The Pegasi Take Canterlotby AlkoniumChaptersTurbulent PartingsArrivalThe Field TestThe Pegasi Take CanterlotRetrievalTurbulent Partings The TARDIS materialized in downtown Manehattan with a slightly sickly tone. Due to its disguise as a fifty year old police box, it certainly looked out of place a modern city, though noone paid it any heed. Two stallions, a blue pegasus and an auburn earth pony, trotted out. "Home," the earth pony remarked, looking out at the busy streets. "Oh, I suppose it is, Burnt Oak. I guess I was too busy trying to materialize the TARDIS safely to worry about where we ended up. I hate Time Urchins," the pegasus responded. "Any idea when we are, Doctor?" Burnt Oak then asked. Before answering, the Doctor looked around for a indicator of the date, and found a discarded newspaper. Taking it into his hooves, the Doctor then said, "Based on the condition of this newspaper, plus the date on it, I'd say you've only been gone a week." "Just a week?" Oak asked, letting the thought sink in. "Yeah. Let's just give the TARDIS a few minutes to cool off, and we can get going again," the Doctor stated, oblivious to what his friend was thinking about. "Actually, I think I'd like to take a break from the TARDIS for a while," Oak replied, and the Doctor's hearts sank, though he did his best not to show it. "Oh," the Doctor said quietly. "This is goodbye then?" "Just for a while. It's been fun, but I think I need to get to back to my life. If you're ever back here, I'd be happy to join you again," Oak explained. "That's perfectly fair. You have your life, and I'd never ask you to give that up for my sake," the Doctor conceded. "Thanks. Take care of yourself, Doctor," Oak told him. "And you," the Doctor replied. Following a quick hug, the two stallions parted ways, Oak making for his apartment, and the Doctor going back into the TARDIS. As he walked away, Oak could hear the TARDIS dematerializing, for what he hoped would not be the last time. "Alone in the TARDIS yet again," the Doctor thought to himself. The Time Urchins had done a number on the TARDIS's systems, and Burnt Oak had decided to go home after the ordeal. "At least he'll be safe, and we did part on good terms." "Well, where to next?" He asked himself out loud. Pondering for a moment, he turned to the console, and activated the star chart adorning the Console Room's walls and ceiling. The Doctor then spread his wings, and after a brief stretch, flew around the console room, casually examining various points on the map. "Hmm, Florana seems like just the place to cheer me up," He commented after stopping at its star. "Perfect," He was about to fly back down to the console to set a course, when he saw the star chart flickering. "Oh no," He whispered, realizing he must have missed an urchin when he and Oak were flushing them out of the TARDIS. He darted to the console as the star chart was reduced to static. "Have to work quickly. The whole console room could go up in smoke," the Doctor worked frantically at the console, only for it to start sparking as well. He could already hear the the engines becoming more and more erratic. With every second he delayed, he ran the risk of the TARDIS falling out of the Time Vortex and right into the Void. The Doctor was about to shut off the star chart, but then one of the console's other panels exploded, sending a chunk of shrapnel right into it. "Blast. I always loved that map," Without hesitation, he shut down everything but the most essential equipment in the console room to prevent further overloads. "That should settle most of it down in here. Now, to the root of the problem," The Doctor attempted to pull the scanner over to him, only to find that it was mildly electrified. Yanking his hooves back, he instead attempted to key in the commands for diagnostic program without looking at the screen, carefully avoiding any sparking sections of the panel. He then trotted over to the screen, and spotted the source of the malfunctions. "Amaranthine's old room. I'm sure she won't mind," In order to operate the controls and see what he was doing, the Doctor opted to hover above the console, and control the panel with his hind hooves. With great difficulty, he managed to delete the room from the TARDIS matrix, and send the urchin into the console room. Upon its arrival, it immediately latched onto the console and started sucking on it. The Doctor flew over and yanked it off, taking a chunk of the panel with it. Using his hind hooves, he slammed down on the door controls on the console, and flew over, throwing the creature out with a mighty heave. "Out with you!" He shouted. Closing the main door, the Doctor looked out at the mess the Time Urchin had made of the console room: The star map was ruined, as were two panels on the console. Debris was scattered all over the floor, and several sections of the console were still sparking. "Let's hope that's the end of it," the Doctor remarked as he trotted back to the console. He examined what was left of the thing carefully. Even without the Time Urchin messing with the circuitry, something could still go horribly wrong. He reached out towards one of the remaining panels, but retracted his hooves from it almost immediately. "Too hot," he yelped, but his expression turned to sheer terror as he realized what the heat buildup meant. With no time for him to get away, the panel in front of him exploded, sending him flying into the wall, and rendering him unconscious. When he came to, he looked around the TARDIS again. It appeared that the chaos had subsided, and the TARDIS was going to materialize soon. "That wasn't so bad," he commented, before noticing a golden glow emanating from his hooves. "Of all the ways to go," he muttered in a resigned tone. Arrival Letting off a couple of coughs, the Doctor stumbled out of the TARDIS and into a grassy field on the outskirts of Canterlot on a clear night. "Good. I made it out in one piece. Wings are gone, but I'm definitely not bleeding. I must have regenerated. Now, let's see. Maya blue coat, periwinkle mane, looks like a streak of blue in there too, horn. Yes! I'm a unicorn again," the Doctor surmised, adding "Wait, something's wrong with my voice. Tell me I didn't regenerate into a colt. No, I can't be a colt, I'm too tall, which means..." the Doctor started to form a theory, confirming it with a shuffle of the hind legs. "I'm a mare? Yes! I'm a mare! This is new, and exciting. I've never been a mare before.” "Are you alright, miss?" the Doctor heard. She turned around to see a bearded unicorn stallion dressed in flowing blue robes behind her. The Doctor paused a moment, not being used to being referred to as 'miss'. “Yes, just give me a minute. Or two. Or fifteen hours," she answered. Then, realizing she didn't know who the stallion was, she inquired about his identity. “I am Star Swirl the Bearded. And who exactly are you?” the stallion introduced himself. The Doctor's ears perked up almost immediately at the name. Excitedly, she answered, “I'm the Doctor, but that's not important right now. You're Star Swirl the Bearded! I love your work, huge fan.” “Oh great. She’s one of them,” Star Swirl muttered sarcastically. Out of concern for the strange mare, he then asked, “What happened to you?” Having trouble coming up with a believable explanation, the Doctor simply said, “It’s a long story.” Pointing to the TARDIS, Star Swirl asked, “Did you teleport all that with you?” Blinking, and then quickly looking back at it, the Doctor answered, “I suppose I did,” with a slight shrug. "I think I should take you to get your horn checked out, Doctor," Star Swirl responded, extending a hoof for the Doctor to take. "It's nothing, really. I'm fine." The Doctor tried to assure the stallion. "You were on the privy, and you teleported the whole thing with you. That's a serious malfunction," Star Swirl pointed out. "That's not what ..." The Doctor put a hoof to her face in response to Star Swirl's allegation. "What if I told you it's been a while since I had a horn, and I'm breaking this one in?" She then suggested. The more the Doctor said, the less sense she made to the other unicorn. "It's a new horn? What are you talking about?" Star Swirl inquired. "Well, I had a horn, and then I lost it, and now I've got a new one. I'm pretty sure that's easy to understand," The Doctor clarified. "Ponies can't do that, so either you're delusional, or you're telling the truth, and ponies in my field could learn a lot from you. Either way, I'm definitely taking you to the hospital now, Doctor." Star Swirl insisted, grabbed the Doctor by the hoof and dragged her towards Canterlot. "The hospital? I told you, I'm fine!" The Doctor insisted, struggling to break free of Star Swirls grasp. "So you say, but even so, I still want to figure out how you can allegedly grow yourself a new horn," Star Swirl pointed out, continuing to drag her along the road to Canterlot. Unfortunately, this made the Doctor even more on edge, "No! I will not be dissected by anypony!" she shouted. "Di-what? I didn't say anything like that," Star Swirl said, trying to calm the Doctor down. Upon arriving at the city gates, something seemed off to the Doctor, and she knew what Canterlot was supposed to look like, given the time period. She certainly didn't remember seeing so many creepy pegasus statues everywhere the last time she was in the city. Whatever was going on, she wouldn't be able to get to the bottom of it if a bunch of unicorns were dissecting her. "How about this? You're on good terms with the Princesses, right? So am I! Take me to see them; they'll vouch for me!" the Doctor suggested. "Fine. I really don't see the harm in it," Star Swirl conceded. "I'm still not letting you out of my sight, Doctor," He then let go of the Doctor's hoof, and led her in the direction of the palace. On the way there, the Doctor asked, "Have there always been all these statues in Canterlot?" Thinking about it, Star Swirl answered, "I hadn't really thought about it. They've just started showing up. I don't know who's been making them, or putting them there." "I see," the Doctor noted. She still didn't know what was going on with the statues, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it sooner or later. "Here we are, Doctor," Star Swirl announced, proceeding up the steps to the main doors. "State your business, Star Swirl," the door guards demanded. "My friend and I seek an audience with the princesses," Star Swirl answered. "I'm sorry, but they are not currently receiving visitors. Not even those of your standing," the guard responded. Seeing an opportunity to prove herself, the Doctor cut in, and said, "Then tell them the Doctor is here to see them." Confused, the guard asked, "Doctor who, exactly?" "Just the Doctor. That's all," The Doctor clarified. Still somewhat confused, the guard answered with a, "Very well," and trotted through the door. "Do you really need to disturb the princesses for this, Doctor?" Star Swirl asked, starting to get annoyed at the mare. "You threatened to have me dissected!" The Doctor yelled in response. "At no point did I use the word 'dissect', or do anything that could be construed as threatening you," Star Swirl pointed out. "Well, I still don't want ponies studying me. I'm still getting used to this body as it is," The Doctor reiterated. At that point, the guard returned from the throne room. "Alright. The Princesses will see you now," He told them. The Doctor and Star Swirl trotted in to find two impatient looking princesses waiting for them. "Well? Where is the Doctor?" Celestia asked. "We were told he was here to see us." Confused, Star Swirl asked, "He? I found this mare on the outskirts of the city. She calls herself the Doctor." Celestia's gaze then turned to the Doctor. "And what do you know of the Doctor?" She asked. "The Doctor is a renegade Time Pony from the planet Gallopfrey, travelling through space and time in a blue box known as the TARDIS," the Doctor answered. "How do you know of the Doctor?" Luna inquired. "Like I told Star Swirl, I am the Doctor," she insisted. "In her defence, I did find her stumbling out of a blue box," Star Swirl commented. "To be fair, it's a fresh regeneration, and I've got a bit more to get used to than usual," the Doctor added. Celestia and Luna looked to each other in deliberation, and Celestia said, "We believe you. Now, what brings you here, Doctor?" "Star Swirl thought I was some sort of delusional mutant, and decided to take me to get dissected," The Doctor told them. "I said ponies could learn from her. I didn't say anything about dissecting her," Star Swirl insisted. "Well, he'll do no such thing," Luna responded with a slight smile. "Thank you," The Doctor said with a bow. "Since you're here, perhaps there is something you could help us with. There has been a rash of disappearances, and our guards have been unable to find anything," Celestia requested. "I'd be more than happy to investigate for you, Princess," The Doctor accepted. "Just one thing. I shall need access to one of the palace's dressing rooms first." Confused, Luna asked, "What for?" "I find a mirror does wonders for getting used to a new body, and I could really use it this time around," The Doctor explained. "Very well, Doctor. I trust you'll begin your investigation as soon as possible," Luna conceded. The Field Test The Doctor stared carefully at her reflection in the dressing room mirror, scrutinizing every last detail of her new face. "Well, I definitely like these eyes, but suddenly I'm not sure about this mane. It looks like somepony dumped several tubes of toothpaste on my head," she commented. Looking to Star Swirl, she asked, "What do you think?" "Of your mane? I mean, the combination of white and blue looks nice, I guess. It's certainly well styled, although I'm not an expert on that sort of thing," Star Swirl remarked. "I guess I like it." "Has a mare never asked you what you thought of her mane before?" the Doctor asked in a slightly playful tone. "Once or twice, but I still don't understand the need for you to admire yourself in the mirror when the Princesses tasked you with an investigation," Star Swirl pointed out impatiently. "Because in order to keep me from dying, every single cell in my body rearranged itself. Even my mind is different now. I'm a completely new mare, but I'm still me. After an experience like that, wouldn't you want to get to know yourself a little better?" the Doctor asked, suddenly taking a much more serious tone. "I suppose I would," Star Swirl conceded, backing away slightly. "I'll admit, it's hardly the first time, but it's not like it gets easier," the Doctor admitted. She turned her flanks to the mirror, and then looked back. "Oh, that'll take some practice, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it," she commented, before facing Star Swirl again. "Are you done?" Star Swirl asked in an irritated tone. "I should think so. Not much else I can learn from a mirror," the Doctor answered, and she started to make for the door. "We'll start at the site of the first disappearance," she explained to Star Swirl as she led him out of the Palace. "I'm sure the guards already searched it," Star Swirl pointed out. "If the Princesses asked for my help, then it's going to be something ordinary guards wouldn't notice," the Doctor pointed out. "And you will?" Star Swirl asked. Even if the Doctor could pull favour with Celestia and Luna, he wasn't going to believe a thing about her until he saw it for himself. "As a matter of fact, yes. When you've been around as much as I have, you tend to pick up on things that other ponies might miss," the Doctor answered. "That's a little presumptuous, isn't it? You look about as old as my daughter, and you think you've got more experience than the Princesses' finest?" Star Swirl confronted her. He had had just about enough of the strange mare's arrogance. That stopped the Doctor dead in her tracks. "I have no doubt I look young enough to be your daughter, but I assure you I'm not. I am older than your great-great-grandfather. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I'm ten times older than you'll ever be," she bluntly stated, and then she looked straight into his eyes. "They say the eyes are the windows of the soul, so look into mine. What kind of soul do you see?" Beyond the steel blue of the Doctor's irises, Star Swirl could see into the black void of her pupils, a void telling of centuries of experience, and horrors unlike anything he had ever seen. As young as the rest of the Doctor's body appeared, there was no denying that her true age showed in her eyes. "Doctor, you're scaring me," Star Swirl responded, taking a few steps back. "Good. Fear keeps you on your hooves and it keeps you alive," the Doctor responded. The two unicorns soon came to a rather expansive looking two storey house, strewn with the strange statues the Doctor had noted when she first entered the city. As they approached, two guards stopped them at the door, blocking them from going further with their spears. "Hold up, you two. This is an active crime scene. Nopony enters without authorization," One of them stated. "And we have authorization. I'm the Doctor, and this is Star Swirl the Bearded. The Princesses have enlisted our aid in investigating the disappearances," the Doctor explained before asking, "Who lived here?" "The Windsong family. Mother, father, two daughters. All of them vanished without a trace," The guard answered. "And you're sure they didn't just move?" Star Swirl inquired. "According to the ponies who knew them, there hadn't been any talk of it, and all their belongings are still in the house," He clarified. "I see. Anything else?" the Doctor asked. The more she knew ahead of time, the quicker she could get to the bottom of it. "Everything in house is undisturbed. When we first went in, we found no signs of a struggle. They were all just gone," the guard added, finalizing his summary of the situation. He and his partner then moved their spears out of the Doctor and Star Swirl's way. The Doctor nodded, and said, "Thank you for your assistance; we'll take it from here," She then led Star Swirl into the house. Once inside, she kept her eyes peeled, scanning over every possible spot. "The guards were right; this place looks pristine," Star Swirl commented. "Apart from the absence of life and the buildup of dust, I'd have to agree with you," the Doctor added. "'You know, I'm starting to think these two strange occurrences are connected," She then suggested. "Are you still going on about the statues, Doctor?" Star Swirl asked skeptically. "Never ignore a coincidence, or you'll think that's all it is," the Doctor pointed out. "Correlation does necessarily not equal causation," Star Swirl countered. "Fair point. But you said nopony knows where they're coming from, as if they're popping up out of nowhere. If ponies were just buying them to decorate their homes, it could be a coincidence, but that's not the case. They're just appearing," the Doctor clarified. She was almost certain that the statues were connected to the disappearances in one way or another. She just didn't know how yet. "Alright. I'll investigate the first floor, you investigate the second. We'll meet back down here in an hour, and go over what we've found," The Doctor suggested. Star Swirl nodded in response, adding, "I'll start with the bedrooms. I'd suggest you go for the dining room first," he then trotted up the nearest flight of stairs, leaving the Doctor to her own devices. The Doctor started by checking the pantry, noting the smell of several rotten vegetables. "No surprise there. It's not like I was going to find anything in there anyway" She commented. She then turned her attention to the dining room table, and noticed one of the strange statues in each of the dining room's corners. They appeared to be made out of marble, in the shape of pegasi wearing loose fitting robes, and their facial expressions suggested malicious intent. "You're in the house too?" She asked rhetorically. "I don't know what you're up to, but whatever it is, I will stop you." She then turned around to examine the dining room table and its contents. It appeared as though the family was in the process of setting it for dinner when they disappeared, or at least one of them was. The Doctor then turned her attention to four shattered plates halfway between the kitchen and the table, as if one of them was taken as they were bringing plates to the table. However, trajectory suggest a straight drop, and there would have been some change in angle, had they been grabbed and dragged out. There was no sign of scuff marks on the floor to suggest that either. "The Princesses were right to ask me for help. This is no ordinary kidnapping," she surmised. She turned to the table, only to find one of the statues right in front of her. "I should have known," the Doctor commented. "How could I have missed it? First time meeting them, slipping my mind due to my recent regeneration? No matter, I have to warn Star Swirl," she backed out of the room, keeping her eyes on the statue until she was out. The Doctor then ran up the stairs, seeing even more of the statues lining the halls. "Star Swirl? Where are you? Don't take your eyes off the statues," she called out. "I'm in here!" Star Swirl called back, and the Doctor traced his voice to the master bedroom, the entrance to which was mostly obstructed by one of the statues. However, the gap between the statue and the doorway appeared to be just big enough for the Doctor to fit through, though it was definitely too small for Star Swirl. "I'm coming in, keep looking at it," she instructed, carefully pushing herself though the gap. Once the Doctor was through, Star Swirl asked, "Care explain what we're dealing with, Doctor?" "They're called Weeping Pegasi. Quantum locked creatures, taking the form of stone whenever they're observed. They kill you by sending you back in time, and then feeding on the potential time energy of the days you would have lived," She explained. "They must be responsible for these disappearances," Star Swirl surmised. "And we might be next." The Doctor looked back at one of the bedroom windows a moment, but Star Swirl briefly blinked, bringing the Weeping Pegasus halfway across the room. "I fear you may be right, Star Swirl," the Doctor remarked. The Pegasi Take Canterlot Cornered by the Weeping Pegasus, the Doctor used her horn to grab a lamp off a nightstand, and threw it through the bedroom window. She then dragged Star Swirl over to the window, and threw him out, just before jumping out herself. The two landed hard on the ground, sustaining only minor injuries. Slowly getting back on his hooves, Star Swirl said, "Bruised everywhere! Warn me next time, Doctor!" "Did you have better idea on getting out of there?" the Doctor retorted, rising to her hooves as well. "I didn't exactly have time to yell 'Let's jump out the window!' now, did I?" "If you ask me, you did! You could have said something when you were smashing the window," Star Swirl pointed out. "You know what? Regardless of whether or not I could have said something, we're out of immediate danger from the Weeping Pegasi, so you should at least be thanking me for that," the Doctor responded, brushing a bit of dirt out of her coat. "You threw me out a window," Star Swirl flatly stated. "And saved your life, which I think overrides the whole defenestration thing," the Doctor answered. "The princesses will want to know what we found. Come on." She then examined her surroundings in an attempt to find a way off the property. The window appeared to overlook a fenced off backyard, but she didn't see a gate that let out into the rest of the city. "Alright. It looks like we'll have to go back through the house. Just a straight run for the front door. It should be easy to keep our eyes on the Weeping Pegasi." Star Swirl examined the door back into the house and tried to open it. "It's locked," he stated. "Easy enough to break down, or you could just cast an unlocking spell," the Doctor suggested. "I'm not breaking anypony's door down., Star Swirl countered. "Couldn't you cast a spell like that?" "After spending a few centuries as a pegasus, my magic's somewhat rusty," the Doctor answered, withdrawing a small wand like device from her ear. "Luckily, I've got this." She then put the device up to the door's lock and activated it. Amid the buzzing made by the device, Star Swirl could hear the door unlocking. As the Doctor opened the door and entered, Star Swirl asked, "What was that thing?" "Sonic screwdriver. I like to think of it as my skeleton key," the Doctor explained. Star Swirl then asked, "How does it work?" That brought a smile to the Doctor's face. "Nopony's ever asked me that before," she commented. "It emits a sonic vibration at a frequency that the material the lock is made out of is responsive to. These vibrations manipulate the lock into releasing." Star Swirl looked astounded by the explanation. "I'm one of the leading experts on magic in Equestria, and I've never heard of anything like that," he remarked. "That's because it's not magic at all. It's technology," the Doctor clarified. "To be fair, any sufficiently advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic." "How advanced are you talking?" Star Swirl inquired. "After we sort this out, maybe I'll show you," the Doctor offered, and saw that they finally made it to the front door again. "One step at a time, Doctor," Star Swirl quipped, opening the door. Just as the Doctor crossed the threshold, she heard what sounded like a gust of wind from behind her. She turned around to see a Weeping Pegasus where Star Swirl was supposed to be. "No!" she shouted at the Pegasus. "He had a future! You've changed the whole of history by taking him!" Taking several deep breaths, the Doctor backed away from the house, keeping her eyes on the Pegasus as long as possible, and then started to make her way back to the Palace. On her way there, the Doctor saw even more Weeping Pegasi lining the streets, as if they knew something more appetizing than a mere pony was in the city. "I know you lot can hear me, so listen to this. This isn't over," She called out to them. "I'm the Doctor, and I swear I will not let you take another pony from this city!" Panting heavily upon her arrival at the palace, she told the guards, "I need to see the Princesses NOW," the guards simply nodded and opened the door for her. As the Doctor approached the dual thrones, Celestia stated, "Doctor, you've returned. Where's Star Swirl?" "They got him," the Doctor answered. Noting the confused expressions on the princesses' faces, she added, "I'm sorry. It's the statues. The statues are actually creatures known as Weeping Pegasi. They look like statues when they're observed, but they're most definitely not." "How are they responsible for the disappearances?" Luna asked. "If they touch you in their unobserved state, they send you back in time and feed off the potential time energy of the days you would have lived," the Doctor explained. "If they're in the past, wouldn't you be able to get them back in the TARDIS?" Celestia suggested. "If I knew where and when they were, maybe. I can't because there's no way to know that without simply being sent back myself," the Doctor countered. "On top of that, the TARDIS was badly damaged by the time I arrived. For all I know, it's not done repairing itself yet." "If it were repaired, would it be able to follow a beacon of sorts to where the Pegasi have been sending ponies?" Luna offered up. The Doctor pondered the idea for a moment, and then said, "In theory, yes. That could work." "Then get to it, Doctor," Celestia instructed. The Doctor turned around to leave, but then added, "There's just one thing: after getting a look at me, the Weeping Pegasi will have moved to a war footing. Keep as many eyes on them as equinely possible." The Doctor then started to make her way to the city gates, trying to remember exactly where she had "parked" the TARDIS. Fresh out of a regeneration, her mind hadn't exactly been firing on all cylinders at the time. As she recalled, her mind had been more focused on the prospect of spending at least the next regeneration as a mare, and then on meeting a celebrity like Star Swirl the Bearded. I'm still surprised at how quickly my mind adjusted, but that's regeneration for you. she thought. Coming to the gates, she noticed even more of the Weeping Pegasi guarding them. Keeping her eyes on them, she carefully dashed through the gate and continued on her way to the TARDIS. After about a fifteen minute walk through the outskirts of Canterlot, the Doctor finally found herself at the TARDIS. Pressing her hoof against the door, she opened it to find the console room completely redesigned. The LED dome was gone, replaced with a grey sandstone texture. The console itself was housed on a hexagonal platform with a grated floor, railed off and overlooking the lower levels of the room. "I love what you've done with the place, dear, but I really don't have time to appreciate it right now," the Doctor commented, and trotted down to a set of storage cabinets below the console. "What I'd really appreciate right now is a homing beacon of some sort. Something you can follow through the time vortex," she said while rummaging through the containers. As if on cue, she found one as soon as the TARDIS would acknowledged her request. "Perfect! Thanks, dear." Trotting back out of the TARDIS, the Doctor found the Weeping Pegasi waiting for her outside. "You're not getting in," she told them. "But I'll make you a deal. Take me, feed on my energy, and leave this city," Waiting a moment, she added, "Are we agreed? Very well then." The Doctor closed her eyes, and waited for the Pegasi's touch. Author's Note Retrieval The Doctor opened her eyes to find herself still on the mountain, but Canterlot was nowhere to be seen. "Mount Trinity, pre-Exodus. Simple enough. The Pegasi's victims would likely be holed up in some of the caves dotting the mountain," she thought to herself. Making her way down the mountain, she was reminded of how much she admired the pony race. "Three tribes that hate each other's guts come here with nothing but the clothing on their backs, make peace, and start a thriving society. Truly inspiring," She thought before realizing something. "Wait, if the Weeping Pegasi's victims ended up here before the Exodus, the settlers from the three tribes would have found evidence of them, but they didn't." The Doctor continued running across the side of the mountain, hoping to find some sign of ponies in the caves. She almost gave up when she heard a mare's voice calling, "Hey out there! Did you just arrive?" Pausing a moment, she answered, "Yes. How long have you been here?" "A couple of weeks," the other mare called back. A bit more cleanup than I hoped for. The Doctor thought before examining the mare. Pegasus, sky blue coat, wedding band on the left fore hoof. Arrived two weeks ago, around when the disappearances started. She surmised. "Mrs. Windsong, I presume?" the Doctor inquired. "Your family was the first to show up here." "Yes. We've been trying to make the most of it, wherever here is," Mrs. Windsong answered. "Actually, it's not a where, it's a when. Look at this mountain. It's the same mountain Canterlot was built on, or will be built on eventually," the Doctor clarified. "You're saying we're in the past?" Mrs. Windsong asked. "I don't know exactly how far into the past, but yes. Fortunately, I can get you, and everypony else back to your own time," the Doctor assured the mare. "Where's everypony holed up, anyway?" "This way, miss..." Mrs. Windsong instructed, waiting for the Doctor to give her name. "Doctor," The Doctor answered. Assuming the Doctor was correcting her, Mrs. Windsong rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Typical doctors, use the wrong title once and they never let you hear the end of it." "Alright then. Doctor..." Mrs. Windsong asked again. "No, it's just the Doctor. Nothing else," the Doctor clarified. "Star Swirl mentioned a mare who went by that," Mrs. Windsong commented, starting to lead the Doctor to the caves. "Blue unicorn with great teeth? That would be me," the Doctor admitted. "Pride in the state of one's teeth? That's a new one. Not surprising, given my last body's fondness for sweets," she then commented. "Your last what? Star Swirl said you had a tendency to ramble on about things nopony understood," Mrs. Windsong added, at which the Doctor rolled her eyes. "Of course he did," the Doctor muttered. She then saw that they had arrived at the cave. It appeared that there were about a dozen and a half ponies here. She could see a campfire in the centre of the cave, along with makeshift bedrolls scattered along the walls. She then heard a voice calling out, "Doctor? What are you doing here? They got you too?" The Doctor turned to see Star Swirl at the fire. "Yes, but I can explain. It's all part of the plan," she reassured the stallion. "After your last plan, I have my doubts," Star Swirl commented. "That wasn't a plan, and I was in a hurry. This time I have a real plan," the Doctor insisted. "It's quite simple. I'm sure you've already figured out that we're in the past, but we don't know how far back. That's why I couldn't use my TARDIS to rescue anypony. Fortunately, I've got a way around that." "And that is?" Star Swirl inquired. The Doctor produced a small device that looked similar to her sonic screwdriver, but with a few key differences: there was a small dish on the end and the rest of it was slightly thicker than her screwdriver. "This is a homing beacon for my TARDIS. Once I activate it, the TARDIS will home in and materialize around it." "The TARDIS?" Star Swirl asked in a confused tone, and the Doctor realized she hadn't previously explained it to him. "That blue box you found me with. I use it to travel through time and space," the Doctor quickly added. "Before we leave, though, we need to erase any evidence of you lot being here. If there's any sign of ponies in this area before the Exodus, it's going to cause a massive paradox when happens. They sent you back to a point at which your presence could drastically alter the development of Equestria, meaning that unless we're careful, the Canterlot you came from might cease to exist." "And how does bringing us back to our own time stop the Weeping Pegasi?" Star Swirl pointed out. "Remember what I told you before. They feed on potential time energy, but their ability to do so is dependent on the victim being temporally displaced. If I return you to your own time, we'll be poisoning them with a paradox of our own," the Doctor clarified. She then activated the beacon and set it down on the ground. "The beacon's active. If you explain the situation to everypony, I'll go and look for any stragglers along the mountain," the Doctor explained to Star Swirl, and he nodded in response. Before leaving, she patted out the campfire and scattered the rocks containing it. She then ran back out of the cave, and several other ponies took over for her, each of them clearing out their own beds first. The Doctor soon returned with about eight more ponies, who joined the rest in cleaning up the camp. A few minutes after they finished, they could hear a wheezing noise coming from the centre of the cave, and the group could see dust being blown around, without a clear course. As the noises continued, they saw a blue box fading into view. If anypony other than the Doctor knew what a police box was, they might have noted it. Instead, Mr. Windsong just asked, "How are we all going to fit in that, Doctor?" "Like this," the Doctor opened the TARDIS door and with Star Swirl's help, ushered everypony in. She then entered as well, and announced, "Yes, it is bigger on the inside than the outside. I could explain, but it's really not important. What matters is that it's your way home. Now, I'm going to need you all to hold on to something. It's going to be a rough ride. She's not exactly fond of paradoxes." The group then grabbed on to any railings or seats they could find, and some of the pegasi among them simply floated in the air. "Since you're all ready, time to go," the Doctor stated as she pulled on the TARDIS's ignition. It let off a more sickly wheezing noise than usual as it dematerialized, and sure enough, the Doctor was right to expect turbulence, if that was the right word for it. "Star Swirl, see what you can do with the Helmic Regulator while I try to work the Blue Stabilizers," She instructed, and it seemed to help somewhat as the TARDIS touched down outside Canterlot's Palace. "Probably not the best way to run her in after a big repair cycle, but it'll do," The Doctor commented, checking on the scanner. "Looks like we made it," Star Swirl added, examining the scanner for himself. The Doctor then touched a button on the console to open the doors, and led the group out. The first thing the Doctor noticed as she exited the TARDIS was that the Weeping Pegasi in the immediate vicinity appeared to have been broken apart, as if they had fallen from a great height. The Princesses both rushed outside soon after. "Doctor! You've returned," Celestia remarked. "Not just me, princess. I've managed to bring back every last victim of the Weeping Pegasi. They won't trouble you any more," the Doctor corrected her. "We heard a loud bang just before we heard the TARDIS arriving; did you have something to do with that?" Luna asked. "Well, our return created a paradox which poisoned the Weeping Pegasi, so presumably, they'd all have shattered simultaneously," the Doctor explained. "Regardless, we're in your debt once again, Doctor," Celestia added as the group dispersed, each of them returning to their own homes. "Just keep me out of the history books," the Doctor responded quietly. "Now, I should be off. Swirly, would you care do join me?" Star Swirl shook his head before saying, "Oh no. I think one trip through time is enough for now. Besides, somepony has to help clean up this mess. Where were you headed, anyway?" The Doctor thought back to where she was planning to go before all that business with the Time Urchins and her subsequent regeneration. With a smile, she answered, "Florana."
Turbulent Partings The TARDIS materialized in downtown Manehattan with a slightly sickly tone. Due to its disguise as a fifty year old police box, it certainly looked out of place a modern city, though noone paid it any heed. Two stallions, a blue pegasus and an auburn earth pony, trotted out. "Home," the earth pony remarked, looking out at the busy streets. "Oh, I suppose it is, Burnt Oak. I guess I was too busy trying to materialize the TARDIS safely to worry about where we ended up. I hate Time Urchins," the pegasus responded. "Any idea when we are, Doctor?" Burnt Oak then asked. Before answering, the Doctor looked around for a indicator of the date, and found a discarded newspaper. Taking it into his hooves, the Doctor then said, "Based on the condition of this newspaper, plus the date on it, I'd say you've only been gone a week." "Just a week?" Oak asked, letting the thought sink in. "Yeah. Let's just give the TARDIS a few minutes to cool off, and we can get going again," the Doctor stated, oblivious to what his friend was thinking about. "Actually, I think I'd like to take a break from the TARDIS for a while," Oak replied, and the Doctor's hearts sank, though he did his best not to show it. "Oh," the Doctor said quietly. "This is goodbye then?" "Just for a while. It's been fun, but I think I need to get to back to my life. If you're ever back here, I'd be happy to join you again," Oak explained. "That's perfectly fair. You have your life, and I'd never ask you to give that up for my sake," the Doctor conceded. "Thanks. Take care of yourself, Doctor," Oak told him. "And you," the Doctor replied. Following a quick hug, the two stallions parted ways, Oak making for his apartment, and the Doctor going back into the TARDIS. As he walked away, Oak could hear the TARDIS dematerializing, for what he hoped would not be the last time. "Alone in the TARDIS yet again," the Doctor thought to himself. The Time Urchins had done a number on the TARDIS's systems, and Burnt Oak had decided to go home after the ordeal. "At least he'll be safe, and we did part on good terms." "Well, where to next?" He asked himself out loud. Pondering for a moment, he turned to the console, and activated the star chart adorning the Console Room's walls and ceiling. The Doctor then spread his wings, and after a brief stretch, flew around the console room, casually examining various points on the map. "Hmm, Florana seems like just the place to cheer me up," He commented after stopping at its star. "Perfect," He was about to fly back down to the console to set a course, when he saw the star chart flickering. "Oh no," He whispered, realizing he must have missed an urchin when he and Oak were flushing them out of the TARDIS. He darted to the console as the star chart was reduced to static. "Have to work quickly. The whole console room could go up in smoke," the Doctor worked frantically at the console, only for it to start sparking as well. He could already hear the the engines becoming more and more erratic. With every second he delayed, he ran the risk of the TARDIS falling out of the Time Vortex and right into the Void. The Doctor was about to shut off the star chart, but then one of the console's other panels exploded, sending a chunk of shrapnel right into it. "Blast. I always loved that map," Without hesitation, he shut down everything but the most essential equipment in the console room to prevent further overloads. "That should settle most of it down in here. Now, to the root of the problem," The Doctor attempted to pull the scanner over to him, only to find that it was mildly electrified. Yanking his hooves back, he instead attempted to key in the commands for diagnostic program without looking at the screen, carefully avoiding any sparking sections of the panel. He then trotted over to the screen, and spotted the source of the malfunctions. "Amaranthine's old room. I'm sure she won't mind," In order to operate the controls and see what he was doing, the Doctor opted to hover above the console, and control the panel with his hind hooves. With great difficulty, he managed to delete the room from the TARDIS matrix, and send the urchin into the console room. Upon its arrival, it immediately latched onto the console and started sucking on it. The Doctor flew over and yanked it off, taking a chunk of the panel with it. Using his hind hooves, he slammed down on the door controls on the console, and flew over, throwing the creature out with a mighty heave. "Out with you!" He shouted. Closing the main door, the Doctor looked out at the mess the Time Urchin had made of the console room: The star map was ruined, as were two panels on the console. Debris was scattered all over the floor, and several sections of the console were still sparking. "Let's hope that's the end of it," the Doctor remarked as he trotted back to the console. He examined what was left of the thing carefully. Even without the Time Urchin messing with the circuitry, something could still go horribly wrong. He reached out towards one of the remaining panels, but retracted his hooves from it almost immediately. "Too hot," he yelped, but his expression turned to sheer terror as he realized what the heat buildup meant. With no time for him to get away, the panel in front of him exploded, sending him flying into the wall, and rendering him unconscious. When he came to, he looked around the TARDIS again. It appeared that the chaos had subsided, and the TARDIS was going to materialize soon. "That wasn't so bad," he commented, before noticing a golden glow emanating from his hooves. "Of all the ways to go," he muttered in a resigned tone.
Arrival Letting off a couple of coughs, the Doctor stumbled out of the TARDIS and into a grassy field on the outskirts of Canterlot on a clear night. "Good. I made it out in one piece. Wings are gone, but I'm definitely not bleeding. I must have regenerated. Now, let's see. Maya blue coat, periwinkle mane, looks like a streak of blue in there too, horn. Yes! I'm a unicorn again," the Doctor surmised, adding "Wait, something's wrong with my voice. Tell me I didn't regenerate into a colt. No, I can't be a colt, I'm too tall, which means..." the Doctor started to form a theory, confirming it with a shuffle of the hind legs. "I'm a mare? Yes! I'm a mare! This is new, and exciting. I've never been a mare before.” "Are you alright, miss?" the Doctor heard. She turned around to see a bearded unicorn stallion dressed in flowing blue robes behind her. The Doctor paused a moment, not being used to being referred to as 'miss'. “Yes, just give me a minute. Or two. Or fifteen hours," she answered. Then, realizing she didn't know who the stallion was, she inquired about his identity. “I am Star Swirl the Bearded. And who exactly are you?” the stallion introduced himself. The Doctor's ears perked up almost immediately at the name. Excitedly, she answered, “I'm the Doctor, but that's not important right now. You're Star Swirl the Bearded! I love your work, huge fan.” “Oh great. She’s one of them,” Star Swirl muttered sarcastically. Out of concern for the strange mare, he then asked, “What happened to you?” Having trouble coming up with a believable explanation, the Doctor simply said, “It’s a long story.” Pointing to the TARDIS, Star Swirl asked, “Did you teleport all that with you?” Blinking, and then quickly looking back at it, the Doctor answered, “I suppose I did,” with a slight shrug. "I think I should take you to get your horn checked out, Doctor," Star Swirl responded, extending a hoof for the Doctor to take. "It's nothing, really. I'm fine." The Doctor tried to assure the stallion. "You were on the privy, and you teleported the whole thing with you. That's a serious malfunction," Star Swirl pointed out. "That's not what ..." The Doctor put a hoof to her face in response to Star Swirl's allegation. "What if I told you it's been a while since I had a horn, and I'm breaking this one in?" She then suggested. The more the Doctor said, the less sense she made to the other unicorn. "It's a new horn? What are you talking about?" Star Swirl inquired. "Well, I had a horn, and then I lost it, and now I've got a new one. I'm pretty sure that's easy to understand," The Doctor clarified. "Ponies can't do that, so either you're delusional, or you're telling the truth, and ponies in my field could learn a lot from you. Either way, I'm definitely taking you to the hospital now, Doctor." Star Swirl insisted, grabbed the Doctor by the hoof and dragged her towards Canterlot. "The hospital? I told you, I'm fine!" The Doctor insisted, struggling to break free of Star Swirls grasp. "So you say, but even so, I still want to figure out how you can allegedly grow yourself a new horn," Star Swirl pointed out, continuing to drag her along the road to Canterlot. Unfortunately, this made the Doctor even more on edge, "No! I will not be dissected by anypony!" she shouted. "Di-what? I didn't say anything like that," Star Swirl said, trying to calm the Doctor down. Upon arriving at the city gates, something seemed off to the Doctor, and she knew what Canterlot was supposed to look like, given the time period. She certainly didn't remember seeing so many creepy pegasus statues everywhere the last time she was in the city. Whatever was going on, she wouldn't be able to get to the bottom of it if a bunch of unicorns were dissecting her. "How about this? You're on good terms with the Princesses, right? So am I! Take me to see them; they'll vouch for me!" the Doctor suggested. "Fine. I really don't see the harm in it," Star Swirl conceded. "I'm still not letting you out of my sight, Doctor," He then let go of the Doctor's hoof, and led her in the direction of the palace. On the way there, the Doctor asked, "Have there always been all these statues in Canterlot?" Thinking about it, Star Swirl answered, "I hadn't really thought about it. They've just started showing up. I don't know who's been making them, or putting them there." "I see," the Doctor noted. She still didn't know what was going on with the statues, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it sooner or later. "Here we are, Doctor," Star Swirl announced, proceeding up the steps to the main doors. "State your business, Star Swirl," the door guards demanded. "My friend and I seek an audience with the princesses," Star Swirl answered. "I'm sorry, but they are not currently receiving visitors. Not even those of your standing," the guard responded. Seeing an opportunity to prove herself, the Doctor cut in, and said, "Then tell them the Doctor is here to see them." Confused, the guard asked, "Doctor who, exactly?" "Just the Doctor. That's all," The Doctor clarified. Still somewhat confused, the guard answered with a, "Very well," and trotted through the door. "Do you really need to disturb the princesses for this, Doctor?" Star Swirl asked, starting to get annoyed at the mare. "You threatened to have me dissected!" The Doctor yelled in response. "At no point did I use the word 'dissect', or do anything that could be construed as threatening you," Star Swirl pointed out. "Well, I still don't want ponies studying me. I'm still getting used to this body as it is," The Doctor reiterated. At that point, the guard returned from the throne room. "Alright. The Princesses will see you now," He told them. The Doctor and Star Swirl trotted in to find two impatient looking princesses waiting for them. "Well? Where is the Doctor?" Celestia asked. "We were told he was here to see us." Confused, Star Swirl asked, "He? I found this mare on the outskirts of the city. She calls herself the Doctor." Celestia's gaze then turned to the Doctor. "And what do you know of the Doctor?" She asked. "The Doctor is a renegade Time Pony from the planet Gallopfrey, travelling through space and time in a blue box known as the TARDIS," the Doctor answered. "How do you know of the Doctor?" Luna inquired. "Like I told Star Swirl, I am the Doctor," she insisted. "In her defence, I did find her stumbling out of a blue box," Star Swirl commented. "To be fair, it's a fresh regeneration, and I've got a bit more to get used to than usual," the Doctor added. Celestia and Luna looked to each other in deliberation, and Celestia said, "We believe you. Now, what brings you here, Doctor?" "Star Swirl thought I was some sort of delusional mutant, and decided to take me to get dissected," The Doctor told them. "I said ponies could learn from her. I didn't say anything about dissecting her," Star Swirl insisted. "Well, he'll do no such thing," Luna responded with a slight smile. "Thank you," The Doctor said with a bow. "Since you're here, perhaps there is something you could help us with. There has been a rash of disappearances, and our guards have been unable to find anything," Celestia requested. "I'd be more than happy to investigate for you, Princess," The Doctor accepted. "Just one thing. I shall need access to one of the palace's dressing rooms first." Confused, Luna asked, "What for?" "I find a mirror does wonders for getting used to a new body, and I could really use it this time around," The Doctor explained. "Very well, Doctor. I trust you'll begin your investigation as soon as possible," Luna conceded.
The Field Test The Doctor stared carefully at her reflection in the dressing room mirror, scrutinizing every last detail of her new face. "Well, I definitely like these eyes, but suddenly I'm not sure about this mane. It looks like somepony dumped several tubes of toothpaste on my head," she commented. Looking to Star Swirl, she asked, "What do you think?" "Of your mane? I mean, the combination of white and blue looks nice, I guess. It's certainly well styled, although I'm not an expert on that sort of thing," Star Swirl remarked. "I guess I like it." "Has a mare never asked you what you thought of her mane before?" the Doctor asked in a slightly playful tone. "Once or twice, but I still don't understand the need for you to admire yourself in the mirror when the Princesses tasked you with an investigation," Star Swirl pointed out impatiently. "Because in order to keep me from dying, every single cell in my body rearranged itself. Even my mind is different now. I'm a completely new mare, but I'm still me. After an experience like that, wouldn't you want to get to know yourself a little better?" the Doctor asked, suddenly taking a much more serious tone. "I suppose I would," Star Swirl conceded, backing away slightly. "I'll admit, it's hardly the first time, but it's not like it gets easier," the Doctor admitted. She turned her flanks to the mirror, and then looked back. "Oh, that'll take some practice, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it," she commented, before facing Star Swirl again. "Are you done?" Star Swirl asked in an irritated tone. "I should think so. Not much else I can learn from a mirror," the Doctor answered, and she started to make for the door. "We'll start at the site of the first disappearance," she explained to Star Swirl as she led him out of the Palace. "I'm sure the guards already searched it," Star Swirl pointed out. "If the Princesses asked for my help, then it's going to be something ordinary guards wouldn't notice," the Doctor pointed out. "And you will?" Star Swirl asked. Even if the Doctor could pull favour with Celestia and Luna, he wasn't going to believe a thing about her until he saw it for himself. "As a matter of fact, yes. When you've been around as much as I have, you tend to pick up on things that other ponies might miss," the Doctor answered. "That's a little presumptuous, isn't it? You look about as old as my daughter, and you think you've got more experience than the Princesses' finest?" Star Swirl confronted her. He had had just about enough of the strange mare's arrogance. That stopped the Doctor dead in her tracks. "I have no doubt I look young enough to be your daughter, but I assure you I'm not. I am older than your great-great-grandfather. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I'm ten times older than you'll ever be," she bluntly stated, and then she looked straight into his eyes. "They say the eyes are the windows of the soul, so look into mine. What kind of soul do you see?" Beyond the steel blue of the Doctor's irises, Star Swirl could see into the black void of her pupils, a void telling of centuries of experience, and horrors unlike anything he had ever seen. As young as the rest of the Doctor's body appeared, there was no denying that her true age showed in her eyes. "Doctor, you're scaring me," Star Swirl responded, taking a few steps back. "Good. Fear keeps you on your hooves and it keeps you alive," the Doctor responded. The two unicorns soon came to a rather expansive looking two storey house, strewn with the strange statues the Doctor had noted when she first entered the city. As they approached, two guards stopped them at the door, blocking them from going further with their spears. "Hold up, you two. This is an active crime scene. Nopony enters without authorization," One of them stated. "And we have authorization. I'm the Doctor, and this is Star Swirl the Bearded. The Princesses have enlisted our aid in investigating the disappearances," the Doctor explained before asking, "Who lived here?" "The Windsong family. Mother, father, two daughters. All of them vanished without a trace," The guard answered. "And you're sure they didn't just move?" Star Swirl inquired. "According to the ponies who knew them, there hadn't been any talk of it, and all their belongings are still in the house," He clarified. "I see. Anything else?" the Doctor asked. The more she knew ahead of time, the quicker she could get to the bottom of it. "Everything in house is undisturbed. When we first went in, we found no signs of a struggle. They were all just gone," the guard added, finalizing his summary of the situation. He and his partner then moved their spears out of the Doctor and Star Swirl's way. The Doctor nodded, and said, "Thank you for your assistance; we'll take it from here," She then led Star Swirl into the house. Once inside, she kept her eyes peeled, scanning over every possible spot. "The guards were right; this place looks pristine," Star Swirl commented. "Apart from the absence of life and the buildup of dust, I'd have to agree with you," the Doctor added. "'You know, I'm starting to think these two strange occurrences are connected," She then suggested. "Are you still going on about the statues, Doctor?" Star Swirl asked skeptically. "Never ignore a coincidence, or you'll think that's all it is," the Doctor pointed out. "Correlation does necessarily not equal causation," Star Swirl countered. "Fair point. But you said nopony knows where they're coming from, as if they're popping up out of nowhere. If ponies were just buying them to decorate their homes, it could be a coincidence, but that's not the case. They're just appearing," the Doctor clarified. She was almost certain that the statues were connected to the disappearances in one way or another. She just didn't know how yet. "Alright. I'll investigate the first floor, you investigate the second. We'll meet back down here in an hour, and go over what we've found," The Doctor suggested. Star Swirl nodded in response, adding, "I'll start with the bedrooms. I'd suggest you go for the dining room first," he then trotted up the nearest flight of stairs, leaving the Doctor to her own devices. The Doctor started by checking the pantry, noting the smell of several rotten vegetables. "No surprise there. It's not like I was going to find anything in there anyway" She commented. She then turned her attention to the dining room table, and noticed one of the strange statues in each of the dining room's corners. They appeared to be made out of marble, in the shape of pegasi wearing loose fitting robes, and their facial expressions suggested malicious intent. "You're in the house too?" She asked rhetorically. "I don't know what you're up to, but whatever it is, I will stop you." She then turned around to examine the dining room table and its contents. It appeared as though the family was in the process of setting it for dinner when they disappeared, or at least one of them was. The Doctor then turned her attention to four shattered plates halfway between the kitchen and the table, as if one of them was taken as they were bringing plates to the table. However, trajectory suggest a straight drop, and there would have been some change in angle, had they been grabbed and dragged out. There was no sign of scuff marks on the floor to suggest that either. "The Princesses were right to ask me for help. This is no ordinary kidnapping," she surmised. She turned to the table, only to find one of the statues right in front of her. "I should have known," the Doctor commented. "How could I have missed it? First time meeting them, slipping my mind due to my recent regeneration? No matter, I have to warn Star Swirl," she backed out of the room, keeping her eyes on the statue until she was out. The Doctor then ran up the stairs, seeing even more of the statues lining the halls. "Star Swirl? Where are you? Don't take your eyes off the statues," she called out. "I'm in here!" Star Swirl called back, and the Doctor traced his voice to the master bedroom, the entrance to which was mostly obstructed by one of the statues. However, the gap between the statue and the doorway appeared to be just big enough for the Doctor to fit through, though it was definitely too small for Star Swirl. "I'm coming in, keep looking at it," she instructed, carefully pushing herself though the gap. Once the Doctor was through, Star Swirl asked, "Care explain what we're dealing with, Doctor?" "They're called Weeping Pegasi. Quantum locked creatures, taking the form of stone whenever they're observed. They kill you by sending you back in time, and then feeding on the potential time energy of the days you would have lived," She explained. "They must be responsible for these disappearances," Star Swirl surmised. "And we might be next." The Doctor looked back at one of the bedroom windows a moment, but Star Swirl briefly blinked, bringing the Weeping Pegasus halfway across the room. "I fear you may be right, Star Swirl," the Doctor remarked.
The Pegasi Take Canterlot Cornered by the Weeping Pegasus, the Doctor used her horn to grab a lamp off a nightstand, and threw it through the bedroom window. She then dragged Star Swirl over to the window, and threw him out, just before jumping out herself. The two landed hard on the ground, sustaining only minor injuries. Slowly getting back on his hooves, Star Swirl said, "Bruised everywhere! Warn me next time, Doctor!" "Did you have better idea on getting out of there?" the Doctor retorted, rising to her hooves as well. "I didn't exactly have time to yell 'Let's jump out the window!' now, did I?" "If you ask me, you did! You could have said something when you were smashing the window," Star Swirl pointed out. "You know what? Regardless of whether or not I could have said something, we're out of immediate danger from the Weeping Pegasi, so you should at least be thanking me for that," the Doctor responded, brushing a bit of dirt out of her coat. "You threw me out a window," Star Swirl flatly stated. "And saved your life, which I think overrides the whole defenestration thing," the Doctor answered. "The princesses will want to know what we found. Come on." She then examined her surroundings in an attempt to find a way off the property. The window appeared to overlook a fenced off backyard, but she didn't see a gate that let out into the rest of the city. "Alright. It looks like we'll have to go back through the house. Just a straight run for the front door. It should be easy to keep our eyes on the Weeping Pegasi." Star Swirl examined the door back into the house and tried to open it. "It's locked," he stated. "Easy enough to break down, or you could just cast an unlocking spell," the Doctor suggested. "I'm not breaking anypony's door down., Star Swirl countered. "Couldn't you cast a spell like that?" "After spending a few centuries as a pegasus, my magic's somewhat rusty," the Doctor answered, withdrawing a small wand like device from her ear. "Luckily, I've got this." She then put the device up to the door's lock and activated it. Amid the buzzing made by the device, Star Swirl could hear the door unlocking. As the Doctor opened the door and entered, Star Swirl asked, "What was that thing?" "Sonic screwdriver. I like to think of it as my skeleton key," the Doctor explained. Star Swirl then asked, "How does it work?" That brought a smile to the Doctor's face. "Nopony's ever asked me that before," she commented. "It emits a sonic vibration at a frequency that the material the lock is made out of is responsive to. These vibrations manipulate the lock into releasing." Star Swirl looked astounded by the explanation. "I'm one of the leading experts on magic in Equestria, and I've never heard of anything like that," he remarked. "That's because it's not magic at all. It's technology," the Doctor clarified. "To be fair, any sufficiently advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic." "How advanced are you talking?" Star Swirl inquired. "After we sort this out, maybe I'll show you," the Doctor offered, and saw that they finally made it to the front door again. "One step at a time, Doctor," Star Swirl quipped, opening the door. Just as the Doctor crossed the threshold, she heard what sounded like a gust of wind from behind her. She turned around to see a Weeping Pegasus where Star Swirl was supposed to be. "No!" she shouted at the Pegasus. "He had a future! You've changed the whole of history by taking him!" Taking several deep breaths, the Doctor backed away from the house, keeping her eyes on the Pegasus as long as possible, and then started to make her way back to the Palace. On her way there, the Doctor saw even more Weeping Pegasi lining the streets, as if they knew something more appetizing than a mere pony was in the city. "I know you lot can hear me, so listen to this. This isn't over," She called out to them. "I'm the Doctor, and I swear I will not let you take another pony from this city!" Panting heavily upon her arrival at the palace, she told the guards, "I need to see the Princesses NOW," the guards simply nodded and opened the door for her. As the Doctor approached the dual thrones, Celestia stated, "Doctor, you've returned. Where's Star Swirl?" "They got him," the Doctor answered. Noting the confused expressions on the princesses' faces, she added, "I'm sorry. It's the statues. The statues are actually creatures known as Weeping Pegasi. They look like statues when they're observed, but they're most definitely not." "How are they responsible for the disappearances?" Luna asked. "If they touch you in their unobserved state, they send you back in time and feed off the potential time energy of the days you would have lived," the Doctor explained. "If they're in the past, wouldn't you be able to get them back in the TARDIS?" Celestia suggested. "If I knew where and when they were, maybe. I can't because there's no way to know that without simply being sent back myself," the Doctor countered. "On top of that, the TARDIS was badly damaged by the time I arrived. For all I know, it's not done repairing itself yet." "If it were repaired, would it be able to follow a beacon of sorts to where the Pegasi have been sending ponies?" Luna offered up. The Doctor pondered the idea for a moment, and then said, "In theory, yes. That could work." "Then get to it, Doctor," Celestia instructed. The Doctor turned around to leave, but then added, "There's just one thing: after getting a look at me, the Weeping Pegasi will have moved to a war footing. Keep as many eyes on them as equinely possible." The Doctor then started to make her way to the city gates, trying to remember exactly where she had "parked" the TARDIS. Fresh out of a regeneration, her mind hadn't exactly been firing on all cylinders at the time. As she recalled, her mind had been more focused on the prospect of spending at least the next regeneration as a mare, and then on meeting a celebrity like Star Swirl the Bearded. I'm still surprised at how quickly my mind adjusted, but that's regeneration for you. she thought. Coming to the gates, she noticed even more of the Weeping Pegasi guarding them. Keeping her eyes on them, she carefully dashed through the gate and continued on her way to the TARDIS. After about a fifteen minute walk through the outskirts of Canterlot, the Doctor finally found herself at the TARDIS. Pressing her hoof against the door, she opened it to find the console room completely redesigned. The LED dome was gone, replaced with a grey sandstone texture. The console itself was housed on a hexagonal platform with a grated floor, railed off and overlooking the lower levels of the room. "I love what you've done with the place, dear, but I really don't have time to appreciate it right now," the Doctor commented, and trotted down to a set of storage cabinets below the console. "What I'd really appreciate right now is a homing beacon of some sort. Something you can follow through the time vortex," she said while rummaging through the containers. As if on cue, she found one as soon as the TARDIS would acknowledged her request. "Perfect! Thanks, dear." Trotting back out of the TARDIS, the Doctor found the Weeping Pegasi waiting for her outside. "You're not getting in," she told them. "But I'll make you a deal. Take me, feed on my energy, and leave this city," Waiting a moment, she added, "Are we agreed? Very well then." The Doctor closed her eyes, and waited for the Pegasi's touch. Author's Note
Retrieval The Doctor opened her eyes to find herself still on the mountain, but Canterlot was nowhere to be seen. "Mount Trinity, pre-Exodus. Simple enough. The Pegasi's victims would likely be holed up in some of the caves dotting the mountain," she thought to herself. Making her way down the mountain, she was reminded of how much she admired the pony race. "Three tribes that hate each other's guts come here with nothing but the clothing on their backs, make peace, and start a thriving society. Truly inspiring," She thought before realizing something. "Wait, if the Weeping Pegasi's victims ended up here before the Exodus, the settlers from the three tribes would have found evidence of them, but they didn't." The Doctor continued running across the side of the mountain, hoping to find some sign of ponies in the caves. She almost gave up when she heard a mare's voice calling, "Hey out there! Did you just arrive?" Pausing a moment, she answered, "Yes. How long have you been here?" "A couple of weeks," the other mare called back. A bit more cleanup than I hoped for. The Doctor thought before examining the mare. Pegasus, sky blue coat, wedding band on the left fore hoof. Arrived two weeks ago, around when the disappearances started. She surmised. "Mrs. Windsong, I presume?" the Doctor inquired. "Your family was the first to show up here." "Yes. We've been trying to make the most of it, wherever here is," Mrs. Windsong answered. "Actually, it's not a where, it's a when. Look at this mountain. It's the same mountain Canterlot was built on, or will be built on eventually," the Doctor clarified. "You're saying we're in the past?" Mrs. Windsong asked. "I don't know exactly how far into the past, but yes. Fortunately, I can get you, and everypony else back to your own time," the Doctor assured the mare. "Where's everypony holed up, anyway?" "This way, miss..." Mrs. Windsong instructed, waiting for the Doctor to give her name. "Doctor," The Doctor answered. Assuming the Doctor was correcting her, Mrs. Windsong rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Typical doctors, use the wrong title once and they never let you hear the end of it." "Alright then. Doctor..." Mrs. Windsong asked again. "No, it's just the Doctor. Nothing else," the Doctor clarified. "Star Swirl mentioned a mare who went by that," Mrs. Windsong commented, starting to lead the Doctor to the caves. "Blue unicorn with great teeth? That would be me," the Doctor admitted. "Pride in the state of one's teeth? That's a new one. Not surprising, given my last body's fondness for sweets," she then commented. "Your last what? Star Swirl said you had a tendency to ramble on about things nopony understood," Mrs. Windsong added, at which the Doctor rolled her eyes. "Of course he did," the Doctor muttered. She then saw that they had arrived at the cave. It appeared that there were about a dozen and a half ponies here. She could see a campfire in the centre of the cave, along with makeshift bedrolls scattered along the walls. She then heard a voice calling out, "Doctor? What are you doing here? They got you too?" The Doctor turned to see Star Swirl at the fire. "Yes, but I can explain. It's all part of the plan," she reassured the stallion. "After your last plan, I have my doubts," Star Swirl commented. "That wasn't a plan, and I was in a hurry. This time I have a real plan," the Doctor insisted. "It's quite simple. I'm sure you've already figured out that we're in the past, but we don't know how far back. That's why I couldn't use my TARDIS to rescue anypony. Fortunately, I've got a way around that." "And that is?" Star Swirl inquired. The Doctor produced a small device that looked similar to her sonic screwdriver, but with a few key differences: there was a small dish on the end and the rest of it was slightly thicker than her screwdriver. "This is a homing beacon for my TARDIS. Once I activate it, the TARDIS will home in and materialize around it." "The TARDIS?" Star Swirl asked in a confused tone, and the Doctor realized she hadn't previously explained it to him. "That blue box you found me with. I use it to travel through time and space," the Doctor quickly added. "Before we leave, though, we need to erase any evidence of you lot being here. If there's any sign of ponies in this area before the Exodus, it's going to cause a massive paradox when happens. They sent you back to a point at which your presence could drastically alter the development of Equestria, meaning that unless we're careful, the Canterlot you came from might cease to exist." "And how does bringing us back to our own time stop the Weeping Pegasi?" Star Swirl pointed out. "Remember what I told you before. They feed on potential time energy, but their ability to do so is dependent on the victim being temporally displaced. If I return you to your own time, we'll be poisoning them with a paradox of our own," the Doctor clarified. She then activated the beacon and set it down on the ground. "The beacon's active. If you explain the situation to everypony, I'll go and look for any stragglers along the mountain," the Doctor explained to Star Swirl, and he nodded in response. Before leaving, she patted out the campfire and scattered the rocks containing it. She then ran back out of the cave, and several other ponies took over for her, each of them clearing out their own beds first. The Doctor soon returned with about eight more ponies, who joined the rest in cleaning up the camp. A few minutes after they finished, they could hear a wheezing noise coming from the centre of the cave, and the group could see dust being blown around, without a clear course. As the noises continued, they saw a blue box fading into view. If anypony other than the Doctor knew what a police box was, they might have noted it. Instead, Mr. Windsong just asked, "How are we all going to fit in that, Doctor?" "Like this," the Doctor opened the TARDIS door and with Star Swirl's help, ushered everypony in. She then entered as well, and announced, "Yes, it is bigger on the inside than the outside. I could explain, but it's really not important. What matters is that it's your way home. Now, I'm going to need you all to hold on to something. It's going to be a rough ride. She's not exactly fond of paradoxes." The group then grabbed on to any railings or seats they could find, and some of the pegasi among them simply floated in the air. "Since you're all ready, time to go," the Doctor stated as she pulled on the TARDIS's ignition. It let off a more sickly wheezing noise than usual as it dematerialized, and sure enough, the Doctor was right to expect turbulence, if that was the right word for it. "Star Swirl, see what you can do with the Helmic Regulator while I try to work the Blue Stabilizers," She instructed, and it seemed to help somewhat as the TARDIS touched down outside Canterlot's Palace. "Probably not the best way to run her in after a big repair cycle, but it'll do," The Doctor commented, checking on the scanner. "Looks like we made it," Star Swirl added, examining the scanner for himself. The Doctor then touched a button on the console to open the doors, and led the group out. The first thing the Doctor noticed as she exited the TARDIS was that the Weeping Pegasi in the immediate vicinity appeared to have been broken apart, as if they had fallen from a great height. The Princesses both rushed outside soon after. "Doctor! You've returned," Celestia remarked. "Not just me, princess. I've managed to bring back every last victim of the Weeping Pegasi. They won't trouble you any more," the Doctor corrected her. "We heard a loud bang just before we heard the TARDIS arriving; did you have something to do with that?" Luna asked. "Well, our return created a paradox which poisoned the Weeping Pegasi, so presumably, they'd all have shattered simultaneously," the Doctor explained. "Regardless, we're in your debt once again, Doctor," Celestia added as the group dispersed, each of them returning to their own homes. "Just keep me out of the history books," the Doctor responded quietly. "Now, I should be off. Swirly, would you care do join me?" Star Swirl shook his head before saying, "Oh no. I think one trip through time is enough for now. Besides, somepony has to help clean up this mess. Where were you headed, anyway?" The Doctor thought back to where she was planning to go before all that business with the Time Urchins and her subsequent regeneration. With a smile, she answered, "Florana."
