Zero Room

by FiveyWhooves

Ditzy, What's Going On?!

It was getting extremely late at night, and seemingly for hours Luna had been decorating the skies with more and more of the brilliant stars in her collection. A lovely sight, really, only Ditzy Doo was too tired to notice it. She was looking for more than the stars. . .she was looking for the pony who would take her to those stars.

It had been since the night before the Doctor(10) went missing, and all that morning Ditzy had searched the south side of Ponyville, all the way to Zecora's house, and that evening she had searched all along the north side, up by the train station. She half expected him to be there, actually. There was one day when he ran off and tried to drive the train all across Equestria, but the engineers sadly told Ditzy that he didn't even appear near the station.

Ditzy was about to give up, when she decided to go to one more place. She trotted into the middle of Ponyville and tapped on the door of Princess Twilight's library.

"Hello?" asked the alicorn as she hastily opened the door. Ditzy saw the rushed look on the Princess's face and rethought about coming.

"So sorry to bother you, your highness," Ditzy revered awkwardly.

"Please, you don't have to call me that, I'm just Twilight," the alicorn said. She turned her head. "Spike! And don't forget the dustpan! It's upstairs!" She turned back to Ditzy. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, not if you're busy with your duties," said Ditzy. "I mean, it is important-"

"Come on in, then!" welcomed Twilight as she extended a wing and stepped aside for Ditzy to walk in. "I'm not busy. Pinkie just had a party and before it's over I thought I'd come over here to pick up some things to help her clean up afterwards."

"Pinkie needs that many cleaning products?"

"Somewhat," Twilight cleared. "One because I suppose the Cakes have two foals to look after, which in itself is hard, but also because the couple doesn't want Pinkie around inanimate objects often. . .it's a long story. But I also have the best cleaning products possible, and I told the Cakes I would help them with that-" The alicorn perked an ear up and listened for Spike's voice trailing down the stairs.

"What?" she replied. "No! It's not in the fiction section of the library it's in my room!" Twilight looked back to Ditzy.

"Sorry."

"Oh no, it's okay," waved Ditzy. "I don't want to get in your business."

"It's fine, Spike will find the dustpan eventually," said Twilight. She trot over to a table to pick up a feather duster and put it in a saddlebag. "So what's bothering you? Is it something with the Equestrian Postal Service, because I just found out four weeks ago that I can actually make laws with that."

"No, the EPS is doing just fine," said Ditzy.

"It isn't that name-calling business again, is it?" asked Twilight. "I mean, I can't make laws on that, Celestia grants freedom of speech, but I can make an appearance or start a rally on it or-"

"No, nothing like that at all!" said Ditzy. "In fact, I haven't heard the word 'Derpy' being thrown around in months."

"Then what's wrong?"

"It's. . .well it's the Doctor," said Ditzy. "You remember him, don't you?" Twilight picked up a broom nearby.

"How can I not?" she asked. "I mean, it was three months ago I talked to him last and the three of us went to Equestria 1000 years ago. But every once in a while I see him running around Ponyville. Why? Is he in trouble with the Dallerts-"

"Daleks."

"Right, Daleks? It's not those is it?"

"No. I'm afraid I don't really know," said Ditzy. "Last night he vanished, and all day I've searched Ponyville and couldn't find him anywhere!"

"Hm. . .that's weird," said Twilight, putting the broom. "You haven't seen his TARDIS or anything?"

"His TARDIS has been sitting in my house."

"Even weirder," said Twilight. "It's not like he would just run away like that. He didn't go near the Everfree Forrest or Diamond Dog country?"

"No, he just. . .vanished!" said Ditzy.

"Well, as I said, I haven't heard from him in months. Occasionally I hear a pony or two talking about him in the street."

"Did you hear anything today?" asked Ditzy. Twilight held a hoof to her face.

"Actually, I did," Twilight remembered. "But of course very vaguely. It's not like I eavesdrop on other ponies. Plus, they could've been talking about a medical doctor."

"What did they say?" asked Ditzy eagerly.

"I don't remember all of it, but today I was at the Daytime Spa with my friends and these two mares came in having some conversation with the word 'doctor' in it. I could've sworn that I heard them say 'TARDIS' but. . .what do I know? The weird thing, though, is that I had never seen them around before. . ." Twilight started to ramble. "and they got in with Rarity's passes. They could've been some type of fashion friends of hers. I don't know. I saw them both at Pinkie's party, I never got to talk to them though. . ."

"Hold on," said Ditzy. "What did these two mares look like?"

"One had a short purple mane, her cutie mark was something like golden wings. The other was younger, probably as old as your daughter Amethyst is, had a dark curly mane and a cutie mark of. . .something." Ditzy's mouth widened.

"And they were at Rarity's?!" she asked.

"I don't know, they could've been."

"But I went to Rarity's today and nopony was there," Ditzy said aloud to herself. "Just Rarity making outfits for three ponies, she said. . ." Suddenly Ditzy's expression made her look like a brick fell on her head.

"Oh my Celestia!" she exhaled.

"What?!" asked Twilight. "What's wrong?"

"OH MY CELESTIA!" Ditzy exclaimed louder.

"Here's your dustpan," Spike told Twilight as he entered the room and the conversation. He looked at Ditzy's expression. "Uh. . .what's up with her?"

"What's wrong, Ditzy?" asked Twilight with concern.

"I think I may have found the Doctor," she said. "But not the Doctor. . .a clue to the Doctor, the other Doctor that's probably the Doctor. . ." Twilight gave a puzzled look.

"It's a long and confusing story," explained Ditzy. "I should probably get going-"

"Isn't the Doctor the stallion with the hourglass cutie mark?" asked Spike. Twilight shushed him.

"Yes, I told you that, but that's not important right now," said the mare.

"Oh, 'cause I just saw him this morning," said Spike. Ditzy froze. Twilight's eyes widened.

"WHAT?!" they both yelled as they faced the dragon.

"Yeah, he made a mess of the North Wing too," Spike grumpily added.

"The Doctor was here and you didn't tell me about it?" asked Twilight angrily.

"Hey, it's not like I knew anypony was looking for him!"

"Are you sure it was the Doctor, though?" asked Ditzy.

"Yeah," said Spike. "Like I said, he had an hourglass cutie mark. . .weird accent. . .blonde mane. . ."

"The Doctor has a brunette mane," corrected Ditzy.

"Look, the only thing Twilight ever told me about him was what his cutie mark looked like, so I went off of that!" Spike pouted. "He also had Rarity's saddlebag which makes me wonder. . ." Ditzy instantly sat down, her eyes wide and her mind reeling. Twilight showed the mare her concern.

"What's wrong?" asked the alicorn. Ditzy shook her head, her eyes still wide.

"This doesn't make any sense. . ." she muttered. "It does. . .but it doesn't. . .but it's all so confusing. . ."

"Maybe we can help you," said Twilight. "Just tell us what the matter is."

"No, it's not even the Doctor missing anymore. . .it's the other Doctor. . ."

"The other Doctor?" asked Twilight.

"There's another one?" said Spike.

"Yes. . . .no!" said Ditzy. "I don't know!" She stood up. "I don't know what to do, but I think I know where to go." She looked at Twilight. "Pinkie's 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. . .how many ponies is she greeting?"

"Two," said Twilight. "Oh no wait. . .I think there was a third one that showed up." Ditzy's face was shocked, but she found what she needed to do next. The pegasus dashed for the door.

"Wait!" shouted Twilight. "You didn't tell me what's wrong!"

"I'm sorry, I have to go! Maybe I can explain it later when it's less. . .weird!"

"We can sit down and try to understand!" said Twilight.

"I'm afraid I don't have the time!" Ditzy shouted back to the library. The mare then spread her wings and jumped into the air, flying southbound. Twilight just watched, her face twisted with confusion.

"I don't. . .what's going on?" Spike asked Twilight when Ditzy was gone.

"I have no idea," said Twilight. "But at least she seems to have an idea of what's going on."

"We're not going to help?"

"I don't see what we can do," Twilight sighed. "Spike, did you get the cleaning rags I asked you to get?"

"You told me to get the dustpan!"

"Well, I need the rags too!"

"Ugh!"

* * *

Tegan was tired, and she made sure the Doctor(5) knew that.

"I don't understand why we have to keep trudging through the night like this," she complained. She, Nyssa, and the Doctor were all walking away from Sugarcube Corner as the night became stronger and as the party dimmed down to a few ponies who decided to stick around for extended conversation. The Doctor, however, was very determined to find his TARDIS, or at least get a bigger picture on what the deal was with the other incarnation of himself that was roaming around Ponyville. Bottom line, he wanted to do something productive to help their situation. . .and he really wanted his TARDIS back more than anything.

"We can't spend too much time resting, we've already spent it all on the party and frankly, I'd like to get a clue on what's going on around here," he responded.

"But I'm exhausted," Tegan sighed.

"And besides, the party wasn't a waste at all," Nyssa added. "All of the ponies from around were there, and we asked a good deal of them about the other Doctor, and the information they had wasn't the kind we were looking for. None of the ponies knew the other Doctor enough to know who exactly he is or where he came from."

"That's why we need to keep looking!" said the Doctor, bouncing on his hooves.

"Doctor," Nyssa scolded. "I know this is very important but so our rest. We can think better after a night's sleep." The Doctor stopped to see the young mare look straight at him in the eye. Tegan was standing behind her, basically about to slop over right there and sleep. The Doctor himself was full of energy at that point (Timelords, ahem, Timeponies requiring very minimal sleep to function), however, Nyssa was right. He still had to look out for his companions.

"Well all right, I suppose that wouldn't hurt," he replied. "After all, maybe Tegan will feel better tomorrow. . .or maybe she'll just be herself as always-"

Tegan gave the Doctor a glare. He smirked and scrunched his nose.

"Then it's settled," said Nyssa, glad as always to keep peace in the small things. "All we need now is to find a place-"

"Ya'll have a nice night!" The three turned to see the pony Applejack leaving Sugarcube Corner, waving her hoof to the trio. She started to trot home for the night, heading up the road northbound.

"Should we ask her?" asked Tegan.

"It's worth a try," the Doctor replied. He motioned for his companions to follow him as he took off toward Applejack.

"Excuse me!" the Doctor called, hoping to get her attention. Applejack turned around.

"We were wondering if there was somewhere in Ponyville we could stay for the night-" started the Doctor.

"You see, we don't exactly have a place yet-" continued Tegan.

"But we will soon," added Nyssa. "However for tonight-"

"Whoa Nelly," Applejack stopped the three of them by holding her hoof in the air. The Doctor, Nyssa, and Tegan listened.

"Well, shoot," Applejack stated, pulling her cowboy hat back across her face. "Ah don't really know of anypony. 'Course, ya'll are welcome around mah place but we ain't got nothin' but the barn. For kinfolk, it's alright, but ya'll are guests so I dunno. . ."

"Any place is fine, we aren't very picky," said Nyssa, even though Tegan was behind her feeling unsure about the 'barn' thing.

"Ya know, I think there may be someplace better," Applejack added. "Ah've got a friend who is mighty hospitable. Ya'll sit tight, ah'll be back in a sec." The country pony held a hoof gesturing the others to wait as she ran back to Sugarcube Corner.

"The ponies around here are very friendly, aren't they?" noted the Doctor.

"Excusing the first one we met," Tegan mentioned.

"Well we did crash a TARDIS through her house."

"Point taken," stated Tegan. "I need to sit down a moment. My knees are killing me."

"There's a bench over here under this tree." The Doctor and Nyssa helped Tegan over to the bench, and the three of them sat down, waiting for Applejack to return.

"It's so weird being a pony," Tegan started the conversation. "My knees bend another way and I'm not used to it yet."

"It's very different to have to think about every action you need to do," Nyssa concurred. "Even with the simple ones."

"Speaking of which, how is the magic coming along, Nyssa?" asked the Doctor. "It is a normal action here, after all. . ."

"Still working on it," Nyssa replied. "I tried again to use it for picking items up when no other ponies were really watching. It's more difficult than how the other unicorns make it appear."

"I still can't get over the fact that there are unicorns here," Tegan commented. "Colored ponies, maybe, but unicorns is just unreal." A figure flew by the Sugarcube Corner in the dark and stopped at the place. Nyssa watched it fly and land.

"The fact that these creatures fly so gracefully amazes me," she said. "Creatures with feathered wings tend to look a little different. At least by what creatures I'm used to."

"No, I can agree," said Tegan. "It's like a bird and horse hybrid."

"What's astounding is that there was an alicorn at that party," said the Doctor.

"What's an. . .alicorn?" asked Tegan.

"A pony with both wings and a horn, and are extremely rare," explained the Doctor. "I also read about them."

"Oh, that purple one," said Tegan. "I actually tried to talk to her, only she was dancing very oddly with her eyes closed I never got the chance."

"I talked to her," said Nyssa. "I didn't catch much about her. She didn't even tell me her name. She was going on and on about something with science studies, and then was called by another pony." Tegan snorted.

"Sounds like-" She stopped dead in the sentence.

"Sounds like what?" asked the Doctor.

"Nevermind," Tegan waved, a grim expression lasting on her face for a split moment. "Anyways, what's so weird about an alicorn being at a party?"

"Well, as what I picked up, alicorns are extremely powerful beings here in Equestria. Usually they have monarchy over the land and fantastic responsibilities. . .for example, for hundreds, about a thousand or so years, the same two alicorn princesses have been controlling when the day comes and the night falls."

"That sounds more like something from a mythology book," said Tegan.

"Well, things are different here. But judging by the alicorn at the party, she seemed very young. She must be a recent holder of a position or possibly a lower official." The Doctor froze.

"What?" asked Nyssa.

"Princess Twilight!" he said proudly. "That's who the owner of the library is! And it makes sense seeing that the mare was the only one around with alicorn attributes!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Tegan.

"Nothing, but I figured it out!" the Doctor stated. He pulled the hat out of his inside coat pocket and plopped it on his head, showing a grin as if he felt extremely brilliant.

"Very clever of you, Doctor," Tegan said sarcastically.

"You know what, I also remember something else!" said the Doctor, tapping his hat with a hoof. "At the party I met-"

"Hey there!" came Applejack's voice from across the way. The three looked over to see her walking out with a long-haired pegasus. "Ya'll are in luck!"

"I believe that's Fluttershy she's with," Nyssa told the others as she, the Doctor, and Tegan got up from the bench. "I talked to her at the party. She shied away earlier when I asked her about the Doctor. She didn't know anything, but she did stick around, kind soul she was."

"This here is my friend Fluttershy," Applejack stated, putting a hoof around the pegasus with her. Fluttershy hid her face behind her long pink hair. The others could only barely see one of her eyes of her face.

"Um, hi," she said quietly. She noticed Nyssa. "Hello Nyssa."

"She's a little quiet, but as I said before, very kind, and most certainly happy to help ya'll," Applejack reassured. Fluttershy said nothing, but scuffed her hoof in the ground. Her friend nudged her.

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy said quietly. "I would really love to help."

"You sure?" asked Tegan. "I'm not complaining but you look a little uncertain about it." Fluttershy cowered slightly at Tegan's loud-ish tone.

"It's alright. She's jus' shy," Applejack noted. "Ya'll will get along jus' fine. Ah'd love to stick around but. . .Ah've got to get home." With that, the country mare tipped her dusty brown cowboy hat and waved. She trotted along the Ponyville roads and into the night. For a second, there was an awkward silence between the other ponies left behind.

"So. . ." said the Doctor, trying to start a conversation.

"Why don't you lead us to this cottage of yours, Fluttershy?" Nyssa jumped in, asking the pegasus in a simple and quiet tone. Fluttershy gave a small smile and nodded.

"Um, okay," she replied. She dared to glimpse at the others. "Um, if you could just. . .follow me please." Fluttershy motioned her head to turn, and then started tip-toeing softly and slowly off, anticipating the others to follow.

"Alright," Tegan leaned over toward Nyssa, "was it something I said earlier or. . .?"

"No, Applejack was right about her being shy," said Nyssa. "It has nothing to do with you. She'll be filled with more confidence the more you are acquainted with her."

"I hope so," Tegan replied. "I kinda feel like a boom-box around her."

"Why don't I talk to her so that she feels more apt to talk?" Nyssa suggested. Tegan nodded. The young mare took off a little ahead and walked side-by-side with Fluttershy.

"It was honorable for you to help us on such a short notice," Nyssa started.

"Oh, it wasn't any trouble, really," Fluttershy replied in a more stable tone.

"Well, we thank you for it. By the way, the other two are my friends. That's the Doctor, that's Tegan-"

"I'm finally relieved that we found an actual place to stay for the night," Tegan overlapped Nyssa in a new discussion with the Doctor. "Better than a barn."

"Yes, that's would've been ironic, wouldn't it?" the Doctor replied.

"Considering we're horses? Ha ha, very funny."

"Well, who knows. . .the cottage may be a variant of a barn in this world."

"I sure hope not. Doctor?"

"Hm?"

"You were about to say something earlier? Somepony you met at the party?"

"Oh yes, well, it's actually a little more important than one of the random ponies. It would probably be best if I talked to both you and Nyssa about it. . .probably when we get to the cottage."

"Yes, and what if Nyssa and I fall asleep before you finish all of your jabbering?" Tegan raised a brow. The Doctor smirked.

"I suppose then it I will stop when you sleep and then continue again the next morning!"

* * *

Ditzy's mind swam in the waving thoughts that ran through her head. The strangers, the ones that she had met earlier, the Doctor, the other Doctor. . .he was still around. And she just had to find him.

I can't believe how dumb I was, Ditzy scolded herself. My Doctor vanishes, three ponies turn up that are the only possible link to him, and one of them is the Doctor himself. . .and I kick them out of my house! Well, not any more. I'm going to fix this. The pegasus was flying rapidly through the night air, heading straight for Sugarcube Corner. Twilight did mention that they were beginning to clean up the party, and that worried Ditzy. She only hoped that it wasn't too late to catch them.

Once the Corner was reached Ditzy placed her hooves in front of her and landed hastily on the ground. She dashed inside, and as she feared, it was dimly lit and mainly deserted. A couple of Pinkie's friends were sticking around, talking about plans and cleaning up, and Berry Punch was drunk in the corner again (which was odd considering Pinkie never had alcohol at her Welcome Parties. . .) with Mr. and Mrs. Cake urging her to wake up and go home. But nopony else. Ditzy had come to late. She turned to leave.

"Momma!" Ditzy swiveled her head back to the inside of the room at the sound of the beloved voice of her daughter. Dinky trotted up from behind a corner, where she was sitting for a while doodling on a piece of paper. Her mother came to her when she was called.

"Muffin, what are you still doing here?" asked Ditzy. "It's very late. You should be in bed already."

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Cake told me I could stay," Dinky replied. "They didn't want me going home all by myself."

"By yourself?" said Ditzy, a little taken aback. She looked around the shop. "Where's your sister?"

"She went off to look for Doctor with you," Dinky said innocently. "I was waiting here for both of you." Ditzy's face turned to total disappointment.

"Ugh," Ditzy sighed, putting a hoof on her face.

"Did you loose Amy too?" asked Dinky.

"No," Ditzy replied. "But she probably went home."

"Why?"

"'Night, ya'll!" Applejack and Fluttershy, who were two of PInkie's friends, walked toward the exit of the shop.

"Bye!" Pinkie called after them. She went back to cleaning up the floor. . .with her hair.

"We'll talk about this later," Ditzy said reassuringly, and by that, she really meant that she would have a long talk with Amethyst. The wool wasn't pulled over her eyes; she knew Amethyst must have skipped out to do her own thing.

"Let's go home, okay?" Ditzy told her youngest. Dinky nodded happily.

"Okay Momma," she replied. The little filly watched as her mother extended her wings, and then climbed onto her back, her little head nodding off into the dreamy world of sleep. Ditzy exited the shop.

If it wasn't for the pegasus' bitter personality towards missing the three strangers and her daughter ditching her youngest for the comforts of home, Ditzy would have considered the night to be perfect. The air was warm, the stars bright with the moon, and all was still except for a couple groups of ponies here and there having light conversation. Ditzy trotted carefully home, Dinky falling asleep on her back.

The house looked very still when Ditzy arrived back home. All the lights were turned off. It had seemed that no one was home. For a moment the mother was worried that Amethyst may have gone out with friends or to somepony else's house for the night without Ditzy knowing. Ditzy hoped her daughter was just asleep.

The pegasus knocked on the door. For a while there was no answer. Amethyst could be asleep after all, Ditzy thought to herself. She just better be home. The mare shuffled her hooves to pull up the doormat and find the house key. That was when a strange noise caught her. . .

Ditzy perked her ears. There was a sound. . .coming from inside the house. It was repetitive. . . and sounded like a machine. A shock hit her. She couldn't believe that she didn't recognize it instantly.

There was a TARDIS sound coming from inside her home! Ditzy pounded on the door.

"Doctor?!" she yelled. No reply. Just the TARDIS sound. . .with low rasps here and there in the noise that made it sound a little odder than usual. Ditzy suddenly panicked. The Doctor must've come back! One of them, at least.

Ditzy hurriedly fumbled to grasp the key in her mouth. She stuck it in the lock and turned, opening the front door and running inside, not even bothering to close it behind her. That's when she saw it.

The Doctor's TARDIS was still there, in the living room! It wasn't moving! Yet the sounds continued, growing fainter and fainter.

Dinky stirred on her mother's back.

"Momma?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Just a second, Muffin," Ditzy assured quickly before rushing over into the living room and setting her daughter on the couch. She scanned the room and listened for the TARDIS sound, which was growing hard to hear. Oddly there were some strange items around the living room, she noticed. . .a fallen kitchen chair, lots of rope. . .that's when Ditzy realized the sound was coming from inside the kitchen.

The mare jumped to the door and slammed it open, just as the TARDIS sound was completely dissolved into nothing. Ditzy saw the kitchen. . .she didn't know what to make of it.

The pillar. It was GONE.

There was. . .ANOTHER POLICE BOX?!

On the floor. . .a fallen black cape.

What. Had. Happened!?

Ditzy took things one step at a time.

First, there was another TARDIS in her kitchen that looked exactly like the Doctor's, only it seemed older and more beat up. Was that where the sound came from? Ditzy concluded it couldn't have. . .it looked like it had been sitting for a while. The only conclusion she could come up with was. . .the pillar.

The Master's TARDIS, as she had learned it was from earlier, was completely gone. She recalled it making a similar sound as the Doctor's TARDIS when it first arrived. . .that must have been what had made the sound just then! But who could have taken it, and who brought the other police box TARDIS there?

And what was the black cape for? Ditzy walked over and picked it up with her hooves. It was hooded, just the size for a pony bigger than herself. Perhaps. . .it was a clue. . .

"Ditzy!" A voice rang from Ditzy's open front door. Instantly she felt her senses snap. She knew that tone. . .she knew it all to well. It was a sudden call of her name that gave her the most sudden relief. It was for that voice she had been looking for the longest time. . .and it was suddenly at her doorstep. Ditzy, still clinging the cape, ran through the kitchen and to the front. There, in her doorway, although beaten and tired, was the Doctor. Her Doctor.

"Doctor!" Dinky cheered over the head of the couch as soon as the Timepony had entered. Ditzy ran up to him.

"Doctor! Where have you been!" she said with relief and happiness at the same time. The Doctor stood, very still, a grim expression taken over his face. He looked right into her eyes.

"Ditzy," he said with his face intensely serious. "Ditzy where did you get that?"

"Get what?" she replied, starting to feel a little confused. The Doctor held up Ditzy's hoof that was holding the cape.

"This! This cape! Where did you get this?!"

"I-I found it in the kitchen. . ." The Doctor pushed past the mare and ran straight for her kitchen. Ditzy was puzzled.

"What's the matter?" asked Dinky. "Isn't he going to say hello?"

"Doctor!" Ditzy called after the Timepony. "Doctor what's wrong?"

"Ditzy!" the Doctor called her again, as if he ignored the last comment she made. The mare ran to her kitchen doorway and saw the Doctor panicking in the room.

"He's been here. . ." the Doctor muttered.

"Who's been here?!"

"Ditzy, what's going on?" the Doctor almost demanded. "What was here? How did this happen?!" He ran next to the broken flooring and roofing where the pillar had been. He then dashed over to the old TARDIS that had newly appeared. "Where did this come from?!"

"Doctor, calm down!" Ditzy responded. "I don't know!"

"Argh!" the Doctor ran a hoof through his mane. "Did you see anypony?!"

"No, I didn't!" Ditzy answered definitively. The Doctor scampered around the kitchen, looking at everything and freaking out about it, as if he somehow knew what had the strange clues meant. He was stressed beyond anything.

"Doctor, please tell me what's going on!" Ditzy demanded. "Why are you freaking out? What does all of this mean?"

"Somepony was here," the Doctor breathed. "Somepony was here, he was here, this is my TARDIS and the cape-"

"Doctor! What does it mean?!"

It seemed that whatever the Doctor was piecing together was running through his head faster than light. He would keep spinning and looking at EVERYTHING around the room, each moment seeing an item bringing him greater worry. This worry, this unexplained reason why the Doctor was upset made Ditzy extremely nervous. She knew he knew something awful.

The Doctor stopped. He stood, still and silent, looking at the old TARDIS.

"Ditzy," he said in a tone that make Ditzy's face loose it's blood.

"What?" The Doctor turned around.

"Ditzy, where is your daughter?"