An Afternoon with The Doctor
Ditzy smiled and settles into her cosy chair. Dinky was in school, Sparkler was at her magic lessons. The mail had been delivered and now a pot of tea was brewing, a tasty muffin on a plate beside her teacup. As she sat and relaxed a strange sound began to fill the house. Birdsong was muted and the chime of the mantle clock interrupted. It was like a key on a piano wire (Lyra would surely be wincing at the tones created), as the sound became more intense a strange blue box began to materialise next to the garden shed.
Ditzy smiled, this afternoon was looking to be not so relaxing, in the best kind of way... As the box became solid and the sound ceased, new noises reached her keen ears. The rustle of grass and the muttering of her husband as he made his way to the back door. “I’m home love!” came his shout.
“In the sitting room muffin!” She called in reply. Soon the doorframe was host to her brown earth stallion, hair slightly mussed from the breeze and saddlebags on his back. “Business or pleasure...” She purred, a come hither (and thither) look in her eyes. He blushed lightly and kissed her on the muzzle, “Sorry love, business today.” He couldn’t keep the concern from his voice as Ditzy drew away. From his saddlebag came a pair of blue envelopes, silver ink marking a name on each.
He passed hers over, but she let it drop onto the chair. Last time envelopes like this had arrived... It still tore at her heart... It had been two hours since a week old Sparkler had gone missing from her crib. Two panicked painful hours of soul-rending worry and endless tears. A grim look crossed her face, eyes focusing momentarily on the letter. They had got their daughter back and by the sisters, those responsible paid dearly but she had grown. Four years old! No one had known of their foal and the pink unicorn filly had come with them as an adopted child. The deception still pained them both.
Hooves looked at his wife, she was shaking, tears spotting the soft fabric of her seat. “They are safe love, by all powers in the universe, the girls are safe. Now let’s see what these letters want us to do.” He kissed her again gently and then slit open the envelope and removed the missive. Ditzy did the same, relief and puzzlement washing over her. “What does yours say muffin?” He turned the paper to face her, a long string of numbers and symbols were written there. “Directions.” He said simply, “Yours?” Ditzy laid out the sheet, it was a list not unlike the ones she usually took shopping with her.
“Collect these Items to bring with the Doctor and deliver, my fair mail mare.” The only sentence read. The rest of the page was filled with goods and goodies.
1 Bag Mints (Peppermint)
1 Batch Muffins (Blueberry)
6 Cupcakes
1 Packet Balloons
1 Pony Plush doll
“Well, looks like we have some shopping to do muffin.” She smiled and left the room.
*
Ponyville was bustling with ponies going about their business, it was early afternoon so many ponies were taking lunch at the cafes or buying something nice from the many stalls. A bell jingled and A grey pegasus stepped out of a candy shop, closely followed by a brown earth stallion. “Have a nice day Ditzy, Doc!” Bon Bon called from the shop as the pair left.
“So, we have the baked goods, the balloons and the peppermints.” A slightly muffled Ditzy said to her husband, placing the bag of candy in his saddlebag. “Now we need that plush doll.”
“I knew it! You ARE having a party!” Pinkie burst out of seemingly nowhere, shocking the Doctor into a rear and sending Ditzy into the sky. “No Miss Pie, I can assure you we are not having a party.” The Doctor said, recovering first. “Cakes, candies and balloons are just basic supplies but a doll is a present and presents mean parties my good doctor!” Pinkie shouted in reply, a deerstalker on her head and a bubble pipe at her lips. “You can’t pull the wool over my eyes!”
“Really, it’s not a party Pinkie.” Ditzy alighted on the ground with only a minor tumble. “We just have this shopping list to fill.” Her husband was about to stop her but she carried on regardless, showing the list to the party pony, this seemed to mollify her. “Ooooh, the shopping game! Then why didn’t you say so? I can dig that. See you all!” The hat and pipe vanished and Pinkie was soon bouncing away. “So, how did that work then?” the Doctor asked, a bemused look on his face.
“Muffin, if you lived in this time here in Ponyville a little longer, you’d have worked out all the local ponies too.” She nuzzled him to take the reprimand from her statement, a gesture he returned. “Now, we need to find a doll.”
“No Problemo!” Pinkie was once again present, this time even faster than before. “I had this cutie in my party box just in case of emergency filly birthday parties!” The Doctor had remained calm this time and even his wife had seemed prepared for the sudden arrival. Pinkie gave a light buck and the doll sailed from her back onto that of the brown stallion. “The toy pony isn’t here until next week and I knew you were in a hurry to finish the shopping list game, so I thought that this would help!” She smiled and bounced off again, this time a small green reptile was clinging to her mane.
“Dear, no matter how long I am here, I don’t think I will ever have her figured out.” Ditzy smiled and took the plush from his back, it was shades of pink, a poofy mane and blue button eyes. A tiny cutie mark of three balloons finished it off. “A doll of herself?” Ditzy mumbled as she placed it in the bag. “I’ll have to see where it got made, Dinky would love dolls of her family.” Her task complete, they headed for the blue box in their back garden to complete the mission.
In the shadows of a building a hooded pony watched them go.
*
The doors of the blue box opened and the two ponies entered. Ditzy trotted up to greet the TARDIS, it had been an illuminating experience when she’d been a pony for the day and Ditzy was still on friendly terms despite their mutual affections for a certain brown earth pony. “Dearest, could you start her up?” The Doctor fed the co-ordinates into the TARDIS, placating her about having to be accurate. Ditzy pulled some levers and nosed some switches, soon the familiar sound filled the room and Ditzy knew they were on their way to their mystery destination.
*
The TARDIS came to a halt, “Well, it looks like we are here then.” The Doctor checked some dials and screens. “We can breathe out there at least.” He tentatively opened a leaf of the door, revealing a dusty grey landscape and pitch black sky. “Where are we then muffin?” Ditzy asked, sliding into the saddlebags containing their shopping. He opened the other leaf revealing a blue marble in the sky. “We’re on the moon...”
The lunar landscape was lifeless and empty. The Doctor had explained that they were sometime in the past, judging by the stars above. The co-ordinates were for a place and a time, whoever had delivered the notes needed them here and now with the items. “So what now? It’s not like there is any further address on the notes...” Ditzy scanned the horizon, as a mail-mare she knew all about deliveries, but hers often had an address. “Well, whoever sent us here obviously set us down close to our goal. Else why bother with co-ordinates at all. The two ponies were still stood very close to the TARDIS, looking over at the home planet of the grey pegasus. While her husband sat and muttered, Ditzy took a better look around them.
The Doctor heard the crunch of hooves on moon dust, he was about to warn his wife not to wander too far when the sound of her stopping short and gasping cut him off. “Muffin... You better see this yourself.” Ditzy was beside their blue box, looking out behind it. He trotted up beside her and saw what she was talking about. “I think we’ve found our destination...” A castle towered up behind them.
Tall and bleak, grey and white against a forbidding blackness stood a mighty fortress. Pennants fluttered, depicting the lunar stages. Not a single light came from a window. “Are you sure dear?” The Doctor was concerned, he did not wish to place his wife in danger after all. “I could go in and deliver the... ah... gifts.” Ditzy was walking with purpose towards the gates, determination in her eyes. “Yes muffin. We were both sent here and I know for a fact that somepony in there needs some friendship.” She carried on forward. Sighing he followed her.
*
Inside the palace it was eerily quiet, not even the impossible air stirred. Sculptures lay in shards down long and otherwise empty hallways. They had once depicted alicorns, at least that was what the many remnants pointed too. Unsure of where to head next, The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began taking scans. Ditzy simply stood, her wings extended and eyes closed. “Somepony is crying.” She trotted off, her husband having to rush to catch up.
“Are you sure dear.”
“Muffin, I’m a mother, I can tell when somepony is crying. Especially when that somepony is the only one other than ourselves here.” As they navigated through the vaulted passages, past more ruined statues and even a few destroyed murals, a sound of mournful sobbing became audible. “Told you.” The grey pegasus nickered, using the sound as their guide they soon reached a closed door. Ditzy gave a timid knock.
“Who is there?” A mighty voice shouted, tears hidden behind blustery anger. “I am the only one here, it is merely you Nightmare, playing tricks on me!” A crash reverberated through the deserted building as something broke against the door. “No your highness, we are really here.” The Doctor said in a kindly tone. Kindly was always good, kindness could hopefully prevent an angry and slightly unhinged alicorn from doing something regrettable on their part. “Yes, princess, we came here to see you.” Ditzy said, using the tone for cheering up Dinky after the bullies had got to her. “We have some things you might like.”
There was a loud creak and the door opened. A dishevelled blue alicorn was glaring at them both, daring them to be illusions. “Why are you here?” Her voice was loud, unused to others around to hear it. “We were sent here to deliver gifts.” The Doctor replied calmly, this mare was certainly not Nightmare Moon, she was the lonely lunar princess. “Who by? Why?” The shouts were quick, almost like barks. Her eyes darted around, searching out something. “We have no idea princess. We were instructed by letter.” She snorted and looked at the bag they held.
“How.” This was a deep and sad question, both ponies knew that the princess herself had only been sent by the elements as a sad accident. Trying to keep her voice steady Ditzy replied; “We have a clever box to bring us here.” She looked guiltily at the floor. “But we can’t bring you.”
A tear left the eye of the princess. “Understood. I have a thousand years for my crimes. I still must wait six more moons for the time to be right.” A strange expression passed over her face, it settled on shock and alarm. “Leave now ponies! She is coming!” Not needing any explanation, The Doctor and Ditzy fled, “looks, *huff* like *puff* Nightmare is coming...” The Doctor shouted as a flash of ultra black escaped the room. With a burst of speed and strength Ditzy picked up her husband and flew them out a window and towards the TARDIS.
A pure black alicorn in armour flew from the princess’ window. Murder in her red eyes. A burst of speed that would impress Rainbow propelled earth stallion and pegasus mare into their blue box. The doors slammed shut as the tumbled into the console. “Home time I think!”
Soon Nightmare Moon was left to stare angrily at the empty space her early escape had previously occupied. It would be some hours before Princess Luna would be allowed out.
*
The space next to the garden shed was occupied as the pink unicorn escorted her little sister home. Looking to each other with wide smiles both filly and young mare broke into a canter. “Dadddy!!” They shouted, running to the house. A smile on their face, a hooded figure drew back from watching them run. It trotted off into town. Back in the house a happy family shared a meal and quality time with their travelling husband and father.
*
The girls were safely in bed and their parents were too. “Do you think our gifts helped?” Ditzy yawned, snuggling against her husband. “I am sure they did.” He yawned too and gave her a kiss. “’Night dear.”
“Goodnight muffin.”
*
On the moon and in the past balloons bounced about, empty paper cups and crumbs scattered the floor and a smell of peppermints gave the stale air a fresher scent. Sat on her stone bed was Princess Luna, her first smile for centuries upon her face and a little pink doll clutched in her embrace. Some simple gifts gave her hope, soon she would be back home with her sister.
*
The hooded figure stood in an alleyway, their mission complete. A golden yellow bubble of magic surrounded them and a loud pop could be heard, when the air cleared no pony was to be seen. Any sensitive unicorn would have registered the spell, but Twilight was busy sleeping off a sugar crash and no one could understand Pumpkin Cake when she babbled about it the next morning.
*
The hooded pony appeared in a grand looking hall, some figures sat at the far end. Moving the hood with her magic, the blonde maned unicorn smiled across. “Mission accomplished princess.” A figure fluttered her wings and approached the returnee, “Excellent work my student, I trust no pony noticed you?”
“No one did, well Colgate did but she just winked.” The mare chuckled at that.
“Yes, she always does like to travel, she’s a useful wildcard at times though.” The alicorn nuzzled the unicorn. “Well done, that was a vital mission.” Magic turned the lights up and a loud gasp cut the air.
“OH WOW! Twilight!!! You’re a Princess?!” A Pink blur appeared from nowhere, gathering the alicorn in a crushing hug. “Nice cutie mark by the way Dinky!”
“PINKIE PIE?!”
To be continued!
“Now that’s mean writer, I only get a cameo? What about Princess Twilight huh? I wanna see more of the future! Oh oh! Is Dashie an Alicorn too huh? Come on. Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!”