Doctor Whooves Episode 11: Parents' Day

by Doctor Perseus

Out of the Fire and Into the Oven

Chapter 2: Out of the Fire and Into the Oven

Georgian Road, London, England, Earth, Autumn, 1987 A.D.

The Doctor and Rose looked around the corner at their past selves. Rose had frozen at the last second and had not rushed out to be with her father in his final moments. She wanted a second chance and the Doctor, while nervous, was willing to let Rose have one final shot at being with her father. Pete Tyler's green car pulled up and parked next to the sidewalk once again.

"I can't do this!" Rose stated.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to but this is the last time we can be here," the Doctor said sadly. Rose watched as Pete stepped out of the car once again.

"Oh God, this is it," sighed Past Rose as the tan car swerved around the bend. At the last second, Rose broke into a run and ran towards Pete.

"Rose! No!" the Doctor cried but his warning fell upon deaf ears. The Past Doctor and Past Rose looked on in confusion as Rose ran past them. As Pete's eyes fell upon the car charging towards him, Rose grabbed him and pulled him to safety. The car drove past and Pete's vase fell to the ground with a light tap, not even breaking this time. The past versions of the Doctor and Rose disappeared in a quick flash of golden light as the Doctor looked on in horror.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Summer, 996 C.E.

The Doctor tried to catch up to Applejack but the orange earth pony was proving to be much better at running than he was, which was surprising since he had done a great amount of running throughout his lifetime. She was already far ahead of him and growing close to reaching the burning grain silo.

"This is not good!" the Doctor said as he ran. "This is not good!"

Applejack's hat flew off her head and landed in front of the Doctor. The Doctor jumped over it and continued to chase after her.

Applejack the younger and Big Mac looked in confusion as the older Applejack and the Doctor ran towards the grain silo.

"Who are they?" asked Applejack the younger.

"I'm not sure," Big Mac replied. "I can't see them clearly from all the way over here."

Applejack finally made it to the grain silo. Smoke and fire was pouring out of the destroyed roof and the metal exterior was hotter than coals from a bonfire. Applejack turned around and kicked the door in with her hind legs. She walked inside and was greeted with stifling heat and toxic smoke. She could just hear the faint coughs of her parents from the other side of the interior of the silo.

"We...gotta...get out of here!" choked Emily.

"Ah...know! Where's the...door?!" Johnny coughed back. Applejack held her breath and charged into the smoky abyss. She found a wall of debris blocking her path and quickly knocked it aside. Johnny and Emily were slouched on the other side, their bodies nearly giving in to the toxic cloud around them. Flames were falling down from the ceiling and a wall of fire began to encircle them.

"Come on!" Applejack cried. "This way!"

Johnny and Emily stared at their savior. They were too exhausted and weak to determine who it was but they certainly had enough strength to stand up and follow them out of the fire. Applejack took hold of one of her mother's hooves and one of her father's hooves and led them out of the burning silo.

The Doctor had tried to charge in but two pegasi held him back.

"My friend just went in there!" he snapped.

"It's too dangerous!" said one of the pegasi. Suddenly, Applejack emerged from the fiery tower alongside her parents. She was covered in soot and her mane was a mess. No sooner had they exited the building, the entire thing collapsed with a loud scream. An explosion of fire, grain, and smoke rose into the sky, creating something that resembled a mushroom cloud. The Doctor's stomach sank. She had done it. She had saved her parents. She had doomed them all.

Georgian Road, London, England, Earth, Autumn, 1987 A.D.

The Doctor walked angrily down the sidewalk. He was still angry over the argument he had just had with Rose back in her father's apartment. She didn't understand what she had done. She could never understand. She was just another stupid ape. He reached the TARDIS and stopped. No...she wasn't that. She was just human. It was human for her to do that. A peculiar feeling dripped down his spine. He looked up at the sky. It looked cloudy and normal but something was definitely off about it. He shrugged the feeling off and opened the TARDIS doors. He looked on in horror at what he saw. There was nothing inside the TARDIS. The entire interior of the ship had disappeared. He knew what was wrong. They were coming.

"Rose!" the Doctor cried as he turned back and ran down the street towards the church.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Summer, 996 C.E.

"Ah did it," said a shocked Applejack as she approached the Doctor. A pair of pegasi flew over and tended to the weakened Johnny and Emily. Applejack the younger and Big Mac ran forward and hugged their parents. Applejack looked back and couldn't help but smile. "Ah saved them."

She looked back to see that the Doctor was glaring at her. She didn't like that glare.

"Do you realize what you've just done?" he snapped.

"Yes! Ah just saved my parents' lives!"

"And at what cost?! There are two ponies alive here and now that shouldn't be!"

"Are you saying that my parents were better off burning alive in that grain silo?!"

Applejack was beginning to get angry.

"Everything happens for a reason, Applejack! Your parents were supposed to die in there! Was this your big plan this whole time? I could tell that you've been thinking about this ever since you and the others began traveling with me!" the Doctor snapped.

"It wasn't like this...at first. At first ah just wanted to go back and see them. Ah was ready to leave but then ah saw that grain silo catch fire and ah saw my past self running towards it. All the memories came rushing back all at once. Ah...ah just couldn't stand back and watch my parents die again!" Applejack snapped as tears rolled down her face. "You wouldn't understand."

"Don't you dare treat me like I'm the bad guy here! And don't you dare believe that I don't know how you feel! I've lost many friends and family, Applejack! My entire family was killed in the Last Great Time War, in which I was the only survivor! All of my kind...all of my family...were gone in a single instant of time. I've traveled with many beings from different walks of life. Eventually, they all left me. I've dealt with so much loss and live with so much guilt that any member of your species would burn up from the intensity of the feelings I have! I know what you've gone through! More than anypony else here!"

Applejack fell silent. The Doctor followed suit. He picked up Applejack's hat and dusted it off.

"I'm sorry for yelling. Here...take it," he said as he handed the hat to Applejack. Applejack took it and placed it on her head.

"Thank you," she replied. Applejack felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see her mother standing there.

"Are you the one who saved us?"

Applejack lowered her voice as she said, "Uh...yes."

"Thank you so much! My husband and I would have died if it weren't for you!"

"Really...it was no problem at all."

Applejack the younger walked forward and examined Applejack the elder's hat.

"Nice hat," she said. "It kind of looks like mine!"

"Does it now?"

"Thank you for saving my parents! Ah owe you one!"

"You owe something to me too," the Doctor said under his breath.

Twilight and the others were standing nearby.

"She actually saved them," said Twilight.

"Good for her," said Fluttershy with a smile.

"The Doctor doesn't look happy about it, though," said Derpy.

"Why not? Her parents are alive! What's the problem?! Is the universe going to get eaten up by monsters or something?" Spike asked. That's when a scream of terror emanating from right above them.

Outside St. Markus Church, London, England, Earth, Autumn, 1987 C.E.

Rose had ridden to the church with Pete and it didn't take long for her mum, Jackie, to assume that the older Rose was another one of Pete's mistresses. Pete and Jackie, after shouting to each other, began to calmly talk out their disagreements. The sight of her parents making up made Rose smile a little bit. Suddenly, a young, black boy ran around the corner towards the church.

"Monsters! Going to eat us!" he cried as he ran.

"What sort of monsters, sweetheart?" asked one of the bride's friends.

"It's aliens!"

The women simply giggled as the boy ran into the church. Rose quickly recognized the boy as the past version of her boyfriend, Mickey Smith. Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Rose!" called the voice. It was the Doctor. Rose smiled as she turned around. He was running towards her quickly. Something appeared to be wrong. "Get in the church!"

Rose looked up just in time to see a brown creature materialize out of thin air. It had a body that resembled a mix between a bat, an insect, and a squid. It stretched out its arms to reveal a large, gaping mouth hiding behind them. Rose screamed as the creature flew towards her.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Summer, 996 C.E.

Twilight looked up to see a brown creature shoving a screaming pegasus mare into its gaping mouth.

"What in Celestia's name is that?!" Rarity cried. The creature looked down and flew towards the group. Several more creatures began materializing out of thin air. Twilight and Derpy ran towards the Doctor.

"Doctor! What are they?!" Twilight asked.

"Reapers!" the Doctor replied.

"What do they want?" Derpy asked.

"Food."

"I have a bad feeling about what the food is."

The Doctor looked around. There had to be a place to hide from the Reapers here. Sadly, there were no churches in Equestria. Then his eyes fell across the barn. It was a shot in the dark but it would have to do for now.

"Everypony in the barn!" the Doctor ordered. Everypony followed suit. Granny opened the barn door and let everypony run inside. A Reaper bore down towards Fluttershy, who had tripped over of jagged root.

"Get away from her!" Trixie snapped. Trixie fired a blast of magic at the Reaper. It had no effect. "Fluttershy! Run!"

Fluttershy got up and ran for the barn. She looked back just in time to see Trixie get devoured by the Reaper.

"Trixie!" Fluttershy cried. The Reaper charged for her but the Doctor appeared and threw a trash can lid at the creature.

"Keep moving!" he ordered. Everypony else made it safely into the barn. As Applejack passed by Granny, who was holding the doors open, the elderly mare handed the infant Apple Bloom to her.

"Give her to my son," she said.

"Granny Smith," Applejack said sadly. The Doctor and Fluttershy came up from behind and shoved Applejack into the barn. Granny was about to enter the barn and shut the doors when a Reaper grabbed her from behind.

"Granny Smith!" cried Applejack the younger. The Reapers tried to barge through the doors but the Doctor and Big Mac proceeded to close and lock the doors. The Reapers cried as they clawed against the exterior of the barn.

"M...mother," Johnny said sadly.

"Trixie," Fluttershy croaked.

The Doctor turned to Applejack the elder and whispered, "This is why you don't change history."

Comments

[MariusIoannesP]

"Why not? Her parents are alive! What's the problem?! Is the universe going to get eaten up by monsters or something?" Spike asked.

How prescient of you Spike. REAPERS!

She looked back just in time to see Trixie get devoured by the Reaper.

Wow! Trixie sacrificed herself to save Fluttershy!

[Hekate Sketch]

by the nine! AJ, that was so, so, human of you. if your parents dont die soon, we are all done for.

[Spirit Shift]

Why didn't the doctor explain this ahead of time when he realized what this was

[Random Dude]

"Why not? Her parents are alive! What's the problem?! Is the universe going to get eaten up by monsters or something?"

YEP