Tales from the TARDIS

by Gherkin

What Friends Are For

The little pegasus filly zoomed down the street, soaring above the crowds of ponies as they went about their daily business. The whole concept of being closer to the ground was new for the filly, but she found it exhilarating weaving in and around obstacles she found in her path. It provided much more of a thrill and challenge than soaring high above the clouds, with nothing in her way. She loved to live on the edge, and she didn’t think there was anything closer to it than this.

Yet, Rainbow Dash still found her new home absolutely boring. Ponyville had nothing on her hometown of Cloudsdale. It was just so quaint, and normal. In the cloud city there was always something exciting happening, be it a competition or some sort of race, but here it was just normal ponies, doing normal things. Dash couldn't think of anything worse.

The one stand out was an earth pony filly she had become friends with, whose family owned a farm just outside of town. Applejack, her name was. They had gotten to know each other when she had helped Dash, after she had picked a fight at school that she couldn't win. The pegasus hated to admit it, but without the bright orange filly, she probably would have come out of that fight with more than a few bruises.

She didn't look it, but Applejack had a wild imagination too. She had told Dash wild stories of a stallion she had met once, who traveled in a 'magical blue box'. She wasn't sure whether to believe her or not, but Dash liked a good story as much as the next pony, so she went along with it, sometimes making up stories of her own to excite her friend.

It was her farm, Sweet Apples Acres, that Rainbow Dash was headed towards that day. It was quite hot, and the sun shone down unrelentlessly through the cloudless sky, causing the filly to sweat in exhaustion. By the time she reached the farmhouse, Dash was panting for breath. She knocked on the door and leaned against the wall, resting.

Soon enough, the bright red door swung open, and an elderly mare looked out. “Oh, hello there, Rainbow Dash,” she said warmly. “You here to play with Applejack?”

“Yes, Granny Smith,” the pegasus replied politely.

Granny Smith chuckled. “Well, go on up then. She’s in her room. No work to be done today.”

Dash thanked her and flew up the stairs, quickly reaching her friend’s bedroom door. She pushed it open to reveal a large room. On the far side, by the window, sat the orange filly, staring at a crudely made paper mache model of a blue box. Noticing the cyan pegasus enter the room, she tore her attention away. “Oh, hey Rainbow Dash,” she said quietly.

“Hi Applejack!” she exclaimed, excitement in her voice. “How’s it goin’?”

The orange filly sighed. “Okay, I guess.”

The pegasus’ excited demeanor disappeared. “What’s wrong?” She noticed her friend eyeing the blue box. “What, thinking about that magic stallion again?”

Applejack nodded silently. “Imagine how amazing it would be to travel with him, in that box of his. Maybe it’s a spaceship, or something.”

Dash looked away and rolled her eyes. Sometimes the filly could take her imaginary friends too seriously at times. Still, she wanted to cheer her up, so she trotted over to the bed. “Hey, who knows? Maybe he’ll come back one day.”

That seemed to help. Applejack smiled. “Yeah. One day.”

***

“She made a paper mache model of the TARDIS?”

Rainbow Dash and The Doctor were sitting in the console room, chatting about their pasts. After what Twilight and Pinkie had told her, Dash was curious as to what exactly the Time Lord did before he met them, and what it was like back in his universe. Likewise, he wanted to know about hers. She was telling him about Applejack’s slight obsession with him, when she was a filly.

The cyan pegasus chuckled. “That’s not even the half of it. She even made her brother dress up as you!” She burst into laughter.

The Doctor chuckled. “Well, maybe I just have that effect on people,” he said, before turning to the giggling mare. “Hey, did she really think my name was ‘Timey Wimey’, and that I was the chief advisor to the mayor of Manehattan?” Rainbow Dash simply nodded smugly. The Time Lord laughed slightly, and sighed.

Their attention turned to the staircase leading out of the room, where Applejack now stood. “Hey Rainbow Dash? What are y’all talking about in here?”

The Doctor and Dash just looked at her for a moment, before bursting out into laughter again.

“What?” the farmpony asked, perplexed. No answer. “C’mon, what’s so funny?”

The Doctor tried to calm down and talk properly, but found himself in a fit of laughter once more after looking at the mare. Soon enough though, both of them had calmed down.

“What was that all about?” Applejack asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing.

The Time Lord turned to look at her. “Oh, nothing.” Before she could say anything in return, he had launched off, flipping levers around the main console. “So!” he exclaimed, “Where shall we go to next? Ooh, I know! There’s a wonderful planet not far from here, completely populated by talking monkeys!” He turned to both mares, grinning like a schoolcolt. “Can you believe that? Talking monkeys!”

Applejack rolled her eyes, while Rainbow Dash trotted up to him. “Talking monkeys? Boring!” she scoffed. “What about that planet you promised to take us to? Y’know, the galaxy’s capital of air racing?” He looked at her, and was met with puppy dog eyes. “Please can we go? Please?”

He tried to look away; to resist, but found himself unable. “Oh, fine.” He relented. “But tomorrow, I’m telling you. Talking monkeys!”

Rainbow hopped up into the air in excitement. “Yes!” She flew around the room happily, doing laps around the TARDIS’ central column. Laughing and shaking her head, Applejack walked up to The Doctor. “Can’t keep that mare down, huh?” she said to him.

“Ha.” He smiled, looking at her. “You’d know it better than I would.”

The country mare chuckled. “Yeah. Like, for example, when she was a filly, she would always get into fights at school. Standing up for her friends, and stuff.”

He nodded, motioning for her to continue.

“And I would always be the one to bail her out. Every time, she got in way over her head.”

The Time Lord smirked. “Friends look out for friends, right?”

Applejack nodded. “Yep. It’s what friends do.” She stopped, and turned back to him. “You consider us your friends, right?”

He took his eyes off the console and turned to her. “Of course.”

She smiled again. “Then you’re looking out for us as well.”

The Doctor grinned, and turned back to his machine. “Always.”

Comments

[SP00KY NINJA-PON3]

SHIT. Dashie's Riversong/Mel/Melody and AJ's Amelia.

ALONZY ALONSO!!!

[StrigidaeFan]

1576966
So does Dashie regenerate into Spectrum Song? (My name for RD!River Song.)