A Storm of Chaos: A Doctor Whooves Adventure

by Shotoman

Old Friends

Part 21

Old Friends

The Doctor helped an unsteady Dawn Riser to her hooves. "What is it exactly that happened to Miss Derpy?" she asked in concern.

The Doctor tried to put on his sincerest expression, fully aware of how unconvincing it was. "Oh, well, nothing really. Nothing for you to get your tail in a knot about. Just a mild case of abduction is all. Nothing I can't take care of. Happens often enough. Don't worry."

"Abduction!?" Dawn Riser exclaimed. "Who abducted her? When? How?"

"Now don't you fret about that. I'll save her, you can be sure of it. That's my role in this whole mess. What you need to do is get back to Little Celestia and begin rebuilding Canterlot. That's your role."

Dawn Riser cast the Doctor a concerned look. "But I owe her much. I am a unicorn, I could be of use in rescuing her. Please..."

"Tch," the Master scoffed. "He's politely trying to tell you that this is a Time Charger problem. So stay here like a good little girl and let us take care of this. Oh, I finished your data collecting. Good job Borusa wants to be found. How did you get along with such primitive technology?"

Dawn glared at the Master. "YOU!" Her horn lit up as she prepared a most unpleasant spell.

The Doctor tapped a forehoof on her shoulder. "Hold, a moment." He turn his attention to the Master. "Us again, Master? I don't remember inviting you along. And I had a sonic screwdriver once, remember?" He grabbed his scanner out of the Master's hoof. "Give me that!"

The Master looked rather affronted. "You're backing out on me? But you said..."

"I agreed I couldn't keep you here. That's a long way from trusting you enough to take you with me."

"You're not the only one who has issues with the old workhorse!" the Master shouted. "He used me just as much as he did you last time if you'll recall. And besides he has something... I want."

The Doctor locked eyes with the Master, and a tense couple of seconds passed. "Can I trust you until we reach him?"

The Master smirked. "Absolutely."

"And after?"

"Oh, well, business as usual, of course."

One corner of the Doctor's mouth turned upward. "Of course." His expression turned cold as he added, "But you do realize that if you do anything out of the ordinary, touch any controls, if you so much as change the temperature on the thermostat, then I will throw you into the Time Vortex."

The Master chuckled, then backpedaled upon seeing the stern look the Doctor sent his way. "Oh, this is you being serious, isn't it? Okay, fine. All things considered I suppose it's fair enough."

"I do not believe this!" Dawn Riser cried, her usual subtle arrogance replaced with an almost childlike whine. "You are going to take him yet you wish to leave me behind?"

"Don't feel too bad," the Master said in a mock consoling manner as he draped a foreleg around the Doctor's shoulders. "You couldn't begin to understand the history we two share."

"Stop that!" the Doctor snapped as he pushed the other Time Charger away. Turning his attention to Dawn Riser, he attempted consolation. "Look, the Master has made one solid point. This is rather personal, for the both of us. There is a history there, and though I hate to admit it, he has a right to face it. As for as not taking you, well I'm afraid the risk is too great."

"What? Because of the danger? I can handle it, as I am sure you are aware."

"Oh I have no doubts about your competency, but just believe me when I say it's just too dangerous." At her silent glare the Doctor sighed. "But of course you won't leave it at that, will you? You're too clever. You just have to know exactly what the risk is."

He tapped his chin with a hoof. "Okay. Okay. You already pieced together that we're time travelers. Well, there's a certain responsibility that comes with that. Certain rules, to keep reality from breaking completely apart. You almost witnessed what could happen when a few of the really major ones get broken." He glared at the Master here, who simply grinned. "Now, I've always been something of a renegade. I've bent and broken almost all the Laws of Time at least once. But there are a few that I'll only bend in dire straights and even I will never break outright."

"What does that have to do with me?" Dawn Riser huffed.

"Why don't you stay silent for just a moment and let him explain?" the Master snapped. "He's already being remarkably patient with your dullheadedness." He turned to the Doctor. "I just don't understand what you see in these Equestrians."

Ignoring both the Master's intolerance and Dawn Riser's scowl, the Doctor pressed forward. "One of those rules that I rarely if ever break--well, at least not anymore, that one I had to learn from experience. Anyway, the rule is this: 'never remove a pony who's overly entrenched in history from the timeline--especially on a trip that has a very real risk of death.'"

Dawn Riser rolled her eyes. "And...?"

Now is was the Doctor's turn to roll his eyes. "Okay, now you're just being purposefully thick. I mean, look at what you've already done. You're the personal student of Princess Celestia herself, one of her most trusted Royal Aides, fifth most powerful unicorn in history forwards and backwards, and--perhaps most important of all--Little Tia's best friend, at least for this generation. And you're barely in your twenties. You of all ponies know of your own potential, don't you? What would happen should we take you along and something should happen, eh? All that history, all that good. Gone."

"That is assuming that I die," Dawn Riser stubbornly insisted.

The Doctor sighed. "Yes, that is assuming you die. But that is not a risk I'm willing to take. Especially since, well, Little Celestia would kill me."

Dawn Riser continued her glare for just a moment before she conceded with a chuckle. "Very well. But let me at least do something for you first." With that she closed her eyes and her horn lit up. The Doctor felt the familiar feeling of magic sending prickles throughout his body, stopping at points where he'd been injured to speed up the healing process. The Doctor obligingly stood still and let the spell work its magic. As the magic crept through his chest, she opened her eyes in surprise. "Two hearts?" she asked.

The Doctor grinned. "A never ending bag of surprises, I am."

Dawn Riser shook her head and continued with the check up. A few moments later, Dawn Riser was done, and the Doctor felt good as new. Well, almost as good as new. Well, at least the limp was gone. After all, no magic could fully replace true natural healing. Still, he felt much improved.

"What, no healing spell for me?" the Master asked.

The Doctor smirked. "Do you really want me to leave you in her care?"

"Hmm. I guess not."

The Doctor turned to open the TARDIS doors and called over his shoulders. "What say we skip over the guards and drop you off right at the throne room, eh?"

Dawn Riser smiled. "I think I would like that."

~DrW~

The Doctor smiled as he watched the scene on the main monitor. Dawn Riser froze not two steps out the TARDIS, obviously not sure what to say. What could a pony say after months of working with the enemy? Sorry, I was mind controlled? Celestia herself was sitting on her throne, and she was regarding her newly arrived student with that face she often pulled. That face that, to most ponies, looked completely serene but in actuality was a masterful facade hiding her own worries.

The two ponies took a few tentative steps toward each other before Celestia quickly closed up the distance and had her young student enveloped in her wings--a hug the Doctor knew was usually reserved only for her long-missing sister. When she looked up at the TARDIS expectantly, the Doctor shook his head. "Maybe next time, Little Tia," he murmured before he launched into piloting mode. "Come on, Old Girl. We have a companion to save. Yes, again. Do you have the trail? Excellent. Let's go, then."

The Master, who had planted himself on the armchair in a show of compliance grunted in disgust even as the room shook. "You still talk to your TARDIS? Honestly, you're like a child."

"See, that right there is one of the reasons I'll never let you touch her," the Doctor replied as he continued pounding on the controls.

The Master simply harrumphed and watched as the Doctor did his thing. Despite the Doctor's wholly unorthodox piloting--even considering the wholly unorthodox ship--the Master was well able to keep his balance as he watched in interest. As the minutes passed--that itself a rarity in a TARDIS jump, those usually took less than one--the shaking and rattling and overall racket intensified. And still the Master sat firm, though a hard line formed on his face as he continued to read the output on the screen. He would have to step in, and soon. Still, the Master knew his old enemy--or was it friend? He honestly didn't even know from one minute to the next--well enough to know that he had to wait for just the right moment in order to avoid too much pointless arguing.

The moment came shortly when a particularly violent tremor sent the Master sprawling to the floor. "All right. That does it. I can read the writing on the wall just as well as you can. I know what we're heading into, and I know that if you want to survive, you'll need help piloting this ruddy piece of junk."

Even as the Doctor performed quite the feat of contortion to hold down a pair of switches he managed a stern glare at his peer. "Not happening, Master. You know that."

"Look here. I know you don't want me touching your precious 'old girl' for fear of sabotage. And frankly, I don't blame you a bit on that, but let me tell you, I don't want my atoms to be spread all throughout spacetime, either, and that's exactly what will happen if you don't let me help you!"

The Doctor had a retort almost out his mouth when he suddenly turned back to the central spire. "What!? Are you mad, woman? Yes, I know he's got a bloody point, but... Oh don't you start that with me, I get enough of that from Derpy." The Doctor sighed. "Fine, fine. You're the boss." He cast his most serious glare at the Master. "No funny business."

The Master grinned as he took his place directly across from the Doctor. "Well, you know me..."

"None," the Doctor reiterated.

The Master put on a childish pout. "Aw, you're no fun anymore."

And so the two Time Chargers, ancient survivors of the planet Gallopfrey, began piloting the even more ancient type 40 TARDIS. To any who might have looked upon it, it could have been a dance. The two ponies never stayed in one spot for more than a second, leaping around the console, smashing buttons, pulling levers, hammering nonsensical tools. And yet, with no communication between them, they always were on opposite sides of the machine, never in each other's way, never tripping over the other's hooves. Perfectly synchronized. The Doctor almost didn't realize that laughter was erupting from his mouth, laughter mirrored by the mad pony across from him. And for a moment, for a brief shining moment, they were not ancient enemies with centuries of battle behind them. They were young schoolfoals on Gallopfrey, looking for adventure and causing new grey hairs in Professor Borusa's mane. The moment was but fleeting, as such moments are, and as soon as it arrived the moment ended.

As the TARDIS came to a sudden, dead, stop.

Comments

[GreyNoise]

Do you you have the trail? Excellent. Let's go, then.

Whoops!

Anyway, liking your story so far, keep up the good work.

[FredFredNineNine]

OH. MY. CELESTIA. I seriously want that scene with the Doctor and the Master piloting the TARDIS to be in the show. It was so beautiful

[Reader Wolf]

Okay, that piloting scene just BLED awesome.

[LorD ChaOS]

brilliance

[Shotoman]

2551021
Fix-ed

[A Madman With a Box]

Am I the only one who feels sorry for The Master in this chapter? He could have turned out like The Doctor if Rassilon Hadn't placed the drums in his head, and he obviously misses being friends with him.

[ivord]

2554404

Absolutly! In fact, I think they might have both start travelling together and , maybe, kept their real names.

[A Madman With a Box]

2554579
The Master can keep his name, I kind of like Koschei anyway, but I don't really want to find out The Doctor's name, I like the mysterious aspect of him, and I think finding out his name would ruin it a bit.

[Stiggerzz]

dat scene with the two time lords piloting the TARDIS....beautiful

The Master put on a childish pout. "Aw, you're no fun anymore."

how has nobody posted this yet?

[Mares Guyver]

Just went on a binge and read through your whole story up to what you've written so far (and I plan to make my way through your other stories sometime later ). Like others here have said, and which I am certainly happy to repeat without reservation, your story and writing ability is. absolutely. brilliant! Seriously, I feel like I can see what's happening at every point in the story in my head (complete with appropriate "New Who" soundtrack music playing in the background ). While I can't claim to be the most authortative or well-versed Dr. Who fan, the mixed tone of whimsy, adventure, drama, and gut-bustingly witty comedy feels spot-in to what little I've been exposed to, and yet flows seamlessly within the universe of MLP without a high level of forced alteration. Seriously, I am in awe of what you're accomplishing here!

And then there's the characterization! The Doctor is again spot-on to the various television and written portrayals of him I've encountered, which just the right amount of insanity, gravitas, compassion, and egotism. Your portrayal of Derpy, though, has to be by far one of the most authentic feeling portrayals of this fandom's favorite mailmare that I've read. As others have pointed out, I love how your take on Derpy is at once ditzy, bubbly, and a little scatterbrained, but at the same time is intelligent and competent in her own right, accutely aware of emotions around her, and more than able to serve as an equal foil to the Doctor without coming across as mean-spirited or unrealistic. It's nice to see a Derpy that's faithful to what little MLP canon has presented of her while also showing the hidden depths that would certainly cause a certain Time Lord (or Time Charger, as you refer to his kind as) to gravitate towards her for companionship.

In any case, well done with everything you've accomplished in your work thus far! I look forward to seeing how the end game plays out!

Cheers,
Mares Guyver

[IllusionedDrawer64]

Of course, the Master and the Doctor piloting the Tardis happened bunch of times and to this day with Capadi...