Prologue – Raggedy Stallion
"Oh Celestia's arse..." I heard somepony grunt from my kitchen as I edged down the stairs. It was a stallion. Stories from the Canterlot Daily flashed through my mind of stallions who'd break in on little fillies and hurt them real badly or take them away forever and ever, but I couldn't be afraid of him. I had to see what he was doing. "Scootaloo?" I froze as I heard him call for me. "Please... Ugh... I need help!"
On second thought, did I really have to go down and check it out by myself? I at this point turned around and tip-hooved back up the stairs. I was almost to the top, but my blood ran cold as I heard him tumble down at the bottom of the stairs. "Scootaloo! Th–There you are. Listen..." He started climbing the stairs but instead just leaned over and heaved. "I need you to get me back to the TARDIS, it's..." He trailed off when he looked up and our eyes locked. His light green with my light purple. "What's wrong?"
I didn't move. I couldn't move even if I tried. I tried to speak but my throat tightened to the point that it came out in squeaks. "Scootaloo, what's wrong?" He frowned even further. "Scootaloo, I know that face. Tell me what's wrong."
I croaked as I found my voice. "W–Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?"
His eyes lit up in darkness, realization of something dawning on him. "Oh. Ooh. Oh no." He sighed. "This is the first time you've met me, isn't it?" He chuckled as he tried to stand but fell back down. "Blimey... Scootaloo, I know you must be absolutely terrified right now. But please, just trust me for one second." He paused, looking away at nothing. "Look at me: strange stallion sneaking into a filly's house and begging her to trust him." He looked back at me. "I am the Doctor. Someday soon, you're going to meet me again. But it won't be me—Well it will be but not this me." He looks down for a moment. "It's kinda... A Timey wimey... Wibbly wobbly kinda thing." He tilts his head before shaking it again. "You'll understand that later."
I frowned, shaking my head. "Doctor? Doctor of what? Twilight has a doctorate, but she has a few of those."
"Different kind of doctor—Just listen!" He stopped himself curling in on himself. "We're going to go on amazing, amazing adventures through time and space in my ship: The TARDIS. It's a time machine basically; can take you to anywhen and anywhere." He looked back up at me, "Just please, I'm begging you. Help me back to the TARDIS and everything will be sort itself out, I promise."
I stared down at him. On the one hoof, he could be trying to trick me. Actually he most likely is. Time Travel? Yeah, right. But he does look pretty banged up, it's not like I couldn't totally beat him up if he tried anything either. Another glance at his scrawny grey legs only makes me actually confidant in that thought. "TARDIS?" I responded. "What's that? Some big blue box in my backyard?"
«♦»
"Oh." I nodded, giving the police box a look top to bottom—then bottom to top again. "It's..." I searched for my words. "Kinda boring looking."
"Oy!" The raggedy stallion grunted behind me. "Don't say that! She has feelings you know!" He stumbled around for a moment, his outburst unbalancing him. "Well... Actually you probably don't know that. But come on, she's sexy!"
"She," I put emphasis the word, "Is a blue box. A boring blue box at that." I sighed. "Whatever, let me just put you in here and be done with this. Tomorrow I can call the guard, and everything will be great." I happily remark while guiding the delirious stallion to his trespassing box.
"Good luck with that." I barely heard him mutter.
I ignored him and tried to pull the doors open. "It's locked." I remarked, casting him an exasperated glance.
"Push." He said.
"But it says pull."
"Push."
"But it–"
"Push."
I groaned, instead pushing the doors open. For some reason, a stupid kind of reason I imagine, the doors opened inwards. "Huh." I nodded, helping the Doctor inside. "I've seen cooler." I said, closing the doors.
"What?!" He coughed, wrapping a hoof around the railing as I took away from him and explored a bit. "This is the TARDIS!" He waved his free hoof out in an arc, as though displaying a great marvel. "It can travel through time and space! It–" He scoffed, his voice growing as loud as he could make it. "It's bigger on the inside!"
"So is Twilight's library." I poke one of the switches on the round thingy in the middle. "She has like..." I scratched my head, searching for the very specific and impressive number of books I'm pretty sure she told me and the girls at one point. "A lot of books." Way to go, Scootaloo. I am truly the most impressing pony ever. "Like a lot of books." In case I forget—because with this memory lapse as evidence, I very well might—that was sarcasm, let me tell myself. 'That was sarcasm."
He blubbered before curling over and grunting. "Ow... Blimey." There's that word again. What, is he from that place the pinto colt in school is from? Uh... Cloppingham? Trottingclop? "Scootaloo, please, I need you to leave now." I can't remember.
"Why?" I asked, turning back to him. "I mean, now I can see you weren't completely yanking my hoof. This is indeed a magical device of some sort, so time travel isn't too far out of the question." I flicked one of the little knobby things. "Now, how do I take us to Canterlot? I have a bone to pick with a pony named Nopony." I glared at the console, memories of a mean homeless stallion flooding my minds eye.
"No, no no." He managed to trot over to me. "You need to leave. You can go on adventures with the me of the past in the future, right now you need to get out." He leveled himself to my height, his tone and his expression dropping. "Please."
I frowned as I saw his expression. "Are you okay?" I asked. "I thought you might've just been drinking too much cider but..." I thought over all the grunts and groans he'd been making, coupled with his serious face. "Are you going to be alright?"
He licked his lips, his eyes shifting left to right; they were entirely unfocused, hinting that he was moving them from thought more than anything. "Maybe." He rose up, flicking several switches as he moved around the round middle console controll-y thing. "I would be a lot more okay if you please just... Leave." The door opened in the corner of my eye, the shadowed silhouette of my house barely visible, basking in the faint blue light the TARDIS was emitting.
I didn't look away from him as I edged to the door. "You're such an adult." I said before turning around and sulking towards the door.
"What? What's that supposed to mean?"
I sighed, slowing down and turning back to him. "You're just like all the other mares and stallions here in Ponyville. 'Go home, Scootaloo. You're too young for this.'" I mocked, biting my tongue between my teeth to make a mocking voice. "'This is an adult conversation, Scootaloo.'." I scoffed. "You know my favorite one? 'Scootaloo, your parents went on a vacation for a very long time, but we'll help you out until they get back.'." I frowned at him.
He heaved away from the round thing, sighing as he slowly trotted over to me. Were I in a better mood, I would've met him in the middle to save him the pain of walking, but I'm not in a good mood. "Scootaloo, I don't see you like that."
"Yes you do, or you wouldn't be making me leave."
"No, just listen to me." He bent down, "Scootaloo, I know that right now you think that I'm just being an adult and sending you to bed like a foal. But I'm just doing this because you shouldn't know this, this is your future." He took another coughing breath. "If I tell you too much, it would change everything that has happened between us in the future. And I can't risk that anymore than I need to, understand? I just can't." My expression softened, "Just trust me for now."
I sighed, "Right." I turned around and left. I turned back as the doors were shutting, the Doctor had a strange golden shimmer dusting away from him as he frowned at me. "You better not be lying!" I yelled before the doors slammed in my face. I pulled back, rubbing my untouched nose from reflex. A chill ran down my spine as the light on top started wailing a depressing grunt as the blue box started to fade in and out of existence.
I sat down, watching it leave. I flinched as I felt my little bit of contraband fall from the crook between my wings. I picked it up, looking it over in finer detail. "I wonder what this even is...?" I mumbled, twisting it around as I studied it. There was a emerald coloured tip and claws clamped around it, holding it to the rest of the metal stick. "I'll show it to Sweetie Belle tomorrow, maybe Rarity or Twilight can tell me what it is."
«♦»
“I got a new car. I just need to put it together. They’re easier to steal piece by piece.”
― Jarod Kintz
