Ditzy was doing everything in her power to hold her wings down as she remembered everything that she had spent all of last night practicing. A little over a week remained before Hearts and Hooves Day would be in Ponyville once again, and this time she planned to spend it with a very special stallion. A stallion that was so incredible, so amazing, and so impeccably capable that if every mare knew who he was, they wouldn’t hesitate to try and claim him as their own. However, that wasn’t going to happen, not if Ditzy Doo could say anything about it. Sure she wasn’t exactly the prettiest pony around, nor was she the smartest. In fact, she was probably the clumsiest in all of Gaia, getting lost at least a dozen times a day without someone there to keep her on track. Her eyes weren’t really helpful either with the way her right eye constantly wandered and didn’t listen to her when she wanted it to focus.
However, that wouldn’t stop her from trying to achieve what she was preparing to do this day. A little clumsiness and misdirection or acting up eyes wasn’t going to stop her. She had spent the better part of yesterday afternoon preparing soon questions that were geared toward a single objective, and all of last night was spent practicing them while staring at a picture of this stallion in order for her to get used to that face of his without blushing. However, there was a big difference between staring at a still picture that was completely lifeless and had no clue you were there, to actually asking the real life version of the stallion the picture portrayed. But that didn’t matter to her, she had been preparing for this, for this single, most important moment of her entire life.
The moment she asked the Doctor on a date.
The Doctor, a chestnut colored earth pony just slightly taller then she was with an hourglass cutie mark; the single most incredible stallion in the entire universe. He was the smartest pony in anywhere, he was braver than anypony that came before her or would come after her, and in Ditzy’s opinion the most handsome creature ever in existence. When he first appeared before in that strange blue box, she had thought he was a strange pony, almost crazy. However, that was before she got to know him, because after she entered that box and went around the universe with him, she had changed her entire opinion of him an entire 180*. Now, after all this time, he was still there and it had been a few months since their last adventure. Still that didn’t matter to her.
She loved this stallion, loved how he cared about ponies he never knew, would sacrifice himself to save the life of a stranger without hesitation, and would always come to save the day no matter what. Her greatest wish, if he was willing to grant it, was that he and she would spend their lives together as a couple. He was the only stallion who she knew, and he was the only pony she had ever cared so much about that she would do anything he asked her to do without hesitation.
The Doctor was busy munching on a freshly made muffin that she had spent all morning preparing a batch for just this moment. He loved her muffins; “They tasted better than anything the Cakes had ever made,” he had told her one time. Now she put her muffins to the test as she tried to use them to get his attention.
She was glad that the Doctor was so busy with the muffin, because she was having so much difficulty controlling herself that, had he looked up at her then and there, he would have seen her wings fighting to flare up and her cheeks constantly blushing.
After he finished one muffin, she had the courage to control her wings and her cheeks stopped blushing at last, and remembered her questions that she was supposed to be asking him. She gathered her courage, pulled out a second muffin from her bag at her side, gave it to him and took a deep breath before asking one of the questions she had practiced. “Here you go Doctor. Do, what do yout hink of the muffins?”
“Thank you, Derpy. They are simply wonderful.” The Doctor said as he accepted the new muffin from her, which drew a mile out of Ditzy. “So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?”
“Wha… what do you mean?” Ditzy stuttered. She had expected that he would figure something was up, but it still took her by surprise every time he anticipated her reasons. She calmed down enough to smile gently and say, “I just figured you would like to enjoy some warm muffins for lunch with your assistant.”
“Derpy, you made your special blueberry muffins with an extra helping of butter. You also took the time to make sure I noticed that you made your special muffins before actually saying anything to me. Also, you’re smiling a lot more than usual, so clearly you wanted to ask me something today.” The Doctor said in his bouncy, yet intelligent voice that never ceased to make her mind question everything around him.
‘Had she been that obvious?’ she thought. “Well, since you uh… mentioned it. There is something I uh… wanted to ask you.” She said, suddenly completely forgetting everything she had practiced yesterday. She forgot all the questions she had carefully prepared, all the practice she had done to prevent herself from stuttering just flew out the window in her eyes. ”Would you be willing to spend Hearts and uh… Hooves Day with me… I mean, if you aren’t planning… uh… anything?”
‘Hearts and Hooves Day?” The Doctor asked as he put the muffin down for a moment, thinking about how to answer the question.” Well, since we aren’t really doing anything, and since the T.A.R.D.I.S. hasn’t tried taking us anywhere for the past month or so, I don’t see why I shouldn’t enjoy a festival with my trusty assistant. Sure, I’d like to spend Hearts and Hooves Day with you.”
Ditzy heard only a few of his words on top of her one by one. “Assistant”, “Like”, “You” . One right after another they fell on her and she felt both an incredible joy, yet at the same time a pain that wormed its way through her body. He wanted to spend Hearts and Hooves Day with her, as Doctor and Assistant.
“Oh, I see, just your assistant, right?” She whispered to herself as the Doctor happily ate into the second muffin she had made for him. She picked up her muffin and started biting into it, unable to enjoy its delicious taste after hearing what the Doctor just said. She had hoped that after all this time, all the adventures they had shared, all the danger they faced together, and the fact that the two of them were still together even after the adventures across time and space had started to become fewer and fewer, that maybe he had a different perspective on her.
However, she guessed that some things never changed and would never change between them. She decided not to give up though; there was still plenty of time before Hearts and Hooves Day. She would convince him to spend it with her, not just as Doctor and Assistant, but as a stallion and a mare , as Doctor and Ditzy. They finished their lunch and left Sugar Cube Corner, the Doctor preparing to return to the T.A.R.D.I.S. so he could perform some maintenance, and Ditzy back to her shack so she could prepare for tomorrow.
=Ditzy Doo (Derpy), 4:25 P.M.=
Ditzy returned to her home and put her saddlebag on the floor as she went into her room to lie down. It had been a semi-successful day. On one hoof she had succeeded in finally asking the Doctor out on a date, but he probably didn’t even realize that she had meant it to be a date. For all she knew the Doctor was probably thinking she wanted to spend the day with him because she had nobody else to spend it with. Which was actually true, there was no other pony she could spend Hearts and Hooves Day with. However, that didn’t matter, all that mattered was that she didn’t want to spend it with any other pony but the Doctor!
“Stupid Doctor.” She told herself as she undid her mane.
She let her mane flow free as she undid the clasp holding it, the key to the T.A.R.D.I.S. tied as a knot to hold it back. She remembered him giving this key to her a long time ago, remembering what he had told her.” This is the key to the T.A.R.D.I.S. Derpy, I want you to have it. You’re always welcomed to come inside whenever you want.”
She had treasured that simple key every day since she first got it, wearing it as a necklace, then as a manepiece; always keeping it with her no matter where she went. She made sure it was safe and secured every minute of the day, and that it was under her pillow every night so that it wouldn’t get lost. Of all the beings, pony or otherwise, that the Doctor could have given this single gift to, he had given it to her. That meant he had to fell something for her, right? Whether that was just a simple sign of trust at one point, it must have grown stronger after all this time. It must have, if the Doctor didn’t feel anything for her, she couldn’t live with herself if he simply didn’t care about her the way she did for him.
“Nine hundred and… How many years?” She told herself, forgetting how old the Doctor truly was. Well, I guess I can wait a bit more.”
She turned to a picture next to her bed that was always kept close by. It was one of her favorites, a picture of her and the Doctor after they visited the Muffin Planet. Nehind her was a mountain of muffins, and the Doctor trying to avoid being crushed a they were about to fall on him.’ He’s worth it, definitely worth more than all the muffins on this or any other world.”
Her thoughts were n=how she wished, if she could have ANY wish granted, even if her life would end the next day afterwards, she wished that the Doctor would love her, and ask her to marry him some day.
=The Doctor, 4:47 P.M.=
The Doctor returned to the T.A.R.D.I.S., and again thought about everything that Ditzy had said and hadn’t said that day to him in Sugar Cube Corner. ”Oh Ditzy, what is it that you are trying to tell me?” He said to himself as he opened the door to the T.A.R.D.I.S. and walked in. The inside of the T.A.R.D.I.S. was just as he had left it, and seeing no reason to perform maintenance that was clearly not needed, he decided to go to his library and read up on some of the books that he had found buried in his mess of a room. He picked up one up and started reading it. It was one of the strangest he ever found that he had no idea he even had it to begin with. It was a book about sheep, a Shepherd, and a path they were taking. The story was fascinating in that, by the very sound of the characters it seemed that the Shepherd was supposed to be leading them and taking care of them along this path. However, it was the sheep’s job to actually walk the path and not stray, yet still the sheep strayed, and when they did they died to all the dangers that would happen when walking off the path.
He wondered why the Shepherd didn’t try to save any of the sheep, but every time he asked that he couldn’t conceive an answer. He had read the first chapter again and again, but for some reason he couldn’t find it in himself to read the second chapter until he read the first chapter again. He read it for the sixth time and nothing changed in the contents as the story opened up with how they began their journey down the road, with all the sheep following the Shepherd in fear of what was outside the path.
Some of the books he had with him were from his past regenerations when he looked human, but he couldn’t remember ever picking up this book on his travels. Remembering his past regenerations brought up memories of his past, and how he missed his old universe. He missed being human many times, however, he found life in this world was definitely worth staying for. However, he was staying not to enjoy life in Equestria, but to protect these ponies for as long as his lives wold permit him. The fact was that these ponies were so gentle, so peaceful, and so trusting that they were their own worst enemy. If any dangerous entity wanted to take advantage of them it would be child’s play to do so.
A kind word here, a favor there, a smile here and there would have half of Ponyville lone in the palms of their hooves. He simply had to stay to make sure nothing horrible happened to anyone here. It wasn’t just his obligation that he felt he needed to stay, there was another reason entirely. One that he himself was having difficulty admitting to himself, and was unwilling to accept because if he did, he would have no more reason to leave then to simply run away from yet another problem he was unwilling to face.
He had a crush on his assistant. Ditzy may be directionally challenged to say the least, and might break half a glass shop by just sitting on a chair, but she was stiil a remarkable pony. Her eyes sparkled with an innocence that portrayed a soul that trusted him absolutely. He saw in her a creature that, if he asked her, would walk across a tiny bridge barely held up by thin ropes if he told her that it was completely secure. Her eyes told her that, despite the waythey move this way and that, they trusted him and appreciated him more than any other being he had ever encounter him ever did.
He also saw a mare that had been abused most of her life, called names and made fun of by others because of the way her eyes acted and by how no matter what she did, somehow she always managed to destroy something in one form or another. Whether it be dropping a piano from the sky, or forgetting directions to a home that she was delivering mail to, something bad always happened because of her. Still, that mare found a way to smile and be happy despite all of this, and this above everything, was what he found amazing about her.
She was one of the cheeriest when she had every right to be sad, kind and gentile when she had every reason to be cruel and mean, and caring when she could very well be selfish. Everything about her screamed that she should have a dark side, and yet when the Doctor looked into her eyes, watched her every action. He saw that is is done out of love, friendship, and trust, without even a tiny hint of selfishness or some hidden agenda to her own ends.
He suddenly felt extremely tired and he looked over at the clock to see the time.
=11:32 P.M.=
“No wonder I’m so tired, look at the time.” He said as he got up in his hooves, put the book on the ground, and prepared for bed.
After a few minutes he had turned the lights off, whispered good night to the T.A.R.D.I.S. as he did every night, and soon drifted off to sleep as laid down onto the softness of his pillow. His final thought was of how Derpy had acted before she asked him about Hearts and Hooves Day, and how she acted after hearing his response.
“I should have said it differently now that I think of it.” He whispered as his eyes closed slowly and he felt himself falling asleep. “Perhaps my assistant… would prefer… if I said, as friends maybe.” He said before he fell asleep.
He felt himself fall asleep and then suddenly, a huge rumbling and shaking woke him up. He awoke thinking that the T.A.R.D.I.S. was taking him somewhere fot the first time in over a month, but what he saw was completely different. He found himself lying on a hard surface, looking around he saw himself lying on top of what appeared to be a block. Around it were more blocks, and behind him more blocks and above him, stacked on top of one another, were more blocks of all the same size and shape. This, tower of blocks, for he had no other words to describe it, went on and on. Around him, a cylindrical piece that looked to be made of dirt, unnamed tombstones and dead trees, all of which looked completely out of place, yet still fit together perfectly.
“What the… where am I?” He said, hut at that moment, the tower shook and he heard the sound of something breaking below him. He looked over just in time to see that a layer of blocks from below had broken off, and fallen into what appeared to be a black abyss. The blocks fell forever, until the darkness completely covered them. A few moments later the tower shook yet again, and another layer of blocks fell away, leaving only a few layers between him and the abyss.
“What is going on?!” He shouted, as he backed away from the edge as the tower shook again and he heard the sound of another layer breaking away.
He looked up and he saw that while the lower section of the tower was falling away, the upper section was still solid. Something told him that he did not want to fall into the abyss, it told him that if he fell down there then he would die, he didn’t know how or why, but he felt and knew that it was the truth! He only had one idea that came to mind, because there was literally no time to think about why he was here, that something that told him not to fall into the abyss also told him to climb that tower, and he agreed with it!
“Once you’ve hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up!” He shouted, and jumped onto the layer of blocks above him. He started climbing the tower, one block at a time and one layer at a time. He held on tightly when the tower shook and he heard the blocks falling away. He kept climbing and climbing, not running out of breath, but feeling like he was getting nowhere.
As he climbed onto another layer of blocks, he looked around for the next layer, only to see that there wasn’t another layer to jump onto. He looked to his left, right, and above, but there was nothing for him to jump to what was in reach. The nest layer that was climbable was at least 4 layers above him.
“Now what?” The Doctor asked himself as he racked his brain when the tower shook again. ”Come on, think Doctor, think!” He shouted as the sound of blocks breaking away sounded again. He thought and he thought until after the fourth shook drove him to just smack the block he was standing next to out of frustration.
The block moved effortlessly, and very far. But he also saw that several blocks behind had also moved with it. He saw this and an idea struck him, grabbing the block to his right he pulled on it with his hooves and felt pride as he saw it slide easily into place. He jumped on it, then over to the other side and pushed it to the left. He climbed that block and after experimenting with how the block didn’t fall even though nothing was under it, he created a small staircase using individual blocks to reach the next level.
“Score one for the Doctor!” He cried, but another jolt changed his mind when he noticed that, with all the time he took to make his staircase, the layers of block below him had severely diminished in quantity, only 2 layers had remained between where he was before and where he is now.
“Okay Doctor, less gloating, more climbing!” He said to himself as he jumped up to the next block.
He continued climbing one layer at a time, never stopping and never breaking. Whenever he came across another difficult situation like earlier, he used his newfound knowledge to create a staircase to the next reachable layer. In this manner, he stayed ahead of the falling block layers, but they always started catching up when he slowed down to make a staircase. He climbed and climbed, feeling like he was getting nowhere, but unwilling to let himself fall into the abyss for fear of what would happen. Still, he climbed; with no end in sight he continued to climb that tower.
He took a chance and looked down and saw that the blocks falling away were now some distance, but that didn’t deter his speed as he climbed onto the next layer. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, for it did indeed felt like eternity, he heard something that gave him hope.
H heard a bell ring from above him. He looked up and saw, several layers higher, a glowing white light, and it was from that light that the sound of the bell was ringing. He also noticed that the tower blocks stopped at the light, and he heard again the sound of the blocks breaking away below him.
He climbed faster, something telling him that THIS was what the goal was. He had to reach it, had to reach the light until he saw that the light was actually a bell, hanging over a door.
He didn’t know what this place was, but he saw the door and something inside him beckoned him to get to it, to open the door. He didn’t need to be told twice.
He raced upwards, and he opened the door. Not caring what was on the other side. The light inside the door blinded him and he felt himself walk through it. As the door closed behind him, he could have sworn he heard the sound of someone clapping, and the words “Congratulations, little lamb.”
