Putting the Pieces Back Together

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue

Chapter 1

Chronology notes:
Stop! You are reading the Second story in the series started by The Kindness of Strangers!

Please read The Kindness of Strangers first!
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/389/

Putting the Pieces Back Together
Chapter 1

Derpy Hooves was happy to be coming home. Her time in the confines of the Royal Hospital in Canterlot recovering from the injuries caused by the explosion of the Ponyville Post Office had made her stir crazy. She wanted nothing more than to return home, back to her life, her job, and her happiness. Now it was finally time to do just that. Derpy was clear to leave the Royal Hospital, and while it was nice, and she had been well taken care of. She never wanted to go back.

She'd spent three weeks in a magical coma. The doctors had put her under, fearing that her being awake could compromise her recovery. She understood the reasons for the concern, but she felt uneasy knowing that time, even just a small amount, had passed her by. Derpy wasn't much of a reader, her eye condition made it difficult for her to enjoy books, she'd read maybe two or three books in her entire life. But when she did read, it was usually a short magazine article about ponies that had been in comas for years, something that disturbed Derpy to no end. She couldn't imagine going to sleep one night, and not waking up for twenty years, so much would have changed! How could you adapt to that?

Derpy stood in the courtyard of the Royal Hospital, now it was time to go home. The Pegasus spread her wings and leapt into the air. Fortunately for her, she could never forget how to fly. She rose to a height of 500 metres, or at least, what looked to be 500 metres. Her eye condition made her depth perception extremely poor. Derpy had to guess at what height to be flying at, which meant she usually tended to fly a lot higher than necessary in order to stay out of the way of buildings and trees. Because from her point of view, they were probably a lot closer than they appeared to be.

A half an hour of flying later, Derpy came into view of Ponyville. She slowed down considerably, the last thing she wanted to do was hit the ground, or a building, hard coming in for a landing. Having to go back to the hospital after just getting out would not be good.

Derpy was so happy to be back at home. It was morning. Around eight o'clock, everyponies breakfast time! Derpy was excited that she would finally get to have her favourite breakfast again, a muffin from Sugarcube Corner! She trotted along the High Street, smiling brightly and came to where Sugarcube Corner was supposed to be. However Derpy looked on in shock after arriving to find that Sugarcube Corner was no longer there.

Instead, it had been replaced by a large, empty, hole in the ground. Derpy was confused, what could have possibly happened in the time she had been gone? She knew that she'd been gone nearly a month, but Derpy had not been expecting any serious changes.

She looked around; hoping somepony would walk by and be able to tell her what happened. She was in luck as two ponies walked around the corner and into her view. She recognised these two ponies, the aquamarine unicorn Lyra, and her cream coloured earth pony friend, Bon-Bon.

"Excuse me?" Derpy said to the two as they came into range. "Do either of you know what happened to Sugarcube Corner?"

Lyra looked at Derpy with shock; she and Bon-Bon had been too absorbed in their conversation to have noticed the pegasus sharing the street with them. "Derpy! When did you get out of the hospital?"

"Just this morning," Derpy said. "I didn't think I was gone that long... but clearly I missed something."

"Poor dear," Bon-Bon said attempting to comfort the Pegasus. "Sugarcube Corner exploded a couple of weeks ago. The investigation is still on going."

Derpy cringed at Bon-Bon's explanation; it brought back memories of the Post Office exploding in her face. "Was anypony hurt?"

"Bon-Bon was caught in the shockwave and tossed about, nothing too serious, just a few sprains." Lyra said looking at her companion. "Twilight Sparkle and her friends were much closer to the blast and they got hurt pretty bad. Nopony died though, thank Celestia for that!"

Derpy frowned. What else could she have missed?

"Thanks. I think I'm going to go home and get some rest." Derpy said depressingly.

Lyra placed a hoof on Derpy's shoulder. "Take it easy okay? We all missed our favourite mailmare, so many have gone, and we're glad to have you back."

Derpy smiled at Lyra, and she departed from the High Street. No one had ever expressed appreciation for her. Derpy had always been seen as somewhat of a nuisance for the townsfolk, it was very common for her to fly into buildings and trees during her route, and every so often, a package would break on her, much to its recipient's dismay. So far, this had been the one and only change that Derpy was happy for.

She arrived outside her flat; she took her key out of her saddlebag and unlocked the door.

Or at least she tried. The key fit into the lock, sure, but it didn't turn.

Oh no.

Derpy must have missed her rent while in the hospital, and the landlord obviously changed the lock. She groaned inwardly, today was not going her way.

Just when she felt that things couldn't get any worse, she realised that she didn't have a job to go to either. She hadn't forgotten that the Post Office had exploded, but then the realisation set in that without the post office, she didn't have any money.

Her hospital bills had been covered by Princess Celestia herself. Derpy was truly grateful for that. But now her spirit had been dampened completely by no longer having a home, or a job, or the money to at least pay off what she owed so she could get the few possessions that she did have back.

What am I going to do?

This was a good question. Derpy didn't exactly have any friends in Ponyville. She was friendly with everyone, and everyone was friendly with her to an extent, but that didn't mean they were her friends. She thought about Lyra. The Unicorn had been so nice this morning, and Derpy had half a mind to ask Lyra and Bon-Bon if she could stay with them for a little while. She eventually decided against it. She didn't know them well enough. It wouldn't be right.

Derpy sat on the bottom of the stairs that lead up to her flat, looking down at the ground thinking about what she was going to do. She had no idea, nowhere to go, and no way to make money.

"Derpy?"

Derpy looked up to find that Lyra was standing over her.

"Is everything alright?" Lyra asked.

"Oh. Hi Lyra... I've been kicked out of my flat; Landlord's had the locks changed." Derpy said. "He doesn't live in town; he owns a bunch of apartments all over Equestria, so when I didn't pay he probably had the locks changed without knowing the circumstances."

Lyra frowned upon hearing this. "That's awful! Do you need a place to stay?"

Derpy perked her head up upon hearing this, she wasn't even sure she had heard the Unicorn correctly. "I... don't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be!" Lyra said. Maybe Derpy had heard her right the first time. "You just got out of the hospital, it wouldn't be right for you to be out alone with no place to sleep."

Lyra smiled at the mailmare. "Come on! I insist!"

Derpy smiled back and she got up to walk with Lyra. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How come you're being so nice to me?" Derpy asked.

Lyra looked at the pegasus and frowned, she looked down towards the ground, a look of guilt slowly forming on her muzzle. "Before you went to the hospital, almost everypony didn't like you that much, you were kind of annoying, and your antics with the mail drove me crazy, but then you got hurt, and the next morning you didn't deliver the mail, and after a few days of not getting the wrong mail, or a beat up package, it just started to feel... wrong. We thought you were annoying, but the days just got bleaker without your antics to brighten our lives."

Lyra looked at Derpy; tears were forming in her eyes. "And I am so sorry! We didn't treat you the way you deserved to be treated, and we almost lost you."

The two ponies stopped walking, and Lyra threw her hooves around Derpy, giving her the biggest hug she had ever had.

"I'm so sorry." Lyra repeated, tears were streaming down her face and landing on Derpy's shoulder.

"It's okay." Derpy said, she was crying now too.

"So you can stay with me and Bon-Bon for as long as you need to." Lyra said with a smile, tears still forming in her eyes.

Derpy smiled back. She and Lyra were friends now.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Derpy couldn't help but feel guilty. She'd been living with Lyra and Bon-Bon for a week at this point, and she still couldn't find a job. She needed to find work; she needed to get off Lyra and Bon-Bon's back. It just wasn't fair for her to be mooching of them like this.

Lyra and Bon-Bon's home wasn't large enough for three ponies to be living here for long periods of time. Derpy wasn't even sure that it was enough for one. Lyra and Bon-Bon were close, so maybe they didn't mind sharing a small space. Two was company. Derpy was a crowd.

Of course, neither of the mares said anything about it. Bon-Bon had made it perfectly clear to her that she was happy to have Derpy living with them, and that she could stay as long as she needed, and while Derpy was extremely thankful for Bon-Bon's generosity, she didn't want to make her new, and really only friends sick of her.

Derpy did her best to take up as little space as possible. Somewhat easy her only possessions were what she'd had on her when the Post Office exploded. All her other possessions had been locked away in her flat.

When I do get back, my fridge is going to be disgusting.

Derpy entered Lyra and Bon-Bon's flat after a long day of Job searching, still no luck.

Lyra was sitting on the couch in the main room; she looked over at Derpy and smiled. "How did it go?"

Derpy sighed and crossed the room and sat next to Lyra on the couch. "I'm never going to find a job at this point. Nopony wants to hire me because of my STUPID EYES!"

Derpy tossed her empty saddlebag on the floor in frustration, she felt tears coming on. Her eyes were betraying her again. She brought her legs into her chest and sank her muzzle into them. She was tired, she was frustrated and worst of all, and she felt useless.

"I should have expected this. I was lucky to even get my job at the Post Office," Derpy said defeat ringing in her voice.

"There has to be something you can do?" Lyra said trying to comfort her friend.

Derpy shrugged. "The jobs that pegasi are known for are all sight intensive, and everything else needs depth perception."

"I know how you feel," Lyra said. "I'm a musician, regular work is impossible to find. There are a lot of times where I feel like I'm mooching off Bon-Bon. She makes enough money to cover both of us... But it still feels wrong."

Derpy frowned upon hearing this. That settles it; I HAVE to get off their backs. It's not fair. They're just too nice for their own good.

"Derpy, you don't have to leave!" Bon-Bon called out to her friend. It was the following morning, and Derpy was packing her things.

"Yes I do Bon-Bon," Derpy said. "I can't do this; it's not fair for you to have to support me."

Bon-Bon frowned. "Derpy... We like having you live here! You don't have to go."

Derpy smiled at her friend. "I like living with you and Lyra too, and who knows, maybe when I do find a job, or they rebuild the post office, whichever comes first. We can get a bigger flat and live together... But until then, I don't feel right mooching off you. Now I've made up my mind. I have to go."

Derpy threw her saddlebag over her flank and walked up to Bon-Bon and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you for everything. Thank you so much."

Bon-Bon had started to cry. Derpy was too. She didn't want to leave her only friends in Ponyville, but she had to. She couldn't be a burden.

She waved goodbye to Bon-Bon and trotted out the door. Lyra was sitting at the bottom of the steps waiting for her.

"You don't have..." she began, but Derpy was quick to interrupt her.

"Yes I do."

Lyra smirked at her friend. "You're a stubborn little filly aren't you?"

Derpy smiled back, nodding in affirmation. She gave Lyra a hug goodbye. She was going to miss her.

"Where are you going to live?" Lyra asked.

"I don't know yet," Derpy said with a shrug. "Probably going to sleep outside, I'm a pegasus so at least I can keep it from raining on me."

Lyra frowned; a tear was forming in her eye. She really did not want her friend to leave. Derpy didn't want to either, but she had to.

"Be safe," Lyra said. "And always know you are welcome here."

Derpy started to cry too, she waved Lyra goodbye, and trotted off down the road, turning onto the High Street, and straight out of Ponyville.

She walked for a while; she needed to clear her head. The road was long and empty; it didn't matter where she was going. The road would take her some place. Derpy spent much of her walk lost in thought, her head down looking at the ground. So her surprise was easy to imagine when she ran head first into something.

Derpy fell onto the ground in surprise, there wasn't supposed to be anything on the road! She looked up at what she had run into, and it was something of the likes of which she had ever seen before.

It was a box, perhaps two metres tall, by a metre wide by another metre in length. Derpy was familiar with boxes thanks to her job as a postal worker, but she had never seen anything like this before. The box was a deep blue that had "Police" printed on it.

A Police... Box? Derpy thought to herself.

At that moment, a door on the adjacent side of the box opened and someone poked their head out from it. It was an earth pony with a spiky brown mane and a lighter brown coat.

"Sorry... did you knock?" the earth pony asked her.

Derpy looked up at the earth pony the best she could. "Umm... no," she answered truthfully.

"Ah, my mistake then." the other pony said, he took his head back inside the box and closed the door behind him.

Derpy examined the box again. It occurred to her that there was no way a full grown earth pony could fit in it. That was assuming she had gotten the dimensions right by looking at it. Judging the size of things had never worked well for her.

She went around to the front of the box, and decided to knock on the door.

The earth pony popped his head out again. "Did you knock?" he asked.

Derpy nodded in affirmation, and the earth pony stepped out of the box, closing the door behind him.

"Well hello!" the pony said cheerfully. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Derpy looked at the pony, he looked familiar, but she couldn't place where from.

"Well... Your box is kind of in the middle of the road," Derpy said.

The earth pony turned around and looked at the box. "Hmm, I suppose it is. How rude of me, I'll have to move it."

Derpy couldn't help but notice that the earth pony had an hourglass cutie mark. Now he looked very familiar.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Derpy asked.

The earth pony looked at her, cocking his head slightly and humming a little as he thought. "... Maybe, have you ever been to Raxacoricofallapatorius?"

"Where?" Derpy asked, looking horribly confused, meaning she looked twice as confused as she normally did with her eyes being the way they were.

"Then no, probably not," the earth pony said.

Then, Derpy remembered. "Yes! We do, you visited me when I was in the hospital in Canterlot last week! You said I was going to be fine, and that I should trust you, because you're a Doctor!"

The earth pony wracked his brain. "Hmm, I don't remember doing that... maybe I haven't yet?"

Derpy was lost. "But... that was last week, what do you mean?"

"If I'm going to be visiting you in the hospital... that must mean you're important... and if you're important, and I'm important, and my blue box is important... Say, are you doing anything right now?" the earth pony asked.

"Um... no," Derpy said.

"Fantastic! Oh there's a phrase I haven't used in a while... I miss doing that. Oh and bananas! I miss bananas," The earth pony said. "Do you want to see the inside of my blue box?"

Derpy had to admit, she was a little curious as to how this box had come here, and how it seemed to hold somepony too big for it. "Okay."

The earth pony opened the door, and Derpy stepped inside. What she saw astounded her. "It... it's..."

"Bigger on the inside, yes, everyone else has said that too," the earth pony said.

Derpy looked at the earth pony in amazement. "Who are you?"

The pony just smiled. "I'm the Doctor."

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Derpy was dumbfounded to say the least. She wasn't exactly the smartest pony in Equestria, but she did have enough sense that what she was looking at shouldn't be possible.

"It travels through Time and Space too," the Doctor said proudly.

Derpy looked at him with as much of an annoyed glare as she could manage. "You don't honestly expect me to believe that load of oatmeal do you?!"

"You're standing in a 1963 London Metropolitan Police Box that's bigger on the inside than the outside," the Doctor said frowning at his guest. "Is being able to travel through time and space really any more farfetched than that?"

Derpy did not know what London Metropolitan was, but she supposed the pony had a point. "Prove it then."

The Doctor smiled and went over the control panel, he started flipping switches, pushing buttons, and pulling pull cords, plus a number of other actions that looked like, and may have been, complete nonsense. The box started making an odd high pitched "whirring" noise that sounded like somepony was having trouble breathing.

"Won't go far, just a week in advance." The Doctor said.

Derpy heard a bell chime and the Doctor grinned like a madpony. He threw a coat over his shoulders and walked over to the door.

"Not to worry, we'll be perfectly fine," the Doctor said nonchalantly. He pushed open the door and walked outside. "Not like the world is going to have ended or... any... thing."

The Doctor and Derpy were in the same spot that they had been in before, night had fallen, but more importantly, the entire Everfree forest was on fire.

"... Well. That was unexpected," The Doctor said.

Derpy's jaw practically hit the ground. How could this happen.

From the edge of the Everfree forest, she and the doctor saw several ponies running frantically away from something.

"RUN!" one of them, a filly's voice, screamed. "RUN FASTER!"

A cloud of thick black smoke poured from the forest, seeming to have a mind of its own, it was chasing after the ponies, and it wouldn't be long before it overtook them.

One of the ponies, the filly whose voice they'd heard before turned around on a bit and called back to her companions. "Derpy, Doctor! Get out of here! Trixie will hold it off!"

The other two stopped in their tracks and looked back at their companion.

"Are you crazy!?" The other filly called; strangely enough Derpy recognised it as her voice!

"Trixie will be fine! Just go!" the first filly said.

It was this moment that the Doctor had placed his hoof on Derpy's shoulder, "It's time to go. I'm sorry, but we can't interfere inside our own time lines."

Derpy had no idea what the Doctor was talking about. But she could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn't happy to be abandoning that group of ponies to their fate. She followed him back into the box, closing the door behind her.

"Okay! Time to leave!" the Doctor called out fiddling with the controls. The box whirred and the two ponies exited the box to find themselves back where they started.

"What just happened?"Derpy asked looking at the Doctor in confusion.

Her looked at her and frowned. "I don't know."

Derpy looked down at the ground. "I don't even know who that other pony was."

The Doctor nudged Derpy and she looked up from the ground. Standing in front of them was an azure unicorn with cyan mane. Her mouth was wide open.

"Box... appears from nowhere!" The Unicorn said.

Derpy recognised the voice as belonging to the filly she had seen go against the black smoke. She eyed the Doctor; there was no way that this could be a coincidence.

"Humph," the Unicorn snorted. "Turning an object invisible is amateur magic! Trixie can do better!"

Derpy and the Doctor looked at each other and smirked slightly.

"You want to be impressed?" The Doctor said. "Take a step inside."

Trixie raised an eyebrow at the Doctor. She had clearly come to the conclusion that the box was too small to fit even one pony in it.

"Very well, Trixie will humour you, and your pathetic display of magic." Trixie said, walking past Derpy.

The Doctor opened the door for her with a smirk as Trixie went inside.

"WHAT?" Trixie shouted from inside. "It's...! It's...!"

"Bigger on the inside than the outside," Derpy said. "Everypony says that."

Trixie grabbed Derpy's shoulders and pulled her close. "You must tell Trixie how this is possible!"

Derpy gave her a nervous smile, she hadn't the foggiest idea, nor did she know what to say that would make her happy.

"It was grown that way!" The Doctor exclaimed.

Trixie was not pleased by this answer. She sighed and released Derpy, and sat down regally on the boxes floor.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is not leaving this spot until she learns the truth of this magic box!" She proclaimed majestically.

"Fair enough," The Doctor said, a mischievous grin forming on his face. He closed the boxes door and went over to the controls. "Derpy was it? Where exactly are you from?"

"It's a little town called Ponyville, why?" Derpy asked.

Trixie's eyes popped open, a nervous look formed on her face.

"Obviously, were going to go there!" the Doctor proclaimed cheerfully.

"What?" Trixie piped from her spot on the floor.

The Doctor flipped a switch and the whirring noise again filled the room, the box began to buck about wildly, sending an unprepared Trixie flying from her spot and into the wall. Derpy started cheering as if it were a roller coaster she was riding.

"Trixie is going to be sick!" Trixed shouted as she slid down the floor again.

The box quickly came to a halt. Derpy giggled slightly at Trixie and opened the door to the outside world. However she was shocked to see what she had found. She was in the high street, and in front of her was Sugarcube Corner. She slammed the door shut in a panic. Yesterday it was gone, and today it's back? Impossible, unless...

"Trixie? What's the date today?" Derpy asked.

Trixie popped her head up, a hoof clutching it in pain from the small bump she'd gotten. "It's August 9th, Year 1000 of Celestia's reign."

Derpy's eyes shrunk. "Doctor! It was November 17th year 1001 when we left!"

"Oopsie!" The Doctor said sheepishly. "Not to worry. I have a time machine!" He fiddled with the controls again, and soon enough, the box began bucking about, catching Trixie off guard again.

"And there we go!" The Doctor said. "November 17th, 1001!"

Derpy poked her head out the door. Sugarcube corner was gone, replaced by the giant crater that currently occupied the lot. Derpy sighed in relief. Trixie took a peek outside the door, discovering that they had indeed moved.

"You've kidnapped Trixie!" she exclaimed.

The Doctor merely chuckled at her. "You insisted in not moving."

Trixie looked bleakly at the other ponies. She barricaded herself in front of the door, blocking the Doctor and Derpy's exit. "Trixie cannot go out there!"

"Oh, why is that?" The Doctor asked.

Trixie slumped to the floor, a frown forming on her face. "Trixie did not leave Ponyville on the best of terms. Last time Trixie was here, Trixie made a fool of herself and was run out of town."

The Doctor smiled at her. "Oh come on now. I'm sure everything will be fine! Come out with us!"

Trixie reluctantly rose to her hooves and stepped outside the box. From her point of view, it had only been several days since Trixie was here last... but the town had changed significantly. Everything looked beat up, there was severe damage to many buildings, and some of them destroyed completely.

Trixie, Derpy, and the Doctor stood in the middle of the High Street; many ponies were walking by, going about their business, not paying them much of any attention.

"I... do not understand," Trixie said dropping her third person speech, fearing that somepony would recognise her.

"It travels through time and space!" The Doctor said, whispering into her ear, Trixie ended up believing him; if the box was bigger on the inside than the outside, why should it not be able do something as spectacular as that?

The town clinic's two nurses walked into view, they were carrying a stretcher, and something was on it covered in a white sheet. Suddenly the street grew quieter than what seemed possible. Derpy didn't understand. She looked around for someone that she knew to tell her what happened. Trailing a few metres behind the nurses was Twilight Sparkle. She was looking at the ground, not really paying attention as she walked.

Trixie began to cringe to herself; Derpy however didn't notice the unicorn's apprehension and called over to her.

Twilight looked up at Derpy, the Doctor, and Trixie standing in the High Street and smiled faintly at the trio.

"Hi Derpy," she said, forcing as much cheerfulness as she could, but to no avail. "When did you get out of the Hospital?"

"A week ago," Derpy said. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Twilight looked uncomfortable with the question, Derpy was quick to pick up on it and retract her question, Twilight looked grateful for it and gave the wall-eyed Pegasus as best a smile as she could.

Twilight at this moment took more notice of Derpy's companions. She looked at Trixie, staring intently at the azure unicorn, which she gave an odd smile. "Wait right here."

Trixie did her best to hide her nervousness at Twilight's command. Clearly the purple unicorn had recognised her, her first instinct was to turn and run for it. But where would she go? The Doctor and Derpy had taken her from her own time and brought her here. It was a year later than she belonged; she had nothing to go to.

Twilight Sparkle came back into view. Trixie began to panic; she had no idea what Twilight Sparkle had in mind for her.

Twilight smiled at Trixie and opened her saddlebag and gave the contents to her.

Trixie gasped, it was her hat and cape! Clean and neatly folded as if it had only been a day since she had seen them, of course from her point of view, that's all it had been, she looked at Twilight Sparkle intensely, expecting some kind of trick. But when Twilight didn't do anything to suggest that it was, Trixie took them and placed the hat on her head and tied the cape around her neck.

No magical traps went off, much to Trixie's surprise; she smiled, and looked at Twilight Sparkle and quietly managed a 'thank you.'

"You're welcome," Twilight said, smiling the best that she could. She looked at Derpy's other companion, who was not somepony that she recognised.

"I'm the Doctor," the earth pony said beating her to the punch. "Just the Doctor!"

"Nice to meet you Doctor," Twilight said not bothering to question him about his name. "I'd love to stay and chat... but I have something I need to take care of."

She trotted off slowly behind Nurse Redheart and Nurse Tenderheart, who had stopped for a moment to allow her to catch up.

"That was a body," the Doctor said.

"What? Whose?" Trixie asked.

"I don't know... I don't know..."

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“All righty, I think I’ve got it figured out,” the Doctor said as he entered the box, tossing his coat onto a coat hanger.

Trixie was sitting reading a newspaper that she had found in a recycle bin, while Derpy came in behind the Doctor carrying a tray of muffins.

“I may have some information as well,” Trixie said. Derpy offered her a muffin, which she gladly took. “Please, relay your information Doctor.”

“I ran into three little fillies that were rushing out into the country side and asked them if they could explain what had been going on in town. Seems that the local bakery exploded and a couple ponies got hurt. ”

Trixie nodded. “I figured that out by reading this,” she held up the paper into the Doctor’s view. “But it did not say who had been hurt. What else did these fillies say?”

“Not much useful,” the Doctor said. “One of them with a red bow on her head said that her sister and her friends were living out of town recovering from their injuries, but then ran off yelling something about getting their cutie marks by being cross country runners before I could get anything else.”

Derpy set the box of muffins down on the control console. “It’s Twilight Sparkle and her friends. My friends Lyra and Bon-Bon mentioned that they’d been hurt. We all saw how Twilight Sparkle was, she was broken... I can only imagine that her friends are just as bad.”

The Doctor smiled at the mares. “Well then, I think we know what we have to do next. This town’s been broken by the hardship they faced,” be brought his friends close into a huddle. “This means it’s up to us to put the pieces back together.”

Trixie couldn’t help but feel a knot forming in her throat as she stood in front of the Ponyville Public Library. The Doctor suggested that they could work faster by splitting up, and being more personal with each of the Ponies. Trixie’s first task was Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle had been nice enough to her previously when returning her hat and cape, which were her only possessions. They’d been given to her by her mother when she’d gotten her cutie mark, so many years ago.

Trixie was getting distracted, now was not the time to be nostalgic. She had things that needed doing. She swallowed and knocked on the door.

Twilight Sparkle opened the door, her mane was a horrible mess and she looked as if she hadn't slept in days. Twilight was surprised to find the azure unicorn at her door, but smiled as best she could. “Hello Trixie, won’t you come in?”

Trixie nodded and entered the library; it was in pretty much the same state as Twilight herself. Books were strung all over the floor and every table. Quills and parchment littered every other square centimetre of space, In fact, the only thing in the library that was free and clear of any objects were the bookshelves themselves.

“Sorry about the mess!” Twilight exclaimed as she clamoured to pick up books. “I don’t get visitors any more, all my friends don’t live in town anymore...”

“It’s quite all right,” Trixie said. She used her magic to help pick up as many books as she could, alphabetising them and placing them back on the shelves where they belong. In only two minutes, the combined resources of the two unicorns had the library back together as it belonged.

“Thank you!” Twilight said to Trixie for her help. “You didn’t have to do that...”

Trixie gave the lavender unicorn a smile, and the two sat down. Twilight attempted to return the smile, but ultimately failed to make a convincing one.

“What happened?” Trixie asked plainly.

Twilight looked up at her. She knew what her fellow unicorn was referring to, but the last thing she wanted to do was talk about it.

“I am not leaving until you tell me what happened,” Trixie reaffirmed. “I will sit here for the next year. Trust Trixie when she says that bottling one’s emotions can do nothing but harm. Now, speak.”

Twilight didn’t have the energy or the will power to argue with her, she broke down into tears, burying her eyes in her hooves. “It’s all my fault! I should have seen the signs! I should have known! It would have been obvious to every other pony, but no, not stupid, naïve Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight told Trixie everything as if she was vomiting up the words; she had no control over it. She recounted the story of Overdrive, the manipulative alicorn who appeared in Ponyville’s time of need as a saviour, but turned out to be its ruin, and Montana Ulhan, the kindly earth pony who had killed himself on her watch. She blamed herself; her inexperience with the feelings of others lead her to not notice that anything was wrong when every sign pointed to it. She blamed herself for her friends getting hurt. The pain was too much for her, and she wanted it gone. She wanted to die, but she was far too afraid of what would be waiting for her if that happened.

Trixie moved from her seat next to Twilight and put her hoof around her.

“Trixie has a story to tell too. Trixie... I think it relates to how you feel,” she said. “When I was last here, you and your friends ran me out of town, showing me to be a fraud, that I couldn’t even handle myself against an Ursa Minor, despite my earlier boasting. I wandered alone for several hours, angry that I had been embarrassed, but worse still, I wondered what I was going to do next... Trixie’s caravan had been destroyed by the Ursa, everything I had was gone. Trixie’s parents died several years ago, and Trixie had no friends, and no home to go to... And then when Trixie doesn’t want to go on anymore what happens? A magic box appears in front of me! The ponies who were inside the box become my first real friends and I’ve been travelling with them for the last year.”

Trixie had fudged the details a bit, but she was getting her point across. “Trixie did not originally want to go with them, but she got caught up in their adventure anyway. She could have asked at any time to be taken back, but taken back to what? These were my only friends. Why would I leave them?”

Trixie smiled at Twilight. “I’ve been much happier that I have friends. They’ve taught me that I don’t have to do things alone, just like you don’t have to be alone, because I want to be your friend too... if you will allow it of course.”

Twilight looked at Trixie with a smile, a tear was forming in her eye, but Trixie could tell that this tear was different than the others. Twilight was happy; she threw her hooves around Trixie and pulled her in for the biggest hug she had ever gotten.

“Of course I would,” Twilight said.

Trixie had succeeded. Twilight had been broken from being alone with her guilt. Her friends off recovering in other places had driven her to loneliness. Now she didn’t have to be alone anymore.

Now, she was fixed.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Royal Hospital at Canterlot, Recovery and Physical Therapy ward.

The Doctor stood outside the hospital, clad in a white medical coat that he’d had lying around. He felt the best approach to this was going to be to go undercover at the hospital. A few manipulations of the hospitals files and here he was. Doctor “Horseshoe” Blacksmith, the intern. He smiled and went inside. He had his work cut out for him today. He’d been given the ward’s ‘problem resident’ to look after because nopony else was willing to put up with her. The staff would have seen it as hazing the new guy, but it was exactly what the Doctor wanted to get.

Room 508, here we go.

The Doctor entered the room and greeted it’s occupant with a cheerful hello that was returned with a rude gesture. The Doctor merely chuckled. “It’s time to get up Rainbow Dash. We’ve got a long day of work ahead of us.”

“Who’s ‘we?’” the pegasus pony said with clear annoyance in her voice. She rolled over on her bed to take a look at the Doctor, eyeing every square centimetre of the earth pony. “And more importantly, who’s ‘you?’”

“I’m Doctor Blacksmith, you can call me Horseshoe though,” the Doctor said brightly.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Great, what? Did you get the short straw when they dished out assignments?”

“Actually I requested your case... Let’s just say I have a thing about helping those deemed ‘lost causes.’”

Rainbow Dash frowned at the earth pony in front of her, followed by a small sigh. “You’re wasting your time. My wings are paralysed. I’ll never fly again,” she rolled over and tucked her wings back into their places when they came loose. “Just leave me alone. Let me be useless to society in peace.”

The Doctor frowned, it was worse than he thought. This pegasus pony wasn’t merely depressed. Her will had been shattered. “You know the reason you’re in here is to try and get use of your wings back! There’s always a chance!”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better. Go away,” Rainbow Dash said glumly, she pulled her blankets over herself and went back to sleep.

The Doctor frowned again, this was going to be much more difficult than he imagined. He decided to go for a walk and to clear his head and come up with a plan of action. Exiting the room he walked to the end of the hallway and into main lounge area. He went over to the candy machine and placed a bit into the money slot.

“Let me guess who you’re in charge of?” said a voice from behind him.

The Doctor turned around and looked to find a bright yellow pegasus mare with a mane that reminded the Doctor of a roaring fire.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked.

“Everypony complains about Rainbow Dash,” The pegasus said. “I’ve been here two days and it’s all the staff does.”

“Oh, you’re a patient?” the Doctor asked.

“Minor training accident, I’m mostly here as a precaution,” the pegasus said. “I’m Spitfire by the way.”

“Doctor Blacksmith. You can call me Horseshoe though,” the Doctor said.

“Nice to meet you Horseshoe. I think I can help you with your pegasus problem.” Spitfire said with a smile.

“Well I’ll take all the help that I can get.”

…

The Doctor entered Rainbow Dash’s room knocking on the door. The cyan pegasus turned to look and frowned instantly upon seeing his smiling mug.

“Not you again. What do you want?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I don’t want anything. You have a visitor though,” the Doctor said taking a step back.

Spitfire trotted into the room, she flashed a bright smile to the cyan pegasus who perked her head up when she entered the room.

“Hey there Rainbow Dash, long time no see!” Spitfire said.

“Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh!” Rainbow Dash leapt to her hooves, falling on her face as she instinctively tried to use her wings. Rainbow groaned slightly in pain, slightly in embarrassment for making a fool of herself in front of one of her idols.

Spitfire chuckled and helped Rainbow Dash to her hooves. “You all right?” She asked.

“Yeah...” Rainbow said, her voice still ringing with embarrassment. “My wings are paralysed, and I forgot when I got excited...”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Doctor Blacksmith told me that the chances are slim of you getting use of your wings back, but you know what I think? I think I’ve never met a more talented pony in my entire life, if anyone can bounce back from this, it’d be you.” Spitfire winked, causing Rainbow Dash’s heart to race in excitement. “So keep it up! Because I want to race you when you get better!”

“Oh it’s on!” Rainbow Dash grinned competitively. “Come on Doc! We got work to do!”

Rainbow Dash was practically prancing in excitement as she left the room towards the gymnasium.

Spitfire chuckled. “She’ll be fine; all she needed was a little encouragement. I’ll see you around Doctor.”

Spitfire trotted outside, leaving the Doctor beaming. It had worked, they had gotten through to her, as long as Rainbow Dash didn’t get discouraged, the Doctor was sure that she would make a full recovery.

“Hey Doc! What’s taking you so long?” Rainbow Dash called from the hallway.

The Doctor smiled and trotted along after her.

…

Derpy Hooves had spent nearly every favour that the Canterlot Post Office owed her to come to this point. The best way to track down a missing pony was to find where their mail was going. The Canterlot wilderness preserve was located in the heart of the city, a semi-private park of nearly a hundred hectares of freely growing forest. Derpy should have guessed that if Fluttershy was going to be found anywhere, the place to be would be a forest. What Derpy didn’t understand was why Fluttershy would be in Canterlot’s wilderness preserve, and not her own home in Ponyville. She supposed that she’d find out when she talked to her.

Derpy cursed her eye sight, she’d be lucky to pick out Fluttershy at five metres. Not to mention that she’d have to walk through the forest to find her, flying at such a low (relative) altitude with trees everywhere was not a good idea if Derpy wanted to keep her spine intact.

Derpy walked into the trees towards the heart of the forest. But very quickly found where she needed to go. A small sign pointing to the Royal Hospital Wilderness Recovery Centre indicated to Derpy why Fluttershy was here. She was still in psychiatric care. Derpy didn’t know Fluttershy very well, but she did know that she was a fragile creature; whatever happened to her must have sent her over the edge.

After a few minutes of walking, she came across a fenced in area in a clearing. Inside the clearing were several house sized buildings and a large common area. This had to have been the place. Derpy followed the sign around to the visitor’s entrance and stepped inside the gate house.

An extremely bored looking Unicorn popped her head up, looking at the wall-eyed pegasus with contempt. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to see a patient by the name of Fluttershy,” Derpy said.

The Unicorn used her magic to hand Derpy a clipboard and pencil. “Fill out the forms and then you can go on back.”

Derpy did her best to fill out the lengthy form, and handed it back to the unicorn at the desk.

“It’s recreation time, so you’ll probably find your friend in the common yard,” the unicorn said in a disinterested, monotone voice. “If you have anything shiny, I’d suggest leaving it here. The crazies love shiny things.”

Derpy was somewhat offended by the unicorn, but chose not to say anything. Out in the yard, Derpy spotted Fluttershy immediately, and went over to speak to her.

“Fluttershy?” Derpy said trying to get her attention.

Fluttershy squeaked in surprise and recoiled away from Derpy.

“Fluttershy? It’s me! Derpy Hooves!”

Fluttershy looked at Derpy in surprise. Her eyes seemed to light up, she did recognise her. “Oh... I’m so sorry,” she said quietly. “I thought you were in the hospital too.”

“I was, but I was released a week ago,” Derpy said with a smile. “How have you been?”

“Um... okay I guess. Derpy? Why are you here?”

“I came to visit you! I got back to Ponyville and you and the rest of your friends were gone...”

Fluttershy’s eyes grew very small. “P... Ponyville? No! nononononono, I can’t go back! Don’t make me go back!” Fluttershy backed away from Derpy in fear; she coiled herself into a ball and rocked back and forth on the ground, muttering ‘can’t go back’ over and over.

Several guards noticed what was going on, and rushed over to help.

“What’s going on here?” a pegasus guard asked.

“I don’t know... I don’t know what I did.”

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the guard said angrily. His partner pulled out a syringe of sedatives and stabbed Fluttershy’s flank with it, sending her off to sleep.

Derpy knew at this point that bringing Fluttershy back was the toughest thing she’d ever had to do.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Derpy returned the next day; the same receptionist from the day before eyed her menacingly, judging her silently as she filled out the same forms as yesterday.

Okay Derpy, here goes nothing.

Derpy spotted Fluttershy immediately; Fluttershy looked up and saw Derpy approaching her. The yellow pegasus thrust her head to her left, telling the wall eyed pegasus to follow her.

Derpy followed as instructed, and Fluttershy lead her to the back side of a building close to the fence.

“Hello Fluttershy.” Derpy said.

“Hi Derpy, how are you?” Fluttershy asked with a smile.

“I’m doing good thanks. Listen, about yesterday...” Derpy began, however she was quickly interrupted by Fluttershy, who raised a hoof to silence her.

“You don’t have to apologise. I wasn’t really freaking out, I was just pretending...” Fluttershy took a quick look around, making sure the coast was clear. “So that they wouldn’t suspect!”

This had to have been a record. Five seconds into a conversation, and Derpy was already lost.

“Have to make them think that I don’t want to leave!” Fluttershy leaned in close and whispered into Derpy’s ear. “I secretly do! Now if they think that I don’t want to leave, that casts suspicion away from you, and why you’re really here!”

Derpy looked confused.

“To break me out?” Fluttershy questioned.

“Oh yeah! That. Duh!” Derpy said, feeling that running with it would work better in the long run. “I’m such a feather brain sometimes...”

“That’s okay. You’re heart is in the right place, which is most important,” Fluttershy said, she took a quick look around, checking to see if nobody was listening. “You have to get me out of here!”

Derpy looked at the yellow pegasus strangely. “I’m... still working on how to do that.”

“Take your time, but the sooner the better! They’re trying to poison me!” Fluttershy said. “I haven’t been taking my “medication” for that reason.”

You don’t say? It was official. The situation was far worse now than it had been yesterday. Fluttershy was delusional, paranoid, and dangerous. Breaking her out was simply out of the question, not that Derpy had had any intention of doing it in the first place. Fluttershy needed help. Help that could only be given here, and it needed Fluttershy to take her medication. Derpy just needed to figure out a way to get her too.

“If you want to escape... why don’t you just fly over the fence?” Derpy asked.

Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s not that simple, the fence is for show. It couldn’t keep any of us here if it wanted to. No, what’s really keeping us here is a magical barrier that extends to the height of 10 metres. I tried escaping that way, I tried everything I could think of, and I couldn’t get past it.”

Derpy needed to get her to take her meds. It was the only way she was going to get better, but how was she going to do it without Fluttershy figuring out that Derpy wanted her to take them. Fluttershy was ordinarily soft spoken and gentle... but like this she was unpredictable. She had every reason to believe that Fluttershy would try to kill her if she deemed her a threat. Worse still, you can’t reason with a crazy pony.

“Fluttershy?! Where are you?” a stallion’s voice called out from around the corner.

“Hide!” Fluttershy hissed.

Derpy didn’t see a reason why she should, but she ducked behind the other side of the building anyway. She peeked around to see that an all black stallion in a white medical coat come into view.

“Oh! Hello Doctor Nightcaller!” Fluttershy said to him.

Doctor Nightcaller looked over his patient. “Recreation hour is over Fluttershy, its medication time.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry Doctor, I must have lost track of time,” Fluttershy said, she smiled warmly at the earth pony doctor, and disappeared around the corner.

Doctor Nightcaller looked right at Derpy, whose head was still peering out at them from behind her cover.

“What are you doing?” Doctor Nightcaller asked.

Derpy looked terribly embarrassed. “I... uh, Fluttershy told me to hide, and considering her condition, I felt it best not to argue with her.”

Nightcaller frowned and shook his head. “That poor filly, we can’t get her to take her medication, she’ll never get better if she doesn’t.”

Derpy frowned, but suddenly felt an idea forming. “Doctor Nightcaller? I have an idea. Though it’s probably unethical at the best and illegal at the worst... But if it does work it’ll help everypony.”

Nightcaller looked over the wall eyed pegasus. “You have my attention.”

…

Derpy returned to visit Fluttershy the following day, she had been expecting her this time, and Fluttershy did not jump when Derpy greeted her.

“I’m here to get you out Fluttershy,” Derpy said, smiling warmly at the yellow and pink pegasus.

“Super!” Fluttershy said happily. “Oh I’m so excited! Tell me, what’s the plan?”

“How long have we known each other Fluttershy?” Derpy asked her.

Fluttershy stopped and thought about it for a moment. “Gosh, it’s had to have been... three years maybe?”

Derpy nodded, she stepped towards the pegasus hoof outstretched. Lying on her hoof was a small pill.

Fluttershy looked at Derpy with confusion.

“Every day for the last three years, I delivered your mail, even on Sundays, I came by just to say hello. So now I have to ask you, have I ever had any reason to harm you?”

“No...” Fluttershy said.

“Exactly,” Derpy continued. “Have I ever given you any reason not to trust me?”

“No...” Fluttershy said again.

“I need you to trust me right now Fluttershy. I am personally delivering this to you. I need you to take this. Take this, and you’ll finally be able to come home,” Derpy said smiling at her. “Do you trust me Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy stood silent for a moment. “Yes,” she finally managed.

Fluttershy took the pill in Derpy’s hoof and swallowed it, opening her mouth and lifting her tongue to prove that she had indeed taken it. Derpy smiled at her.

“I’m going to be back tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, for as many days as it takes for you to get better, just so that you know, that you will be safe. You have nothing to fear when I am with you,” Derpy said reassuringly.

Fluttershy smiled back, knowing her friend meant every word.

…

It had taken nearly twice as long as the Doctor and Trixie put together, but Derpy Hooves had scored her first victory. Fluttershy regularly took the medicine that Derpy ‘delivered’ to her, and a short few days later, Doctor Nightcaller was stamping discharge papers.

Fluttershy had become more reasonable, and while it would be much longer before she had fully healed. Doctor Nightcaller deemed that she was healthy enough to return to Ponyville, where she would be most happy.

“I have got to hand it to you Miss Hooves. I think you went into the wrong profession,” Nightcaller said.

“Noooo... I’m not smart enough to be a doctor. Fluttershy is just my friend and I know how to talk to her,” Derpy said modestly.

Fluttershy smiled at Derpy as she stood next to her, Nightcaller rolled up the papers and filed them away.

“Thank you for everything Doctor Nightcaller... I’m so sorry that I was bad.” Fluttershy said sadly.

“Don’t you worry. It wasn’t you’re fault. You were sick, and now you’re better,” Nightcaller said with a smile.

Derpy and Fluttershy stepped out of the office and into the open forest beyond the magical barrier.

Now it was time to go home.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
Sweet Apple Acres.

The Doctor stood at the edge of the gigantic apple farm, nearly a kilometre out of the Ponyville town limits. The Doctor was amazed that two ponies were able to work the entirety of it.

The Doctor also noted that it was probably easier than other large farms he’d seen. Equestria was heavily climate controlled. It had likely never even occurred to the ponies of Sweet Apple Acres that the growing season could go wrong at all. The Doctor found himself scoffing at the way the ponies controlled their world. Just because you could do something didn’t always mean that you should.

He was biased of course, the reasons were obvious. They’d farmed where he’d come from, but despite the wonders of his people’s technology, they didn’t need to control the weather. He’d seen micromanagement destroy whole worlds before. Eventually it was going to turn around and bite these ponies.

The Doctor shook his thoughts off and made his way along the dirt road to Sweet Apple Acres, entering the property close to the barn.

Two ponies were standing near the barn, doing some miscellaneous midday chores, the younger of the two, a dark orange mare wearing a hat that the Doctor thought was cool, looked up at him and smiled.

“Well howdy stranger!” Applejack said, greeting him warmly.

The Doctor knew this was Applejack because he was here to see her.

The earth pony slowly hobbled over to him, the Doctor noticed her bad hind leg. “Welcome to Sweet Apple Arces! Ah don’t think Ah seen ya ‘round before. I’m Applejack! That’s my brother, Big Macintosh, an’ my cousin Braeburn’s ‘round here somewheres...”

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m Doctor Blacksmith,” the Doctor said with a smile.

“Doctor? What’s a Doctor doin’ here?” Applejack asked looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m setting up a practice. Just in from Canterlot, wanted to see the sights,” the Doctor said.

Applejack looked at the Doctor with suspicion. “Did an all black pegasus pony doctor from the Royal Hospital put ya up ta this?”

The Doctor knew who she was talking about. It had been the pony doctor who had been in charge of Rainbow Dash’s case before it had been thrust upon the Doctor.

“I know of Doctor Nightsinger, mostly by reputation, I haven’t actually met him myself.”

Applejack either believed him, or was backing off in response to the glowering looks being given to her by Big Macintosh, plus a yellow earth pony that had appeared from around the corner, clad in a leather vest and hat that was almost as cool as Applejack’s. The Doctor figured this was the Braeburn that she had mentioned earlier.

She smiled, and lifted her hat off her head, there was a small red apple sitting under it. “Apple?” she offered.

“Oh thank you! I love apples!” the Doctor said. He had never actually tried an apple before, so he couldn’t be sure. But everypony seemed to eat them, so they had to have been good. Right?

“Huh, maybe you’re not so bad after all,” Applejack said with a chuckle.

The Doctor took a bite of the apple. He promptly spit it out. “Ew! I hate apples!”

He realised quickly that this had not been a good choice of actions.

Applejack deadpanned him. “Big Macintosh? Please escort our guest off mah property before ah resort to violence.”

Big Macintosh sighed and walked with the Doctor to the edge of Sweet Apple Acres.

“You’re here for her aren’t you?” Big Macintosh asked.

“To help her, yes, I told the truth when I said Nightsinger didn’t send me.”

“Ah know,” Big Macintosh said. Clearly, the doctor realised, this pony was smarter than he let on by his simple farmer’s lifestyle. He instantly respected Big Macintosh; He’d reminded him of himself.

“Ah appreciate it even if Applejack don’t. She’s stubborn and ain’t gonna listen though. I need to get back, make sure she doesn’t sneak off tryin’ to buck trees with that bad leg o’ hers,” Big Macintosh gave the Doctor a polite nod before turning around and walking back.

“Ah see ya sneakin’ off Applejack!” The red earth pony shouted.

…

The Doctor returned the next day. Applejack was sitting in front of the barn staring at an apple, the Doctor cast his shadow on her causing her to look up at him, giving him a nasty scowl and asked what he wanted.

“It’s important to you, being useful isn’t it?” the Doctor asked, sitting down opposite from her.

“What’s it ta ya?” Applejack asked, not taking her eyes off the apple.

“I haven’t lived in this town very long Applejack, but I noticed something very quickly upon arriving in it. There is no happiness in the air.”

“Ah don’t follow,” Applejack said, taking her eyes off the apple and looking the Doctor in the face.

“Ponyville is dying. The town’s spirit is broken because the pillars of the community are gone. I’m talking about you and your friends. You’re the livelihood of this place. You make it what it is, and now that you’re all gone...”

Applejack frowned, looking down at the apple again. “It is... important to me, I mean, feeling useful. Ah’m an ‘ard worker, that’s just what Ah do, an’ then Ah broke mah damned leg. Cast been off for a month, but Ah can’t hardly use it. Big Macintosh says if Ah try an’ buck a tree it’s jus’ gonna break again. Deep down, Ah know he’s right, but that don’t mean Ah’m willin’ ta be sidelined.”

Off into the distance, she spotted Braeburn bucking an apple tree, she sighed sadly and guiltily. “Braeburn’s a good colt, he’d do anythin’ ta help his kin, but he’s got his own farm ta look after out west, an’ here Ah am takin’ him ‘way from it.”

Applejack looked at the visitor oddly. “Why am Ah even tellin’ ya this?”

The Doctor shrugged. “Probably because it’s eating at you inside, and the last pony you want to tell is Braeburn or Big Macintosh. You don’t exactly have any other choices but me.” He offered her a smile, and was very pleased to see that she returned it, even if it was ever so slight. “You trying to help with that bad leg will just make you feel more useless when you have to go through another cast. Sometimes Applejack, our greatest strength is knowing our limits.”

“Ya’ll sound just like Big Macintosh.” Applejack said with a small chuckle.

“I knew I liked that pony.”

…

Applejack seemed to take their conversation to heart. The Doctor had come back to watch her for an hour or two every day for the last week, she had taken over the tasks on the farm that required the least amount of exertion. She stopped trying to sneak off into the apple orchards, but that didn’t keep Big Macintosh and Braeburn from keeping an eye on her.

Eventually the two stopped watching and Applejack continued her good behaviours. The Doctor smiled. She’d learned the lesson that she needed, in order to be able to help others, you had to help yourself first.

His work here was done.
...

Tracking down Rarity had not been an easy task for Trixie. In truth it had been impossible for her on her own to obtain Rarity's large stack of room transfers, discharge papers, and admittance forms. She'd used the Doctor's position at the Royal Hospital to get them. It had led to other issues with hospital staff who didn't want to give them over, once again, saved by the Doctor, who had been able to get the papers by showing a small card in a leather holder that identified him as the King of Belgium. Trixie didn't know what Belgium was, and a night of browsing Twilight's library came up empty. When asking the Doctor about it he merely smirked and avoided the question.

Trixie supposed in the long run that it didn't matter, as "the King of Belgium" had obtained all the papers she needed. This led Trixie to where she was now, In front of Carousel Boutique, the shop in Ponyille in which Rarity lived and worked at. Everypony in town had been under the impression that Rarity had not returned, and Trixie now understood why. The shop looked as if nopony had been inside for nearly two months. Trixie had been forced to track down Sweetie Bell, Rarity's younger sister, staying with friends for the time being, to confirm if Rarity was here or not. After much coercion, Sweetie Bell gave up the information Trixie had been after, and learning she had been sworn to secrecy, not even telling her best friends, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, names of fillies that Trixie was not familiar with.

Trixie pushed open the shop's door, Surprised to find that it was unlocked. Did anypony actually use the locks that came with the doors on their homes? Trixie did remember that Derpy had told her that she had been locked out by her landlord for not paying her rent, but even before that, she'd made use of the lock frequently after she caught two mischievous colts trying to steal her mailbag from her flat as a prank. Trixie suspected that the colts had not intended to return it, which was required for it to be a "harmless" prank, but rather a mean spirited attempt to get the Pegasus down. If it had bothered her, Trixie didn't see it. Derpy hid her emotions well.

"Hello?" Trixie called out.

"We're closed!" a frightened high pitched voice cried from the corner. Rarity, of course.

Trixie did not leave. It wasn't an option. She saw the White unicorn sulking in the corner, sobbing quietly.

Rarity sighed. "I guess it was only a matter of time before you figured out I was here Twilight."

"I'm not Twilight," Trixie said plainly.

Rarity whipped her head around to look, any faster and she would have broken her own neck.

"You?" Rarity asked in astonishment. She remembered her. "What are you doing here?"

good question. Trixie admitted, she didn't know how she was going to help, when she'd been to see Twilight Sparkle, at least then she knew something about what was wrong.

"Well?" Rarity asked again.

Trixie renewed her resolve. "I'm here to help you."

"Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." Trixie said.

Rarity stood up and turned to face her. Trixie discovered that all the hair on her right flank was gone, and her skin was covered in scars.

"Can you help this?"

Trixie did her best to stifle her surprise. What had happened to Rarity did not look natural. "What happened?"

"It was supposed to have healed by now! Doctor Nightsinger said it was a simple procedure. The healing would take place and the scars and my hair would heal on their own. But no, that stupid orderly..." Rarity was beginning to cry. "I can't go out like this, I'm a monster, and children would be scared of the ugly unicorn. Sweetie Bell would never hear the end of it."

Trixie didn't think it was that bad. But Rarity had probably convinced herself that it was far worse than it actually was. Trixie looked at it. It was a minor healing spell that had gone wrong. The unicorn who cast this clearly didn't know what they were doing. Trixie was specialised in illusionary magic, but this was still something that she could have done, and done right. She removed her hat and her horn began to glow, she waved it over Rarity's wounded flank, the scars began to shrink, and the hair began to grow back to its appropriate length. Rarity had her eyes shut the entire time; she opened them the moment that Trixie had finished. She gasped, looking at her mended flank with awe.

Rarity dashed over to mirror, admiring her in it. "I'm beautiful again!"

"Trixie thinks you didn't look hideous even before using her magic."

Rarity smiled at the azure unicorn. "Why did you help me?" she asked.

Trixie searched her brain for a good answer. She didn't want to explain the Doctor and his box, or his plan. Rarity wouldn't believe it. Trixie would not have believed it herself had it not appeared in front of her.

“It was the right thing to do,” Trixie said with a small smile. Rarity returned it.

“Thank you. Oh now I have a lot of work to do! I have to get ready for my grand reopening!” Rarity said. “Oh my not a lot of time! I have next to nothing prepared for the winter!”

“I’ll get out of your way.” Trixie said, as she politely withdrew herself. She was smiling brightly; she’d given Rarity her confidence back.

“Oof!” Trixie grunted in surprise, she’d walked into somepony on her way out not paying attention.

She looked up to find a pitch black unicorn stallion with an equally black mane, dark amber eyes looking back at her.

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” The black unicorn said.

“No no, it was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” Trixie said apologetically.

“Neither was I,” the Unicorn said with a shrug.

Trixie looked over the unicorn, something seemed familiar about him, but Trixie couldn’t place where from. “Do... I know you?”

“I don’t think so... I’m Nightshadow. I’m an Apothecary.”

“Trixie. Master Illusionist.”

Nightshadow smiled at Trixie, “I just got to town, so it’s nice to meet someone friendly right off the bat. I’ll be seeing you Trixie.”

Trixie smiled as Nightshadow trotted off. Now that is a good looking stallion!

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

She wasn’t sure what had brought this on, Derpy Hooves had never been one to examine her life before in such great detail, but standing in the lobby of the Royal Hospital’s main building for the first time since being released had brought many emotions flooding back to her. She remembered how she’d felt about being in a coma. Life passing her by while there was nothing she could do about it.

In the long run, she supposed it had been a positive experience; she’d made friends of Lyra and Bon-Bon, two ponies who disliked her before realising how much they actually appreciated her. Derpy had never actually had friends in Ponyville before that... or anywhere else for that matter.

Derpy had long been a loner; her eyes had been the source of her problem. Her Amblyopia, lack of depth perception, and a general clumsiness had lead to many rumours ranging between that she was dim-witted, and severely mentally handicapped. Neither of which were true, while she wasn’t the smartest pony in the world, dim-witted was far from the truth.

In fact, Derpy had acted as if she was mentally handicapped at one point, going over the top as possible trying to make a point. Though in retrospect it had been an awful idea, ponies saw what they wanted to see. Now here she was trotting through the Royal Hospital lost in thoughts when she’d discovered that she’s accidentally bumped into somepony.

Derpy jumped back in surprise. Standing before her was a pitch black pony with an equally black mane, amber eyes not unlike her own. She recognised this pony.

“Doctor Nightcaller?” she asked.

The pony smiled. “Actually, no. Nightcaller is my sibling. I’m Doctor Nightsinger. It’s good to see you again Miss Hooves.”

Derpy looked confused, Nightsinger chuckled.

“You were my patient for a short while when you were in a coma.” He explained.

Derpy took a good look over Doctor Nightsinger, giving her more questions than answers.

“But... how can Doctor Nightcaller be your brother when he’s an earth pony, and you’re a pegasus?” Derpy asked, noting wings tucked under Nightsinger’s medical coat.

“That would be because Nightcaller is a pegasus who had the misfortune to be born without wings.”

Derpy had heard of this, wingless pegasi were the rarest birth defect known to the pegasus pony, supposedly the chances of it happening were 1 in 10,000. They were often mistaken as earth ponies in ground based towns. But in truth they had every other pegasus ability, including being able to stand on clouds. Mind you it was a mite useless, because without wings, a wingless pegasi couldn’t get to a cloud anyway. They could however walk across Cloudsdale, though this was more dangerous than not, as holes in the city were quite common. Without wings it was a death trap.

“Oh...” Derpy said quietly to herself.

“Is there anything I can help you with Miss Hooves?” Nightsinger asked.

“Oh! No, I’m quite all right, I wouldn’t want to take away from your busy schedule,” Derpy said, snapping out of her thoughts.

“All right,” Nightsinger said with a smile. “But if something does come up, go to a nurse’s station and ask them to page me.”

“I will,” Derpy promised. The two parted ways and Derpy advanced towards her goal.

…

Pinkie Pie was lying in a hospital bed; her eyes shut tight, her mouth full of breathing tubes and a magical machine measuring brain, heart, and respiratory activity at her side. This was why Derpy had chosen her; she too, was in a coma.

According to information that the Doctor had gathered from three fillies he’d met. Pinkie Pie’s brain had been fired by having high ampere electrical current (which the fillies had mistaken for voltage as many young ones did,) but had run off saying something about getting their cutie marks before the Doctor had been able to get much more remotely useful. That was of course assuming that the fillies’ information was right at all.

Derpy sat down on a bench next to Pinkie Pie’s bed.

“Hello Pinkie Pie, how are you?” Derpy asked, not exactly expecting a response, so she was not surprised when she didn’t get one.
“I know what you’re thinking, ‘Derpy? When did you get out of the hospital?’ It was two weeks ago, do try to remember, because I’ve been pestered with that question by everypony,” Derpy found herself smiling at her own joke. “I know what you’re going through, you know? I’ve been in this state too. I got lucky; I was in it a relatively short amount of time... I really hope you wake up soon. You’re young and full of life! You can’t let it just pass you by!”

Pinkie Pie breathed at her.

Derpy frowned, not at Pinkie Pie, but at herself. This was silly; she didn’t know what she was doing. Pinkie Pie couldn’t hear her and she was wasting her time.

Or at least that’s what she thought, Pinkie Pie twitched.

Derpy’s eyes grew wide in shock, had something she said done that?

“Pinkie Pie?”

She twitched again.

As far a Derpy could tell, Pinkie Pie wasn’t actually awake, just that she was responding, she looked over to the magical monitor, Pinkie Pie’s brain activity had skyrocketed. This had to be good, right?

Derpy dashed out of the room towards the nearest nurse’s station and asked them to page Doctor Nightsinger. The pitch black pegasus quickly made his way to Pinkie Pie’s room, giving her a look over.

“Is it good?” Derpy asked, noting the brain activity.

“I’m... not sure?” Nightsinger said. Derpy frowned at this statement. She wanted Pinkie Pie to wake up more than anything. The two pegasi noted as the monitor showed that Pinkie Pie’s brain activity had begun to lower.

“NO!” Derpy shouted. “You can’t go! Not when we’re so close!”

Pinkie Pie gave no response, her brain activity continued to lower. Derpy watched as the machine ticked closer and closer to zero, tears were forming in Derpy’s eyes. It wasn’t fair! Everypony needed Pinkie Pie back!

“She’s going,” Nightsinger said. Pinkie Pie’s brain activity went to zero. She was brain dead. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”

Pinkie Pie was still breathing, but that was because the machines were keeping her going. Doctor Nightsinger backed out giving Derpy some time alone with Pinkie.

Derpy was in tears, an hour passed, two, and she only stopped crying when she ran out of tears. The lights began to flicker. Derpy looked up and began to hear something, a muted warbling sound and a light ticking noise that sounded extremely familiar. Derpy did not have long to wait to figure out what it was. From under the door, a small cloud of black smoke poured in through the cracks. Derpy panicked, it was smaller, but it acted exactly like the cloud that she had seen in the future. It hovered up above Pinkie Pies bed, and despite the fact that it didn’t have a face, Derpy was sure it was looking directly at her.

The smoke tore it’s interest away from Derpy, looking at the brain dead Pinkie Pie, it began to envelope her. Derpy panicked again, she wanted to swing at it, make it go away, but something was keeping her legs from moving. After a few moments, Derpy saw that the monitor was showing an increase in brain activity. Derpy’s eyes widened and the smoke drifted away from the bed ridden earth pony.

“You... you helped her?” Derpy asked the smoke, not exactly expecting an answer.

The cloud seemed to look back at her, but then did a hundred and eighty degree turn and zipped away under the door.

Pinkie Pie began to stir; she opened her eyes, and looked over at Derpy. “Two weeks huh?” the earth pony said weakly. “Glad to see you’re all okie dokie lokie!”

…

Doctor Nightsinger was amazed to say the least when he walked back inside Pinkie Pie’s room to find not only Derpy, but an aware Pinkie Pie, sitting up and talking with her.

“Hi!” Pinkie Pie said.

Derpy was smiling brightly. She didn’t know what exactly had happened, but she was glad to have Pinkie Pie back.

…

Pinkie Pie and Derpy returned to Ponyville to find that everyone else had returned as well, at the Ponyville Library, Trixie and the Doctor were in the process of hanging party decorations when Derpy and Pinkie Pie walked in.

“Are you throwing a party for me!?” Pinkie Pie gasped loudly.

“Not jus’ you sugarcube, all o’ us!” Applejack said as she stepped inside the Library after Pinkie Pie.

Already gathered were Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, the Doctor, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, (Rainbow Dash had seemed to have regained slight control of her wings, as they were no longer drooping to the side.) Applejack, Braeburn, and Big Macintosh had walked in behind Derpy and Pinkie Pie, not to mention the few other town ponies who had been hanging about outside.

Pinkie Pie was smiling brightly at the “Welcome Back” banner that Trixie had just hung with her magic. “I don’t know about everypony else, but it’s been way too long since we had a party. So let’s get this PAR-TAY started!”

…

Derpy was having a wonderful time; she was an uncommon sight at parties, maybe only going to two or three thrown by Pinkie Pie in her entire life. The hard times were over. They’d brought the town’s life blood back into the fold, but Derpy was still troubled by what she had seen.

The image of the entire Everfree forest burning to the ground did not sit well with her, and the black smoke... She was less sure of the smoke now than ever. When she had first seen it in the future, it was trying to hurt her, the Doctor, and Trixie, but it helped Pinkie Pie... maybe there was some misunderstanding?

Derpy was sitting outside on a bench, night had fallen, and the moon shone bright.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” the Doctor said as he joined Derpy outside.

“I’ve been thinking about things,” Derpy said, explaining why she wasn’t at the party.

The Doctor smiled at her. “Well we do have a lot to think about, don’t we?”

Derpy nodded in affirmation.

“I have to go away for a while,” the Doctor said plainly.

Derpy looked at him, her mouth falling open.

“Just a small while,” he said reassuringly.

“What about the black smoke? What about Everfree forest?” Derpy asked.

“I messed up when I went forward in time with you. Instead of taking you a week into the future, I took you a few months...” the Doctor explained. “Don’t worry Derpy Hooves. I promise you that I will be back in time to deal with whatever caused that to happen, and if I’m running late, it’s because I can’t get my box to go where I want it to.”

The Doctor smiled at Derpy warmly and reassuringly. “I will never abandon you.”

Derpy knew his words to be true; she would be seeing this crazy pony again.

“Goodbye Derpy. Keep Trixie in line,” he said with a wink, and walked off to where he’d left his box.

Derpy smiled again. She knew she had nothing to worry about... except for the way her fridge was going to smell when she got back into her flat.

She heard the box whine as it disappeared from the town. Only to have it reappear in front of her seconds later.

The Doctor poked his head out of the door. “By the way, I have a gift from Derpy Hooves five years in the future!” He tossed her a saddlebag, inside was the rent money she owed her landlord, plus enough to cover her for the next month.

The Doctor smiled and shut the door, disappearing again from the town.

Derpy smiled, she had a letter to send.

Epilogue

Epilogue

“Late,” The pitch black unicorn said as a pegasus landed in front of him.

“I was busy doing what needed to be done Nightshadow,” Nightsinger said as he folded his wings inward. “It was your idea that I did after all.”

“My my, arguing as we always do, don’t we brothers?” another voice said as he stepped out of the darkness.

Nightcaller eyed the other two ponies before him. “It has been far too long since we were together, my brothers, let’s not spend the night arguing.”

Each of the three pitch black, amber eyed ponies nodded in agreement.

“Besides, we have much to celebrate; the age old enemy is finally dead!” Nightsinger said with a morbid cheerfulness.

“Indeed he is. Serves him right, he should have known better. Every tyrant is always disposed of.” Nightshadow said.

“While the death of order is something to celebrate, we have other things to do. More important things, we can celebrate when this world is consumed in chaos once again.” Nightcaller said. “Come my brothers, we have much work to do.”