Chapters A Bubble Gum Machine and A Starry Night Sky
Nonsensical Theories (Prologue Part 1)
It started 5 days after my 23rd birthday.
It was the night before a full moon.
We are all in the gutter,
But some of us are
Looking at the stars.
-Oscar Wilde
On my desk sat a light grey notebook, with a golden back and a phrase on the front.
Stars and Moons and Air Balloons It read
That’s what it said. It was my birthday present from Dinky and she spent her whole allowance on it. Oh Dinky, my presesious Dinky.
She is my sun and moon, she keeps me going, keeps me laughing, keeps me sane.
You see, when I was a little filly I only remember 6 things.
That bubbles were my only friend
That paperclips can do wonders.
That you should never look at the moon (or it’ll make you go insane) for more that 10 minutes.
Muffins tasted amazing
My mother was a star.
NEVER trust blue boxes
And the night I was told Number 3, I spent the whole night staring at the night sky. I remember it like it was yesterday.
When I was sure my parents were asleep (it took hours filled with tears) and I walked slowly towards my window, and opened the curtain, letting the full moon’s light flood into my room. And into my mind.
After that night, strange thoughts drifted into my mind, slowly at first, but then all at once.
I couldn’t sleep at night before spending hours next to the window.
I spent those hours mumbling to the moon, I trusted its beams, I trusted the stars and planets.
That’s how that began, and then every time a full moon rocked it’s way to the inky blackness of the night sky, I’d run up to ‘Dream Point’ as I called it and stayed there all night, dreaming and hoping.
Over then next few years, I stayed quiet. I let the thoughts rush through my mind. Lodge themselves in, and leave as quickly as they came.
Keeping journals and conversations was hard for me, whenever I started talking or writing about one thing, another topic would jump into my head. So I decided to just dream and hope at night.
At day I was a broken toy, useless and forgotten. At day, I was just a grey mailmare. A grey mailmare without a future. I was that weird mare with a strange tendansy to eat muffins and crash into things. I have reasons for that, you see, my thought rush around in my mind so quickly, that I lose focus, thus the crashing… And my walleye…
But at night, I was the confident mare I always wanted to be. I was the queen of night, a party animal. Nopony knew, and I kept it that way. I talked and talked to the infinity of stars about the infinity of thoughts in my mind.
Sometimes it was blurry, sometimes it was clear.
I love the clear ones.
I slowly got up from my bed and walked towards my desk and sat down. I lit a candle and opened my journal, and grabbed a quil. I started writing.
I am Ditzy and I love the night. Everything seems possible at night.
A Bubble Gum Machine and A Starry Night Sky
A Little Bit of Dancing (Prologue Part 2)
Alice: How long is forever?
White Rabbit: Sometimes, just one second.
After I wrote those two sentences I walked towards the window and just sat there mumbling to the moon, not noticing that it was slurring its speech, and its beams were fading. The sun popped out of the horizon and I shook my head.
I walked downstairs to the kitchen and looked at the clock 5:39 is read. I started getting Dinky’s lunch ready and baked a couple of blueberry muffins with it.
About an hour later, Dinky skipped down the stairs and I couldn’t help but smile. “Hey Mum!” She said excitedly. I giggled a bit and replied “Morning darling? Ready for your first day of school?” I said fixing up Dinky’s breakfast cereal she eats each morning.
Stars and moons. That’s was it’s called. She was sitting at the table and I looked up at her from behind the counter and I saw her fiddle with her mane. I plopped her cereal in front of her and ate my own cereal (the same one). “I can’t wait! I hope I make friends!” She said, her voice spilling over with excitement and joy.
I smiled as I chewed on my cereal “You’ll be so popular Dinky! A special filly like you; all or the colt’s will be falling hard for you!” A said and with that her cheeks turned crimson.
“Thanks mum!” She said smiling. I smiled back and turned on the radio. On the radio, ‘our’ song was playing. The song I played all the time when I would play with Dinky when she was a child.
Her whole face lit up and I laughed as she jumped out of her chair and pushed me into the living room and turned on the radio there, and we danced, singing along like there was no tomorrow.
(A/N this is Ditzy and this is Dinky and this is both of them and this is background)
Close your tired eyes, relax and then
Count from 1 to 10 and open them
I leaned down to the ground, beckoning Dinky to climb onto my back, she climbed up and we trotted around the living room, bumping into the corners of everything.
All these heavy thoughts will try to weigh you down
But not this time
Dinky jumped off and we just danced around, holding hooves every once in a while.
Way up in the air, you're finally free
And you can stay up there right next to me
All this gravity will try to pull you down
But not this time
Then the chorus came along, and it was all a blur of dancing, laughing and singing. We would spate and twirl and twirl and then meet back together second later.
Then the song ended and we had to get to school. So we trotted our way there, chatting about the trees, about how autumn was nearing and how everything worked. We reached school and I kissed Dinky on her forehead and gave her a tight hug. “I love you Dinky.” I said with my eyes closed, still in the hug, savoring the moment.
She pulled away with a big smiled stretched on her face. “I love you too mummy!” She said galloping off, turning around one last time and gave me a wave.
I turned around and flew home, minutes to spare. I was going to be late if I didn’t leave in 4 minutes. I galloped upstairs and put on my blue mail mare cap, and tightened my mail mare bag and sped off to work.
I nearly crashed 4 times, but I got there in one piece.
I loved work; I loved the way the air rushed through my mane. The way the wind screamed at me, telling me to fight… I loved it all.
But when I landed, or ‘crashed’ every pony would turn. I’d usually end up near to tears when I flew off, then I’d let the tears fall.
When I had to fly long distances, I’d listen to my IPON and I’d usually listen to Plant Life.
I’d to twirls, flips and everything in between. I made sure no pony saw me, ‘cause I probably look like an idiot.
I landed home, exactly 38 minutes until Dinky would arrive home. I cleaned up the house humming all of my favorite songs, dancing to the beat of my heart and the rhythm of the songs, repeating them in my mind.
I started on dinner, and by the time Dinky had arrived home, it was ready. That night, nothing really happened. I put Dinky to bed early, and I think I did that because I thought Luna would bring the moon up earlier, but of course that wasn’t case.
I just lay on my bed, staring at the posters on my ceiling, reading books until I felt it.
Suddenly, I felt the string connecting me to ‘Dream Point’ tighten, and I exited the house quietly, and flew towards it.
When I arrived I leant against the willow tree up there. I stared through it’s leaves and up at the bright moon.
Then my eyes turned green. It’s what happens. I don’t turn ‘into’ anything, I just become Clover. Clover was the mare I always wanted to be. When I First saw the moon in it's real light, I made a deal with the universe.
A Bubble Gum Machine and A Starry Night Sky
FINALLY! THE START OF MY STORY IS STARTING!
When my eyes turned an emerald green, like it did every night, I felt a spark in my heart. It made me grin. I did flips in the sky whooping softly, then I’d fall back onto the grassy hill, smiling and panting. I stared at the stars and searched them.
Then I saw it, the seemingly normal star, it almost looked like the other stars. But if you looked close enough, you could see it was actually a very light shade of pink. I smiled sadly as I stared at it twinkle and sparkle. That was my mother’s star. It was such a shame that her and father were separated, because his star was on the other side of Earth.
I sat up, and stared over the edge, where the moon rested. A light breeze ruffled my mane a bit. I felt so alive, my heart was pumping and I wanted to take on the world. I hovered in the air above the grass and took off into the sky, just flying up and up. Then I landed on the highest cloud I could find.
The wind nearly pushed me off the edge, but I clung to it for as long as I could. The air was really thin up here I thought. The moon was so close up, I felt I could just reach out and touch it.
So I did. I reached out my right hoof and then the wind shoved me violently off the cloud. I was so high up; you could barely see the ground. I let myself fall, the wind rushing my mane up, a grin couldn’t leave my face and my body was filled with adrenaline. My heart was pumping so fast, I couldn’t feel it. Then, when I was about 7 meters about the ground, I flew up, my mane falling back upon my face. I laughed up towards the moon.
-The Doctor’s POV-
I sat in the TARDIS, pacing around the console, regularly stopping to try and regain control. But each time, the trip only seemed to gain bumpiness. I rarely got worried, but I couldn’t help it this time.
I hated when the TARDIS got like this. She would take control and I hated not knowing. Not knowing where we’re going is probably worse than knowing where we are going. I banged against the TARDIS controls, but she wouldn’t listen. I slumped back into my chair; I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. I jumped back up and paced again.
The TARDIS started to bounce around and I held onto the rails so hard, you could see my knuckles go white. I smiled a bit at the stubbornness of the TARDIS.
-Ditzy’s POV-
So I sat there. String at the stars. The time racing past me, I could almost see it, the fabric of time twirl around me, sometimes through me. I felt it curl and stiffen. I felt it race and slow. I stared into the stars, and felt them twinkle around me, sending its beams into me. It’s beacons of hope.
Then I saw it. The blue ball of mass, shoot across the sky. Then back again. I closed my eyes, stopped relying on my senses. I closed them off, one by one, until I was left with the sense of hearing. I rarely ever did this. Because it hurt my head. All the sounds of the stars, it was deafening, all the sounds of time swaying and they trees keeping the tempo. It felt horrible, like it was ripping my brain apart. Piece by piece. But at the same time, it felt extraordinary! It felt bloody brilliant and I loved it.
I felt myself lift. Then fall, I fell asleep. Into a deep slumber, and when I woke up, the gentle gleam of the sun warmed my fur, and the tweeting of the birds surrounded me. I closed my eyes in contentment and thought of my dream. What an odd one it was; filled with blue boxes, regenerations, a time-travelling-900-year-old man, sonic screwdrivers and companions. And don’t forget the endless amount of ‘aliens’ and robots. It made me shiver just thinking of it. I pushed the unearthly thoughts away from my mind. (more about the dream later)
Oh, and don’t worry about Dinky, I every Friday night, Carrot Top comes and looks after her. I realized it was probably midday, so I started heading back home. Every couple of steps, I’d twirl and continue walking. A smile couldn’t leave my face, I was holding it there, and it was trapped.
I walked into my small house, to see Dinky asleep on the couch, leaning against the sleeping Carrot Top. I walked softly to Carrot Top and nudged her softly. She jerked awake, and when she came back to reality, she gently stood up, careful not to wake the pale filly.
We walked to the door, and I whispered to her “You don’t know how grateful I am towards you for doing this for me each and every week!” She smiled softly and replied, “It’s my absolute pleasure! Even though I don’t know what you do each night…” She trailed off and I was a bit confused. “What?” I asked softly. She giggled silently. “I hope you aren’t spending every Friday with a special stallion, are you?” She teased.
I blushed in two thirds embarrassment and one-third anger. “No! No, no! Of course not!” I said, accidently not whispering. Carrot Top started chuckling and I gently nudged her out the door.
We exchanged a warm hug, and a warm smile and we parted ways. I’ve known Carrot Top since I was just a filly. We met in PDP. Personal Development Program. We both chose to choose the cooking/baking aspect of PDP and we ended up partnered in every assignment. We’ve been friends ever since, through the stormiest of days and the cloudiest of nights.
A Bubble Gum Machine and A Starry Night Sky
Letting go doesn't mean
giving up, but rather
accepting that there are
things that can not be
How can this happen? How can the TARDIS fall? It's the TARDIS for christ's sake! It can't 'fall'!
Well, it feels like it's falling... Wait no, it's... Ahhhh... I see.
what.
I spent the day with Dinky laughing and talking about the week. We baked muffins and danced and had a whale of a time. I really don't get that metaphor. I had a whale of a time It sounds so utterly ridiculous! Oh, it probably is another way of saying 'we had so much fun!'. Now I get it!
Now it was 9:45 and I was nudging Dinky upstairs to bed. Once she was all tucked up in bed, I leaned over to turn off the lights, when she asked me a question I didn't expect. "Mum, why don't you have a special some pony?" She sounded so innocent. I sighed softly and looked into her eyes.
"I used to have one... Your father. Remember him?" I said the last part softly, gently, not to provoke anything.
Her eyes glazed for a split second and she nodded quickly. "But that isn't answering my question Mum." I chuckled. She was so determined and stubborn... Just like her father... "Well, when I was young, I never really trusted stallions or colts, I thought all they'd ever want to do is hurt me. But then, when I was 17, I met your father, and I fell for him. He led me to believe that love was for every pony. I really, truly loved him. But then..." I trailed off for a second, but continued with my story. "So, I guess you can say, I've never really had a great experience with stallions in general." I stopped at the end and gave Dinky a warm hug. "What is your dream stallion like?" She whispered to me, eyes sparkling.
Half of me didn't want to answer this question... But the other nearly jumped at the question. I guess I just decided to answer it. "Well, he's kind, and caring for you and me. He's a dreamer, he isn't necessarily considered 'normal' like me... Oo! And he see's more than just a dumb, grey mailmare, plus he see's that there is more to the universe than what meets the eye. Plus he's smart, well he doesn't have to be, since I'm not, so that doesn't matter. Oh, and he smiles a lot! But of course, every stallion isn't perfect, so of course i'll have to help him through rough patches!"
At the end of that, I was smiling dreamily and my wings were fluttering ever so slightly, a natural reaction to happiness. I looked at Dinky who had fallen asleep, my smiled melted into a soft one and I kissed her forehead softly and trotted out of the room. Instead of turning right, towards my room. I had one last thing to do before I left, and I had just enough time to do so. When I entered, I opened the top drawer of my dresser, pushed the muffin plashes off of a big, white, plain box, and inside was about 30 bags of Bubble Gum Balls. I grabbed one, and emptied it into a smallish gum ball machine onto of my dresser. This was one of my most special possessions, a bubble gum machine.
It belonged to my mother, and she used it all of the time as child, I did too. Even now I use it. I mostly use it when I need to figure out something or think. I turned the medley handle, listening to the mechanics creak violently behind the cover. I heard the gum ball hit the plate and I picked it up and popped it into my mouth. I chewed it and let it's flavour spill into my mouth and smiled. I loved the part where I turned the handle, it brought back so many memories and I loved the sound. I suppose that's why I still had the rusty machine. Although, it wasn't really rusty... It was in great condition for one of it's age, the glass dome (yes, glass, this one was a specially made one) wasn't cracked and it shined in the moonlight from my curtains, and the base wasn't broken except for a dent or two, and the extravagant patterns engraved into the gold metal plate was shining.
I was thinking about what Dinky asked me. Well, to be honest, I was really just dreaming about my dream stallion. For some reason, I felt as if I was already in love with him. It kind of scared me, I mean, I was 'crushing' on some pony who doesn't even exist. Sometimes I didn't like to think. Thinking is a very dangerous pass time. That's why solitary confinement leads to insanity, because of all of the thinking they're forced to do. Thank god we don't do that sort of thing anymore. You see, when you think by yourself long enough, you'll start to think about the darkness in the corner of your eye. In the corner of your eye, it's always lurking. I shook my head. See what I mean?
I felt the string tighten in my heart and I flew silently above the woods. It was a eerily quiet night tonight... I sat down on my haunches and-oh! I forgot to mention, I brough my bubbles!- took out my bubble wand and bottle of bubbles. I opened it up, and clumsily head the wand in my hooves. I dipped it into the soapy liquid and stared up at the moon. For a spilt second, I though I saw a large spark right next to it. Perhaps it was just Luna. Yeah. Luna. I inhaled some air and blew it out softly, and the bubbles started to form, blinking into existence. I smiled as I blew, looking at the couples of bubbles. Floating upwards then drifting towards the ground. Some popped as the grass blades pierced them, while others let themselves thin out.
I sat there, blowing bubbles, listening to the moon ramble. My cheeks started to hurt from smiling to much and a sudden gust of wind ruffled my mane. Actually, it didn't ruffle it, it completely messed it up, strands if my mane where poking out into the moon beams. I didn't bother smoothing it down, but I lowered my bubble wand. I felt something dig at my insides, something that laughed each time I shivered in fear; something that adored the anxiety roar through my body. I stood up, abandoning my tools and looked up at the moon, I saw a large spark and a blue streak across the violet sky. I kept my two eyes on that streak, and I realised much to late that it was falling... And even later that it was heading towards me. My irises shrieked and I moved backwards a couple of steps; it was to late to run, I watched the blue streak slowly thicken, then I saw that it was actually a rectangle. It lunged to the left a little and for a split second, as it spun past me, I saw it was a big blue box with windows, then it flew behind me. I listened closely, as it was hidden from my sight. Then I heard the crash of trees and gravel. I slowly took off towards it, but when I remembered about the fact that some pony could be in that box, I sped off at a pace that even Rainbow Dash couldn't beat.
I landed with an unnaturally loud 'thud', and my mane hit my neck, I wiped the beads of sweat off of my brow and trotted quickly towards the weird blue box. It was quite large for a box, with windows that emitted a soft, mellow, yellow glow and it had elegant words carved into it above the two doors. It read Police Box. Before I could reach the ominous box, a strange 'thing' burst out of the box. It's body was bald, and the few hair it did had was mainly on it's head, it's hair was ruffled and it had dried blood matted into it, it wore a long brown coat and it's forelegs where stringy and thin, with even tinier arms on that. I shrunk away from the creature, it looked at me and it's eyes widened. "A Pegasus..." it muttered. Then he yelled to the cluttered groups of stars hanging above us, "WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE PEARS!" and with that, he fell onto the ground.
For a couple of minutes I stood there, listening to the harsh breathing of the strange creature, and the eerie sound the box was singing. Then I came back to reality, and for some reason, I tried to push him back into the box; when I managed to, I fell in after him. I sat up and rubbed my head groaning; then I realised where I was. I screamed shortly, then covered my mouth with a hoof. "It-it.. It's smaller on the outside..." I whispered. I remembered about that dream I dreamt the other day and I gasped. If that part was true... Could it all have been? I turned back to the thing and nudged him closer to the weird console thingy in the middle, and I sat down next to him. I looked at him face in great detail. He had deep cuts along his right side, with bruising around his entire face.
I shifted akwardly in my spot, glancing around the strange area for a first aid kit, I used to be a nurse so I've trained for this sort of thing... But before I could go properly exploring, the creature on the ground started to glow gold, and strings of gold flew from his coat and it twirled in my mane. I giggled slightly as the strings tickled my cheeks and I lifted slightly off the ground. I closed my eyes, and after what seemed like forever, I opened them to see a brown stallion staring at me wide eyed. "Uh...Hi?" I said awkwardly
"A pegasis..." He muttered. I shifted backwards slightly, almost falling off the edge, but the brown stallion caught my hoof. "Be care-" he begun, but he looked at his hoof and screamed. I widened my eyes in shock, I stared at the screaming stallion, then ran to the doors but they were locked.
"Get me out of here! Away from this crazy stallion!" I yelled at the door. Then the screaming stopped, and I turned around. I saw the stallion right infant of me and I yelped. "I'm the Docter!" He said, extending a hoof.
He's crazy...
A Bubble Gum Machine and A Starry Night Sky
Tipping Over the Edge of Insanity
Learning to trust again,
Is like learning how to ride a bicycle all over again.
You have to fear nothing and be confident in everything,
Even when you remember how much,
It hurts to crash.
-Doctor's POV-
A pegasus. A pegasus... I am talking to a pegasus. WOAH! Did I just teleport without the Sonic Screwdriver?! Well I must've, being my screwdriver isn't on me... Wait, I forgot something really, really important... Yes... I'm a pony. An equine. And I'm talking to a female pegasus equine. What an odd day!
Why is she trying to get out? Better go over there and help her out.
-Ditzy's POV-
I've always wondered... If you're insane, can you 'tip over the edge of insanity'? So you become even more insane than you already are? I think so... Because this stallion proves my theory exactly.
After he introduced himself and I to him, he unlocked the doors and we sat underneath the moon, he told me he had something really important to tell me. "I'm an alien." He said it as if it were the most normal thing in the world. I shuffled slightly away from the chestnut stallion and nodded slightly "Of course..." I said slowly; I know that when talking to a crazy pony, you must always be careful, not to anger them. He looked over at me and laughed slightly. "No need to be afraid, don't worry, I'm here to help!" He laughed slightly at the end of his sentence.
I just sat there thinking... If he really is the stallion I dreamt about, that means he's real. And if he's real, that means aliens are real.
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I spun around to the stallion who called himself the Doctor and started to talk. "If you're an alien, that means there are more civilisations out there in the stars! I knew that Earth was just a small trinket locked inside a drawer! There's so much more out there! Oh, this is so exciting! Every pony thinks I'm crazy! But look at me now! TALKING TO AN ALEIN!" I was so giddy and despite trying not to, I started to fly slightly. His face looked amused and his eyes were shining.
I sat down back on my haunches. "But I can't call you Doctor around town..." I said tearing some grass out of the ground.
"Why not?" He asked looking at me. I could feel his eyes on me.
"Because every pony will just ask you who you are over and over again, and they won't trust you, because of all the recent events-" I turned to the Doctor, but he interrupted me.
"What 'recent events'?" His eyebrow was raised.
"Oh, Discord trying to take over with Tirek for the second time, Twilight becoming a princess, etc. etc. You'll hear about it!" I said nonchalantly.
"huh..." He muttered; he seemed to drift off to another world.
"SO, uh your name..." I said, leaning for a daisy just out of my reach.
"Mhmmm..." He still seemed to be thinking.
"Well, what does your cutie mark represent?" I asked the oblivious stallion. That seemed to snap him out of his trance.
"What?" He looked at me.
"Your Cutie Mark?! Oh, alien, forgot, sorry!" I giggled slightly "Not used to extra-terrestrials! Well, anyway, your cutie mark is a mark you get on your rump when you discover your special talent that makes you unique!"
"Oh..." He craned his neck back, and studied his cutie mark. "It seems to be Time! That is very accurate!"
I tapped my hoof against my muzzle in thought; I probably had scrunched my face up too... "Well, I usually just go with John Smith..." He trailed off also thinking. I looked at him slightly in disgust. "John Smith? I'm sorry Doctor, but that is kind of a ridiculous name..." My face softened. He looked at me and laughed "And Twilight Sparkle isn't?" Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I told him about all of the ponies I know. I raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I guess she has a reasonably normal name then..." He looked off into the distance and burst out laughing. Okay, he is truly mad.
"Time Turner." I siad loudly over his laughing; he calmed down slightly, wiping a tear off of his cheek and sat up.
"Sorry Ms. Hooves, I was just, uh, thinking" at the end of his sentence he chuckled slightly; probably at me. How could I've been so naive. Wait, he just called me Ms. Hooves...
"It's Derpy..." I had decided to tell him the name every pony called me, instead of my 'proper' one that my friends called me. It always hurt to hear my 'friends' start calling me Derpy, so I decided... Why not just cut to the chase?
"Oh, yes, of course! Time Turner... I guess it'll do!" He jumped up from the grassy hill. I looked up at the sky, and I saw that the dark violet sky had slowly melted into the soft pink of dawn. My eyes widened.
"Sorry Doctor, but I better go... Wait! You should totally come with me! I can show you the town!" I was so eager to show him around. An alien, in Pony Ville! He glanced back at his TARDIS (is stood for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space) and looked back at me, with a bright smile, he nodded and I started to fly off, with him following me. On our way, I told him about how we worked and everything we needed to know. We couldn't afford for every pony to figure out what was going on.
"Wait, so you regenerate?" I asked astounded. He simply nodded, glancing round the empty streets of Pigeon Street. (Don't ask why it's called that, I have no idea!) "What was your last 'form'?" It felt strange to say that...
"Human." He said it as if he missed being 'human'... Now where have I heard that before... I stopped in my tracks.
"Human." I squeaked, receiving a worried look from the Doctor.
"Yes, why? Have you heard about them? Are there any around here?" He seemed excited at the possibility of humans being here. I shudered at the word, human. Ugh.
I jumped back onto the ground, grabbed his hoof and galloped home, locking the door behind me. He opened his mouth to speak, but I clamped my right hoof over it. "SHHH!" I said, accidentally almost yelling. I was silent for a moment, listening for any signs of movement. I removed my hoof and walked into the living room. I sat down onto the couch. "Human..." I mumbled rubbing my forehead. I distantly heard the Doctor try to speak to him, but I was somewhere else. Lyra. Lyra of all ponies was right. I grabbed my phone, and called her. I knew she wouldn't be awake, but as soon as she heard the situation, she'd be here.
Either that, or she'd think I was insane...
Oh fiddlesticks.