Doctor Hooves: To Whom Gods Pray

by M1ghtypen

Chapter 7

Two ponies, one a pegasus and the other an earth pony, plummeted from Canterlot Castle and over the edge of the city itself. Equestria stretched out below them, laid out like an illustrated page in a storybook. Ditzy clung tightly to the Doctor and shut her eyes against the powerful gusts of wind that threatened to tear them apart.

Traveling with the Doctor was a dangerous affair. Ditzy had always known there would be danger, and the Doctor made no attempt to hide it from her. It seemed strange that her life was going to end in safe, boring old Equestria and not on some distant planet at the hooves (or claws) of a strange alien beast.

Ditzy clutched the Doctor’s limp frame and sobbed. It seemed strange that she was more concerned with the Doctor’s condition than with the continent she was about to make contact with. “Please don’t leave me,” she whispered, certain that her friend wouldn’t hear even if she shouted. The wind snatched her words away the moment they left her mouth. “Please wake up!”

Her friend didn’t respond, and Ditzy gave up hope. This is my fault, she thought bitterly. He tried to warn me that it was hopeless and I didn’t listen to him. I convinced him that everything would turn out alright, and now he’s dead. She was fairly certain that she was crying, but it was hard to tell with the wind blasting her face and removing any tears. I’m so sorry, Doctor. Forgive me. She kissed him gently, wishing that their lives could have ended differently.

The Doctor’s eyes snapped open. Amber light flashed from within, blindingly bright and painfully hot.

Uh oh. Ditzy had seen the Doctor regenerate once before and knew how dangerous it could be. His entire body was about to break down and reshape itself on a cellular level. The energy he produced in the process had torn the inside of the TARDIS to pieces, but luckily the TARDIS was as resilient as its owner.

Ditzy tried to let go so that she didn’t get burned, but it was already too late. Her muscles seized up as rolling waves of regenerative energy washed over her. She screamed as her fur and skin burned, igniting in the immense heat the Doctor’s regeneration produced. The same energy that burned her mended her seconds later only to repeat the entire process again. It was more than she could bear, but she had to bear it anyway; her legs were still locked and she couldn’t make them let go.

The two ponies fell in a cloud of golden light, a bizarre comet that temporarily decorated the daytime sky and outshone even Celestia’s sun.

Everything hurt too much. Ditzy closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness, anything to escape the light that burned across and through her. It was so bright, and she was suddenly so very weak.

*****

Ditzy woke on the cold, hard ground. She sat up in a panic, but was shocked to find that she was uninjured. She took a moment to adjust to her surroundings; sheer stone walls rose to either side of her, turning the sky into a slender line of blue high above.

The Doctor stood nearby, in all of his absolutely-not-dead glory. Ditzy watched, awestruck, as he carefully preened his new wings. She then giggled when he flapped them experimentally and threw himself off balance. He flipped over and landed on his back, coming face to face with his companion.

“What happened to you?” Ditzy asked. “I thought Time Lords were always earth ponies.”

“So did I,” the Doctor said thoughtfully. He licked his lips a few times and ran his tongue over his teeth. “Bleh! Tastes like too much carbon. My body chemistry’s been altered. How did that happen?” He tried to right himself and nearly stepped on his new wings. “It must have happened in the second half of my regeneration. I can move them if I concentrate, but they feel clumsy. How under Celestia’s broiling sun do you manage with two extra limbs to keep track of?”

“Practice. Doctor, I hate to interrupt, but we have a bit of a problem.”

The Doctor paused in his experimentation. “I know. First, how do I look?” He ran his hooves over his face curiously. “Nice jaw I think. Chiseled and rugged is popular nowadays, isn’t it? The forehead’s a bit big, but I’ve had worse.” His hooves reached his ears and he groaned. “Dear Celestia, I could fly with these things.”

“They aren’t that big,” Ditzy assured him. “You really haven’t changed much. Why does this body look so much like your last one?”

“No idea!” the Doctor laughed. He pulled a hoofful of his mane down in front of his eyes. “Blast it all, still brown! Why am I always so boring? Can’t I be purple or orange or something? Even the Master has more color than I do.”

“Focus, Doctor.”

The Doctor smoothed his mane back and cleared his throat. “You’re right. The Master controls all of Canterlot, including the deities that used to be in charge. He’s going to create an entire army of gods to serve him. Once he’s ready he’ll spread out across the universe, destroying one planet after another, until he reached Gallopfrey.”

Ditzy was mostly unfamiliar with the Doctor’s planet. She knew that something bad had happened to it, but the Doctor didn’t like to talk about it much. “All of that pales in comparison to what will happen after. My planet isn’t a part of this universe anymore, Ditzy; it’s been cut off.”

“How is that possible?” Ditzy asked. “How could an entire planet fall right out of the universe?”

The Doctor patted her head reassuringly. “The explanation gets a little spacey-wacey, but you don’t need to worry about the sciencey parts. Just think about all the times you’ve seen the impossible happen. How could an entire planet shift one second into the future and drop out of space and time?” His smile turned bitter, but it wasn’t the hopeless kind of bitterness that she had gotten used to over the last few days. “The answer is simple: I did it. And I had a good reason for it.”

Ditzy tried to gauge how the Doctor was feeling at the moment before she pushed any further. He seemed so much happier now, and she knew without having to ask that he could no longer hear the drums. It seemed safe to keep going, but she didn’t want to push too hard and hurt him. “Can I ask what that reason was?”

“This.” The Doctor indicated the world around them. “All of this. I did what it took to protect the rest of the universe. The war turned into Tartarus, and I had to find a way to stop it.”

“But why did you hurt your own species?” Ditzy asked. “Why not just trap the Daleks?”

The Doctor visibly shivered. “You weren’t there, Ditzy. You didn’t see what I saw.” His pupils dilated and his voice began to shake uncontrollably. “Oh g-god. I haven’t let myself think about it in over one hundred years; it’s dangerous to think about it. I r-remember the Skaro Degradations and the Horde of Travesties. I remember screams, impossible noises that no being should be able to make.” A sad smile cut across his face like a bloody wound. “I laughed in the face of the Could’ve-Been-King and his army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres. I saw the N-n-nuh…no. No.”

Another bout of shaking made Ditzy grab him in a hug. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I had to lock us away, Ditzy. I had to hide all of our sins from the rest of the universe. It was the only way; the Time Lords and the Daleks were locked in an endless war alongside the monsters they created, but the universe got to live. It was us or the rest of you.”

“And you chose us,” Ditzy finished for him. “It’s alright, Doctor. Nopony could blame you for it.”

“I could,” he replied quietly. The moment the words passed his lips he pushed Ditzy away and stood up to his full height, Wings spread proudly at his sides. “We don’t have time for this!” he exclaimed. “If the Master succeeds, the best case scenario is that the universe ends. Trying to rupture the wall between this universe and Gallopfrey could pop the entire thing like a soap bubble.”

“What’s the worst case scenario?” Ditzy asked.

The Doctor smiled. “The universe survives. Death would be better than what would escape. Don’t worry; I know exactly what needs to be done.” He put a comforting hoof on her cheek. “I just wish that I could be the one to do it. You have to leave me here, Ditzy.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I can’t fly the TARDIS directly into the throne room and that’s the only way we’ll ever get close enough to make a difference. Discord’s chaos magic is throwing off the navigation array and I need a precise location to lock onto. The genetic signature of a Time Lord should do it”

“Why do you need me for that?” Ditzy asked. “I’m not a Time Lord!”

“I wasn’t talking about you. Did you see what the Master was wearing around his hoof?” Ditzy nodded. “That was a bio damper. It hides a pony’s genetic signature. If you can get it away from him, I can fly the TARDIS right into that throne room and trap him inside.” the Doctor pulled her in for a hug, clearly fighting tears for her sake. “I’d do anything to go in your place, but you can’t fly the TARDIS. There’s no other way, Ditzy.”

Her voice sounded very quiet when she spoke. She hated the way that it sounded. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise. I love you far too much.”

Ditzy pulled away and stared uncertainly. “If you’re joking, it isn’t very funny.”

“Give me just a little credit,” the Doctor laughed. “Why would I joke about something like this? I need you to remember that whatever happens in the future, I love you. I’m not going to abandon you. Promise that you won’t ever forget.”

Ditzy looked up at the thin ribbon of blue sky that she could see high above them. Somewhere out there was the Master and his brainwashed gods, waiting to end all life as she knew it. “I promise,” she whispered.

“Great!” the Doctor exclaimed. “You take on the Master, I’ll find the TARDIS, and we’ll meet somewhere in the middle. We’ll have this whole mess wrapped up by dinner!”

Somehow Ditzy didn’t think it would be that easy. Then again, the Doctor seemed to be on a roll at the moment. He was known to pull off the occasional miracle when the situation called for it. If there was ever a time for miracles, Ditzy reflected, Now would be it. She took off and flew toward the sliver of sky, dreading the confrontation ahead. Don’t let me down, Doctor. It would be a shame to lose you before I got the chance to kiss you again.

*****

The walk into the throne room was the hardest walk of her life. Ditzy met no opposition along the way; the castle’s eerie emptiness worked to her advantage. She was able to devote all of her concentration to putting one hoof in front of another, and she needed every bit of it.

Ditzy had never been more afraid. Even when traveling with the Doctor became dangerous, she had never been this frightened. No matter what happened, she had never been alone. The Doctor was always there, looking after her and guiding her when she felt lost. No matter how terrible the situation seemed, she always knew that he would protect her. It was practically his special talent.

Now, however, she was completely on her own. She had to find the Master and confront him all by herself. Ditzy Doo, the mare that had been almost overwhelmed trying to hold down a simple job as a mailmare, the mare that was known for being as absentminded as she was clumsy, was holding the fate of the universe in her bumbling hooves. The world seemed like a very unfair place.

As she walked Ditzy let her wing hang loosely beside her. It wasn’t very comfortable, but she was supposed to be injured. She didn’t want the Master thinking about what could have miraculously healed her wing.

When she finally reached the throne room the doors were shut. This is pathetic, Ditzy thought as she knocked to get the Master’s attention. I’m begging an audience with him like he actually belongs on that throne. I hope Celestia shoves that laser screwdriver right up-

“Hey!” the Master exclaimed, “It’s the walleyed wonder! I’m impressed; I honestly thought you’d die along with the Doctor, considering that wing. Did you manage to save him as well as yourself?”

Ditzy stared at the ground as best she could even though one eye stubbornly refused to cooperate. “No. H-he’s dead. I couldn’t catch him.”

The Master bowed his head in mock respect. “A moment of silence for a worthy foe,” he said. Then, immediately after that, “Okay! Moment’s over. Discord, you probably know a lot about torture. Entertain me.”

Now what do I do? Ditzy wondered. Discord flexed his talons, displaying the sharp points for all to see. “That, uh, that thing on your hoof makes you look like a coltcuddler!” Ditzy blurted. At least I can die of shame before the universe ends.

The Master tapped his bio damper curiously. “What an odd thing to say,” he remarked. He held up a hoof and Discord paused in his advances. “The Doctor isn’t really dead, is he? He told you about the bio damper. He’s probably looking for his TARDIS as we speak. Luckily I’m not a complete moron; the TARDIS is under armed guard, and I’m not about to take this off.”

“He’ll think of something,” Ditzy insisted. “He always does. Just you wait and see!” The Master motioned for Discord to continue. An invisible force yanked Ditzy into the air and toward his claws. “H-he won’t leave me!” she cried as the talons drew closer to her throat. “He promised! He said…he said he loved me!”

Celestia struggled even harder against her bonds as Discord’s paw closed around her neck. Seeing one of her subjects slaughtered for entertainment was more than she could bear, but there was nothing she could do about it.

“Hungry,” a weak little voice whispered. Ditzy almost didn’t hear it over her own sobs. A flicker of green light lit the room, and the Master frowned in annoyance.

“I told you to stop that!” he snarled. He did a double take and stared at the form she had borrowed. “Stop!” He shouted. “Change back!”

The entire room shook as though the atmosphere itself were being torn asunder. Discord’s eagle talon froze just as it brushed her stomach, ready to do her unimaginable harm. Ditzy saw the Master frantically making adjustments to his screwdriver, but it was too little too late. Chrysalis stood nearbye in the Doctor’s form, soaking up Ditzy’s love for him with an enraptured expression.

“No!” the Master howled as a familiar whirring noise filled the room. The TARDIS was making an especially rough landing due to the amount of chaos magic saturating the area, but it tenaciously drilled into the present time and place until it was a very tangible blue box materializing directly on top of the changeling queen.

The TARDIS’s doors opened and the Doctor tumbled out. He slammed the doors shut just as something heavy ran into them, shaking the entire TARDIS. An enraged scream sounded from within. “She really doesn’t like it in there,” he gasped.

“Doctor!” Ditzy shouted.

“That’s me!” her friend said pleasantly. “What did I tell you? Just like we planned!”

Ditzy indicated the sharp talons that were still prodding her midsection. “This was a part of your plan?”

“I can’t think of everything, can I?” He seemed truly exasperated at her look of horror. “Oh, give us a break. I’ve always wanted to rescue a damsel in distress and now I can!”

Ditzy poked Discord’s lion paw inquisitively. “Can I ask why he isn’t moving?”

The TARDIS stopped shaking for a moment as somepony knocked very politely on the door. “His chaos energy is being reinforced,” the Doctor explained. “Modern technology tends to act up around that kind of magic.” He tugged open the door long enough for a purple pony to float out, then slammed it shut again before Chrysalis could escape.

The newcomer floated listlessly through the air, supported only by a propeller beanie. She seemed strangely subdued, as though the Doctor had dragged her here when all she really wanted was to find somewhere quiet and have a good cry. She brightened up when she noticed Discord and zipped through the air with sudden purpose. “Daddy!” she screamed happily. Discord’s mouth quirked into a strange smile when she grabbed his neck in a hug.

Ditzy stared openly and tried to decide if she had finally gone crazy. Perhaps years of travel with the Doctor, of seeing strange and impossible things happen right in front of her, had taken a toll on her psyche. The stress of the last few days must have finally pushed her over the edge.

A strange ripple spread out into Equestria. Ditzy wasn’t sure how to describe it, but for a moment it felt like the universe made a tiny bit less sense. Even the air changed, taking on a sweet taste. Discord’s earpieces sparked and crackled as something inside them broke. The draconequus reached up and yanked them off, blinking dumbly as though just waking up from a long nap.

The Master rolled his eyes and pointed his screwdriver at the Doctor. “You always did like to talk too much,” he muttered.

“I wouldn’t do that!” the Doctor warned a moment too late. Discord snapped his fingers and the laser screwdriver exploded in the Master’s hooves, scorching them and throwing molten metal in every direction. Discord’s claws intercepted a piece of it moments before it would have cut into Ditzy’s shoulder.

The Master slumped on his throne, holding his injured hooves to his chest. “Discord!” the Doctor called. The draconequus dropped Ditzy and snapped to attention. “Would you kindly free Celestia? I think we’ve got a lot to talk about.” He indicated his TARDIS regretfully. “Also there’s an angry changeling in my ship. Somepony is going to have to do something about that.”

*****

The Doctor and Ditzy had a lot of work to do; the changeling situation needed to be sorted out, Twilight Sparkle had to be located, Chrysalis had to be lured out of the TARDIS, and Discord had to be returned to his prison. Taking care of the draconequus was surprisingly easy; he was in one of his lucid phases and fully understood why he couldn't be allowed to run wild.

The changelings were another matter. Celestia had been dead set on banishing the lot of them, but the Doctor begged her to reconsider. In the end she relented in exchange for Chrysalis breaking the spell that had banished Luna, but the changeling queen was to be kept at the palace under armed guard at all times while her children were relocated. The Doctor had suggested a small patch of forest near Appleloosa. Given time, he said, changelings might intermingle with regular ponies. There was no reason the two species couldn’t live in harmony.

When the entire mess had finally been sorted out the Doctor wanted to visit the Master. Ditzy insisted on going with him, and he reluctantly let her tag along. They descended into the secret vaults beneath Canterlot Tower and trotted past the new door that was being put into place. The massive room beyond held a small side chamber, protected by an entirely different kind of door. The only two ponies it would open for were the Doctor and Celestia herself.

The Master was trapped inside, floating in a large bubble several feet off the floor. His prison was about eight feet across and perfectly smooth. Were it not for the faint reflections that rippled across its surface the entire creation would have been completely invisible.

“Lovely to finally have visitors,” the Master grumbled as they sat in front of him. “I’m bored to tears in here, Doctor. You could at least give me a book to read.”

“I would if I could,” the Doctor said. “Nothing gets into that bubble and nothing ever leaves. It’s an entropy field; Celestia’s magic mixed with Discord’s chaos to create a tiny layer of complete nothingness between you and the rest of the world. You’re never getting out.”

“It's the perfect prison,” the Master agreed. “I’ll never age in here. I’ll never get hungry or thirsty or tired. I’ll stay exactly the same for all eternity. Can I ask you why you decided to use such complicated magic?”

“Because it works.” Both Time Lords shared a laugh at an old joke that Ditzy wasn’t privy to. “Besides that, I wanted to send a message. You’re going to set an example for the rest of the universe.”

“What kind of example?”

The Doctor’s eyes grew dark and threatening. Ditzy felt a shiver travel down her spine. “You’re going to show everypony that Equestria is protected. You’re going to be here until this universe dies, hundreds of billions of years from now, twiddling your hooves in this room for what you’ve done. Whenever anypony thinks they can threaten Equestria and get away with it….”

Ditzy put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder and the Doctor paused in his ranting. He sniffed and wiped his eyes, so angry that he seemed confused by his own words. “They’re going to look at you. They’re going to visit the sad little pony trapped in his glass bubble for all eternity. You’re going to warn the rest of the universe about what happens when it threatens Equestria.”

The Master slumped on the floor of his prison, hooves beneath his chin. “I suppose I should get comfortable,” he murmured.

“I have a question for you,” the Doctor began. “There’s only one thing that I don’t understand about all of this. I’m hoping you can help me. I want to know why you let me win.”

“What!?” Ditzy shouted. “He almost killed us! He brought down three immortals and even enslaved one of them!”

“And then what did he do?” the Doctor asked. “Nothing, that’s what! He just sat on the throne and waited for me. He didn’t try to build warships, he didn’t make any clones, and he certainly didn’t try to enslave Celestia like Discord. He sat on his hooves and waited for me to stop him.”

The Master politely cleared his throat. “Actually, I did try to enslave Celestia. It didn’t take.”

The Doctor nearly kept right on talking before doing a double take. “Really? That’s impressive. I’ve never heard of anypony resisting Cyberpony technology like that. Mind you, if anyone could….” He shook his head and frowned reproachfully. “You’re trying to distract me. Answer the question.”

“I don’t have to,” the Master said with a chuckle. “I have what I wanted. What are you going to do, lock me up?”

The Doctor considered the Master’s words carefully, unwilling to ignore a challenge to his intellect. “You knew that I wouldn’t kill you. I’d find another way to keep you out of trouble, and in doing so I gave you protection. This was never about Equestria, was it? You were after the entropy field.”

The Master tapped his nose like they were playing charades. “Got it in one.”

“The question is: Why?” The Doctor scratched his recently-trimmed chin. “What would frighten you that badly? What made you decide that permanent isolation was a reasonable choice?”

“The darkness between stars,” the Master answered cryptically. “I saw the emptiness ahead.” His signature sadistic smile began to fade while he spoke until he was staring at them with disturbed, empty eyes. “I looked into the void, and I saw what was waiting for me. Our future is an endless nightmare. Our sins are going to find us, Doctor, and when they do we will beg for death. We’ll beg so hard.”

He curled up at the bottom of his little prison and covered his face with one of his forelegs. “I’ll be alright now,” he whispered so quietly that they almost didn’t hear. “It won't find me in here. I can sleep. I can finally….” His words trailed off into snoring.

The Doctor stood up and offered Ditzy his hoof. “Let’s get out of here.”

Celestia was waiting for them outside. The Doctor and Ditzy bowed respectfully, but she waved them away dismissively. “I could never repay either of you for all that you’ve done. If anything I should be bowing to you.”

“I wouldn’t go quite that far,” the Doctor said. “Still, I appreciate the sentiment. What’s next for you? It’s almost time for a vacation, don’t you think?”

Celestia laughed in her musical voice. “I’m afraid not. I still have work to do. There’s no rest for us lonely immortals.” Her beautiful smile was tarnished when a single tear fell from the end of her muzzle.

The Doctor sighed heavily. “We talked about this, Celestia.”

“I know. Of course I know. I’m the one that developed the petrification spell, after all.”

The Doctor lapsed into silence while he carefully thought about his next words. “You can’t release him, even when he’s sane. It’s too risky until you can find a way to shorten his episodes.”

“I know.” Celestia’s regal appearance seemed to grow more fragile with every word. “You don’t have to remind me, Doctor.”

“I suppose not.” The Doctor reached up and, in what must have been a rather audacious move in the princess’s eyes, put his hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. It would take a miracle to help you.” He pointed at something behind her. “What’s that over there?”

Celestia glanced behind her. “Those are the devices the Master used.” When she turned back both the Doctor and Ditzy had disappeared.

Celestia walked over to the protective case that housed the Master’s mind control machines. They were strange devices, but the Doctor had taken great care to explain how they worked. Given time she was fairly certain that she could figure out how to make something similar should the need arise.

A strange and unfamiliar feeling made her heart beat faster and her wings tremble. Celestia had felt joy and happiness many times in her life, but it had been a long time since she’d felt hope. She had missed it. “A miracle,” she whispered.

*****

“That was a wonderful thing you did,” Ditzy said as they returned to the TARDIS. “You might have to think up another nickname for Celestia; somehow I don’t think she’ll be the Weeping Goddess anymore.”

The Doctor fished around for his TARDIS key and unlocked the door. “I certainly hope not! She’s earned a bit of happiness. After all, this is Equestria. Everypony has a chance at living happily ever after. It’s one of the reasons I like this planet so much.”

“What about you?” Ditzy asked. The Doctor paused as he reached for the controls, his hooves awkwardly hovering in midair. “What’s the matter? You had to know this talk was coming. You can’t tell somepony you love them and then hope the subject never comes up again, especially when you made them promise to remember.”

“I admit that I wasn’t prepared to talk about it this soon.”

“I understand, Doctor.” It’s best to get this over with quickly, Ditzy decided. She didn’t want to take this conversation any further, to drag her feelings out into the light so that they could be gently crushed. There was no way the Doctor would feel the same about her as she felt about him. She knew exactly what to expect and had resigned herself to it long ago, but it was still going to hurt when he explained exactly why they couldn’t be together.

Ditzy smiled as an errant thought caught her attention. It isn’t as though we’d work as a couple anyway. We don’t even have a species in common. Besides, look at his muzzle. I bet he snores. The Doctor took her hooves in his hands and looked directly into her eyes. Oh, this is going to be awful. I shouldn't have let my feelings progress this far without saying anything. I suppose that’s what I…why is he so close?

The kiss was gentle and, in Ditzy’s opinion, entirely too short. “I don’t normally do this sort of thing,” the Doctor said quietly. “I’m not really sure what to say. Let’s put it this way: for the record, I love you too.”

How long had he known? Had he been leading her along, toying with her for his own amusement? Ditzy immediately regretted thinking ill of him, but the thought had already taken root in her mind. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” she asked.

“You deserved a chance to go home. You could have kept your feelings to yourself and I would never have said anything about them. If I did, you’d never want to leave. I didn’t want to take the only chance you had of returning to a normal life.” The Doctor’s eyes, she noticed, looked even more weary than usual. They were ancient and wise and so full of pain that she could hardly stand to look at them.

Ditzy forced herself to smile. He hadn’t accepted her yet, but he hadn’t said no. The uncertainty was killing her. “And then the universe got in the way,” she whispered.

“It does that a lot. I’ve been meaning to fix it.” The Doctor pulled her into a hug. He was surprisingly cold against her, but she didn’t mind. “I’ll understand if you still want to go home,” he continued. “I won’t stop you and I won’t try to make you feel guilty for leaving. Just say the word.”

Ditzy planted a kiss on his cheek. “Never.”

Neither of them moved for a long time. Finally, after they each felt reassured that the other wasn’t about to dissapear like a pleasent daydream, they parted. The Doctor went back to his controls and pulled up a map of Equestria. “So, where to?”

“How about dinner?” Ditzy asked. “I’m starving. I don’t think I’ve had a decent meal in two days.”

The Doctor grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Time Lords had to eat too, after all. “How about something domestic? I don’t do domestic very often. Usually I try to eat the strangest things possible. It might be nice to try what everypony else enjoys for a change, just to mix things up a bit.”

“Can I ask you for something before we go?” The Doctor went back to work, but nodded to show that he was listening. “Don’t ever abandon me like you did in the caves. Promise me that you won’t, or I’ll never be able to leave the TARDIS again without thinking that this might be the last time that I ever see you.

The Doctor smiled sadly. “I promise,” he said. “Someday we’ll have to part ways, but when that day comes you’ll know about it. I won’t just drop you off somewhere and disappear. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that I left you.”

Ditzy hugged him from behind while he worked. “I understand,” she said. “It’s okay. You weren’t yourself, sweetie.”

“What did you call me?”

“Nothing!” Ditzy said quickly. “Sorry. I just…I thought we were….I won’t call you that if you don’t want me to.”

The TARDIS rumbled faintly. Ditzy had never heard it do that before, but today was a day of firsts. She decided to ask about it later, just to be safe. “It’s alright,” the Doctor said. “It’s just that you remind me of somepony.”

“I do?” Ditzy decided to flirt a bit, just to test the waters. “Should I be jealous?”

“Hardly. I haven’t seen her in a very long time. At least, I don’t think I have. I probably haven’t because it would be extremely impossible. Sorry, I’m just rambling again. You know how I like a good ramble.”

The TARDIS launched into a smooth flight. Ditzy tried not to cling to her friend –more than a friend now, really- but she couldn’t help it. She had finally had the conversation that she had been dreading for ages, and it had ended better than she could possibly have imagined. She wasn’t sure what to think about the new direction their relationship was taking, but they were closer now than they had ever been.

It was a start.

*****

Extra long comments on this one, sorry. I was going to submit this after I got a response back from EQD. Since it's been a while and I've gotten tired of waiting, I decided to submit it now. I still don't know what to think about the ending. Any thoughts?

In other news, Discord is now at least partially reformed. Without expressing an opinion one way or the other, I think it's fair to say that the creators were probably hoping for a better reception. Oh well. At least most of the negative responses that I've read are bringing up good points instead of just whining. That's what I love about this fandom; even when the response is negative, it's usually polite. On the INTERNET. Take a moment and think about how rare that is. It's like meeting an actual unicorn.

Oh, and Time Lords have a body temperature of around 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Just to clarify, that's why the Doctor feels cold to the touch. Tune in next time for the epilogue...same bat-time, same bat-station!

Comments

[M1ghtypen]

1992507 Oh good, I was right. Thanks for providing that because I searched for pictures myself and couldn't find any!

[Saacsa]

So much amazing!! I love it so much