Chapters Why so early? Why boxboard? Why alone? Because it's a sunRISE celebration. Because I don't have a tent. Because mum is, somewhere, somewhere else, busy, don't know.
“Wakey, wakey!” said a bright voice, loudly waking everypony who wasn't awake by now,
Pinky Pie's voice was the best to wake up an entire class, and Cheerilee is surely having fun being supported by such a loud assistant.
Dinky got up, her mane was muddled and her legs cold. The boxboard that should replace her tent turned out to be a total flaw, it was soaking wet from mornings dew.
By the way, Dinky thought to herself, what's so funny about the sun? It is just the annual Summer Sun Celebration, where the Princess will raise the sun and everypony cheers and then we go back home. Home, lots of miles away from Fillydelphia, a three-day trip with the school class. Three days away from my mother, Derpy, and I don't know what she might be doing now.
A filly with a yellow coat appeared beside Dinky and said, “Hey there, your box is wet – sort of.”
“I know Apple Bloom, want to help me to fold the next one?”
Dinky picked up a bag with unfolded boxboards and gave one to her friend. She started to rip the old, wet box apart. It did help to calm her troubled mind.
“These boxes are stupid,” said Apple Bloom, “We should make them water proof somehow! Ah know! Do you have lots of glue?”
“I got 'lots' of strong tape, this should do it. Thanks Apple Bloom!” Dinky replied, happier now.
“You're welcome!” the yellow filly yelled, suddenly dropping her boxboard “Sorry, I nearly forgot, I must go back to Applejack now! She wants to prepare breakfast for everypony. Yo coming to pick up some of our apple treats later, right?” she said, running off.
“Sure, see you later.” Dinky mumbled sadly. Well, she got somepony to be with on this trip. Dinky had noticed that, nearly everpony had somepony with them. Apple Bloom had Applejack, Sweetie Belle had her parents and Scootaloo some distant relative who lived in Fillydelphia. Even Diamond Tiara's dad, Filthy Rich, found time to come along with his daughter.
The purple filly looked up to the sky, questioning. “Why is mum not here? ”
“Is something the matter, Dinky?” Cheerilee said suddenly behind her.
Dinky wondered if she spoke her last thoughts out loud.
“No, Miss Cheerilee. Thanks. I just finished here. Are we going to the celebration stage now?”
“Not yet.” replied Cheerilee, “We'll be having breakfast first, the Apple's have prepared a wonderful meal for everypony.”
“Sounds nice, I'm coming.”
Dinky walked with her teacher, stopping at various tents, gathering more foals from her class to take to breakfast. Finally, they all arrived for breakfast at Applejack's cart, where the orange pony would later sell apple treats and baked goods during the celebration.
The Summer Sun Celebration was a big event that drew merchants and craftspony from all over Equestria, even more when held in such a big city as Fillydelphia. Dinky find mobile kiosks for almost everything, flowers, Princess merchandise, sunglasses, sunblocks, sunbeds and another cart from Ponyville, Zecoras Potions.
After breakfast, Cheerilee announced the schedule for the day. First the grown-up would have to sign up their for the positions in front of the celebration stage that their families or groups would occupy, then, before the sun rose, they would all gather in front of the stage, to watch the Princess to carry out the main event. After the celebration the stores would open and various games and activities would being. A big lunch would be provided to everypony for free. Then, at last, they would prepare and leave for their trip back to Ponyville. Pinky insisted nopony will leave without having lunch!
“We got some time now!” shouted Apple Bloom.
Dinky sighed, “There isn't much to do with the stores still closed.”.
“You're missin' your mom, right, aren't you?” asked Apple Bloom.
“I don't know,” replied Dinky, “I wish I could say, but she didn't say anything reasonable when she dropped me off before we started.” Dinky looked up to the sky again, “I wish I could, … just see what she is doing now.”
Only a little bulb shed it's light from the ceiling, the room was small, but still dark in the corners. Between piles of random electric parts, wires and arcane artefacts with no known source, there was a box. It was made of solid steel, had two small windows, made of strong glass and barricaded from inside. Some of the wires lead into the box, others were ripped out of the wall, loosing a liquid and did not glow, like those attached to the machine. A lightning shock illuminated the room, going trough open parts and over monitors. A black mane arose out of the piles of parts, revealing the enervated face of a brown pony with an hourglass on his flank.
At first he didn't notice the knocking sounds from the door, until something hit hard enough to nearly break it. He shook off all the wires and parts he was hiding under, trotted to the door and opened it.
“Hey there!” said a voice under the blonde mane, jiggling in mid-air, still trying to knock against the already open door.
“Hello, Derpy, you …”
“you're awake!” Derpy interrupted. “I have some mail for you, and mpf, mpf, tfu” the last words where mumbled badly, as Derpy sunk her head into her giant mail bag. She passed him some letters and packages.
“Thanks. I've waited long for these.”
“You’re welcome, Muffin Doc! I just want to fix the thingies I've been crashed into, so …”
“Please don't call me that, my name is Doctor Whooves. And I'm still mad at you.” said he while was going through the mail. One must always check the mail brought by Derpy Hooves, it might not be yours.
Derpy's face went down to the floor, and nervously pawed it with her front hoof.
“I'm sorry, I don't know what …”
“Don't worry!” he said, soothing the upset pegasus, ”With these plans here, I can fix this much quicker now.”
The Doctor began opening his letters and returned to his workplace. Derpy however, continued to mumble and stare at the ground. The brown stallion turned around, hoping that Derpy would return to her mail route. She did not look like she would, however. In fact, she had thrown her mail bag on the ground and looked up, right at him, with an expression of a rare seriousness.
Suddenly Derpy threw herself at him and wrapped her forelegs around his neck, hugging all air out of him. “I'll make it up to you!” she yelled, and then instantly turned around and rushed out of the door, her bag trailing carelessly behind her.
A bottle of punch, some muffins and mail. Derpy was glad beeing invited to the laboratory again.
Dr. Whooves could have fixed the broken wires and energy input tubes, just exchange the supply parts with an on-ground system, get rid of controls hanging from the ceiling and make the whole machine approachable from the ground. Anyhow, he didn't want to do that.
“Didn't you want to turn up and down and all that with the machine?” his only assistant asked.
Whooves turned around, “It is not that simple, it would be to complicated, since …“ he stopped, “I've constructed that machine from start to be operated from whatever side it lies on, just plain providence.”
“Pro-vieh-dance what? Will it turn around sometimes?”
“Once it runs, yes maybe.” the doctor smiled, “That's why you're still on board, you can fly – well other pegasi can too – but … I can trust you, to keep things to yourself that's …“ he wasn't sure how to continue, ”Um, why don't you give me another muffin?”
“Sure! Have some punch too!” a bright smile was on Derpy's face, “Does that mean I can work for you again?”
“Yea! Yes you can!” the Doctor replied. The grey pegasus was actually pretty helpful and, besides, he still cared for her. “And you know what?” he continued, “Maybe we can run some test launches today!”
“That's cool and well, that too,” said Derpy.
Dinky' face lightened up, “You can do that?”
“You bet!” Apple Bloom said confidently, “We've made some fierce ones before, right girls?”
“And where do we find that?” asked Dinky.
“Don't be silly, it'll be together with the other mixing stuff!” said Apple Bloom.
“And where is THAT?” asked Dinky nearly bursting with curiosity.
A meaningful smile crossed Apple Bloom's face as she looked at Zecora's market stand.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS – POTION BREWERS, YAY!”
And with the enthusiastic of four fillies they build a hideout fitting for their crusade, in the middle of the campsite.
Their recently named paperboard-fortress was almost entirely made of paperboard, reinforced with strong tape and blankets. No sound could escape the fortress, they added a little cut in the top side to let in fresh air and a small hatch was the only access into their hideout.
A little candle lit the four faces, scheming over a book and an iron cauldron.
“Potion of Insight, ” read Apple Bloom out loud, “use an gram of garlic, some of that, a bit of yadda, yadda, yadda,…, Stuff, thingy, hey!” the filly looked up. “The last thing seems to be selected.”
Dinky turned to their mixture, “What was the last thing we added Sweetie?”
“Let's see... Hearts Desire, Fair Flower and Poison Joke!” she answered happily, but, suddenly, she became uncertain as she taught about what she just said.
“Darn it!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, “We only should have used one of those. The book says this will decide the effects of the potion.”
Scootaloo turned towards the yellow filly, “Well, why didn't you say so earlier?! What kind of potion did we just make?!”
“I-I-don't know,” stammered Apple Bloom, as she looked through the book, “Look here.” She turned it to her friends, “These notes were written by Zecora, I can't read her mambo-jumbo-writing very well!”
“Forget it, a lot helps a lot! And we don't have time for another mix.” Dinky dipped a glass into the brew. “Anything not-readable I should know before I drink it?”
Apple Bloom flipped through the book again, “Well, you better lay down first. You may fall asleep, lose consciousness and … you will be able 'to see what the subject sees you have caught watching at you before '.”
“What?” asked Scootaloo.
“Wait, I need to see her before I can see like her?” inquired Dinky.
“I'm afraid so. Sorry Dinky, missed that somehow,” Apple Bloom apologized.
Dinky's expression turned serious now, she reached into her bag, pulling out a picture of her mum.
“Oh, how sweet, you got a photo of her with you!” said Sweetie Belle.
The purple Filly didn't seem to hear. She had already hold the picture in her stretched foreleg. She quickly swallowed the whole glass of their promising potion, bringing her face closer to the picture.
The Crusaders looked nervously, wondering what was going to happen to their friend.
Dinky fell like a tree.
“I told her to lay down first! Didn't I?”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders had grown silent, they could only follow their teacher, didn't want to risk more punishment after their recent display. Derpy was still dizzied from the strong magical outburst and complained about a piercing headache. As they approached their group in the crowd, her face cleared up a bit.
“For what is the stage?” Derpy asked, “Do we celebrate something?”
Apple Bloom gave her a confused look, “It is Summer Sun Celebration, didn't you know?”
“Hmm, Dinky said something like that,” said Derpy as she tried to remember.
“The princess raises the sun for the longest day in the year! Everypony must have seen this!” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
Derpy looked around, “Huh, I never did.”
“WHAT?” the Crusaders asked united.
“Why didn't you come with Dinky then?” Scootaloo pressed on.
As her fellow Crusaders gave Scootaloo angry looks, Derpy backed up and nervously rubbed her hooves together.
“I had to … “ She stammered, “I know I shouldn't leave her, but I …“ the pause caught the fillies attention.
“I couln't leave him either.” Derpy closed, looking up and hoping for a response of understatement.
“Brilliant!” the Doctor shouted, “Alchemy beats natural laws once again, ha ha, I love this country!”
Dinky stared confused on the cheering stallion. What is he so happy about?
“Should I go home now?” she asked, “you know, since I ruined everything?”.
“What?” No! Please, I need you now! I mean, your mother wanted to help me fix this here.” He pointed to the blue box that rested between the massive cables in the laboratory. “It may help fixing your problem as well!”
“How can that box help me?” she had to ask even more confused.
The Doctor put on an amused smile, “Oh, It will let us return to your mother by altering time and space lines, while breaking scientific rules of this land again and reaching her just in time before she notices you are gone and even before the sunset.”
“What ever you said, but I would try anything to get back to her!” Dinky said with a smile.
He trotted over to the mail and boxes he got from Derpy earlier this afternoon, opened the biggest one and pulled out a big light bulb.
“Would you please place this on the top of the machine?”
Dinky reached for it and flew awkwardly slow to the ceiling, as she tried to get used to her wings, “What is it for?”
“Nothing specific, but utterly important.” he said with an academic tone.
“Ha ha, you're making no sense again!” she replied from the top of the blue box.
As the dawn nears, the grey pegasus and the stallion worked on the mysterious machine. The technical details where still confusing for Dinky, the Doctor tried his best to explain, but that didn't help Dinky much.
“This is a container, temporally, for it seems it can only run with lots of 'magic' here.” he paused to take breath, “Soooo, Twilight helped me to deposit magical energy in this container, difficult procedure and expensive, it's made of gemstones as you sure have noticed.”
Dinky flew beside him with a questioning face, “Twilight helped you a lot, didn't she?”
The stallion stopped in motion to his desk before turning his head to her.
“NO! It's nothing like that!” he yelled instantly, “Nothing would have worked without your mother!”
Dinky bursted out laughing, “Yeah, you're funny. Why didn't you invite her earlier?”
The Doctor blushed and turned to the desk, “I couldn't, she couldn't follow me when I'm leaving.”
The pegasus flipped mid-air over and stared at him with panic.
He made a contritely face and answered calmly, “That is more difficult to explain, but don't worry I wont leave so soon. Sometime in future, the right moment so to speak, but I'm definitely gone then and no one, I mean no-pony, can follow me.”
“OK, so this explains everything?” she tried to catch his look as he turned away, “you can't go with mum because you sometime, anytime, could have to leave her. Fine, then what exactly was she helping you with? Building your escape ship?”
Silence filled the room and after some unbearable long seconds, The Doctor turned around to the pegasus with a smile on his face.
“You know, you're the first who called my blue box a ship.” He reached into the last box from the mail and pulled out a small key, shaped out of a diamond. “I'll show you what this ship can do and then you'll maybe understand.”
They where on tour for more than four hours now and the train only slowly made it's way across the country. Fillydelphia was some miles away from Ponyville and the adventurous fillies couldn't stand the deadly boredom that comes with long and slow travels.
“You know, they should let some pegasi carry a giant kite to get many ponies quickly from town to town!” Scootaloo suggested to her friends.
“Sure when pigs can fly.” Apple Bloom said, shaking her head.
“They can fly if you lift them with magic!” Scootaloo insisted, “Besides what's against mass teleport Sweetie Belle?”
The addressed white unicorn sighted before she responded, “Even Twilight couldn't do that! Magic is to be used for delicate matters, not simply transport for everypony.”
“Oh, you going fancy now with your magic? Sweet and elite tricks for only the great and powerful?” the orange pegasus picked on.
The purple friend of the Crusaders appeared beside Sweetie Belle.
“You know it hurts.” Dinky said with a stressed face, “I, mean physically, magic is not easy to deal with.”
Scootaloo stepped back, “OK, sorry, didn't know that.”
Apple Bloom looked closer at their friend.
Dinky instantly wiped her face with her hooves and shook her head.
“Again?” Sweetie Belle asked worried, “You know that this can cause magical exploits. My sister has gone mad when I ripped three of her dresses with a single stroke apart!”
“That was on purpose” Scootaloo had to bring up.
“No! This was no fun!” the with unicorn replied shouting.
Dinky turned around and trotted to the neighboring compartment.
Shortly after she left to the corridor, the Cutie Mark Crusaders heard a familiar voice loudly arguing.
“Oh, and your mum missed, to give you a tent? How sad, I would cry, but you cried for both of us today.”
“Tiara!” Apple Bloom shouted at the posing pink pony, “let Dinky alone, she doesn't need your nonsense now!”
“I think she would tell me her self if it would be that way, or won't you BINKY?.” Diamond Tiara responded lightly.
“If you want it …” Dinky slowly spoke up.
Scootaloo cut her off, “No, we will stand up for her and you'll have a problem with us, Tiara!”
“Now, that's nonsense, my Dad is here you know!” with a wink to Dinky the pink pony continued, “unlike other parents, he cares for me.”
Apple Bloom set up for a response, but was interrupted by a loud cranking sound followed by her friends stumbling over her as they all fell forwards. Only Dinky hold herself on a handle and pointed after Diamond Tiara who fell along the length of the corridor.
“I don't want to talk with you right now!” Dinky shouted after her.
With shock the Crusaders realized the magic aura flowing around their friend. They also saw the purple light shining through the trains small windows, illuminating the hall.
Derpy listened to the Crusaders tale with growing sadness, as they finished she bursted out in tears.
How could I leave leave her? What have I done? I should have been there for her. She needs me now more than ever.
“You OK, Derpy?” Apple Bloom asked.
The purple unicorn got up and swept her face.
“Uh, that might take a while“ Sweetie Belle said, ”we've to stay here till lunch and the return trip will take us five hours again.”
“Come on, you can watch the sunrise with us, that will cheer you up!” Scootaloo suggested.
Apple Bloom took Derpy's hoof and pulled her closer to the stage.
The sky has already lightened up with beginning dawn and the stage with the hemispherical sun symbol casted a long shadow across the eagerly waiting crowd. And then finally the princes stepped forward, smiling with her mane flowing around her head. Starting out small, a the magical aura around her horn began glowing and as she leaped to hover up to float in the circle The aura grew larger with blinding bright. The sun raised quicker than normal and the princess casted an orange shadow. Everypony cheered in joy, as the light filled the fields, shone upon their faces. Derpy's tears went dry and she could only smile, enthralled by the beautiful gift the princess shared with all of them.
“So when ever you make no sense, you're also most serious?” Dinky had to press on.
The Doctor sighted with a beginning sign of despair across his face.
“That sounds fair!“ Dinky hopped to the console in the middle of the ship. “I already checked the magical container. I couldn't help but notice that Twilight failed her calculation, the energy will only last for a short trip, we maybe won't make it to Fillydelphia.”
“How can you know that?” the brown stallion turned to her surprised, “I think it's enough for more than just ...”
Dinky cut him of, “I'm normally a unicorn you remember? And I can still kind of feel the energy we got here. We better don't try to travel with time, but you know, just getting there is more than enaugh.”
“OK, then chief!” The Doctor grabbed a seemingly random lever on the console, “Off we go! Fast forwards, not backwards!”
The lever went down with a creaking sound and the console glowed in lights of yellow, green and blue. Dinky could feel how the energy flowed through the chamber, wondering as a loud screeching sound seemed to come from everywhere around her. The ground shook, the ship swayed from side to side, never standing still. Until everything stopped suddenly with a last loud cracking sound.
The purple unicorn enjoyed the warm light on her face, she had even closed her eyes to embrace the feeling fully. And instantly opened them again as a cold shadow fell over her. The silhouette of the princess has replaced with a big rectangular shadow hovering in mid air.
“Nooo, do they have to censor everything?” Apple Bloom shouted with anger.
Scootaloo gave her a confused stare, “Who ever 'they' are, can they just spawn boxes in the air?”
“Now that's some magical trick!” Sweetie Belle had to admit.
The fillies could overcome their surprise and could take a closer look at the box hovering in mid-air. It had glowing light bulb on top and 'POLICE BOX' was written right above the door, which had small windows they couldn't see through. Everypony let out a loud gasp as the door quickly flew open and a grey pegasus appeared in it.
“MUM!” she shouted searching the familiar face in the crowd.
“DINKY!” she could hear the response from a purple unicorn in the front of the stage.
Their glances caught each other and their eyes widened. Suddenly both fell to the ground, instantly falling unconscious. The Doctor showed up in the door, worried looking after the pegasus who got caught by a dark pink pony rushing in front of the stage.
“Danger. Energy low.” Twilights voice calmly sounded from the console in the box.
One crack and the blue box followed to the ground, crashing through the planks of the stage.
A long silence took hold of everypony, the princess landed slowly and waited for any response from the hole in the stage.
“Brilliant! It worked!” The Doctor shouted, crawling on the stage. “Oh, my greetings princess.”
Their leader unamused overviewed the mess, but kindly responded to the strange stallions entrance.
“Hey, that's complicated, but majorly because that filly dressed as her mother wanted to return to her and vice versa.” he pointed at the grey pegasus.
Dinky quickly ran to her mother as Cheerelie let her go. The schoolteacher stepped forward and invitingly led them to the princess.
“I see you have your point,” said the Princess, addressing to Cheerelie she continued, “please bring these two to me backstage. And you – Doctor,“ she turned to him, “you help the guards removing this mess.”
They all gathered in the royal tent, Dinky, Derpy, Cheerelie and of curse, the Princess. Dinky was the first to speak up after the depressing silence that followed their explanations.
“I'm really sorry it went out that bad. I didn't know The Doctor before, but he was my only chance to get back to mum.” She took a breath and continued, “but I'm also sorry I so selfishly tried to reach my mother without asking for help.”
“I'm also sorry for my daughter, I shouldn't have left her alone in the first place.” Derpy wrapped one of her wings around Dinky. “Please don't let it be her fault.”
The Princess put on a smile and stepped closer.
All but Cheerelie were confused by this order and the teacher calmed the other ponies down.
The brown stallion smiled and rose a hoof to his head.
“Tardis?” Derpy said amused, looking around the chamber, “I think a strange name fits for a strange place. I mean, you know it looked smaller from the outside?”
Dinky hopped around her and cheerful answered, “Of curse, we know! It's an illusion spell. The Doctor says it could work with science, but for now, he needs me!”
The named stallion trotted to the console and invitingly bowed to Dinky.
Dinky blushed and jumped to the console, beginning to draw magic from her horn and filling the room with light. Her mum looked worried after her and The Doctor caught her glance.
“No worry my dear,“ he said. “Against all odds she seems to doesn't have any trouble or pain when operating the Tardis.”
“I can see where we are going!” Dinky shouted and bowed closer to the console.
As the mix of magic lights increased around them, a white blink scurried over her flank and the image of a small diamond key appeared.
Thanks again to all pre-readers, likers and you, the readers who give my story a try, even when it was messy and kind of "beta". I'm really grateful for all your support and critique. I want to celebrate now, with a song that inspired me while writing.Weezer - Put me back together (YTLink)
First there was darkness. Suddenly, a bright stream of light surrounded her, followed shortly after by darkness again, then another burst of light.. They formed a tunnel of spirals. Slowly the amount and the speed of the light streams increased. Dinky could only turn her head a little, the passing light dazzling her. She couldn't see her hooves, nor feel the rest of her body. An image flew by: first she couldn't tell what it was, but soon more and more images filled the bright tunnel around her. She could see... herself in them. Dinky saw herself lying in a small bed – she was little, a newborn. Other images revealed a dark purple unicorn stallion. He was yelling at her, and then walked out of the door.
As suddenly as it began, everything stopped, darkness took hold of her once again.
Dinky woke up to the sound of hoof-beats: someone was quickly pacing around her. She found that she could only narrowly open her eyes.
“Who's there?”, she asked into the mist around her.
“I'm here. Don't panic, it's just me.” Said a calming voice.
“Just who?”
“Exactly,” a brown stallion appeared in front of her and smiled, “How are you Derpy? You fell asleep in mid-air!”
The Doctor looked tense, his eyes flew around quickly and he kept trotting around.
“Do you remember what happened?” said the stallion, “You fell on your head and were out for more than half-an-hour! Should I've called somepony? Wait, yes, I should probably call a medical doctor.”
Dinky slowly stood up.
“Derpy, darling, are you sure you can get up?” the Doctor asked, concerned. He had stopped pacing and turned to her.
“I think, I can, wait...” her senses became suddenly clear. Wait! Did he just call me 'darling' ?
“Are you her date?!” she blurted out, unable to think of anything else to say.
The stallion lost the rest of his calm and began pacing once more and searched for something in an old shelf, mumbling with a brown jacket in his mouth.
Dinky left him in this state and inspected the scenery around her. She was impressed by all the high-tech equipment around her. The room reminded her of Twilight's observatory, but even that was nothing compared to this chamber.
A confused stare from the Doctor brought her attention back to him. She thought about what she had just said. That question was silly: I must have sounded weird. Mum is not here and whoever this colt is, he probably doesn't even know me. She let her eyes wander again, looking over the strange devices, the messy floor and her hooves. Her eyes widened in shock.
What in... Why is my coat grey?!
“... and most important of all I want to emphasize that we are just here for business – I mean, work, look at me now!” the Doctor turned Derpy's head to face him, “You must take this seriously, you're not hurt, are you?”
Slowly Dinky answered, “Don't worry. I think I'm fine now.” She hadn't realized until now, but her voice was not her own. That's why mum isn't here...Be careful now Dinky, don't mess this up for her.
“That, well, is something, good and – Derpy?” he stopped and cocked his head, “Your eyes are … normal.”
Dinky couldn't help but to giggle a bit, that stallion gives compliment to her mum? She put all her joy in Derpy's voice and replied, “That's the nicest thing anypony has ever said to me.”
He stepped back to gain some distance and spoke, stumbling over his words again. “Well, I never looked at you closely before – no – what I'm trying to say is....”
The smile on Dinky's face just widened as his hesitancy increased. He is kind of cute when he gets nervous, Dinky thought to herself. He's a fine match for mum and would probably make a good Dad. I must, no need to win him for mum. And I know just the 'trick', Scoot showed me how.
As the brown stallion leaned back, Dinky approached him with small steps, her neck stretched. His stuttering monologue stopped as the grey mare came closer and closer and then suddenly, softly pressed her lips to his.
He's gone quiet. He's melting, just as I thought.
Dinky had expected that. She had not, however expected the reaction of the pegasus body she was inhabiting.
Instantly her wings spread out. Unused to the involuntary action, Dinky staggered and fell. The Doctor tried to catch her, but couldn't secure his grip, causing him to fall with her. Surprisingly for Dinky, he was the first to find his words.
“Are you all right?” he asked. His face went still as tears slowly poured down Dinky's cheeks. Ashamed, she buried her head between her forelegs, looking very much like a little filly.
Apple Bloom was going through the recipe again, trying to find some more information.
“Well,” she said after a while, trying to sound confident. “She should be OK sleeping, I mean she has the Vision of her Mother now, whatever that means. It's probably better if we don't wake her.”
Just as she finished speaking, the purple filly of the matter stirred and woke up.
“Hi Scootaloo!” she said happily, looking at the orange filly.
“Ehm, hi Dinky,” replied the pegasus, surprised. “how do you feel?”
Dinky stood shakily up on her hooves. Fighting to keep herself steady, she looked around the other fillies.
“Where did the Doctor go?” she asked.
“She needs a Doctor!” Sweetie Belle shouted out, “Look at her eyes, they look like Der-”
Scootaloo cut her off with a jab to the side.
“Where did the Laboratory go?” Dinky asked, continuing to look around.
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exchanged a look, they had already noticed the change in Dinky's eyes. And when she spoke, it was kind of different as her voice was familiar but definitely not hers. The fillies had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
It wasn't long before Sweetie Belle figured it out, too: Dinky found her mother, and vice versa. Just in a way nopony could expect.
Apple Bloom turned her friends around and whispered, “I may know wich Doctor she means. He was the nice fellow with the hourglass at the last Cider Season Opening. He was nice, he even argued with the Flim Flam brothers about how dangerous their machine was.”
Together, the Cutie Mark Crusaders came to a silent agreement: they needed to explain everything to Derpy. Hopefully, she would understand.
Apple Bloom took a deep breath and trotted over to the purple unicorn. “Um, Derpy? We need to tell you something. Please don't panic before I'm finished.” She looked back at her fellow Crusaders, who nodded, assuring her. “You need to know that your daughter really missed – or is still missing you something awful. We tried to help her out with a trick, I mean...”
Sweetie Belle stepped up to Apple Bloom's side, “We may have given her the tiniest-tiny-bit of a potion – that didn't work out as we thought.”
Scootaloo facehoofed and stepped up to Dinky. “What they're trying to say.” she said exasperated, “is you're inside Dinky's body! And wherever this 'laboratory' is, Dinky is there, in YOUR place!”
“We're very sorry.” she said, embarrassed lowering her head.
Derpy, however, started to panic. She considered flying away through the exit hatch. Before she could take wing, though, she came to her senses and forced herself to calm down.
“C-Can you fix this somehow?” she stammered, her voice was familiar, but certainly not hers.
Apple Bloom opened the book and recited again, “It says 'what caused the effect, can turn it back. ' Zecora added some more notes here too, but again...”
“Sorry Derpy, but trouble reading the notes is what got us here.” Sweetie Belle said, “Well,” she continued, “the potion was 'what caused the effect. ', right? Maybe another sip of the potion helps?”
“I don't think this is a good idea” said Scootallo, “Dinky also stared at this picture.” she passed a little photograph to Derpy.
Derpy couldn't hold her tears back. The picture was old, but it's condition made it clear that Dinky had treasured it. She stared at it for several moments, when suddenly, everything around her turned black. An Apparition appeared in front of the picture, it was the Doctor, speaking quickly and nervous, Derpy couldn't hear anything he was saying, but the look on his face shocked her. Suddenly, the shade came very close to her, causing her to fall backwards, hitting her head on the ground.
“Omigosh! Derpy? Are you OK?” Apple Bloom asked, concerned.
Derpy stayed quiet for a moment, her head still resting on the floor. When she raised her head, she urgently looked towards the exit. She had to get to the Doctor, to Dinky, out of here.
“Did it work?” Sweetie Belle inquired. Uncertain of what just happened.
The purple unicorn jumped up to her hooves and rushed towards the paperboard fortress' exit. Before she could reach it, however, she felt a sharp pain in her forehead and a piecing pain erupted from her horn. Suddenly the whole fortress was surrounded by a light purple aura. The pain continued to increase, forcing her to fall to her knees. Instantly, the aura around her rocketed the entire hideout up in the sky!
The stunned Crusaders could only stand there as everypony stared right at them, with shocked expressions on their faces.
“There you are!” Cheerilee said rather upset. She might be used to awkward displays of sudden, powerful magic with the time, but this troublesome trio could break her calm again.
The teacher trotted up to them and shook her head.
“You fillies will have to explain that.” she said, giving them a stern look. “I want to speak with you immediately after the ceremony, come on.”
The three Crusaders looked down and answered in unison, “Yes, Miss Cheerilee.”
In the Laboratory, Dinky was still crying and the Doctor, clearly pained by what had just happened, tried his best to comfort her. He sat alongside her and laid his hoof on her back, speaking calmly.
“I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen. I-It's not that I don't like you!” he added quickly “but I just couldn't ...“ he paused as Derpy lifted her head, but continued, “You are my assistant and my friend, but, right, now, I don't think I want you to be more than that.”
Dinky wrapped her forelegs around the stallion's neck, bursting into tears again, crying in his mane.
“It's my fault” she cried, “I shouldn't have done that! I-I'm sorry, I can't do that to you two.” I need to tell him the truth, I can't left him with that impression of mum.
“Wait? 'You two ...'?” he asked confused, as Dinky got up and turned away from him, trying to hide her tear-streaked face.
Dinky strengthened herself and turned towards the Doctor, looking him in the eyes.