10 A.C.
"Oh, dear godesses! Help us!" Dress Code ran fearfully. Ponies everywhere wear dropping dead. The hooded figures were closing in on them. He ran and ran. But he tripped on a stone. A stone that wasn't there before.
"Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?!"
The hooded figure walked closer to him, enough so that Dress Code could see the wet, jiggling brain in place of where it's face should have been, and a long eyestalk.

"The Doctor."

Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom.
The Doctor furrowed his brow in worry. He wanted Twilight to stay as long as possible. How could he handle her leaving him? He spun disc on the console, trying to reach Ponyville once again.
“How do you guys go around this place? It’s like a maze! Whee!” Pinkie bounced up and down, hopping around the console. Twilight smiled, and flipped a few levers on the TARDIS.
He smiled. At least he managed to have a good run. Twilight and Pinkie were good companions. Granted, Pinkie joined for only two adventures, but who’s counting? She had that air of excitement and fun he liked in companions.
And Twilight. She always wanted answers. Always asked questions. Needed more information. She even decided to learn to drive the TARDIS. And a good taste in music too.
So why did they have to leave. Why can’t they stay? The Doctor sighed. He hated goodbyes. He looked at the two. They looked so naïve. So happy.
“Hey, girls,” he smiled weakly, attempting to make lift tension, “What do you think of my new suit?”
“Looks great, Doctor!” Pinkie praised in approval, “I like the new grey look! Still got Braeburn’s hat, I see!”
"Nah... let's go without a hat," He hung it on the coat rack next to the TARDIS console, "I think it clashes."
He sat down, propping his feet on the console, as Twilight attempted to drive her way back to Ponyville. He started to enjoy the peaceful serenity-
“Doctor!” Twilight cried. A cloud of smoke erupted from the TARDIS console as she frantically waved her hooves, “HELP!”

“And this is why I shouldn’t let companions drive the TARDIS alone,” he grumbled, “Dear lord, what did you do?”

Spike walked through the street. He was going to the postage office for some new books. It was Book Donation Day. Then he heard it.
“Doctor! HELP!”
Spike turned his head. The voice came from a blue box in an alleyway, concealed by shadows.
“T-Twilight?”
All that time since the last time he saw her. Could she really be back? Spike shook his head. It wasn’t the time to think. It was time to act. He rushed to the box.

“TWILIGHT!” Spike pounded at the door, “Whoever you are, let her go!”

Knock, knock, knock!
The Doctor turned his head with a rather confused.
“And who could that be?”
“Cough, cough!” Twilight gagged, “I can get that!”
“Wait!” the Doctor lifted his hoof, “Don’t want another go to a cell incident! Let me put on my pony!” With a press of a button, his form shimmered into the body of a brown, spiked mane pony. He nodded to Twilight, and she pushed the open button to the doors.
The doors opened, releasing the smoke. Outside the box stood an angry baby dragon. His claws were balled up into fists.
“Spike!” Twilight ran up to him, and brought him close to her face with his magic, “How have you been?”
“What?” Spike asked in confusion, “But-“
“Oh, I have so much to tell you!” Twilight was practically squeaked in delight, “You looked confused. Oh, right! I’ve probably only been gone for a few hours! I explain that!”
“Twilight, please!”
“Spike?” Pinkie bounced towards her little dragon friend, “You look unhappy! Looks like you need a party to stimulate those muscle movements on your face upwards to express joy!”
“Pinkie?”
The Doctor frowned. The dragon, Spike, had a confused, scared, and relieved look on his face.
“Twilight? Pinkie? But-“
“What’s wrong, Spike?” Twilight became concerned how he was acting.

“It’s been a year and a half,” he answered shakily.

“Ah just can’t believe it. Is it really you?”
“I say it’s some stupid changeling! Let’s just send it to the guards!”
“I think it’s really her, Rainbow Dash…if that’s okay with you…”
“I simply cannot except the simply disgusting outfit that stallion she was with was wearing!”
Twilight hung her head. She should have expected this. The Doctor was never a good driver. Her friends were suspicious, and she couldn’t blame them.
“Ah just can’t believe you’d tell us such lies! How could you say you were traveling to other planets? Just tell us the honest to Celestia truth!” Applejack begged.
“I’m telling you it’s true!” Twilight insisted, “There are so many wonderful things I’ve seen. It’s just… I couldn’t see things I can see now. It’s beautiful. The whole universe was in the base of my hoof! I could do so much!”
“So you think you can just ditch us?” Rainbow shouted angrily, “Why did you guys leave for eighteen months!”
“Dashie,” Pinkie interrupted, “She was time traveling! She could’ve been gone for just a few days!”
“And just what do you know?” Rainbow accused, “According to you, you were in a secret facility to study alien and paranormal things, sponsored by the Princess!”
“But I was!”
Click
The six turned their head to the library door, and watched as the brown stallion trotted into the room. The Doctor looked at the group, his eyes dull and sad.
“I am very, very sorry about what happened. It is all my fault,” he confessed, “I appointed Twilight as my companion a while ago, after Pinkie almost destroyed Ponyville.”
Pinkie raised a hoof to her mouth and giggled sheepishly, her cheeks reddening.
"Companion?" Rarity questioned, "Is that some sort of... sexual role?"
"NO!" It was Twilight's turn to blush.
“Aaaaanyway, the fact she was gone for a year and a half was because of my poor navigation skills,” the Doctor awkwardly admitted, “And there is no reason to be mad at her.”
“Oh, sure!” Rainbow threw her forelegs in the air, “Lost for over a whole year? Yeah, right! What were you doing?”
“We were traveling through space and time. We went to impossible places, different times, hacked into spaceships, fought aliens, and saved lives! And stopped at a café across the universe for tea. I have been at her side for a few days, and she already proven herself a clever mare who can get out of a tricky situation.”
Rainbow huffed angrily. Applejack stepped up to confront him.
“So she was in some adventures,” Applejack exclaimed, “Why is she tellin’ these crazy pony tales! And half those things you mentioned made no sense!”
“I see I can’t convince you by talking,” he smiled, “I’ll show you instead.”
The Doctor’s body flickered, and was replaced by his Time Lord body. The other four ponies and one dragon widened their eyes.
“What the hay?” Rainbow cried in shock, “You’re some freaky alien!”
The Doctor smirked, “No. Really? I had no idea.”
“A freaky, smart ass alien,” Dash corrected herself. Twilight glared at her.
“I have spoken my argument. I can see you would like to have a moment alone with Twilight,” the Doctor sighed, “Goodbye. See you later, Miss Sparkle. See you later, Miss Pie.”
The Doctor turned the disguise back on, and walked out of the library. As he closed the door behind him, he hung his head.

It’s better this way, he thought, better then have her die in a swarm of Vashta Nerada, or in the hands of a Weeping Angel. We’ve had enough close calls already.

Octavia sighed as she downed another cup of tea, and slammed it down to the table.
“More tea, Octa?” her roommate Vinyl asked sarcastically, “Or should I cut you off?”
“Oh, I’m sorry for being so short with you,” Octavia said as she rubbed her temples, “I just feel… disappointed.”
“Disappointed?" Vinyl questioned, “C’mon, you’ve been doin’ great since we decided to go to Ponyville. Nice little things we can play for here. And Pinkie even got me in the Canterlot Wedding!”
“Money is all good,” Octavia sighed. She rested her head against the table, “When it comes to a social life, it’s, well, kaput!” She knocked over the teacup for emphasis.
“Careful! I just polished that table!” Despite her reputation, Vinyl was a massive neat freak. Octavia said that it seems like she was a completely different pony behind her glasses.
“Oh, no,” she cried in mock horror, “That’s totally necessas- ah!”
“What’s wrong?” Vinyl asked.

“It’s nothing,” Octavia lied. A hot, burning sensation erupted from her neck. She looked down at the source. It was her TARDIS key.

The Doctor slowly made his way to the TARDIS. He almost hoped Twilight would’ve come out by now and stopped him. He lifted the key to the door, slid the key to the lock, and…
“Doctor!”
That voice. That accent. Could it be? He turned his head. A gray earth pony was trotting towards him, her eyes seething with determination. A glowing key hung from a necklace.
“Octa!”
“Doctor!”
He grinned, “What’re you doing here, aye? Shouldn’t you be off, playing at some big shot concert in Canterlot?”
“I… kinda regretted not going with you,” she admitted, “I tried going around the Earth, just looking for you!”
“Aw, you shouldn’t do that!” he groaned, “Live your own life! Be your own pony!”
“Don’t worry, it was easy!” Octavia said, “I just found out where Twilight Sparkle lived. Turns out she was a national heroine! Unfortunately, turns out she disappeared a while ago, but here you are now! Where’s Twilight?”
“She’s gone,” The Doctor’s mood noticeably darkened, “I accidentally drove the TARDIS eighteen months further then intended, and now she ended up away from Ponyville for a year and a half. I decided to let her go.”
“Oh…” Octavia lowered her eyes, “I’m sorry. She seemed a good companion, though.”

“It’s for the best,” The Doctor insisted, “If she went with me, she was probably going to lose her life. It’s would be better for her to stay with her friends, where she’s safe.”

After seeing the Doctor leave, there were four different reactions from each of the ponies. Rarity sat quietly, her mouth gaped open. Applejack wore a confused expression, Rainbow was feeling angry and betrayed by her ‘abandonment’, and Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane in fright.
“What the hay, Twilight!” Rainbow abruptly exclaimed, “So now you’re buddying up with some creepy looking monster!”
“He’s not a monster, he’s a Time Lord!” Twilight protested, “And you should be thanking him! He’s saved your lives countless times, and you don’t even know him.”
“If he’s a ‘Time Lord’, how come he dropped you in the wrong time?” Rainbow asked.
“Time Lord is the name of his species,” Pinkie explained, “Doesn’t mean he can actually use time right.”
“DOCTOR!”
“What in tarnation?” Applejack looked out of the window. A gray Earth Pony was running to the Doctor, a glowing key hanging on her neck.
"Is that... Octavia?" Twilight asked, "What's the Doctor doing?"
"Looks like he's ditching you!" Rainbow laughed, "How does it feel?"
"No," she shook her head, "That can't be right! I'm his companion... he...he wouldn't..."
"Truely sorry, darling," Rarity said, "But it almost looks like you're being replaced by that gray pony."

"Oh, no he won't!"

"Doctor! Get back here!"
"Oooh, that's not good," the Doctor groaned, "Looks like she got suspicious. I need to leave."
"Come on, Doctor!" Octavia insisted, "Can't she stay?"
The Doctor just sighed and shook his head, "No. I can't let anything to happen to her. There's just too much of a risk. If she stays to long... well, I don't want another situation like Adric, Zoe, Jamie... River..."
Octavia decided not to push him. He looked depressed enough already.
"So, it's best if we don't-"
"DOCTOR!"
"Well, now it's a bit late," he mumbled, "Hey, Twilight!"
"Exactly what are you doing?" she asked angrily, "Are you leaving me here?"
"Hey!" Rainbow shouted, "What's wrong with Ponyville?!"
The Doctor narrowed his brow, "Yeahhh, well, Twilight? Can you talk to me for a tick?"
"Alright," she said suspiciously, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Come with me, to the TARDIS," the Doctor motioned, "Your friends can wait for you in the console room."

The Doctor sighed. It might as well be time to do it. Twilight was going to be in the TARDIS for the last time.
"Twilight?"
"Yes, Doctor?"
His forced grin faltered. That mind. He was going to miss that mind. The questions. The curiousity. But might as well get over with it.
"You see..." he started, "I think it's time... for you to go."
"What?!" Twilight shrieked, "Why?"
"I'm just worried, Twilight," he explained, "Before the Scribe died in the explosion, he warned me something. He told me that there would be a departure, a rebirth, and a return. I just don't want anything bad to happen. You've seen it already, I had you gone for eighteen months! You could have died in our adventures!"
"I can be careful!"
"It's not just that. No matter what, something will cause you to leave. It already happened to me once," the Doctor pleaded for understanding, "Something always goes wrong. I want you to remember our travels as something wonderful. Not something that distances you from your friends."

"Okay," she bowed her head, "I suppose it's for the best."

The two walked into the console room, where the rest of Twilight's friends were waiting.
"We're done talking now," the Doctor stepped to the console, and pulled the door lock switch. The door opened, revealing Ponyville. But then the doors shut.
"Oh, no..." the Doctor picked a mallet, and turned some knobs in a vain attempt to stop the TARDIS.
The pillars began to shift, up and down. A hum radiated from the heart of the console.
"Oh, you don't!"
And a sound erupted in the room.
Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom.
"Not again!"
BAM, BAM, BAM
Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom.
Thunk.
"Ahhhh, yah did it."
The doors opened to show a old fashioned city, filled with busy ponies.
"You really have a problem with letting go, don't you," he yelled at the TARDIS, "Just like Martha."
He looked outside, and saw the green fields of a newborn city.
"Twilight?"
"Yeah, Doctor?" Twilight answered in a confused tone.
"Do you recognise this place?"
A spark lit in Twilight's eyes.
"Judging from architecture, the clothes, the decorations, and the temperature," Twilight gasped, "We're in Canterlot, 10 A.C.! IN THE FIRST HEARTH'S WARMING EVE CELEBRATION!"
"What?" Rarity squeed, "Like the one we preformed in the pageant!"
"Aw, sweet!" Rainbow cheered, "I can meet Commander Hurricane! She's so awesome!"
"Really?" the Doctor deadpanned, "Can we just go back to Pon- hold it, what's Hearth's Warming Eve?"
"It's a festival celebrating the unity of the pegasi, the unicorns, and the earth ponies!" Twilight explained.
"Well that sounds... hang on a tick, did you say Earth?"
"Uhhh, yes?" Twilight laughed, "Now that is one strange coincidence!"
The Doctor turned his head to Octavia, "And you said Earth before, didn't you?"
"Yes, that's the name of the planet."
"But I always thought it was Equestria," Twilight chuckled, "Learn something new every day!"
"Twilight..." the Doctor smiled nervously, "How exactly do you not know the name of your planet, and except the fact instantly?"
"I don't know," she shrugged, "I just do. What's wrong?"
The Doctor scrunched up his face, wrinkles forming on his forehead as he tried to remember something.
"I guess it really is nothing," he admitted, "But is very, very, strange."
He turned around at the feel of a tap on his shoulder. He saw Rainbow hovering behind him.
"Hey, space guy," she said, "How about a deal? If you let us hang around here, we'll forgive you for ponynapping Twilight, if you let us have out around here!"
"Ponynapping? But-the - what?" he stammered, "Ponynapping? But that doesn't make any sense! The TARDIS translation would've changed it to kidnapping."
"I've been meaning to ask about that," Twilight interjected, "How is it that every species seems to speak the same language?"
"That's actually the TARDIS translation unit," the Doctor explained, "It gets in your head and makes you speak and here the same language. So why didn't it translate ponynapping directly to kidnapping? It doesn't do literal."
"Excuse me," a deep voice interrupted, "But pray tell, why are all you mare naked?"
"Hah!" the Doctor laughed, "Oh, sorry, but looks like we're in a time where you have to wear clothes!"
"Well, isn't that marvellous!" the white one squeed in delight, "So much business for fashion! Oh, if only I could live here!"
"Hold on," the stallion spoke up again, "What are you all talking about?"
"Sorry, we were attacked by some bandits," the Doctor lied, "They didn't take much, just the mares' clothing."
"Oh, by the Creator, my condolences!" the stallion gasped, "I wish there was something I could do! Oh, you poor dears. I have no idea what you must be going through! If only I could help in any way."
"What are you... oh," the Doctor chuckled nervously, "It's not like that! We just lost some clothes. Speaking of which, where can we shop for clothes?"
" Of course," he smiled, "Try Pansy's Dress Emporium."
"Oh, that most be Private Pansy," Fluttershy shouted in the quietest way possible, "She sounds very nice!"
"Yeaaah, anyway, thanks," the Doctor grinned, "We'll be off!"
"Wait!" the stallion held up a hoof. His brown goatee bobbed up and down as he walked, "Is it just me, or do I know you six mares?"
"Well, I am pretty cool," the rainbow pony bragged, "I wouldn't be surprised if my awesomeness seeped through the time continuum."
"That's not how time travel works," the Doctor shook his head disapprovingly, "Well, it can, but it's very rare."

"Well, then," the stallion laughed, "You ponies make no sense, but I like that in a pony. My name's Starswirl. It's a pleasure to meet you."

At that moment, Twilight's brain had ceased functioning. On the way to the clothes emporium, she seemed almost paralyzed. The only sounds she could make were mumbles, as Octavia dragged her along.
"That's... Starswirl the Bearded?" she asked, when the feeling returned to her mouth.
"Apparently," the Doctor nodded, "Whoever that is."
"Whoever he is?" Twilight was shocked, "He's only the cleverest pony in the history of Equestria! Oh, he invented so many spells! The water walking spell, the gravity spell, the archery spell, the time travel spell, not as good as the TARDIS though, and the shine spell..."
"I get it!" he raised up a disguised finger to Twilight's mouth, "I have one way see how much of a genius he really is... Hey, Starswirl!" he held up the psychic paper, making it say the Gettysburg Address.
"Why are you showing me a blank card?" Starswirl asked in confusion.
"He really is a genius!" the Doctor giggled, "He can't read the psychic paper! Oh, good lord, that is rich! I haven't met someone who could do that since... I dunno, Shakespeare!"
"I told you haven't I!"
"Sorry to interrupt you and your wife," Starswirl chuckled at his fans, "But we appear to be at the shop now."
"We're not married!" the two said in unison.
"Can they be any more obvious?" Rainbow sighed, while the orange one shook her head.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked nervously, "I don't have a crush on the Doctor!"
"Oh, please," Pinkie scoffed, "You might as well have hearts floating around you!"
"Well, that did happen once," she recalled, "Only they were bugs, in the shape of hearts. They were also a bit carnivorous."
"....What?"
"The point is, there's no way me and the Doctor could ever be together," Twilight
"But just think, darling! Two lovers, not caring about species, prejudice, from opposite ends of the universe!" Rarity swooned, "That's so beautiful!"
"Actually, he lived ten galaxies away, not quite on the opposite end of the universe. Also, the universe has no ends."
"You just ruined the mood, Twilight," Rarity deadpanned in annoyance, "My, you really have learned more about the universe, haven't you? You just won't stop talking about it."
Twilight smiled. With that one simple book, a book that directed her to the Everfree. She learned that Pinkie was an alien, the Princess had a secret foundation studying paranormal activity. She learned that there was so much more that she could have dreamed. She was lucky to have met her. But then a dark thought crossed her mind. What if she wasn't? The Doctor lives on for an eternity. What was his age? A thousand years? Twelve hundred? He could live on, while she would rot and die. And maybe she could have died, in the hooves of the Nestene, the Vashta Nerada, the Somniumforms, the Daleks. How much longer could she last?
This will be the end of the adventures with him. That will be it.

But maybe that was for the best.

"So what's your name again?" Starswirl asked the shy, yellow pegasus.
"I'm... Fluttershy..." she whispered shyly.
"Well, hello, miss Fluttershy!" Starswirl smiled warmly, "It's a pleasure making your acquaintance."
"Down, boy!" the Doctor chuckled, "Quite the lady killer."
"I beg your pardon, Dr. Sparkle!" he huffed rather angrily.
"Eh?" he acted confused, "Doctor who?"
"Well, since you obviously are not a Sparkle, pray tell, what exactly is your name?"
"Well, would you look at that! It's open!" the Doctor quickly changed the subject and opened the Emporium's door.
"Hello!" a cheery voice cried out, coming from a yellow pegasus, "Welcome to my Emporium!"
"Ms. Pansy!" Starswirl grinned, "Good to see your pretty little face again!"
"Aw, you're too kind, sir," Pansy blushed, "But... why are you here? You do realize that this store is mostly for mares, don't you?"
"My dear, Pansy," he chuckled, "Do you think I would need to buy something to see my good friend?"
"So, you came here to visit me?"
"Actually, no," he grinned cheekily, "They need to go on, what you might call, a shopping spree."
"I quite like this bloke," the Doctor smiled at the discussion, as they stepped to introduce themselves, "I'm the Doctor. This is Twilight, Pinkie, the orange pony, the drama queen, the rainbow-y one, and Fluttershy. Say hello!"
"How dare you treat a lady like that!" Rarity stuck her nose up in the air.
"Does it smell nicer there?"
"Oh, you impudent, rude, insulting..." Rarity's anger quickly faded away, as she saw all the clothes. Dresses, slippers, hats galore. She practically fainted, "This... is... a... utopia..."
"Like what you see?" Pansy grinned, "Maybe you can buy something. Dresses are half a bit."
"Ha-ha-lf a bit?"
"Now, miss, it may seem a bit pricey, but I assure you, everything is hoof stitched, making yure every single detai-" she stopped as the white unicorn dumped the contents of her purse onto the counter.
"Take it! Money is no object!"
So the six mares went off, searching for some clothes to wear, the low prices of the past used to their advantage. All but Fluttershy.
"Anything the matter, Fluttershy?" the Doctor asked.
"It's... Ms. Pansy," she answered with her face behind her mane, "She's... so much louder than I thought..."
"That's history books for you," the Doctor chuckled, "Always getting something wrong."
"That's not it..." Fluttershy whispered, "She... she was like a role model to me... a hero, because I always thought she was like me..."
"Hey," he patted her on the back, "If she was a hero to you when you thought she was like you, how is that different from you being your own role model? Grow up, wanting to be who you want is easy, find a person better than you, and strive to be like him or her. But to be your own role model is rather interesting. I think you admire yourself. But you don't speak up about it."
"You're right, Mr. Doctor," Fluttershy beamed with confidence, "I'm sorry for wasting your precious time."
"Don't worry, I'm a time traveller! I've got all the time in the universe," the Doctor shooed her off, "Now go, find some clothes with your friends."

As she trotted away, he turned his head. She seemed to be good companion material. If only. But something caught his eye. And his face split into a lopsided smile.

"Alright, girls!" Twilight smiled, "I think we're dressed up enough! Doctor! Are you ready?"
The Doctor walked into view, donning a bright red fez.

"Yes I am."

Three cloaked figures hudled in front of a computer monitor.
"That's him."
"That's the Doctor!"
The hooded figures grew excited. The Doctor was coming.

And they were ready.

The group walked on, enjoying the sites. Starswirl then stopped them.
"Now, this, my friends, is my humble abode. Clover the Clever!" he knocked four times on the door.
"Coming master," the door opened, revealing a rather tired looking purple unicorn, "Hello, Master Starswirl. Who are your guests?"
"Forgive her bedraggled appearance," Starswirl shook his head, "But my apprentice seems to think that she is a detective, who can decipher the mysterious disappearances."
"Disappearances?" the Doctor smiled, "Now we're getting somewhere!"
"They started a while back," Starswirl explained, "Surely you've heard of them?"
"Riiiiight, let's just pretend we haven't for a bit shall we?"
"Well, the disappearances happened two weeks ago," Clover yawned out, "There's mass abductions, in specific areas, about half of the ponies in a ten yard radius is gone. No trace."
"That is way too organised. It can be tracked down," the Doctor rattled out, "So why? What are they after?"
"Don't try to make sense of it, I've been on the job since three days ago,"
"I'm clever," he grinned, "Now, if they were in some sort of a pattern... My I see a map of the disappearances?"
"Looks like the trip just got awesome!"

"Again," Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Here, here, here, and here," the Doctor pointed, "I think we can rule out a message... so what? Is it trying to attract attention?"
"Like I said, Doctor," Clover smiled wearily, "I can't make sense of it."
The Doctor looked at Clover, and frowned.
"What colour would you consider yourself?"
"What?"
"What colour?"
"I think we have much more worry about," Clover sent her attention back to the map, "And to answer your question, lavender."
"Of course..."
"Doctor!"
The Doctor turned and saw Twilight, levitating a piece of brown cloth.
"Well, well, well," he held the clothe close to his face, "What did you find?"
"It's just an ordinary piece of shined wool," Clover said in disbelief, "How can you be distracted by such silly things?"
"Oi, what did he call you? Clover the Clever?" the Doctor scoffed, "May as well be Clover the Thick and Blind. Look at this." He gave the cloth a lick, "It isn't wool. It's polyester."
"And what is polyester?" Clover asked irritably.
"The cloth that apparently hasn't been invented yet," he scowled, "So the kidnapper's an alien. That does give us a lead."
The two ran off to where Twilight had found the cloth.

"Alien? Are you mental?" Clover shouted back at them, "... still, it makes more sense than anything I could come up with."

Twilight had lead the Doctor, Starswirl, Octavia, and Clover over to the site where the cloth was found. An empty field.
"Okay," the Doctor clapped his hands for attention, "The kidnapper, or kidnappers, left a piece of cloth. What does that tell us?"
"They're clumsy?" Octavia shrugged.
"No!" Clover interjected, "They were able to remove any evidence of their existence before, so why would they leave a bit of cloth there?"
"Ohoho! You are cleverer than I thought!" the Doctor rubbed his hands together, "So in total, aliens that can destroy all evidence of their existence, revealed their existence. So why? Why would they do something so clumsy as that?"
"Hell if I know," Starswirl frowned, tapping his hoof impatiently.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
"How about that," he took off the fez and scratched his head, "That means... it's a trap."
"Quite right, Doctor."
The ponies (and Time Lord) turned and saw a group of ten hooded bipedal creatures.
"The Somniumforms!" the Doctor threw his arms in the air, "Aw, how thick am I? Of course it's you!"
"You... know of us, then?"
"Of course!" The Doctor rubbed his hands together, and pulled back the hood of the creature. Starswirl, Clover, and Octavia cringed at the sight.
"So, who are you than, mate?" the Doctor asked, "Are you Jalast? I'd recognise those tentacles anywhere!"
"Why yes I am, Doctor," Jalast tilted his head in confusion, "Have we met?"
"I met you, you haven't met me... timey wimey..." he rolled his eyes, "It can get complicated."
"Doctor? Could you maybe not become friends with something that killed a bunch of ponies?" Octavia suggested.
The Doctor nodded, "So... you know who I am... but not formally. So who sent who, huh?"
"We were promised our world back if we helped the lord," Jalast bowed in respect, "The lord who saved us from certain death."
The other somniumforms bowed their heads underneath their hoods.
"Right, so someone sent you, this 'lord', to kill me?" the Doctor deduced.
"No," Jalast shook his brain topped head, "The lord sent us... for reawakening."
"How do you plan to do that?"
"Simple," Jalast looked at Clover, who toppled over, and grunting in pain.
"One simple instruction," he blinked, "Open the fob watch, and we will bring her back."
"Bring her back?" Starswirl asked, "Do you mean you're killing her?"
But the Somniumforms had disappeared. As they looked around, they saw that they were back in Starswirl's living room.
"Don't worry my dear, Clover!" Starswirl consoled, "They said to open the fob watch, and that's precisely what I'll do!"
"What did they mean 'fob watch', Doctor?" Twilight asked him, but the Doctor's mind was far gone. And then he remembered.
"DON'T OPEN THAT WATCH!"
Starswirl had levitated a fob watch from his pocket, and was about to open it.
"Why not?" Starswirl asked angrily, "She'll die if I don't open it!"
"Do you remember that watch, Starswirl?" the Doctor warned, "Think! Just, really, think about it!"
"No... I... always just ignored it until now..." Starswirl admitted.
"This was part of his plan!" he hit his forehead, "This was all an elaborate plan to come back!"
"Who?" Twilight paled. If the Doctor feared this man...
"The Master,"
"And who's 'the Master'?" Octavia asked, still confused.
"He is-"
Click
"NO!"
A golden light erupted from the fob watch, and drifted down to Clover.
"What?" the Doctor was now confused.
And Clover sat up straight, a deranged, evil smirk on her face.
"Hello, Doctor. Long time, no see,"
"What?" he repeated.
"Surely you remember your old friend, Rani?" Clover let out a laugh, sending chills down Octavia's back.

"I'm back!"

To Be Continued

Author's Note

Well, I'm glad this is over with.