Ch. 2: Reports, Apple Crisps, and Jelly Fillies
Chapter 2: Reports, Apple Crisps, and Jelly Fillies
Canterlot Palace
Canterlot, Royal Province of Equestria
12:05 p.m.
Canterlot Palace was considered by many of the world’s premier scholars and historians to be the crowning achievement of Equestria’s already brilliant history of architectural dominance. With beautiful gilded spire towers housing Canterlot’s Academy of Magic and the simple fact that it was the home of the beloved Princess Celestia, many ponies who walked the halls of the castle were awestruck by its sheer size and magnificence.
Twilight Sparkle, however, stared at the floor, lost in thought as she walked down the winding hallways that were adorned with beautifully rendered stained glass windows. It had been months since she had been here last, the night of the Grand Galloping Gala, and judging by the glares she had gotten from a few of the nobleponies that had been moving around at the front gate, the actions of her friends had been neither forgotten nor forgiven.
However, she was far more concerned with what she was going to say now that she had arrived.
Applejack wouldn’t have had a problem with it, of course, as honesty was quite literally her prime virtue. But Applejack hadn’t seen the things that Twilight had seen. She hadn’t been shown a future where her own actions had not only put the whole of Equestria in peril, but had destroyed her friends, her home, her mentor, and even the natural order of the heavens, all in the blind pursuit of power. Applejack wasn’t the one who had to live with the knowledge of what she might have become, had it not been for the help of that fantastic, impossible, terrifying pony.
Applejack hadn’t been the one who had met the Doctor.
Wrapped up as she was in this line of thought, Twilight didn’t realize that she had already arrived until her horn impacted the main doors that led to the Sun Princess’ throne room. The two pegasus guards at each side remaining steadfast and unmoving, recognized the purple unicorn as having free access to their matriarch’s attention.
Twilight took a deep breath to steady herself before closing her eyes, her horn glowing as she reached out with her magic and nudged the heavy golden door open.
Immediately dominating the room, surrounded by larger-than-life windows that depicted some of the most pivotal moments in Equestrian history, sat Celestia herself, her rainbow-like mane flowing like a living pastel light while her brilliant white coat shone in the sun coming down from the domed glass ceiling. But one thing out of place on the Princess was her expression; one of sour disdain and irritation that marred her usually pleasant disposition.
Several ponies were kneeling before the throne. Regal, noble ponies that Twilight recognized on sight from her days at the Academy and from the Gala, but had never been formally introduced to. Nobles that made up Celestia’s Council.
“…would not bring this to your attention except out of concern for…” One noble, a white pony with an outlandishly proper tone and a monocle over one eye stopped in mid-sentence as he turned over his shoulder, looking back at the small purple-coated mare. “What is the meaning of this!? Servants are not supposed to be allowed into the throne room during a Council--”
Celestia looked up to the door, her expression and mood lifting almost immediately as a more familiar smile graced her muzzle upon realizing who had entered. “Twilight Sparkle! My faithful student!”
“Princess, I am so sorry. I must be early. I didn’t realize you were in the middle of something.” Twilight knelt down on her forehooves respectfully, not wanting to seem overly familiar with the Princess in front of her councilors. Also, it gave her a moment to compose herself as the Princess’ words made her stomach turn.
Her most faithful student, she called her. What would she think when she learned of what Twilight might have become in a few short decades had she not seen it herself and sworn to stop it before it could start?
“Not at all, Twilight. I always have time for you,” Celestia assured her warmingly, walking down from her throne while the four councilponies stood.
“Princess, I must protest this interruption,” the monocled pony started, obviously more than slightly insulted at the diversion of the Princess’ attention. “There are more important matters that must be discussed involving--”
“Your protest is noted and this meeting is concluded. I thank you all for your thoughts and will take your recommendations into consideration.” The Princess nodded, her playful, mischievous tone surfacing as the prim and proper ponies looked at one another cautiously before starting towards the door, each one glaring at Twilight as they passed, but saying nothing.
Pausing the longest to look her over was the white-coated noble, his monocle giving the impression that one of his eyes was far larger than the other and looking straight into her. Now flank to flank, she could see his cutie mark, exposed where his fancy suit cut off near his rump to show a regal-looking three-pointed golden crown with a star topping the central point.
Without a word, he continued on as well and the door slowly closed behind him.
Celestia sighed as she approached Twilight, the alicorn now alone with the young unicorn. “Politics can be so tedious sometimes. I’m glad you came in when you did. I don’t know if I could have kept going for another…” the Princess confided as Twilight dropped her formal pretense, galloping forward and affectionately craning her neck up against Celestia’s front in a more loving sort of greeting.
Although she didn’t flinch away from this, Celestia couldn’t hide her surprise when she noted that Twilight's large, magenta eyes were brimming with tears. “Oh, dear... Twilight, what's wrong?”
Now that she was here, Twilight was overwhelmed.
Where should she begin? What would she say? Ever since the night before, she had been going over the events of the past few days, planning exactly what she would say as if she were giving a report to a class back in the Academy. But now that the time was upon her, everything came rushing back clear as day and as intense as if she had just experienced it afresh.
The blue box that crashed into the library, the terrifying statues that had come after her and her friends, the monstrous Reaper creature that had upset all of Ponyville, and the horrible future that she had seen. The future that she created.
“I was… I just…” Twilight choked on her words and fought to control herself as Princess Celestia watched, concern in her eyes. Before anything else could be said, the Princess of the Sun immediately came up and sat next to her beloved pupil, extending one of her magnificent wings to cover the unicorn and draw her close.
“Shhhh… It's alright. Just breathe. Calm yourself,” Celestia told her soothingly as she waited for Twilight to regain some measure of her composure. “Now, what is the matter, Twilight? Why did you want to come see me?”
“Princess, I… met somepony new in Ponyville a few… I can’t believe it’s only been a few days. Not even that long," Twilight tried to explain as she wiped one of her forelegs across her eyes and leaned in closer against the Princess' chest. "In the library… he… well, he crashed into it. In a box. A big… flying… blue box…"
"A... blue box?" Celestia asked slowly, and hesitantly.
"Oh, ponyfeathers, I know I must sound insane, but it's true! Inside it was this crazy, impossible stallion… He… he calls himself the Doctor and…”
There was a click of hooves as Celestia withdrew a half-step, causing Twilight to pause as she looked up to see that her mentor’s expression was quickly recovering from a moment of shock. “The Doctor!?”
Twilight nodded, now more unsure than ever at the surprised tone that Celestia had taken. There was something there she had not expected to hear at all.
Recognition.
It was a few seconds later that Celestia’s expression softened, her eyes filled with concern and compassion as she led Twilight off to the side of the throne. Her horn glowed a pale yellow as a soft blanket and several pillows were conjured effortlessly out of thin air and placed on the floor.
Laying down on them, Celestia motioned for Twilight to sit across from her, which the young unicorn did without hesitation.
“Twilight...” Celestia bowed her head, her tone patient, soft, and understanding. “Start from the beginning… Tell me everything.”
————————
Ponyville Square Market
Ponyville
At that exact moment
Applejack stood in her usual place next to her stall as the market day began. Though she honestly felt more at home in the fields, the lackluster sales at the Bloom Festival had been a hard hit for Sweet Apple Acres’ already rocky season start. Winter Wrap Up was a season past and the new crops were just beginning to bud. That meant the last remaining stock of the previous season was either being set into preserves or dried out for apple crisps, so these sales would have to sustain the Apple Family until midsummer when the early bucking season would start to replenish their stock with baby crab apples and other summer fruits.
Still, she wasn’t going to let the slow start of the season get her down. Tilting her hat back and putting on a friendly grin, the farm pony got right out to selling, emphasizing her trademark vocal twang to garner the attention of passersby.
“Come one, come all, everypony! Right here be the finest apple crisps this side of Equestria, and the freshest winter stock available! Last chance fer that farm fresh taste till next season’s harvest! With the personal guarantee of yours truly, an honest apple fer an honest two bits! Oh, very good mornin' to you, ma’am. Apple crisp? Well, y'all remember me when you change yer mind. Ya know what they say, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away!’”
“But if the Doctor is cute, bugger the fruit,” came a new tone that came moving up towards AJ’s stand.
Turning to the potential customer, Applejack’s smile soured slightly at what she considered a bit of an insult to her family’s pride crop, and then turned to surprise when she noted the familiar purple unicorn moving alongside the stranger, a brown earth pony in a front-suit and red bow-tie. In his front breast pocket, what looked like a large fountain pen was clipped into place, its shiny top piece shimmering different colors in the midday sun.
“Oh. Mornin', Twi. Wasn’t expectin' to see you ‘round this mornin’. Didn’t you have somethin' ta do with the Princess today?”
“Yes, I did. I mean... I do,” Twilight stammered for a moment, catching herself as Applejack looked over to the strange companion that was at her flank. Although she had the strangest sense she had seen him before, Applejack realized with a shock that she really didn’t know who this particular pony was.
“Whooaaa nelly. Who’s this, Twi? A friend a’ yours?” Her smile went cross again. “Who doesn’t care fer apples, apparently.”
“Oh, yeah, that was kind of rude,” Twilight answered, nudging her companion’s flank.
“Was it? I wasn’t trying for rude, honestly. The local sensitivity to snark and wit is far greater than what I'm used to. Sorry, still trying to get the hang of things here. I thought it was leaning more towards ‘pithy,’ myself.” The newcomer’s lifting accent gave him the impression of being educated, but quite out of touch with reality, which hardly endeared him to the orange mare.
“Applejack, I know you’re busy, so I won’t take up too much of your time," the unicorn explained quickly. "But I need you to get the other girls together and meet me on top of Stargazer Ridge later tonight around midnight.”
“Stargazer Ridge?” Applejack tilted her head slightly in confusion at the request. She was more than familiar with the area just outside of Ponyville where they had all sat back to watch the Centennial Starfall a few weeks back. “Why? Ah ain’t heard ‘bout no meteor showers or anythin’ big ta be lookin’ up at tonight.”
“Oh, I must say, I love that accent. That’s just brilliant.” The brown earth pony grinned a bit at Applejack; a friendly, but somewhat goofy expression.
“Ack-cent? Ah ain’t got no cotton-pickin’ ack-cent!” Applejack protested a bit before Twilight stepped between the two earth ponies.
“AJ, stay with me here. I can’t tell you about it right now, but it’s really important business… for the Princess.”
The Doctor watched as the farm pony’s expression changed dramatically at this news; from suspicious, to understanding compliance. “Oh... If that's the case, y'all know Ah’ll be there with the others in tow,” Applejack stated proudly.
“I knew I could depend on you, AJ.” Twilight nodded once to her friend.
“Oh, and how much for one of those apples?” the stranger asked suddenly, pointing to one of the few remaining winter-ripe varieties that were sitting on the stand.
“Two bits, Mister…?”
“Doctor.”
“Mister Doctor?”
“No, just… Doctor.” He turned his head to Twilight, curious. “Two bits? Is that a lot of money here? I’ve always been rather vague about money.”
Applejack’s concerned expression returned as Twilight rolled her eyes slightly, but didn’t hesitate to reach back into her saddlebag to produce two of the golden coins. Though she normally offered a discount to her friends, Applejack didn’t turn down the money as she offered the apple to the brown earth pony.
Only to watch him drop it to the ground like a newborn colt.
“Blasted… infernal… clumsy... hooves…” One of the Doctor's hind legs stomped the dirt in frustration.
“Oh, right! Sorry, I keep forgetting. Here, try this.” Twilight craned her neck down, her horn aglow for a moment as Applejack recognized the look and concentration of Twilight’s magical ability. A sharp whistling sound accompanied the soft glow around the brown pony’s right hoof.
“Okay, try it now.” Twilight smiled, watching as the Doctor brought his hoof down and brought it back up, the apple remaining in place.
Judging by his expression, the earth pony looked as if the simple act were something miraculous. For Applejack, this meeting was getting stranger by the minute.
“Adhesion Spell. That should help until you get used to them,” Twilight assured the brown pony as he rolled the apple on his hoof a moment.
“Ooohh, I get it. Clever. You increased the ambient friction in relation with the keratin in my hoof so that it’s harder for things to slide off. That’s brilliant! Useful thing, magic. Really wish you'd thought of that earlier, though. It would have saved a lot of dropping things,” he responded, still grinning widely at the thought.
“Twilight, what the hay is he talkin’ about?” Applejack questioned.
“I have no idea. Most of what he says doesn’t make sense at first… Just nod when he stops for breath. Anyways, I'll see you later tonight, then.” Twilight shrugged as the brown earth pony, with a bit of difficulty, broke the fruit in half and set one half down in front of Applejack.
“Bring that with you tonight,” he said with a smile. “I promise, you won’t regret it.”
As Twilight bid her friend goodbye and suddenly nudged this strange new pony along, Applejack tilted her head in complete bafflement.
What in Equestria was going on?
In any case, just to humor him, she swept the apple half into her saddlebag and got back to work. After all, these apples weren’t going to sell themselves.
————————
Sugarcube Corner
Ponyville
A short time earlier
In the kitchen area of Sugarcube Corner, the Doctor was not walking around town with Twilight, but rather had just caught up to Pinkie as she carefully extracted a sheet pan covered in small orange candies from a cooling rack. Their shape was different, looking like small ponies laying down to sleep, but the moment he took one and set it in his mouth, there was no mistaking the exact texture and flavor of his one-time favorite sweet.
“Sooooo, whatcha think?” Pinkie gave the Doctor an appraising look, pleading for approval as she set the dish down, apparently completely unwitting of the implications that were rocketing though the Doctor’s head at that very moment. “Mr. Cake came up with them just a few days ago. Kinda like chewy sugar on the inside, but hard enough on the outside that you can carry them around in a bag and they don’t stick together. He’s hoping they’re gonna be really big sellers because nopony’s ever made anything like them before. Dunno why he wants to call them jelly fillies because I kinda wanted to call ’em gummies. You know, after my pet alligator Gummy? Also, don't you think it feels a little weird making them look like little fillies? Reminds me of this really creepy scary dream I had one time where--”
“Pinkie Pie,” the Doctor interrupted the hyperactive pony, stomping one hoof for a moment. As amusing as her high-speed, sugar-fueled speech normally was, his concerns were beginning to wear on his patience. “They’re good. Really, they are, but this is starting to get…”
Pinkie drew back a little at the agitation in his voice as he foresaw the beginnings of a trembling lip and teary eyes. The stallion took a deep breath in order to dispel his frustration.
“You’re beginning to strain what I can believe, Pinkie.”
“I am?” Pinkie cocked her head to the side.
“They're perfect, almost exactly like I remember.”
“They are?”
“Which shouldn’t be possible! I am from an entirely different universe. The likelihood of the spontaneous production of a sweet that I’ve known and encountered for years being all of the sudden put right in front of me in this place is--”
“So they aren’t new?” the party pony spoke up, looking crestfallen.
“My dear Pinkie Pie, I don’t mean… Well, they are new here, but…” The Doctor shook his head again. He was woefully out of his element here, and most alien to him was the idea that he seemed to care about this fact. It seemed his latest incarnation was somewhat more sensitive to such things than his past few lives.
In the time it took him to take a breath, the Doctor found himself recoiling as a paper bag was suddenly in pushed front of him, filled with the little sweets.
“On the house.” Pinkie grinned, turning a bit as she looked around. “Let me get you a saddlebag.”
“Oh, thank you. But, why?” The Doctor tried to take hold of the bag before it fell off his hooves and sent the candies skittering all over the floor.
“Because they reminded you of home. Awww, don’t worry, I’ll sweep that up.” Pinkie disappeared off to the side again as the Doctor found himself looking at his hooves in irritation.
“If I ever get back to my home universe, I’m never taking thumbs for granted again,” he remarked under his breath. Pinkie returned a moment later, a broom somehow held firmly in her hooves as she demonstrated a dexterity that the Doctor could only watch in awe, cleaning the floor quickly.
“There we go, all done. And just in time for lunch!” She vanished in an instant, darting at high speed to a side table where a three-layer cake with strawberry frosting casually sat. Putting her forehooves up on the table, she smiled to the Doctor. “Best part about living in a bakery: Desert for every meal!”
In a single fluid motion, Pinkie’s mouth unhinged in a manner that would have made any serpent jealous as her tongue, much larger than it should have been, slipped out under the cake and then retracted, taking the entire thing with it in an instant as it went down the pony’s throat and to her belly with only a slight jostle.
“MY WORD!” The Doctor acted quickly, rushing forward and catching Pinkie’s mouth before she closed it, and easily able to look down her throat as everything had distended.
“How did you do that!? That cake was larger than your midsection! No living creature should be capable of that level of biological elasticity! All of that mass, without even chewing? Where did the cake go!?” the Doctor asked frantically, his curiosity again piqued after witnessing what could only be described as a biological and spacial impossibility right before his eyes.
“Uuuhhhhh... Aiee-gaht-et.” Pinkie remained still, having trouble talking as the Doctor leaned forward a bit more, holding the top of her mouth open with one hoof as he tried to get a more in-depth look “Heh-haatt hickles!”
The Doctor was now leaning forward, almost up to his midsection as he realized he had no light source and could not actually see any further down the pony’s gullet. But before he could stop himself, he said something he never expected to say in a surprised tone.
“It’s… bigger on the inside…”
Then there was a sudden ring of a bell as the kitchen door opened.
“Hey, Pinkie Pie? You in here? I’m trying to find the Doctor. Is he still with… with…” Spike the dragon had seen a great many strange things in his admittedly short reptilian life. But as he walked into the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner, something he never once imagined he'd see caused his eyes to widen dramatically as he was struck absolutely speechless: the Doctor’s flank and hind legs hanging out of Pinkie Pie’s mouth as she looked up and over the stallion’s back, waving with one hoof.
“Hai, Hhikke!”
Spike’s eye twitched once as he continued to stare, making a few small, astounded noises before falling backwards in a dead faint.
“Hike? You want to go for a walk? Hmm? Wait, Spike? Oh! Spike!” The Doctor saw the young dragon falling to the floor and withdrew to help, his mane only slightly matted as he turned and rushed to the dragon’s side. Pinkie’s mouth closed with a slight pop as the pony rubbed her sore jaw a bit.
“Ouch… You know, you even taste sad.”
“That must have been quite a scene to walk in on. Spike? Are you alright? Spike?” The Doctor ignored Pinkie's comment and prodded the purple dragon, who seemed to have been completely thrown off by the sight.
“Awwww, is he okay? Maybe we should take him to a doctor. Oh, wait, never mind. Already got one."
“Yes, you do.” The Doctor nodded before turning back to Pinkie. “He’ll be fine. To be honest, I’m more worried about you. Could you open your mouth again, Pinkie?”
“Hmm? Oh, sure. Agggghhhhhhh.” The mare complied with the Time Pony's request.
It seemed normal now, rather than the huge, gaping maw that he might well have been able to walk into a few moments ago. Pinkie’s mouth had stopped as it was expected to at her jaw’s width.
“But it was just…”
“Awwww, no popsicle stick? I thought doctors liked to use the popsicle stick.”
The Doctor stood there a moment, trying to wrap his formidable mind around what he had witnessed a few moments earlier, the awkward silence broken as Pinkie strode past him without a care and heaved Spike up off the floor. It wasn’t until he felt the weight suddenly press onto his back that the Doctor snapped out of his internal ruminations, turning to look over his shoulder and seeing that the unconscious dragon had been set down on it. His attention broken for the moment, he took interest in the strange feeling that came with suddenly being reminded of his new equine body’s nature.
“Oh, wow, look at that. A pony Time Lord, being ridden by a baby dragon. Heh, who would believe this one?” The Doctor shifted his shoulders a bit and took a few steps, amazed at how well Spike stayed in place as he paced around the kitchen. “I really thought this would feel more awkward, like a piggyback ride, but he barely weighs anything, does he? Not like when I tried to carry Twilight; she just would not stay in place.”
The Doctor paused in his trot for a moment as a thought occurred to him.
"Well, this is unfortunate. I just completely jumped subjects of interest there, didn't I? Oh, dear, this incarnation seems to be rather easily distracted. Don't think I've ever been that before... I hope I don't have some form of pony ADD. That would really be very bad, all things considered.
“Piggyback?” Pinkie cocked her head to one side inquisitively, her mind obviously stuck at an earlier place in the Doctor's self-directed revelations.
“Err, never mind. Perhaps it would be best to just get our reptilian friend here back to the library so he can sleep off his shock. I need to check the TARDIS in any case; see if she’s managed to recharge.”
“Oh, oh, oh! My turn! My turn!” Pinkie bounced in place for a moment, her bubbly enthusiasm banishing all other concerns as she resumed her game. “I showed you my room, can I see your flying magical dimensional house box?”
“But you’ve seen it already. You fell into the pool, remember?”
“But I didn’t get a grand tour, did I?”
“We were rather busy that day...” the Doctor reasoned, shifting his shoulders again uncomfortably as the pink pony continued to inexplicably bounce in place with all of the carefree joy of a child on Christmas Day.
He considered cutting out right there, excusing himself and making a dash for the exit to the relative normalcy of the TARDIS so that he could take a chance to collect himself and better find his footing... Or was it hoofing? Since his most recent regeneration, the Doctor had noticed quite a few irregularities beyond the fact that it was the first non-humanoid form he had acquired. Among them the fact that this incarnation was surprisingly patient with these ponies; far more so than most of his past lives had been with the average human.
Now that he was settling down and was out of any real danger, he was finding out more and more about his newest set of habits and personality quirks, a rather confusing enough time without Pinkie around to constantly throw new twists on him.
But then again, he always got a kick out of showing his beloved TARDIS to anybody that might be interested.
“Weeeeell, seeing as how I am a bit stuck today, I would be delighted to show you around the wonders of the single most advanced piece of temporal technology in the known universe.”
“Okay, will we do that before or after we see your blue box?”
The Doctor tried to come up with a response for a few moments, but merely shook his head as he gave an amused smile. “Alright, my dear, shall we?”
He never could pass up an opportunity to show off. In this at least, he had not changed in the slightest.
————————
Canterlot Palace, Throne Room
Canterlot
3:00 p.m.
It rarely rained in Canterlot.
Most attributed it to the fact that the Noble House of Pegasus indulged Princess Celestia, allowing her to always keep an eye on the heavenly bodies that she moved across the skies. But those who studied weather production and regional distribution knew better.
There was no Weather Patrol in Canterlot because no living pegasus pony could overcome the sheer magical aura of the Princess, which turned the weather to her own desires with only a thought or an emotion. And as all measures were taken to keep her happy and content, the sun often shone proudly by day and the moon lovingly by night upon the spires of Canterlot Palace. It was the same reason Canterlot had been specifically placed on such a sturdy, rocky mountain, so that there would be no farmers or others that would have to be tended to by weather maintenance. Even the Royal Gardens were irrigated by a natural spring, maintained through clever agricultural tricks rather than precipitation as the rest of Equestria was.
But now, it was raining; a soft, gentle rain that was just enough to drive many of the nobles and locals indoors as they pondered what could have upset their beloved Princess so.
Inside the throne room, Twilight Sparkle had been speaking aloud almost nonstop for over two hours already, the Princess dismissing all appointments and visitors in favor of quietly listening to her pupil’s tale of harrowing danger, fantastical wonder, and futuristic intrigue. She remained calm and impassive as Twilight found herself unable to stop, the words flowing like water burst from a dam as she revealed what she had learned of the Doctor, the defeat of the Weeping Pegasi, the Paradox Monster that had come into being in Ponyville, and the dusk-shrouded future that she and the Doctor had fought to set right.
Through it all, Princess Celestia’s concerned expression never changed. Not once did she question the validity of her student’s impossible tale. No accusation of fantasy or falsehood was made. In fact, she did not speak at all.
As she drew her tale to a close, Twilight wondered if perhaps the Princess thought she had gone mad.
“When we came back… everything was just as we left it. The monster was gone, my friends were all my friends again, and they all have no idea what could've… What I could've done to them. What I did do to them... Spike… Rainbow Dash… Pinkie Pie...” Twilight lowered her head, her throat feeling hoarse after speaking for so long. “Part of me wants to just forget it all ever happened. Wants for that pony to just jump back into his blue box and leave. But…”
“One should never wish for ignorance, Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said softly, presenting her gentle, motherly nature.
Twilight looked to her mentor fearfully, unsure what to expect. “You… believe me... don’t you, Princess?”
Celestia did not hesitate in her response. “Of course I do, Twilight. And I think that you have been very brave in your actions.”
“My actions? Brave? But… I… Princess, I did all of those terrible things. I twisted the world, destroyed the day and night, betrayed you and my friends...” Twilight suddenly found herself almost on the verge of tears again in admitting this.
“No, Twilight. You did not do those things.” Celestia shook her head, her tone proud and affirming. “The Twilight Sparkle I know stood by her friends despite their distrust and hardships. The Twilight Sparkle I know saw the wrong in the actions committed by another, horrible, dark-minded pony, and did what she could to undo them.”
The Princess leaned closer, a slight smile on her face as she lowered her tone.
“The Twilight Sparkle I know has gone out of her way, doing everything she can, no matter what the possible cost, to make sure that those terrible things never happen at all. And that, my faithful student, is perhaps the bravest thing that anypony could ever have aspired to do.”
Twilight reeled at this praise as the Princess pulled herself back, her expression lightened as she gave her student a moment to collect herself.
“I'm curious... What do you think of the Doctor, Twilight?” she asked after a while.
“What do I think? I think he's crazy!” Twilight admitted openly, her quiet timidness forgotten momentarily as a sudden burst of outrage accompanied her answer. “He always talks at a full gallop, and never lets on to what he’s thinking. He acts like a complete foal sometimes, and then out of nowhere, pulls a plan or some incredible antic that manages to get him out of a fire by the skin of his teeth.”
The Princess smiled as Twilight ranted the opinion she had been holding back for days out of courtesy. “He’s arrogant. He’s foalish. Absolutely incorrigible, and… and…” Twilight found herself deflating, unable to deny what she said next. “…he’s amazing.”
“I am sure he is.” Celestia nodded, her voice strangely restrained, as if she had an omnipotent knowing that shouldn’t fall completely on the young unicorn. “And right now, Twilight Sparkle, that arrogant, foalish, amazing pony needs something very important.”
Twilight looked up to her mentor, the beautiful and wise Princess of Equestria, with the same curious, puzzled expression that Celestia had seen the day that a startled, powerful young unicorn filly, who had caused untold damage to the observation tower while transforming several tenured professors into various inanimate objects and exploding the growth of a hatchling dragon, had found her special talent.
“He needs friends.”
The look on Twilight’s face softened in realization. She had heard the Princess say this before… the morning before the Summer Sun Celebration last year, when she had first gone to Ponyville.
A day, not unlike when the Doctor first arrived, when the course her life was completely and irreversibly changed.
“Twilight, in addition to your reports on the Magic of Friendship… I have a new assignment for you.”
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Wow....that explanation about the doctors past and why he does what he does s so good the should use it in the show
41379 Again, in order:
Huh, interesting writing style then. I've never seen anyone else use capitalization that way; well done.
"Every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair and the Doctor comes to call," eh? Alright, I can go with that.
As for my third complaint... yeah, go ahead and scratch that from the record. My apologies; I had failed to notice that the second chapter had been uploaded, and naturally had missed Twilight's meeting with Celestia. And although I would argue that the Doctor isn't as stoic as you make him out to be, the scene in the Memory Room has proven that you're not ignoring his darker side either. Again, my apologies; you clearly know what you're doing.
And as for the promise of more adventures, well, I'll give that a heartfelt "yay." Looking forward to it.
Oh this is VERY interesting!
Keep going with this. I can't wait for more!
-Fin
This is why Pinkie is my favorite. She can shatter even the Doctor's expectations. Not just with her toon physics, but with her deadly accurate foresight and unprecedented acceptance to everything while still able to be so unrelentingly optimistic. And you played it far better than I could have ever imagined.
And then of course you have to go and make her miss out on 2 straight trips.
But based on the preview and character rotations, I'm guessing the next one will have Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack (hopefully giving Twilight a break for once. I don't hate her, but I feel like she shouldn't come along on EVERY single trip when none of the others do.).
Anyway, just commenting to show how much I love your work.
I don't watch dr who. Do for most of this I'm asking my brothers about the doctor. They really like it.
2095246 You must go watch it now. A more fantastic assortment of stories and characters is very difficult to find.
KuKuKu... You got my attention... Now what? KuKuKu....
I just got a doctor who add from this
The closing statement from Celestia made me feel warm with nostalgia and love for the character's personality. When you think of it, Twilight and the Doctor do share the similarity of lacking (in Twilight's case in the past) friends in the way it occurs in Equestria. Bottom-line: the writing if good, if not for the occasional typo, the characters remain true to their personalities and I'm amazed how anyone could write the Doctor almost impeccably. A character that crazy can't be easy to portray in written form.
Well I guess things are about to get interesting, then.
I think now's a good time to mention that I think this is a brilliant continuation to Squeak-anon's series, as much as I wish that one had been finished. You have the Doctor nailed, and the scene with the Doctor and Pinkie - “It’s… bigger on the inside…” - priceless! The title makes sense now...
I'm getting a bad feeling from that one noble. The one with the monocle.
I'm getting a bad feeling from that one noble. The one with the monocle.
Maybe Pinkiepie is secretly a TARDIS!
5353901 ok we already knew that from that "its bigger on the inside" thing.
3393255 Everyone knows if a character gets described, he or she will be important later on...
5353901 No, she's probably a reality-shifting being like Discord, but born a pony, and doesn't even know. This theory explains that, and her Pinkie Sense, and everything else.