All's Fair in Love and War

Grey paced back and forth outside Lieutenant Echo’s quarters. She was the one in charge of the search crew and the ponies or griffons that they find. Grey was deciding whether or not she actually wanted to see the stallion that they supposedly found. What if it wasn’t even true? How would she feel if it was a mistake? If it was true, and the Doctor was really here, would she be able to face him?

Finally she decided that the time was now or never, Why should I be afraid? I’m the goddamned general of Luna’s Royal Guard. I’m not afraid of anything.

She faced the door, and knocked on it, standing tall and confidently. The sun was starting to set now, so Echo should be awake and ready to go. Just as she had thought, the bat pony opened the door and greeted Grey with the usual salute and smile. Grey smiled in return and asked if she could come inside. “Of course,” Echo said, inviting Grey inside her quarters, “What brings you here tonight?”

Grey made herself comfortable and explained, “I heard that the search crew found a lone stallion while searching through the rubble of an abandoned town. Is this true?”

“That is indeed the case, General. The place we found him in used to be Ponyville. It was crazy; he seemed to not know anything. He didn’t know whom we were, what happened to Ponyville, or even that there was a war going on. He was running around panicking so we had to subdue him.”

“What does he look like? Do you know his name?”

“He’s a brown stallion with a darker brown mane, and was wearing a tie. I believe he called himself ‘The Doctor’.”

Grey’s mouth was dry and she felt like the world was spinning. It was the first time in years that she ever felt nervous about anything, “Where is he right now?”

Echo cocked her head, she was clearly curious as to why Grey cared about this seemingly random pony, “He’s in the recovery ward. He came in with some fairly critical injuries, but we healed them up just fine,” She raised and eyebrow at Grey, “Why does it concern you?”

Grey hesitated but kept her composure, “I think I know who he his. I’d like to see him.”

“If you insist, General,” Echo shrugged, “I’ll take you to him.”

Just as she said she would, Echo led Grey to the room of the pony in question. Echo explained to the nurses why they were there, because it was quite surprising to see such important ponies visiting strange ponies in the recovery ward. A nurse pony walked in first, “Hello there, sir. You have a visitor,” she said. She motioned for Grey and Echo to walk in.

Grey walked over to the cot and looked down at Doctor Whooves, for the first time 12 years.