Searing Shield could hear Aunt Octavia and Daddy arguing, even through Auntie Vinyl’s music. She didn’t know why they were arguing, but wanted them to stop. She gave Vinyl a pleading look.
“Don’t worry kiddo. It’ll sort itself out in a bit.” Vinyl assured her, flashing Seeri her winning smile. “Until then, what do you think of Auntie Vinyl’s new music? Pretty cool, huh?”
“Your music is ALWAYS the best, Auntie Vinyl!” Seeri replied happily and Vinyl ruffled her mane
“That’s my girl! You have the best taste in music, just like your Auntie!” Vinyl said with a huge smile. But then there was a knock at the door to the studio “Come on in!”
The door opened and Octavia stuck her head in, her face a mask of anger “He wants to talk to her, Vinyl. Can you bring Seeri into the living room?” She asked and slammed the door behind her.
Vinyl gave her worried niece a nervous smile “I’m… sure it’s nothing. C’mon, kiddo, let’s see what your Daddy wants.”She told her and led Seeri out of the studio after turning off the music.
When Seeri entered the living room, she saw her Aunt Octavia sitting in a cushion by the fireplace, looking pointedly away from her Daddy, who was standing near the front door. Stoic looked at his daughter with a pained smile and gestured for her to come to him. When she got to him, he knelt down so that their eyes were level.
“Hey there, sweetie.” He said quietly “How was Auntie Vinyl’s music?”
“It’s the best!” She exclaimed proudly and Stoic gave a small laugh
“Yeah, it is, honey. She’s really good at what she does.” His smile faded and his eyes turned sad. Seeri gave him a worried look.
“Daddy, what’s wrong?” She asked. He was quiet for a moment.
“Daddy’s got to go do something, honey, it’s very important. You’re going to be staying with your Aunts for a little while.” He said quietly. Octavia gave a “Humph!” from the living room.
“Why can’t I come with you, Daddy? You never leave me behind!” Seeri protested and her father’s eyes flashed with pain.
“Because it’s too dangerous for you, Seeri, I don’t want you to get hurt. Don’t worry, your Aunts will take very good care of you while I’m gone.” He said, in a sorrowful tone.
Seeri was quiet for a moment “Do you promise you’ll come back, Daddy?”
Stoic drew in a sharp breath, and looked away.
“I’m sorry, Seeri, but I have to go now. Know that I love you, and I’ll miss you every second that we’re apart.” He whispered.
Seeri didn’t recognize the tone in which he said this, it sounded sad and forced. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt like something bad was going to happen to her Daddy, but she couldn’t speak.
Stoic stood and headed out the door while Vinyl put a hoof on Seeri’s shoulder.
“Hey, don’t worry, kiddo, I’m sure he’ll be back before you know it. C’mon, let’s go listen to more music.” She said, but Seeri didn’t budge “What’s wrong, honey?”
“He didn’t promise… He always promises…” Seeri whispered. Tears began to roll down her cheek, and then she lunged for the door, with Vinyl just barely managing to grab her.
“Octy, Help me out here!” Vinyl called out, while trying to keep hold of a struggling filly.
“DADDY, COME BACK! DON’T LEAVE ME, DADDY! PLEASE, COME BACK! YOU DIDN’T PROMISE! DADDY! DAAAAADDYYYY!” Seeri screamed.
Stoic paused for a fraction of a second, but then continued down the road without looking back. Seeri screamed again.
“DADDY!”
The word echoed around her room. Searing Shield was breathing hard and the sheets were soaked with sweat. She put a hoof to her head.
“That dream again… Why can’t it ever be one of the good ones?” She groaned.
She swung herself out of bed and went to the washroom to splash some cold water over her face, and then she looked in the mirror. The pony staring back at her had had a long, bright orange mane and tail, a fiery red coat, and dark bags under her vivid orange eyes. They were the eyes of a pony that rarely slept well anymore.
She looked away quickly; she hated that pony in the mirror because it had his face. She approached her balcony door, flung it open and trotted outside. She had a house in Canterlot, near the palace. Celestia and Luna had given it to her not long after she’d left Ponyville.
I wonder if- she clamped down on that thought and shoved it away. They were gone, and she didn’t need to think about them anymore.
She spread her wings to taste the wind, just as she’d been taught, before leaping off the balcony for her morning flight, which she used as an excuse to dry the sweat from her restless nights or to use as a cover for it. She landed back on her balcony half an hour later to find Princess Luna waiting for her.
Seeri scowled as she picked up a nearby towel “Let me guess. You’ve been peeking in on my dreams again, haven’t you? I thought I asked you not to do that anymore, Luna.”
Luna gave her a pleading look “My sister and I are so very worried about you, Seeri, we only wish to help. Why do you refuse to tell us what is wrong?”
“There’s nothing wrong with me, Luna, I’m fine. Shouldn’t you be getting some rest after working all night instead of coming all the way out here to see me?” Seeri replied coldly.
“But I…” Luna started, but instead gave Seeri a hurt look, trotted out onto the balcony and flew off.
Seeri didn’t move for a moment.
Way to go, Searing Shield. You know she means well, why do you- She clamped down on that thought as well.
You can’t hide forever, Seeri. Seeri threw the towel she’d been using to dry herself off across the room, and then stormed out.
Luna was laying in her room thinking about Searing Shield when her sister, Princess Celestia trotted in. She took one look at Luna’s face and sighed.
“She dreamt of her father again, did she not?”
Luna nodded sullenly “It was the one where her father had left her to help us. I am terribly worried about her, sister, yet she refuses to talk every time I make the effort. Is it that I am doing something wrong? Have I offended her in some manner?” Celestia laid down next her sister and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
“No, my dear sister, you are doing only what you are able. You can do no more than that.” Celestia assured her sister “All we can to do at this time is continue to let her know that we care about her.”
Luna was silent for a time, and then she said “What if she is beyond our ability to aid? What do we do, sister, in such an event? I cannot bear to watch her suffer anymore.”
Celestia gave Luna a hopeful smile “We must not lose faith, sister. We must continue trying to the best of our abilities.” She gazed out the window, and sent a silent, desperate prayer out into the world.
Somepony please help us. We are out of options and time is running short. Please, I am begging you. Help us…
On the TARDIS, Ditzy Doo watched The Doctor stuff his muzzle full of butter.
“I still don’t understand how you can do that, Doctor. You’re going to get fat.”
He stopped for a brief moment, swallowed his butter and said “Nonsense Derpy, I can’t get fat, you know this.”
“No I don’t! And stop calling me ‘Derpy’!”
“You do now, Miss Hooves. Timelords can’t get fat, it’s been scientifically proven.”
Ditzy stared at him hard “Proven? By who?”
He swallows the last of his butter “By me, The Doctor.” He proclaims proudly.
“You can’t be serious…”
“Indeed I am, Derpy, indeed I am.” There was a strange noise from somewhere around the main console and The Doctor springs up and gallops over to it “Let’s see here, AH! We’ve got psychic mail!”
Ditzy looked at him curiously “Psychic mail? What’s that, Doctor?”
“It’s what happens when a particularly strong wish or desire is broadcast across space-time; very few instruments are sensitive enough to pick them up.” He said quickly as he began pushing buttons and flipping switches, half of which Ditzy was fairly certain didn’t actually do anything, and that the other half was completely random. The TARDIS lurched and set off towards their newest destination.
“Where are we going, Doctor?” Ditzy asked while struggling to remain steady.
“To wherever this mail came from, Miss Hooves.” He replied without looking at her.
The TARDIS stopped lurching and making noises. The Doctor trotted over to the door and flung it open to find two very surprised Princesses staring at him from a cushion on the floor. Ditzy followed swiftly behind him, saw the Princesses and gasped in horror.
“Oh! Um… Princess Celestia, Princess Luna! Um… We apologize for entering your room uninvited, your majesties…” Ditzy said, her face flushing red with embarrassment as she bowed. The Princesses looked at each, smiled, and then rose from the cushion.
“Oh, it is quite alright, my little pony. It is actually rather convenient that you have appeared at this time.” Princess Celestia replied, but then she looked at The Doctor gravely “We are in desperate need of your aid, Doctor, it is of a most serious matter.” Luna nodded in agreement.
The Doctor gaped at the Princesses “The psychic mail, it was from you? Good heavens, it must be bad. What’s the problem, your majesties?” A look of sorrow appeared on the Princesses faces.
“A dear friend of ours is dying. Nothing we have said or done has any effect on her. She continues to pretend that she is fine, when she clearly is not. She does not sleep well, she barely eats anything and she is so cold to the other ponies around her, even to us.” Princess Celestia looked imploringly at The Doctor “We are out of options, Doctor. We have done everything we can think of and failed. We do not know what else to do and we are so desperate. Please… help us.”
The Doctor looked thoughtfully at the Princess, then said “I’ll see what I can do, but if it’s a natural disease of some kind I’m not sure there will be much I will be able to do myself. Can you tell me your friend’s name, Princess?”
Princess Celestia was silent for a moment “Her name is Searing Shield, Doctor.”
The Doctor looked thoughtful for a moment “Shield… Shield… Why does that name sound so familiar? C’mon Doctor think, think.”
Princess Celestia saved him the trouble “She is the daughter of Stoic Shield and is the current Envoy of Fire.” The Doctor nearly fell over at that announcement.
“Stoic Shield’s daughter? HERE?! We’re at a point three hundred years after her father died, how can she be HERE?” He asked flabbergasted.
“The Envoys are not normal ponies, Doctor.” Princess Luna explained “They are ponies whose souls are bonded to an Elemental Spirit. They do not simply use the power of an Elemental Spirit; they very nearly are the Spirit itself, with the amount of power they can use limited only by their own physical stamina. They do not age like normal ponies, and when they die their Spirit leaves them to find a new host, preferring unborn ponies over grown. We are not entirely sure why.”
The Doctor got an enlightened look on his face “Oh, I get it! The rules that normally apply to ponies have no effect on the Envoys because of their connection to the Elemental Spirits! As for preferring unborn ponies, I imagine it has something to with the bonding process, makes it stronger perhaps. But what about you two? You both created Equestria; you make the sun and the moon move across the sky each day and you’re both immortal. Are you two similarly powerful?”
The Princesses glanced at each other, and then Princess Celestia spoke.
“Um, no Doctor, we are not. The kind of energy the Envoys can access predates ponykind – why are you laughing, Doctor?”
The Doctor puts a hoof up to his mouth and coughs “I apologize, it won’t happen again. Please continue your majesty.”
Princess Celestia looked at him curiously, but continued “As I was saying, the Elemental Spirits predate ponykind by many years. It is theorized that the Spirits are as old as the world itself. Just one Spirit is several magnitudes more powerful than my sister and I could ever imagine being.”
The Doctor pondered this information for a moment before saying “Well, normally I would love to learn more about the bond between Envoy and Spirit, but that isn’t why we’re here, is it? Tell me about Searing Shield’s illness. How sick is she? What are her symptoms? Is she contagious?”
Princess Luna shook her head “No, Doctor, she does not suffer from a physical illness. She is… disconnected from her heart.”
The Doctor gave her a curious look “I’m… sorry, I don’t seem to understand. How can she still be alive if her heart is not connected to her body?”
The look on Princess Luna’s face became strained “I am sorry, Doctor, I… do not quite know how to put this concept in a way that you could easily understand.” Princess Celestia stepped in at this point.
“During the day, she ignores other ponies if she can help it and in those moments she cannot, she is irritable with them. She constantly dismisses worries about her health, claiming she is fine. At night, she dreams of her time with her family, and that is if she sleeps at all.” Princess Celestia explained.
“She’s heartbroken.” Ditzy said, thoughtfully. The other three ponies looked at her in surprise.
Princess Celestia smiled “Yes, yes she is, Ditzy Doo. The issue is that she is not admitting she is in pain. My sister and I have tried to get her to open her heart to us, but she continues to brush us aside. We do not know how we can help her at this point. Please assist us, Doctor; you are her only hope… and ours.”
The Doctor was thoughtful for a moment “Well, I’m not sure how I can help in regards to emotional stress… I’m going to need some time to come up with a plan. Until then, where can I find Miss Shield? I’d like to see what we’re dealing with.”
“I last spoke with her at her house in the city. I am certain she is still there, she has no reason to go out today.” Princess Luna replied “She may be meditating in her garden.”
The Doctor smiling enthusiastically “Terrific, we’ll just head on over there and have a polite little chat.” And he turned to go back in the TARDIS.
“Doctor!” Ditzy exclaimed, horrified “You can’t just turn your flank on the Princesses, we have to be excused!” But Princess Celestia waved her hoof dismissively while smiling.
“It is quite alright, Ditzy Doo. Time is of the essence and we cannot afford to spend it on formalities. Do you require us to show you where Searing Shield lives, Doctor?”
“No, that won’t be necessary; I think your presence might make her less agreeable anyway. Better to keep your involvement a secret until we learn more.” The Doctor replied and both Princesses nodded “Let’s be off, Miss Hooves.” Ditzy looked at the Princesses with an embarrassed smile, gave a small bow and followed The Doctor into the TARDIS.
“How are we going to find Searing Shield, Doctor?” She asked once they were inside.
The Doctor glanced at her and said “Well, from what we’ve been told about the connection between Envoys and Spirits, I’m certain they exude some kind of energy. We just need to find the right frequency and then we should be able to lock onto Miss Shield’s energy signature and pop up right next to her.”
“I’m not sure suddenly appearing next to a pony with near unlimited power is a very good idea, Doctor.” Ditzy stated “Why not appear outside like we always do and knock politely?”
“Because she seems to be anti-social and will most likely not even come to the door, weren’t you listening to anything the Princesses were saying?” The Doctor replied.
Ditzy’s face flushed and she turned away from The Doctor with a “Humph!”
The Doctor stood, staring at a monitor and turning some kind of knob. After a moment, he gave a cry of victory.
“Found her! Wow, I didn’t think she’d show up THAT well on my screen; she’s got some serious power tucked away in there. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all. Eh, go big or go home, as they say. Brace yourself, Derpy; this might get a little interesting.”
“Define ‘interesting’, Doctor!” Ditzy called as the TARDIS began to shake.
“Interesting as in, we may experience some slight turbulence. Hold on!” He called back.
Ditzy began to scream as the shaking grew worse.
Seeri sat in her garden, attempting to clear her mind to meditate, but as usual it wasn’t working so well. Her temper began to rise as inner peace continued to elude her, when she felt a strange sensation, coming from a spot ten yards to her right. She sprang up, and her body burst into flame, ready to burn whatever was trying to invade her home.
She saw a strange blue box fade in and out of sight for a few seconds, and then it stopped. She stared at it curiously, dismissing her flames, but keeping some power ready just in case. She approached the box cautiously.
“What in Equestria…” She whispered to herself, and then the door creaked open and black smoke began pouring out along with a gray Pegasus with blonde mane and tail who was coughing and Seeri saw that her cutie mark was a bunch of bubbles. She seemed familiar, but Seeri couldn’t place where she’d seen this pony before.
“That was definitely not interesting, Doctor, we almost died!” The Pegasus said in between coughs. An Earth Pony followed her out, also coughing. He had a chestnut coat with brown mane and tail with an hourglass cutie mark.
“Aw, it wasn’t that bad, Derpy. Just a slight miscalculation in compensating for the amount of interference we’d experience. I honestly didn’t expect her to have so much power, though I should’ve seen it coming. Derpy, what’s wrong?” he said, nearly bumping into the Pegasus. He looked where she was staring.
There was a moment of stunned silence as Searing Shield, Ditzy Doo and The Doctor stared at each other. Seeri recovered first.
“Who are you?! What are you doing in my house?! And what IS that thing?! Answer me before I have you arrested for trespassing!” She demanded.
The Doctor stepped forward, unperturbed “Ah, yes. I’m The Doctor and this is my assistant, Derpy. We are here to see you, Miss Shield and THAT is the TARDIS. Hello, wonderful to meet you.” He extends a hoof in greeting but Seeri glares at it until The Doctor retracts his hoof with a small cough “Ahem, anyhoof, we were wondering if you could spare us a few minutes of your time, Miss Shield, we have some questions we’d like to ask you.”
“No.” She replied curtly and began to trot off towards the door to her house. The Doctor wasn’t expecting that.
“Umm, don’t you have any questions for me, like about my name? Or perhaps about the TARDIS?” He asked.
She spun around, eyes flashing with irritation “I do, actually. Why are you still here? Get out of my house!” And she stormed inside, Ditzy and The Doctor following close behind. Seeri noticed this and scowled “Thank you; it appears I’m getting locks for my garden later. Now get out!” She snarled, jabbing a hoof towards the front door.
“Not until I’ve had a word with you, Miss Shie-.” The Doctor said, but was interrupted.
“Call me ‘Miss Shield’ one more time and you will be leaving here in a box.” She glanced outside in the direction of the TARDIS “A small one." Seeri amended.
“Yes, well Searing, we rea-.” The Doctor began, but Seeri cut him off once more.
“If you must call me anything, call me ‘Seeri’; Everypony else does. By the way, you’re both still in my house. Get out!” She snaps, jabbing her hoof at the door again.
“They weren’t kidding when they said she was irritable, Doctor.” Ditzy whispered and The Doctor shot her a look.
“Derpy, hush! She can’t know that-.” The Doctor began, but was interrupted again.
“Can’t know what? Who said I was irritable?!” Seeri demanded, but then her eyes widened “They sent you, didn’t they? Didn’t they?! Ugh, I TOLD them I was fine, that I didn’t need their help! Why do they have to keep trying to butt into my personal life?!” Seeri ranted as paced back and forth before spinning on the time travelers “Go back to the Princesses and convince them that I don’t need your help or theirs, and also, I never want to see you two again! Am I clear?!”
And then she turned towards the stairs and stormed up to her room without waiting for an answer. There was a slam from upstairs and the house grew quiet. Ditzy stood in stunned silence, but The Doctor had a concerned look on his face.
“She’s worse off than they think. Come along, Ditzy, I think I have an idea now.” The Doctor said as he trotted out through the garden door, Ditzy following close behind.
From her bedroom window, Searing Shield watched the two ponies walk across the garden, enter the blue box and then she watched the box disappeared.
How does it do that? How do they- She clamped down on that thought. It was irrelevant, and didn’t concern her.
She looked at her bed, contemplating a nap. She felt exhausted, but she trotted back downstairs to fix herself some lunch instead. As she was eating, there was a knock at the door and Seeri ignored it. After a moment, there was pounding at the door, which signified royal business.
Seeri groaned, stood up from her cushion and trotted over to the door and flung it open. As expected, one of Celestia’s stewards stood before her holding out a letter with Celestia’s Royal Seal on it. Seeri took it from his hoof and opened it. It told Seeri she was expected by the Princess at her earliest convenience, which Seeri knew was Celestia’s polite way of saying Come here now. She returned the letter.
“Very well, tell the Princess I shall be there momentarily.” She told the steward coldly, who merely nodded and flew away. Seeri returned to her lunch, finished it, stepped out into the garden and flew off towards the palace, fuming the entire way.
Princess Celestia sat on her throne, waiting patiently for Seeri, who trotted in a few minutes after Celestia’s steward had returned. Princess Celestia gave her a warm smile.
“Greetings, Searing Shield. I trust your morning was eventful?”
Seeri stopped a short distance from the throne, but didn’t bow.
“What do you require of your Envoy, Princess?” Seeri said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Hey! Don’t take that tone with the Princess, she only wants to help!” A high-pitched voice called from nearby.
Seeri spun around to see the two trespassers from earlier trotting out from behind a pillar, with the brown one shaking his head dismally.
“You two! I thought I said I never wanted to see you again!” Seeri shouted, angrily.
The Doctor shrugged “I have peo-, err, I mean, ponies tell me that all the time, and yet here I am. Good to see you again, Seeri.”
Seeri was about to speak, but Princess Celestia cut her off.
“That is quite enough, Searing Shield; they are here at my request. Please listen to what they have to say.”
Seeri glared at Celestia, but did as she was told.
The Doctor nodded at Princess Celestia “Thank you, your majesty. Now, Seeri, you have a very serious health problem.”
Seeri snorted “No, I don-.”
But this time, it was The Doctor’s turn to cut her off “Yes, you do, Seeri. Anypony with two eyes and a brain can see that you do. You try to ignore it, but you are under severe mental and emotional stress. You need to get rid of this stress or you will die.”
Seeri glared at him “Oh, really? Say that I am under stress. What do you plan to do about it, considering you broke into my home earlier, for which I am still well within my authority to have you arrested for!” She sneered.
“I want you to come with me in the TARDIS.” He replied calmly.
“WHAT?!” Both Ditzy and Seeri exclaimed at once.
“Doctor, you can’t be serious! You want her to come with us in the TARDIS?!” Ditzy asked incredulously.
“Like I would get in that stupid blue box with you and that wall-eyed mare!” Seeri said at the same time.
Ditzy froze and turned slowly towards Seeri “What… did you just call me?” She asked in a low voice.
“Oh dear…” The Doctor said. He could sense trouble brewing between Ditzy and Seeri.
Seeri turned squarely towards Ditzy “I called you a wall-eyed mare, because that’s what you are! Tell me, are those wings just for show or do they actually work, because you look like you barely know which way to trot, let alone how to fly!” She sneered at Ditzy.
“Ditzy, don’t respond, just trot in the other direction.” The Doctor said urgently. Ditzy turned her head to look at him and he saw raging fury in her eyes.
“No.” She hissed and The Doctor gulped.
Princess Celestia tried to restore order “Now, now fillies, I am sure we can-.”
“STAY OUT OF IT!” Seeri and Ditzy snapped in unison. Princess Celestia closed her mouth, stunned.
Ditzy glared at Seeri, her eyes burning with rage “How dare you… How DARE you?! You have the gall to call me wall-eyed, yet you seem blind to the way you treat everypony around you! Tell me, who were the ponies that raised you, because they did a bang-up job seeing how rude you are to your own Princesses, whom you should be treating with the upmost respect! I have no idea how Princess Celestia and Princess Luna put up with you all these years, I personally would’ve sent you as far away from Canterlot as possible! Maybe back to whatever dung heap you crawled out… oof!” Seeri had launched herself at Ditzy and pushed her to the ground, her body blazing.
“DON’T YOU DARE SPEAK ABOUT MY AUNTS THAT WAY, THEY WERE BETTER PONIES THAN YOU’LL EVER BE AND THEIR HOUSE WAS BEAUTIFUL ALL THE TIME AND WONDERFUL MUSIC PLAYED EVERYDAY AND… And…” A few tears rolled down her muzzle onto Ditzy “And… I just… left them…”
“Searing Shield, get off of my assistant, if you please.” There was an edge to The Doctor’s voice.
Seeri snapped her head to glare at him, but she moved and Ditzy got up. Ditzy started trotting towards the TARDIS, but paused next to The Doctor.
“Do what you want. She can come in the TARDIS so long as she stays far away from me, or better yet, take me home and the two of you can have all the adventures you want. I don’t care what you decide, but I don’t want anything more to do with her.” And then she stormed off into the TARDIS, slamming the door behind her.
“Derpy, don’t be like that!” The Doctor protested, but she didn’t come back out. He sighed and turned back to see Seeri staring at the ground, her flames having dispersed shortly after getting off of Ditzy. She had a sad, lonely look on her face, like she was filled with regret over something she’d done, or hadn’t done.
“Seeri… Are you alright?” The Doctor asked.
She was quiet for a moment, but then looked at The Doctor, a remnant of defiance still in her eyes.
“I’ve told you before, I’m fine, so quit asking me that.” She snapped weakly. She got a thoughtful look on her face “Where would we go, Doctor?” She asked.
Princess Celestia gasped in surprise. Five minutes with The Doctor and Ditzy had gotten a different reaction out of Seeri than all the years of Celestia’s and Luna’s attempts to talk to her. She felt her heart fill with hope.
This might work. This might actually work! She thought, happily.
The Doctor shrugged “Here, there, who knows? Come with me and you’ll find out.”
Seeri was thoughtful for a moment, and then she turned towards The Doctor “Fine. I’ll go, if it’s alright with you, Celestia.”
Princess Celestia gaped at her “Are you… actually asking my permission, Seeri? I-I don’t… Yes, Searing Shield, you have leave to go with The Doctor. Safe travels, all of you.”
Searing Shield nodded at Celestia and turned to follow The Doctor to the TARDIS. They paused at the door and The Doctor glanced back at Seeri.
“Ah, do you mind waiting here for just one second while I attempt to calm my assistant, Seeri?” He asked nervously. She merely nodded and sat down “Thank you, I’ll be right back.” And he went inside the TARDIS. Ditzy was laying against a wall on the opposite side from the door and she looked like she’d been crying. The Doctor trotted over to her.
“Are you alright, Miss Hooves?” He asked quietly. She sniffed and looked away from him.
“Just… take me home already. I know you’d rather have a unicorn be your assistant, and now you have the chance for an Alicorn. Why do you need silly, clumsy old Derpy traveling with you when you can have her?” She said between sniffs. The Doctor laid down opposite her and turned her head to face him.
“Listen, Ditzy, I won’t lie to you. Yes, I would’ve liked to have a unicorn as my assistant. I’m utterly fascinated by how they are able to do their magic, but you were the first pony I ever met, Ditzy Doo. I could’ve chosen any other pony to come with me at any time, but I picked you and I wouldn’t replace you even if Princess Celestia, herself, begged to come with me.” He gave her a reassuring smile “Given the chance, I would choose you all over again.”
Ditzy sniffed “Do you mean it, Doctor? Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have some other pony?”
“Every word, Ditzy, and not even if all the ponies on Equestria lined up for inspection. I would still choose you.” He assured her.
Ditzy sniffed, rubbed her eyes and smiled “Thanks, Doctor, I’ll be fine now. What about Seeri?”
“She’ll be coming with us for a little while. She’s waiting outside as we speak.” He replied. Ditzy looked at the door, warily.
“I need your help on this one, Ditzy. I might go positively insane if I have to be left alone with her.” He stood up and offered Ditzy his hoof “Will you lend me your aid, assistant?” He said with a smile.
Ditzy stared at him for a moment, before nodding and taking his hoof. He helped her up and said “Alright, let’s get this show on the road!” He galloped over to the door and opened it “You can come in now, Seeri.”
“It’s about time.” Seeri’s voice came in from outside “I was starting to think you would actually leave and let my life go back to being… normal?” Her voice drifted off as she trotted inside and looked around. Then she glanced back at the door, her face curious “How strange.” She said “It’s bigger inside than out.” Ditzy sniggered and Seeri shot her a fierce glare.
“Play nice, fillies, we don’t want anything in here getting accidently damaged. Celestia knows what would happen in such an event.” The Doctor warned them.
They both looked at him and nodded. Seeri trotted up to the main console and looked at it.
“There are so many buttons.” She said, examining it “Do you know what they’re all for?” She reached a hoof out to try and press one.
“Please don’t touch, Seeri.” The Doctor said, pulling her hoof away.
She looked at him indignantly “Why, what does it do?” She asked.
“I honestly can’t remember. Reason enough to stay away from it, don’t you think?” he replied casually.
Seeri stared hard at him “You’re joking with me, aren’t you?”
“No, not really.”
She was silent for a moment before she trotted away from the main console.
“Where are we going first, Doctor?” Seeri asked.
“Where do you want to go, Seeri?”
Seeri flushed and looked away “I… don’t know, Doctor, that’s why I asked you.”
“Oh, but I think you do know. Tell me what’s inside your heart, Seeri, don’t hide it.”
Seeri was silent for a moment “My Aunts, I… I want to see them again.” She said, quietly.
The Doctor smiled “Then it’s off to Ponyville. We’ll need to time this so that we won’t run the risk of bumping into a past version of you.”
Seeri looked at him curiously “Why? What happens if I meet my past self?”
“All sorts of Time Paradox related nastiness could occur.” He replied casually again, like it was no big deal. Seeri stared at him like he was a madpony that needed to be placed in an asylum. She decided to trot over to Ditzy and attempt to talk to her.
“Is he always like this?” She asked Ditzy. Ditzy only huffed and trotted away.
The Doctor glanced nervously at the gray pegasus “I’m sorry, Seeri, but you’re going to have to give Miss Hooves her space, she’s… not fond of you at the moment.”
“That’s the understatement of the century.” Ditzy said, coldly.
Seeri glowered at Ditzy “Whatever. I wasn’t trying to be her friend anyway.” And she trotted to a point on the complete other side of the TARDIS that Ditzy was on.
The Doctor looked at both of them “Well this is going to be exciting.” He muttered to himself. He continued scanning for a good point in time to meet with Seeri’s Aunts.
“Ah, this one looks good! I doubt we’ll run into you at all in this timeline, Seeri.” He exclaimed proudly.
“When are we meeting them?” Seeri asked, tensely.
The Doctor began flipping switches and pressing buttons, half of which Seeri was certain he messed with because they made an interesting sound. He even hit the button she was going to press earlier, she noticed.
“We’re going to their home in Ponyville, about 3 months after you left for Canterlot. It should be nice and emotional for everyone, I think.” He replied.
Seeri was quiet for a second “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I’d like to go back home, Doctor.” She said nervously.
“Oh, no you don’t, Seeri. You’re not getting cold hooves on me now and besides, we’re already there. It’s just a short trot to their house from where we are.”
Seeri glanced nervously at the door. The Doctor trotted over to her, putting a hoof reassuringly on her shoulder “Trust me, Seeri; you’re going to feel so much better when we’re done. All I ask is that you remain strong.”
A voice echoed in Seeri’s mind, a memory from when her mother died “Seeri… I know it hurts. I know all you want to do is curl up and cry, but I must ask that you remain strong, Seeri. Strong enough for the both of us.” Seeri was quiet for a while.
“Alright, Doctor.” She said, steeling her resolve “I’m ready.”
Octavia sat on her cushion, flipping through various pieces of mail, when Vinyl Scratch trotted into the living room, having finished her morning session in the studio. Octavia sighed, and placed the unopened mail on the coffee table next to her. Vinyl took a seat on the cushion on the opposite side, glanced at the mail, then at Octavia.
“No mail from Seeri, again, Octy?”
“Yes, and it worries me. It feels a little like she’s dropped off of the face of Equestria, sometimes.”
Vinyl gave her a winning smile “Don’t worry, Octy, think about whose daughter she is. She has the strength of both of them, I’m sure she can handle whatever big nasty the world can throw at her.”
Octavia sighed again “Yes, I suppose you’re right, but she is family and I can’t help worrying about her. I’m sure you do, too, Vinyl.”
“Not one bit.” Vinyl responded, though she wasn’t looking at Octavia at that moment.
They both sat in silence, staring at the fire in the hearth, when they heard a knock at the door.
“NO VISITORS, AND MOST CERTAINLY, NO FANS!” Vinyl yelled at the door. The only response was more knocking. Vinyl groaned, stood up and headed for the door. Octavia heard her fling open the door and start to say “I said no visitors, are you-” When she suddenly stopped.
“Is everything alright, Vinyl?” Octavia called out.
“I… it’s… Octy, get in here!” She heard Vinyl call urgently from the door.
“Vinyl, what’s so urgent that you can’t-“
“Octavia, NOW!”
Octavia had never heard Vinyl use that tone of voice before and hurried to the front door to see Vinyl staring out it with her mouth practically on the floor.
“Vinyl, what’s wrong I’ve never heard you speak… like… that…” She felt her own mouth drop as she looked out the door.
Standing on the front step was Searing Shield, with an embarrassed smile on her face. Behind her was Ditzy Doo, who looked younger than when Octavia had last seen her, along with a strange brown pony with an hourglass cutie mark.
There was only silence for a moment, and then Seeri spoke.
“Hi… Aunt Octavia, Auntie Vinyl... can I come in?” Vinyl and Octavia both nodded silently, too stunned to even speak.
Seeri trotted inside, followed by The Doctor and Ditzy. Seeri looked around as they headed for the living room.
“The house looks nice. Have you two been redecorating?” Seeri asked, in an attempt to break the ice.
There was no need for the effort, though, for once Vinyl recovered from the shock of seeing Seeri she proceeded to tackle her to the floor squealing in delight.
“She’s here, Octy! Our little Seeri came home!” after which, Vinyl realized how she was acting and promptly disentangled herself from Seeri and tried to pretend it didn’t happen. “Hey Seeri, wassup? How’ve you been lately?” she said coolly, but with her face bright red.
Seeri laughed and said “I’m… doing better than I have been, Auntie Vinyl, but it’s not what you think it is. I’m… not staying long. I wish I could, though.”
Octavia walked in, then, and said “Well, I’m sure you can stay long enough for a bit of tea, right?”
Seeri smiled “Tea… yes, I believe I can. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had your tea, Aunt Octavia.”
The Doctor piped up at this point “Ah, yes, I’ll have some too if you don’t mind. Feels like it’s been ages since I’ve had a decent cup of tea. Maybe with a side of butter, perhaps?”
Octavia, Vinyl Scratch and Searing Shield turn to him and say in unison “What?”
Ditzy coughed, and began to laugh nervously “Ahahaha, don’t mind him he’s just joking. What a kidder hahaha!”
“No I’m no- Ow!”
“Ah hahaha!”
Octavia, Vinyl and Seeri stare at Ditzy and The Doctor. Then Vinyl promptly stands up.
“Whoa, hold the phone here, folks. We got strange ponies in the house and I don’t have my face on yet. Gimmie a sec, cuties.” And she proceeds to head to her room, returning mere seconds later wearing her traditional purple sunglasses. Satisfied, she sits back down “Much better. Hi, I’m Vinyl Scratch, but you all can call me Vinyl. Except for Seeri, who has to call me Auntie Vinyl, no substitutions. At all. Period.”
“And I’m Octavia, a pleasure to meet you.” Octavia says with a polite nod.
The Doctor smiles at them and says “Oh. Hello, Vinyl, Octavia. I’m The Doctor. And this is my assistant, Derpy.”
“My name is Ditzy, Doctor, how many times do I have to say that?”
Octavia latches on to Ditzy’s words “Ah, yes. Actually, Ditzy, we’ve met several times already and you’re looking… well, younger than when we last saw each other.”
Vinyl jumps on this statement immediately “Yeah, Ditzy, as I’ve also noticed. Tell me, what’s your secret? Anti-aging Hoof Polish? Specially made Coat Moisturizers, perhaps? OH! You got a unicorn to magic your-.”
“Vinyl Scratch!” “Auntie Vinyl!” Octavia and Seeri exclaim in unison, both horrified. Vinyl Scratch merely starts laughing as though she’d told a hilariously funny joke that only she got. Ditzy, however, was mortified.
The Doctor comes to her rescue with a perfectly reasonable explanation “Actually, she’s the Derpy from the past, year one thousand and one to be precise. That’s the reason she looks so young, because she still is.” Octavia looked curiously at him.
“She’s from where, Doctor… I’m sorry; I think Vinyl interrupted you before you could tell us your name.”
“No I didn’t. He told us his name was The Doctor, he didn’t say anything else.”
“Vinyl, don’t be rude. Please, can you tell us your name, Doctor?”
Ditzy slapped a hoof to her face and groaned.
The Doctor looked at Octavia like she’d said something strange “Why? You seem to have it down right enough. And weren’t you going to make us some tea, Miss Octavia?”
Octavia started “Oh, right! I’m so sorry, Seeri, I nearly forgot the tea!” and she hurries off to the kitchen.
The Doctor was still looking in the direction she had run off to with a curious look on his face.
“Is she always so slow, Miss Vinyl? I just dangled Time Travel in front of her face and she hadn’t even moved past my name.” There was no response. He turned back to the gathered ponies to see Ditzy glancing nervously from Seeri and Vinyl, who both had a look of murder in their eyes, to The Doctor, who was completely oblivious to it. “What? Was it something I said?”
Seeri glared at The Doctor and snarled “Watch your mouth, Doctor, before I burn it shut! You will NOT speak about my Aunts like that, am I clear?”
The Doctor looked at her strangely “What did I say?”
At that, Seeri stood up, eyes boring holes into The Doctor, her mane, tail and wings waving and flickering as though they were made of flame and her cutie mark began glowing faintly. “Open your mouth just one more time, Doctor, please. Give me an excuse turn you into a-.”
“That’s enough, Seeri.” Vinyl said, sternly.
“But he-.”
“Searing Shield, I believe I just said that’s enough, don’t make me repeat myself again.” Vinyl stated, staring at Seeri. Ditzy and The Doctor glanced at each other. They felt this was remarkably out of character for this particular pony, but they couldn’t explain why.
Seeri looked indignantly from Vinyl Scratch to The Doctor, but proceeded to sit back down next her Aunt, dispersing her built-up power into the fireplace, which roared violently for a few seconds before returning to normal.
“Sorry, Auntie Vinyl, it won’t happen again.” Seeri said, sullenly. Vinyl patted her head with a smile.
“It’s alright, Seeri. Octy said you’ve been under a bit of stress lately, so I can understand you getting easily angered.” As she said this last part, though, she shot The Doctor a look which made him think he wasn’t making any friends with her, either. Octavia then calls out from the kitchen.
“Vinyl, Seeri, could you help me move the tea into the living room, please?”
“Coming!” They both say at once, and they hurried off to the kitchen. Vinyl returns a moment later magically carrying a large coffee table, which she places in the middle of the room. She heads back to the kitchen but stops, turns to Ditzy and asks “You want something to eat? We’ve got cupcakes, cookies; I think we may even have some muffins left over.”
Ditzy gasps and says “Muffins! I want some muffins, can I have some muffins, I’d really like some muffins, please let me have some muffins, PLEEEEASE!”
Vinyl laughs “Okay, okay slow down. I’ll go check on those muffins for ya.” And she disappears into the kitchen.
Ditzy looked at The Doctor to see him with his mouth open and an offended look on his face.
“Why, I never! What about me, am I not a guest in this house, too? Am I going to be offered any delicious pastries?”
“NO!” Vinyl and Seeri both yell from the kitchen.
The Doctor stared back at the kitchen in disbelief “These ponies are quite rude, Derpy, I think we should leave.”
Ditzy stomps her hoof on the floor “I am not going anywhere until I’ve had some muffins, Doctor.”
The Doctor huffed indignantly and looked away.
Octavia returned to the living room and took a seat on her cushion, placing a plate of tea biscuits on the table. Vinyl and Seeri followed closely behind carrying the tea and pastries on bright silver trays, which they placed around the tea biscuits, and then they too sat down in cushions. Seeri somehow ended up between Vinyl and Octavia, with Ditzy seated next to Vinyl. The Doctor, however, was stranded on the other side of the coffee table with Ditzy and Octavia just barely within reach. When he mentions this, he only receives cold stares from the other ponies. As Octavia is pouring the tea, however, she leans in close to The Doctor’s ear and whispers in it.
“I am not slow, Doctor, nor am I inhospitable. Yes, I did catch the Time Travel comment and it will be discussed later, along with your manners.” At which point she slides a plate of pastries and butter over to him before returning to her seat.
And they all sat quietly, drinking tea. Ditzy happily devoured her muffins, which The Doctor noticed that no pony else had gotten; not even him (or especially him, considering the circumstance). After thirty minutes, Vinyl and Seeri stood up and began clearing the table of dirty dishes and taking them to the kitchen, returning to their seats once finished. Silence still hung in the air, though, along with a nervous tension coming from Seeri.
“I… I’m sorry; it’s a little stuffy in here. Do you mind if I step out for some air, Aunt Octavia?” She asked, nervously.
Octavia looked at her for a second before saying “Of course, Seeri, feel free to go wherever you like. This is your home, too, you know.”
“Yes, of course, Aunt Octavia...” Seeri says in a strained voice, before rising and exiting the living room.
The room is quiet for a moment, and then Octavia rises from her cushion.
“I beg your pardon, Doctor and Ditzy; I’m going to step outside as well. If you’ll excuse me.” And she exits the living room as well, leaving The Doctor and Ditzy alone with Vinyl Scratch. Ditzy slides over to The Doctor and whispers to him.
“Is Seeri ok? She seemed like she was going to lose it there for a second.”
The Doctor is about to respond, but Vinyl beats him to it “She’ll be fine, Ditzy. I think the three of us should have a polite little chat while they’re gone, though. I especially want to talk to you, Doctor.”
Vinyl was smiling at him, but he felt like a rabbit being chased by a wolf that’s about to move in for the kill. He gulped, nervously.
On the back porch, Seeri looked out across the yard at nothing in particular, trying to reorganize her thoughts and feelings. She was so preoccupied that she didn’t hear the back door open and close behind her.
“Are you okay, Seeri? The only time I’ve seen you that nervous around Vinyl and I was when your father first left you at our place to foalsit you.”
Seeri jumped, and turned quickly to Octavia.
“Oh, Aunt Octavia! I’m so sorry; I… didn’t hear you come out.” She said, embarrassed. Octavia only smiled at her.
“It’s also been a very long time since I’ve seen you so full of emotion. When I last saw you, it felt like you had withdrawn into yourself. It broke my heart seeing you like that; it was a little like talking to a beautifully carved statue, to be honest.” Octavia said, both warm and sad.
Seeri looked away, ashamed “I’m sorry, Aunt Octavia. I didn’t mean to hurt you, or Auntie Vinyl. I was… going through some bad things.” Octavia wrapped her in a warm and gentle hug, like she’d always done for Seeri on cold and lonely days.
“It’s alright, darling, I know you didn’t. I don’t hold any hard feelings towards you, nor will I ever. You’re family to us, and we love you dearly.”
Seeri broke the embrace and faced Octavia, with an expression of resolute sadness, and said “There’s something I have to tell you, Aunt Octavia, and I have to tell you now or I won’t have the courage to do it at all. I’m not from this time, Aunt Octavia I’m from well into the future, long after you and Auntie Vinyl are gone.” Octavia looked at her with a sad smile.
“I already know, honey.” She replied. Seeri very nearly fell over in surprise.
“Wha…? How did you…?” Seeri stammered.
“I can see it in the way you move and speak. You have matured so much since I last saw you that I knew you couldn’t be from this time. Plus Ditzy is far younger than she should be and your Doctor friend flat out told me she was from the past. Two plus two makes four, Seeri. And there’s one more piece of evidence that suggests you’re from the future.”
Seeri looked at her curiously “What’s that, Aunt Octavia?”
“Your eyes, Seeri. When I last saw you, your eyes were dull, but still so very young. I look into your eyes now, I see light and life returning to them but I also see age. Your eyes are old, Seeri.” She replied sadly.
There was silence between them for a moment.
“I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye, Aunt Octavia, I know that I’ve made you two worry endlessly about me. That isn’t how family treats each other.” Tears started trickling from Seeri’s eyes “I’m so sorry, Aunt Octavia!” And she hugged Octavia tightly and cried. They didn’t break their embrace for a long time, only doing so once Seeri and Octavia both stopped crying. They took a moment to wipe their remaining tears from their eyes.
Seeri smiled at her Aunt “I thought I’d cried myself out after his funeral. Over three hundred years old, and I still keep assuming things. Aunt Octavia, what’s wrong?” Octavia stared at Seeri in shock.
“Three hundred years?! Seeri, honey… I can’t… All those years… Seeri… Oh, Seeri. You lived with all that pain for so long? I… I don’t know what to say, sweetie…” Octavia felt her heart breaking all over again for her poor niece. Seeri gave her Aunt a sad smile.
“It was tough, Aunt Octavia. There were some days that were harder than others. Most of the time I was moody and disconnected from everything. I stopped going out, except when I had to and I kept my interactions with other ponies to a minimum. Nights were always the hardest; I hated going to sleep, because when I did, I would dream of them. I would dream I was running endlessly trying to catch them but they were always just out of reach. Even Luna, with all of her magic, couldn’t make the dreams stop. Though, it wasn’t all bad. Sometimes, I would dream of days with my father and mother when we were happiest. Sometimes, I would even dream of you and Auntie Vinyl, and our time together at the station. I loved those dreams. I never wanted to wake from them, but the sun would rise and the pain would return. Looking back… I think I acted so bad in an attempt make me feel like I wasn’t the only one in complete misery. I owe Celestia and Luna a profound apology; tey stuck with me, no matter how bad I was. All those long years that I was moody and distant and they never, ever abandoned me. I owe them a great debt.” Seeri looked up at Octavia to see she was crying again.
“You are so strong, Seeri, just like your father. Any lesser pony I know would’ve gone mad within a year. You held yourself together for three hundred years, even if you did shut everypony out. You were still you deep down.” Octavia said, proudly.
Seeri smiled warmly “It’s not all me. I have a wonderful family that always loves me and never gives up on me, no matter what.”
Octavia saw the smile, and her face grew thoughtful, as though remembering a fond memory.
“Stoic always smiled like that around us, especially when he was with you and your mother. When you smile like that… I can really see him in you; it’s almost like he never left. I’ve heard ponies all over say his face never betrayed any emotion except indifference but Vinyl, your mother and I, plus every other pony that was close to him, knew differently. That his namesake expression was covering up a warm, gentle, proud and fiercely loyal nature. Would you like to hear a story about your father, Seeri?”
“I think we all would, Octy.” Vinyl said from the door. This time it was Octavia’s turn to jump. Vinyl and Seeri laughed.
“Wha… How long have you been standing there, Vinyl?” Octavia asked, surprised.
“Not too long, though long enough to hear Seeri’s story. And it’s not just me; The Doctor and Ditzy are here, too.” Vinyl said, stepping aside and letting said ponies out onto the porch.
Octavia glared at the unicorn “You didn’t have to come out here, Vinyl.”
“Sure, I did. You two were taking forever to come back and I wanted to see what was up. Glad I did, too. Say, Seeri; were ya gonna tell me any of that stuff if I hadn’t come out here? I’m your Aunt, too, y’know.”
Seeri blushed and said “Err, yes, actually. I had originally intended to tell both of you at the same time, but… I got nervous… I’m sorry, Auntie Vinyl.”
Vinyl merely laughed and hugged her “Hey, don’t worry about it kiddo, happens to everypony. Well, not me, but everypony else.”
Seeri smiled at her Aunts and they said nothing for a moment.
“Aunt Octavia, weren’t you going to tell me a story about my father?” Seeri asked.
“Oh, yes of course, Vinyl knows this one too. It happened before your parents married. We were all going out for lunch at a new diner that had just opened up.” Octavia began.
“Yeah, and we were running late, too. You wouldn’t stop messing with your mane. You kept thinking there was a hair out of place and you were freaking out big time. Took me half an hour to convince you your mane was fine.” Vinyl said, giggling. Octavia blushed and Seeri laughed.
“Yes well, aside from that, when we got to the diner, we saw your father and mother being accosted by some idiotic stallions who thought that if they could beat the pony who had defeated the demon, they’d become famous… or something to that extent.”
“Or something.” Vinyl repeated.
“Their only problem was, no matter what they said to him, no matter how hard they pushed, he never lifted a hoof against them nor said any words in anger. His face didn’t even show any emotion except indifference. Frustrated, one of them turns to your mother and decides to try getting a reaction out of her, because she was sitting off to the side doing nothing except smile because she knew they were never going to get anything out of Stoic.”
“This, of course, was an extremely bad idea. You know how your father was.” Vinyl added. Seeri nodded, smiling.
Octavia continued “The stallion takes one step, just one little step, in your mother’s direction when Stoic suddenly appears in front of him, a face full of wrath ‘Don’t you even dare’ he snarls. The other ponies gaped at Stoic, because none of them had seen him move. They were dumbfounded; the stoic pony they’d been trying to bully was gone, replaced by a pony that was ready to buck them into next week if they put so much as one hoof out of line.”
Vinyl was laughing at this point “The look on their faces was priceless! I wish I’d had my camera on me that day.”
Octavia giggled herself, but continued.
“So anyway, Vinyl and I were standing far enough away so as not to attract attention, but close enough that we could see and hear everything. The stallions didn’t know what to do at this point. The one who had tried to move on your mother was terrified. He stepped back to his friends, who started whispering to him, trying to goad him into moving past Stoic thinking he wasn’t going to do anything. Stoic seemed to have heard or maybe just knew what they were thinking because he said ‘Any of you who try to torment her will be going to the hospital. Who wants to be first?’ None of them moved and your mother never once stopped smiling, because she knew what they didn’t. That Stoic would not let anything bad happen to her.”
“Don’t get the wrong idea; your mom was one tough mare. She could’ve handled all those stallions and not even rustle her mane.” Vinyl said.
Octavia smiled at the memory “She was indeed, but she was also graceful and calm. She didn’t do anything because she had no reason to. Her involvement was simply not needed and she knew it. The stallions, at this point, were extremely nervous and beginning to show it, shuffling from one hoof to the other. After staring each other down for a few minutes, the stallions finally dispersed, and Stoic relaxed. We had a wonderful lunch that day, laughing about the encounter the entire time.”
Vinyl was laughing hard “It was one of the best days of my life, it was so funny!”
Seeri was staring at Octavia amazed “My father really did that?”
Octavia smiled “Yes, dear, he really did. That’s who your father was. He spared almost no thought for his own well-being. Prince Blueblood, himself, could not get a reaction out of him, though he did test Stoic’s patience quite a bit. Stoic Shield’s true self only came out around his family and friends or when innocent ponies were being harassed. He always liked to say ‘I am the line’ when standing in the face of danger. I always thought it was a stupid phrase, but there has never been a more selfless pony before… or since.”
They were silent for a moment.
“Aunt Octavia? Auntie Vinyl? Do you hate my father for leaving?” Seeri asked.
Octavia and Vinyl Scratch were both silent for a long time.
Octavia looked at Seeri and said “Well… I can’t say I agreed with his decision, nor did I approve of it. I was angry at him for a long time, but it wasn’t necessarily because he left. He caused you so much pain, Seeri, and I resented him for doing that. Even now, after so long, I would probably grind him into the dirt for all the pain he’s caused you, but…” She looked away, an anguished expression on her face “He was our friend, probably our closest and dearest friend, and we miss him so very much. We don’t hate him for what he did; we’re sure he left because he had no other choice and we’re absolutely certain it tore him to pieces to do it because he would not have left you so easily. He loved you and your mother more than anything else in Equestria and he would die a thousand times before he would allow you to come to harm, especially after your mother was gone.”
Seeri sat in silence, her mind deep in thought.
Vinyl Scratch gave her a gentle shove “It wasn’t all bad, Seeri. You were a total blast to care for, even though you were so sad most of the time, and look at you now! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful Alicorn. You’ve got your mother’s grace and looks, your father’s stubbornness and your Auntie’s taste in music. You’re the complete package! Given the choice, we would do it all over again.”
Seeri blushed “Thanks, Auntie Vinyl.” Seeri stood up.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Octavia, Auntie Vinyl, but I think it’s time for me to go now.”
The looks on Octavia’s and Vinyl’s faces were anguished. They didn’t want her to go, but they also stood up and followed her to the front door without question. As Seeri walked out the door with The Doctor and Ditzy, she turned back and said
“Thank you for the tea, Aunt Octavia, it was wonderful. And… thank you, both of you, for taking such good care of me and showing me so much love. I’m grateful to you, even if I rarely ever show it. I truly am sorry that I left without saying a word. I love both of you so much and I’ll miss you dearly. Goodbye, Aunt Octavia. Goodbye, Auntie Vinyl.” She hugged them both, turned and started to trot back towards the TARDIS, which was around the next corner.
As she approached the corner, she stopped, turned back towards her Aunts’ house and saw them still at the door, watching her leave. She smiled and waved goodbye. They waved back, with Vinyl waving her legs in the air frantically and who also put her hooves up to her mouth and screamed
“See you later, kiddo!”
At that, Seeri felt one last tear slid down her face. She turned away and rounded the corner, knowing she would never see her Aunts again.
Ditzy and The Doctor were waiting patiently at the TARDIS as Seeri approached.
“All set?” The Doctor asked. Seeri didn’t respond, but he didn’t push it. He opened the door and the three of them went inside to take Seeri to her next stop.
Seeri went to one side of the TARDIS and sat down, deep in thought. Ditzy stared thoughtfully at her; she hadn’t thought Seeri could be so vibrant.
The Doctor glanced at Ditzy and asked “Something on your mind, Miss Hooves?”
“I didn’t think she could be anything other than mean. She kind of surprised me in there.” She replied.
“She didn’t surprise me. I knew she was capable of it; she just needed to express it and her Aunts were perhaps the only ponies she could be herself around. However, it’s not enough to heal her; she needs one final push, and it’s not going to be gentle, either.” The Doctor looked at her curiously “Why are you suddenly so interested in Seeri? I thought you hated her.” Ditzy blushed and looked away, annoyed.
“Wh-what are you talking about, Doctor? I don’t care about her!” She stammered.
“Feeling’s mutual, Derpy, and you two can quit talking about me like I’m not right here, it irritates me.” Seeri called out from her spot, an irritated look on her face. She stood up and trotted back over to them “I’ve seen my Aunts, can you take me home now?”
“Nope, you still have one more stop to make.” The Doctor replied without looking at her.
Seeri glared at him “No, I’m pretty sure you’re taking me home now, so do it!” She demanded.
“Nah, this next one’s important for you, so that’s where we’re going.” The TARDIS began to lurch as they started to travel.
“What do you mean? Where are we going, Doctor?” Seeri asked. He didn’t respond “Doctor, where are we going?!” She demanded again, and again met only silence. She turned to Ditzy “You, Derpy! You’re his assistant, aren’t you? Where are we going?”
“My name is Ditzy, and I don’t know! Do I look like I know how this thing works and even if I did what makes you think I’d tell you anything?” Ditzy snapped back.
The TARDIS stopped making noise and Searing Shield knew they had reached where The Doctor was taking her.
“Doctor, where ARE we?” Seeri demanded, her temper rising.
The Doctor looked at her somberly and when he spoke, his usual jovial tone was replaced with something…sadder.
“We are in a meadow on the edge of Ponyville, in the year 1010 of Celestia’s Reign. More specifically… this is the day you last saw your father, Seeri.”
Searing Shield froze completely, which Ditzy thought was amazing considering she was the Envoy of Flame. Her eyes were wide with both terror and fury, her chest barely moving. When she spoke, it was a barely audible whisper.
“Doctor… what am I going to see when I open that door?”
The Doctor’s expression didn’t change, except to maybe grow a little sadder.
“I think it would be better for you to just open it.”
Seeri turned slowly towards the door of the TARDIS and approached it. She reached a hoof gingerly for the handle, hesitated for a brief second, and then flung it open.
Golden light spilled into the TARDIS and Seeri looked at the scene before her.
The day was coming to an end, the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. There was a sweet, gentle breeze blowing and the meadow grass waved gracefully. Sitting about fifty yards from the TARDIS was a single pony, with a silver-gray coat and an orange mane as vibrant as a flame. As the breeze rustled his mane, the tip of his horn was just barely visible.
Seeri’s rage and fear vanished, and she began to trot towards the lone pony in a slow, dreamlike state. Ditzy tried to follow, but The Doctor moved in front of the door.
“What’s wrong, Doctor?” She asked.
“This is between them, Ditzy; we would only be getting in the way.”
Seeri was no longer aware of their existence, was no longer aware she was moving. Her eyes did not see the meadow around her, only the single pony in front of her. Her mind began filling with memories she thought she had long forgotten.
As she got closer to the lone pony, he turned to face her. His eyes were still the same fiery orange that she remembered from so long ago. As his familiar stoic gaze fell upon her, it melted away into a warm smile that made her feel like a young filly again, returning home from a day of play and learning.
She stopped just a few feet away from him and they stared at each other for a long time, the grass waving gently between and around them. Then he spoke.
“Hello, sweetheart.” In the same tone he used as though she had just returned home.
“Dad?” She felt like she was dreaming.
He nods, his smile never leaving his face.
“Look at you; you’ve grown into such a strong and beautiful mare, so much like your mother. You look just like her, you know”
Seeri couldn’t speak, could barely breathe.
Finally, she focused enough to talk. “You left me… after Mom, you just…”
His eyes grew sad “I abandoned you to face all manner of hardship by yourself.” He finished for her.
All the years of loneliness and heartache came crashing down on Seeri and as her legs threatened to give out on her, she began to recite the mantra which had gotten her through the worst days silently.
Shields never cry, Shields never cry.
But it didn’t work, her eyes began to burn and her vision grew blurry. Seeri began to recite under her breath.
“Shields never cry, Shields-“
“Let it go, Seeri, stop fighting it.”
She stopped reciting and stared at her father, stunned.
“Stop fighting your heart. Cry, let it out, don’t hold it in any longer.”
She didn’t want to listen to him, didn’t want to listen to the pony who had left her all alone for so many years, but his words reverberated through her mind like a gong in a stone temple. She felt her emotional and mental defense start to crumble, the very same defenses which had held up to every psychological and mental assault fate could throw at her.
Seeri struggled to hold it together, but as her breaths turned to labored sobs and tears began to roll down her cheek, she knew it was hopeless, and she felt herself start to collapse.
Then… she felt familiar warmth, warmth she had not felt for a very long time, and one last memory came to her.
She had taken a bad fall while trying to sneak out of her room to go play with her friends. As she tried to rise, a jolt of pain ran up one of her legs and she found it would not support her. The pain was terrible and she began to cry. A shadow fell over her immediately and she found herself being lifted off the ground and placed on her father’s back. He carried her back inside, trying to calm and comfort her with each step. After treating her wounds, he carried her over to a cushion, laid her down on it then laid down next her, draping a leg over her shoulder and pulling her into a hug.
“It’s alright, honey, Daddy’s here. You’re going to be alright.” He cooed, softly.
Seeri eventually stopped crying as her mother laid down on her other side and hugged her as well. Then her mother began to sing softly and Seeri felt the pain in her leg melt away into warm sleep…
Back at the TARDIS, Ditzy saw Seeri collapse and her father catch her.
“Seeri!” She yelled and once again tried to go to her. And once again, The Doctor stopped her.
“Doctor, she needs help!”
“She does indeed, Ditzy, but not from us. We can’t help her with this. This is closure for her and she needs to come to terms with her own feelings.”
Ditzy glanced from The Doctor to Seeri, who had begun to stir. She gave a sigh of resignation and said “Alright, Doctor.” And they turned back to watch the scene unfold.
Seeri was back in the meadow, having collapsed during the flashback. She saw the TARDIS near the edge of the meadow, with The Doctor and Ditzy looking back at her. Seeri turned her head, and saw her father staring back at her sadly. Then she realized he was holding her, having caught her when she’d collapsed.
“I’m so sorry, Seeri, you have endured so much pain because of me, because I left you. I tried to leave things in a way that would ease the suffering, but you have still gone through so much… I’m so, so sorry.”
She looked at him for a brief moment, and then tears welled up in her eyes and began to flow freely, followed by a few sobs.
And then she began to wail and cry like she did in that memory from so long ago.
“Daddy!” She screamed as she spun around and hugged him tightly “I’ve missed you so much, and…” She gulped in air “I miss Mommy so much, too!”
He hugged her back and patted her head like he always did when she cried.
“I know, honey, I know. I miss you all the time when we’re apart, too, and…” Tears began to fall down his cheek and he choked back a sob “I miss your mother so much as well.”
They sat there for a long time, with Seeri sobbing uncontrollably after long years of pent-up grief and heartache and her father weeping at his daughter’s immense pain.
Back at the TARDIS, Ditzy felt tears of her own welling up at the sight of Seeri breaking down in her father’s hooves and at the sounds of long years of anguish being finally released into the air.
“Is she… going to be alright, Doctor?” She asked between sniffs.
When he didn’t respond, she looked at him and was about to repeat the question, but her words caught in her throat when she saw his face. He was staring at the father and daughter in the meadow, but his mind was obviously very far away. His expression worried her the most. Normally, The Doctor either had a jovial expression or an absolutely serious one, but this? This expression was old and weary, the look of a pony that has seen kingdoms rise and fall, has made and lost friends. After a moment, she found her voice again.
“Doctor?”
His eyes focused on her sharply and his mind snapped back from whatever reverie it had been in.
“Yes, what’s wrong, Ms. Hooves?”
“Are you… alright?” She asked tentatively.
He was silent for a moment “Not really, no, but I’ll be okay, Derpy, I always am. Back to your other question, yes, she should be fine now. Better than ever, really, but she still has a long way to go before she’s completely healed.
Ditzy gave him a small smile “So can we go to her now?”
The Doctor shook his head “Not yet, they still have much to talk about and they have all night for it. C’mon, let’s have some muffins while we wait for her.”
Normally, Ditzy would have been ecstatic at the prospect of muffins, but today…
She glanced back at Seeri and then shut the TARDIS door, giving the father and daughter absolute privacy.
Eventually Seeri and her father broke their embrace once Seeri got her tears under control. Seeri wiped at her eyes
“Heh, I thought I could control myself better than that.” She said with a sniff and a laugh “Shows what I know, huh, Daddy?”
Stoic Shield laughed like he always did. Warm and friendly.
“I used to be the exact same way, before Auntie Vinyl talked some sense into me.”
They both laughed at fond memories of Vinyl Scratch.
“She was one of the craziest ponies I ever knew.” Seeri said, wiping fresh tears from her eyes “I wondered how Aunt Octavia put up with her on a day-to-day basis, though her music was always the best.”
They both laughed again, and then they both got very quiet. The orange sky of sunset began to give way to the dark blue of night. After a moment, Seeri spoke up.
“Daddy, why did you leave me?”
Stoic looked at his daughter with both shame and sorrow. “I didn’t want to leave you, honey, especially after your mother was gone. It broke my heart to do it, but… Equestria needed me, I had to go.” He looked away.
“But why you?! Why not Freewind or Terra Firma or Diamond Dust?! Why not some other pony?!” New tears were forming in her eyes “Out of all the ponies on Equestria, why did it have to be you?”
He looked back at her with a resolute expression “Because a line was drawn, and I needed to be there to hold it. I couldn’t let some other pony fill in for me, not with so much at stake.”
She stared back at him angrily and said “To hay with the line, you didn’t have to be there! You don’t always have to be the one pony holding back the darkness!”
He stared at her sadly, while she took some deep breaths and calmed down. Then he took her head gently in his hoof and turned it to face him.
“Seeri, do you remember what I told you? The reason why I fight?”
She was quiet for a moment “Yes, Daddy, I do.”
“Tell me.”
She glanced away, for just a small second, and then stared back into his eyes.
“Every battle you fight is a battle somepony else does not have to. You fight because if you don’t, who will? You fight for all of us, for our future.”
“I fight for you, Searing Shield. I fight so that your future will always be bright and sunny and full of friends in a way mine could never be, though I guess I failed in that regard.”
This time, it was Seeri who looked away in shame.
“No, Daddy, you didn’t. After you were gone, Aunt Octavia and Auntie Vinyl raised me like I was their own filly. I never had any shortage of friends growing up and Celestia and Luna taught me everything there was to know about being an Alicorn. It felt a little like having a pair of big sisters, to be honest, but… I never saw how much good they were all doing, never saw the effort they were putting in to make me happy. My thoughts were ever consumed by you and Mommy leaving me all alone.” Her face grew remorseful “I’ve… done all of you a great disservice. Especially you, Daddy, you did your best for me, gave your life for me, and I repaid it by being a moody, uptight mare. I never even said goodbye to my Aunts, who put so much love and effort into raising me.”
She looked back at her father.
“I’m sorry…” She whispered, and then she began to cry again.
Stoic wrapped a leg around his daughter’s shoulders and pulled her into a warm and gentle hug.
“It’s alright, honey, Daddy’s here. You’re going to be alright.” He cooed softly, just like he did on that day so long ago. Seeri remembered the song her mother had once sung for her and she hummed it quietly. Both of them remembered a lovely Pegasus who sang beautifully, especially for them, and then Seeri finished the song. They stared out across the meadow in silence.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Don’t leave. Turn around and go home to your daughter, who loves you more than anything in her life.”
There was brief silence.
“You know I can’t do that, Seeri, and even if I did, it won’t make your life any less painful. I wish there was some other way, I truly do... I’m sorry.”
More silence.
“I’ll tell you what, honey, I’ll stay right here until morning and I won’t leave until you wake up.”
Seeri looked at her father.
“Do you promise, Daddy?”
“I swear it.”
The sounds of nighttime filled the air.
“I don’t want to sleep yet. Will you tell me a story, Daddy?’
Stoic smiled.
“Sure, sweetie, which one would you like to hear?”
“The story about you.”
“Me? That’s a long story, honey. But then again, the night is just starting. Alright. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?”
Back at the TARDIS, Ditzy peered out the door.
“They’re just sitting there, Doctor, I think they’re talking. Is it ok to go to her now?”
“Why on Equestria do you want to go over there so badly? Last I checked, you thought Seeri was extremely rude and unfriendly.”
Ditzy looked at The Doctor embarrassed.
“I… thought she was, but seeing her with her Aunts, watching her now… I can see she was just a pony in a lot of pain.”
The Doctor looked incredulously at her.
“What?” She asked, her face flushing.
“Oh, nothing, I just never thought you would change your mind about her. You made it kind of clear that you really didn’t like her and wanted nothing to do with her.”
Ditzy’s face flushed even more, and she looked away.
“I… want to apologize to her. For all the mean things I said to her.”
The Doctor smiled warmly at Ditzy.
“Do not worry, Ms. Hooves, you’ll get your chance in the morning. For now, though, she needs to be alone with her father who died three hundred years before we met her. Trust me; this will help her infinitely more than two nosy ponies who like to butt into other people’s business.”
Ditzy laughed and said “Alright, I’ll wait.”
Seeri felt herself beginning to stir and not for the first time, she didn’t want to wake up. She wanted to stay warm and safe forever, but she knew she couldn’t, and so she awoke.
The first thing she noticed was that her father wasn’t next to her. She looked around and saw Ditzy coming out of the TARDIS, followed by The Doctor. Ditzy waved at her and Seeri waved back. She looked the other direction and saw her father sitting not too far away, his warm smile once again spread across his face. She stood up, stretched and trotted over to him.
“Good morning, sunshine.” He said as she approached.
“Good morning, Daddy.” She replied with a smile, which only made Stoic’s smile grow bigger.
“It’s good to see you smile like that, Seeri, you should do it more often.”
They sat in silence for a moment, the early morning sun washing over them.
“It’s time for me to go now. I wish I could stay longer, or even return home, but I can’t. I have to do what’s required of me now, Seeri.”
Seeri’s smile faded and she felt her chest tighten. “Are you sure there’s no other way? Nopony else can do it?”
His smile became sad. “I’m sure there’s another pony somewhere that could do it, but there’s no time to find them. I’m right here, and there’s too much at stake for any other options. I’m sorry, Seeri.”
They sat in silence again.
Seeri gave her father her own warm smile and said “It’s okay, Daddy, I’m alright, or I will be anyway. I understand why you have to go now. I still don’t think you should, but… I understand.”
Stoic stared at his daughter in shock for a moment, and then his face broke open in a huge smile that stretched from one ear to the other.
“That’s my girl. Strong and beautiful, just like your mother.”
Seeri shook her head “You’ve got it part right; beautiful like my mother, strong like my father.”
And they both laughed, and then looked at each other for a final moment, neither wanting to leave but both knowing they had to. They then turned as one and started trotting in opposite directions, Seeri to the TARDIS and Stoic to the road out of town. But after they reached a certain distance from each other, they both stopped and looked back at the loved one they would never see again.
“You make me so proud, Searing Shield. You always have, from the moment you were born.” Stoic called out to his daughter. Seeri smiled back.
“You were the best father a pony could’ve asked for. I love you, Daddy, I always will.”
They both gave each other the same, warm smile that both were known for, and then they turned finally towards their destinations, never to look back again.
Seeri approached the TARDIS and gave both Ditzy and The Doctor a smile that reminded them so much of the pony going the other direction.
“Thanks for waiting, you two, and thanks for giving me time alone with him.” Then she added with a laugh “It must’ve been hard, you both looked like you wanted to come out to us. Thank you for staying back.”
The Doctor and Ditzy stared at Seeri, mouths open in shock.
“What?”
Ditzy was the first to remember how her mouth worked.
“You… waved back at me. You smiled. You… you…” Ditzy couldn’t finish the sentence, though The Doctor was happy to help remedy it.
“You thanked us!” He said in both amazement and disbelief.
Seeri laughed, making The Doctor’s and Ditzy’s mouths drop even further.
“Oh, yes, I… suppose I haven’t been the most tolerable pony to be around. I would like to formally apologize to the both of you for my behavior, it was… unbecoming of me. I’m sorry.”
Ditzy’s mouth became a wide smile and she said “Oh, don’t worry about it! I forgive you!” but then her smile faded and her eyes filled with regret “I… also want to apologize for all those mean things I said to you before. I shouldn’t have said that about your Aunts or their home... I’m sorry, Seeri.”
Seeri gave Ditzy a warm hug and said “It’s alright, Ditzy, you have nothing to apologize for. I pushed your buttons and got what I deserved.”
Seeri then turned to The Doctor “Can I ask you something, Doctor?”
“Of course, I love questions, though not too many at once. Bogs things down a bit, if you catch my meaning.”
Seeri smiled at him “Of course, Doctor, and while I’m grateful to you for doing this, I have to ask. Why did you go to so much trouble for a pony you barely knew and continually treated you like garbage?”
He smiled at her “Because I could see the same thing Celestia and Luna could, that you weren’t behaving that way because you were spoiled or mean, but because you were in so much pain. I tried to think of other ways to crack that shell you had encased yourself in, but came to the conclusion that the only way that you were going to get better was for you to find closure with the ponies that you loved and missed dearly. You’re not done yet, by the way, but you’ve made it past the most difficult part. The meeting with your father.”
Seeri gave him a resolute look and said “Who are we meeting next?”
The Doctor smiled at her “We’re returning to Canterlot. I could always take you to see the other Envoys, but I’m sure you’ll be able to handle that without my help.”
Seeri nodded and The Doctor leapt onto the main platform.
“Right then, off we go!” and he started pressing what Seeri was absolutely sure were random buttons.
Seeri said nothing during the TARDIS’ short jump to her time, and neither Ditzy nor The Doctor sought a conversation with her. They both knew Seeri wanted a moment to herself before she returned and they gave it to her, even when the TARDIS reached their destination.
“This is it, Seeri, the end of your time with us. Are you at peace with yourself? Are you ready to face whatever else life may throw at you?” The Doctor asked, calmly.
Seeri looked at him for a moment, then steeled her resolve and trotted towards the door.
They exited the TARDIS to find both Celestia and Luna waiting for them. The Doctor and Ditzy were astonished to find both Princesses standing outside the box, but Seeri trotted forward as if she’d known they were there the entire time, stopping just a short distance away from them. She bowed respectfully.
“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna.”
Celestia seemed surprised by this “Rise, Searing Shield. You need not bow to us.”
Seeri did not rise, instead saying “I’m sorry but I must, as I have taken our relationship for granted and am unworthy of your respect.”
There was silence between them, and then Celestia began to laugh, followed shortly by Luna.
“Is that what you think you’ve done?” Celestia asked, smiling “You are more wrong than you could ever know. You have not squandered our relationship in any way, my dear Seeri.”
Seeri looked at Celestia in shock “What do you mean?”
Luna smiled “We love you, Seeri. Our only desire is for you to be happy. Even at your worst we have never abandoned you. For what reason would we change that now?”
Celestia nodded “My sister is correct, Seeri. We will always be there for you, no matter what.”
Seeri was touched. She rose and looked at the two Princesses in adoration.
“Thank you, Celestia. Thank you, Luna. It… means a lot to me to hear that.”
Celestia nodded “Now, let’s have a look at the new you." She then proceeded to trot around Seeri, observing every inch of her, even getting in close and looking in her eyes. Seeri did not flinch or look away when she did this. Celestia smiled, and rejoined her sister.
“Your heart is no longer in turmoil and your sorrow no longer covers you like a shell.” Celestia said with a smile, but then her expression turned sad “Your pain is still there, but you bear it well now. I wish we could ease your heartache, Searing Shield, but this kind of pain does not go away. It will be with you for the rest of your life.”
Seeri gave a small nod “I have come to terms with my feelings and my pain. They shall cause no further problems.”
“Seeri…” Luna said, exasperated “Your heart was not mended for so mundane a reason as solving a problem. You were dying. Your loneliness, sorrow and regret were killing you and my sister and I could not bear to watch you suffer any longer, but we did not know how else to help you. We were becoming so desperate.”
Ditzy piped in at this juncture “The Doctor proposed a plan to have you meet with your father and your Aunts.”
“Yes, I did, and it was an extremely risky plan, I might add.” The Doctor added casually.
Seeri didn’t understand “Why was it risky, Doctor?”
The Doctor gave her a serious look “It was a Make-or-Break plan that almost exclusively relied on you, Seeri. It relied on your own heart being able to crack your emotional shell and expose the raw feelings beneath that you’ve been hiding for all those years. It was all on you, Seeri. Trust me when I say this could’ve gone very badly for everypony.”
Seeri looked at Celestia, who looked back at her with sorrowful eyes.
“Do you remember when I told you that your father was the Envoy of Fire before you? He did not embrace his status at first like you did, and I was primarily to blame. His pain, born from years of loneliness and falsehoods, manifested itself in the form of black flames that could not be extinguished by any conventional means and it threatened to burn Equestria to ash, ‘Purge the world of its lies’ he’d said.” She said sadly.
Seeri looked at Celestia, astonished. She found it difficult to imagine her father attempting to destroy Equestria.
“What stopped him?” She asked.
Celestia smiled “Not what, who, Seeri, and it was your Aunt Vinyl Scratch who stopped him.”
Seeri was surprised “Auntie Vinyl? How?”
“She shared his pain. She knew what he had gone through and understood him better than any other pony. It was this understanding, and her presence, that calmed him and mended his heart. It was this understanding that had solidified their friendship to the point where he trusted Vinyl Scratch and Octavia completely. It’s also why you went to them, and not to blood relatives of either your mother or father, because he could count on them to care for you and love you.”
Stoic’s words came back to Seeri.
I fight for you, Searing Shield. I fight so that your future will always be bright and sunny and full of friends.
Seeri could hardly breathe. She now saw exactly what her father’s plan for her future was, why she was never short of friends who cared about her. He hadn’t wanted to leave her, but he’d planned for that eventuality regardless. His plan had been to leave her in capable and loving hooves so that she could grow up to choose her own future with confidence, and so that she would never be truly alone.
His plan for her was Happiness.
Celestia smiled at her “Do you understand now what your father wanted for you? He did not want you to know the pain he had felt so long ago and we were all key pieces of his plan. Even I, who was at fault for causing him to nearly destroy Equestria, was a vital component.”
Seeri was at a loss for words, still processing the true extent of her father’s love for her. She realized that her father had never truly left her, that he had been supporting her well after he was gone.
“Are you okay, Seeri?” Ditzy asked, and Seeri snapped out of her shock.
“Yes.” Seeri replied smiling, tears falling down her check “Yes, I’m fine. For the first time in three hundred years, I am truly fine.”
She turned back to Celestia and Luna, who were both beaming at her.
“I… Thank you, both of you, for always being there for me even when I was at my worst. And thank you for caring so much about me even when you had no reason to.”
Celestia and Luna nodded, smiling. Seeri turned back to The Doctor and Ditzy.
“As for you two, I assume you’ll now be leaving, correct?”
The Doctor smiled at her “Yes, I’m afraid so. You don’t need our help anymore, limited as it was. It’s time we went back to our travels and help other ponies in need.” The Doctor and Ditzy turned back to the TARDIS to leave, but Seeri made them pause.
“Just a moment, my friends. Can I show you something before you go?” She asked.
The time travelers looked at each other, then back at Seeri, nodding.
Seeri smiled “Thank you, it’s just over here.” And she trotted past the TARDIS into the courtyard, followed by the Princesses, The Doctor and Ditzy.
Seeri led them to a fairly large, open part of the courtyard, beautifully paved and lovingly cared for. There were also four statues located here, three were on a dais in the back with a larger statue in the center. She led them past the large one without looking at it to the ones in the back. The Doctor and Ditzy stared at the beautifully crafted statues, which had been carved with pain-staking detail. Seeri paused by the one on the left.
“Celestia had these statues made just after my father and the other Envoys defeated The Great Demon of Tartarus in honor of their triumph and service to Equestria.” She gestures a hoof at the first statue “This one was made in honor of the Envoy of Water, Diamond Dust.” Seeri smiles “She was a crystal pony, y’know. I always thought she was exquisitely beautiful, though she was a little cold sometimes.” She trots to the next statue and gestures at it like the first one “This one is dedicated to the Envoy of Earth, Terra Firma.” Seeri laughs at a memory “I always thought Terra was a very friendly and fun pony, if just a little lazy.” She trots over to the last of the three “This one is dedicated to the Envoy of Air, Freewind.” Seeri’s smile grew sad “He was my father’s best friend, and of the surviving Envoys, he was hit hardest by my father’s death. I thought he was always kinda cool and he came to visit me often after my father was gone. His eyes were always sort of sad when he did, though. It felt like he regretted something immensely.”
The Doctor and Ditzy knew all three of them and were there when the Envoys had defeated The Demon, though they didn’t say anything. If Celestia had neglected to tell Seeri of their involvement, they felt it was better not to mention it either. Seeri trotted past them to stand in front of the final statue, next to a plaque that had been placed a few feet ahead of it. Ditzy and The Doctor trotted up to the plaque. It read:
These Statues Have Been Erected In Honor Of The Envoys Of The Primal Elements, Who Risked Their Lives To Pull Equestria From The Brink Of Ruin. The Envoys Are As Follows;
Diamond Dust, Envoy of Water
Terra Firma, Envoy of Earth
Freewind, envoy of air
Stoic Shield, Envoy of Fire
As Ditzy and The Doctor finished reading the plaque, Seeri spoke “I’ve always known that these statues were here, but… I always avoided them. At the time, it was unbearable to see his face; there were too many memories, too much pain associated with it. I could barely even look myself in the mirror each morning, but now…” She looked up at the statue smiling “I’m not afraid of the pain anymore. I won’t be afraid to wake from my dreams and face the new day. I have a new purpose in life now; living up to the example my father had set for all of us.” She pointed her hoof at the base of the statue. The Doctor and Ditzy looked where she pointed, to words carved into the base of Stoic’s monument, words which looked as though they’d been carved years after the statue itself had been placed.
In memoriam: he was the line, and he held until the very end.
Ditzy and The Doctor looked up at the statue of Stoic, which was carved to be very life-like and looked as though it had been renovated numerous times, with the exact same amount of detail. He wasn’t depicted as striking a heroic pose, or utilizing his element in some way.
His statue was merely him standing there, gazing stoically off into the distance, and silently watching over the world.
They were quiet for a moment, before Seeri led them back to the TARDIS.
“Thank you, my friends, for helping me even though I was not at all worthy of it.” Seeri said as they stood outside the time machine.
The Doctor shrugged and said “We didn’t help that much, basically just gave you a lift wherever you needed to go.”
Seeri smiled “You give yourself too little credit, Doctor, you helped me far more than you realize. By taking me to my father and Aunts, giving me privacy when it was necessary and by allowing me to move at my own pace, you helped me come to terms with my own feelings in a way you couldn’t possibly know. Thank you, and if you two should ever find yourself in this time period again, do not hesitate to call on me for assistance, for I shall lend it without question. I am eternally in your debt.”
The Doctor smiled at her “You owe me nothing, Seeri, I was more than glad to help. But if I find that I absolutely need help, I’ll let you know.” He and Ditzy started to bow, but Seeri stopped them.
“My friends, you do not bow to us.” And then she and the Princesses bowed before the time travelers.
They rose “Take care you two, don’t push yourselves. Farewell.” Seeri said.
“Goodbye, Seeri, I hope we see you again.” Ditzy said as she waved goodbye.
Back on the TARDIS, Ditzy was quiet for a moment while The Doctor plotted their next course.
“Doctor, will we see her again?” She asked quietly.
“Sure we will. We may see reformed Seeri, or we may run into moody Seeri. Either way, we will eventually encounter her again.” The Doctor replied without hesitation.
Ditzy breathed a sigh of relief “Good, I’m glad we were able to help her, she really needed it. What’s our next stop, Doctor?”
He turned to her and said one word.
“Home.”
Author's Note
This was the first story I'd ever written ("Assist Me!! Princess Luna!" was the first I posted). The idea for it kept me up until four in the morning.
Anyway, I honestly didn't want to post this one, because I felt it was nowhere near ready, but my brother, who makes up half of the Hallowedsoul creative process, insisted so I told him "Clean it up and then we can post it", so here it is.
See you soon, space ponies!
