The Lonely Gods of Equestria

by The Diplomat

Meeting the Doctor

Author's Note:

I've also wanted to write this for a while, but I'm not that satisfied with how it came out. So could you guys give me some feedback on this chapter? Even if it's a tiny bit, like a line or two, so I could change it up if need be.

It would help me out a lot :)

On the third day after the Doctor woke up, Princess Luna stepped out of the Dreamscape and into the Doctor's dreams, to find herself back on the hills of Gallifrey. The wind blew gently, the grass swayed like small waves, and the Doctor was there, standing next to his TARDIS. Even though he had told her not to enter his box, the thought of opening those doors felt like an itch she just couldn't get rid of. He stood there, appearing as her 'saviour' from his other identities.

"Hello there, Princess. How are things going out there?" asked the old Doctor, looking down at her with a smile.

"Oh, the usual. 'Nobles' asking for this and that, reviewing legislation, and generally being a Princess. And how are you faring with your situation?"

"Not so bad, actually. I can walk properly now, and I can trot too. I feel a bit heavier though, but that isn't an unwelcome change. I feel...solid. There's a better term, but enough about that. Shall we go?" he asked, extending a hand.

"Let's," she answered with a smile, extending a wing.

When they touched, they rose into the air and watched the world below spin on itself. When it stopped, they gently floated back down and landed on a vast field of blood-red sand. There was no wind, and although the sun shone brightly the heat was pleasant instead of crushing. They walked ahead, climbing a dune with no difficulty, and arrived to find an oasis surrounded with small red flowers.

"This, Princess Luna, is Salmara's Desert. I brought you here because I remember this single spot having a rather rare feature. You see, it rarely rains and my world is rather dry in general, so when I found this bed of Madevinia Aridosa sprouting near this patch of water after a rather fierce downpour, I couldn't help but feel marked by this sight. It's a really nice flower, but it doesn't live very long and is quickly taken for scientific experiments, so I wanted to enjoy this moment, and share it with you."

She turned to see that he had changed again. He was now a lean young man, who wore red trousers and had a gold poncho covering his arms and chest. His eyes were green with a hint of blue, and his hair was scruffy and brown. On his feet, he wore battered brown sandals whose straps climbed up until his knees.

"I was just a boy back then, but I was already quite the explorer," he said, giving a hearty laugh. "Go ahead, I'll just watch this for a bit."

She nodded , and gently flew over the oasis to look at the flowers. Her wings made some pollen rise from them, and a tiny rain of yellow specks fell down on the water, which made her giggle. The Doctor sat cross legged on the hills, holding his hands together and watching her with a fond smile. He felt as though he was starting to have a friend again, and it almost made him forget his troubles.

Later on, they flew over the Ocean of Bal Soon and stood at the top of Mount Perdition. They had long conversations, mostly consisting with him telling her about what they were seeing, although Luna would sometimes tell him of some sights in Equestria and a story or two of her own. When his sleep was almost over, they were back at the oasis, and watched on the hill as the sun went down.

"Princess?" asked the boy, still looking at the horizon.

"Yes?" she replied, doing the same.

"I don't mean to push you, but could I be released now? I'm getting bored of my cell, and I like to think we're friends, so...if that's okay with you, I mean," he said, scratching his arms.

She looked down at the ground, frowning, and put a hoof to her chin. After a few moments of heavy silence, she looked at him and smiled.

"Very well. I grant you my Royal Pardon, and I'll have the paperwork required for your release sent to my advisers shortly."

"Thank you! Thank you so much," he said, giving her a small bow.

Later on, she left with a smile and he woke up with a huge grin. Just then, Covert Shield walked in with a tray, just like in the past three days. But this time, he gave the Doctor a small smile, and sat with him on the pedestal to share a meal once more.

"Hello, Covert Shield. How are things going?"

"Oh, you know. The usual," he said, with a small frown.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"No, no, it's fine. How's the 'training' going?" he said, taking a biscuit and nibbling on it.

"Much better, actually. I can almost gallop without falling on my face," said the Doctor, giving a sheepish smile.

They shared a small laugh, and kept eating with some small talk.

************

When Luna returned for another visit, on the fifth day, the Doctor had resumed his younger persona, and was sitting on top of his TARDIS. He waved at her as she walked up the hill, and jumped down to give her a hug, which surprised Luna greatly. He quickly let her go, and scratched his head with a blush.

"Oh sorry about that. I tend to get carried away when I look back at my youngest years."

"That's quite alright Doctor, it happens to me sometimes as well. Now, what do we do today?"

"I've got something special planned. Watch this," he said, with a boyish grin.

He tapped his foot twice, and the area around them faded out to reveal a busy marketplace. The TARDIS was gone, replaced with row upon row of stalls, which were overflowing with all sorts of goods: red and yellow tapestries, deep blue fruits of several shapes and sizes, pools of dark grey muck stored in large black cauldrons.

The people around her were all wearing robes with different shades of red, some of them - belonging to what seemed to be females – trailing down at their feet, which rested in delicate grey slippers, while the robes of the men seemed to be tunics ending at the knees and elbows, revealing long hairy legs and arms. Most of them wore brown shoes or sandals, which didn't click against the grey marble beneath their feet, and their gear was tied at the waist with a bright yellow silk belt. The place was alive with good spirits and chatter, with a child or two running around with small parrot-like birds perched on their shoulders or flying next to them.

Luna could see the merchants, who all had a silver coin stamped on the leather bracelets they wore around their wrist, bargaining with their customers in a friendly way, both of them trying to find a common ground. She could hear shouting, people declaring that a choir would be held in the South Amphitheater and that stasis cubes would be half-price for one hour only. The smell of sand, and food filled her nostrils, making her laugh and gaze in wonder at everything around her.

Then a small bowl stood in front of her eyes, and she looked back at the Doctor. He now appeared to be a tall, middle-aged man with shoulder-length brown hair, who wore a white dress shirt under a deep green coat and light grey trousers. In his other hand, he held a similar brown bowl.

“Princess Luna of Equestria. In the customs of my people I, the Doctor of Gallifrey, offer you a bowl of Mullberries in hopes of earning your company. Would you see me as a friend, and accompany me for a stroll?”

She looked at him with wide eyes, then gave him a smile and grabbed the cup with her magic.

“You are well met, Doctor, and I would be glad to join you for a stroll.”

The Doctor and Princess Luna walked through the Lower Districts, with him telling her everything he knew about anything she asked him. He told her of the Time Toddlers and Time Ladies, of the different types of Amphitheaters and Arenas; he offered her cool Mullberries and spicy orange Karatine bread, and showed her many statues and monuments, including the Arch of Time and the statue of Omega. When they were done visiting the Lower District, he walked with her on the Continent of Endless Philosphy, comparing their respective works of art and literature, and enjoying themselves whenever they found out that their worlds shared something in common.

When her visit was over and he was done with his physical exercises, the doors of his cell opened and Covert Shield walked in with their tray. Just like before, they sat down and enjoyed a meal, talking about this and that, about how he was liking his body and how Covert Shield was doing, when another topic was brought up.

"So when am I getting out of here?" asked the Doctor, struggling to hold a glass of water.

"Soon, I imagine. With all the visits Princess Luna has given you, you should be out of this hole in no time."

The Doctor paused at that, and watched the guard with a frozen smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, as soon as Princess Luna gives you her pardon, you'll be free. I mean Princess Celestia has given you the Royal Pardon, so all you need now is Princess Luna's."

"...Interesting. Can you tell me more about it?" asked the Doctor, setting the glass down on the tray. Covert Shield watched him with an eyebrow raised, then shrugged.

"I suppose I could..."

************

When Princess Luna returned to his dream world, on the seventh day after his awakening, the Doctor was standing there with a new appearance. Now they were back where they had met, watching the landscape, and he was sitting next to her in the shape of a tall, lean man with spiky hair and a large brown coat. They chatted for a bit, and he asked Luna about the way she said 'thee' and 'thou' sometimes. She told him it was a tradition from long ago, and that she had difficulties letting it go.

"And that's how you used to talk, way back when?" asked the Doctor.

"Indeed, and I rather miss it. I tend to lapse back into that way of speech whenever I'm angry or sad, but I am making some efforts. Now," she said, standing up, "it seems you still have some sleep left, so where should we go next?"

"Don't you have other ponies to go see?"

"Oh, they're fine. Now then, where to?"

He looked at her with a small frown for a few seconds, then smiled and stood up.

"Well," he said, rubbing his right ear, "I think it's about time I showed you the Lune Forest. What do you think, Princess?"

"That sounds lovely!"

"Alright then, allons-y!"

Once more, the world around them shifted and warped until they were gone. They were now standing in the clearing of a dark blue forest, where the trees were at their normal size - by Luna's standards - and where the grass was a milky white. There was no wind, just them and a wide open sky high above, glistening with thousands and thousands of stars.

************

Back in Equestria, Princess Celestia was enjoying a slice of banana cake along with a cup of tea, going over some law proposals that needed her approval to be passed. She had spent a relatively nice day, going through a surprisingly nice meeting with the Minautor Kingdom's ambassador and finally getting her nephew to spend some time with the staff, in order for everyone to be on good terms. Before going to bed, she had planned on asking Luna about giving the Doctor the other half of his Royal Pardon and started working on these legislation papers.

She was about to tackle a Changeling Cohabitation proposal, which were suspiciously getting more common, before she noticed that the cover of one of her most private books was glowing. The hourglass on the cover was shining white, and slowly spun in its container. She dropped the scroll and waited for the process to finish, both anxious and excited.

************

"There we go, the Lune Forest, lovely. Named that way because this planet's sun shines here only once a year, but it is beautiful when that happens and I'll probably make it pop up, but later. For now, I thought you might enjoy the night setting. How do you like it?"

She took a moment to look around before answering. The grass felt as soft as cotton, and everything was a dark shade of blue. The trees were all huddled together, making the forest look denser than it actually was, and to anyone else it might have seemed like a spooky forest one would find in a fairy tail. But Luna, knowing the dark like few others did, felt right at home.

"It's beautiful. It's absolutely marvellous," she said quietly, looking up at the sky. When she turned back to look at him, he was staring at her with a small frown on his face.

"Doctor? Is something the matter?"

He shivered once, as though he had been snapped out of a daze, before grinning and stuffing his hands in the pockets of his trousers.

"Right, sorry I just...zoned out for a second there. Yeah...Let's take a walk."

And with that, he turned around and walked briskly into the forest, making her trot next to him in order to keep up. She felt as though something was preoccupying him, and she decided to help him.

"Doctor? Did something happen out there?"

"No, why do you ask?" he said, not looking at her.

"I don't know you seem...agitated."

"Oh right, yes. Well, to be honest, I'm starting to feel a bit cooped up in my cell. How long did you say it would take for me to be released?"

"Ah...the paperwork is still being processed, but it should be done soon."

"I see...and what about my TARDIS? Is it still there?"

"Indeed it is, and still as persistent, but I've given up on trying to open it. I don't know what's inside, or how it remains shut, but I've decided I should...leave it be."

"...Then why are you trying to open it?"

She stopped abruptly, and looked up to see that he had stopped, and was now standing still a few steps behind. He was staring at her with a cold look, and he spoke with no emotion in his voice.

"What..what do you mean? I am standing still back in the castle, I've told you this before," she said, trying to put on her poker face.

"Oh yeah, you're in the castle, I don't doubt that, but I'm talking about here and now. You're a copycat, a psychic duplicate if I'm not mistaken. It's almost flawless, I'll give you that, but that won't work on me any more. Right now, you're trying to open my TARDIS, which is still on the hills, and that thing you're doing with your horn won't work."

Back on the hills of the mountains of Solice and Solitude, Princess Luna gasped and withdrew her head. She had sent an illusion to go along with the Doctor in order to distract him, while she inspected the big blue box. She felt bad about tricking him, but after five months and a week's worth of effort, she was infuriated with the blasted thing. Nothing worked, absolutely nothing, and the TARDIS remained so still she felt as though it was taunting her. After much meditation and planning, she decided to open it from the inside, which meant going through the Doctor.

"And you know what? I asked a guard when I was going to be released when they brought my food in. And the thing about me is that I'm very persuasive and charming and dashing and all that, so it didn't take long for him to tell me about the Royal Pardon and its procedure. Oh, Covert Shield, I can't thank you enough," he said, shaking his head. "Nice bloke, he's having mare problems these days, and he found a confident in yours truly a few days ago. And so you can imagine my surprise when he told me that I would be free the moment you gave me your pardon, and that we could go out for a mug of cider sometime."

While he was talking, he started slowly walking towards her, step by step, and his footsteps echoed throughout the woods.

"Effective the moment you and your sister declare it, a prisoner may be released and cleared of all charges when he receives the Royal Pardon. And what's great about it is that there's no. Paperwork. Required."

During his tirade, the Princess slowly backed away as he started marching towards her. He was hunched over, and she felt as though a dragon was closing in on her and about to blow a torrent of fire upon her. But then again, a dragon would be less terrifying. After he spat those last words out, he was towering over her cowering form, stuck against a wall of trees which had formed around them.

"So then I thought 'why am I still here if she gave me her pardon? Why does she still visit me?' And that's when I made the connection. I'm still in my cell, you're still visiting me, and my TARDIS is still closed. The only thing keeping me in my cell is your stupid curiosity and your fixation on finding out what's inside. These past few days, the only reason why you visited me was to get access to my sanctuary, to the last safe place I have left. What else could it be? If I were free, I would leave with my box and you would never figure it out, and you just couldn't stand that, couldn't you? COULDN'T YOU?!"

She flinched, and hot tears started stinging her eyes.

"And you know what?!" he said, raising his head above his head. Luna didn't run, simply bracing herself for the oncoming blow.

"Boop," he said, as he poked her muzzle.

As he bopped her nose, they found themselves back to the TARDIS. The fake Luna faded away, and the real Princess Luna stared at the Doctor, who was gazing at the spot where the illusion used to be.

"You know what? That's fine. You've been too kind to me, so it's only fair you get what you deserve. You want to know what's in the TARDIS? You want to know my secrets? Go ahead," he said in a quiet voice, turning his back on her. And with that, he faded out of existence.

She was astonished by his behaviour. Was she forgiven? Was he really fine with her snooping around his mind? She blinked once, and found herself standing in front of the TARDIS. She looked it up and down, and saw that the door was ever so slightly ajar. She lifted a shaky hoof, put it against the door, and gave a gentle push to find something she wasn't expecting at all.

It was empty.

She stared into the box for a few seconds, paralysed by confusion and befuddled. She looked at its ceiling, sides and floor, and found nothing.

...That's it? That's what all the secrecy was about? An empty box?!

She was about to stomp away when she found a piece of paper attached to the inside of the door. She ripped it off, and cocked her head to the side after seeing the message.

ITS TIME YOU MET THE REAL ME >:)

She was perplexed, until a fierce shiver ran up her back and a wave of heat blew behind her. She suddenly found herself crushed by fear and sadness, and tears started flowing from her eyes as her entire body shook like a leaf. Very, very slowly, she turned around and screamed at the sight before her.

A tall, pale man was standing right there with his arms crossed. He had almost no hair, a strong nose, and a face like the devil. He glared at her, clad in a large black leather coat with black jeans and a buttoned-up red shirt. Around him, the field started burning. The sky, peaceful and cloudy, exploded with hundreds and hundreds of explosions of all sorts of colours, and the sky went as black as coal. Gigantic metal disks and ugly machines flew overhead, and the giant glass ball was shattered, leaving a large column of smoke to rise out of it. Great booming sounds could be heard from every direction, and the ground shook. In the distance, the Lune Forest burned to a crisp.

"Hello, Luna. I'm the Doctor."

Before she could summon a portal to the Dreamscape, he grabbed her horn and stuck his forehead against hers, forcing them to lock eyes. His glowed like gold, and for a few seconds Luna felt at peace. That is, until the memories showed up. Shouting in pain and confusion, Princess Luna fell to her knees, clutching her head as the Doctor's life flashed in her mind. She saw his pain, his sadness, his fears, and they came crashing down in her head.

All around her, the eleven Doctors looked down at the alicorn with stoic faces.

"Oh dear, she's not doing so well is she?" asked Seven with no concern in his voice, readjusting his hat.

"No she isn't, that's the point. This is what she gets for betraying our trust," said Nine, straightening out his jacket.

"Do you think we should take her somewhere? What about the Wastelands, or the Death Zone?" suggested Ten, scratching his head.

"We leave her. Since she's so curious, let her explore Gallifrey. Whether she survives or not is no longer my concern. Now, off you pop, back into the TARDIS," said Eleven. None of them made a comment as to how his skin had become as grey as ash.

"Pity," said One, cleaning his monocle, "she seemed so nice."

"Shut up, Junior."

One by one, they broke the circle, stepping back into the glowing depths of the TARDIS before closing the doors.

And now he's falling, and dying and there go his friends. It hurts, why did they go? Don't leave, I'm sorry Ace, enough. So much PAIN, let go, it hurts, it burns, WHY?

Luna was left to burn among the fields of Gallifrey, reliving the torments that the Doctor had gone through with no one to help her. That is, until the doors of the TARDIS opened, and a man stepped out to stand over her.

************

The glass orb which kept the hourglass sealed opened up, and a small trail of golden sand flew out of the container and vanished.

Princess Celestia picked the book up carefully, and started to read its new content. She had always loved seeing these updates, ever since the book 'came to life' five months ago. But as she read through it, a frown started appearing on her face. Then, as she read the final lines of the page, she slammed it shut and threw it on her desk. Just then, a Lunar guard entered her room in a panic, and stopped to salute her being speaking out in a hurried voice.

“Your Majesty! We have just found your sister in her room, and she refuses to wake up to attend the Nocturnal Council! Doctor Life Support is saying she has slipped into a coma and her vitals are dropping, and that we had to contact you. What are your orders?”

When she turned around, the guard had to muster every bit of courage he had not to flee at the sight before him. Princess Celestia, who always seemed so composed and pleasant, now wore a deep frown on her face. Her eyes were glowing, and her hair was flowing faster than before, with blue, white, and orange colours dancing in her mane like a blinding fire.

“Tell the Council that the meeting is cancelled, and have a guard standing by my sister's side at all times. Do NOT leave her side for any reason. Tell Life Support she may use any means necessary to keep Luna alive. Now, go."

He gave her a nod, and ran out of her room on shaky legs. When he was gone, tears fell from her eyes.

“No. Not again. Never again.”

She walked towards a window and flew out, heading for the barren and desolate regions known as the Badlands, home of the prison called Tartarus. She burst through the front gates, marched past Cerberus - who was cowering in his niche as she went past - and flew down the depths of the hellish complex until she reached the Doctor's cell, which was standing on a rocky cliff above the abyss. She blasted the massive metal gates open with a flick of her horn and stepped inside, the ground beneath her hooves scorched and black. There slept the grey stallion, sleeping in his makeshift bed with a frown on his face. She grabbed him by the neck and slapped him hard, which made him jolt awake and stare at her for a few seconds before grinning.

"Oh no, the pony princess is here to punish me, I'm so scared. Funny," he said, scratching his ear, " I never thought I'd say that."

"Bring her back. Now."

"...No."

With a snarl she hurled him out of his cell, making him bounce and slide on the ground before stopping mere inches of the cliff's end, leaving him bruised and breathless. He shook his head, and looked up to her pointing her horn at him, which was glowing and crackling with blinding-white magic.

"Do not push me, Doctor. I will do whatever it takes to get my sister back, and I will not have someone like you stand in my way.

He gazed into her eyes with a hard look, before coughing a few times and clearing his throat.

"You know what? Go ahead. She's still in here, after all."

"...What?" she asked, confused.

"Go ahead. The link will be broken and she'll go back to the Dreamscape."

"But she'll still be tormented. Heal her, now!

"You know what? No. She humiliated me by breaking my trust. You have nothing to threaten me with."

"I could kill you right now!"

"And I wouldn't care!"

She glared at him, ready to deal with him and return to the castle to take of Luna herself, before his eyes widened. A thought rang loud in his head, and his coat turned back to brown.

No more.

And with that, he fell unconscious.

************

Eleven woke up to find himself being dragged on scorched ground, and dropped on his face. He grunted, then looked up to see something quite unexpected. On the burnt hills of Gallifrey, a single circle of red grass remained intact. In that circle, Princess Luna was asleep, and an old ragged man knelt next to her.

"Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?" asked Eleven, giving him a cold look. The old man said nothing, looking at Eleven with disappointment, before he spoke loud and clear.

"Never cruel or cowardly, eh? That was a nice thought, at the time."

"You have no right to put that on me. No right at all," growled Eleven.

"And yet, you've inflicted more punishment on this creature than anyone else in...how long has been, centuries?" asked the old man, walking up to the other Doctor.

"We're not too far from three-hundred and ninety years now."

"Oh, well that's commendable. You managed to keep our promise for all that time before...this," said the War Doctor, giving his hand a twirl.

"We are not the same person."

"Look at it any way you want, but you have no right to inflict so much pain on this poor girl. Let her go, now," he said, giving his counterpart a dark look.

They stared at each other for a while, neither of them moving. All around them, the world kept burning and explosions could be heard in the distance.

"And why should I do that?"

"Because we've caused enough suffering. And, if you truly don't care any more, why don't you just let her go and be done with it?"

Eleven blinked, surprised to see the old warrior looking sorry for him. Then, he made a decision.

"I suppose it's time to stop, isn't it?" he said, giving a sad chuckle. He slowly walked over to the Princess, and touched her forehead with an index. She opened her eyes, sobbing, and looked up at the Doctor.

"Now before you say anything, I have to tell you that this is probably the last time we'll be talking to each other. Right now, your sister is about to kill me, and I'm going to let her. You lied to me,and you blatantly disobeyed me in order to invade my privacy, which was the last sanctuary I had. But you also showed me kindness, and I needed that. It felt...nice, like in the good old days. I just want to know one last thing: are you sorry?"

"Yes..." she croaked.

"Then you're forgiven," he said, giving her a small smile. And with that, she faded out of existence. Eleven sighed, turned to face the War Doctor, and frowned.

"You're an embarrassment to all of us, you know that?"

"Perhaps. But I like to think that for once, I'm not the only one who broke that promise," said the old man, with his hands crossed behind his back.

Eleven glared at him, then laughed, and closed his eyes.

************

The Doctor woke up on the dusty ground of the cliff, and looked at the angry princess with tired eyes.

"There. She should be doing better now."

Princess Celestia blinked, and her features slowly faded back into her usual calm demeanour.

"You better not be lying."

"Oh, I'm done with lying. I'm done with everything, really. Just go."

She looked down at him for a bit, then spread her wings and flew away. He watched her go, smiled, and dragged himself back to his broken cell, waiting for the end to come. Meanwhile, Celestia flew as fast as she could back at the castle. Once she arrived, she rushed through the corridors and burst into her sister's room. She was sitting on her bed, surrounded by the medical staff and her guards, and panting heavily.

"Luna! Thank goodness you're alright! How do you feel?"

She took a few seconds to answer, taking deep breaths before looking at her sister and replying.

"I am well, sister, but I need to speak with the Doctor as possible."

Comments

[Higherbeach]

another well done chapter. Imho, it is quite nicely done. I understand your feeling it is missing something, but I certainly don't see it. Perhaps his reaction was a tad, unwarranted, but then again, it fits the character well. So, no complaints here.