All the Time in the World
The Doctor knew time.
He knew its kinks and its quirks, its nooks and crannies, the ins and outs of everything timey-wimey.
He knew time like no one else did.
The way time had to go and the way time had gone. The way time ended.
All this was locked away in his Time Lord brain along with everything else.
Time was a funny thing. It wasn't solid, liquid or gas yet it could be travelled through easily with the right equipment. It could bend, someone could actually, metaphorically, reach out with an iron fist and bend time, squeezing it and changing it to go the way you wanted. Your mother dies? Grab time and jiggle it about for a bit. Beware of the consequences though.
He didn't go around bending time, though. Often he saved time, because some featherbrained fool had been selfish enough to bend time without thinking of the innocent people. Or some alien had decided to invade, but that was a completely different matter and off topic.
One short sentence to summarize it all.
Time was supposed to go one way, and the Doctor was here to see that it went that way.
Colgate wouldn't say she knew time exactly.
Time was tricky. It didn't want to be known, it flew in and out of her grasp just when she thought she was getting closer.
She knew how time worked was the correct way to put it.
It scrambled about and put order to the world in that weird way of its, and no one ever questioned it.
As far as she knew.
But there was one thing she never told anyone.
She questioned time.
She had a sense, not like a Pinkie Sense, but a sense that sometimes time misbehaved, just to mess with her.
Or sometimes it didn't want to but it was being pushed to change and shape shift by some godly figure.
Sometimes things in time went wrong.
She knew it was silly, that it was completely obscured and her mother had been right when she told her only daughter that she should have locked her up the first time she heard of this madness her filly possessed.
But still, sometimes she wondered.
One shot sentence to summarize it all.
Colgate wanted to know time, and time wanted to know Colgate.
The Doctor flipped a red switch in his TARDIS and leant against one of the railing with a sigh. He didn't know where she had landed him this time but he hoped it was exciting. The TARDIS had a habit of landing him in dangerous, nerve-racking situations, but he supposed he did have a bit of a thirst for adventure.
"Doctor Whooves, you silly colt, you can't drink adventure." he murmured to himself. He had a habit of talking to himself when he was lonely, which was often. He and the TARDIS both had their quirks, like a married couple.
He pondered on the origins of his silly nickname. Not Doctor, Doctor Whooves.
One of his companions had given it to him. Usually the question was 'Doctor who?' but this mare had laughed after she asked the question and said 'who' sounded like 'whooves'. It kind of stuck to him, like an affectionate, well-meaning mosquito.
It wasn't a very pleasant simile but it worked pretty well.
A frown briefly crossed his face as he thought of his recent companions.
First, there had been a wonderful mare that his ninth regeneration had run into. She stayed with him longer than most, all through his tenth regeneration- for the most part- and most of his ninth. Her name was Roseluck.
He remembered sending her off to that alternative universe with the carbon copy of himself. It wasn't a nice day.
Then, there was one mare that had the wit to match his, a perfect quality, and she was beautiful too, he remembered. He didn't fall in love with her though, like he did with Roseluck; he supposed their friendship was too strong. It was a wonderful friendship though.
All good things come to an end, and so did Rarity.
He wiped her memory. The equine mind was an interesting contraption. He managed to capture unharnessed talent and bring it to the front of her mind, gave her a fake past, fake memories and, the hardest thing of all, no memories of him.
Then there was the fairy tale girl, the impossible mad girl, who never stopped believing in her. A yellow pegasus with a flame-coloured mane, and her husband, both loyal to him to the core.
Spitfire and Blue Jazz. How he missed them.
It had been several months since they had been taken from him, yet the grief was still strong. He remembered how much Spitfire gave up for him, sacrificing her place as captain of the Wonderbolts. The new captain was now a rainbow-haired mare, he couldn't remember her name, something flashy.
Oh well. It would come back to bite him later.
He wasn't looking for a new companion, he told himself forcefully. He was just ... Remembering. It was good to remember most things, but some of them were best left buried.
The TARDIS jolted him out of the past with the familiar grinding noise that told him they'd landed. He jumped excitedly up from the slouching position he'd been in and swept open the doors grandly, waiting for adventure, excitement, thrill ...
Certainly not small-town suburbia.
He groaned in disbelief. The TARDIS had his best interests at heart (metaphorically) but sometimes she just didn't get it right.
He squinted at the sign depicting the town's name.
Ponyville ... Why did that ring a bell? Obviously he'd saved it many times before, but there was something different, about it, something ... Special.
Of course.
Rarity had set up her new life here.
He felt shivers crawl up and down his spine. He couldn't be here. What if he had to talk to her for some reason? He wouldn't be able to look her in the eye, let alone utter coherent words!
No. he was going somewhere cool if it killed him.
He turned round, ready to enter the TARDIS again, only to find she'd locked the doors on him.
"Oh, come on!" he yelled at the doors. "Why is it so important that I come here? Look around, it's fine! It doesn't need saving!"
Even the key wouldn't do it. He groaned in despair.
Looks like he was stuck here for the time being then.
Yay.