I won't run anymore...

by MidnightFMare

Starting from beyond the end.

I look up at the damaged circuits and grin "Well, I can see the problem. It's a very difficult problem though."

Ditzy cocks her head "So... can you fix it?"

I nod, lowering myself from the harness holding my aloft "Yes, but I don't have the parts. Do you know where can find a small light emitting diode?"

She shrugs "You could ask Vinyl, she has lots of parts lying around."

I grin "Would you mind showing me to her house? And don't say anything about the TARDIS, trust me, that never ends well."

She pauses "For you or for the others?"

"Yes."

---

"Okay, are all ponies so..." I ask, looking for the right word.

"Colorful? Yeah, and we're all unique!"

I shrug and something shines in my eye "What was that?"

"The giant crystal tree fortress of friendship." she replies, holding a hoof in the way of the light.

I rub my eye, spots dancing across it "Why is there a giant crystal tree fortress of friendship in the middle of... where did you say we were?"

"Ponyville, and I don't know why, I think it must have something to do with the princess and her friends. I don't know, I was working that week in Hoofston."

"Ah yes, the princess you spoke about earlier. The one that went to the moon."

She shakes her head "Different princess. After we meet with Vinyl would you like to meet her?"

"I've found making friends with royalty to be important when in unfamiliar territory."

She grins and nods towards a half electric blue and half purple house with music coming from the walls

"Mozart's thirty-fifth symphony, fourth movement on cello?" I ask as Ditzy pushes through the door.

Ditzy shrugs "I don't know music. I can play the kazoo, tambourines, drums, bongos, didgeridoo, harmonica, and theremin though."

"I... how can you play those without fingers?"

"I don't know. I just can I guess." she replies, looking around the house's interior.

I follow her, trying to ignore the headache forming I'm constantly being confused by everything. I suppose this is what's it's like to be my companion sometimes...

A white unicorn with an electric blue mane and violet shades walks out of a similarly coloured half of the house, bobbing her head to music coming from her head phones. Ditzy walks up to her and waves a hoof in front of the mare's shades "Vinyl? I need something from you!"

The mare pauses, staring at Ditzy in silence as of trying to comprehend what she said. She removes her headset and rolls one of her forehooves in a circular motion.

"We need a Light emitting diamond." Ditzy says, the mare's eyebrow rising in response.

"Diode. Light emitting diode." I correct, rolling my eyes at the thought of a glowing diamond.

She turns to me, waves silently and nods at Ditzy, re-entering the room she was in and then walking back out with a small blue diode in her hoof.

Ditzy smiles and takes the diode "Thanks so much Vinyl! You're the best!"

Vinyl shrugs, grinning at the compliment before putting the headset back on and bobbing her head once more.

Ditzy passes me the diode and I nod my thanks to the mare as well "That was relatively painless. Now, shall we get back to the-"

A door on the opposite side of the house opens, the sounds of hooves on wood coming closer "Vinyl? Who's visiting?"

"I know that voice, I heard it on the radio yesterday." I gasp.

"Come on ponies it's all we got, we know it in our heart for sure. Like a song that's been playing all our lives. We know it's right, we heard it on the radio!" Ditzy sings, and I groan "Okay, how do you even know that song?"

"I heard it on the radio." she replies seriously.

I stare at her "... Touché"

A grey pony walks out from a room on the other side, her solid black mane and tail groomed straight, a light pink bowtie around her neck "Oh, hello Ditzy, how are you this fine day?"

Ditzy grins "Good morning Octavia!"

I gasp "An English pony! Tell me, who's the current prime minister?"

She blinks "I... I don't... what?"

Vinyl walks over to us, her head cocked and starts waving her hooves in the air.

Octavia and Ditzy nod "Why did she do that?"

"Vinyl is synesthetic. As a result, she is mute and cannot talk without the words coming out intelligible and so she has a sign language of her own. She said 'We have a diarchal system, not a parliamentary one. The closest would be Princess Twilight.'"

I nod "Okay then... been a while since I met someone with that condition. Allow me to introduce myself, I am The Doctor."

Vinyl gesticulates "'Doctor who?' And of what?"

"Just The Doctor and of... stuff. I'm a doctor of stuff."

Octavia cocks her head "O... kay? I'm going to go meet up with my ensemble. I'll be back in a few hours so no parties, Vinyl. I mean it."

Vinyl shoos her away, grinning.

I shrug and nod to the door "Well thank you so much for the part Vinyl. I'm afraid I'll have to be going though."

Ditzy nods, smiling "We're going to outer-mmph!"

Vinyl covers her mouth with a foreleg and shakes her head.

Ditzy blushes and walks to the door and I nod to Vinyl, following her out.

"She's an interesting individual."

Ditzy nods "Yeah, she's a good friend. And I'm sorry I almost blurted out what the piece was for."

I shake my hoof (I think that's still universal) "Nonsense, if you had said something I would have covered... so! thanks for helping me Ditzy, but I must get back to the TARDIS."

She cocks her head, following me "I thought I was helping."

I nod "You were, but now that I have the last component I need, I'm afraid I don't need any more help."

She frowns for a second but a smile overcomes it "Okay, I'll... go home I guess. Thank you Doctor."

I pause "For what?"

"Telling me that Aliens exist. I'd always wanted to believe... and now I can. So thank you so much Doctor."

I grin "You're welcome, Thank you for helping me."

We part ways, and for some reason, I feel like I'd forgotten something important.

---

I solder the diode in and walk up to the console, throwing the last electrical switch. The TARDIS illuminates, humming like a kitten "Welcome back old girl!"

The screen lights up and a message forms on it "'What happened to the grey Pegasus?' She went home. So! how about we see if we can't find out where we are?"

I start typing in co-ordinates in and we take off, the screen showing a display of the planet "Almost looks like Earth... almost."

After passing through the atmosphere, I open the doors and what I see defies explanation. "H-how? This makes no sense!"

As far as I can see is a yellow sun, a moon like Earth's, and the planet...

And nothing else.

Complete blackness.

The TARDIS beeps and I jump, scrambling back "What? What's- no... no no no no no... that can't be right. It just cant..."

Time: End of Time +1004 years.

Co-ordinates: Sector 0000000 by 0000000

I feel my hearts drop into the pit of my stomach, fear holding me paralyzed, staring at the screen in terror.

I'm not proud to admit it, but I fainted.

---

Sometime later, I awake, the screen blank, the entirety of the TARDIS is silent.

"I... I can't get... back to Earth or even Gallifrey... because they're gone... and now I truly am the last Timelord... heh... heheheh... hahahehahahahehehe!! Alone! Truly the last! And with me... with me... hahahahhehehehehahahaha!!" I laugh madly, clutching my sides in agony "No more Timelords! No more Cybermen! No more Daleks!! I can finally explore the universe and all of time..." I pause, dread replacing my mad joy.

"N... no more universe... or time... oh... I... so this is my punishment... not another death or imprisonment, but loneliness... to live out my last regeneration at the end of time..."

"You lose Doctor!! The Master wins!!!"

His words echo through the silence, the only sound in my head the beating of my hearts

"Now... now I know why he went mad... he heard nothing but this... and silence. The sound of drums and silence... to be alone in his madness created by the very council we looked to for guidance... oh the irony..."

"Thank you Doctor."

"For what?"

"Telling me that Aliens exist. I'd always wanted to believe... and now I can. So thank you so much Doctor."

For some reason, her words overcome the silence and heartbeats, filling we with hope "... No, I'm not going back, there's nothing left to explore, nothing left to experience, nothing..."

The TARDIS roars to life, the doors slamming shut "What?! Stop that! There's nothing! Just stop and let me live out in silence!!"

The monitor sparks to life and what's on there is a video, of me saying one word throughout my regenerations.

NO.

I recoil "I can't go back... there's nothing..."

Another video pops up on the screen, one unfamiliar to me.

"Carrot Top! I'm home!" Ditzy announces.

"Welcome home Derpy. How'd it go with that stallion you were talking about?" A yellow, orange-maned mare asks, covered in soil, obviously this Carrot Top she was talking about.

Ditzy pauses "It... he left."

Carrot hugged Ditzy, patting the back of her head "Don't worry, there will be other stallions. If he left, he was never worth the time getting to know."

Ditzy's eyes start to water "There won't be another him... that did what he did. He... obviously had other plans... but he proved something to me, a thing I always knew but... he made it so real, he didn't judge me by how I act or talk or look. He... he was unreal. Like if you touched him, the illusion would fade... and pained eyes..."

Carrot sighs "Like I said, if he left, he wasn't worth it, how about I get you some of those cakes from Sugarcube corner you like so much? I'm sure that he was a jerk."

She leaves, and Ditzy walks up a flight of stairs to a room, and what was in there stunned me.

Star maps, some laminated and others covered in tiny writing and sketches of celestial bodies. in the center is a very large, rusted but obviously meticulously kept telescope which she smiles at weakly "I did it... I finally found one... and I was too afraid to get close... I'm such a coward, running from my problems, looking to the stars to escape... pathetic."

She sniffs and lays on the star-themed blanket on a small, saucer shaped bed. And starts to cry "Derpy you coward! Your wish came true and you... you blew it! You blew it like everything else in life! I'm no explorer wanna-be, I'm... I'm just a foal who... wanted to run away... Scared of being alone... I'm such... such a fool..."

The screen goes blank, and something wet lands on my hoof "Wha-"

Another falls, streaking my fur.

"Am... am I crying?" I choke out, tears rolling down my cheeks.

The TARDIS beeps and I look up at the screen "Th-thank you... take me to her, there's a child crying... and she needs a Doctor..."

---

I peek out of the TARDIS doors and watch as a concerned looking Carrot Top walks away from the house Perfect.

After casually walking to the house, I check to see if it's locked, oddly enough, it wasn't "Huh, the shop she's going to must be close by..."

I tiptoe (Tiphoof?) into the house and head up the stairs It's not breaking and entering if I haven't broken anything and the door was locked... I hope.

Muffled weeping emanates from one of the doors and I take a calming breath before slipping into the room silently.

Laying on the bed is Ditzy, her face buried in a pillow "Stupid stupid stupid..."

I walk towards her, and put on my best grin "Did someone call for a Doctor? I'm here for a house call you know."

She stiffens and raises her head, eyes wide as saucers "D-Doctor?"

"Yup, so! What seems to be the trouble? A Venusian mind worm in your head? You keep hearing static every time you go outside? Green little animals are telling you to go and defeat some underworld tyrant? Trust me, I've seen it all."

She stares at me before sniffling again "You-you're back! Oh th-thank you Doctor!"

"Hey, hey, no need to cry, I'm here now." I say, trying to soothe her.

She coughs and smiles weakly at me "I... I thought you were going home?"

I shake my head "Nah, I'm not too well liked there. So I thought I'd spend some time with my new friend."

She stares at me "Fr-friend?"

I nod "Of course, you helped me so that means I owe you. And what better way than to be your friend?"

She squeals and hugs me tight, constricting me "D-Ditzy... I can't breathe..."

She releases me, blushing "Sorry Doctor."

"I bought lemon cake because I know how much you like it and- AH!"

Carrot Top stands in the doorway, nearly dropping the box off her back.

I stand up and extend my hoof "Hello, I'm-" "Time Turner!" Ditzy shouts.

I turn to her, mouthing the name and Carrot Top smiles, shaking my hoof "Carrot Top, I'm Derpy's housemate. Nice to meet you Time Turner."

"Uh, I as well..." I reply, confused by Ditzy's outburst.

She smiles and turns to walk back down the steps "I'm putting the cake in the refrigerator."

Derpy smiles weakly at me "I'm sorry Doctor, but 'The Doctor' Isn't really a pony name. More like a... title?"

I nod "Yeah... uh, why 'Time Turner' though?"

"You're cutie mark! It's an hourglass and I used to call them 'Time Turners' because you had to turn them over to restart time."

I shrug "Seems logical... wait, what's a cutie mark?"

She points to my rear "The ones on your plot."

My wha- How long have those been there?! When did I get tattooed?! What the-"

She puts a hoof on my lips "It's a symbol of what a ponies' true calling, or what makes them unique. My cutie mark is bubbles!"

She turns and points to seven bubbles on the sides of her hind legs, placed like the hourglasses on mine. "See? It shows that I have a bubbly personality."

Considering you were weeping less than half an hour ago, I'd say it might mean something else... I think to myself, but I ignore it "So I guess mine would mean that I'm... good with time? I suppose I can see that..."

She grins and pushes past me "See? Now let's go to your ship and see the universe!!"

I grab her shoulder "Ditzy... I was just..." I sigh, steeling my nerves "There is no universe... excluding the sun and moon, there's... nothing else in the universe. No stars or planets and... it's more than a millennium after the collapse of the last star. I'm not sure how to say this... the universe is gone."

She stares at me in disbelief, her voice cracking "G-gone...? H-how c- can it be... gone?"

I shake my head "I don't know, but we're somehow beyond the end of time. nothing but pure black everywhere... I saw it with my own eyes... I'm so, so sorry."

She shakes her head, trying force back her welling tears "Show me... please..."

I sigh "Are you sure? Are you truly sure?"

She nods "I need to know."

---

We enter the TARDIS and she smiles weakly again "The lights are back on..."

I nod and start piloting the TARDIS outside the atmosphere "Look for yourself..."

She opens the door and gasps "Oh wow..."

I sigh "Yes... it's so dark... no light, no life, no... anything."

"Dark? Doctor, there are countless stars! I... it's the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen..."

I jerk my head up and walk up next to her "What are you talking abou- whoa... it-it's back... the universe is back!"

Glittering around us, uncountable stars glitter with life.

And two golden binary stars looking so close and- Wait, those are Ditzy's eyes... wait, why is she so clo-

Whatever question I was going to ask was cut of by a warm dryness on my lips.

She leans back in surprise, hooves covering her cheeks "I-I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me!"

"Th-that's okay... I'm sure it was just excitement from the stars... speaking of which..." I return to the console "Why are there stars again? Did something happen?"

Symbols fly across the monitor in response "'Something'? What do you mean, 'Something'? You don't know? You're at every point in space and time!"

A message appears in my head "'Another TARDIS?' but who could... why would... is it you?!"

I get an affirmative answer, and I groan "So at some point in my future, I will blot out all space? That seems a bit much even for me..."

Ditzy gallops over, grinning "Doctor! Can we go to Cassiopeia?!"

I turn to her "Huh? Sure, I just need to finish talking to-" the TARDIS speaks, with an ancient and young voice

Have fun, for it is not yet the time. You will know when it is. Enjoy your new life my little space man.

The doors close, switches flip, levers move, and thingamajigs jiggle, the familiar whooshing of travel filling my stunned silence "Did... did you hear that too?"

Ditzy blinks "The whooshing or the voice?"

I rub my head "I don't think this universe is good for my health..."

Author's Note:

Another installation! I am not afraid to admit that I cried writing this chapter.

Next time, on Doctor Whooves:

"Doctor, why are you looking sick?"

"Pears my dear Ditzy, pears... disgusting fruit..."

The Pears of Nerim

Comments

[doctorwhooves11]

Yuus new chapter! Lovely how you included the whole universe ending then coming back

[MidnightFMare]

6210646 It's foreshadowing and also a bit of a representation of how the universe The Doctor knew is gone, and now he has a new one to start anew, hopefully without being seen as a monster or hero (Depending on who you ask)