Surprise!
I don't own any of the character's used below for if I did I'd be alot more popular....
That aside this version has been corrected for grammer and spelling, but if you find anything *please* let me know so I can fix it, especially those pesky punctuation marks.
Last edited for spelling and grammar 2/9/11
Surprise!
She despaired. It was nearly time for the stars to align but after nearly a thousand years only four were finished. She'd taken the honest regard of her subjects and returned honest service to their world: The First Star. She'd taken the free generosity of her subjects and returned it generously, making the sun and moon rise so life might go on: The Second Star. She'd taken the kindness of her subjects and returned it leading as an example of that kindness: The Third Star. She'd taken the friendship her subjects would show each other and had been a friend as much as a monarch to those around her: The Fourth Star. She'd seen her subjects laughing, seen them stand by each other in times of need, but though she smiled, enjoying their levity and honoured the dedication they showed each other. Deep in her heart she felt she had no right to laughter, that she had not tried hard enough and so betrayed the one who most need her. Thus the Star of Laughter and the Star of Loyalty were, if not empty shells, barely even a glimmer next to their finished brethren.
Thus she would soon see if a millennium's labour would be enough. It had to be enough. For if it wasn't she had failed again and that was something she could not, would not allow.
Travelling through the time vortex, trouble usually started in one of two ways. The first was with a bang as some under maintained component of the TARDIS died sending it and it's occupants on an unexpected detour. The second was that the Doctor himself would decide that some vista of the universe absolutely positively could not be missed by his companions then proceed to drop them all off in the wrong time for it and conveniently into some brewing conflict.
Usually isn't always however and it was all Amelia Pond could do to brace against the sensation of everything being stretched in more than a few directions at once. The feeling dissipated after a few seconds and from her position at the console guard rail took quick stock of her surroundings looking over the TARDIS' lower deck. Nothing seemed different. She could still here the Doctor flipping switches and splicing cables both under and over the main console.
“Calibrating for a surprise” he'd said.
Her Rory could be hear having a kip somewhere below, quiet snores now not so quiet snores drifting up from below. “I can't believe he slept through that,” she thought affectionately, if a little queasily. “Nothing wrong, just another odd day in the life of a time traveller then. So situation normal, even if,” that train for thought puttered to a halt and a new one joined the line. “Has the TARDIS gotten a little smaller, yet also a little taller?” She tipped her head as she started to turn.
“Doctor, what was,” the 'that' and everything else going completely unsaid as her brain and eyes were unable to reconcile what she saw. Instead of the expected Time Lord flicking switch and rewiring around and under the console working on his project, there was a horse. An honest to god brown horse with a sand timer tattoo of all things was flicking a few leavers at the controls and looking perplexed at hooves to big for the buttons. The expression on the animal's too expressive face on becoming aware of her regard quickly changed to what she could only describe as “Nonchalant”.
“D-D-Doctor,” she finally managed to squeeze out while unsuccessfully trying to glance around without taking her eyes off of the beast in front of her.
Without turning from its innocent switch flicking it replied, “Who were you expecting? Shergar? I'm not likely to be anyone else here am I now?”. The voice was the Doctor's but his tone more than a little reminiscent of a schoolboy wondering how much an adult knew about the broken window nearby.
“Talking,” she swallowed, a swallow that made her neck feel too long, “Horse”. It was about the only thought that her mind could muster for several moments. She wasn't going to take this quietly though and her brain followed through valiantly with “Doctor, horse. Talking.”
“Are you alright?” he asked concern seeping into his tone as she continued to start blankly through him as he approached.
“Alright? Alright?” Her voice rising slightly hysterically her eyes coming into focus, “You're a talking horse and your asking if I'm alright?”
Brushing of her concern as if the situation was only a minor inconvenience he continued talking, “Good, your fine. Had me worried there for a moment and don't worry about the situation it's all under control.” Before babbling onto another topic. “It's interesting really, I was nearly turned into a cat while the world ended once but never been a horse. Never really got to be the cat either now I think about it. Anyhow back to ourselves in no time and might I say that's a very lovely tattoo of a heart in a pond you have there. The little wings on it? Very cute. When did you get it?”
The non sequitur squashed the rising hysteria and she found herself answering, “That planet, the one with the two suns after the cruise. Wait, how do you know about that it's on my” and for the second time in as many minutes her statement went unfinished as she caught sight of her reflection in the glass around the time rotor.
Amy's head was whirling now as she slipped to her knees in shock, “Four knees!” her brain helpfully pointed out. Was she okay? “I'm thoroughly confused. Thoroughbred confused? Is making a horse puns a good sign?” she may have spoken out loud, she wasn't sure. “Okay brain up and at em, you and me are going to get through this even if I am a horse at the moment and someone's stuck a couple of green feathered cushions to my side. Green! I must look like a giant mint! Oh and if this is the Doctor's fault we need to strangle him with his bow tie when I get my hands back.”
She became aware of the world just in time to see the Doctor twist his hoof in an odd manner in front of her face a few times before looking irritated at it. Looking down and stomping it a couple of times he made a “Hmmmmm”ing sound as it clacked on the deck.
“Clicking's out, no fingers, should of thought of that.” Noticing her focusing on him again he continued, “Ah your back, excellent! Lets grab Rory and see if he's swapped hands for hooves too.” Then with a yell of, “Rory! Time to wake up!” He pranced off down the stairs seeming to relish the ringing sound his hooves were making on the steps.
“Doctor! Get back here and fix this!” more than a little desperation in her tone.
He didn't return of course so it was with a thought that how unfair it was that even things he claimed to have no experience in he could make look easy as she gingerly stood to make her own descent trying to keep all her legs in order.
Rory was having one of those dreams on the edge of waking. One that you know is a dream from the things that aren't adding up, but you go with the flow if only because waking up is too much trouble. It wasn't every night that his mind conjured images of him as something else. In this case a pony if he was judging his height right from his surroundings. Growing up in a semi rural village he'd had some experience with horses as a kid and he'd found them fascinating. His coat was a golden-yellow and turning round to his distorted reflection on the metal wall his mane and tail were to colour of red wine held to the light, starting with a claret on the top and deeper reds below. Something unbalancing his head too, rolling his eyes up he discovered it to be a horn with a twisting spiral in it.
“Weird dream”, he thought with a shrug, “maybe I should take a run through the corridors. Might be fun.”
Suiting action to thought he began circling the lower level of the console room. He tried several different gaits he'd seen horses use both at home and in the uncomfortable part of his memory that was the Centurion. He'd just started a canter when he heard his name shouted by the Doctor telling him to wake up. Distracted he looked up as he reached the stairs and went crashing into a wall of brown hair and flesh that had just left them.
With more than a few sharp pains that with a sinking feeling he realised shouldn't be possible in a dream he began pulling his body up.
“Rory, while you've in your own unique yet satisfactory manner have answered one question I had for you, you've given me two more to ask. First, do you always run around people's homes like a horse in a paddock and second”, here his voice changed from the conversational tones it had held into one holding a just a smidge of irritation but significantly louder, “Will you get off!”
Any doubt that the second wasn't actually a question was answered when Doctor proceeded to get all four of his new hooves under himself and give a great heave. He rose with a “Huff” of expelled air but a little surprise showed on his face as Rory was rolled off his back.
“Thought I'd be a bit stronger as a pony,” he muttered shaking his mane out of his eyes and recovering his breath from his short burst of excretion. By the time he had done so his companions had reached both the bottom deck and their feet respectively.
While his wife eyed up his new form he took the initiative and asked what was on both their minds, resigned to an answer that he was sure he wouldn't like, “Why are we ponies Doctor?”.
“Come to think of it,” he mused internally, “there's a lot I don't like about travelling with Him, starting with multiple near death experiences, one case of total existence failure and a thousand sometimes remembered years as a plastic manikin. The amazing sights and places we visit wouldn't be worth it if the trip didn't make Amy so happy.”
So when the Doctor fumbling for an answer weakly replied “Surprise!” under Amy's stare he chalked up another notch on his weirdness meter and refused to jinx further it with any thoughts about being glad at least they weren't in any actual danger.
“Your surprise was to turn us all into horses?”, a slow burn in her voice and sour look the Doctor was pretty sure a pony, feathered, horned or otherwise shouldn't be able to make.
“Yes. Well no. Well yes it is a surprise, just not the one I was intending. I was trying to fix the chameleon circuit, it's so unfair to her to have to look the same all the time, but you know what it's like without the right parts don't you? I had to – improvise.”
“Improvise.”
“Yes improvise, glad we're on the same page. Of course the TARDIS can't fabricate the parts needed or I'd have sorted it centuries ago. So I had to get a bit low tech and use a few parts from an old transmat that I had in storage. Inspired thinking if I do say so myself, by linking the transmat and a matter store for it to use to the TARDIS sensors every time she lands she could make a new shell for herself that would blend in seamlessly!”
“So we're horses-”
“Ponies,” he interrupted
“-because your ride needed a new dress.” She finished not letting him butt in further.
“I don't we're really real ponies any way,” Rory interjected to break up the argument. Seeing he had their attention he added, “Besides the obvious I mean,” here he rolled his eyes toward the horn on his forehead and gestured with it at Amy's extra feathered appendages, “Our joints are all wrong, ponies don't have this much range of motion, expression either.”
“As interesting as that is husband mine what I want is why we're changed not the TARDIS and why he hasn't changed us back?”, turning back to the Doctor she added, “Care to enlighten us Mr Ed?”
“A simple calibration error, I forgot to change the targeting sensors on the transmat from personal to industrial. As to why I've not changed us back?” At this point he started prancing on the spot “I've never been a horse before, it's an adventure! I'll turn us all back later after we've met the natives.”
“The natives,” both the Williams asked at the same time and more than a little flatly.
“Of course natives! You didn't think the old girl just made up these forms up from out of the cloth do you? She must have scanned the locals and decided that these forms would be nicely inconspicuous.” He beamed widely, “So lets land and see where we are!” That said he then raced upstairs to the console giving no time for any time for objections. Momentarily forgetting his lack of fingers he pulled the lever down to initiate the landing but forgetting the other hoof proved to be a bigger mishap as the edge of it caught several buttons sending them careering off course. The TARDIS shook its occupants under the conflicting orders sending both Amy and Rory to the floor while the Doctor's head snagged the materialization lever and allowed his weight to bring it back up then down again as he was swung from one side to the other. Finally a few seconds later the shaking stopped and the familiar sound of materialization began.
Staggering to the door from a combination of wrong limbs and nausea Amy called up to the Doctor, “Is it safe to open the door? 'Cause I think I want to be sick.”
Quickly glancing at the scanner, “It's fine but stay against the hull for a few minutes, there's not much air out there and I'll need to extend the air shield so we don't suffocate”, he replied.
Stepping out on a new world was always an experience even for seasoned travellers such as themselves but even then something about this place was special. They found themselves wondering if this is what Armstrong and Aldrin felt. The landscape that by all rights should have been merely bleak and broken grey rock reminiscent of a quarry the BBC shot science fiction shows in the seventies instead provoke true awe, despite the cratering of the ages, and what weathering the thin atmosphere could achieve. No that wasn't right, it was because of the weathering and cratering. The two couldn't help but believe that they were the medium of an artist, each rock more carefully placed than in a Zen garden and capped off with a sky filled with a million diamond stars undimmed by industry or the meagre light spilling out of the TARDIS behind them. There was love here and despair and joy and hate and a rainbow of other emotions that only the finest artist could bring out. It was beautiful and humbling, even the Doctor seemed to agree as he silently joined them in just looking at the panorama barely disturbed as the air shield extended thickening the atmosphere around them. After what seemed an age there was planet rise and the Doctor quietly whispered that he “had to check the stabilisers” but he'd be tracking them to extend the air shield so they could explore further.
After a time they started walking in silence, disturbing the tranquillity around seemed somehow sacrilegious, akin to disturbing those at prayer in a church or readers in a library. Likewise they carefully placed their new hooves on the most stable rocks so as not to disturb the dust and scree patterns around them, low gravity making it much easier to get used to they're new forms. They leaped between such areas though Rory seemed to find it easier something he put down to no wings he couldn't use causing drag and his larger frame. So they continued till they came upon an area that shattered contemplative mood they had built.
A smooth disc of polished rock perhaps fifty yards across cut into the surrounding terrain in the centre of which five short glowing pillars of crystal surrounded a sixth, maybe pony back high. No art was here to provoke emotions but the air was still heavy with them surging despair, loss, self loathing, sadness and hate all settled on them for the briefest instant then nothing as they stepped upon it.
Amy swallowed, “This has just stopped being fun. I feel heavier than I have all day and considering I think this body's made with lead that's saying something”, her wings opening slightly with her unease.
“Really?” Rory asked glad for anything to take his mind off what had just happened “I've just been feeling”, he fumbled for the word he needed, “unfinished.” he finished lamely gaining a raised eyebrow from the mare by his side. The words in head though were more like “Void” and “Hollow” but they just didn't convey the soul deep certainty that something was missing that should be there. Whatever was missing he was pretty sure he'd never had it before the change.
“I guess I can see that, I have these”, and here she raised her wings and brought them down hard, “but there's no point to them.” A point well made in that she'd be barely lifted an inch or before coming down hard even in the lower than normal gravity of this moon.
“Anyway, shall we take a look round?”
“Do you really think that's a good idea?”, Rory sounded distinctly dubious
“Oh come on. The Doctor's tracking us, so if anything starts to happen he'll know. Besides what's the worst that could happen?”
As Amy started forward Rory called after her, “Oh you did not just say that,” though after a pause he started to follow her, after all he wasn't about to leave her alone after taunting Murphy like that.
He caught up in a few steps and the pair circled the pillars. Short on the surface the reached a short way into the bedrock, flickers to light dancing through them, lightly tinged by the colours of the pillars..Looking at the lights evoked a similar response as the previous lunar art but each was far more upbeat. Finding himself studying the lights in a column the colour of claret he was surprised by the arrival of the Doctor who seemed to have in his time away worked out how to manipulate his screwdriver with his mouth. So he was only listening with half an ear as he babbled on, largely entranced by the lights that seemed to speak of dependability and stability too him. A corner of his mind merely mused “This must be what it's like to 'get' modern art”.
At the Doctor's arrival Amy left her significant other to his crystal watching to see if he knew what they were or whom had made them.
Even before she'd come to a stop he'd acknowledged her approach and began in excited tones, “This is amazing, I've never seen Empathetic Crystal of this size and purity. But why are they Here? How are they here? They should be destroyed by the cross contamination from the other's, but someone, or perhaps given our current forms somepony, has stabilised them with only their own energies it shouldn't be possible!” The mystery of it had left him looking like a kid in a candy shop.
“Wait, Empa- what now?”
“Empathetic Crystal. It's a psycho reactive crystal that resonates with a particular emotional state to generate power. A medium one about the size of my fist could in theory power all the lights in the TARDIS for a day”
“So what are these for then, powering a city?”
“Doubtful, there are several problem with Empathetic Crystal. First is that while it generates power it hoards it like a capacitor but only till it's fully charged then dumps it all at once, so for steady power you need lots of tiny ones. The second is they can only be tuned to resonate with a very narrow emotional range, all others become like kryptonite to it draining the charge. Lastly of course is that most people's emotions are to 'variable' for want of a better word to charge them.”
“So they're just pretty lights then.” She finished.
“Ah but they're not and that's the mystery! They're drawing charge, most likely from the planet above us,” gesturing upward with a hoof, “and given how full they are for a very long time indeed given the distance.”
He ran his sonic screwdriver over the pillars one at a time. “Interesting, Interesting. Four of them are near the edge of their capacity and have actually stopped charging. So what's different about you two then?” He said to himself, “Someone's found a way to stop you sulking in each other's presence, so what's made you two so empty.” He spun around. “That one, Rory step back a moment would you?”
“Pardon?” he asked coming out of his partial daze. He turned his head to ask the Doctor to repeat what he wanted and without realising it his new horn came in contact with the column he had been watching.
It was just a graze but the results were nothing short of electric. No sooner had his horn made contact than the previously mote filled pillar flashed to with a blinding ruby light before dimming to nothing in a split second. The Doctor began frantically scanning the pillars to determine what had happened. Opening her eyes again Amy pulled the red maned stallion clear by his what she thought was his tail and blinking away the flash blindness she could only see the silhouette of the Doctor at work. Apparently the results disturbed him as he started scanning upward, his over large eyes getting even wider. Looking back down then turning and barrel towards them with a cry of “Take cover!”
Rory getting his feet under himself joined the half blind flight and the three dived into a crater at the edge of the disc just in time before the remaining columns to flashed as one. Shielded by the rock as the light burst over them they kept most of their vision. So carefully peaking over the edge they took in the energy swept ground they'd just left. Gone was the disc, gone too were the pillar's of crystal leaving only the natural rock of the moon. Only that and a mare black as night with horn and wings further adorned with a helmet and what looked to be some sort of armour.
“Free!” the new pony exalted to the stars wings stretched wide. Her voice was strong, exultant and there was honest joy as well as something darker in her tone as she turned to the three.
She had rolled the dice with only hope and a prayer that things would take the course they needed too. In irony perhaps, for who could she pray to other than herself and the one she would save? Somehow though, against all odds and logic somepony had been up there to bridge one of the gaps in her unfinished working. That which she could not and if morning came she would find and thank them. With the receptor for Fifth Star, The Star of Loyalty empowered a surge of joy surged through her in strength she could not in her long memories match. Marshalling her power and focusing it she sent all that she could bring to bare to the moon as finally the four complete stars reached their terminus behind the moon. Head brought low by exhaustion, she still smiled. Now that the longest odds had been defeated soon her sister would be back with her. Her most faithful student would see it done and in understanding the part of her special talent she'd dismissed before come into her own as well. It was a shame she'd have to disappoint the pony's of Ponyville but she had one last spell to prepare.
The black mare beckoned them forward imperiously with her horn. Not knowing what else to do they trotted up to her the Doctor in the lead.
“It's good to see that some pony's haven't abandoned me after all these long years.” She looked down from her larger height at them, “Well, my benefactors will you not introduce yourself to royalty now you've freed her? I've seen you admire my art since your arrival and I would know your names.”
With aplomb the Doctor took a further step forward and with a bow started his introductions. “A pleasure to meet you your majesty. I'm known as The Doctor and my companions on this trip are Amelia Williams, née Pond and Rory Williams.”
The towering mare looked at them consideringly “Such a feat as travelling to my moon and releasing me from captivity is worthy of a boon I think, especially under such crippling disabilities as you bear. Name your prize and if it's within my power I will grant it.”
They took a moment to consider what they should say until Amy spoke up, “Uh, our 'disability' your majesty?” She'd meant it as a query about what the larger mare considered to be their disability but the unnamed mare took it in a completely different manner.
“Yes, those I can fix. Tricky but I can do it” and before Amy or the others could correct the winged being's misapprehension her horn began to glow and released a beam of energy like stardust wrapped in moonlight that washed over each of them leaving them feeling a little groggy. “Now, I am overdue for a reckoning with my sister but when you return to Equestria I will have places for each of you in my court. Another flash of magic she was gone.
“Do either of you feel any different?” asked the Doctor looking both him self and the other's up and down. “No one suddenly sprouting extra limbs or head ornaments?”
“What do you think someone like that considers a disability?” the peppermint mare asked.
“I've no clue, not having wings and a horn perhaps. But I don't think so, I'll scan us all thoroughly when we get back to the TARDIS and see what's changed. So let's get going.”
Things were a little tense at the TARDIS as the Doctor proceeded to scan the occupants. Made more so of course as in an attempt at dramatic flare he's had them stand in the best positions for the scanner then kicked the lever with his hind hoof. Instead of a quickly initiated scan of them all he'd managed to snap the lever in question. If the delay wasn't so frustrating the companions might have found his look of vague horror and shock amusing. As it was they had to listen to him fight to repair it without fingers mumbling what sounded like apologies round the omnipresent screwdriver currently wielded in his mouth. Finally he was done.
“Okay,” the Doctor started with cheer, “Good news or bad news first?”
“Good news first.” Snapped out Amy drowning out Rory's “Bad News”.
“Okay! Good news! I love giving that out!”
“And the news is?” interrupted the stallion.
“Well despite being very slightly radioactive we're not mutating, dying or going to explode any time soon. Rory's new tattoo is like mine except different of course and yours has been removed. With no unsightly laser scaring too.”
“And the bad?” Amy prompted after the Doctor failed to continue.
“Did I say bad? It's not so much bad,” he stretched out the last 'bad', “more, ah, more inconvenient. Yes, inconvenient but interesting, very interesting. It's just that the energy pattern we've been hit with jump started something in our new bodies so it's not going to fade away which in its self wouldn't be a problem except that if we try to use a transmat while emitting it our various parts will be scrambled like eggs.”
“You mean we're stuck like this?” Hysterics were trying for a come back but crushed the feeling mercilessly.
“I'm sure we can fix it, especially if we were to explain the situation to her majesty.”
“Because you've got such a good track record with royalty right?”
“Exactly, so lets follow that mare!” he exclaimed. Then with care started preparing the TARDIS for travel. “I really miss my fingers right now.” he mumbled being careful not to damage any more of the controls.
A change in the atmosphere of the room and her sister was there. Her heart clenched tight at seeing her for the first time in a millennia, all the details time blurred once more in focus. No words were exchanged, she could see her sister's heart was as filled with anger as before her imprisonment if not more so. The winged white unicorn honestly couldn't fault her for that. So she slowly drew what was left of her power into herself and vanished just as her sister's spell would have connected.
The black stood surprised that the white had not resisted but the 'sadness' and pity she'd seen compelled her to lash out. After all, what did the one loved by all know of sadness and pity, pity after what she'd done to her? If between the three spells she'd cast since her release hadn't left her a little drained she'd have used something more than a short term banishment spell that she'd have to keep reinforcing. No other reason at all. For now there were new subjects to meet. She would not be forgotten again. She cast another spell to make her entrance leaving the chamber truly empty.