It was quiet in the land of Equestria.
Yet it was night and night meant sleep and sleep meant no more war. The fair land of Equestria had only seen war once which was the story of how it was founded. Yet now, war had begun again. Unlike the first time, it was not the three fractions against each other.
Some ponies had revolted against the princess and war had started. It was revolutionaries versus the princess's force. The ones rebeling had all agreed that it was unfair that she ruled just because she was an alicorn. What did that matter? Surely anyone could rule if they were good enough!
Either way, there was war going on right now and in the trenches of the battlefield, some ponies slept while others stayed on guard and watched the frontlines. Two golden eyes peered over the trench and out onto the field. Her eyes were stinging from the lack of sleep and the gun fire.
Yes, ponies could fire guns. It rarely happened since Equestria was usually at peace. Some ponies didn't even know how to shoot until the war started. With one hoof, she pushed her blonde hair out of her face but it only just fell back down. Nearby was a puddle. The pegasus looked into the puddle. Her greyish blue coat was stained with the gun powder and dirt. She needed a bath. They all did really, but there was no time to bath when you were on the front lines.
The pegasus yawned and shifted her position. She had been sitting in the same place for hours. How did they expect her to keep this up for the entire night? She heard hooves coming closer, but instead of panicking, she simply turned to face the owner. It was a pony on her side. A general actually.
"Ditzy Doo, report."
"No sign of the enemy so far, sir."
"Good. Go partrol the eastern side with Firestorm."
Ditzy saluted and crawled down off her watch post. She would still have to keep watch, but at least she was moving now. The pegasus's stomach growled unhappily. What she wouldn't give for a muffin! The only thing she ate lately were weeds that grew around the front lines. Even then, they were usually dead and trampled on.
She walked through the trench over towards the eastern side. Her eyes threatened to close but she knew that she could not sleep now. Night was when the enemy struck. At least Princess Luna could give them a heads up if there was going to be an invasion.
She rounded the corner and suddenly heard a strange sound. Ditzy could not describe it except for the fact that it sounded like machinery. It was coming from the field above her. Without alerting any other pony, she leaped up onto one of the supports and hauled herself up onto the dark field.
The pegasus shifted so that she could aim the gun she had been required to carry. Through the darkness should see what looked like a blue telephone booth. What would a blue telephone booth be doing here? Unless it was a trap set by the rebellion. The door on the telephone box opened and a pony stepped out.
Dizty quickly armed the gun and aimed straight for him.
"Who are you? Identify yourself!" She shouted into the night. The figure halted and looked her way. It almost looked like it was curious about its surroundings.
"I said. Identify yourself! You're on the territory of Princess Celestia!" She called again. A voice replied to her shouts. It sounded so sophisticated and unlike any pony she had heard.
"Oh well look at that! I must be in the middle of some kind of war..oh yes! The Equestrian Civil War! Oh my, why was I sent here?" He turned around and seemed to look back inside the telephone box. Ditzy did not understand what kind of trick this was and what the enemy might trying to be doing at this moment, but this pony was a strange one.
"If you don't tell me who you are, I'll shoot your head off!" She shouted at the strange pony.
"Well that would not be good!" He replied. "Well then, I am the Doctor. I mean no harm."
"I'm coming up!" Ditzy crawled on her belly until her back hooves hit the side of the trench. She abandoned the gun and got to her hooves. She stood up and shook herself off. This was no way for a pony to live. Ditzy walked over to the pony and found that he was an earth pony.
His coat was a light brown and his mane was slicked back yet it looked like it was natural. His tail was also short but that was expected from a male pony. On his flank was a picture of an hour glass. Ditzy narrowed her eyes and approuched him with caution.
"Doctor?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Doctor who?"
"Just the Doctor.
"Alright Doctor. Answer me this, whose side are you on? Should I kill you now or later?" She growled bitterly.
"Well let's see here, if this is the Equestrian Civil War then it's Princess Celestia versus the ponies. Hm..well I'd say looking at the facts from both sides, I'm neutral~!" Ditzy got really close to his face and growled.
"You can't be neutral in a war like this! What are you doing here anyways?"
"Oh my Tardis brought me here!" He waved a hoof at the telephone booth behind him.
"Turd what?"
"TARDIS." He said, stressing the word. He seemed slighly offended by what she had said. "It travels through time and space. You're Ditzy Doo right?"
How did he know her name? She had never met this strange pony before in her life!
"H-How did you know that?"
"I'm a Timelord. I travel through time and space with the Tardis. I know just about everyone."
"Time and space, 'eh? So, you know how this war ends right?" She asked giving in. Ditzy had been without sleep for days since she was to terrified to sleep. What if she fell asleep and the base was raided? She would be killed and she'd never know!
The Doctor shuffled his hooves in the dirt and didn't look her in the eye. Either he didn't know or it was bad. Finally, the brown earth pony looked at her.
"I cannot tell you or I'll change the future. However, I will tell you to watch the skies and run when you hear the humming."
"Watch the skies? Why would I need to watch the skies? What humming?"
The Doctor just shook his head and began to walk back into the Tardis. Ditzy suddenly felt scared. She went after him.
"Doctor! What do you mean? Please tell me!"
The Doctor just looked over his shoulder with a sad face.
"Allons-y, Derpy." He went inside and closed the door. Ditzy began to pound on the door.
"W-Wait! My name's not Derpy! It's Ditzy! And what do you mean run when I hear the humming! Doctor please tell me!"
Her ears pricked when she heard it. It was the same sound that had told her of the Doctor's arrival. She looked up and saw the light ontop of the Tardis blinking. Soon, the box began to fade in front of her. What used to be a telephone box under her front hooves was now just air.
He was gone and she'd never know the truth.
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"More rebels coming in from the south!"
Ditzy raced around shouting to her fellow ponies. She didn't have to fight today since she had taken guard last night but she still had to help somehow. Guns were fired and ponies fell down in the dirt. She tried to not look at the scene before her but it was impossible not to.
"We need help up here!"
Ditzy grabbed an abandoned gun and climbed up onto the field like she had done the night before only faster. She shot not to kill, but to scare. The pegasus shot up in the air and some enemy ponies scattered. Suddenly there was a loud humming sound above them. Her golden eyes stretched wide as she remembered what the Doctor had said.
"..watch the skies and run when you hear the humming."
She had no idea what he had meant by this, but fear pulsed through her. Ditzy took in a loud breath and screamed.
"EVERYPONY BACK TO THE TRENCH!"
Luckily, they did not question her and they all retreated back. Ditzy was the last one to fall back. She looked over her shoulder as she ran and saw what looked like bombs falling from the sky. They were made of magic and most likely things stolen from the weather factory.
One hit the ground near her. Ditzy was already close enough to the trench that it knocked her into the trench. She was completely unharmed except for one thing. Her golden eyes were hurting so badly that she had to keep her eyes closed. She felt ponies leading her away from the scene and to safety.
Ditzy still did not understand how it happened or what had just happened, but she knew one thing was for sure. She was luckily to have taken the guard shift. If she hadn't, she would have never met the Doctor and she wouldn't have heard his words. If it wasn't for the Doctor, she would be dead right now.
The Doctor had saved her life.
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"Hold still! You're going to be fine!"
"What's going on? Why can't I see?"
"Sir we have more wounded coming in from the Eastern flank."
"Damn! We can't keep this going!"
Ditzy could hear the many voices mixing the medical tent. Her eyes were wrapped up and she was unable to see. She had tried to speak out in both fear and irritation, but no pony heard her. The pegasus sighed and let her hoof feel the bandaging on her face.
What had happened? Would she ever see again? Did the Doctor know that this was going to happen? Why didn't he tell her? Why didn't he warn her that she might not see again?
"I cannot tell you or I'll change the future."
Warning her about the bombs was enough to change the future, right? She was still alive. Obviously, the universe had meant for her to be dead right now. Ditzy was lucky that the Doctor had warned her about the bombs. Many ponies could have been killed. Yet, why couldn't she see? Why?
"Miss Ditzy Doo?"
The pegasus turned her head towards the voice. Great, another doctor for her to deal with.
"What?"
"It's time for your bandages to come off."
"Actually...Doctor? Do you think I'll be able to see again?"
"I promise you Ditzy, you'll be able to see." Slowly the bandages came off and she was able to see the world again. Yet, everything was different. One side of her sight was fuzzy and seemed off. Like she was looking two different directions.
Ditzy was handed and hoof mirror and she looked into it. Her eyes were looking two different directions. One looked forward, the other was looking upward. She was able to see, but she would forever look like this. Tears formed in her messed up eyes and she sat the mirror down.
"I'm sorry Ditzy. I changed the future and it had it's cost."
The pegasus looked up to see a colt with a light brown coat and dark brown mane that was slicked back. She spotted the hourglass on his flank. This colt that stood in front of her was the reason she was living right now. This colt was the reason that her eyes were messed up.
This was the Doctor.
"Doctor? Answer me a question?"
"Of course."
"Why did you call me Derpy?"
The Doctor sat down next to the bed and rest his front hooves on the soft covers. He sighed and rested his head on his hooves. He was feeling guilty about this. Ditzy could definately tell.
"In the future, you go back to Ponyville when this is over. The other ponies...well, they don't know about what happened to you and they make fun of you. They call you Derpy because of your eyes.." The Doctor looked away and Ditzy could feel her heart hurting. Why would they do that to her?
"You become so used to it, that...that you accept it as your name since no one calls you Ditzy anymore."
"That can't be true!" The Doctor flinched at her voice. Ditzy didn't care how he felt. He was speaking lies! He had to be! Why would she allow the ponies of Ponyville to rename her? Her name was Ditzy Doo and always would be! No pony could change that! Or could they?
Ditzy came out of her furious thoughts to see that the Doctor was leaving.
"Doctor wait!"
He stopped and turned around.
"Will I ever see you again?"
The Doctor smiled at nodded to her.
"Very soon my dear assistant. When Princess Celestia picks Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration, come to the forest."
Ditzy watched as the Doctor turned once more and left the medical tent. The pegasus had no idea what to be feeling. Angry? Sad? Confused? There was so much about this mysterous colt that she would never understand. Maybe one day she would. Ditzy smiled and leaned back onto her pillow. She wait until that day when Celestia picked Ponyville. She would never forget for as long as she lived. He had saved her life. He was known by only one name.
He was the Doctor.