A Madman Without his Box.

by Nivarion

Catching up with Old Friends

The Doctor had lost track of time, but he knew he'd been at it for more than twelve hours and less than two days at this point. Long shadows were cast across the floor by the failing sunlight streaming through the door, made wild by the piles of panels and parts that surrounded him. With a deep sigh the Time Lord leaned his head against the control panel and stared at the wall, giving the energy cell in his hand a little squeeze.

She had gone quickly, giving her companion of thousands of years no time to say good bye. Memories flooded his mind, adventures he had had, friends who had traveled with him, of the numerous times he had regenerated here. Now, it seemed that the book that had been that life was over.

Hooves clip clopped behind him, breaking the Doctor from his reverie. “Doctor? How'd it go?” The Corsair asked from behind him.

The humaniod Time Lord sniffed. “No luck. Last time this happened, a small part, a single cell survived and that had been enough.” he held up the last of the crystalline batteries, dark cracks running through it. “No luck this time. No chance for us to get home.”

A hoof was placed on the Doctor's shoulder. “My friend. I am home.” The Corsair said. “I've gone fully native, they call me Time Cycle. I've been here two regenerations now and I love this place. I'm surprised you've not gone native somewhere yourself.”

“I did, for a little while. Planet named Christmas. Way back in my Eleventh regeneration. Good times that.”

“You talk about it like it was a long time ago.” Corsair said, prodding the Doctor towards the door. “Why don't we get you some food and you can tell me all about it.”

“Yeah. Sounds like a plan. One question though, Corsair, how did you get here?” The Doctor asked. “I mean, I've not seen you in four thousand years, and last I heard you were dead. And a woman. And Bipedal.”

The Corsair nodded. “Funny story that. But first, really. Call me Time Cycle. I've not been Corsair in a long time.” He said with a smile. “So I was out working that survey, terribly boring you know how it is, when I got a distress call. The Mistress, you remember her, right?” The Doctor nodded and let his supposed friend lead him to the door. “So I decide it's time for a daring rescue. I had regenerated just a few weeks prior, and was male again. Figured I could use some company and she had that reputation.” He growled and laughed deep a hearty, too much like the Friend the Doctor had known. If this was an imposter, it was one hell of an actor.

“Anyways, I get off my ship when I hear this sound from behind me. I turn around and my TARDIS is just dissolving, flying apart into pieces. I panicked and tried to get back inside when I got whacked over the back of my head.” he shuddered. “I shouldn't have woken up from that and I wish I hadn't. On some operating table of horrors when I did. I think they were removing my spine at the time.”

The Doctor grimaced and rechecked his mental blocks. They were still up and firmly in place, no mind reader would be getting at that info without him knowing about it. Honestly, just this little bit was melting his doubts like ice in the sun.

“I scream out, it hurt a lot, as you can imagine, when suddenly there's this guy standing in front of me. Introduces himself as N.”

The Doctor did a double take. “Wait, N? Did he introduce himself as a God to you too?”

Time Cycle looked at the Doctor and grinned. “Sure did. Guess you met him and his shit eating grin too?”

It was all the Doctor could do not to grit his teeth. “I did. It's his fault I'm here, and that she's dead.”

Time Cycle was leading him to the castle, scaffolding already going up around it's broken tower. “Did he say why he was bringing you here? He told me but it was cryptic.”

The Doctor grimaced. “No, not a word, sorry.” he paused. “Do you mind sharing what he told you?”

“Not at all my friend. He said that he was preparing a prison for the greatest threat in the universe. And that he needed me to prepare the Jailor.”

The Doctor nodded sagely. “Which leaves the question then. Am I the Jailor, or the Prisoner?”

“I don't know my friend. I wish I did.” Time Cycle said.

They walked for several seconds through the village in silence. Every door and window shut tight and not a soul to be seen on the streets. It looked like the aftermath of a bad Vashta Nerada attack. “So, I'm noticing a complete lack of people, or ponies as the case might be. Where is everyone?”

“Oh that. I asked everypony to kinda give you space. You've been through a lot the last few hours and two thirds the populace might cause you to freak out a little.” he chuckled. “Lets just say my special somepony has a lot of power around here, and I get to share some of it."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “I am six thousand years old and been more places than anyone. I doubt anything would make me... I doubt... Is that horse FLYING?” The Doctor's stared in awe at a pink pony flying over their heads.

There was an audible smack as the Time Cycle's hoof met his face. “Doctor, they're ponies. And yes.” The blue pony said, growling half his words. “Love! Get down here, NOW!” He shouted at the pegasus. The translation circuit on the TARDIS might have been fried, but fortunately they seemed to be speaking good old jolly English, which considering his taste in companions the Doctor spoke quite well on his own.

The pink and gold mare heard him and came shooting towards the ground like an arrow. An arrow trailing a pink ribbon of light; pink with little red hearts in it. “WHAT? How- That doesn't even-” The Doctor's eyes began to lose focus and his jaw hung open. Talking horses, fine, flying horses, okay, that could be accepted. But leaving a contrail of light- A contrail of light with a pattern? No.

“Hey sup TC! How's it hanging?” She said as she landed, offering her hoof to Time Cycle... who left her hanging. After a few seconds under the withering gaze of The Corsair she dropped her hoof and coughed. “So uh, who's the lurch?”

With familiar smile that told those that knew him that Time Cycle was ready to skin a pony alive, he spoke. “Love, do you remember that little decree I put out?”

She coughed and looked away bright yellow mane tossing. “Oh, shoot yeah. That was tonight. Uh so, this your friend?”

“Yeah, it's my friend. And look, you broke him!” The Corsair said, poking his humanoid friend in the knee, getting absolutely no response beyond a little drool. “Why can't you ever listen Love?”

The Doctor broke from his stupor. “Wait, Love? As in? Oh, so this is the mare you mentioned eh? Well I may not be an expert in pony beauty, but you sure did find a good one.” The Doctor knelt down and grabbed one of Love's wing's and began scanning it with his sonic, seemingly oblivious to the other two's blood red blushes.

“Uh hahaha. Us, together?” Love said, pulling her wing back. “No that would be weird!”

The Corsair took an obvious step away from the pegasus. “Yeah, she's like my, uh what's the relation again?”

Love rolled her eyes. “Niece twice removed TC.”
The Doctor rubbed his chin, which had a fair bit of scruff on it. “Hmm. Isn't 'Love' a little intimate for a Niece?” he coughed. “I mean, don't get me wrong you-”

“NO!” The Corsair said, blushing even brighter. “No her name is Love Touch!”

The mare struck a pose and flared her wings, a move which showed a mark of a shattering heart on her rump. “Yep that's me! Love Touch, fastest mare around. Nothing goes faster than the speed of Love!” she said with a lot of gusto She struck a pose, wings pointed back, right hoof pointing out, a cocky smile spread on her face. Which turned to a look of confusion, then shock before finally resting on anger as the Doctor began to laugh.

“Hey! What? What's funny?” She asked, flipping her golden mane from her face. “Not you too! What's funny?” as her uncle joined the laughter.

The Doctor lost his footing and landed on his back still laughing. “Faster- haha Faster than the- heh speed of Love? Did you even- haha listen to yourself say that?” The Doctor sat back up and wiped a tear from his eye. “Sorry, I might have found that funnier than it actually was.” he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'speed of love.'

“He's a jerk TC.” Love said. “why are you friends with him?”

“A jerk? Maybe. At least I have enough sense to... speed of love. Hahaha.”

“Heck, I don't even know what he is. Is he like a skinny minotaur?”

“Come to think of it, how are you even a pony, Corsair?” Asked the Doctor over Love's sentence. “Or speaking English for that matter? The chances of that language existing on two unrelated worlds is microscopic!”

“What's that blue box he came in? That was weird” “Added Love.

“And your anatomy is so strange, how in the world can she fly with such a small wingspan?”

“Really, I thought it was flying fast! It just zipped past me! How did it get going so fast?” Love bombarded her poor uncle with another question.

“And I keep seeing you two blushing. How can you blush with fur? And since when does the Corsair blu-”

Time Cycle roared “Both of you shut it!” he pointed a hoof at the pegasus. “Love, Go home. I'll talk to you later.” he pointed a hoof at the Doctor. “And You! No more questions! And forget that old name, I've not been the Corsair in... ” The wind blew out of his sails as he calmed down.

“Right, I'll just put that in the box with the other things we're pretending to forget.” The Doctor said.

“What do you mean?” Time Cycle asked, raising an eyebrow.

The doctor grinned his best grin. “Oh, you know. Bad Girl.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively while the Time Pony paled.

“Uncle, what's that mean? Is that som-” Love Touch started, but never got the finish as her uncle's eyes widened a moment before he started yelling.

“HOME NOW!” he shouted at his niece, who deciding not to push her luck futher exploded from the ground in a valentine's day patterned streak of light.

The Doctor stared as she zipped away. “Really, how does she leave a contrail of light? That's OW!” The Doctor hopped on one leg holding the other shin. He had just discovered a new world of pain as the hard chitin of hoof met shinbone. “Why?” he asked looking at his friend.

“For bringing up that thing.” Time Cycle growled. “I told you, that was just a drunken one night thing. It completely absolutely positively meant nothing.”

The Doctor chuckled, earning him a quick kick in the other shin. “Ow! Really, hooves hurt badly!” he said falling down for the second time in a few minutes. “And I was just checking to see if that was really you.”

“Whatever. Lets get going before you run into a unicorn.” TC said, trotting off.

The Doctor grinned. “A unicorn eh? I hope you don't need to be a virgin to tame on-” The obvious banter he was about to deliver was interrupted as his oldest friend tried to kick him with a double legged buck.

Still quick, despite this regeneration's age, the Doctor managed to side step. “Wait, we skipped a step, we're supposed to get drunk before we fight!”

“We're also supposed to drink before insults!”

“Are those before or after we make embarrassing memories?” The Doctor asked as he dodged a punch.

Time Cycle lost his mind and hooves flailing went full on the attack. With a frenzied “RAHAUGHGHH” he landed the first hit.

ONE HOUR LATER

“We cannot believe you two.” Luna said as the two Time Lords refilled the others flagon with a strong ale. “We findest thou brawling in the streets like common curs, and then I find the two of you into drink as though naught was wrong.”

“Ish- Thash sthandard for ush.” The Doctor slurred, before downing half his mug. “Thish ish good. Good beer.” He almost fell of his bench.

Luna frowned at the stupidity of the answer.“And how praytell didst though escape the dungeon?”

The Doctor held up a device. “With mah, shonic.” he pointed the thing at her and it made a strange buzzing. “Ha hahah, it shays you're shressed.” he slurred, draining half his pint.

“Yoush need to relaxsh Lulu.” TC slurred, leaning off his buddy as an eye began to swell shut. “Havsh a drink!” he slid a flagon across the table towards the Lunar princess, but pushed too hard causing the pewter mug to fall off and spill around her feet.

“Charming.” Luna said, looking at the liquid that was spreading across the floor. “We still do not see what our sister must surely see in thou.”

“Ish all in the dashing goot looks Lu- luna- lunatic. Haha, that's funny!” he snorted into the Doctor's coat.

The Doctor smiled and looked at Luna. “You- hic- You're cutsh when you're alls conste- conster- upshet.” The Doctor giggled to himself.

“Ish guess she ish.” TC added, rubbing a clear bite mark on his shoulder. “Shesh not- She's noa-- Lu, yoush need a straitshman.” he paused to finish his ale. “Liksh my- my besht friend here. Hesh- yoush would cute together.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “Just how much of that have the both of you consumed?” Luna asked, levitating the cask away from the two. “It is nearly empty! Thou drankest an entire cask in an hour?”

“Lesh than an hour. And we're not finished. Ish feel my buzz fading.” The Doctor said, holding his cup out to the Lunar princess. “Mind giving me a refill? Orsh jussst the cashk?”

Luna frowned, her magic floated the cask outside a window and smashed the wooden barrel. “Looks like thou hast run out of the drink.” Both of the drunken friends cried out together. “AWWW.”

“Thash jush mean.” TC said, examining his empty mug. “An' Ah'm outsh too.”

The Doctor flopped on the table face first. “Yesh, how are we- howsh are we gonna catsh up on yearsh of drinking- without-” His speech slowed until he let out a gentle snore.

“This ish my besh friend.” TC said, setting his head on the Doctor's shoulder. “Ish- Ish love him. Bush don't tell anyone. Ish a shecret.” he hiccuped.

The Doctor immediately startled awake. “Are, arsh we embarrashin ourshelvesss already?” He laughed “Caush ah've- ah've.... Speed of love.” he laughed again, laying his head back down.

TC laid his head down too “Heysh, don't shleep here.”

Luna shook her head as the two Time Lords began snoring. “Idiots.” she said, levitating them in her magic before heading towards their guest rooms. “I swear if Celestia wasn't so attached to the one I'd throw them both out.”

Author's Note:

Setting up a bit of Time Cycle, who was formally the Corsair's, character.

The Doctor landed in Equestria a couple hundred years before Luna's banishment.

Employment hijinks will ensue next chapter.