Doctor Whooves: No escape from the past

"Doctor, for the last time, I don't want to go!" Ditzy looked up from the massage table her eye lids drooping in euphoria. The hooves of the pony above her felt like heaven, she could barely raise her voice, the annoyance that could possibly rise up was eradicated by the speedy jabs of the hooves into her tense tissue.

The doctor stared down at her, disappointment etched all over his face.

"B-but D-Ditsy! It's the molten crystal fissure! A hole in the ground, literally filled with liquid crystal!" The doctor paused for a moment, frowning, he was sure he'd had a similar conversation to this with another companion... Shaking his head he banished the thought away and continued.

"Come on Ditsy! They're cold! Cold liquid crystal, you could take it home to Ponyville!" Ditsy frowned up at her travelling friend as the masseuse moved away for a moment to grab a bottle of oil.

"Cold liquid crystal? How is that possible?" The doctor puffed up, happy to be asked.

"Weeeell, it's actually just a source of water, mixed with quicksilver, and particles of stardust trapped underground when the planet formed, then finally mixed when the water eroded the rock away. But come ooooon Ditsy, it's a once in a life time opportunity.

The gray pegasus looked persuaded, her eyes opened wider and she began to lift her forehooves to push off the table. Her plan was halted however as the masseuse returned and began a vigorous workout on Ditsy's back. The mare's pupils rolled into the back of her skull in ecstasy.

"No-o-o-o-ooooo, it's ok-ay-Doc-tor, you g-o ha-ve fu-u-uuuunnnn..." With a sigh, the doctor turned away and headed for the next shuttle to the fissure. It would only be a few hours at most, not like that ghastly business on Midnight... he hoped anyway. Ditsy would be fine, she had her key to the Tardis, if things grew tiresome or dangerous, she knew where it was and that its doors would be the ultimate protection against anything in the universe.

With his own reasoning bringing great comfort to himself, the doctor flashed his psychic paper, and boarded the shuttle with a sense of excitement. As the small pod took to the air, the doctor took a seat by a porthole and watched as the hotel began to shrink away. Lost amidst the amber cliffs of the planet 'Ohshookatorie.'

......

Ditsy's massage finally ended some thirty minutes after the doctor's departure. Yet the gray mare remained lying on her bed for another fifteen.  Her bones ached slightly afterwards, but it was a good ache, as though they were relaxing after an unbelievable load of stress. Not surprising seeing as only a couple of days ago her and the doctor had narrowly escaped a planet imploding in on itself!

But now she was content, happy. These moments were what she travelled with the doctor for. To marvel at the grandeur of the galaxy, while keeping in mind the little things that made it all great. Like that amazing massage!

Ditsy heard him before she saw him, the gentle hoofsteps far too heavy for a mare's. There were no other beds here, the doctor had gotten her the VIP treatment with his miracle -the psychic paper- so she had been given a private room. Though to be honest with the doors simply being open archways, anypony could just wander in. She glanced behind her, expecting to see the doctor, returned from his little trip, brimming with facts and stories.

But it wasn't the doctor.

It was a stallion, his coat a deep blue, his mane bright yellow. Around his neck her wore a collar, which beneath hung a red tie which dangled and danced with his slow movement towards the tranquil mare.

"Hello my dear, now I can tell you're an experienced adventurer, there's just something about you!" The blue stallion approached the relaxing mare, catching her attention with his odd ice-breaker. He smiled as he saw her mismatched eyes look his way. His teeth were slightly pointed, yet dazzlingly white. Ditsy felt herself being infected by the happy attitude, yet her face remained concerned...

"I'm sorry... but do I know you?" Ditsy frowned.

"Not yet, my dear not yet... May I ask your name?" He was unbelievably forward, Ditsy felt almost overwhelmed by his over the top friendliness, yet, she couldn't but feel his happiness was genuine.

"Ummm Ditsy... Ditsy Doo. What makes you think I'm an adventurer?" She asked, drawing attention to his keen observation, had she given herself and the doctor away? Did this mean trouble. The key to the Tardis stayed pressed against her chest on its usual necklace. She shifted her forehoof under her chest, clenching it tight. She may need to use it soon! If this was trouble, she didn't have the doctor to save her this time!

"Oh, I just saw a little blue box, and then the stallion who owns it. He was talking to you, and you seem to know each other well."

The stallion almost seemed to find the answer obvious, his head lounged to the side as he recited his reasoning. Then his careless expression faded suddenly. He now looked head on to the mare, his gaze was still calm, but keenly focused. As she looked, Ditsy believed it to be the face in somepony in need. "That was the doctor... wasn't it?" the stallion asked quietly.

"Yeah, that was the doctor, he's my friend!" The cross-eyed mare said happily, leaning up with joy to find another friend of the time traveller. The stallion finally reached her and stopped beside the bed. That's when Ditsy saw it. The gleam of hatred in his eyes, but the malevolent joy at the information he had just won from her!

"Excellent!" He snarled, and without warning, with a wicked grin springing to his lips, the stallion struck!

......

"Feeeeww! Now THAT was worth the hour journey Ditsy, you have no idea how fantastic that place looked as the sun was setting!" The Doctor laughed as he trotted into the massage parlour of the hotel. It took him a second to notice something was wrong, the covers over the massage slab were scrunched up and un-tucked, a few jars of oils laid smashed on the ground and the pictures that had hung on the walls now lay on the floor, their frames shattered and spread across the floor in ruins! "DITSY?!" The doctor shouted, terror quickly growing in his voice. His thousands of years of experience told him that this was never a good sight to walk in on, especially when it was something to do with him!

From behind the massage table, their came a murmur. The brown stallion sprang into action immediately, leaping over the table in a single bound. Looking to the source of the noise, he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his companion. She was groaning in apparent discomfort, holding the back of her skull gently.

"Uhhh... D-Doctor?" Ditsy asked unable to focus on the stallion in front of her.

"Yes... it's me!" The Doctor smiled, his muscles almost turned to jelly as he the relief washed over him.

Carefully, he took his assistant's head in his hooves and cradled her into a more comfortable position. "Are you alright?" He asked gently, the mare in his arms nodded slowly. All of a sudden, her eyes flew open in horror. Clinging tight to the Doctor's chest, Ditsy searched the room feverishly with her eyes.

"Where is he! Where did he go?" The Doctor looked up, trying to find some sign of whoever the panicking mare meant.

"What? There's no one here Ditsy! What happened?!" Ditsy was growing frantic.

"It was... was... A pony... a stallion. He... said he knew you Doctor!" The doctor's eyes grew strn, his jaw locked as he listened to his companion.

"Ditsy, did he say his name?" Ditsy shook his head.

"He... He... He was, so... angry."

"DITSY... WHO WAS HE?"

"Those eyes! Those yellow eyes!" Ditsy began to curl up in a ball, quivering in horror, seeking comfort in the Doctor's warm embrace, but the doctor didn't even realise. Too lost in his thoughts was he. He'd made enemies since he came to this pony inhabited universe, however, he had no idea how any of them could have come here.

His automatic knowledge of the universe as a Time Lord helped him know that ponies here had gained space fairing capabilities. But none of the ponies he and Ditsy had met in other times could possibly be alive now! 1,000 years in the future and half a galaxy separated them from any of their previous encounters at least!

With a sudden jerk, Ditsy moved and caught the Doctor's attention. Looking down, the stallion saw the mare's hoof lurch to her throat. That was when he noticed the missing necklace!

"Doctor..." Ditsy whimpered.

"THE TARDIS!" The Doctor shouted, scrambling to his hooves, with Ditsy not too far behind.

The two rushed through the hotel, heading for the maintenance closet where they'd parked it. As he rushed, the doctor thought furiously. Someone knew about the Tardis! And they'd somehow managed to find him and Ditsy! There could only be two explanations! Either an unexpected situation had orison and a pony he'd met had lived up until this point... or... no, that was impossible!

"Doctor! Who was he?!" Ditsy asked furiously as they rushed through the halls to the astonished looks of the local ponies. "I mean... how did he know us?!" The doctor didn't answer, he simply ran, his breath growing ragged in panic.

"It's not... it can't be... It's not!" He muttered as he rushed. His denial wasn't logic though, it was his only form of comfort! As if saying it wasn't true, would make it so!

They burst out from the double glass doors, the Doctor paused only momentarily to regain his bearings, then bolted to his right. Only another corner and then they were outside the beautiful blue box! The two stopped dead at the sight. Not only was it still there -safe and sound- but so was the key. Simply hanging by its necklace on the corner of the ledge above the door. Ditsy reached up and took hold of it in her hoof. After a quick examination, she reached up and looped the necklace over her head and around her neck.

That was when Ditsy noticed the Doctor. His face was frozen in horror, his eyes focused on the spot on the left door, the panel that was part of the Tardis's call box disguise. A small scroll, no different from those Ditsy used to deliver around Ponyville, was tacked to the door.

The Doctor stared, unable to bring himself to look away. He merely re-read the message, his jaw open in utter horror.

"Hello dear Doctor.

You don't realise how difficult you are to find! It took a few years and some serious bending of the rules, but I finally got to where you are!

I'm guessing your little brain's just about figured out who I am, and that just makes all the more easy.

You won't be able to resist coming after me!

Let me make it easy for you. Come to Ponyville!"

The doctor mouthed slowly at the page. Bending of the rules, dear doctor... there was no one else it could be!

"D-doctor?" Ditsy whimpered, scared by her usually confident friend's horrified expression. "I-I-I'm sorry I let him get the key..."

"It's alright Ditsy." The stallion said hollowly, his eyes still fixed on the note.

"D-Do you know him?"

"I think I do... yes..."

"And... what does it mean?"

"Trouble."