Doctor replied coolly, drawing a curious stare from the unicorn. “I doubt you’ll get any information from the locals, Twilight, but you’re welcome to try. It would be nice to have some idea of what we’re dealing with.”

“But why can’t you? I mean, you’re good at getting ponies to talk.”

“Because whatever this is...” The Doctor shook his head, turning back to his work as the device cradled in his hoof-band whirred. “...it is aggressive and it’s spreading and I need to focus. The primitive setting isn’t helping, either. Now, I might be able to slow it down... but it’s going to take some time. And I’ll need you to leave your own saddlebags. I’ll need all the water I can get for this.”

“Fine, fine. I get it... Don’t disturb the Doctor,” Twilight huffed, shifting her shoulders to dislodge the saddlebags strapped along her back and feeling somewhat upset at the thought of being dismissed out of hoof.

Pausing for just a moment, Twilight’s horn ignited in a violet glow as she undid the latch on one of the satchels and pulled free a bottle for her own use, pulling it along beside her as she left her companion to his work.

Stepping out of the tent, Twilight shook her head with a grunt of frustration. He was just so frustrating sometimes! Normally, he was joking and just trying to have a good time, but now it was like he was a completely different pony. When he got that intense look in his eyes, it was like nopony knew better than he did. And considering how many times her well-read plot had been wrong today, from the state of Zebrica to the nature of the zebras themselves...

Twilight looked towards the center of the "camp" (for lack of a better word) and saw how several zebras were still lined up at the barrel in the center as she realized what the Doctor was talking about.

A large ladle had been set at the barrel, giving each zebra a measured share of the water that they had received earlier, rationing it so that each could have a bit, though not nearly enough to sate them.

“Um... H-hello?” A small voice came from Twilight’s side and for the second time that day, the unicorn jumping as a zebra had snuck up on her. This time, however, she recognized the little filly that she had tried to be friendly with earlier.

“Hi, there...” the unicorn responded.

“Ummm, my parents are asleep... so... I... I was wondering...” The young zebra dug at the ground a moment, looking both intimidated and in awe of the purple pony. “D-do you have any more water?”

Twilight’s expression softened a bit, noting how the filly was licking her dry, cracked lips... and the way her ribs were showing on her coat.

“Okay. I mean, yes.” Twilight sighed, levitating the bottle she had brought with her towards the filly. “Here you go.”

Her cringe confused Twilight for a moment before she realized: zebras were unfamiliar with unicorn magic. And watching the bottle float through the air, wrapped in a glimmering aura, was something that clearly unnerved the foal. Realizing her faux pas, Twilight brought the water bottle to her hooves, ceasing her magical grip before offering it to the filly.

Thirst obviously trumped fear as the young zebra took and drank down the contents with a frantic eagerness.

“My name is Twilight.”

“Ahhhhh...” the filly gasped with a refreshed relief as she let the empty bottle drop to the ground, a small smile on her face. “Thank you, Twilight... I’m Evoria.”

“Well, Evoria...” Twilight returned the smile, now grateful for her experience in dealing with the Cutie Mark Crusaders when it came to handling children. All it took was the right combination of words to make a young filly feel comfortable. “I’m glad you enjoyed that. Most of the zebras here are all afraid of us. But not you, right? Such a brave filly.”

Evoria’s grey eyes looked up to the unicorn, blushing slightly at the praise.

“And I bet you’re smart too...” Twilight continued.

————————
Trail of Stone-Water
Zebrica Plains
70th of Spring, 975 C.R., 8:20 a.m.

The Towiki Herd had broken their camp at first light, collapsing the tents and covering the large drum that had been filled to less than a third of its depth with the water that they had received from their strange visitors. And now they moved along the plains in what almost seemed a random direction, although it had been revealed that their destination was shared by their unexpected guests.

Fluttershy snored soundly, draped as she was over the Doctor’s back while the Hourglass Stallion walked cautiously to keep the pegasus from slipping off. Twilight was likewise tired, yawning as she put one hoof in front of the other, but being no stranger to late-night study sessions, she was managing to keep herself awake.

But her drowsy state wasn’t at all helped by the Doctor, who offhoofedly boasted to being fine without having rested at all and had been so kind as to inform her that Time Lords didn’t require much sleep. And, come to think of it, even when Twilight and her friends would retire to their rooms in the TARDIS, the Doctor would always stay present in the console room, tinkering away or monitoring the controls apparently from when they fell asleep to when they rose again.

Most of the time, she didn’t mind, finding it fascinating to discover the many subtle ways in which his species was different from her own. But now she was starting to get jealous.

However, armed with the knowledge shared by Evoria over the course of their long discussion the previous night, Twilight felt she had a much better grasp of the situation.

“Is the colt going to be alright?” Twilight asked, although she had already guessed the answer when she looked up at the sky that morning and saw the large bird had dropped in altitude, still wheeling overhead as it followed the procession of zebra, trailed by three ponies.

“He’s still in pain.” The Doctor’s tone was clipped. “I managed to use a few tricks to stem the poison’s spread, but he needs something more advanced than a circulatory reroute to prevent it from getting worse.”

“Any idea what it is?” Twilight asked, thinking better than to ask the Doctor to explain what was done.

“You mean aside from being the exact same thing your friend is suffering from?” the Doctor commented, his eyes darting towards Twilight with a hint of accusation.

Now it was Twilight’s turn to cringe. “How did...?”

“Fluttershy told me. Turns out when she gets worried she puts Pinkie to shame in the chatterbox department,” the Doctor said to Twilight. “She told me about how you found Zecora… and about the cure her father is supposed to be able to cook up. I have to say I am grateful she was so forthcoming, although it would have been better if you had said something in the tent… or back at the TARDIS.”

“I didn’t think it was a good idea, what with you being so reluctant about all of this. I thought that... maybe...”

“Maybe what?” The Doctor raised a brow, almost as if he was daring the unicorn to say what she was thinking.

“Never mind.” The unicorn waved the notion off, hoping to cut down on any more conflict with the Time Pony while she could. The last thing they needed right now was for them to be glaring at one another for the rest of the day. “I managed to get some information about what is going on around here, if you're still interested.”

“Oh? Do tell.” The Doctor allowed the subject to drop, clearly more interested in whatever answers that Twilight might have been able to dig up.

“Well, for starters, this whole drought situation isn’t new. In fact, it’s been getting steadily worse for the last few years,” Twilight launched into a steady academic lecture, summarizing what she had gathered from Evoria the night before. “According to my new zebra friend, the water holes dotting the savanna have been getting lower and lower since she was born, and when they finally ran out earlier this year, everything went from bad to worse. The zebra call it 'the Parching.'”

“Ominous...” The Doctor shook his head, looking about at the small herd of zebra that moved at a steady trot in front of them, only a few inches of space between each member of the herd. “Could be a natural phenomenon, but I doubt it. Ecological devastation on this scale usually has some sort of external factor. Alright, so where are they going?”

“Thunder Drum Mountain,” Twilight answered.

“Coincidence after coincidence...” The Doctor didn’t sound happy about this, but let Twilight continue.

“Apparently, the herd that controls the mountain has a large supply of water and have been sending out envoys to invite the independent herds to come together there. Chief Towiki was being stubborn about accepting it, even while his herd was suffering. But he passed away about a week ago and now Teaka is leading them to Thunder Drum.”

“How did the old chief die?” the Doctor asked, but then shook his head, his tone growing skeptical. “No, wait, let me guess.”

“Yeah, they call it 'the Bite.' They only started seeing it a few years ago, but it’s become a crisis in and of itself. They think it’s some sort of insect, but nopony really knows what causes it. However, they are very familiar with the symptoms: Bright green bleeding ulcers, debilitating agony, and an unquenchable thirst.”

“Sounds about right. A very strange affliction. I’m having trouble believing it’s natural,” the Doctor explained, deciding to share what he had learned as well. “The welt is just the initial infection point, but the toxin that is introduced into the system causes some sort of blood contamination and attacks nerve endings, causing pain, but no actual physical damage. The real danger is that it drains moisture from the areas infected. Dehydration; a symptom you don’t want during a drought. The thing is, I couldn’t pin down the cause. It’s almost like whatever was introduced into the system was turning the body’s own blood cells against it.”

“And Zecora?” Twilight asked worriedly.

“I’m not sure,” the Doctor answered honestly, his tone firm and even. “Even if the hospital keeps her hydrated, the pain alone might eventually reach a point that--”

“Don't you say it!” Twilight interrupted, drawing a glance from the Doctor, which caused her to withdraw a bit. “I mean… we’ll figure this out. We’ve got to.”

The Doctor sighed slightly, looking to Twilight. For a moment, she saw them: the old, sad eyes that Pinkie had pointed out back in Ponyville, which seemed so long ago, now.

He gave a small, forced smile as the Doctor’s eyes suddenly seemed to cheer up, offering some comfort to the unicorn. “Of course. You’re right,” he said, his voice far more understanding before he changed the subject, which Twilight was grateful for. “So, what’s the deal with that fellow?” The Doctor jabbed a hoof skyward, pointing out the large bird that continued to soar over them, continuing its ring-like flight. “It hasn’t come to ground at all, not once. It’s just up there… looming.” The Time Lord sighed. “It’s getting rather annoying, actually.”

“It’s called a Roc. Ar-oh-see,” Twilight explained, her tone moving from academic to skeptical. “Part of the zebras’ belief system, apparently. Evoria called it ‘the Undertaker Bird.’ I don’t know if it's magical, or even sentient, but the zebras believe that they are the escorts for the recently departed. Their appearance is practically a death sentence because they always show up to whisk a dying zebra away to their ‘afterlife.’ They circle when they're not sure if the one they're coming for is going to die or not... waiting for some sort of confirmation.”

“Oh… Well, in that case, it just went from being annoying to being downright terrifying.” The Doctor’s eyes darted upward again, although in spite of his words, he didn’t seem particularly frightened. “Probably best not to tell Fluttershy, she’s enough of a nervous wreck without hearing that we have the Grim Reaper's pet birdy hovering overhead.”

Twilight was about to ask what the Grim Reaper was, her mind immediately cast towards the monster that appeared in Ponyville during the Bloom Festival, but then stopped herself as she realized the seriousness that the chestnut-colored pony was speaking with. “Wait, don’t tell me that you believe all that stuff.” Twilight looked to the Doctor in surprise.

“You don’t?” The Doctor raised a suspicious eye again.

“Of course not. I mean, come on, a giant bird spiriting away ponies to the 'Land of the Dead’? That’s absolutely ridiculous! Not just from a scientific perspective, but from a magical standpoint as well.”

“Twilight, you believe that your Princesses raise the Sun and the Moon every dawn and dusk,” the Doctor stated flatly.

“It's not a belief.” Twilight set her hoof against her chest, closing her eyes as she finished in a solemn, absolute fashion. “I know it's true.”

“So… who’s holding up that big fireball in the sky here in Zebrica?” Twilight’s eyes sprung open as she rocked back slightly from the Doctor's insinuation. “After all, Princess Celestia is probably snoozing away in her castle right now, so does it just keep going on it’s own until she wakes up to bring it around, or what?”

After a stunned moment, her eyes dropped as she stalked alongside the Doctor in a grumpy slump. “...Shut up.”

“I’m just saying… don’t dismiss the beliefs of the locals out of ha-- hoof,” the Doctor stated. “Whether you agree with them or not, they have those beliefs for a reason and it is rarely without at least some merit.”

Twilight grunted again, looking down at her hooves as she considered the Doctor’s words. “Anyway, the old chief was stubbornly trying to keep his herd independent, regardless of the cost. Evoria even said the envoys from the herd at Thunder Drum were, quote, 'Really scary.’”

“Well, I suppose we’ll find out why… and soon,” the Doctor said, bringing Twilight’s attention up and giving the unicorn a moment to gasp.

On the distant horizon, a single lonely mountain had begun to come into view: a grey stone spire that she found difficult to believe she had been unable to see earlier. Was it some sloping quality of the plains? Some sort of illusion caused by the contour of the land that made it seem flat when it was in fact much more hilly? She wasn’t sure. All she knew for certain was that, at their rate, it wouldn’t be long until they reached the mountain and, with any luck, could set out to finding Zilaka.

The Doctor fell silent, likewise in deep thought as he took note again of the Roc, circling over the herd that had picked up pace as Thunder Drum Mountain came into view.

Under his breath, he found himself muttering to it, “Don’t even think about it…”

————————
Thunder Drum Mountain, Foothills
Zebrica Plains
11:00 a.m.

Fluttershy wasn’t used to the sort of long nights that came with tending to a patient. Even with the nap that she had managed to indulge in, carried along by the Doctor, she felt horribly drained and a little hungry.

But as she followed closely behind her two friends, the looming mountain coming into full view, she felt it would be petty to complain about her own meager worries. And so she stayed back and kept quiet, keeping her hooves just an inch or so off the ground rather than walking and making that terribly annoying crunching sound, her wings set into a soft, steady beat so that she could pantomime walking. It was a trick she had learned long ago to keep her clicking hooves from waking sleeping critters, but she also found that it helped others concentrate on more important things by keeping out of the way.

They had been kind enough to bring her up to speed, of course. Twilight was always considerate like that, explaining what was going on. But all it did was make her feel worse.

To think that these zebras had been suffering like this for so long, and that so many others had been in the same sort of pain that she had been trying to help the Doctor to treat last night was terrible. It didn’t matter that in some part of her mind she realized that this all happened before they were born. To her, it was right here, right now, right in front of them.

She wanted to help them all, but unfortunately for her it seemed, the greater concern between Twilight and the Doctor wasn’t the suffering of the zebras, but the cause of it. That seemed silly to her.

When a pony dropped a flower vase, it hardly mattered if the reason was because your hooves were slippery or the glass was wet. Getting angry or upset wasn’t going to help anything. Instead, the pony just had to get to the job of cleaning it up and trying to find somewhere else for the flowers.

That was what this felt like as she half listened to the two more academically-minded ponies talk back and forth about what had caused the Parching. From discussions on the intricacies of weather control to fears that perhaps the manipulation of plentiful rainfall in Equestria might have somehow made it harder for the unmaintained areas outside of the ponies’ home to get rain.

She would never say so, of course, but she didn’t feel that debating the issue was going to get them anywhere. Except maybe closer to that big, scary, looming mountain that was casting its shadow over them all.

Truth be told, Fluttershy never did care for mountains. They weren’t like the light-filled forests and meadows where her animal friends lived and romped free of care. Mountains were places where bigger, more ferocious sorts of creatures lived, looking down on the very things she cared for, as if they were somehow clearly better. Granted, often, it could be argued they were.

From dragons, to griffins, to quarry eels, the creatures that lived on and inside the mountainous regions of Equestria were often on a far more dangerous level than what she usually contended with. And even though she had managed (with some difficulty) to journey with her friends up the side of Dragon Mountain to deal with the grumpy, smoke-snoring adult dragon that was napping there, it was not an experience she wanted to repeat.

“What do you think, Fluttershy?”

“Huh?” Fluttershy’s introspective was suddenly interrupted as the Doctor turned to look at her over his shoulder, surprising the yellow pegasus as she assumed she had faded into the background of his in-depth discussion with Twilight.

“You’re a pegasus. I was asking if you thought it might be possible to get some clouds together and set up a small shower as a token of goodwill,” the Doctor reiterated. “We don’t want any trouble and I somehow doubt that the herd that is living here will be as accepting as the Towiki have been.”

“Oh, um...” Fluttershy cringed a bit, hiding behind her mane as she looked away, unwilling to meet the Time Pony’s eyes. “I guess we could do that, but I’m not really a weathermare... I mean, Rainbow was always good with clouds, but I don’t like bouncing on them... or kicking them... I’m not even very comfortable standing on them, really.”

The Doctor looked a bit disappointed, an expression that all but tore the timid pegasus up inside before Twilight came to her rescue.

“Well, it’s a moot point, anyway. There’s not a cloud in the sky,” the lavender unicorn stated looking up, although her eyes kept drawing back towards the enormous bird that was circling overhead.

Fluttershy wasn’t sure, but now she was wondering if perhaps the question had really been a serious plan at all, or if the two brilliant ponies were just needing to fill the silence by talking and speculating. She could understand that. Both Pinkie and Rarity had the same habit; unable to handle prolonged silence.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, preferred the quiet. Only now it seemed she wasn’t going to have any chance to enjoy it as the Doctor stopped short, squinting his eyes a bit.

“Somepony’s coming. Looks like a welcoming party.”

“Yeah, I see them too,” Twilight confirmed, though Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure what they were talking about as she really couldn’t see past them. Much to her discomfort, Twilight turned to the pegasus with a smile she had long ago learned to fear: the "Could you do me a favor?" smile.

“Fluttershy, could you fly a little higher and try to get a better look at who’s coming to meet us?”

“Oh, um... I-I guess. If you really want me to...” She herself didn’t want to, and that was for sure.

Fluttershy didn’t want to get any closer to that big, scary bird than she had to, and honestly, this whole "adventure" had been quite enough for her so far. If it were not for the fact that Zecora needed them... Fluttershy would have just as well stayed behind in the TARDIS.

But instead, against all of her instincts and desires to remain out of the way, she started beating her wings more forcefully and gained some altitude, keeping her body upright and holding a hoof over her brow to block the overbearing morning sun. She didn’t need to rise far off the ground, only about thirty feet or so, and from that vantage point she was more than able to survey for probably a dozen miles in all directions.

She could see the trail that Twilight and the Doctor were making, broken hoofprints in the dry soil, while the entire herd of Towiki zebras didn’t seem to even break through the top layer. Thunder Drum Mountain remained towering before them, and although there was not a cloud in the sky, the jagged grey stone of the mountain had a sinister feel to it that made Fluttershy imagine that there should have been dark storm clouds and scary bolts of lightning near its peak.

Closer to the base, however, was what looked like a quickly assembled town. A village of single-story huts and reed-topped roofs that looked quite ramshackle and poorly constructed -- although she would never have admitted it to the zebras that likely lived there.

From this height, she could also make out what looked like a large cave opening at the base of the mountain, and she could make out the figures of pony-shaped zebras milling about in the town, going about their business.

Finally, Fluttershy caught the small dust cloud and the trail of zebras that seemed to be heading directly their way with an obvious intent to meet the Towiki Herd head on. And she also noticed that the Towiki were speeding up from steady trot to a full gallop.

“Uhhh, Twilight... Doctor...” Fluttershy said softly, swooping down. As she reached ground level, it was obvious that both Twilight and the Doctor had noticed the sudden urgency of the herd that had been leading them all morning. “I think something’s wrong...”

“I think you’re right.” The Doctor nodded before he too began running ahead at full tilt. “Come on, girls!”

————————

Even with the short head-start they had taken, the Towiki had proven far more swift than the three ponies following them, having come to and remained at a complete stop several minutes before the Doctor, Twilight, and Fluttershy had managed to catch up. And as the trio approached the herd, they took notice of a defined change in the zebras they had met the night before, all of whom were gathered so closely together that they seemed to be right on top of one another.

As they moved around, giving the condensed herd a wide berth, they noted only one zebra they knew that had broken away in front of her tribe, speaking with seven very severe-looking zebras.

Each one sporting similar cropped manes and bobbed tails, these zebras looked far healthier, heavier, and more aggressive than their striped counterparts in the herd, their coats almost identical and giving a strange impression that perhaps the ponies were seeing some sort of mirror images.

Like the young colt they had first met, these stallions bore a back harness that held six spears each, and tied to the top of their forelegs, what looked like small reeds, although neither Twilight nor Fluttershy were entirely certain of their functions.

The Doctor, however, came to a sudden and abrupt halt, kicking up a small cloud of dust as he put out a hoof at his side, indicating for Twilight and Fluttershy to do the same.

“Ah, I see...” The Doctor smirked, directing his attention to the Towiki chieftainess.

“I am sorry, pony... but I must do what is best for my herd.” Teaka shook her head, not meeting the Doctor’s eyes.

“Wait, what?” Twilight tilted her head, echoing what Fluttershy was thinking as the two felt to be at a complete loss.

“Take your herd to the Mountain, sister,” the foremost of the larger zebras huffed, his tone harsh. “We will tend to the stripeless ones.”

“Well, there's another name I can add to my list of pony deprecations...” The Doctor shook his head, his companions still quite confused as the line of stallions moved aside, opening space for the dozen or so members of the Towiki Herd to pass by.

Twilight watched them leave, shocked that none of them turned to look at the three ponies.. save for one set of young, cool grey eyes that looked back, tinged with regret.

“Twilight... Twenty feet straight ahead,” the Doctor said under his breath, putting on a large smile. “Wait for my signal.”

“What signal?”

“Won’t be able to miss it.”

“Okay... I’m really confused... What’s going on?” Fluttershy asked, her voice cracking a bit as she looked around at the large stallions who had all turned towards the three with cold, angry eyes.

"Teaka just traded us for safe passage," the Doctor explained, lifting one hoof as he glared at the zebra stallions. "I'm guessing that these folks don't care much for outsiders."

“Indeed. You stripeless are trespassing in the Grand Kingdom of the Anasi!” the foremost of the zebra stallions barked suddenly, his tone harsh.

“The mightiest of the herds!” another continued, his voice sounding nearly identical to the first.

“The horned one and the winged one shall remain! Prizes of the Anasi!” a third, again with a nearly identical voice, chimed in as they began to move around, circling the trio as Twilight and Fluttershy turned about, setting the three ponies into a Y-like pattern.

“Okay... that voice thing is just creepy,” Twilight commented while Fluttershy swallowed nervously, a bead of cold sweat running down her snout.

“And what am I supposed to be doing, you know, since you’re planning on capturing my lovely assistants, here?” the Doctor asked, ignoring Twilight for the moment and sounding far too cheerful, given the situation.

“You shall be allowed to flee, and take word to your meager kind!” yet another zebra stated, the Doctor not even turning his head to see which, as the tone remained the same. “The Anasi will tolerate no interference in our affairs! The ponies will keep their pact!”

“Pact?” Twilight huffed in disbelief. “The Sisters’ Pact? Nopony has taken that seriously in centuries. It’s just a formality at this point.”

“The horned one is intelligent... it could be dangerous,” one of the stallions muttered to his companions.

“We do not fear its magic,” another stated. “It will obey, as they all do.”

“It!?” Twilight’s temper flared, causing her eyes to take on a menacing glare.

“Twilight...” the Doctor chided softly as the zebras all suddenly took a step forward. Their hoofsteps were perfectly coordinated, creating an impressive and disciplined motion as they moved together with a strictness that rivaled elite Royal Guard drills that Twilight had seen in Canterlot.

“You will flee, stripeless!” one of the stallions stated, more than a bit of force behind this demand.

“No, I really don’t think I will.”

“You believe you have the might to resist?” another started.

In unison, the zebras took another step towards the trio and caused Fluttershy to emit a frightened squeak as she backed up and into the Doctor, her eyes wide.

“Steady, Fluttershy. It will be alright,” the Doctor assured her.

“Oh? And why would you think that?” one of the stallions chuckled cruelly.

“Dry bread.”

All six of the zebra stallions paused, clearly confused as they all tilted their heads in unison as well.

“Ever tried to get some bread and it was just really dry and stale? Well past its shelf-life?” the Doctor continued to babble. “You pick it up and it just breaks apart and crumbles in your hoof and on your teeth. I mean, you know how you describe something like that? Crumbly and brittle.”

“You are testing our patience, pony!” one of the stallions barked, hostility apparent in his tone.

“Crumbly and brittle...” the Doctor said again, smiling.

“This is your last chance to flee, pony!”

“You know what else fits that description?” the Doctor asked, bringing one hoof up to animate his point.

There was a moment of silence.

*click*

“Look down.” The Doctor smirked and then stomped his hoof into the ground.

*Whirrrrrrr*

*VRUMMMMM-VOOM*

The sudden shock wave that rippled through the ground was easily visible, creating a wave of dust and dirt that rolled out under the zebra stallions’ hooves in all directions.

*Vrrrrmmmm-BAMPH*

The stallions flinched simultaneously as a bright flash of purple light engulfed the three ponies, causing them to vanish from sight...

*Krrriiisssshhhh*

…as the ground under their hooves gave way, forming an enormous sinkhole that sent the stallions stumbling and crashing into the newly formed depression.

*Vrrrrmmmm-BAMPH*

The three ponies reappeared just past the edge of the sinkhole that had opened up, Twilight shaking her head as she tried to reorient herself.

"Sonic pulse right into the ground. Broke down the bonds holding the topsoil together. Instant collapse of the supporting structure." The Doctor smirked victoriously.

“Can we run now? Please?” Fluttershy asked in a small voice, clearly less than thrilled about the confrontation with the stallions.

“That’s the idea.” The Doctor nodded, leading the way as Twilight followed closely behind him. “Hurry! Let’s get to the city and--”

*thwip*

“Ungh!” The Doctor staggered forwards, Fluttershy gasping as she brought both hooves to her mouth in shock and took to the air with a startled jump.

For just a moment, the Doctor stumbled, having to shift his hooves to keep his balance as both mares took notice of the down-covered dart that had impacted his rump.

“Doctor! Are you...” Twilight rushed to his side, prepared to offer aid.

*thwip*

“Unnhh...” Twilight’s eyes widened for just a moment before her shoulders slumped. Her eyes rolled to the top of her head before her legs simply gave out under her and sent her collapsing onto the ground with a flume of dust as a similar dart was lodged in her back.

The Doctor fought the effects a moment longer, his mind scrambling as he turned his head to take note of two of the zebra stallions already pulling themselves over the edge of the sinkhole. They had recovered quickly. Far more quickly than he had expected, and already, two more sets of hooves were pulling their attached warriors over the precipice of the pit.

Panting for breath, the Doctor turned with an urgent look towards Fluttershy. “Fly!” he uttered.

The yellow pegasus gasped and pulled back suddenly in the air; an action that saved her as...

*thwip-thwip*

...two more of the darts were launched, just barely missing her flank and wing.

With a terrified look back, Fluttershy saw the last of the stallions pulling themselves free of the Doctor’s trap and did the one thing that she knew to do. She panicked, rushing away in a swirling burst of yellow and pink as her wings pushed beyond their usual limit to rival those of a more practiced flier like Rainbow Dash.

The Doctor shook his head, resisting whatever chemicals had been introduced into his system as he turned towards their aggressors.

*thwip-thwip*

Two more darts buried into his shoulders and he lost feeling in his forelegs, sending him sprawling on the ground.

*thwip*

Another struck him along the ribs, and almost instantly he found breathing to be a great deal harder than it should have been while he struggled to stay upright.

*thwip*

One more dart to the neck finally brought his struggles to a halt, the pony still glaring daggers at the offending zebras until his eyes fell shut as if they had lead weights attached.

————————

“Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness!” Fluttershy panted as she darted across the ground at her top speed, tears forming in her eyes as she dove towards the huts that surrounded the base of the mountain.

What had just happened? She wasn’t even sure. They had been heading to the mountain to find a cure for their friend and then everything just fell apart. Those creepy stallions had shown up and done something to the Doctor and Twilight.

What was she supposed to do now? She considered her options.

Panic? She had already done that, and funnily enough, it was bringing her towards the big scary mountain that the creepy zebras had come from.

Find her friends? That was her immediate Plan B for most situations that she considered scary. Find a stronger, braver pony like Rainbow Dash or Applejack, or a smarter pony like Twilight to help. Even Rarity or Pinkie would be a comfort in this situation.

But this was obviously not an option, as some still calm portion of her mind (she had no idea which part that was) reminded her that she was not just in Zebrica... she was in Zebrica over twenty years in the past.

Fluttershy reached the outermost grouping of huts as her wings began to cramp suddenly, causing the yellow pegasus to wince and drop in altitude almost immediately. While it was true she could perform great bursts of speed when properly motivated, she simply wasn’t in the same league as Rainbow -- or most other pegasi, for that matter -- when it came to endurance. Her wings were more dainty and she lacked the wingpower to carry more than a sky-cart full of frogs.

Bringing herself down on her hooves and fighting off the overwhelming need to hyperventilate, Fluttershy landed with a bit less grace than she was known for.

What was she going to do? What was she going to do?

Looking around, the yellow pegasus saw nopony around and, sticking low to the ground, attempted to dart between two of the huts, looking for a proper hiding place where she could get a better grasp of her situation and try to figure out what to do next.

The sudden sound of heavy hoofsteps took her attention and caused her to give a squeak as she dove into the window of one of the huts without thinking. She landed on the other side and immediately ducked down, setting her back against the wall as she stood on her hind legs and tried to take a quick peek.

Sure enough, two zebra stallions, identical to the group they had met outside the town, were moving down the streets, their hooves touching down on the ground in a rhythmic unison as they stomped past the huts with an aura of authority. Her heart pounding in her chest, Fluttershy pulled back when one of the guards looked in her general direction, praying to Celestia that they didn’t see her. This also gave her a moment to take a look at the room which she had jumped into.

Two small rolls of cloth made up what could only jokingly be called a "bed" right in the center of the small room, which was cut off from the majority of the hut with a wall that looked like it was all molded from some sort of dusty brown blocks. A set of smooth-textured masks adorned one wall, made of wood and formed like a ghastly set of skeletal pony heads. They both had a green finish with highlights of red... and blue.

Fluttershy was taken aback for a moment. She actually recognized those.

“Um, excuse me?” Fluttershy felt something prod her cutie mark, causing her to squeal for a moment before clamping a hoof over her own mouth.

Standing before her, no older than nine or ten, was a very confused zebra filly. Her stripes, however, were much thicker and more stylized; not the black, uniform lines that she had seen on other zebra, but a lighter grey at angles that gave them more character. The "white" parts of her coat also lacked the bleached look she had seen, in favor of a brighter shade of grey than her stripes. And done up in a ridiculously large mohawk that seemed to be too large for her head, her striped mane maintained an alternating grey and bleached white pattern.

Bright blue eyes looked to the yellow pegasus, filled with a mix of shock and wonder at the creature that was before her as Fluttershy came to a sudden realization.

“...Zecora?”

“What are you doing here? I... Wait... how do you know my na-- GAH!”

The little filly was scooped up suddenly and pulled into a powerful, desperate hug as the freakish yellow equine with wings grabbed hold of her, bringing the young zebra to her chest and setting a tear-soaked cheek against her ear, making the filly cringe awkwardly.

“It’s okay, Zecora. Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright... I promise.”

————————
Intensive Care Ward, Room 7
Pranceton Plainsboro Memorial Hospital
29th of Summer, 1001 C.R., 5:46 p.m.

“What happened next?” Apple Bloom asked curiously, actually rather surprised that Zecora would bring up her first meeting with an Equestrian pony.

Zecora smiled slightly. “She grasped me close and held me tight... telling me that everything would be... alright.” She then flinched a bit as she looked towards the ceiling. Her smile faded. “Until this day, I knew not what she meant... or why it was, that her eyes were wet.”

"Who was she? Did she have a name?"

Zecora’s eyes were suddenly drawn away from the ceiling as she noticed several of the doctors and nurses rushing past her room, heading to the exit.

“Zecora?” Apple Bloom watched her friend, concern obvious in her large eyes. “What’s wrong?”

To which the zebra said nothing, simply staring blankly forwards with a look of grim foreboding. Then, she closed her eyes and lowered her head, taking a long, painful breath.

————————
Just outside

Several nurses stood just beyond the sign outside the hospital, staring up slack-jawed as two doctors came rushing out to see what the fuss was about and why it had startled several of their patients. Although their initial intent had been to scold the nurses who had left their posts, the doctors too stopped as they followed the mares’ collective gaze.

High overhead... flew the largest bird that anypony in Equestria had ever seen, its black feathers a stark contrast against the blue, late afternoon sky.

Soundlessly, the creature flew in a sickeningly slow arc... Waiting... Forming a tight circle with its flight over the hospital as its menacing shadow filled the patients inside with an unspeakable dread.

Comments

[BaelkazPony]

i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/094/056/long_neck_ceiling20110725-22047-1pspuu1.png
MUST READ.

[Loyal2Luna]

I broke a brony... Twice.
Seriously though, Longest chapter yet. I don't need to make a habit of this because let me tell you, 14k words...NOT easy.
Enjoy.

[Mr. hexabram]

Yay! Long epic fanfiction reading spree go!

Goodbye social life...

[Balancer]

That ending SOMEPONY CALL THE GUARD!!!

[BaelkazPony]

Ok, I have theories on what's going on, but I don't want to say them in the comments. Suffice it to say, Zecora called the Doctor a killer of Gods, and this Roc seems to be a ferryman to the zebra afterlife...
Also waiting for the introduction of the giant spider
Isn't Anasi the mother of all spiders in Greek myths? They're in league!

[Sonicbrony66]

Alright time to go to be-*sees new chapter*

....Well played Loyal, well played.

[dangerousDoc]

624017
You make my meager 1000 word updates look tiny in comparison.

[KeePony]

Anansi is the spider trickster god of Africa. And teller of tales.

[AppleTank]

Hooooly shit. The Doctor and Twilight got captured. That's not good. And Fluttershy's their only hope. Not to be condensending or anything, but I'm a bit worried.

Side Question: Wouldn't Zecora recognize Flutters from reappearing in two separate time periods?

[crossover4]

Alright, well here are my predictions:

The Roc isn't some type of reaper, it's some kind of alien that The Doctor hasn't met yet.

The mountain tribe worship the giant spiders and plan to sacrifice Twilight to them.

The mountain tribe also want to drink the doctor's blood under the belief it will give them some type of power.

Fluttershy will get an unwilling Zecora to come with her and try and save the others.

All in All this was and incredible update I can't wait until there's more, which i'm guessing will be (at the very least) in 3 1/2 weeks

[dangerousDoc]

624431

Well there is a possibility that she is keeping up the facade out of necessity.

But then again it's kind of canon in who to have "New Memories."

[ianmoone]

Anansi the trickster spider.

I knew that name without looking it up, an old episode of 'Gargoyles' called 'mark of the panther'. A malevolent spirit that users other so that it might grow 'fatter' as it said.

[ianmoone]

Anansi the trickster spider.

I knew that name without looking it up, an old episode of 'Gargoyles' called 'mark of the panther'. A malevolent spirit that users other so that it might grow 'fatter' as it said.624205 Your thinking of 'Arachne'

[TheAssumingMage]

The zeebra's only wanted the girls huh? I can only imagine why.
Also, can the fouth episode involve the vashta nerada pleaze

[CaptainAwesome]

I've been waiting for this for soooo long! Thank you Loyal2Luna for not disappoint.

[Cry Havoc]

Pranceton Plainsboru.... /iseewhatyoudidthar

You gonna watch the finale?

[Fulgor Ignis]

624755

On your observation: Dirty, dirty mind!!
As for your request:

iambrony.jsmart.web.id/mlp/gif/130773496041.gif

Loyal... Make it happen. Please?
DO IT FILLY!!

[Time Turner]

*Me* Working on english paper and sees that there is a new chapter to Doctor Whooves

*throws book off table and starts reading*

*Conclusion: DW > English research papers*

[2dextreem]

625429
Congratulations, Sir. You are the first person to get that reference.

[Cry Havoc]

625875
So you're a fan as well?

[BaelkazPony]

624589

Ah.
Still, it did have to do with spiders and myths, so I was kinda on the right track...
images.wikia.com/dcanimated/images/f/f1/Anansi.jpg
Static Shock, teaching kids lessons of African Gods.

[AppleTank]

Off topic: does anyone know why when I hit page 2 of the comments, I end up with the second page of all the comments?

[hanatoro]

I'm calling this now, Zecora is a half-caste

[2dextreem]

627283
Yeah. I'm also the one who came up with the idea to use that in the fic.

[Loyal2Luna]

628466
I thought it was funny

[Cry Havoc]

628567 'twas very much so, my dear.

[Liqwidice]

624431
It looks like Fluttershy is the reason Zecora sought out Ponyville in the 1st place.

[Fallen Prime]

This is me taking far too long to actually finish reading this chapter. I can't even remember when I started, but between Fan/fic/Theater 3000, proofreading, and story planning, it's taken me WAY too long. I haven't opened any other stories since, either, so my Favorites tab is clogged something awful. Who knew taking a break from it all to watch Soul Eater would actually whip me back into shape?

And this is where the shit starts getting real. Which means that over the course of the story, it can only continue amassing unholy quantities of reality. Eventually building up so much that it culminates in a shitstorm of legendary proportions. So... yeah, typical run of Doctor Who. Fucking beautiful, as always.

[ZeroRequiem]

wait.... THERE IS MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF TARDIS!?!?!?!?! WOW I gotta catch up on my Doctor Who stuff. anyway good story.

[Loyal2Luna]

681519
Yep. As I understand the canon, The Doctor's TARDIS was one of 305 Type 40's (the rest were decommissioned and replaced) and was an antique... a museum piece... when the Doctor was young. I have read some online sources that indicate the last TARDIS' grown on Gallifrey were the Type 100 'Time War' TARDIS' which were 'way' more advanced and designed specifically to fight the Daleks.
However, 'Sexy' has a certain quality that the newer models never quite grasped... She's creative, takes initiative, and most of all, like her owner, she's more than a bit mad.

[Shadow Tale]

haha I loved the House reference

[LittleSallyDigby]

“Twilight, you believe that your princesses raise the sun and the moon every dawn and dusk.” The Doctor stated flatly.

“I don’t believe…” Twilight set her hoof against her chest, closing her eyes as she finished in a solemn, absolute fashion. “I ‘know’.”

“So… who’s holding that big fireball in the sky here in Zebrica?”

Doctor, we are going to have ourselves a FIGHT. Celestia turns the world. End of story.* If she's sleeping right now, (and you really have no reason to believe that she is, her being in charge of sunrise and all,) then it's because she's already done what it takes to keep the globe spinning until she wakes up.

* Until twenty-five years or so from now, anyway, when Luna returns and can start taking up her shift again.

[arachnidsGrip]

624205
Mother of all spiders is Arachne.

[ShadyCanopy]

“Doctor, why DOES the TARDIS shake like that?” Fluttershy asked, genuinely curious as she set her hooves back down on the floor and folded her wings to her side.
“Oh… well,” The Doctor hesitated, just for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck with one hoof and drawing Twilight’s attention.
Normally he loved answering these sorts of questions, although the purple unicorn realized that this was the first time she had considered this particular point. She had just assumed that that was the way the time machine was supposed to travel, like a boat rolled on the waves of the ocean and had to adjust for the pull of the tides.
But the fact that the Time Pony seemed to grow uncomfortable immediately made Twilight reassess whether or not it was something that should have been asked sooner.
“Truth be told… she’s a bit of an ‘older’ model.” The Doctor explained. “Type 40 TARDIS.. and last models they produced were the Type 100's... Not to complain, but I have run her rather hard over the years… Burnt out the shock absorbers LONG ago... Close call with a neutron star collision… long story. Never got around to replacing them. Besides, it’s more fun that way, isn't it?.”

Oh, Doctor... someone get ponified River in there NOW!

[Sparx EmberFlame]

681783
Eeyup and if I remember correctly the young doctor...Ehmmm let's say he borrowed it.
And I don't think There's anywhere to give it back any more...

(The doctor is a thief...A very nice thief)

[BlueNinja]

‘Take us to your leader.’

*chokes on coke* Really, Doctor? Really?

[Spark Shift]

A lot of the words are missing...

[Eternal Samson]

General Kenobi