Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“Oh…Oh I’m so sorry…” Fluttershy spluttered as she bent down to recover her shopping, using her declined posture as an excuse to hide between flowing pink mane. “You… just reminded me of... oh… n-never mind…”
How could she have let that slip? He was never real. No pony, no magic blue box, no scary monster. It was just a romp in the forest that had gotten her and her best friend into trouble with their parents a decade and a half ago. But all the same… This pony looked just like him; even down the acrid smell of smoke in his mane. She smiled to herself, now she knew it was all just a mistake.
‘Just some silly sense memory, or one of those things that Twilight is always going on about, he just smells like smoke is all,’ she thought to herself. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, but after a moment she arrested in renewed panic. ‘W-wait… how can I have a sense memory of an imaginary friend?’
She chewed on her lip. No. Couldn’t be. It was impossible. Fluttershy began to lift her gaze, the sounds of the marketplace seemingly falling away.
A pair of wide, pale-golden eyes invaded her field of vision as the stallion brought his face mere inches from the pegasus’s own, “You look familiar, have I met you before? Wait don’t answer that .‘Cause I can’t have met you yet , you see. I’m new. Very new, well sorta very old too, but also very new. Barely done cooking, as it were. Underdone and half-baked that’s me…” The Doctor finished his rambling and then returned to staring at the mare with a single brow arched and a searching gaze. “But you called for a doctor? Are you hurt?”
Fluttershy squeaked. She had witnessed wonders in her time as an Element of Harmony, but this… this was too strange. With no small effort of will she forced her voice past her lips, “Doc- …Doctor?”
“Uh sure you’re okay? I can get someone…” The Doctor said, withdrawing his face and continuing his study of the buttery mare. There was something oddly familiar about her. Pink mane… creamy yellow coat… aquamarine eyes…
“Look I uh, I forget which way it is to Cloudsdale,” The Doctor continued. “I think I may have given a couple fillies quite the fright last night and I want to see if they are okay… oh blimey, I don’t have wings do I?” The doctor quickly turned in a circle trying to examine his own back. “Nope, not this time. Oh I hope I can find a balloon or-”
The Doctor abruptly cut himself off with a facehoof. “Ugh, thick silly Doctor. Thick, silly, and old. It’s you isn’t it?”
Fluttershy managed a nod.
“The yellow filly?”
Fluttershy nodded again.
“Too long legs and friend with a rainbow mane?”
Fluttershy nodded once more, though a light blush tinged her cheeks.
“Oh yay, that’s wonderful!” The Doctor cheered. “You’re safe! I was just about to go back, but I guess I can’t now.” The Doctor’s brows crinkled slightly. “You know, that’s probably a fixed point now…”
“Fixed…what?” Fluttershy said her quiet voice again faltering.
“Well you see time is all bits and bobs. But a few of the bits are more bitty than the bobs… it’s all very…” The Doctor thought for a moment before concluding with comfortingly familiar explanation. “Timey-wimey,” He pronounced with a solemn nod.
Unfortunately this still left Fluttershy without a clue as to what the strange pony was talking about. ‘Something about the time?’
“Um…It’s about noon?”
The Doctor looked blankly at Fluttershy for a moment before a wide grin split his lips. “Are you asking me to lunch? I’d love to. We never did get anything after the apples!”
Fluttershy blinked several times, still not sure what to make of the pony standing before her. However, it seemed her instinct for politeness ran deeper than her misgivings, and she decided to oblige the Doctor.
“Sure, I was just on my way home.” The shock of the encounter had begun to finally subside, and her voice now quivered no more than usual. “I’m sure I can make us something.”
--------------------
Fluttershy entered her cottage with the Doctor close behind, with her shopping carried in his mouth.
“I told you, you didn’t need to do that…” Fluttershy began as the Doctor set the bag down.
“Nonsense, I’m the Doctor and I’m here to help, and sometimes carrying shopping is helping.” The Doctor replied as his eyes darted around the cottage, taking in its numerous bird houses and the scampering of a few rodents across the floor. Fluttershy’s cottage was the very picture of activity, especially now that Fluttershy had returned home. Waves of birds flew down to greet her with excited chirps, mice and chipmunks scampered around her hooved, waving hello as they passed. Fluttershy, ever in her element among her woodland friends, responded in kind to each salutation.
The whole pageant had a heartwarming quality to it that brought a smile to the doctor’s lips. That was until a half chewed carrot was expertly bounced off the back of his skull. “Ouch...”
Fluttershy was snapped out of her happy reverie by the cry of pain. She wheeled around to see Angel readying another piece of vegetative ammunition.
“No, no, Angel. He’s a friend, promise.” Fluttershy said, floating over to her pet bunny with a deft movement of her wings. “A very old friend and he is very nice. You’ll see. And mommy is going to have him over for lunch.”
Angel looked over to the doctor and made a series of swift and deliberate movements that more or less translated to: ‘watch your step.’ Then looking back to his caregiver he mimed the action of looking impatiently at a wrist watch.
“Oh yes Angel, I’ll get you your lunch in a moment.” She said turning away from the little white rabbit – who was still miming frantically - and back to her guest. “I’m so sorry, he gets very protective around strangers. Here let me take a look at that for you.”
“No worries,” The Doctor said with a smile, “I know how unruly a companion can be.”
Fluttershy inspected the back of the doctor’s head, using her hooves to part his mane and inspect for any swelling. “That’s odd, there’s nothing there… The last time Angel threw a carrot that hard, Dash had a black eye for weeks…”
“Oh, that’s my fault. Sorry, still in my first fifteen hours I think, so hurray! No bumps, no scraps, and occasionally a new hoof!” The Doctor said enthusiastically.
“First fifteen hours of what?” Fluttershy inquired softly.
“Of my life I suppose,” He with his usual exuberance, “or of my life with these eyes at least. New face, you see.”
Fluttershy felt more lost than before. ‘What did he mean by a “new face”? How could a pony have a new face?’ She decided to try not to think about it and quickly busied herself with the preparations for their lunch.
--------------------
A pot of tea and two daisy sandwiches later, the two ponies still continued to sit and talk cordially. The Doctor didn't say much of substance, but his bright-eyed liveliness more than made up for it. He proved amazingly curious about current life in Ponyville (“As it is now” is how he put it) as well as current political affairs. He would often make odd little comments too. For example when Fluttershy explained her friend Rarity’s latest style innovation (the fashion sock) the Doctor saw fit to add:
“Always wondered who did that, thought it was going to be me.”
Soon Fluttershy found she was talking more and more about herself, finally arriving at her position as one of the bearers of an Element of Harmony.
“Oh, oh my! You’re that Fluttershy are you?” The Doctor said, sounding impressed.
“What do you mean?” The timid mare squeaked, “…There are others?”
“Oh blimey yes, it becomes quite the popular name!” The Doctor replied beaming.
“I’m sorry but…” Fluttershy began, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. She had an idea, a crazy theory really, but it may well fit a crazy pony like the Doctor. “I don’t understand, Dash and I met you fifteen years ago…and you don’t look any older...and you still smell like smoke. How did you get here?”
“Took a shortcut.” The Doctor said proudly.
“I know Twilight said it was possible… but…you’re not a unicorn.” Fluttershy decided she might as well come out and ask,
“How does an earth pony time travel?”
“In a box,” The slate stallion replied, “And it’s a wonderful box at that, but trust me, you’ll be seeing plenty of it.”
However in that moment the door to the cottage burst open, and a very irate cyan pegasus flew in.
“What’s is going on here!?” The rainbow-maned mare spoke quite forcefully, a bit growl in her voice. “First you stand me up for our lunch-”
‘Angel was trying to tell me I was going to be late…’ Fluttershy mentally chided herself, but the Doctor’s arrival had forced all else from her mind.
“-Then when I come by because I think you might be in trouble, but here you are chatting up somepony who wants to show you their box!?” Just as it seemed Rainbow’s anger couldn’t mount any higher, she heaved a massive sigh. Her posture slumped, all bluster seemingly gone.
Fluttershy immediately made her way over to her fillyhood friend, laying a comforting hoof around her neck. “Rainbow, it’s not like that I promise…I’m so sorry I forgot our lunch…And... um, I know he has a long mane, but that’s a stallion…”
The cyan mare perked up a bit, but she still seemed a little hurt. “Well, what’s he doing here then?”
Fluttershy took a deep breath; this was not going to be easy. “He’s the Doctor…”
Rainbow Dash’s face immediately filled with concern. “Flutters, are you okay? Are you sick?”
She began to examine and prod at the yellow mare. “Is it your wings, or your eyes, or are catching a cold?” She then turned her attention to the Doctor. “What’s she got? Will she be okay?”
“She’s sick? Oh dear no this won’t do, she’s not supposed to be sick.” The Doctor rose from his seat and began to join in examining Fluttershy. “Oh I hope she’s okay.”
Fluttershy’s world quickly became that of prodding slate and cyan hooves. They checked her reflexes, temperature, visual acuity, glands, and half a dozen other procedures of checking to see if somepony is feeling well.
“…Dash…”
“What do you mean you hope? You’re the Doctor!”
“I know I am.”
“…Rainbow…”
“So you should know if she’s sick!”
“How could I know that?”
“Dashie!”
The two ponies ceased bickering and quickly turned their attention to the usually quiet mare.
“He’s the Doctor.” She said slowly, placing weighty emphasis on the word.
Rainbow looked at her blankly. As Fluttershy’s meaning slowly dawned on her, her eyes widened. She looked at the Doctor, then back to Fluttershy, then back to the Doctor.
Then her face began to brighten, a wide silly grin gracing her features, “I told you he was real! I told everyone he was real! I’m glad I bit those psychiatrists.”
Fluttershy smiled, but still hid behind her mane a bit, embarrassed. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you…”
Rainbow embraced the buttery pegasus and gave her a zealous and passionate kiss on the lips. The timid mare returned the gesture, blushing a deep scarlet. The sight of the intimate action caused the Doctor suddenly looked quite squeamish and awkward. Rainbow simply smirked at the sheepish stallion.
“You’re worse than AJ’s Granny Smith,” The cyan mare said with a snort. “’Just ‘cause you two mares done finally got together doesn’t mean ya gotta be neckin’ round tha clock.’” Dash added in her best imitation of the old mare.
“I’m the Doctor, and I’m worse than anypony’s Granny Smith,” The Doctor said sternly, though still looking a bit uncomfortable. “The two of you were fillies less than a couple hours ago.”
“What do you mean a couple hours ago?” Rainbow asked incredulously.
“He’s… a time traveler…” Fluttershy added quietly.
“Whoah really?” Dash queried animatedly. “That’s so cool!”
“You bet it is!” The Doctor exclaimed.
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Elsewhere, deep within the Everfree forest a breeze stirred the air outside a large earthen warren that rested beneath the roots of an ancient uprooted tree. A curious squirrel poked its head into the gaping maw of the burrow. Gingerly it moved forward into dark gloom, tiny paws landing noiselessly on the soft earth.
A ragged inhale stirred the air. The squirrel froze, hoping it hadn’t been seen by the inhabitant of the cave. Unfortunately, seen or unseen it mattered little. Before the squirrel could so much as squeak, a set of razor sharp jaws closed around it with a sickening crunch, devouring the little critter in a literally a single bite.
The beast sighed as it swallowed the hapless woodland creature. A little morsel, that’s all the squirrel had been. The beast desired a meal. It took a deep breath preparing another dejected sigh, when it abruptly froze. There was a scent on the air. The scent of a lost quarry from another time, from another place. One part fresh meadows, one part the smell of ozone after a lightning strike, and one part acrid smoke.
The beast smiled, or at least the nearest thing to the expression that the monstrosity could manage. Perhaps there would yet be a meal this day.
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"You were a little girl five minutes ago."
"Oh, you're worse than my aunt."
"I'm the Doctor; I'm worse than everybody's aunt."
That's one of my favorite scenes ever. I almost squeed when I saw that.
2485985 Couldn't leave that one out
It's interesting that you have Dashie and Fluttershy already together. You could probably flush out that bit of back story later in a flashback. Probably them bonding together over an event that nobody else believes happened. The Doctor inadvertently getting in on this relationship is a lot better than him getting between Amy and Rory.
2486477 That's the plan-ish. Like Amy and Rory, the fact that they are together is just that: a fact. We will eventually see glimpses into their relationship but for now it's a given.
They seem to be taking it a lot better than Amy did, she hit him in the face with a bat and handcuffed him to a radiator. I was kind of hoping Rainbow Dash would drop-kick him out of the sky.
2486607 Yeah, I know. Just couldn't quite find a way to swing it in the context of the story. I wanted them in Ponyville and I couldn't quite fabricate a reason for the Doctor to perform a home invasion.
“I told you he was real! I told everyone he was real! I’m glad I bit those psychiatrists.”
...I can see dash doing that.
2486764
so fluttershy is Amy and rainbow dash is Rory ?
2488366 other way round, but above all else they are Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash
Not much of a flutter dash fan
And i picture David Tennant instead of 'ol Smithy why?
woo, Flutterdash!
~Wywint