The Cutie Mark Crusaders were on their way to their respective homes. It had been a couple hours since they'd heard the stories of how Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack got their cutie marks, and they were now ready for bed. Between then and now, the crusaders had tried all six methods, all of which resulted in them becoming covered in tree sap. This result had become a sort of tradition.
"Well, Crusaders," said Scootaloo, "it's been a long, LONG day."
"Yeah," yawned Sweetie Belle.
"Ah still cayn't quaht understayand wah the ixayact syme things we trahd worked fer everypowny ayelse but us!" The other Crusaders couldn't deny that they'd noticed the same thing. All their attempts at earning cutie marks were inspired by how other ponies got theirs, which had worked for those ponies.
"Fear not, Crusaders!" Scootaloo's tone was encouraging.
"There are still plenty of other ponies in town to ask!"
"Yeah, but let's do it tomorrow. I'm too tired right now, and Rarity will be mad at me if I don't get home soon."
"Alright. Good night, Crusaders!"
"Night!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom replied in unison. Suddenly, when they were just about to split up and head to their respective homes, the scenery abruptly changed. The three of them jumped back in astonishment. They were no longer in the middle of a moonlit Ponyville. Instead, they appeared to be inside a sort of chamber. There was a central structure with large tubes on it, small wires scattered all over the walls, and the whole place appeared to be made of bronze or something of the like. Wherever they were, they could tell that they were moving, fast. It also didn't take them long to realize they weren't alone in this strange place. A dark tan-colored Earth pony with a brown, backward-swept mane poked his head up from behind the strange but perfectly symmetrical central structure.
"What?" he asked.
"Where are we?" demanded the Crusaders.
"How'd you three get in here?" he asked.
"Who are you?" they demanded.
"W-wait-"
"What is this place?!"
"What?"
"Alright, calm down, crusaders." Scootaloo was the first to realize that this strange pony was just as confused as they were about what had just happened.
"I'll handle this." Scootaloo approached the pony.
"Hi! My name's Scootaloo!" The strange pony remained dumbfounded.
"These are my friends, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom!" Still no response. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom each smiled as their respective names were mentioned.
"We were just heading to our houses, when we somehow got here." Still nothing. Sweetie Belle now approached the pony.
"It's pretty close to our bedtimes. We'd very much like to get back." The strange pony seemed to understand.
"Ok," he responded. He turned his attention to the central structure. He opened up a panel, and began fiddling with the wires. The Crusaders walked around the structure until they could see the strange pony fully. Naturally, they all noticed the same thing first, but Apple Bloom was the first to point it out.
"Whyt a minute, Mistur!" The pony turned to face her.
"Yes?"
"You've gawt a cutie mawrk!"
"Do I?" He turned to look at the hourglass decal permanently imprinted on his right hind hip.
"Imagine that! So I do!" He turned back to his work.
"It's a question about the cutie mawrk!" He turned back.
"And? What'd you want to know about it?" Sweetie Belle butted in.
"How'd you get it?" Scootaloo.
"We've been trying forever and ever and EVER to get our cutie marks!"
"That so?" replied the pony, "have you tried bananas?"
"No. Why, would that help us?!" Scootalo asked, eagerly.
"Probably not, no."
"Then why would we try them?"
"Why not? Bananas are good!" The pony turned back to his work.
"What abowt it, thin?" asked Apple Bloom.
"What about what?"
"The cutie mawrk! How'd you git it? Please tell us?"
"Right, I'd love to, but I really must get you three back where and when you came from."
"Please?" The Crusaders did what they did best. Their secret weapon: the d'awww eyes. Even this strange pony couldn't resist its effects.
"Yes, well, alright, alright. Just settle in, then." The pony didn't look up from his work, but he began to tell his story.
"It all started while I was on my home world, Gallopfrey. Before any of you interrupts, that's right, I'm not Equestrian in origin. So anyway, I was on Gallopfrey with the rest of my species. We're called time lords, by the way, lovely bunch. I was buying lots and lots of bananas. I was buying them for what I didn't yet know was going to be a very long vacation. I'd hear of this 'Equestria' of yours and was rather excited to pop in for a visit."
"What were the bananas foer?" asked Apple Bloom.
"A peace offering, to show I meant no harm. Anyway, I was about to board my TARDIS-"
"You're wha?" interrupted Scootaloo.
"My TARDIS. It's what we're in right now. Lovely thing it is, really. It can take you anywhere in time AND space!"
"Woah!" The Crusaders were amazed.
"Yes, it is quite lovely, in't it?" said the pony, smiling with pride.
"Anyway, so I get home and my TARDIS is gone. Shame, really, turned out I couldn't afford the poor thing anymore. So, I paid a visit to our museum. There were a bunch of older TARDIS's there. I looked around for a bit until I finally found a TARDIS I wanted. It was classic, it was beautiful, and it was completely unguarded! So, I quickly rushed home to grab my banana stockpile, and then quickly rushed back. I put my bananas inside the TARDIS, stepped in after them, and flew it away! Hurrah!" The pony paused in his work. His expression turned grim.
"And later, I realized I'd done the most despicable thing ever. Not stealing, mind you, everypony does that. No, this was far worse. When I arrived at Equestria, a sort of Sonic Rainboom occurred. Part of its force travelled through the path left by my TARDIS, magnified in volume and power, and destroyed Gallopfrey. All of my fellow time lords. My friends, my family, my bow ties. All gone. I realized that from that moment on, it would be my duty to protect the universe as the last time lord. And that's when this mark appeared."
"Awww!" said Apple Bloom.
"That story is so sad!" agreed Sweetie Belle.
"Yes, it is" responded the pony, still looking grim.
"Well, we're here." Sure enough, the TARDIS had stopped moving. The crusaders could feel the G-force disappear.
"Right, off you go, then." The pony opened the door for them, and they stepped out.
"Thanks for the story, sir!" said Apple Bloom.
"Quite welcome, quite welcome, think nothing of it," replied the strange pony.
"What's a- Pony Public Call Box?" asked Scootaloo.
"Think nothing of that, too, why don't you?" was the pony's only reply. The crusaders shrugged.
"Well, we'd better be headin' howm now. We've been awyke lawnng enough. Good naht, mistur!" said Apple Bloom.
"Good night!" the other two crusaders said in unison. They all started to walk away.
"Doctor," the strange pony suddenly said.
"Huh?" they all replied.
"That's my name. Doctor."
"Doctor?" asked Scootaloo, "Doctor Who?"
"Exactly." And with that, the TARDIS disappeared.
