Chapter 1- The Misteltoe Alien
"Miss Hooves... Is that mistletoe?"
Derpy stared up with her big orange eyes. A bundle of green leaves and white berries stared back at her.
"Why yes, it is." She muttered quietly, all to aware of the ritual the came along with the particular plant in question.
Doctor narrowed his bright blue eyes at the innocent looking plant.
"That's... Odd." He concluded after a few seconds, "I didn't know that the 'pony-universe' had mistletoe .." He took out his blue tipped sonic screwdriver and scanned the plant. He looked at the readings.
"This one's fine..." He muttered under his breath. He looked up at Derpy, who seemed confused.
"Once I went to a planet where mistletoes were hung up all around the place. It ended up that the mistletoes were all alien's who fed off shock and thrill, so who ever was under the mistletoe had to kiss the person on the opposite side, otherwise one of the aliens would do it themselves."
Derpy giggled. "Were the aliens ugly?"
"Oh no..." smiled the Doctor, a gleam in his eyes, "They were actually quite beautiful, depending on the person. The alien would turn into who ever you loved the most..." He was quiet for a moment, as if he was remembering something. He quickly turned his head back to Derpy when he noticed her staring at him.
Derpy poked the plant. It shook a bit and a beetle flew out. "Is it the alien? Will it do anything?" Derpy gasped, staring at the beetle.
Doctor shook his head, smiling. "No... Of corse it isn't an alien!"
Derpy frowned and looked down at her hooves, ashamed."Oh..."
"Oh don't worry about it! I would of mistaken it for an alien as well!" The Doctor said quickly. He tried to change the subject, "You see, in the unlikely circumstance that the alien will turn into a person, it won't stop trying to feed of your shock. It's an awkward thing, because everyone who is around you can see what is going on, and then they will get... Ideas. Of corse, pretty soon the person that you love would find out... And then that's when stuff would get pretty awkward..."
Derpy nodded, looking flustered at all this new information spinning around in her head.
"It's where the ritual came about you know, the whole kissing under mistletoe thing." The Doctor continued. Derpy's head shot up. She felt the Doctor kiss her on her cheek. He smiled at her, turned, and walked away.
Derpy stood there, looking embarrassed. She quickly flew off, her scarf slowly coming undone as she did so.
Derpy walked through the forest, her scarf wrapped around her neck tightly, no longer straying behind her like the tail of a dog.
Snow was falling. It covered the many trees that surrounded Derpy in a soft blanket, as if putting on a new sheet. She smiled as a singular piece of snow fell onto her nose. She started to sneeze as it melted into water and trickled into her nostrils.
Derpy's thoughts strayed to the events from earlier in the day. Doctor was weird- one of the weirdest pony's Derpy knew. But that was the thing.
She didn't know why, but Derpy felt like she understood him, and that he understood her. They were both odd. At least, that's what she thought.
Derpy wasn't sure, but she felt like she liked Time Turner.
She didn't know if it meant anything, but they both had two names. Ditzy Doo, Derpy Hooves. Time Turner, Doctor.
But then again... He always talked about how old he was. It would be weird for Derpy to love the Doctor- and besides, she wasn't sure that she actually loved him. Or if she even liked him enough.
He had taken her on an adventure once, to a muffin planet. That was nice enough. She enjoyed herself, that was for sure. And the Doctor seemed to enjoy it to.
"Hello Derpy!" A loud sounding voice rang in her ear. "Are you going to the party as well?"
Derpy turned her head to see Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. Vinyl Scratch was the one who had spoken, and she seemed excited.
"Oh- hi Octavia, hi Vinyl." Smiled Derpy, her eyes glittering under the lights of the Ponyville houses.
"Yeah, I'm going to the party."
"What's wrong Ditzy?" spoke Octavia. She looked worriedly at Derpy.
"I'm fine." Replied Derpy. She blushed when she suddenly remembered again what happened that morning.
Octavia put her hoof on Derpy's head. Octavia raised her eyebrow.
"Ditzy, are you okay? Are you sick?"
"I-I don't think so..." Derpy coughed. "I was just wondering... Is... Time Turner with anyone?"
Vinyl and Octavia looked at each other. The corners of their mouths raised to a lopsided smile.
"What I mean is... Does he have any other friends? He always looks so lonely..." Derpy continued, flustered.
"Well... I had tea with him a few times." Grinned Octavia, still looked at Vinyl, "And I've always seen him at my concerts."
"I've seen him hanging out with Lyra." chimed in Vinyl, "And I've seen him with Twilight Sparkle a few times"
"Why?" Asked Octavia and Vinyl in unison.
"No reason." Coughed Derpy, looking away from them. Vinyl and Octavia just giggled.
"It's just... Well..." Continued Derpy, looking thoughtful.
"Yes...?" Said Octavia and Vinyl, looking mischievous.
"Look! We're here!" Shouted Derpy quickly.
Derpy ran into the disco house, trying to get away from Octavia and Vinyl, who were following close behind.
She started walking towards the middle of the flashing dance floor. It was crowded with a large assortment of bright colored pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies, so she was hidden well.
"Derpy!"
She could see Vinyl and Octavia trying to run through the crowd to get to her.
Derpy turned her head to see Doctor standing right in the middle of the dance floor.
He was shouting at ponies to keep a large area around him clear, for some reason. Everyone had listened to the Doctor, and kept a distance away from him. Desperate to get away from Vinyl and Octavia, Derpy ran towards him.
Doctor turned. "Derpy don't!" He shouted, raising a hoof to try keep her away.
Derpy stood still, just a centimeter away from the brown stallion's stretched out hoof.
"Derpy..." He mumbled quietly to her, "Look up."
Derpy looked up. Her eyes widened. There was mistletoe just above their heads.
"It's infected." Mumbled the Doctor quietly, "it's an alien."
Derpy stared at it, waiting for some kind of sign that it was extra terrestrial.
"It's not doing anything." She whispered to Doctor, looking terrified.
"Exactly. It's waiting for us to kiss." He whispered back to her, his eyes scanning her to see a reaction.
Derpy almost choked. "B-but I can't do that! D-do you have your sonic screwdriver?"
"No, I dropped it." He looked over at the dancing ponies.
"B-but I don't want to kiss you!" She whispered urgently, feeling as if she should run away.
"I know." Doctor turned to Derpy, his face grim."Derpy, I need you to be brave. I want you to stay here. I'll try and find my sonic. All you need to do is refuse to let the alien do anything to you. No one will see what's going on, unless you give in. Do whatever you can to keep the alien away from you. Be brave. I'll be back soon."
He nodded at her and slowly stepped away. Then he turned around and ran to the front of the disco.
Derpy started to shiver.
She was terrified.
Suddenly, all the dancing ponies around her started to fade.
She was in a white room. She could barely see the ponies who were still dancing around her.
The she saw the dark shape of a pony. It stood out from all the others, yet it was so far away...
She couldn't tell who it was, but then it started to change.
The alien figure slowly started to mould itself into the tall, thin shape of a stallion.
Two blue irises started to appear in its eyes, replacing the once cold white ones.
His hair started to come into existence, it was slicked back into short brown spikes.
The cutie mark started to slowly go from being translucent to being opaque.
It was an hourglass.
A familiar green tie suddenly appeared around his neck. The stallion blinked a few times, as if he was surprised.
Derpy stared at him. She was transfixed. She didn't know why, but he looked... happier. Like he was glad that he existed. Unlike the Doctor that Derpy knew, he didn't look out of place. He looked like he belonged. He belonged with her. With Derpy.
He turned to her, and smiled pleasantly, as if reading her thoughts.
The ponies around Ditzy started to fade progressively more.
Derpy tried to keep them in her mind, but she couldn't.
She was now in a forest. The very one where Derpy walked yesterday. Except it was brighter. She couldn't see the sun, but the forest seemed to be filled with light. It was warm, yet Derpy was surrounded by snow.
The stallion started to walk towards her. Their was no wind. Everything was silent. All Derpy could hear was the heavy beating of her heart, and the stallions footsteps on the snow.
Derpy gulped as he touched her face softly. Her heart started to speed up.
"It's you Derpy..." He smiled, his eyes bright. "It's always been you..."
Derpy couldn't take her eyes away from him. He stared at her, as if he was amused by her reaction. His face slowly started to move towards Ditzy's. Derpy felt like she should try to run away, but she couldn't. She tried to think about Doctor, the real Doctor. How disappointed he would be with her if she gave in to an alien. An alien who looked exactly like him. He would never speak to her again. She was at a party. She wasn't in a forest. Slowly, other ponies started to appear around her. The ponies at the party. They were staring at her, and at something, someone, that was in front of her. It was the alien. An alien. The alien that she wasn't supposed to give in to.
Suddenly, Derpy felt his lips touch hers. She gave in. She couldn't help it. She just couldn't.
Snow started to fall, and it made everything seem magic. All thoughts of Ponyville left her mind. All thoughts of where she really was, or all the issues she had in Cloudsdale. She felt like she was loved, like someone cared about her. Ditzy Doo, that weird mare, with weird eyes, and weird hair, she was loved. By the most perfect stallion in the universe. It was only her, and him. It was... shocking really. Thrilling, even.
She felt his lips leave hers as he opened his eyes.
"Derpy..." He smiled as he nuzzled her. "I love you so much..."
"I..." She sighed with happiness. Someone loved her. Someone really cared about her.
"I love you to..." She kissed him again, and butterflies seemed to dance in her stomach.
She wanted this to last forever.
Suddenly, everything started to disappear. She grasped him tighter as he started to fade away into nothing. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Derpy tried to keep him with her, but he was fading in front of her very eyes.
"Ditzy Doo..." He smiled, in a knowing way, as if he knew everything about her.
"You look so beautiful..." He closed his eyes as everything faded away.
Derpy eyelids fluttered a few times before she looked around. Their was no music. All of the ponies were staring at her, with a shocked look on their face. She turned her head, and saw Doctor, pointing his screwdriver at her. He was breathing heavily. He looked solemn.
Her tired eyes widened as she realized what had happened. She turned to see Vinyl and Octavia, staring at her with their mouths gaping.
"W-what?" She mumbled. She felt faint. She tried to stay awake, but she fell to the ground, with the Doctor standing over her, looking sad. Derpy blinked a few times, before smiling, and whispering so quietly, that everyone could barely hear her,
"I'm sorry..."
And then everything went black.
Derpy was in the snow covered forest again. She was walking, she didn't know where she was supposed to be going. When, suddenly, she saw him again. The most handsome stallion in the universe.
He was sitting by a lake. It was still.
He turned to her.
"Derpy..." He sighed, and then he smiled. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm just... Ugh..." She looked around her. Their wasn't anyone else, only trees.
"I don't actually know." She continued.
"You came here to see me didn't you?" He said happily, stepping towards her.
"You're- you're not him." She breathed, walking away from him slowly,
"You're not the real him."
"Correct" he nodded. "I am a fake..."
He started moving closer towards her. "But I can be real if you want me to be." He looked up at the clear white sky above them.
"But..." Derpy gulped, her heart weakening, "You're not him."
"No. I'm not." He touched her hoof. "Your Doctor would never of kissed you."
She gasped as he lifted her chin up so she faced him. He narrowed his eyes at Derpy, as if curious.
"H-how do you know so much about him? Ab-about me?" Derpy stuttered.
"Well... I've met the Doctor before..." He said, smiling slightly, "And I happen to be psychic." He looked up, "You're not the first person who's loved the Doctor..."
"B-b-but I don't love him!" She said quickly.
"Oh but you do..." He continued, still staring at her, "you really do..."
Derpy started to feel uncomfortable.
She shook her head. "No, I don't"
"Yes you do."
"No"
"Yes"
"No"
"Yes"
"No"
"You said so."
"No I didn't"
"Yes you did. I heard you."
Derpy narrowed her eyes. "Your nothing like him."
"Am I?" He smiled. "You don't know him. I know him completely. I told you, I'm psychic."
"My Doctor isn't psychic." Derpy argued.
"You don't know everything about him." He continued, looking mischievous.
Derpy gasped, but an angry look started to appear on her face.
"Why are you telling me all this?" She urged.
"Because it's what the Doctor would do." He replied.
Derpy felt dizzy. "You are him." She said quietly, "but... You're not exactly like him."
"Well..." He smiled, "I can't argue with that..." He moved his hoof away from Derpy's face, and turned away from her.
"I'm the part of the Doctor you've never known. I'm the Doctor you wish you had." He said knowingly.
"But your perfect. My Doctor isn't perfect." She argued.
"Who said I was perfect?" The stallion laughed.
"I did."
The stallion stopped. He turned to Derpy, and started to walk towards her.
"Am I exactly like him?" He asked as he made her nose touch his.
"Or am I different?" He continued as he stared into her confused eyes.
"You-your not..." She said as she blinked a few times. "What I mean is... Ugh..."
She looked uncomfortable. "W-why do you ask?"
"Well... It's just..." He lowered his hoof to touch her shaking one. Derpy shivered.
"You're so easy to... shock." He continued, "Like I'm acting... different..."
Derpy looked up at him. His face looked thoughtful. He started to mutter under his breath.
"Derpy." He said as he looked up at her. His eye's were bright with hope. Derpy's heart panged.
"Would you like to be like this forever?" He said hopefully.
Derpy stared at him, wide eyed. "Wha-what do you mean?"
"To always be loved. To always have someone by your side..."
Derpy narrowed her eyes at him, "but your not... The Doctor. Your not really him..."
"No." He continued, "I am not." He leaned towards her. "Would you like to be like this forever?"
Derpy gasped as she felt his breath on her face.
"Yes- yes I would..." She leaned forward.
Suddenly, everything started to disappear, much like before. Derpy felt the stallion leave her grasp. He tried to grab onto her, but his hoof failed at doing so. Derpy flailed to find her footing and fell. She got up, her legs shaking. She closed her eyes, and then opened them.
The real Doctor, with his tie askew, and his hair messy, was sitting next to her. Octavia was sitting next him, and Vinyl Scratch next to Octavia. They were still in the party room, yet all the ponies had left. Everything was quiet.
"What happened..?" Mumbled Derpy, rubbing her head. She didn't feel any bump, but her head hurt like mad.
"You were sleeping." Doctor sighed. He seemed pleasantly surprised. Derpy noticed that he didn't seem as grim as when she last saw him. He looked up at her, and he smiled. Derpy blushed and looked away.
"You were dreaming about the alien I presume?" He continued, looking amused.
"How did you-"
"It's the after effects of mistletoe." Interrupted the Doctor. He straightened his tie. "I had it myself you know."
Derpy rubbed her eyes. She felt really tired.
"We saw what you were doing. At the party I mean, with the alien." Continued the Doctor, looking slightly embarrassed.
Derpy stopped. She hoped like mad that all they saw was her. "Ho-how much did you see?"
"I'll put it simply. You and me. Apparently kissing." Doctor scanned Derpy for a reaction, his face showing no emotion of any sort.
Derpy felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Ugh..."
"Derpy." Doctor stared into her eyes. "When you were dreaming, what did he do to you? What did he say?"
Derpy shook her head. She felt her face get hotter and hotter.
"I-I-I'm to embarrassed." She stuttered. She covered her face with her hooves.
Doctor knelt down next to her and took her hooves in his. He looked at her sadly.
"Derpy. You need to tell me."
Derpy looked up at him.
His eyes... They looked so... Sad. Like he was forcing himself listen to her, like he didn't want to hurt her feelings.
Derpy didn't like it. She wanted him to have the same eyes that the stallion in her dream had. The same eyes that the stallion at the party had.
"H-he said..." She swallowed, "he said that he was psychic. And that he knew everything about you."
"What else did he say?" Doctor nodded at her.
"He asked me if I wanted to stay with him forever"
"And why did you say?" The Doctor said quickly. He looked terrified.
"I-I said ye-yes." Derpy said quietly, feeling as if she just broke his heart.
The Doctor nodded and let go of her hooves.
"So... Ugh... Derpy. Why did the mistletoe alien thingie turn into Time Turner?" Vinyl asked loudly. She was tired of being ignored.
"Um..." Mumbled Derpy. She had no idea what to say.
"Oh, it turned into me probably because I'm one of Derpy's only male friends." the Doctor smiled, "The aliens just choose at random, and they obviously chose me because I'm the most handsome..." He grinned mischievously.
"But the alien asked Derpy if she loved him, and Derpy said-MPH!" Vinyl had her mouth covered by Octavia's large hoof.
"She said not really... Ha ha..." Octavia grinned, trying to look professional.
Derpy blinked a few times before yawning.
"I should get to bed..." She mumbled.
Doctor stood up and stretched his legs. He smoothed his hair down and smiled.
"I'll get you to bed." He said as he helped Derpy stand up.
"Doctor..." Mumbled Derpy quietly as Doctor lead her outside into the cold, dawn air.
"Yes?" Doctor said as he took off his tie and put it around Derpy's neck.
"You're so..." Derpy yawned as she leaned against Doctors arm.
"I'm..." Doctor looked down at her, smiling slightly, "I'm what?"
"You're so... Weird." Derpy muttered as she closed her eyes.
Doctor laughed, "Well, I can't argue with that."
"I..." Derpy sighed, "I like that about you."
Doctor looked down at her. She was asleep.
He sighed and tried to maneuver her onto his cold back. He turned away from Ponyville and started to slowly walk towards the T.A.R.D.I.S.
He laid Derpy on the ground and took out his Sonic Screwdriver. He quickly scanned her, (careful not to wake her up) and looked at the readings. He sighed. "Derpy, Derpy..." He muttered, "Why...?"
Derpy opened her eyes and looked around. She was at a beach. The sun was going down, and everything was quiet. All she could hear was the soft sound of the waves crashing into the sand. Suddenly, she heard a voice.
"Derpy"
She turned around and saw the brown stallion, staring right at her with his bright blue eyes. He smiled.
"What are you doing here?"