The Legacy of the Rider III: Misconception

by MrAwesome343

Bonus Chapter: The Doctor is in

Bonus Chapter: The Doctor is in

Taro stepped out of the castle wearing what came to be his new favorite look. A dark tan trench coat and a black fedora. He breathed in the morning air and slowly exhaled, a bright smile on his face. No crime around Equestria for the passed two weeks. It had been a nice beginning of the new year. Year 1736. Two years since Taro had met Silus and two years they had been friends. Taro's student had been tested and was not a Dragon Rider. Silus stayed in the castle at night and went out to conduct weather over Canterlot during the day. Except today. Today, she was going to have a meeting with Ponyville's weather conductor, Donna Doo. Taro was going to go over a simple patrol around the neighboring cities around Canterlot and pick up Silus to spend the rest of the day with her.

Taro continued on, taking flight to look over the city. He landed on a tall building, taking in a deep breath. Something moving caught his eye. In an alley, no less. It blinked and disappeared. Then it reappeared. And disappeared. Then reappeared again for good. His adventurous instincts taking over, he flew down to take a look.

A tan pony stepped out and he brightened up when he saw Taro. "Ah, hello again Taro. Long time, no see. At least I think it's been a long time. What year is it? How old are you? How's Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

He had been there for less than a minute and he had already struck a nerve. "She's dead. She has been for over a thousand years. I happen to be 1736 years old," Taro said sternly.

"Oh, well. It HAS been a long time. I'm surprised Thatch isn't with you."

"He's dead, too. Not starting on very good terms, are you sir?"

"Sir? It seems it's been long enough for you to forget me. Don't you remember? Ageless pony, time travel..."

"The Doctor..."

"Ah, now he makes the connection," The Doctor stated.

"What are you doing here?" Taro asked.

"Mmm... Just sight seeing I suppose. Nice new choice in clothing," The Doctor smiled.

"Thank you."

"So what are you doing now-a-days?"

"King of Equestria."

"Impressive, what of the Princesses?"

"Dead."

"Them too? Who else?"

"Think of everyone and everypony that you and I both know. They're probobly dead."

"Even the..."

"Yes, even the other Dragon Riders. I'm the only one left." The Doctor looked down. "Come on. Walk with me. We need to get to the train station to pick up my friend from Ponyville."

"Who's your friend?"

"Oh, you probably don't know her."

"Her? Taro, you sly Rider, you," said The Doctor, nudging Taro.

"Ha, ha. You're hilarious. You know I only loved Rainbow Dash."

"I'm only teasing."

They continued to the train station and departed to Ponyville. Much of the ride was quiet, save for the first couple of minutes. "Wow, Taro," started The Doctor. "Two last minute tickets to Ponyville completely free."

"Yeah, well I happen to be King of Equestria. How many people would be willing to argue. Most of the time I don't accept special treatment. But I'll take the train free more often than not for my friend." They arrived in Ponyville Station in an hour and Taro stood to leave. "Wait here, I'll bring her."

A short walk and Taro met Silus in between the weather station and the train station. She was wearing a huge sunhat that was too big for her. "What's with the hat?" Taro laughed as he approached.

"It's my reward from myself for getting the job," Silus replied with a smile.

"Isn't it a little big?"

"Look who's criticizing a fashion sense."

"Hey, fedoras and trench coats are cool! And I have somepony to vouch for me on the train!"

"On the train? You met a new friend? Taro, you know you're not allowed to do that without my permission."

Taro pushed open the door to the train they just reached. "Yeah, ha. You're sooo hilarious."

"So, where's your friend?"

Taro pointed with an open hand at a pony looking out the window. "Right here. This is..."

The Doctor spoke up. "Silus?"

"Doctor?"

"What? You two know each other?"

"Yes. Well, he had a bow tie then. Glad it's gone."

"Hey, bow ties are cool!"

Silus turned to Taro, who face-palmed. "Somepony to vouch for you, huh?"

"Shut up, they're still cool."

Silus laughed and her and Taro took a seat next to each other. "So how do you two know each other?" Taro asked.

"Remember when we first met? When I said there was one other pony a little while before you?"

"Him, huh?"

"Exactly," The Doctor finished.

"Interesting..." Taro sat back.

The Doctor took a breath. "How did she die?"

Taro looked at him. "What?"

"Rainbow Dash," replied the Doctor. "How did she die?"

"Age."

"Really? Age? Not over exerting herself?"

"She didn't push herself that much."

"Well..." The Doctor turned himself silent. Then... "Do you miss her?"

Taro looked out the window. "Very much."

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Do you want to see her?"

Taro looked at him in surprise. "Can you do that?"

"I can go back in time to when she was alive, if you like. Name a time and I'll take you to her. A time when you weren't there would be nice, like on some kind of mission on your own."

"When I went to the griffin provinces to the east. I was gone for ten days. I returned and she hugged me and cried about me finally being home. As if I hadn't been home for a year."

"Then it's settled. When we arrive, you and I will return to the TARDIS and we'll see Rainbow Dash."

"What about me?" Silus chimed in.

"What of you? You'll stay in the castle," Taro replied.

"But I want to see Rainbow Dash. I want to see the pony you've been moping over for so long."

Taro turned to the Doctor. "Alright, you can come along."

The train made its stop in Canterlot and the three made their way to the alley where the payphone rested.

"A payphone? Keep with the times, Doc," Taro said sarcastically.

"I like it as a Police Box," the Doctor replied, entering the TARDIS.

Taro and Silus entered the box. "Woah!" said Silus, looking around. "It's... it's smaller on the outside!"

The Doctor looked up. "Well that's one way you could put it, I suppose."

Taro looked around. "Well I would imagine. Can't exactly take people through time in a payphone, can you? But this is extremely impressive, compacting such a large space into a Police Box, it's impossible, yet it makes a large amount of sense. And TARDIS? What is that? An acronym? Space and time? I would guess something like 'Time and Relative Dimensions into Space' am I right?"

"In Space, actually, but wow Taro. I never thought you would know much about this. Oh, and by the way, don't talk to anypony. At ALL! I don't want to have to explain how you're going to return soon and you have no idea what your friends are talking about. So, to Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah, let's go," Taro said.

The Doctor pulled a few levers and pushed some buttons. "Hold onto something, I'm not the best driver. Allons-y!"

The TARDIS made some noise and rumbled around. It shook and spun in random directions before coming to complete stop.

"Ah, here we are!"

Taro stood up. "Tell me, Doctor. What is there to crash into IN SPACE!"

"You'd be surprised." The Doctor walked to the door and opened it. "Here we are, Ponyville, approximately 1.7 thousand years ago."

Taro stepped out to find that they ended up at the edge of the Everfree Forest Taro and Thatch stayed their first few days living in Equestria and one of Rainbow Dash's favorite training spots. "It worked..." Taro said to himself. "Where is she?"

"I'm not sure. She could be anywhere."

"Wait, isn't there some kind of effect? You know, step on a butterfly and you can change the entire course of history?" Silus asked stepping out of the TARDIS.

"Well here's an idea: don't step on any butterflies," Taro replied.

"You know, I was about to say the same thing," said The Doctor.

Suddenly, a rainbow bolt crashed in front of them. "Ow! Okay, that could have gone a LOT better."

"Rainbow Dash?" Taro asked in disbelief.

She turned around. "Oh, hey Taro. TARO? How are you here? You left for Griffin Provinces only four days ago."

Taro walked up to her and hugged her tight. "I love you so much, Rainbow Dash. And I'll never stop."

"Um... okay... Wait, what are you wearing? When did you pick this stuff up?"

"Long story. REALLY long story." Taro released her.

"So are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Nah, we don't need to."

Silus stepped forward and shook Rainbow Dash's hoof. "Hi, I'm Silus."

"Silus? That's an odd name."

The Doctor took a stand. "Time Turner."

"So Taro, what are you doing back here?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Taro was almost at the edge of tears from seeing his dead wife. "Just here to say I love you one last time," he said, hugging her again.

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Taro kissed her. "I love you so much..."

"Why do you..." Rainbow Dash was cut short by a dark figure jumping behind Rainbow Dash. It held a sword high.

Taro gasped. "Move!" he shouted, pushing her away. The sword dug halfway into the ground.

"What is that thing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It looks like that thing I fought at our wedd... Never mind. That's for later. Now I have to fight!" Taro reached into his coat. "Right. Don't need a sword to pick up a friend."

The monster swung its blade at Taro. Instincts taking over, he ducked and swung his fist into the monster's gut. "Woah, he's not supposed to have that!"

It quickly retaliated by shoving its sword deep into Taro's gut, breaking it. "TARO!" Rainbow Dash and Silus shouted.

Taro dropped to the ground and the monster ran away. "That's why he didn't have the sword..."

"TARO!" Rainbow Dash shouted again. She put her hooves on top of him, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Rainbow Dash, it's okay. That thing won't return for a few more months. I'll take care of it then."

"How can you take care of it then? You're dying!"

Taro shook his head.

"Taro, come on. You can't die here, I've seen you take hits more powerful than a sword," Silus said.

"I'm sorry, Silus. I can't pull out energy from mid-air. This is where I die. This is it."

"Stop saying that! Taro, you can survive!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "You HAVE to!" A tear fell from here cheek.

"Rainbow Dash, my beloved. I love you so much. Seeing you here. It's... fantastic."

Silus put her head on his chest, breathing heavily. "Taro... I... you can't just die! You're a Dragon Rider. You're the last of them."

"No Taro. Don't die! You can't die! What will I do without you!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Nothing different, Dashie. I am not from this time. I am from over one-thousand-seven-hundred years into the future."

"Don't make jokes at a time like this!"

"I'm not lying to you Rainbow Dash. I am from a different time." This is why. She didn't hug me as though I've been gone for a year. She hugged me as though I've died right in front of her.

"Taro, you've lived a wonderful life," said The Doctor. "Come on, into the TARDIS." Silus grabbed Taro in a magic grip.

"NO! DON'T TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!" Rainbow Dash grabbed Taro in her hooves.

"Rainbow Dash, let me go. I'm not dead yet. I'm in the Griffin Provinces. Don't tell anypony about me here. Not even myself."

"TARO, NO!"

"I'm from the future, Rainbow Dash. The Doctor will take me home. Back to my time."

"Who's The Doctor?"

"That would be me," The Doctor replied.

"Silus, talk to her." The Doctor shut the door as Taro spoke the words.

Rainbow Dash sobbed outside. "You've got a plan, don't you Taro?" asked the Doctor.

"Not really, but I'm pretty good at winging it."

"Me too," replied The Doctor.

"It's more fun that way," they said together.

"This TARDIS, it's living isn't it? It's got some kind of living energy to it, I can feel it. If I can draw enough out of it, I can heal myself. But first I need to know. Who are you? What will happen to you?"

Outside, Silus and Rainbow Dash were hugging over their dead friend. "Why did he insist on him being from the future?"

"He is from the future. I am too." Rainbow Dash looked at Silus. "He saved me from a few jerks two years ago."

"Yeah, that sounds like him."

"He took me back to the castle and let me stay there. We see each other most of the day."

"He really is from the future?"

"Yes."

"Why did he come back?"

"To see an old friend of his."

"Did he ask you yet?"

"Ask me what?"

"To marry him. Two years already, I've been waiting for a little while now. It seems he's slow. Even Rarity thinks he should hurry up and do it. You know, before he gets himself killed. Too late for that though isn't it?"

Silus laughed. "No. We're not even dating. Sometimes I wish we were though. Why did I just say that?"

"Why aren't you? Doesn't he like you? Not that you can do anything about it now, but still."

"It doesn't matter. He only loves his wife. He promised to love her forever." A bright flash from the TARDIS went unacknowledged.

Rainbow Dash looked down. "Oh. W-who is she?"

"She's amazing. She's beautiful. Everything he wants in a girl. She's so full of herself. Only a few more months and you will be heart broken. He told me a story about it. Forgive him, though. Let his lyrics captivate you. Do that and you will be the happiest mare who will ever live."

"What are you talking about?"

A man with spiked up brown hair stepped out of the TARDIS. He wore a blue suit underneath a tan trench coat. "Allons-y, Silus. Taro wants us to go home now."

"You'll find out, Rainbow Dash. Remember my words," Silus said, entering the blue box. "He never stopped loving you!" The doors shut.

"So how much does she know?"

Silus turned around. "Well I told her..." Her eyes stopped at what was leaning on the central control panel of the Police Call Box. "Taro..."

"Hello Silus." The unicorn ran at Taro and hugged him tightly.

"I thought you died! I told her you died!"

"You want me to change that?"

Silus looked up at Taro. "No..." She brought her hoof up to his cheek. "If you did, I could't do this..." With that, she rose her hoof and punched him across his face.

"Ow! What was that about!"

"I just told you! I thought you died! What the hell did you do! And who is this guy anyway? Where's The Doctor!"

"Well I WAS going to let you soak in the fact that I cheated death, but I suppose we could go through this now." Taro stood up straight. "The Doctor is a Time Lord. Every time he dies, he regenerates into a new form."

"So what, he DIED for you? Is that why this guy's here instead of the other pony?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Did I never teach you of magic's cost? To prevent the death or bring life back to someone, one must die. I channeled my energy through The Doctor, killing him, bringing him to regenerate and saving my own life."

"Why's he human, then?"

"Well, regenerating is a... chance process. Last time it happened, I turned into a pony, this time, I'm a human. I quite like it. I forgot what it was like to be human," The Doctor answered. "And one of the best parts, I have pockets again." The Doctor pulled out a small cylindrical device.

"What's that?" Silus asked.

"Whatever it is, it has power. I can feel it." Taro said. "Let's not linger on anything, though. Let's go home." Taro knelt down by Silus. "Oh, and I heard what you said about me out there."

"What do you mean? What did you hear?" Silus asked.

Taro leaned in and kissed her for a second and stood back up, turning toward the controls. "That."

"B-but what about Rainbow Dash?"

"Don't think I've forgotten her. You only get one. And besides," He looked over his shoulder to her, "she said she wouldn't mind if I find somepony else."