Ghost of the Crystal Empire

“Welcome to the ‘Carousel Boutique’ where every garment is chic, unique, and-”

The beautiful unicorn was cut short as she noticed the handsome stallion that had entered her boutique.

She had a white coat with a mane and tail that were both a shade of deep violet and worn in a stylized curl with a Cutie Mark shaped like diamonds.

“Uh, hello?” he ventured, trying to break the awkward silence.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, jumping slightly as if she had just been snapped out of a daydream.

“H-hello,” she stammered nervously, secretly wondering if the stallion had caught her checking him out; “I’m dress shop and this is my Rarity-WAIT! I mean…oh, never mind…” she turned away, blushing furiously.

Rarity

That name rang a bell.

“Well, Dress Shop.” He spoke with an accent “That’s very convenient because I happen to be looking for a tailor who goes by that very name to pick up a few suits…and maybe a new coat.” He added, almost as an afterthought.

He had a brown coat with an even darker shade of brown for his mane with an hourglass Cutie Mark and bright blue eyes.

“I-I’m sorry,” she apologized, trying not to get lost in them. “What I meant to say was; I’m Rarity-the shop owner and resident aspiring fashionista of Ponyville.”

“OH!” he exclaimed, startling her. “You’re Rarity! Twilight Sparkle’s friend! The Element of Generosity!”

He narrowed his gaze.

“Are you alright? You seem a little anxious…”

‘He seems nice enough…’ she thought to herself.

‘So did Blueblood,” the more cynical part of her brain reminded her, but she ignored it.

“Yes, quite alright-I’m just a little flustered, since I don’t normally see customers this early.

“Ah,” he looked around at the marrequins she had lined up against the walls to show off her latest in-style dresses.

At first she thought he was admiring the stitch work, but the suspicious look on his face made it seem as though he believed they were hiding something and would spring to life at any minute.

Of course, that would be absolutely ridiculous-wouldn’t it?

“So what’s your name?” she asked, desperately trying to conceal the timidity in her voice.

“I don’t believe you gave it to me.”

‘Careful,’ her mind cautioned her; ‘Just because he’s handsome and seems nice doesn’t necessarily make him sane…who else looks at marrequins like that?’

“I’m The Doctor,” he replied.

Rarity waited for a response, but when she didn’t get one she furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Doctor Who?”

“Just ‘The Doctor’.” he replied cheerfully, while turning back around to face her.

‘He’s certainly mysterious…’ she thought to herself, ‘Maybe he’s some sort of musician and ‘The Doctor’ is his stage name?’

Like that mare in town that moonlit as a DJ, Vinyl Scratch-what did she call herself, again-DJ Pon-3?

‘Only her mane is a completely frazzled mess,’ she reminded herself, ‘his is very well groomed, too much so to be something like a disc jockey…a classical musician, perhaps?’

“Anyways, I’m afraid you’re going to have to take my measurements since I haven’t yet ascertained what they are in this form.” He continued.

‘Wait…’this form’?’

No, she couldn’t have heard that right…or maybe she did and he meant something else; like he used to be overweight but, now that he started exercising he lost a few pounds and now his old clothes are too big for him and now he needs a new suit?

She looked at his legs; the muscles seemed to be pretty built up like he did a lot of running.

He cocked his head to one side.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “You still seem a little distracted…”

“Oh, sorry…just lost in my thoughts,” she replied nervously. “Do you see those mirrors over there? That’s were I work on measurements for new customers.”

“Let’s head over there then, Allons-y!” he exclaimed, before flashing a toothy grin.

‘Sweet Celestia!’ She thought to herself, before leading him to the designated area. ‘Even his teeth are perfect!’

He stood on a podium before the trinity of mirrors as she magically levitated the strip of measuring tape she kept on hand for just such an occasion before putting on her work glasses.

“That accent of yours…I must ask; are you from Canterlot?” she inquired, as she began measuring his neck.

“No, and neither are you from what I can tell.” He replied.

“I beg your pardon?”

“That accent of yours is fake…it’s a good fake though, I like it.”

“But, how did you…?”

“Lucky guess,” he replied, “Well, that and I’m brilliant…”

What he said was true, but that she had developed for herself as an attempt to make herself more sophisticated and respected throughout the fashion industry.

Shakily, she resumed measuring at his forelegs.

“So, if you’re not from Canterlot, then pray tell; where did you come from?”

If this random stallion could have figured that out within minutes of meeting her, how many others knew?

“A galaxy far, far away.” He replied, nonchalantly.

“I’m sorry?”

“The planet Gallifrey, specifically…I think it’s in another universe, although there might be a version of it here, too…” he thought to himself aloud.

“What?”

“Of course, that’s if it hasn’t been destroyed or suffered a similar fate…beautiful, though.”

“What!?” she repeated.

“Oh, but don’t get me wrong-this world’s nice too-ideal place to raise a family if you ask me…how far are you on those measurements by the way?”

“I-I’m done.” She stammered.

“So does that mean you can start making them, now?” he asked.

“Y-yes,”

“Mind if I watch?”

“Yes, fine.” She replied. “Just please don’t hover over me while I’m working-I hate it when people do that.”

“That reminds me, I also need a new pair of glasses.” He added, following her to the sewing machine.

“Tortoise shell framed.”

“And what about the lenses?” she asked, as she began working on the first suit.

“Doesn’t matter, I only wear them to look clever.”

“What?”

“Oh, yeah…it’s sort of like the reason you probably use that accent of yours.”

The machine stopped and she turned around to face him.

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

He shrugged.

“Well, you seemed pretty shaken up when I realized the truth about your accent, and I can tell just by the look on your face that you’ve been second guessing yourself from the moment I’ve walked in…so, I’ve decided to share one of my secrets with you.”

“Yes, that’s all well and good but, you can’t honestly expect me to believe that you’re an alien from outer space…can you?”

“Ah, you think I’m mad…can’t say I blame you, though I don’t think you ponies even had a space program, so the belief in extraterrestrial life must quite a stretch-but, I’m telling you the truth…as for the part about being mad…quite possibly, living over nine-hundred years can do a real number on your sanity…especially when you travel alone.” He replied.

“Travel where?” she asked as she slowly resumed the task at hand.

“Through space of course-well, space and time.” He specified.

“Then I’m assuming you have some sort of spaceship?”

“A TARDIS actually, it’s like a nineteen-fifties telephone box-well, it’s more like a time machine-well, actually more like all three really.”

“A ‘TARDIS’?” she asked, skeptically while moving on to the next project.

‘Yes Rarity,’ she mentally berated herself, ‘reinforce his possibly violent delusions…that can only end well.’

“It’s an acronym;” he clarified. “‘Time And Relative Dimensions In Space.’”

“So where is this ‘TARDIS’?” she asked, finishing the final touches

“Right now it’s in front of Twilight Sparkle’s library.”

She froze at hearing those words.

‘Rarity relax,’ she instructed herself. ‘Twilight is very gifted at magic and an Alicorn, now-she’d be more than capable of defending herself from one crazy stallion.’

“In fact, after this I’m taking her brother back to the Crystal Empire.”

Her heart sped up.

‘What is wrong with you?’ she thought, ‘Shining Armor was Captain of Princess Celestia’s own personal royal guard and quite gifted at shielding spells-why do you keep worrying so much?’

“So is it finished?” his voice distantly asked.

“Huh?”

“My coat-is it finished?” he repeated.

“Oh…Oh! Of course it is, dear! Why don’t we go try it on?”

As they returned to the podium, The Doctor spoke once again.

“This is a little embarrassing, but…could you help me out?” he asked.

“I-I beg your pardon?”

“Well…I haven’t been in the form of an equine for that long and I’m not used to operating without hands…or fingers really…”

“You…want me to help you get dressed?” she asked, feeling her face heat up as a streak of red appeared across her muzzle.

“If it’s not too much trouble?” he replied, avoiding eye contact.

She sighed, before levitating the pieces of clothing with her unicorn magic.

“I could have sworn I saw you around before wearing a green necktie…” she commented, desperately trying to change the subject to anything, but the task at hand-while praying to Celestia that no other clients walked in on them in this rather, compromising and un-ladylike position, getting the wrong idea about her.

“I did,” he sighed. “It took me three hours to get the damned thing on…and even then, it was covered in saliva-I just don’t understand how you ponies do it.”

“We adapt,” Rarity replied, “Alicorns, like the princesses and Unicorns like myself have magical abilities that are harnessed through our horns…we probably have it the easiest.”

“And what about the other species?” he asked.

“Pegasi, have always had a reputation for being warriors and athletes, given their endurance for severe weather control and conditions…Rainbow Dash always says that impressive stamina is required to become a member of the Wonderbolts-even by Pegasus standards.” She explained.

“And what of the third group?” he pressed, “I forget what they’re called.”

“That would be Earth Ponies,” Rarity corrected. “They have neither wings to fly and manipulate weather, nor horns to use magic.”

She narrowed her gaze.

“That would be you, dear.”

“Sounds like we got the short end of the stick…” he muttered.

Rarity shrugged as she finished working on his tie.

“It’s said that Earth Ponies have above-average strength compared to Unicorns and a unique connection to the Earth, which is why most of them can grow crops so well and become farmers like my friend Applejack.” She replied.

“And the pink one?” he pressed as he straightened his suit.

“I can not explain Pinkie Pie.” She replied, levitating the coat over to him as he spread out his arms so it could slide onto him.

“So…what do you think?”

The Doctor looks at his reflection to see his old ensemble of a blue suit with a red necktie covered with a brown coat.

He looked at his reflection and smiled.

“Fantastic.”

“Perfect!” Rarity practically squealed as she suddenly realized that she’d been holding her breath the entire time she’d been waiting for her customer’s verdict.

“Now, that will be four hundred bits…will that be coin or credit?” she asked.

He nervously scratched the back of his neck with a hoof.

“Um, yeah…about that-I don’t have any money.”