Once a Time Lord, Now a Pony

"Seriously Doctor, where have you been?" Twilight asked, as she and the Doctor had some cups of tea.

"You really sure you want to know?" He inquired.

"Yes, I do. I'm... curious."

"Fine, I'll tell you what I've been up to if you tell me the same." He told her. "Deal?" He asked, sticking out his hoof.

"Deal." Twilight agreed, taking it.

16 years ago...

The Doctor and Shining stepped out of the Tardis only to find themselves in a great forest somewhere in Equestria. It was late at night, as the moon shown through the trees, with the Mare's shadow on it giving them the only clue as when they were and even that was vague. There were no notable landmarks to tell where they were either so both stallions were clueless as to where they'd landed, or when.

"Okay Doctor, just when are we?" Shining asked in confusion as a animal chirped in the background.

"I don't know. I don't like not knowing things, makes me nervous." He admitted nervously. Nearby, Shining threw a hoof up into the air in frustration.

"You don't... You don't know?" He said in disbelief.

"Not in the slightest." The Doctor responded with a manic grin before going back to check on his Tardis before running his hoof along the side of it and then scanning it with his sonic.

"What is it girl? What's wrong with you? Was it something you ate?" He asked, as if expecting a response. There was none, after all how could there be?

"Um... Doctor?" Shining asked nervously when a bunch of Royal Guards dressed head to hoof in armor appeared and pointed spears at them. The Doctor failed to notice, as he was still focused on his Tardis.

"What?" He asked before finally seeing his and Shining's problem. "Oh... Oh. Ah, well this is rather worrying isn't it?"

"Who are you?" The Captain, obviously, by his purple detailed armor that Shining knew all too well asked. He had blue fur and spoke with a baritone voice. He had no horn or wings, making him a Earth Pony. Shining swallowed nervously, he had a very good idea whom he was looking at.

"We're, uh, travelers. Merchants!" The Doctor stuttered while trying to think up a plan. The Captain got in his face and growled "You don't look like travelers. You're coming with us."

"Actually no, we'll have to pass. We're not going with you." The Doctor said before he was quickly "Convinced" to change his mind when more spears were pointed at his face. His mind maid up, he turned to his companion.

"Shining, we're going with them."

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The two were brought a village of many tents, in the center of them all was a large tent with Celestia's symbol on either side of it and guards stationed all around. But they weren't the only ones, oh no. Many others walked around the village, stockpiling weapons or training each other in mock fights. All of this gave Shining a clue to where, or more accurately WHEN they were.

"Doctor..." He said warningly.

"Yeah?" The Time Lord asked in response.

"I know exactly where we are. We're in the middle of the Griffin/Pony war. And we're being brought before Princess Celestia." He said, and now the Doctor knew something was up, just by Shining's worried tone. He also knew whom he'd be meeting soon, and it seemed for her the timelines had now changed so they would have met before. Or maybe they always had, but he'd never properly introduced himself the first time. Also, Celestia had lived at least over a thousand years, so maybe she'd seen lots of stallions like him. He took great offence to that, there was only one of him! He was sure of it!

"Yes, that's right. You're smarter then you look stranger." The Captain, whom they'd heard referred to as Boltstrike at one point by one of his men a short while ago. They were led into the tent where Celestia was looking over a map of a battlefield somewhere along with several guards. She looked up at them.

"Yes?" She asked tiredly. The war was starting to wear on her, that much was obvious at first glance.

"Found them skulking outside in the forest. Could be spies." Boltstrike answered and the Doctor sputtered out a answer.

"We're... We're not spies!" He yelled, even more offended.

"And who are you really then?" Celestia asked. Boltstrike shouted out his objections.

"Milady, surely you're not indulging them!" He yelled angrily.

"Least let them humor me." She told him and Boltstrike muttered something rude under his breath. She turned to the Doctor and Shining. "Well, I'm waiting."

"Fine then! I'm a doctor, and we've met before. Well, not yet. But we will, in the future! It's all very wibbley wobbly timey wimey." He said, and Shining facehoofed and said to a guard "I don't know him. Not one bit."

"You've got to be kidding. Or nuts." Boltstrike said flatly before gesturing to his men. "Take these spies away!"

Some guards saluted and stepped forwards but Celestia stopped them.

"I don't think they're spies. I know spies. Besides, I put that spell a while back that would incinerate them if they weren't truthful, remember Captain?" She asked, and Shining gulped while the Doctor tugged at his tie nervously and muttered "Ouch." Boltstrike meanwhile just looked a mix of embarrassed, furious and resigned all at once if that were possible. Finally he let out a sigh of "Fine... Let them go." he ordered and his orders were followed without question.

Then he added "But stay out of trouble, you understand!"

The Doctor replied "Oh don't worry, we will!" He said with a sincerity which didn't quite reach his eyes. Boltstrike groaned.

Shining, out of suspicion followed Boltstrike around for the rest of the day sticking to the shadows to avoid being seen. For most of the day, everything was fine but when the Captain trotted out of the camp and into a small town Shining found all too familiar things changed in the status quo.

"Captain! Captain!" A young excited voice exclaimed, and Shining gasped as he saw his pre-teen self, about seven or so running up to get his hair ruffled by Boltstrike.

"Hey kid." Boltstrike said, smiling for the first time today so far as Shining had seen.

"You kick any more butt today?" His younger self asked excitedly.

"Nope, but give or take a few days there'll be "Butt-kicking" as you call it aplenty." Boltstrike smirked. "In fact..." He said in a low tone while glancing around nervously to make sure nopony was watching "I'll tell you a secret."

"What, what?" Young Shining asked and Boltstrike leaned in closer. "In fact, I dare say in a few days this accursed war will be over in a victory for us. But don't tell anypony I told you."

"My lips are sealed!" Young Shining said with a few excited nods of his head. "I can't wait! Hey, after this is all over can you start helping me with becoming a Royal Guard?" He asked with puppy dog eyes.

"Bit young, aren't you?" Boltstrike asked with a arched eyebrow. "Wait a few more years, then maybe I will. Who knows, you might become a better Captain then me!"

"Wow, really?" Young Shining asked with wide eyes. "You think so?"

Boltstrike chuckled, ruffled his hair once more before trotting off, but not before glancing towards a alleyway in suspicion. He could have sworn he was being watched but shrugged it off as paranoia setting in. Older Shining meanwhile, in that very same alley vanished from sight. He'd lingered too long.

"So... It's nearing that day." He muttered in worry. Back with Boltstrike, later that night he made a visit to another tent where under a tarp something sat. He pulled off the tarp, and a metal being with a eyestalk and with a body resembling that of a salt-shaker painted pure white and gold was revealed.

"Soon, my Ironside can be put into play and this war will be over..."