Chapters Pilot Episode - Doctor Whooves, pt1: Clockwork Pilot Episode - Doctor Whooves, pt2: End of a Dream (Open the Fog Watch) Pilot Episode - Doctor Whooves, pt3: Building the Future Origins: Smart Mouth Episode 1 - First Day, pt1: 1st Time Leaving Home Episode 1 - First Day, pt2: 1st Moments in Space Episode 1 - First Day, pt3: 1st Lecture Episode 1 - First Day, pt4: 1st Proper Meal Episode 1 - First Day, pt5: 1st Night in the Dorms Doctor Whooves Past, pt4 - Everglow Origins: Sombra Episode 2 - Monsters Unite, pt1: Morning Rituals Episode 2 - Monsters Unite, pt2: Doctor's Visit Episode 2 - Monsters Unite, pt3: Homeroom Lessons A/N: CANCELLED, being Rewritten View Online
TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Pilot Episode - Doctor Whooves, pt1: Clockwork
Ch0, Doctor Whooves pt1: Clockwork
Series: My Little Galaxy
Saga 1: TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Chapter 0: Doctor Whooves
Part 1 of 3: Clockwork
• Year 800 of Celestia's Rule:
The Doctor's head was spinning. He was newly regenerated. A skill Time Lords have to cheat death, although his worked a bit differently now that he left mortal limitations.
He was once a mortal... and he missed those days. He would run around, saving planets as a time traveling adventurer. Really not bad for a mortal, but... if he was honest... he always tended to cause just as many problems as he solved... maybe more so...
Regeneration usually works much like a Phoenix's ability to restructure their body into a new one whenever they get close to death. However a Time Lord is more... limited in this. Typically Time Lords have 12 regenerations, that's 13 lives to live if you count the original. Each life comes with a completely new body. New face, new height, new organs. However, Time Lord's usually stay with a humanoid form. Although "deformities" can occur with regeneration, making then look rather alien.
The Time Lord's planet of Gallifrey got caught in a rift in time early into it's development. This allowed their species to evolve as 4th dimensional beings. They could see the passage of time as if it all happened simultaneously. All the possible roads the past and future could take were as easy for their eyes to see as the two suns in their sky.
The Doctor was... a bit more special then that. He was born with a Time Agent class. Meaning he could alter the fabric of time to a minor degree. Still Time Lord's put a lot of stock in this random manifestation of magic.
All Time Lords can do magic, with the use of an Arcane focus, but usually studying it was something reserved for holy men of Rassillion, the god king of the planet. Though he preferred "Lord President".
In addition to typical classes for Time Tots, the Doctor was expected to study magic that way he could be a priest when he was older.
The Doctor did well enough in school, though that might just be him being modest. By 12 he had earned the highest degree in every field of study known to Time Lords... except medicine, BUT HE DID QUALIFY AS A FIELD MEDIC!!!
However his mother never saw these accomplishments. She died when he was 7 and the Doctor was forced into an orphanage. There he learned why his mother had been so poor. Why she never talked about her family, and why she tended to be so overprotective...
Most of all, he learned why so many of his teachers spoke of their amazement at his advancement "despite his disadvantage"... the Doctor's father... was human, a primitive creature without magic and thereby not recognized as sentient by most "civilized" civilizations.
Apparently his mother had gone through her heat well visiting a backwater planet called Earth and mated with some human king. It wasn't her fault, heats are hard to resist jumping the first willing partner. No that wasn't the problem... the problem came later... when her parents learned she was going to keep the baby that resulted from the union... they kicked her out. Her entire clan disowned her.
Then she died when the Doctor was 7...
She didn't even get to see the Doctor choose his title
"To never be Cruel or Cowardly,
That is what Doctor means on Gallifrey. That is what it meant to be the Doctor... but that name came to mean other things. After he left Gallifrey, other lifeforms began developing their own meanings to the word "Doctor". Most came to know it as "Healer" or "Wise man", but others... some civilizations come to associate the title with "Mighty Warrior"... or even... "Predator"...
That could not be allowed to stand. While the Doctor had good intentions fact was he was doing more harm then good at this point.
Waking up with a new face can be confusing, not to mention the experience of regenerating is basically bursting into golden flames which change the body at a cellular level. Even the Time Lord's brain changed. As a result they remember everything about all their lives with fresh eyes... and this new pony face saw it as one big mistake.
Especially the Time Omnians themselves. They were a race of Celestials, born of the Doctor.
Long story short, he trapped the Daleks and Time Lords, inside one of the 42 realms. Then, at a MUCH later date, the War Doctor destroyed all life in the realm... or thought he did. Through some paradox shenanigans, the various Doctors united, to destroy the Daleks, by helping the Time Lords achieve their "Final Sanction". Ascending into beings of pure energy... by destroying all other life in theirealm. That hadn't been a big deal, considering the only other lifeform was Dalek.
The Doctor continued on, as one of a few thousand Time Lords that didn't ascend... until the New Celestials thought they would save his life by making him one of them... something he was STILL pissed about.
They hadn't even asked his 12th regeneration, dying in the battle fields of Trenzalore... the just... did it... the Doctor had been prepared to die... longed for death. His partly human brain already had trouble adjusting to the long life of a Time Lord.
Time Omnians, as he called the Celestial Time Lords, couldn't even die of old age.
But long before that, before he even met his Sapient Time Machine. Back when he was just a 12 year old boy. the Doctor fell down into the catacomb archives of Gallifrey.
There the Collective conciousness of all Time Lords, that ever lived, was stored in a computer mainframe. Their collective wisdom guiding the Council of Gallifrey...
They told the Doctor that he would be responsible for the destruction of the universe. That he would burn all of reality... so the boy ran, left his home, went to live with his mortal father on Earth, and fell in love with the planet.
There were many close calls, many incidences where he nearly followed through with the prophecy. He tried to save as many lives as he could, devoted his life to saving planets and eventually entire dimensions... but at his heart he had long since forgotten what "mercy" was. He was too old, lived too many lives. He couldn't relate to mortal creatures anymore... all he could do was inspire them to die in his name... like so many thousands had.
In his heart he was far from a good man... and he knew... the prophecy was still out there, waiting for him. Just knowing your destiny can insure it happens. He couldn't stand for this. He still had one gambit to play. He would stop being a coward running away from his own nature...
He was going to fix this...
The Doctor looked up at the 'Princess' on her throne of gold and cushions. She had a deep aversion to Queens, thanks to the Alicorn Dynasty, some thousand years ago.
"You owe me a favor." The Doctor calmly informed, staring down the avatar of a living planet, Celestia, herself.
Starswirl chose her name to relate to a planetary body, While also playing up the "Divine" nature of a god-killer. Though this Avatar was much weaker then her real body, it was still very powerful.
Celestia simply raised an amused eyebrow at the true Celestial entity.
The Doctor had long since abandoned his mortal shell. He now existed as an entity of living energy. A true Celestial, though some cultures call his particular category of the animal Kingdom "Angels".
He needed a body to interact with the mortal realm. Though his flesh was no longer made of atoms, so much as pure physical energy. Much like the Asgardians, or Frost Giants.
Even though old age could no longer claim him, and he was much harder to kill, his body could still die... but he could still regenerate, to repair the damage. It worked much like before, but now he could do it an infinite number of times... and soon learned he wasn't physically bound to any form.
Form never really concerned him, even the few times he turned into a woman. As a Celestial it had come to mean even less. As, although each new regeneration had their own unique features, they could, temporarily, transform their body into any Sapient Species. Although it was easiest to keep the features comprable to his true face... which, unfortunately, could look like any Sapient lifeform.
As he said, transformations were temporary, lasting a few hours at best. So, in order to go through with his plan, he needed a world that would accept his form.
The Doctor looked at the tall pony before him... although they both looked like ponies, they recognized the other as strangers to this world. "I plan to live as a mortal, and so I need you to hide me, and possibly keep me in check." The Doctor pulled out a fog watch, "My mind, and my power, will be trapped in here. Never open it unless the situation is truly dire."
Celestia gave a teasing smile, "And I should agree to this because?- You have many enemies Doctor. Just attempting to hide you could draw them here."
The Doctor lowered the watch and glared, "You're a living planet. This pony shell of yours may have become weak, from spending too long away from your true body, but if you wanted, your sun could blast a fleet from the sky long before it reached the planet."
That was a lie, Celestia couldn't handle a fleet like the one coming for him. However, it was unlikely they would think to look for him here. He prefered to let his Refugee planets develop naturally, without his interference... even if he did maintain divine rights over the 42 Mega Systems he helped build. "Besides, you owe me. I saved you, and your sister, from certain death during the Time War! I'm calling that in."
Celestia stiffened, her face becoming serious, "That's a rather large favor to cash in."
"I realize that. What I'm asking for is equal payment."
"How long do you plan to stay?"
"... Until I die,"
Celestia tried to contain her shock, "You... wish to die..."
"I want to live one final life. A real life. I'm tired of living forever, of constantly making a mess of things... I want to take my place on the great wheel. See this life to it's proper end... if I die, while in mortal form, with the godly power locked away in here... I will die permanently. Will even get reincarnated as something new eventually, with no memories of my previous life, just like the rest of you... just so long as you never open this watch... please... I need this."
A/N:
• Celestia's Castle
RRRIIINNNGGG!!!
"Bloody useless doohickey." Why did he ever invent such a horrible thing!? Clockwork grumbled internally as he clenched the blanket with his hooves. His teeth gritted against each other as the agonizing sound of the clock pierced through his ears.
It was not his fault that his bed was surprisingly comfortable. When he was a foal his old bed made his nights restless and eager for the morning to arise, along with the need to reunite with a tall piping mug of coffee... okay so he snuck coffee as a child, other foals did worse!
Nowadays Auntie Celestia kept giving him more and more comfy beds, rotating them frequently as the centuries passed.
His birthday was just last week and of course, among his many presents, was a new bed. Not just the mattress but with a fancy new frame and everything. An even comfier bed then ever before, like all the ones before. What was with Celestia and beds? As comfy as this bed was, it meant what ever wake him up had to be extra annoying.
"Be quiet, you screeching banshee!" The earth pony hissed, as overdramatically as possible, before slamming his hoof on the clock, finally silencing the annoying ringing. Maybe he needed a new clock? Or stop using the bed, as it made him sleep more than ever. Or better yet, stop staying up late to work on his daily routine of slapping together junk.
The latter would be impossible. After all, it is in his blood to slap junk together, or "spend productive time inventing instruments to better ponykind," as he preferred to call it... nah, slapping junk together sounded better.
Jumping out from his bed, Clockwork trotted to the calendar on the wall to refresh his mind on the schedule for today. Glancing at the calendar, he spotted the words: Year 1001 of Celestial Rule. It really has been a while, hasn't it?
He let in a breath of fresh air, finally having his mind refreshed. The thing was that it was not for the schedule for today, but rather for his life so far.
Not many ponies know this, but he was one of the orphans Celestia took in since the incident with Nightmare Moon. His birth mother was only a teenager when she got pregnant. Although her high class family was willing to forgive that. She was an important noble of a high-class unicorn family. They expected so much of her, wanting her to continue their upper-class legacy and their sophisticated bloodline. She failed to meet their expectations the second she met a certain lower class Earth pony. What started from a small fling led to her pregnancy. Her parents disowned her when they saw with their eyes that their grandchild was an Earth pony and not a unicorn.
His mother was alone; no parents, no family, not even the lover she had met. The only bloodline left was now her son. She raised him the best she could until Clockwork was 19, when an accident took her away. He was alone, no one to look after him. Seeing as ponies aren't legally adults until they turn 30 he couldn't exactly live on his own.
Sadly he was too old for an orphanage and didn't have money for an apprenticeship. He did something truly desperate. He knew Celestia had a habit of taking care of orphans and according to his mother he was actually related to her... so he got a private audience with her. She was a benevolent matriarch and never considered herself to high and mighty to talk with the peasants... it wasn't a dirty word back then. Anypony could get an audience with the princess.
He went to her, told her who he was, and asked her for help... he didn't expect her to adopt him. She took him in and began spoiling the hell out of him.
He was 221 now, almost middle age, and still living in the castle as a pampered prince. Only the staff and more nosy nobles knew who he was. It wasn't like he advertised himself the way Blue Blood did.
Glancing at the calendar once more, Clockwork soon regained the motivation for today as he headed for his second favorite room, beside his bedroom, his workshop. Everything in there made his mouth turn into a grin. The devices lying around the floor, the blueprints scattered across the environment, even the smell caused his creativity to hustle.
From his early childhood, he was always fascinated with creation and inventions. Unfortunately Celestia had him apprentice as a chef, learning a useful skill for a stallion growing up in the 800s, but he was never really passionate about it.
He loved to tinker, to invent. Tartarus he even loved to just sit around and think. He was always coming up with ideas and theories that were written into mountains of notes. It was at his discretion that this occupation was not widely known.
Things are different now, but growing up back then was hard for stallions. Stallions were... sheltered, to put it nicely. There were far more mares than stallions, 6 to 1. With so few Stallions being born the population hardly rose, sometimes even falling, and there was the constant fear that the next generation could be the last. So to preserve the species, mares believed they had to keep Stallions at home, sheltered and protected, so that they could give their wives as many babies as possible. This eventually led to Mares denying Stallions basic rights when Equestria was originally founded.
Stallions were expected to stay home, cook, clean, and raise the foals. A stallion with a paying job was looked down on, as Stallions just weren't thought of as equals. This meant mares didn't hold much stock in a Stallion's opinions or, even, scientific theories, no matter how right they were.
Clockwork was very clever, along with being Celestia's adoptive son, but he was still just stallion in the eyes of the scientific community. An impertinent one, that seriously needed to learn his place. So all of his scientific theories were published under the pen name Time Turner, allowing the masses to believe he was a she.
In addition, he was quick to decline any public interviews or any events that require him to show himself in front of others. As far as everypony knew, aside from himself and Celestia, this certain inventor was a mare.
And what a brilliant inventor "she" was.
One of his earliest and most useful creations was the bullet trains that run solely on lyrium crystals, magic compressed into a physical mineral. He had an idea for a steam engine first but never bothered building any after coming up with the bullet train idea.
After so many nights of constant note-taking and multiple tests with a pot of coffee at hoof, Clockwork was finally finished and proceeded to present the designs to Celestia. His hope was that she will fund a free public train network throughout Equestria, paid by the sales tax that was increasing at the time. After all, it was illegal for any of Equestria's city states to issue federal or state taxes, only sales and business taxes were applicable.
Despite the initial begging that Clockwork gave to his mother, Celestia tried to talk him out of the idea. Of course, Clockwork would not have a simple no as an answer and insisted that just because he was a stallion doesn't mean that he can't contribute to society.
Celestia had just sighed and said that wasn't it. She had long since fought the senate hoof and tooth to give equal rights to stallions, but when she restructured the Equestrian government she gave the Senate the right to veto her. It was meant to insure she wouldn't fall to corruption, and to give the ponies a say in her rule, but it also meant progress she thought was necessary couldn't be done if the Senate was opposed to it.
Celestia said he needed to keep his head down for different reasons, but refused to say what those reasons were... eventually he was able to whine and guilt her to get what he wanted. He was just a little boy back then, a genius but still very much a child. Clockwork was rather embarrassed thinking back on his behavior but if it wasn't for his literal tantrum Equestria wouldn't be nearly as prosperous.
His inventions, in that first year after becoming Celestia's ward, lead ponies from the intellectual dark ages into an age of enlightenment. He was known in scholarly circles as the "Father of the Industrial Age", but only by modern scholars, nopony else. He stayed hidden for his greatest achievements, why he was so little known now, but he was responsible for practically every invention made in that year. Back when Clockwork was a child ponies only had basic, medieval level, technology.
Ponies lived so long, over 500 years, so they didn't really feel any sense of urgency to leave their mark. As a result ponies didn't really... invent... things.
Magic covered all they needed so they saw no reason to improve. It was sad but true. Ponies didn't feel father time creeping on them... but Clockwork did. It's the reason he chose the alias "Time Turner". He... felt... time... every second, every microsecond, he felt them passing him by and was compelled to give his life meaning. Even if the world didn't know who he was, he had done more for it then anypony could ever claim.
Equestria still utilized many of his early inventions. His creations started the film industry, with instant film cameras and film projectors. These lead to film movies in monochrome pictures with sound. He created factory machines and medical equipment to further help the worker ponies. He convinced Celestia to build state funded hospitals in each city, armed with his equipment. They were completely free to the public.
Transportation was later improved with his blimps, airships, and helicopters. These were more luxury transports though and their patent helped fund the national treasury
To this day, most ponies, unfortunately, do not know the true identity of the pony who caused the world to skip over the natural development of technology.
After a brief period of reflection, Clockwork began working on one of his projects, fueled by his love of inventions and the hope that someday ponies would recognize him as the pony who forged the way of a new era of technology.
... Unfortunately it wasn't long before Celestia found him. She lightly scolded him for getting covered in engine grease when he should be getting ready for the Gala, Maker did he hate the gala.
"I hate the gala," Clockwork muttered for the tenth time that day as he walked into the ballroom of the castle.
His fur all cleaned and nicely brushed well he wore a horse of a suit specifically designed to ruin said fur. Oh, how he wanted to be in his workshop with his toys and machines. Not dressed up like some stuck-up snob when he could be dressed up in engine grease like a mechanic.
Another reason Celestia wanted him at the gala was the fact he was almost middle age and still didn't really have any friends outside of family. She wanted him to go out and socialize. Clockwork was never really good at the whole... talking... thing... He tended to ramble gibberish and annoy ponies.
True ponies are, by their nature, herd animals, but he always felt... odd well trying to chitchat. He didn't have much in common with ponies and had very weird values when compared to them. He was always suffering from the common "hoof in mouth" disorder that plagued so many brilliant minds.
Shaking his head, Clockwork decided to at least make an attempt, as he does every year. He just knows, despite himself, that he will most definitely do something to embarrass his adoptive mother. Then she'll send him off to his room and pretend not to notice that he actually sneaked into his workshop. That's how these nights usually go.
Looking around, he found his foster brother, well cousin... it's complicated. Anyway he was flirting with some pretty unicorn mare. Clockwork did not bother to resist his laughter as he saw said unicorn levitate her drink towards the stallion, splashing him in the face with red wine as she trotted away with a sour mood on her face. Clockwork walked over to his cousin, who stood there with a blank expression welp dripping wine.
"You always did have a special kind of charm with the ladies, Blue Blood." Clockwork quipped as he hooved over a handkerchief towards the white unicorn.
"Oh, pish-posh." Blue Blood muttered as he kindly levitated the cloth and began to wipe off the liquid from his face. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your room spending productive time making advancements for ponykind?"
"You know, mother." Clockwork replied as he crossed his forelegs with a peeved frown. "She doesn't want me interacting with machines, only ponies. And I prefer the term, 'slapping junk together,' thank you very much." he snarked.
He turned and saw the same unicorn that Blue Blood had interacted, still in the same sour mood as when he saw her talking with Blue Blood. "So what was wrong with her?"
"I have absolutely no idea." Blue Blood answered as he put his hoof on his chin. "I cannot differentiate what I hated about her the most. Her stuck up, beyond all belief, attitude or perhaps she did not find my topics interesting unless money was involved."
"What makes her so different than the other ones you dated?"
"It's SOOOOO obvious that she has kids and is middle age, but nooooooo. She thinks putting on too much makeup and doing some wrinkle magic will fix everything."
Clockwork put a hoof on his cousin's shoulder. "But you have to admit, it looks good on her."
"Clockwork, you know full well I was never interested in mares in the first place." He paused to let out a blush and a dreamy sigh. "But what I wouldn't give to go out on a date with that masseur I met last week."
"Yes yes, so strong and muscular. He's like an angel from the heavens. You rambled about it enough." Clockwork rolled his eyes as he placed a hoof on the side of his head. "Have mercy on me."
Blue Blood grunted as he looked down. "I wish Auntie Celestia wouldn't force me to entertain these mares. She says it is what is expected of me, after all."
"Look on the bright side," Clockwork responded with a smile on his face. "Seeing you torment those bucking gold diggers is much better than the cinema nowadays."
The two stallions shared a chuckle before they quietly glanced at the gala, seeing the ponies mingle or dance with one another. Clockwork could see a special kind of joy coming from those on the floor and began to ponder dancing just for the experience. Auntie had made him take dancing lessons daily for the best 200 year, might as well get some use out of them.
"Blue Blood," Clockwork asked as he turned to the prince. "You're been around mares and such. Know anything about asking a mare to dance?"
Blue Blood let out a tiny gasp as he shook his head. "Dear cousin, that's a terrible idea," he harshly whispered as if the very fact he asked was scandalous, "You should wait for mares to ask YOU. It's just not gentlecoltly to approach a mare. You'd think you would know that with the number of scandals you've forced on our Mother," Blue Blood rolled his eyes, "Honestly if I did half the things you did I'd never be allowed out in public again!" He exclaimed at the injustice of it all before sighing.
A teasing smile appeared on Blue Blood's face as he said, "Now then, if you'll excuse me, our youngest brother asked if I could entertain a friend of his and I plan to make him regret that request," Blue Blood gave a mischievous grin as he imagined torturing the young dragon's friend. Spike was really asking for it after all. He knew how much Blue Blood hated how their mother forced him into this role, "Try to spice up your daily routine, act like a noble instead of a street urchin, okay cousin?" Blue Blood said as he gently punched Clockwork on the shoulder as a form of motivation, "You'll find you can still have plenty of fun,"
"Yeah, have a blast," Clockwork muttered as he trotted away from Blue Blood with his head down a bit.
The not so young Earth Pony sighed and wandered out of the hall. Eventually he was all alone, finding himself trekking through the gardens of the palace. The loneliness did not bother him. It just gave him plenty of time to reflect back to his conversation with Blue Blood.
What his younger brother had meant was rather obvious... Clockwork had created a number of scandals that burdened Celestia. He had a habit of having "low standards" for whom he brought to his bed, caring little for things like gender and species. Mainly the barely grown children of exotic dignitaries from distant lands... those were somewhat of a favorite of his. He was just fascinated by different things.
The fight for male equality was won but not without flaws, as they were still considered the weaker of the sexes. Although it was a matter of common sense for mares to couple, with how few stallions there were, stallions doing so just wasn't done in high society... at least not publicly. Mare commoners had some kind of exotic fantasy about Stallions coupling... strange as most of those Stallions just weren't interested in them. Unfortunately nobles were much more... traditional... That's why Blue Blood has to keep his interest secret.
Clockwork involuntarily sat on a bench that had a better view of the garden. He stared into it but not to marvel at its exotic features. Tears began to gently drip from his eyes as more thoughts entered his mind.
Clockwork wishes he could be more like Blue Blood. The blonde prince is respected and obedient, doing his best not to shame their adoptive mother... where Clockwork has always had such a hard time not to be an embarrassment by his mere existence. True, Blue Blood has done some things to humiliate his aunt from time to time, but they were usually minor and didn't retain the levels of what Clockwork has committed. It would be nice to be like his cousin from time to time. Be known by other ponies instead of relying on a pen name or never having to embarrass Celestia... She had taken him in, was his mother for over 200 years... and all he did was bring her shame.
"Hi."
Clockwork looked up and saw a gray fur with a blond mane, dressed in a simple light blue dress, looking at him with a shy smile on her face. He quickly wiped the tears from his face, hoping that she hadn't seen them.
Speaking of seeing, her eyes were looking in multiple directions, moving about randomly like a lizards. He found it... exotic... he loved new and different things even though it was likely nothing more than a birth defect.
She looked at the bench Clockwork was sitting on and, understanding the subtle gesture, Clockwork quietly moved a bit to make room on the bench. The mare silently sat down and calmly looked at the garden. Clockwork did not know what to make of this; a mare sitting next to him at her own request. The only thing he could do was to copy what the mare was doing: looking at the garden silently.
After approximately 32 seconds, Clockwork was good with time after all, the mare decided that somepony had to do something about the silence and it looked like it was up to her. "Nice garden."
In Clockwork's opinion, it was alright. Or, in a more honest opinion, it looked like any dang garden he'd ever seen. "Uh, I guess it seems...lovely?"
She coughed a bit as she shot him an apologetic frown. "Sorry, I was just making conversation. The silence was getting to me."
After his discomfort melted into sympathy, Clockwork let out a small smile. "It's alright. I may have ended up being the pony to break it anyway. Probably would have mentioned something random like custard or muffins."
"Ooooh, I love muffins!" The mare cooed as she clapped her hooves.
"Well, glad to have something in common then," Clockwork responded with a chuckle. After all, he had a sweet tooth for honey bran muffins. "My name is...Clockwork."
Clockwork extended a hoof for a hoofshake. The mare returned the gesture. "My name is, Ditzy Do."
"So what brings you to the gala? A date?"
Clockwork's question was initially met with a blush before an answer was told. "Oh no, I won a ticket through a contest."
"You must have stupendous luck, Miss Do." Clockwork commented.
"Yeah. I don't even remember entering the contest." Ditzy giggled. "And you can call me Ditzy."
Clockwork smirked back, "Alright, Ditzy."
"I think I got the ticket by accident." She said as her hoof was placed on her chin. "I think one of the tickets got into my mail or something. I don't really know. I'm a mail mare in Ponyville."
"Ah, Ponyville. I've heard so many things about it."
"Like?"
Clockwork crossed his hind legs together as he began reflecting back to the nobles' opinions.
"How it's too boring and nothing to do. No potential there. Nothing there but ponies doing pointless things. Of course, this is what I heard nobles say and I take their opinions with a grain of salt. My youngest brother is currently living in Ponyville and he seems to like it well enough," Blushing over how much he went on, but the mare seemed interested.
"Ooooh, You have a little brother? Probably 2 since you called him the 'Youngest'," she reasoned.
Clockwork just smiled brightly at her, she was clever to, "That's right. The middle child is already in his early 50s, working as a diplomat already despite his youth, but the youngest is only ten. Mother has him apprenticing as a scribe,"
"Apprenticing as a 10 year old must be hard," Ditzy realized.
"He loves it," Clockwork smiled well shaking his head. Clockwork redirected the conversation before it went any further into his family. Ponies tended to flip when they found out just who his mother was. "So, about the ticket thing?"
"Oh yeah. Well, it was weird how I just got this ticket, but I decided to come anyway. I wasn't doing anything important and I thought it would be fun."
Clockwork can sense some of the tension inside Ditzy as she bit her lip lightly.
"I guess I heard too much from the mares who always squeal about going to these kinds of parties. Everypony here is sooooo stuck up!" Ditzy started to chuckle a bit as Clockwork cracked a grin at her, "You're probably the only one here who isn't like that. And yet you dress the part. I, sure as Tartarus, couldn't afford a getup like that,"
Clockwork looked down at his suit and rolled his eyes. "I hate this thing." he muttered, "It will take hours to brush the matts out of my fur after this,"
"Tell me about it," Ditzy muttered as she looked at her dress. "The girls at the Ponyville Spa said that this is the latest craze but I'd rather wear my mail carrier digs."
"Looks like we have a lot more in common, Ditzy," Clockwork admitted before jumping from the bench. "Tell you what. Let's spend the last hours of the gala together. Just you and me."
"Oh, I dunno. I don't want to be a bother." Ditzy grumbled as she twirled around with her hair a bit before Clockwork grabbed her hoof gently.
"Nonsense, love!" Clockwork shouted as he pulled her from the bench, causing the mare to giggle heartily. "The night is still young and we must take advantage of it! Now then, I saw an orange mare selling apple snacks. How about we check for any apple muffins?"
Ditzy let out a toothy smile. "Lead the way, Clockwork!" She responded as the stallion ran through the garden with Ditzy at tow and full of glee. Clockwork smiled back at her as they carelessly ran through the garden.
"What a charming mare." Clockwork thought to himself. "I hope to see her more in the future..."
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TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Pilot Episode - Doctor Whooves, pt2: End of a Dream (Open the Fog Watch)
Ch0, Doctor Whooves pt2: End of a Dream (Open the Fog Watch)
Series: My Little Galaxy
Saga 1: TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Chapter 0: Doctor Whooves
Part 2 of 3: End of a Dream (Open the Fog Watch)
• Gallifrey,
A woman, or what appeared to be a 2 legged humanoid at least, sat outside her home. Her hand resting on her pregnant belly. She could feel the little one kick. Already making incomprehensible demands of her.
The house was nothing more then a small Sphere on a square platform. No bigger then 3 meters tall. Not leaving much room but inside was a whole nother world... or at the very least a large manor. "Bigger on the inside" as her mate would say.
This was a house of wealth. Peasants could only afford buildings of ordinary construction. The Master's father gave her this house on the family estate, after the trial of course. It was fortunate her father took her back in after all the trouble she caused. Even better that he took in her mate.
The Doctor, her mate, had made a bargain with the High Council of Gallifrey. He would plead guilty and condemn his own actions in exchange for a full pardon for the Master...
The punishment? Forced Regeneration and 6 months in a rehabilitation facility. Provided they got the Doctor to give a public statement condemning his actions...
For all their flaws, Time Lords didn't have a death penalty. Forced regeneration was their harshest, legal, punishment. Only done when the Time Lord in question was thought to be irredeemable. It was the hope the next face would be different as regeneration caused Time Lords to perceive their actions of their previous lives differently.
The young woman had spent the last thousand years trampling their civilizations primary principles. A non interference policy with the passage of time. Her mate could claim it was all his idea but truth was she had wanted to do it... they even picked up a pet.
A less evolved humanoid, so primitive the species actually called themselves "humans". Not realizing that was an animal Kingdom, a classification of species, rather then an actual race.
Still The Doctor had been insistent they go to Earth and when the little critter snuck onboard the Doctor felt an instant connection to it... the Doctor, being half human himself, got rather mad at The Master's view that the creature was their pet. He believed the thing should be treated like an equal, or else how could the Master claim to call the Doctor a friend.
It was simple. The Doctor had gone through gene therapy at birth. He had all his Time Lord traits brought to the surface. Yes he had a few unsavory genes but those were vastly diluted to the point a casual medical scan wouldn't pick them up. The Doctor might have a human father but he was less human then he liked to admit.
"Koschei?" The Master flinched and glared up at the voice that dare speak her name. The Master was no child! How dare anyone address her by anything but her chosen name!
The Master glared at the "old" man that now stood before her. She sighed. She was still getting used to his new face. Time Lords can't really tell age by looking at someone. Their soul feels for the soul of another Time Lord. That is how, even with his new face, she could recognize him.
"Honestly Alexandermacedon ," The Master glared, speaking the Doctor's own birth name in an attempt to shame him. As the Doctor felt no shame in even the most embarrassing circumstances, it proved ineffective. Still, the Master scolded, "Show some tact. We're in public!"
"How is your family estate public?" The Doctor grinned as he took a seat next too her.
The Master sighed, "Behave." She gently slapped his arm.
They sat in silence as they watched the two suns set in the orange sky.
• 2000 Years Later:
War had erupted on Gallifrey, not the Time War or anything so flashy, but the Doctor's first taste of a real war. Fought with weapons a good deal more advanced then swords and spears, like he was used to.
A civil war for the soul of their planet... one that it was looking less and less likely the good guys could win.
"But I want to help!" A young Ginger woman glared at her father.
The Doctor huffed, "Are you so eager to go back onto the front lines? You already snuck out there once, against my orders, might I add. How did that work out for you, young Lady ?"
The woman glared, "DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!"
The Doctor shrugged, "Have you looked in a mirror? You're a woman now!"
"DOESN'T MEAN I WANT TO BE ADDRESSED AS ONE!!!" She snapped.
"You're lucky they didn't stop both your hearts." The Master glared as she stepped into the room, "Honestly, stop being so selfish!"
"SELFISH!!! For wanting to help!" The woman screamed.
"Thetatropolousvsgholtazsr Sigmaakronosvexsithkada!" The Master snapped out the woman's full name, "You have a new born daughter who now has two mums. Think of her and stop this fantasy!"
"Our planet has erupted into civil war! A civil war that is not only your doing but you're LEADING!!!" She glared at her parents. "If I don't do something my daughter will HAVE no Mums! She will grow up in a world of oppression and poverty! I will not stand by and do NOTHING!!! You raised me to stand up for what is right!'
The Doctor rested a hand on her shoulder, "Please. Don't go out there again. If you want to help, help here. We need officers to discuss strategies."
"YOU LEAD FROM THE FRONT LINES!!!"
"Yes well, I'm stupid," the Doctor smirked.
The Master shrugged, "You know I don't approve of lying to children,"
"I'M NOT A CHILD!" Theta roared, "You need to stop treating me like one, and realize I have something to offer!"
The Doctor glared, "Just because you regenerated doesn't make you an adult. Especially when you only got your new face, due to your own stubborn recklessness. You're thousands of years too young to talk to me like that. Even by Gallifreyian standards, you haven't been legal for a month! Enough of this, I'm putting my foot down. You will not leave the safety of this compound again."
Theta "gah-ed" and stormed deeper into the room. Acting very much a child.
The Doctor sighed and put a hand to his head.
"It's not like you to be so short with her," The Master observed.
"He reminds me too much of myself to not make myself clear on the matter." The Doctor sighed.
"She." The master smirked.
"Must you push his buttons like that?" The Doctor eyed.
"It's your mutt blood that confuses her." The Master insisted.
• 16 Years Later:
The Master was hugging their daughter's lifeless body as she laid on the metal slab. Her wife was nearby, on a nearby table. The Doctor walked into the morgue, knowing what was about to happen.
"You could have prevented this..." The Master accused. "You and those ridiculous ideals you poured into her hearts. She just wanted to be like you... that's all she wanted... I followed you... against my better judgment, I let you lead half the world into a war they couldn't win!... but why did you have to drag our daughter into it to?"
The Doctor said nothing. He couldn't find the words.
"I've called the High Council." The Master informed, "They should be on their way now..."
"... I know..."
"I'll give you a head start but know if I ever see you again... I'll kill you myself..."
"... I know..."
"You called the Council?" The both turned to see their 16 year old granddaughter. She looked accusingly at the Master.
"Susan," The Master tried. Speaking the girl's chosen name
"After everything father did? After everything he believed in? Your last act of 'love' is to betray everything he stood for!" Susan yelled, "Father died to protect our dream of a free Gallifrey! You shame that!" Susan took the Doctor's hand and pulled him away, "Come Grandfather. We have to evacuate!"
The Doctor lingered a moment. It was clear by the Master's broken expression that she blamed him for Susan's feelings as well. He sighed and left the room with his Granddaughter, sounding the alarm on their way out.
A/N:
• Castle of Friendship
"My goodness, has it been that long?" Clockwork thought to himself with his forehoof around his wife's shoulder.
It must have been around 3 years since he married Ditzy Do. 10 since he fell in love with her during that fateful encounter at the gala.
Rather than taking her last name of Do (Clockwork Do sounded too bizarre, even for his tastes), he took up her childhood nickname: Derpy Hooves.
At first, it was meant to be a teasing name that bullies made up as a mockery for her eyes. They thought they were being clever calling her a "Derp". It used to hurt her a lot. But thankfully, she had a certain rainbow-maned pegasus to be a loyal friend. She was taught to embrace the name and make it her own, finally standing up to the bullies who mocked her.
For a shy pegasus, Ditzy was certainly brave and determined. Both of which Clockwork found... exotic.
Clockwork arrived with Ditzy at the castle entrance. Queen Twilight Sparkle was throwing her annual Nightmare Night party, with the help of a certain pink party pony.
It had caused a bit if a scandal when Twilight moved the capital to Ponyville, but she said it was a better place to represent the union of all ponies.
Clockwork wasn't fooled. She just didn't want to leave her friends. Still Clockwork enjoyed going to these parties. They were much less stuffy then the Gala.
As if to prove that, Ditzy dressed up as a black cat. Clockwork, himself, simply had a piece of notebook paper taped to his chest with the phrase, "I lost my super duper awesome costume for Nightmare Night," written in marker. He made it himself.
Upon entering, they witnessed the sight of almost everypony in Ponyville, all dressed up for the occasion. Clockwork's grin widened when he found somepony he was hoping to see.
"Mother!" He squealed as he galloped to Celestia, who was dressed as a phoenix. Ditzy laughed as she saw her husband pounce on the Princess, smothering her affectionately. Celestia chuckled as she nuzzled him back.
Celestia was living on the sun now, only coming down a few times a year, for events like this. However her Avatar was still very weak in comparison to what it used to be. These trips didn't exactly help her recovery but she still wanted to interact with ponies from time to time.
So she wouldn't be so lonely, Dragon Lord Ember settled a colony on the Sun, with Celestia's permission of course. It was by no means as hot as a real star, being a living planet and all, so the various dragon races were quite comfortable up there.
"I'm glad to see you, Clocky." She cooed, her teasing name for her son caused him to blush but still smile idiotically. "And it's wonderful to see my daughter-in-law." She added as she also shared a hug with Ditzy.
"So good to see you, Celestia." She responded; calling her by her name instead of Princess due to them being technically related now. Celestia was rather insistent on it. She might not be ruling Equestria anymore, but she was still treasured by the various creatures of the world.
There actually quite a few leaders of other nations here, with their families and friends. Twilight turned Nightmare night into a kinda formal-informal party. A chance to celebrate with all other races and get to know each other better. It made political sense, given the CUC (Council of United Creatures) that she formed shortly after the Changeling Wars. Strangely that war created a new era of cooperation between all races.
Clockwork shook his head, as per usual thinking a billion thoughts in a single moment.
Derpy and his adoptive mother were just now letting go of each other, and they hadn't been hugging for very long at all.
Celestia smiled, "So how have you two been? Think about having any foals lately?"
Clockwork's eyes widen and his cheeks flushed crimson. "MoOoOoOoOoOom! Are you seriously asking that NOW?!"
"Oh right, like it's my fault that I want a granddaughter to pamper~"
Ditzy couldn't stop herself from giggling. "Don't worry Celestia. Give me a few more weeks. I'll get to work on it."
"Oh, not you too!" Clockwork whined in a fake agitated tone, yet his very amused smile was still present. Clockwork knew Derpy was just teasing. Derpy and he had talked at length about having kids but they agreed to wait on it for a couple decades... no sense telling Mother that. "You girls are impossible, you know that right?"
"But you've been married for so long and you still haven't had any children!" Celestia retorted as she pinched Clockwork's cheeks. "Maybe some kids will give you some responsibilities and an excuse to go outside?"
"Mother, please. What did I tell you about the pinching things, around Ditzy!?"
"Oh, I don't mind it."
"See? She doesn't mind it."
Despite the embarrassment, Clockwork still loved it. After all, how could he say no to affectionate love from his mother and the adorable giggles of his beloved wife? He truly was in paradise...
*BOOOOOOOOOOOM!*
The music from the DJ table and the friendly chatter immediately came to a halt. Celestia dropped her loving mood and quickly adapted her cautious posture, as everything eerily came to a silence. At instinct, Clockwork wrapped his forelegs around his wife, protecting her from what may occur right at this second. He could feel his wife's heart pounding from fear, yet for some reason, his own heart pounded much harder.
"Everypony stay here." Twilight Sparkle instructed the ponies as she and five other ponies followed her to the front door. Clockwork couldn't help himself as he slowly moved his head a bit to take a peek at what was going on outside. Twilight nodded at her friends as she carefully opened the door. What she saw caused her to fill with complete fear. Her friends saw what she saw and were filled with the same horror. The ponies of Ponyville witnessed what was happening and were struck with terror.
Ditzy hugged her husband tighter as Celestia looked on solemnly at the sight. Clockwork felt absolute fear in his heart. Yet it felt like the fear had always been tugging there for a long time...
A large army stood just outside.
A certain portion of the army was strange looking statues. They resembled the old human myth but with wings and long stone dresses. They covered their faces with their hands and looked like they were weeping.
Another portion was gray cyborgs in a humanoid structure, with no emotions on their metallic faces. The remaining parts of the army were cyborg aliens that resemble 6 foot tall pepper pots. Finally, one stallion stood in front of the army. A ginger unicorn with gears for a Cutie Mark.
Twilight Sparkle looked on with discomfort but proceeded to venture outside, the cool wind blowing across her face as she glanced at the tremendous size of the army. As her friends slowly walked up next to her, Twilight finally found her voice and spoke up. "W-who are you?"
The ginger unicorn slowly looked up to stare at the newly crowned Queen of Equestria. Celestia was able to get a good look at him and felt her breathing cease. "Clockwork." She whispered at her adoptive son. "Take your wife and hide."
"But moth-"
She grabbed his shoulders and gave him an angry look. "Do it."
Not wanting to argue any further, he grabbed Ditzy and ran deeper into the crowd, choosing to hide under a table with a cloth.
Twilight Sparkle did not receive an answer, so after taking another step, she repeated her question with some courage returning. "I said, who ar-"
"I am the Master. Now then, where is he?"
The unicorn's response caught Twilight off guard for a quick moment before she regained her senses. "Where is who?"
The Master's eye twisted in an unspeakable rage yet his expression remained bored. "Where. Is. The. Doctor?"
Twilight looked at her friends with a confused look on her face. She quickly saw how they were more confused than herself. Twilight even turned back to the townsponies and saw how they did not understand what was going on or who was this "Doctor."
"Where...is...THE DOCTOR!?" The Master roared, his last two words were followed by the army charging.
From his hiding spot, Clockwork could peek out and see what was going on. And what he saw caused his eyes to widen in disgust. He could see the destruction, smell the ashes, and hear the chaos. He saw the unspeakable aliens devastate anypony that stood in their paths.
Even with Twilight Sparkle, with her impressive magic and power of the other Elements of Harmony, they couldn't fully contain the annihilation that was occurring in the town. In the heart of the devastation, he could see his foster mother fighting against the same ginger unicorn from before.
Celestia felt rage engulf her as she glared at the calm unicorn. Her horn began to glow as she spoke gravely to The Master. "You will not harm these innocent ponies."
"Useless." The Master muttered as he nonchalantly shook his head. "Just plain useless."
"What do you want?"
"Are you ponies deaf? I come for The Doctor."
"Which doctor?" Celestia toyed, but she obviously knew.
"Just bloody useless!" The Master somehow hissed through his monotone, as he shot a beam of green light at Celestia, causing her to fall down to the ground. The sight of his mother nearly being killed caused Clockwork to almost run out of his hiding spot, had not his wife held him back for their safety.
"Don't toy with me, pony." The Master said as he glared at a coughing Celestia. "I know you are aware of The Doctor's location. Now be a good pony and tell me where he is..."
Celestia just spat on the ground as she smirked at The Master. "You'll have to kill me if you want to know."
The Master's horn began to glow as he stared evilly at the fallen pony. "Then I have no choice but to oblige your request..."
"NOOOOOOO!!!"
Clockwork did not know how, but he somehow managed to appear in front of Celestia, standing on his back legs with his forelegs spread out. Celestia looked up in amazement as she stared at her panting foster son, letting out beads of sweat from his forehead while shakily glaring at the ginger unicorn.
The Master did not seem to be bothered by the intrusion of this pony. Yet deep down, this pony felt... odd. He did not say a word as he quietly examined Clockwork whilst in deep thought. Clockwork and Celestia could feel their hearts violently pumping out from their chests yet did not act out as The Master continued his observations.
Finally, after 66.6 seconds, The Master's face soon changed. He let out a triumphant smile in his eyes, yet his face remained bored as he spoke to Clockwork. "At Last, I found you."
Clockwork shook his head as he stared at this lunatic. "W-what in Equestria are you t-talking about..?"
"Oh, of course, you do not understand. I will admit, it is hard for me to recognize you the mortal way." The Master replied, "Eyes don't really take in everything there is too a person, do they?"
Using his magic to levitate something from Celestia. Clockwork got a good look on what The Master had obtained: a strange looking pocket watch. It looked old, too old. Watches didn't even exist long enough to be so old. The Master casually tossed the watch into Clockwork's hooves.
"Open it." The Master demanded before lifting up Celestia by the throat with his magic. "Or she dies."
His magic soon tightened around Celestia's throat, almost choking her. Despite her current predicament, she expressed grave concern for her son. "Clockwork! Please! Don't!"
Clockwork stared at his mother, on the verge of death, before glancing at the nonchalant unicorn. Clockwork felt numbness. He could not feel the stinging cold from the cool wind. He could not feel the tears that were staining his face. He could not feel the agonizing emotions that were plaguing his body.
His mother had done all she could do for him. There was nothing he could do to greatly express his appreciation and thanks for all she gave him. Yet he caused her problems with his own problems. She begged him not to do it. But she suffered enough. Suffered for his own sake.
With his gums nearly bleeding from the deep frown and gritted teeth, he finally opened the watch.
Golden light erupted from the watch and poured into the Earth Pony's pores. The next thing Clockwork knew, he fell down to the ground as the watch dropped from his hooves. He almost felt his head go on fast forward before hitting stop.
He gasped as his head shot up in the air. It was all coming back...
He is The Doctor, an alien, a Time Lord, who, through sheer power and experience, ascended into godhood. Something that brought him nothing but misery ever since.
He never wanted to be a god and often struggled to maintain his mortal limitations. He wasn't nearly on Discord's level, as he was far too young for that, only half a million years old he guessed... but he could very well be near a billion.
This was his 42nd Regeneration. Like the Phoenix he could restructure his body on his death and rejuvenate. Unlike the Phoenix he could end up regenerating into any sentient creature in the universe. It was sorta like reincarnation but he remembered everything from his past lives and usually didn't have to worry about going through puberty again.
Unfortunately, as it is like reincarnation, every Regeneration views his past lives in a different way. He is still the same person at his core but thinks a little differently due to having a new brain chemistry.
Sometimes he sees himself as a savior or a common wanderer. Other times he saw himself as the villain.
This Regeneration was one of those. He looked back on his life and saw a monster, a demon. He spent his first night, as a pony, counting the lives he's taken. The number was in the trillions and he was certain he had forgotten far more... how could you forget something like that? When did taking a life became so second nature you didn't bother to remember?
Those weren't even counting the people who died from his indirect actions, or the people he just failed to save... most of his loved ones fell into both of those categories... friends... family... his child... WHY THE HELL WOULD ANYONE WANT TO REMEMBER THIS!?
This face realized something... he was the problem. For all his eagerness to help he has done far more damage to the universe as a whole. Everything he touches, it rots away. Complete oblivion. All he wanted to do is do good. Yet every time he does, so many suffer as a result. He is the cause of it and, worst of all, there was nothing he could do to stop it. The final straw was the alliance. All of his worst enemies had allied themselves with each other, forming a fleet dedicated to The Doctor's demise.
At that moment, The Doctor believed there was only one thing to do to stop the ashes from burning, abandon it all. He went into hiding, on a little backwards planet that his face came from, Equus.
He went to the local Celestial, the living spirit of a dwarf star. True her shell was weak from being away from her real body for too long, but she understood a little something about being a god wanting to connect with mortals.
He asked her to watch him, make sure he didn't do anything too terrible as a mortal. Then he used an old machine he hadn't used in millions of years. It wiped his mind and rearranged his biology... it turned him into a normal everyday mortal, with memories of a mortal life loosely based on his own but made to fit into this world.
He was able to start a new life to abandon the guilt his real life had caused. Using the fob watch, his memories were locked away. With his memories replaced and his biology altered, seemingly forever, Celestia adopted him... that had not been part of the plan.
The Doctor was gone. Thus Clockwork was born.
Until now.
After his mind was refreshed, The Doctor calmly got up from the ground before dusting himself. He took off the ridiculous Post-it note and tossed it to the floor. He quietly turned to Celestia, who was too injured to stand up properly. He did not look at her with pity like before. He looked at her with disgust.
"So, was it worth it?" He asked with sarcasm in his tone. "Having me around just for some technical knowledge?"
The comment alone caused Celestia's pain to burn further. She looked up to the pony she once called her son with heartbroken eyes. She spoke to him, "It...it made you happy. Remember?"
The Doctor just growled before turning away from her with shame building up in his body. "If you wanted to you could have tried harder to stop me. This world has skipped right over the last thousand years of industrial advancement! It's a miracle you didn't kill yourself with the trinkets I gave you... it's likely how the alliance was able to track me here,"
"Please...Clock-"
"MY NAME IS NOT CLOCKWORK!"
His fury-driven yell caused Celestia to shrink back a bit and The Master to raise an eyebrow in amusement.
"It never was my name in the first place..." The Doctor quietly mumbled as he closed his eyes. Celestia watched him with shame and pity, knowing that he was right.
With nothing else to say, Celestia ignored the pain and got up to solemnly walk away. Before she left The Doctor's sight, she parted with him some final words. "The universe needs you. I don't believe that all you touch is destroyed. Regardless of what happens, I want you to know this: You may not have been my son by blood, but that does not mean that I will not miss you. Goodbye... my... son..." She soon left his sight with fresh tears staining her eyes.
The Doctor did not bother her with a response or retort.
He looked at The Master. The Doctor's mortal enemy... and best friend.
They used to play together under the orange sky of Gallifrey, the Time Lord's homeworld.
As children they went to the Academy together, learning how to be time travelers... they had done so much... become so much to each other... they even shared their heat together... had a daughter... who died in a civil war the Doctor started...
The Master never forgave him. If anything he made it his mission to kill the Doctor for leading their child to ruin... but there was no question... the master was, and would always be, the Doctor's best friend.
No one knew him better, no one cared more about him... even after all they had been through. The Doctor would die for the Master... and the Master would laugh at the selfless act.
The master died some few million years ago, when his younger self killed his last regeneration... because she, as she had regenerated into a girl, had finally forgiven the Doctor... her past self was disgusted by the very thought and they ended up killing each other.
This master seemed a good deal younger then that.
The Master spoke with a smirk in his eyes and boredom on his face, "We've met before, remember? You know me from my past and your future."
"Right..." The Doctor added as he glared at The Master. "You're an early Regeneration yourself." he began walking around the master, observing his soul, "I'd say before Saxon or even Professor Yana," he touched his head and heard the ginger's thoughts, "The drums are still quiet, you're not yet a threat,"
The Master had a signal attached to his brain, a distress call from the Time War that drove him mad long before he could figure it out. However the signal was quiet right now. Probably just a gentle ringing in his ears... he really wasn't a threat at this stage.
The master looked offended at that but moved on, "You know about my tick already?"
The doctor distracted him with, "Why do you always get the cool regenerations. A bloody ginger unicorn, so unfair," The Doctor childishly pouted, "So how did you find me? I hope you're not with the army."
The Master spoke with a smirk his face didn't show, "You were actually the one to find me, just not yet. Time Travel, am I right, even gives a Time Lord a headache. You were even kind enough to let me travel with you." The Master added before laughing. "You know, since I'm the one who woke you that means YOU always knew who I was. You really are a good friend to help an adversary in need. So consider us even."
The Master paused a bit to marvel at the destruction from the aliens and ponies battling against each other. "The moment you found me and took me in," The Master explained, "was the moment you knew who you truly were."
The Doctor turned around, seeing the battle that was still striking the town. He let out a scowl at The Master. "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid."
The Master shook his head but eyes still devilishly smiling, "Have you forgotten? You're the monster here. Hell, we're both the monsters. Whatever footsteps we make, death will fill them. Anything you look at, you can even see its inevitable destruction."
He stepped forward to place a hoof on The Doctor's shoulder.
"All this time, you spent it by whining and complaining about it. You know it's about time you embrace it. Or would you prefer that all these ponies around you, these lovely little primitives you befriended, die horrible agonizing deaths? The universe cannot function without someone willing to stain their souls with blood and carnage. Someone that allows the ignorant to play the part of the innocent."
The Doctor simply glared at the smiling Master as he shook off his hoof from his shoulder. Without saying a word, or changing his angry expression, The Doctor left The Master and immediately walked into the heart of the battle.
"I just wanted a happy life." He thought out loud before arriving where the fighting was the most intense. "A happy life as a mortal... How dare you wake me up from this dream and return me to this living nightmare!!!!"
Letting out a loud yell, he stomped his hoof on the ground, creating a wave that struck the nearby aliens. In a mere second, they aged millions of years, causing them to be reduced to dust that blew away with the wind.
After the dust was gone from site, the other aliens saw the furious Doctor, standing in their way, and attacked. The Doctor did not flinch as the laser beams began to slow down in mid-air before finally stopping. While the time around him began to slow down, his own Time Stream was accelerating at an alarming rate.
He walked calmly to each monster, yet to them it seemed that he was blessed with super speed. The Doctor jammed his hoof into each of the Cybermen's bodies one by one, staining his hoof in oil and blood. Occasionally, he ripped out their body parts and jammed them into other Cybermen. As he began to mutilate them, he lost track of the damage and destruction he was causing, or how he was causing it. By the time he was done, there was nothing but scraps and parts surrounding the terrifying pony.
As soon as all of the Cybermen were taken care of, he walked up to the large amounts of the Weeping Angels. He stared at them with agonizing malice, confident that the Weeping Angels could sense his presence and enjoyed their potential fear against him. Treading past the hordes of statues, The Doctor clapped his hooves, then struggled to pull them apart. He ripped a whole in the fabric of time and sucked the army of statues inside, letting the time vortex disintegrate them at a subatomic level. Once every Angel was gone he squeezed his hooves back together to close the portal.
At long last, he finally stood in front of the Daleks. Each of them begun to fire their deadly laser rays yet fail to hit the agile Doctor running towards them. The Doctor ran through a crowd of Daleks that stood in his way, causing those nearby to shake violently before exploding into pieces.
The Doctor began to pant as he stared at the final horde of the Daleks. Each alien could see the death and violence in the eyes of the Doctor. One of them tried to back away from the Doctor. Unfortunately for it, The Doctor noticed this before spitting on the ground.
Right before the Daleks fired, The Doctor froze time and immediately ran towards the pieces of fallen Daleks and Cybermen. He calmly sat down and spent the next few hours / seconds putting the pieces together into a pile of small grenades.
With time being slowed down, The Doctor can see the massive chemical reaction as the Daleks guns heated up. He calmly walked to each Dalek and crammed a grenade into the barrel.
He could see the laser impact itself on the homemade bomb, ready for its devastating combustion. The grenades went off and each of the Daleks blew up.
Finally all but one Dalek remained, one out of an army of billions.
"MER-CY!!!" The Dalek cried. A creature of pure hate and rage, engineered to feel nothing else, coward before the Doctor.
"I gave you mercy," The Doctor informed as he slowly walked up to it, "You think I left out of some sense of self preservation? I left out of pity for you. I allowed you to live and you spat in my face for the kindness. I have no mercy left,"
The Doctor raised his hoof, as it glowed with yellow energy, and slowly turned it, causing the Dalek to age and scream until he was reduced to dust.
Finally, The Doctor turned back to look at the ponies around him.
The townsponies of Ponyville were nearly blinded and deafened by the tremendous explosion where the Daleks once stood. When they looked up, they saw nothing but ruins and piles of pieces spread across the entire area. All that stood was the pony they once called Clockwork. But they did not see Clockwork. They saw a savior somehow more cruel then the monsters that attacked.
The Stallion did not care at all what anypony thought of this situation. All he cared that his happiness was dead and he delivered payback to the ones who were responsible. He looked around for the ginger unicorn, that he had been talking to before, but could not find him.
He turned around and finally noticed Ditzy Do standing with a shocked look on her face. His wife...or so he had thought. The Doctor decided not to focus more into that. A loud wheezing groan roared from behind him. Light began to fade in and out as a blue police box materialized into existence. She was still waiting for him after all these years.
The Doctor took one last look at the gray mare before he headed inside the police box.
"Wait!"
All of a sudden, Ditzy appeared in front of him, her fear from what she witnessed not leaving her face but was rather masked by determination. The Doctor simply scoffed at her.
"Move."
"No."
The Doctor just narrowed his eyes at the gray mare. How annoying. "There is nothing for you. Your husband is dead. No. He didn't even exist in the first place."
He stepped into the TARDIS with a stoic look on his face. He did not look back at Ditzy as he continued, "Your husband is no more." He finished as he heard the door close automatically.
"You're wrong."
He quickly turned and saw Ditzy step into the TARDIS with tears on her face but gritted teeth that signaled her courage as she stared deeply into the Doctor's eyes. "You're wrong!" She repeated, "He is still alive! He still exists!"
"...All I have to do is find him," She laid a hoof on his chest, "In here," she insisted, "I heard what you said to Celestia, and what that red unicorn said to you. I know, somewhere in here my Clockwork is buried. All that, the Stallion I loved, couldn't have come from nothing!" She stepped around him, deeper into the TARDIS, "I'm going to find him, and you're going to help me."
The Doctor did not say a word. He didn't have to. He continued to look at the mare before him, the mare who witnessed what the Doctor had done yet did not back down. Determined to find the pony whom she loves and will swear to die by his side.
For a shy pegasus, Ditzy was certainly brave and determined. Both of which The Doctor found... exotic.
View Online
TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Pilot Episode - Doctor Whooves, pt3: Building the Future
Ch0, Doctor Whooves pt3: Building the Future
Series: My Little Galaxy
Saga 1: TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Chapter 0: Doctor Whooves
Part 3 of 3: Building the Future
Equus. The homeworld to over a dozen quadrupedal races. A simple world to some simple races, found at the very edge of the Solar System. Yet holding a special spark of peace and cooperation, rarely found in lifeforms competing for resources.
The world of Pathfinder was more typical to such planets. Frequent wars and closed minded species inhabited the planet closest to the sun. As if in direct contrast with Equus, Pathfinder was a world made up of various bipedal creatures.
What was interesting was both worlds were filled with lifeforms straight out of Earth's mythology. Yet Earth was not even in the same Galaxy, let alone system. The planets seemed neatly organized specifically on how many legs the creatures had. Of course, the Yokai knew why.
The Yokai. The third planetary inhabitants of the system, despite the fact that they actually lived in an asteroid belt in the middle of the system and not an actual planet. They thought that one of Doctor Whooves' past lives had brought all life to this system... well, most life. The Yokai came later, attracted to a system whose very planets were made up of Refugee races saved by their god, the Doctor himself.
The Yokai believed the Doctor was a god, who could reincarnate himself even without the need of a mother or father. Of course, by god they did not mean God with a capital G. The term God with a capital G pissed off the Doctor more than pears. They thought of the Doctor along the lines of Zeus or Odin. An extremely powerful immortal, but still a living breathing person.
And, unlike the others, this god actually gave a damn about the little people.
He created this system. Not by sculpting it out of clay or some such but by fairing refugee lifeforms to it. He had done this for countless other civilizations that lost their homes during a great war, between godly races. A war that never happened. A war that erased entire planets from existence, to the point they never existed at all. Yet left the odd starship, full of sentient creatures, behind. People that had no home to evolve on, yet still existed themselves.
This was known as the Time War.
The Doctor was a general of the good gods and helped vanquish a race of evil god killers. Unfortunately this still left many races homeless. So the Doctor found them homes, organizing them based on culture, appearance, and, most importantly, a similar evolution chain.
He trusted this, despite how different the races might appear, would help them live together, in harmony.
The Yokai decided to take it upon themselves to ensure that peace... although being a largely violent race themselves, it was no surprise that they struggled to maintain the concept. At the very least, they ensured the various races survival.
Armies worth of Yokai Settlers, Setup shop in each of the dozens of refugee systems, the Doctor had created. Usually staying on that planet directly, but when there were multiple planets in the system, they made an easier way to travel to them.
The Yokai are an interdimensional species, but they, to, were saved by the Doctor.
Their entire dimension was saved, from being cut off the universe and destroyed by other gods, who deemed it unworthy of continuing. The Yokai later showed their gratitude, by using their understanding of interdimensional physics, to come to this dimension. They made their homes, in systems filled with lifeforms the Doctor saved during the time war, and act as protectors over those civilizations.
Not just that, but they bind themselves to this dimension, insuring other entities won't cast them out. As they, and all their descendants, become part of this world. This ritual might protect the timelines, and appease the other gods, but it makes it so that the Yokai can no longer survive, for more then a week, within their home dimension...
Yokai settlers sacrifice much, for their entire family line, to look after the refugees the Doctor saved. While not all those planets appreciate, or even understand, their sacrifices, the races of both Pathfinder and Equus, feel nothing but gratitude... Even if some of the Yokai of the past... used to eat them... and each other.
That is more a darker part of Yokai history. Back when it was considered acceptable to sacrifice a few mortals, in order to protect the species as a whole. Modern Yokai have grown past that, but it still stains their history... considering most of the Yokai that used to eat people, are still alive, and pretending to be civilized now.
Nowadays, the Yokai take on the role of guides, when the inhabitants of Pathfinder and Equus discovered space travel... before that they used portals to hop between worlds. Yet even though the planet bound races had a slow start, once they got into space they proved, at least as far as the ponies are concerned, that the Yokai had just as much to gain from them.
It had been 25 years, after Twilight ascended to the throne of Equestria. 14 years since the ponies discovered light speed travel, due to their magics causing them to skip a few steps when it comes to space travel.
It was clear to the Yokai that the lonely god favored this system, in particular, the pony race. Not as much as he did the flawed humans of Earth, but he clearly cared a great deal for the ponies of Equus. A god walked this system, decided to make it a home, gave them secrets of technology and advancement... these ponies were his chosen people. The ones he had the most faith in... the ones he believed could save the Cosmos. The other races of the system were just a long for the ride.
The Yokai made sure to keep their eyes on the ponies as they quickly developed their magics into greater feats. Terraforming nearly all planets and moons of their system into homes for the various races that lived there. Their combined racial magics making that a relatively simple task when compared to other lifeforms Terraforming methods.
As the ponies prepared themselves to leave the system and explore the rest of the Galaxy, their knowledge grew quickly... perhaps too quickly. 14 years of space travel was a bit soon to already be working on faster than light travel. "Working on" being the key words.
It would be several more years before they perfected the magics required, but they would easily have it in time for the next Generation to reach adulthood. A generation born into an era of peace between all races of the system. A Generation simply known as "Bronies".
• Housing:
The races of Pathfinder, had long since abandoned the practice of magic. At least, in mass. There had always been a handful of people, that practiced the art. However, due to the complexity of magic, and the dangers of messing up each spell. Well, it was just more convenient to turn to technology. While just as difficult to invent, it was easier for consumers to use.
However, Pathfinder's technological level was only as advanced as mid 21st century, of Earth. So not everything that magic could do, could be duplicated through their engineering.
After they discovered the pony world, through Pathfinder's primitive shuttles. They decided to keep the fact they were from another planet, a secret, as to not scare the "less advanced" species. Instead claiming to be from across the seas.
The Pathfinders began mining resources, from the plentiful world. Which inevitably led to trading goods... especially after discovering the inventions of the Great Prince Clockwork. A "pony" that could blend technology with magical crafts, that could solve many of the Pathfinders issues with pollution and resource management.
This "Father of the Industrial Age" for the Ponies, had the uncanny ability to improve on whatever technology the Pathfinders showed him. Or, rather, subconsciously remembered better technology, triggered by seeing Pathfinder's more humble devices, and re-created next gen equipment.
Such as, when the Pathfinders offered to sell their mechanical wells. This triggered, not quite a memory, more like a vague impression, deep within Clockwork.
He used interdimensional physics, to create a "bigger on the inside" water tank. Which held an entire, fresh water, ocean inside. They didn't even have to collect the water, to fill it. As Clockwork merely programmed the pocket dimension, to be what he wanted. No life, not even bacteria, just a small reality of clean water.
Then, when Pathfinder offered their septic tanks, Clockwork created a water purifying system. Disintegrating all waste, including regular trash, which went down shoots, and recycling the raw matter that was left, as fuel to power the house. In order to mimic the electrics Pathfinders used.
The disintegrated matter, mostly in the form of ash, was used to recharge the Grand Lyrium Crystal, which ran the house. That way it never needed to be replaced, nor go into recharging cycles.
You would think this would irritate the Pathfinders. What with everytime they tried to sell things, the ponies would just reverse engineer it, and sell it to the other nations of their world. However, this had an upside, as it led to great improvements for Pathfinder's own planet, as well.
Pathfinder's own inventors, to entire governments, begun selling the colt their latest blueprints and prototypes. With a "Discount" on all future devices, Clockwork might make, negotiated as part of the sale. Then sat back to watch the boy combine technology with enchantment theories. Before buying back the pony's inventions, in bulk, and selling them, for a great deal more, on Pathfinder.
Although, Clockwork never did figure out how to mass produce any of his inventions. He merely wrote books on their construction, which Celestia incorporated as required reading, for the appropriate trade schools.
Regardless, Pathfinders prefered buying the easy to use techno magics, as apposed to making them, themselves. Particularly, the houses Clockwork made standard for Ponies. Though they remained a luxury item for other races. Up until Twilight's rule, where she started a campaign to bring such houses to all Sapient creatures.
The Father of the Ponies Industrial Age, used these ideas, to create a completely self contained home, that was, most importantly, easy to relocate.
As the house could be shrunk down, to pocket sized, in case they ever wanted to move to a new area. That way they could keep their house. Though that could only be done by the head of the household.
This made it easy for Pathfinders to buy a house in Equestria, before bringing it back to their own Planet. All without so much as having to check in the building as a carry on.
Houses, that had no need to be hooked up to a city's power nor sewer system.
Clockwork even used his "Expansion Charm" to make the houses, and even other buildings, "Bigger on the Inside". Not overly so. Just 5 cubic feet, for every 1. They could make the pocket dimension larger, but that was what was standard. And a Pocket Dimension, it was. Usually folded inside a specific building. In order to be anchored within the mortal realm, while being separate enough to allow for greater space within.
Modern house makers, hand sculpted the outside of the building, as if it was a miniature figurine. With the house starting out as no bigger then a couple inches. Shaping it in standard designs, or custom ones, based on the commissioner's specifications... which were determined by how much the individual was willing to pay. While specialized enchanters, built the pocket dimension, always to a custom design, before folding it inside the house.
If the Commissioner wanted to make the house, bigger then the standard expanded dimensions, it cost a great deal more. As it was harder for ponies to push past those limits.
• Yokai Businesses:
The Yokai owned a number of interdimensional businesses. Mostly telling stories, as the Doctor forbid them from sharing technological, or even magical, knowledge... and only to the Refugee worlds, the Doctor set up.
Companies like "Nintendo" and "Disney", were owned by prominent Yokai unions. Though they had to do business with mortal companies, in order to obey the Doctor's laws on trade.
For the Equus System, technology had certainly improved, Since the days of Clockwork. The "Death" of the Father of the industrial age, had triggered an era of invention.
The Smart Clan, a wealthy family of Thestrals, held... a special relationship with both Technology and magic. Many, in their family, had mutated magicks, which allowed them control over the electronic... and a special talent for building computer based devices.
They perfected computers, creating the first Android-type phones. Which they, ironically, called "Smart phones", after their family theme.
They even created the magical Wi-Fi network, which stretched across their home planet. Later, after ponies started exploring the solar system, and the other races moved off onto less high maintenance planets, Celestia extended the Wi-Fi spell to cover the entire solar system, allowing everypony free access to the Internet no matter where they were.
Ponies might not have invented "television", as they created Android phones first, but such things were popular on Pathfinder. Though TVs worked a bit differently. Playing music, shows, and movies, through "Apps" rather then traditional stations.
The Apps were even free, getting their money from commercials. Which were limited to a handful, during the beginning and middle.
Pathfinder had technology, more in line with mid 21st Century Earth. Though, more advanced in some areas, like space travel. Although their entertainment, had been greatly influenced by the Yokai... similar to the other Refugee worlds, the Doctor set up.
Regardless what Pathfinder had to offer, Most ponies still prefered their own magics, as opposed to technology. Though Techno magic was becoming easier to produce, for cheaper, due to Pathfinder's techniques.
However, pony entertainment was largely the same. For Example: Instead of switching over to Pathfinder's Televisions, the races of Equus continued to favor their Audio Dramas.
Radio stations used to be played through actual radio, but now each station was an App.
The song, while playing, displayed text of its name, the band, and the album. From there, you could follow the link to the "E-Shop".
Where you could buy the song directly, as it played. Even buy other songs from the album, or the entire album. The point is, once you purchased something, you could listen to it whenever from your library, even putting it into a custom playlist. And listening, without commericals or ads.
It was important to buy songs you like. As most Stations only played the new ones, for free, for up to a year. Same could be said of Movies, Shows, and Audio Dramas.
Even the games were completely digital, and free to play for, on a one time "Rental bases". Games made their money on replayability. Further motivation, to buy the game, was you could only buy Downloadable content, if you owned the game.
The Nintendo union had chosen to partner with the Gamer Clan. A family of Earth Pony inventors... and similar Technomancers.
These ponies created their worlds first videogames. In the form of Arcade boxes, which had information stored on magical Crystals, connected to various wires and circuits... with the occasional button and joystick.
Once these proved to be so profitable, the Yokai began licensing their own games, exclusively, on these Arcade boxes... which resulted in the Gamer Clan expanding their company further.
After entering the Space age, The Nintendo Union, commissioned the Gamer Clan, to build this planet's own version of "The Switch". Which turned out to be a truly impressive piece of Techno-Magic. That went beyond even the Yokai's understanding.
The Gamer clan had put a lot of effort into making their World's "Switch" a sturdy little thing... It could survive a dip into the sun.
It had a magic battery, which automaticlly recharged itself, due to being powered by a rare gem. The battery even lasted 20 hours, and took a measly 1 hour of rest, to fully recharge.
The Switch could even sync up to Android Phone Profiles, in order to access all media the owner bought.
Though, because of this, the Switch couldn't allow for multiple people, to play on the same switch. However, it did have the ability to wirelessly connect to numerous nearby Switches, for local multi-play. With the best Online play, out of any console.
It could even magically connect to any Television, and allow for play on that, even multiple Switches playing on the same TV. Honestly, the split screen function, only being acceptable with a television, was the only reason some ponies even OWNED a TV. Though most didn't think it was worth it. Although various races of Pathfinder got a real kick out of it.
Though what the ponies loved most about the Equus Switch, was it worked like an Enchanted Comic Book. With an option to be pulled into the Switch, and play through the game, as the character. There were of course, hundreds of safeguard spells.
Such as you being forced out of the Switch if: the console was moved, the Player's Avatar died, or the player requests to "Save and Exit". It also refused to expell the player, if the Switch was in a dangerous situation. Then acting as a protective stasis device, until the player could be safely extracted. Which was why so much effort was done to make the switch indestructible.
The Gamer family, wanted to have their switches double as escape pods, while on starships. Even installing homing Beacons, the player could activate while inside the game.
While in the Switch, time progressed faster, and the battery was designed to feed off the excess magic of the player, to run indefinitely. Players could even return to the main menu. In order to access other games, or their entire media collection. Although they couldn't insert themselves into most media, they could stil watch / listen / read it. Even communicate with the outside world, via Social Messaging. Which had an "I'm trapped, come save me" section.
Theoretically, although this has yet to be tested, individuals could live forever, inside their switch. Even if they were seconds away from death, in the real world. Even leaving the switch, fully healed. Again, this was theoretical, but it was possible for any magical entity, to escape even dying of old age, thanks to the Switch.
Although this was of great interest to the races of Pathfinder. Though, for ponies, reincarnation wasn't so much a religious belief, as scientific fact. They even had rituals to awaken the memories of past lives. So death, although not at all desirable, didn't hold the sheer unknown terror, it did for other races... ponies even had medical scanners, to determine if children were reincarnations, or new souls.
Earth, a planet a few galaxies away, was the first incident, of the Yokai trading peacefully with mortals. It was, after all, the Doctor's favorite planet... this resulted in various Yokai, telling their stories through various companies.
It took nearly a hundred years, before Mickey, a Mouse Yokai, was able to organize the Yokai bards, in an official union. Which begun doing business with other Refugee worlds.
The stories, these bards told, may not have happened in this dimension, but they were records of true events, the Yokai had recorded...
That's how they met Stan Lee. A demigod, descended from the "Watchers". Who made comics of key individuals, from the canon universes. While the people, from those dimensions, will be born in this one, their histories are wildly different.
He sold his enchanted comics in the Yokai dimension. Who, in turn, sold them to the Refugee planets the Doctor made.
Stan Lee made stories about various medias: From "Astro Boy", to "Superman". "Avatar the last Airbender", to "Dragon Ball". "Star Wars", to "Mass Effect". Even "Terminator" to "Doctor Who".
That's right, the Doctor was a comic book... or rather the version of him that lived in one of the "Canon Universes".
It wasn't quite his life. Oh there were certainly similarities, but the details were different. The Doctor enjoyed watching the show, to see what his interdimensional counterpart got up to... but it was clear, the being wasn't him.
It didn't help, the Yokai used these various else worlds, and even the real story of the Doctor who saved them, as a means of converting people to their religion... the Doctor may be a Celestial... but he wasn't exactly a fan of being worshiped.
Regardless, he had saved the Yokai, and accidentally recruited their entire race, to help him save the various dimensions... it was inevitable they thought of him as their personal god...
• 9 Years into the Equestrian Space age:
The Rift, an air pocket in space. An entire asteroid belt with good old diluted Oxygen. Most of the Asteroids had been chiselled into islands. Then given a stronger, Earth Norm, field of gravity despite most being only big enough for a large building, yet the moment you step off the island you float through the void with just enough gravity to steer. This whole place was teeming with magic. As it should, for it was constructed, by a civilization of sentient animals called "Yokai". They constructed this place to escape the harsh nature of their own dimension. The Yokai had settled this belt 10s of thousands of years ago, meaning most of it was converted to their needs.
For centuries they used it as a port, using portals they constructed to travel to every habitable planet in the system. Now, with the native species able to travel through the solar system and all the worlds of it terraformed for each species, the Rift had become the center of trade. It just made sense.
The Yokai built several of these travel ports made up of rows of portals, placed in strategic points across every planet. That way it was easy for individuals to travel to any known planet. The port looked much like a 21st century Earth Airport... only the gates were portals to other worlds... Yokai modeled many things off Earth, as it was the Doctor's favorite planet... and the Yokai were shamefully eager to meet the Doctor's approval... though he couldn't tell if it was their shame or his own.
Once the ponies found this place and negotiated proper trade and travel rights, the Rift flourished. The Yokai even began allowing other civilizations to build on their floating Islands. A proper space dock was even constructed at the edge of the air bubble, to promote themselves as the center of trade for even the larger shipments between planets.
Eventually, within the past year, the Rift became where all the planetary governments of the system gathered together and discussed system wide laws. Each world had their own independence well agreeing to obey the laws of the system. Even establishing the Inter Planetary Fleet to protect all worlds.
Equestria had only led their world into the stars 6 years ago and had accomplished so much with hardly a conflict. Of course terraforming all the planets and giving them to each species for nothing buys you a lot of good will... though the Doctor doubted they even thought of that. Ponies might be easily frightened, but unlike other species, they don't lash out when afraid. They were so innocent and kind that it infected other species. Conquest through genuine compassion and a desire to... befriend every lifeform they met.
The Doctor might feel more at home on Earth, but ponies had never once made him question why he was helping them.
All Sapient lifeforms have magic, it merely comes out in different ways unique to their species. However sometimes magic comes out in strange unexpected ways. What causes this is unknown but sometimes individuals have powers Atypical to their race. These powers can be seperated into categories called Classes.
This is a story about the Doctor's chosen disciples. Individuals with Classes that the Doctor helped nurture.
Those he trusted, and personally trained from a young age, to save the Galaxy from a terrible evil on par with the Time War itself.
It will take them a while to get to that final battle. Facing against their own personal conflicts and various obstacles in their way. With each of their adventures and assignments preparing them for just that.
Preparing them... for this little galaxy...
...If only the Doctor wasn't such an idiot we might have hope of this plan actually working! This coming from a childish moron who chokes on Jelly Babies more than an actual infant...
“I sure love Jelly Babies.” The Doctor mumbled as he grabbed a hoof-full of the sweet candy and then dumped them into his mouth. “They’re so tart and irresistabl-ugh!”
He coughed a bit while patting his own back, making a mental note to never try to talk with his mouth full of candy. Ah what the hell, he’ll just ignore it as usual. He stood next to the TARDIS as he continued to chew his snack while staring at the Rift with a calm look on his face. After all, he needed some time to kill while he waited for…
FLASH!
“Speak of the devil…” The Doctor mumbled with a smirk as the white light died out, revealing seven figures.
One of them was a pegasus dressed in ancient combat armor. Another was a tannish pegasus dressed in what the Doctor would call “Egyptian” clothes. Next to her was a bearded Earth pony, nearly as tall as Celestia, who looked capable of crushing mountains with ease. Beside him was a lanky unicorn riddled with wrinkles. To her left was a blue Earth pony with a tall hairdo carrying a mask in her hooves. In front of them all were two important looking ponies. One was a unicorn dressed in magician robes, complete with pointy hat. He reminded the Doctor much of his own "Merlin" regeneration. Next to him was a unicorn dressed in what the Doctor would call beggar’s clothes, not that that’s a bad thing to begin with.
“Ladies and chums! Long time no see!” The Doctor happily greeted with a mouth full of Jelly Babies. He quickly swallowed the candy before speaking again. “Glad that you could all make it.”
He was suddenly met with a strong hoof around his neck as the bearded pony, Rockhoof, chuckled. “Aw lad! We wouldn’t miss it for the world! I hadn’t seen ye in a while! How’s ya kid and love?”
“Ach! Can’t breathe!” The Doctor choked before Rockhoof bashfully let him go. “Ah, they’re doing fine. How are you pals though?”
“We have been well, thank you for asking, Doctor.” The pony in beggar’s clothes, Stygian, responded with a kind smile. “We are glad that you have personally invited us to your TARDIS.”
One of the pegasi, Flash Magnus, stared at the TARDIS with a perplexed look on his face. “I don’t remember seeing your little blue friend being so…”
“Big?” The Doctor chuckled as he stared up at the TARDIS. No longer the size of an ordinary phone booth, the TARDIS was nearly the size of a skyscraper as it seemed to stretch on throughout the rift. In fact, the TARDIS itself was now occupying one of the rock-like islands floating throughout the Rift. He already got permission from the Yokai to park it here. “Yeah I think it grew a few inches. I just can't seem to find my ruler anywhere so I dunno how long it is now.”
“You’re gonna need more than a measly ruler.” The blue earth pony, Mage Meadowbrook, muttered as she gazed upon the TARDIS.
“You’re right. I need to find a meter stick but I think I lost that to.” The Doctor grumbled before he stood at the entrance of the TARDIS. Looking back at the 6 Pillars, and Stygian, the Doctor confessed, "I anchored her. It makes it so she is fixed to this spot until I release her, and let me tell you SHE WAS NOT HAPPY, but she came around after I explained. I can't risk her taking the whole school with her next time she is in the mood for adventuring. I love the old girl but she is about as reliable as a fish finger, particularly the ones covered in Custard. Tasty but not very good for your health."
The Pillars just stared at his ramblings, that was supposed to be an explanation, but it was Stygian that was able to piece something out, "School?"
The Doctor smiled brightly, “C’mon then! It’s better if we talk inside.”
The Doctor proceeded to open the entrance and stood by the side as he watched each of the Pillars, along with Stygian, walk inside the TARDIS. As The Doctor closed the door, he couldn’t help but chuckle at their amazed looks on their faces as they marvelled at the spacious exterior of the TARDIS. After all, it was always bigger than it looked outside.
He turned around and blinked for a moment, noticing the ponies' faces did not look amazed. Instead, they looked freaked out. For a brief second, he wondered what made them look so horrified, but as soon as he turned to where they were looking, his thoughts were put to ease.
Standing near the control console was a grayish unicorn with a red robe on his back. He looked up to give a respectful nod to the Doctor, but paused upon seeing the Pillars stare at him, with various looks of horror on their faces. Neither of them seemed to be pleasant. At that point, the gray unicorn coughed uncomfortably as he stared back at the brown pony.
The Doctor almost slapped himself in the face, feeling silly that he didn’t warn the Pillars and Stygian about…
“Sombra!” The Doctor cheered as he trotted to said pony. “Sorry for the wait. The Pillars and Stygian are here. Uh...”
He quickly turned to the ponies and back to Sombra with a sheepish and toothy grin on his face. “Want me to explain or you’re okay with telling them?”
“Tell us what?”
The Doctor let out a gentle sigh as he put on a serious expression. “Sombra’s...not like his past self.” He explained. “He went through some good ol’ friendship teachings and got a better outlook on life, thanks to the Mane 6.”
"As I recall," Sombra eyed him. "It was you who convinced me to reform."
"Oh I just laid the ground work," The Doctor waved off.
The tannish pony and wrinkled pony, Somnambula and Mistmane respectively, looked at each other before looking back at Sombra, who seemed uncomfortable with their uncertain stares. They saw him groan a bit as he walked towards them carefully.
“I understand the hostility you all have against me.” He said with a frown on his face. “What I have done is unforgivable and I am aware saying a simple sorry will not do.”
The Pillars stared at him without saying a single word, causing a silence that almost killed both Sombra and the Doctor. Finally, the brown pony jumped next to Sombra and placed a hoof on his whithers.
“C’mon guys, it’s not like he’s going to do anything stupid like destroy the Tree of Harmony or brainwash all of Equestria to invade Canterlot or kidnap…”
“Doctor, please stop talking.” Sombra muttered, with a massively uneasy expression on his face.
“Yeah… that’s a good idea.” The Doctor responded, his own face red and sheepish.
The magician, Star-Swirled the Bearded, let out a sigh before he let out a small smile. “Well, there is no denying the good work the Elements of Harmony and Cele-”
“Just the Elements of Harmony, Star-Swirled.” The Doctor bluntly interrupted. “Please don’t mention... her. Thanks.”
“Uh, noted.” Star-Swirled muttered before coughing a bit. “So it looks like we shall trust you for now.”
He looked back at the other Pillars and Stygian, all who shared uncertain frowns. Regardless, they shrugged and offered small smiles to Sombra, giving him some relief.
“Well now that is taken care of.” The Doctor muttered as he let out a stupid smile, obviously embarrassed at what just happened. “Sombra is here to help me out.”
“Help you with what?” Star-Swirled asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Imagine this.” The Doctor began as the Pillars took positions around the meeting table. “I’m thinking, no, PLANNING on making the TARDIS into a giant school.”
“A school?” Mistmane asked in curiosity.
“Yup. Help the lil’ ones know more about their odd manifestations of magic. Teach them how to control these Classes and such.” The Doctor continued as he walked around, glancing at the TARDIS interior. “Of course, who knows the Classes more than the Pillars, the humble Stygian, and my pal Sombra.”
Everypony else glanced at the silent Sombra before turning to The Doctor, giving them their undivided attention as he continued on.
“If I recall, each and every one of you has a class of your own. Well except for you Stygian, but we like you anyway." The Doctor still had trouble understanding when he was being rude.
"Magic does come out in all sorts of interesting ways, doesn't it? You all have tried your hands, errr hooves (still can't get that right), at teaching these confused children yourselves. It is hard to be imbued with such power and not have the slightest clue where it comes from. They are often shunned and misunderstood. Ponies misunderstanding of Sombra's shadow bending is what turned him to a life of evil."
The ponies looked back at Sombra, who was conveniently looking somewhere else.
The Doctor went on, "We need to save these children from such a fate. You are told you're a monster long enough and you start believing it, right Sombra?"
Sombra just groaned in exacerbation.
"My school will not only help these kids learn control, but it will also show them they are not alone well raising awareness in the public," The Doctor explained, oddly serious for a moment, "That way none will ever again go through what we did. Then, if the children so desire, they can put their gifts to use defending all those born without their gifts. Or they can live a simple life as civilians, helping in their own just as special ways.
"I realize you had a school of your own, along time ago, and though short lived I see how much good it did for your world. I believe, with my resources and confidence, this school will thrive for countless generations. We will show the Galaxy itself Classes are not something to be feared."
The Doctor looked around, seeing their determined faces, “I wish to hire you all. Starswirl here will be the Deputy Headmaster and Stygian will be the Head Counselor. The rest of you will all be the first teachers when this place opens up.”
The Pillars began to whisper to each other upon hearing this before The Doctor changed his tone. “I understand this will be some bloody hard work, and it’s going to take awhile just to get approval from the Senate for an interplanetary school and set everything up. Although at least the bureaucracy isn't as bad in this system as it is in others. Believe me, I hate doing things the long way, but for this?
"This will be worth it. I know we can do this. All I need are your approvals. That and students."
TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Series: My Little Galaxy
Saga 1: TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Origins: Smart Mouth
• Canterlot,
Canterlot might be widely known as the City of Unicorns... but when the sun went down... that's when the Thestrals took over.
The bat ponies, or Lunar Ponies as they are also known, ran their own businesses, paid their bills, complained about the nobles that ran night court, and essentially, lived their lives.
They had co-existed, peacefully, with the unicorns, since before the days of Luna's banishment. Though this was the only city they inhabited, in large numbers, and they made up a mere 10% of the population.
Despite living in the same city, due to their conflicting sleep schedules, there were unicorns that spent their entire lives, never meeting their Thestral neighbors.
The primary Lunar Pony Neighborhood, was built within hollowed out caverns, inside the mountain. Though this looked far from a ghetto.
Like most of Canterlot, the caves looked wealthy. Nicely carved designs, and street signs, in huge caverns that ran throughout the mountain. Similar to what Dwarves did, in fantasy novels. Dim blue lights were used as street lamps... and mostly for the convenience of Unicorns, that chose to visit the Lunar shopping district.
Fog covered the cobblestone floor. As a side effect of the clouds that held the family Estates, high above the shopping district. The hundreds of stone compounds, floating near the ceiling of the Caverns. With Bat ponies flying to and from. It was fairly common, for Lunar Ponies, to make houses that were a mixture of stone and cloud.
Bat ponies might not be able to control the weather, but they could walk on clouds, and handle them as if solid. Even pack them in, so densely, other creatures and objects, could stand on their surface. Much as Pegasus did... just with more stone.
It helped, that bat pony magics were more dominant then other ponies. With a pony, of any of the three tribes, being more likely to conceive a Thestral. This meant, there was little reason for Lunar Ponies to obsess with "Blood Purity" despite their small numbers. And would frequently court the Unicorns of Canterlot.
However, this constant exposure had caused the Lunar Ponies magic to mutate. Occasionally resulting in Thestrals with large curved horns. Usually 2 horns, but they could have as many as 6.
Thestrals, with horns, came to be heralded... but originally, it was looked down on as a deformity.
One, particular foal, was hoping something similar, would happen with him.
Deep in the Suburbs of Smart Manor, as the sun began to rise. The various unicorns began to reclaim their territory. As the nocturnal creatures got ready for sleep.
There was one particular colt, looking out the window as the sun came up. Longing for the sun. The bright light of the morning, should be stinging his slitted eyes... but seeing as the window wasn't actually real, and just enchanted to give a view of what surrounded Canterlot. Well, it really didn't make a difference to him.
If he was any other child, he would be waking up with the world, not being put to "bed". Although his version of "bed" didn't involve a real bed, So much as a dark, closet like, room to shut himself in. Where he would hang from the ceiling, and sleep... only problem was... Mouthy was scared to sleep upside down... So instead of resting, in the natural way all Bat Ponies do. He curled up on the floor, in a Basket.
Even by these Thestral standards, he was an oddity.
Mouthy was of the Smart Colony. A respectable family of nocturnal business ponies. Respected for both the inventions they brought to the world... and the sheer level of money those luxuries allowed them.
Smart Mouth, hardly had anything to do with that. He was only 7. Never having even seen beyond the Thestral District... with good reason. One of those being, when he said he was "7" he didn't mean years, so much as centuries.
Now Thestrals may live a long time, but they still matured as quickly as ponies... Smart Mouth... did not. For every hundred years, by their beloved Luna's calendar, Mouthy aged 1. Even by Hanyou standards, that was impressive.
That's right, Mouthy was not only a Thestral, a largely misunderstood creature of the night... but the spawn of a true demon.
Smart Mouth turned from the window and looked at his front paws. They were definitely paws, not hooves like his Daddy had. The little colt had hooves on his back legs, but his front legs had paws and weird looking digits called thumbs. Real ponies could just hold things because of a type of magical static cling, but he had to use the short digits and thumbs.
He was, mostly, a dark orange, but with a streak of blue going down his back, and partially his tail. Enhanced by blue stripes, on his withers, and the sides of his tail.
He had a dark gray underbelly, with an orange tinge, and similarly colored hooved legs, and forearms. Complemented by the keratin of his hooves, and the pads of his paws, being the same shade of blue as his back... and the spiky boyish style on his head.
A fluffy fox tail, and head. Though a good deal more cartoony and cute, then a real world fox.
His wings were leathery, and bat like. A dark grey, with blue bones showing through.
Where his yellow eyes, with The red tinge, had slit pupils.
At least he was allowed to style his mane how he liked. It was blue, cut in a short spiky boyish style that was popular with modern colts. His mane kinda naturally stood on end, so the adults didn't have to do anything to it. Just give it a quick brushing in the morning. Honestly, he kept his mane this way more out of laziness then style.
He looked weird. He had the classic pretty colt features, but with odd fox bits added on. It was obvious he wasn't a normal pony. Even so, he was not an abomination, just not the norm. That didn’t stop other ponies from staring at him, though.
His father refused to let him leave the family estate, without his big brother. With anywhere past the Thestral District, being completely forbidden... and Mouthy, being a good colt, listened to his father's boundries. It helped, that his big brother always made sure to steer the little boy to the various fun things, the Thestrals had.
What didn't help, were the funny looks, all the other Thestrals gave him... even the ones in his own family estate.
Thestrals may be small in number, but their Colonies tended to be Wealthy. Due to Luna funding them, in their early years.
Mouthy would want for nothing... except maybe friends....
There may be other kids here, his cousins, but they tended to stay away from him... they were frightened of him. He wasn't exactly bullied, but that was because of the Thestrals fear of him... they didn't yet realize, they had nothing to be scared of.
Smart Mouth was a special colt, with a destiny that stretched across time itself... One day, he would touch the stars... one day... he would be the salvation to a great many worlds... one day, entire Galaxies would sing of him... but that impending fate was far away. For now he was a little colt... that only knew he didn't belong.
The "Smart" Colony was wealthy, even by Thestral standards. A reputable family, of invention and business. Well known by the night ponies, but few others were aware of them. Mostly the upper class nobles, of various races, which traded with them.
The Smart Family had created the Global Wi-Fi, and specialized in improving the technologies of the great Prince Clockwork. Mostly, his early computers.
This Colony's greatest achievement, was when they took the chips and Circuits, found in medical equipment, and adapted those into a hoof-held device. Which were magically connected with each other, and their "servers". This allowed the "Smart Phones" to browse the various "Apps" they created.
Though, this particular house, belonged to a portion of the family, the rest of the Colony would rather pretend didn't exist.
The young colt kit let out a sigh, staring at the filtered Sun... longingly....
"Mouthy?"
The colt kit turned his eyes, to spy his older brother.
"What are you doing up?" asked Book Smarts.
Mouthy blushed, "Couldn't sleep." Admitted the little boy.
"You might find that a lot easier, if you went to your room and closed your eyes," Book shook his head.
Mouthy frowned... not wanting to admit he was scared of the dark. What kind of Batpony didn't like the dark?
"You aren't even wearing your special underpants," The older Colt Kit noted.
Mouthy had a bladder infection... back before they had medicines for that. Cure disease potions, might work with most things, but not infections or injuries.
Mouthy lived through it, which had been a miracle in those days... but not without leaving scars. The boy now had a very weak bladder, and while he had learned to control it, while awake... he nearly always wet himself, at night.
"Did you brush your teeth?" The teenagers asked.
Mouthy gave another sigh, continuing to stare out the "window" of their playroom. Then the little boy gave a groan, as his brother gently picked him up, by the scarf of his neck, and began carrying him out the room. Most likely towards the bathroom.
Book Smarts had always been awfully bossy, and way too overprotective... probably because dad relied a lot on him. Book had to help take care of the younger ones... he had a lot of responsibility forced on him... though not as much as most seven hundred and thirteen year olds.
Mouthy... was part of a litter of 3. However his siblings were all maturing at different ages. Hanyou, AKA Half Demons, were all very different from one another. The magic that allows them to reproduce, with any species, also uniquely mutates, within the offspring... or at least... that's how Koto Sensei explained it.
It just meant Hanyou look different, aged different, and reacted to potions differently, regardless if they had the same exact parents.
For Example: Book Smart had a pony head, though he kept the fox ears and sharp teeth. Although he still had a fox's coloring, but not the same colors as Mouthy. He was a bright red, with a white underbelly, and black four legs and hair. He even inherited the twin horns, of high born Thestrals. Which gave him near unicorn reality bending...
Mouthy wished he had those cool horns...
Unlike Mouthy, Book was in his early teens. As Book aged 1 year, for every 50.
Due to Mum, being out of the picture, Daddy hired Koto Sensei to teach them Kitsune magic. Though Only book smart had started on spell casting and racial powers. Mouthy was mostly learning the theory, and magical crafts. As his magical cores still hadn't stabilized. That can take a while, due to a Hanyou's conflicting soul. But Koto Sensei was teaching his pupils all kinds of things.
Daddy was a bit overprotective, himself. So he had his foals learning from a tutor, instead of going to school... as it be awkward for centuries old children, to attend a traditional primary school... not to mention, most schools wouldn't accept the foals.
Koto Sensei was teaching them how to read and write, math, interdimensional physics, advanced calculus. All the basic stuff, in a Yokai's education... which usually lasted a couple thousand years.
A modern Yokai child, spent nearly the same amount of time, studying out of self grading text books, as Time Pony foals.
Mouthy wasn't even aware of what Ponies taught their children.
Where as Book Smart was learning much cooler things. His magical core had stabilized, some hundreds of years ago. So he was studying Kitsune and Thestral magics. Shadow bending, solid illusions and transformations, elemental bending (but just with the affinities he was born with), and all kinds of spell like abilities.
Of course Kitsune magic was far more limited, then Unicorns. Most of it being focused on themselves, with a limited range of 30 feet for their offensive magics.
Thestrals where nearly as limited. While they could move through, and manipulate shadows. Their own shadow had to be touching the shadows they hoped to manipulate.
Hanyou were more limited then both parent species. Although they had access to most (if not all) of the powers. They couldn't use them to the same extreme as their parents... Usually.
Koto Sensei was teaching them how to get around this handicap, by teaching them magical crafts. Things like making Runes, Seals, Potions, and Enchantments.
Smart Mouth loved the crafting lessons the most, and liked to play with his potions set. He only had simple recipes like minor tummy ache soothers, but they were a lot of fun to make.
Koto wouldn't let him work on anything else, as he believed Mouthy to be too immature. Not just in his emotional range, but rather the boy's magic was too wild, and not ready for the higher awareness required of more complicated magical crafts.
Koto Sensei was also teaching the colt kits to be sneaky. As Kitsune were naturally very light footed, and Thestrals were literal masters of shadows. Stealth was an important skill to both species.
Mouthy's mind stopped wandering, once they reached the bathroom.
Book deposited his "younger" brother on a stool, in front of the sink. Before fetching a vial out of the medicine cabinet.
Handing it to the smaller colt kit, the teenager ordered, "Gurgle this, but don't swallow."
The little boy rolled his eyes, knowing perfectly well not to drink mouth wash potions.
The child's paw wrapped around the vial, that thumb really helping hold it. Downing the potion. The Colt Kit swished it around, and occasionally gurgling it. It took an entire 10 seconds, for the potion to clean away the plaque, repair any damage done to the teeth, whiten them, and even sharpen them.
The Zebra made these potions, special for the Thestrals. After all, Subponies had to stick together.
Spitting out the potion. The little boy proceeded to rinse the residue out of his mouth. Not because it tasted bad, it actually tasted gently of mint, but it was best to get as much of the potion out, as possible. Didn't want to accidentally swallow any.
Zebra had a special talent for brewing. They knew just what to do, in order to create a good taste, while not compromising the potion's effects.
Next... the prepubescent ColtKit blushed, as the teenager laid him down, on the counter... and started getting him into his "big boy pants", AKA, pullups... at least they weren't diapers anymore.
These were made of a mix of cloth, and plastic. They magically absorbed everything, and only took an hour to clean themselves. They were also designed to prevent leaks, even well sleeping upside down. They even grew with him.
These were rich foal pamps. As they could be re-used, forever. Constantly cleaning themselves.
Although Daddy wasn't particularly happy Smart Mouth wanted pink padding. Though the boy picked them out, more for the little Daleks, printed all over them... The Half demon loved the Doctor Who stories, the Yokai made. The books, audio dramas, videogames, comic books. They were just so cool!
Though Mouthy was supposed to take good care of them. Koto Sensei was adamant about that. This was stuff about the Doctor's real life. Based on Journals the Doctor's companions made. The Doctor was, after all, their god.
Mouthy had these books, before the rest of Equus was even AWARE of the Doctor. And, at first, he wasn't allowed to show them to non Yokai. Just in case the Doctor accidentally became aware of a "Spoiler" in his life.
"What you thinking about?" Book asked, as he finished adjusting the padding.
"Doctor Who," Mouthy spoke honestly.
Book shook his head, "Of course." Before picking him back up, and putting him on the floor. "Now let's get you back to bed."
On their way back through the hall, they heard the sound of angry voices. They were coming from the living room.
"What do you mean you're not coming with us!" The first voice was too outraged to be really asking.
The second voice, belonged to daddy, and was just as angry. "Queen Sparkle is transfering me to Ponyville."
The first voice scoffed. "Luna has invited ALL Thestrals, to join her. She needs to return to her moon, for at least a few years. To keep her company. It's our DUTY to go with her!"
"I made a commitment to the guard!"
"Luna's Guard!"
"Someone has to stay behind, not like you actually WANT me," Daddy snapped at the first voice... who was obviously turning out to be the Colony Elder. The one directly born of Luna... and so kinda just assigned themselves the role of 'Colony Leader'. "You lot have been pawning me off as 'somepony else's problem' since I was born. You don't have the right to demand ANYTHING from me!!!"
Book quickly steered his little brother away. Not wanting the colt kit to hear grownups yelling at each other... a hard thing to do, given how curious the little boy was to hear more. He did love a healthy dose of drama. That is, so long as it was other ponies'.
• Later that Day:
Mouthy... couldn't sleep. Daddy had come in, to plant a kiss on the colt kit's forehead, and wish him a good day... but that was hours ago.
Mouthy was in a dragon basket, on the floor... Koto Sensei had bought it, when he learned Mouthy didn't like sleeping upside down... Daddy really didn't approve, but he let the boy have his large fluffy Basket. The comfy round mattress, and multitude of cozy comforters, with plushies as his pillows. It all just spoke to the Hanyou.
The closet like room, was really cluttered. There were drawers and cabinets, on every inch, of both the left and right wall. Where the back wall was made up entirely of shelves. The front wall, had a sliding door, made of a glass mirror. Only the corners, of the front wall, didn't have any clutter... So obviously, Mouthy covered them in glowing stickers, and posters.
The very top shelf, of his back wall, held his collection of glowing crystals. Which light was reflected by the mirror doors, giving the tiny room a pleasant glow, of dim blue light.
Looking around his room... Mouthy really wasn't sleepy... Koto Sensei explained that his magic was closer to Kitsune demons, in one particular way, that his siblings didn't inherit.
He only needed 3 hours of sleep. Where most Bat Ponies sleep 20 hours, during the day, and only really wander around for the 10 hours of night.
This meant Mouthy spent a good 17 hours... with nothing to do... He usually spent that time reading, in the dim light. His family really didn't understand, that he just didn't need as much sleep as they did.
He had a lot of trouble, with going to sleep, and staying asleep. But he tried to be a good colt, and stay in his room... unfortunately... Mouthy really wanted a drink.
Regardless if he was supposed to stay in bed or not, he tended to get hungry, or in this case thirsty, in the middle of the day... a downside to his demon blood, was he needed to eat and drink WAY more then ponies...
He also needed to munch on meat, which freaked them out to no end. Sure, Pegasus occasionally ate fish, but those were so stupid they weren't even sentient, much less Sapient. Ponies would often feed fish, and most insects, to the animals they cared for. Or at least, to the predators... But Mouthy needed more then that...
He ate like a mix between a Thestral... and a Kitsune. Fox demons eat things like rabbits and chickens. They were a healthy part of their diet. Where as bat ponies ate fruits, grains, pastries, and needed lots of sugar. Like most ponies species.
Although, unlike ponies... Mouthy was highly allergic to vegetables. He would break out into hives, and swell up. Especially lettuce, and even ponies favorite snack of flowers....
Rregardless of what food he ate, and really the little colt kit needed to learn to keep his mind on track, he was really thirsty.
He finally got fed up with the thirst, and cracked open the door to his "bedroom". Just outside was the foals' playroom. Lots of knickknacks, and the odds and ends of children growing up.
Smart Mouth used his super special awesome sneaking skills, to slink past the two other, closet-like, bedrooms. He needed to, if he didn't want to wake his extra light sleeper of a sister.
Curious Cat... Well... Mouthy called her his baby sister. In truth, she was just as old as Mouthy... though physically... slightly more mature. More the equivalent of a pony 9 year old. But Mouthy had been born first!
Mouthy, sometimes wondered, what it be like... if his mother had lived. Thestrals had longevity. Though not immortality. Although the Hanyou had that to, due to being part demon, and all.
Dad had been around since the days of Starswirl. He, like many Thestrals, was a descendant of Luna... although many other descendants of Orphans, Luna had taken in, and blessed with her magics.
Unlike Celestia, who had an "issue with playing god", Luna blessed her children with dark magicks... to extend their lives as long as possible. Creating an entire race of ponies with longevity. Old age would never claim any of them... but they could still die of other things, like sickness or starvation... or even injury.
This meant, although it was inconvenient for dear old dad to be raising children for hundreds of years, dad would always be there...
Unfortunately, Mom, a proud fox demon... had died during childbirth.
Mouthy might be hundreds of years old, but he still had the emotional range of a typical 7 year old... but he wasn't exactly sad over his Mother's death. Yes he missed her, but more the idea of her... learning the real thing had kinda disillusioned him...
A few hundred years ago, he heard some of the elders talking... about how they suspected mum to be guilty of Stallion abuse, and how it was a good thing she died without the children ever having to know her.
Mouthy had been thinking about how the Kitsune had been beating her husband... his daddy... and became just as grateful she was dead before he met her... for some reason that hurt his chest to think about... little foals should not think such things about anyone... but the mare, errr whatever you call a female fox, had hurt the colt's dad.
Mouthy tried talking with his daddy about it... and dad just ended up getting mad at the Colony Elders. Mouthy tried to explain, that his ears were good enough to hear all over the compound... but Daddy was mad, embarrassed, and a good deal ashamed.
He ended up making excuses for mum, saying she was overly stressed. That she was complicated. That she was a Yokai, and they were naturally more strict with their submissive partners.
So naturally, Mouthy asked if she was still around, if daddy would have let her hurt him, like she did daddy. That got Daddy to go really quiet, before he gave a strangely serious promise that he wouldn't let any creature hurt his children, not even their mother... to which Mouthy asked if that meant he won't get spankings anymore. Daddy just rolled his slitted eyes, ruffled the boy's hair, and told him as soon as he stops being a brat, he won't need spankings.
Shaking his head, and getting his mind back on track, Mouthy continued his journey. His brain tended to wander way too much. It just jumped from topic to topic.
The colt kit got back to Sneakily sneaking passed his sister's room, hoping to be spared her wrath from an interrupted beauty sleep. Through the playroom, and into the hall.
There was light talking, far more calm... and with a new pony. The first voice had obviously left, and someone else had replaced him.
Mouthy looked around the bright hallway. The windows lighting it well... a bit too well. Even with the magical filters, the afternoon sky stung the Colt kit's eyes.
Taking the turn, Mouthy got to the living room, and was a little shocked to see daddy awake and drinking Cider, with a very special guest.
Not only did the colt kit expect the voices to be coming from the projector, but he was under the impression he would find daddy sleeping to a show.
"Auntie Computer Wiz!" Smart Mouth grinned spotting his favorite Aunt on the couch. He excitedly ran over to her, but frowned when he saw she was all misty eyed.
"Hi honey," The mare reached out and ruffled his mane, as she forced her eyes to dry and showed a clearly fake smile.
Mouthy studied her horns a moment. Auntie Computer Wiz was what is known as a "High Born" Thestral. She had goat like horns, which let her cast spells nearly as well as a Unicorn. It was a rare gene, that occasionally popped up in specific families... which was part of the reason the Colony was so disappointed Daddy married a Yokai.
Daddy might not be a "High Born" himself, but he did have the recessive gene... even if it was Dormant.
Regardless, it looked like Auntie was still upset about losing her husband. Smarty Pants Senior died in a wagon accident, some months back. Soon after, their son's egg hatched... as Thestrals lay eggs, as opposed to live births.
The foal was a healthy colt, which she named "Smarty Pants Junior". No relation to the "Smartie Pants" the doll.
Auntie had been visiting a lot more often, ever since, getting help from Daddy in taking care of her newborn.
Uncle Smarty Pants had been a nice stallion, but honestly Smart Mouth didn't know him very well. Before he died Smart Mouth rarely got to see Auntie, so the foal didn't know him very well.
Of course, they were newly weds. So can't expect them to spend all their time with family.
"Buddy," Daddy got his attention, looking strangely serious. "It's well past your bedtime."
"But I'm thirsty," Smart Mouth whined. He will admit, this time, it was definitely a whine. He just wanted to stay with Auntie.
Daddy sighed. He walked over to the kitchen which was directly connected to the living room and separated only by a long counter. He pulled out a cup from the cupboard, and poured some water into it from the faucet. He quickly screwed on a lid, and brought it back to the colt kit.
"I'M TOO OLD FOR A SIPPY!!!" This time, Mouthy made a very sound argument.
Daddy rolled his eyes, "It's not a sippy, it's a sports bottle. I'm not having you bring a cub, without a lid, to your room."
Mouthy pouted, as his Daddy handed him the bottle. "Sports Bottles" were a relatively new form of cup. Only having been around these last 200 years. Mouthy was still hesitant to trust them, as not a ploy to get him back on sippies. Daddy was sneaky like that. It was in his name, after all.
Regardless, Mouthy took the bottle, and allowed himself to be sent away. But the Stallion really was practically begging to be eavesdropped on. So Smart Mouth, being a good little colt, sat in the hallway, drinking from his sippy. Too suspicious to put up much of a fuss, about the baby bottle.
"Sorry about that," Daddy said to Auntie. Once Mouthy was gone from sight.
"It's okay," assured Auntie. "You've got a house filled with foals, it's bound to happen..." She grew quiet, and an awkward silence filled the room.
"Stealth..." Auntie finally spoke, though she was still hesitant. "Do... do you think we're cursed?"
Daddy didn't answer.
"Your mother, my sister, your wife... My husband... So many ponies lost..."
"It really does feel like it sometimes..." Daddy admitted taking a sip of his own drink, "It's the reason I refuse to let what happened to my wife affect my children. When my own mother died giving birth to me... Father couldn't even stand the sight of me. I spent my foalhood bouncing from house to house as he pawned me off on other family members.
"I always told myself I'd be a good father if something like that happened to me... I just... Never thought it would.” Daddy sighed unhappily and took a sip of his cider. “Still... I love my children, and will raise them with all the love they could ever hope to have..."
Auntie stared up at the ceiling for a moment, as Daddy continued, “You know, I think we are cursed but. But that's why we need to spit in the face of whatever asshole deity keeps bucking with us! Why we need to cling to what we have…” Auntie stared off into the distance as Daddy spoke his wisdom.
"Are you really not joining us..." Auntie asked. "I know you have always felt like the black sheep of the family... but we do love you."
"No Wiz," Daddy shook his head. "You love me. The rest of the family couldn't care less... maybe, instead of trying to convince me to come with you, you should be coming with me."
Auntie blinked, so Stealth took that as an invitation, and continued. “You know I'm not very good at the whole comforting thing... but I worry about you. With our new Queen, transferring me over to our new capital of Ponyville, you won't have the support of the disgraced corner of the Colony, anymore."
Mouthy could hear the light smile in his Auntie's voice. "Ah, yes, how will I cope with only the support of the rest of the family estate."
Dad got quiet.
So Auntie sighed, realizing Daddy was mostly speaking for himself. "I have a good job out here, working for the family business... And it was hard getting Junior in the Celestial Daycare. Ever since my sister passed I've been having to look after my niece too. She's so distraught she actually dropped out of her apprenticeship."
"I know.” Daddy hummed thoughtfully. “Bring her too,"
Auntie sighed, "I can't just drop everything, and I couldn't burden you like that."
Daddy thought for a moment. "We might be distant cousins, but we were raised together, a good portion of the time. There's a reason my children call you 'Auntie'. I consider you a sister."
"Please, stay with me instead. I might not be much help, but I know a thing or two about losing a spouse... I could help you. Besides, they will need someone to continue working planet side, for the family business. Regardless what the Elder thinks, we need ponies to stay behind. We can't just cut all ties with the other pony tribes. We got along for a thousand years, without Luna. She can't honestly expect us to drop our old lives, and return with her, to the moon.
"From what I remember of her, mind you I was a foal and she my daunting grandmother, she wanted us to make our own way.
"Plus, since I'm working as an Archer for the Princess of Friendship's Royal Guard, I can probably get Princess Twilight to enroll your foals in her school and daycare, free of charge, as a member of my household."
"Really living up to your name eh, 'Stealthy Intellect'," Auntie chuckled, "Trying to bribe me?"
"You know it’s a good idea. Besides Street Smart, is getting to be a real hoof full–And like you said Smart Alec needs help. In her state of mind she's willing to destroy her future, and neither of us want that. They could both do with some time under the guidance of the Council of Friendship... please Wiz, stay with me. You can still work here, at the family business. It isn't even that long of a commute from Ponyville. I need you just as much as you need me right now."
Auntie needed some time to think that over. To be honest, both ponies were sad and frightened, even though each one didn’t want to show it.
Daddy was nervous, being transferred to a new city. It didn't help most of the family was moving to the moon.
However, Auntie had a lot of things going on in Canterlot. If she did decide to stay planet side. It would be in her best interest, to stay in Canterlot.
Deep down, they both knew they needed each other. If they were together they’d stay strong through the pain. Maybe that was worth it. Auntie finished thinking and sighed, "Alright..."
"Woo-hoo!" Smart Mouth cheered.
"Smart Mouth!" Daddy scolded, "Go. To. Bed!"
"Sorry Daddy!" The colt grinned before running off to give his brother the good news.
• As the Years Pass in Ponyville:
Stealthy Intellect, and Auntie Computer Wiz, had taken their own houses, and moved them to the mountains to the west of Ponyville. Keeping them on the same cloud, although it was much smaller now.
A surprisingly large number of Thestral guards, from various colonies, agreed it was their duty to move to Ponyville... at least three thousand guards stayed planet side.
Twilight, gave them one of the mountains, to the West... that hadn't already been assigned to the dragons.
The Night Guard, along with their immediate families and the friends that chose to stay with them, were given a month off. This allowed them to use pony construction techniques, to hollow out the mountain. Filling it with the comforts of home, such as carved buildings with cloud floors.
It may be a smaller mountain, but it could easily hold the small town of Thestrals.
The colony clouds were now a lot smaller. As most of the houses were imported to the moon. The colonies that stayed on Equus... scattered to the winds across all of Equestria. The Night Guards might have moved to Ponyville, but they weren't the only ones to stay.
Most of the Technomancers, of the Smart Colony, had decided to stay in Canterlot. In order to continue to run the family business... which was why the Elder was so mad. A good 10th of his clan, was staying behind.
Other lines, with businesses rooted in their magics, decided to stay behind as well. Although most of them moved out to some other city. In order to expand their businesses, in another way colonies wouldn't allow... due to wanting to stay in Canterlot.
Then there were the various Misfits, that wanted to stay planet side. They went out, alone, to find a place for themselves.
For the past few years, Auntie took the public train for her nightly commute to Canterlot. Working with the other Smart Thestrals, that stayed behind.
Due to the limited numbers, and Auntie's sheer work ethic, she was easily spotted, and made Vice President of her department. Which was I.T.
While she was at it, Stealthy was spending his nights at the Castle of Friendship, or patrolling the Everfree. He usually took the early Sunset shift. That way he would be home in time to tuck in his children, at Sunrise. Thankfully, he had weekends off.
Both the older kids were doing much better, thanks to frequent exposure to the Bearers of Harmony. The teenagers were apprenticing at Twilight's school of friendship. Although it was technically a school to train world leaders, diplomats, and politicians the school taught a little bit of everything. The teens had eagerly soaked up all that they could. Now they were in their Senior year and eager to move beyond it, to study under a legitimate master of their desired trades.
Koto Sensei would come by, to babysit and tutor the children. While The older teens went to study night classes, at the School of Friendship.
The old kitsune came by, from his own private pocket dimension. He would rip open a portal, with the ease of scratching the air, and just casually walk through it.
Mouthy couldn't wait until he learned that spell. Dimensional manipulation was one of the Yokai's signature fields of magic.
Koto Sensei would allow the foals a few hours, to wander the town. Independence was, after all, an important part of both Pony and Yokai culture. Usually practiced from an early age... Koto thought these foals were a bit stunted, due to an over protective family unit.
Though Koto made sure to stay near the children, just where they couldn't smell him. Yokai, much like Draconequus, just gave children the illusion of independence.
While Curious Cat did her own thing, making friends as easily as breathing. Book Smart dragged his little brother to the castle of Friendship.
Unfortunately, their time at the castle was rather boring. His siblings loved it, but Mouthy tended to stay away from the other kids that played there. He just had trouble understanding them and they kept claiming he was weird... until one day... Mouthy made a friend.
A friend no one else could see. Then another appeared, and another. Once they were aware of Mouthy, the Invisible creatures flocked to him. Dad claimed they were imaginary... but Mouthy had his doubts about that...
• 14 Years into the Space Age:
One day, during Daddy's day off. The door bell rang. On the other side was Doctor Whooves. He was Queen Twilight's Head Wizard, and the Time Lord god himself... He was just standing there.
Daddy was amazed that someone so powerful, so important, would just be there. Though not particularly puzzled by the Earth pony's ability to get up to the Thestrals clouds. Even in the cavern. It must have something to do with Guard business.
"How urgent is it?" Stealthy asked.
The Doctor blinked, "Urgent? No, no, not urgent at all. Though I wouldn't say it's not important. Perhaps we could discuss it over a pot of tea?" The Doctor smiled.
Stealthy blinked, even more puzzled. Twilight wouldn't have sent the Doctor here for idle chit chat... and a god doesn't just step on your door for the same... well... not unless you're Fluttershy.
Stealthy hesitantly looked at the Doctor, then back at his children. “Please come in?” The Doctor nodded at the young god, and guided him deeper into the stone manor.
As Stealth made his way to the formal sitting room, he shooed the children away. “Foals, go play. The adults need some privacy.”
The children slowly left, and made their way to their playroom, as Stealthy directed the Doctor to his sitting room.
The Doctor spoke up, just as the youngest was about to disappear. “Smart Mouth? Could you please stay here with us?” Mouthy would rather be playing.
Daddy looked slightly worried about this. Koto Sensei would lecture Mouthy about what an honor it was, that the Doctor wanted to speak with him, but there were lots of gods hanging around Ponyville these days. Discord was here at least once a week. Besides, although he knew and loved the cartoons and Audio Dramas, the Doctor himself was kinda scary.
Daddy pinned his ears back, in a slightly frightened manner. “What would you want with Smart Mouth, sir?”
“Relax.” The doctor smiled. "I merely picked up, the boy's magical core has stabilized."
"Yes..." Stealth eyed suspiciously, while wondering why that should concern the god. "Mister Koto informed me, and started training the boy on more complicated magicks."
Whooves nodded, "While I'm sure, Mister Koto, no idea who that is, but I'm sure he does a good job, I would be interested in enrolling the boy in my school."
Stealth's eyes slowly blinked, looking down at his youngest, though technically the middle child. "My Colony test all our children, he showed no talent for Technomancy."
"True, these things tend to run in families, but it's not always the same type of manifestation." The Doctor explained. "My school would be able to help him develop his gifts, that your Colony, or even whoever this 'Mister Koto' is, I assume he's a magic tutor? Probably a Kitsune, given the unfortunate-ness that happened with your wife. Real shame that, deepest condolences, and what not.
"Anyway, no one in your family, or whom you employ, would be able to teach the boy how to harness his more unique gift. My School can help with that." talking with this god was like talking with a chattering monkey. Incoherent thoughts expressed as randomly as possible.
Smart Mouth was, somehow, keeping up... probably because he thought just as abstractly.
The Colt Kit was busy playing with his Smart Phone, trying to pretend he wasn't listening to the conversation... but looked up at the word 'School', a little nervous as well as excited by the concept.
Children technically didn't begin secondary school until they were 11. That's when they started learning how to control their racial magics, but Mouthy already had Koto Sensei for that.
Mouthy wasn't physically old enough to start... and even when he was... secondary school was all about teaching the more detailed culture and history of the child's species. As well as their racial powers... Hybrids were too complicated, and unique, to be taught in such a setting.
Although there were some Secondary schools that taught various races a specific style of magic. Like with wands or staffs or something... However, those were very selective schools, and getting the equipment for them was expensive. Not that that was a problem for trust fund babies, like the Smart Colony.
Stealthy eyed the Doctor, "I heard about your magic school, but Mouthy's... a bit too different from a normal Thestral. He needs a more specialized education."
Mouthy didn't deflate at the word "Normal". His dad had taught him that being normal was actually a bad thing, cuz they were all boring.
"Oh You have no idea." The Doctor smiled as well. "My school teaches academics alongside magic, but it's probably a different kind of magic then you're expecting.” The doctor waved a hoof majestically.
“Magic is in all of us. Even in Earth ponies and Griffins. However, sometimes it comes out in strange ways. What causes this is unknown but I have found a noticeable pattern! Certain powers tend to appear in specific groupings. I call these 'Classifications of Atypical Magical Manifestations', or rather 'Classes'. I want to teach these gifted children how to control these rare powers.”
Daddy nodded, understanding this but not understanding how this related to his son. “Are you saying my son is... gifted?”
“Yes,” the Doctor nodded. "And Queen Twilight has been fascinated by Classes, ever since she learned her friend Pinkie Pie had one. When she learned they were real and not just a myth, well, she's been funding my research into them ever since! So when I told her I wanted to open up a school to actually help these people, she was all for it,"
"People?" Mouthy blinked.
The Doctor explained, "That's what you call any creature aware of mind and magic. Not everyone is a pony after all. As I'm sure you know,"
The little Colt kit nodded, knowing all too well.
Daddy eyed, "I know what your school is... But I haven't seen Mouthy show any signs of... a Class."
"That's because it's subtle," explained the Doctor, "You know all those 'imaginary friends' of his?”
Daddy nodded. “He has a very active imagination.”
The doctor shook his hoof. “Well they aren't imaginary. They're ghosts!"
Daddy paused. If it had been anyone else he would think they were high on salt, but this was the Doctor. He was literally a god. He also had a wealth of technology and information that would have led him here. “I had no idea.” he didn't know what else to say.
"Your son has great potential. The speed and dexterity of a Thestral, not to mention those nifty shadow bending powers. Combined with the natural stealth and magic of a Kitsune. Then there is the affinity for Restoration magics, and the divine powers, of a Cleric. And to top it all off, there is the variety of powers from his Necromancy Archetype. He has the potential to become a very powerful master of the craft!"
"Necromancy!?" Daddy gaped. "Are you telling me my son is a Corpse Humper!?" The little colt kit shrank at that. Whatever a 'Corpse Humper’ was, it did not sound good.
The Doctor sighed, "I thought you would be more sensitive to the misconceptions that come with classes."
Daddy blushed and hugged his son, as if to protect him from his own corpse humping ways. "How can you be sure?"
"Well, firstly, the way he moves and the stiffness of his joints. That all indicates a higher bone density. A clear sign of Necromancers, as a result of their ability to manipulate their own bones. Although the more obvious sign is his friends. They are phantoms. I might not be able to hear them but as a trained wizard, I have the means to detect them.”
The doctor continued. "My school will be able to help him control these gifts and use them for the betterment of Equestria.
"It doesn't just teach how Classes work though. My students receive the best education, both magical and academic. There, children will learn at their own pace from computers, with breaks for class participation activities, such as labs and story time. I'll also take them on weekly Field Trips to expand their worldview. I'll make sure they eat and have their naps. All expenses and board is included.”
Stealthy nibbled his bottom lip. "I'm familiar with classes."
"You would be." The Doctor nodded. "The Smart Colony has become one of the more famous families, of technomancers. Even though your lucky if a 10th of your children are born with the gift."
"Doctor..." The Thestral Guard expressed his worry. "Ponies, with classes... don't exactly have the best reputations. No matter how useful they can be."
The Doctor interjected, "And Necromancers have an even worse rep, as you yourself demonstrated." Daddy looked ashamed at that, but the Doctor continued. "Most, however, are as honorable as people can get. They are rather obsessed with helping the dead rest, and are more benevolent than what films might have you believe..."
The Doctor then admitted, "Sadly I can't protect your son from such prejudice, but I can give him a place to belong. A place with other kids like him. They'll grow up together and learn to master their powers in a safe environment.” The Doctor pointed at daddy. “Isn't that something you would have liked when you were a foal?"
Daddy thought hard. "What's the catch?"
"Hummm?" The Doctor blinked.
"You're telling me, a government sponsored school, for children with... Classes, of all things! Isn't hoping to get something out of this?"
The Doctor sighed, "I was getting to that. You see, and this is purely voluntary after graduation, The students have an automatic acceptance into a special program.
"They will be given a lot of freedom to live... But will receive the occasional missions. They could, if they choose, become government agents. A mix between Celestia's monster hunters, and the Equestria Interplanetary Fleet. Charged with exploration and defense throughout the Star Cluster."
The Doctor walked towards the picture window, and looked out at the sky. "We are hoping to have the Mass Effect drive done, by the first graduating class.
"See my universe teaches all the way through college. Primary to college, depending on when the Magical Core stabilizes. Different for every species, that is. So have to be flexible with admittance.
"Anyway, our first students will be graduating college, in a few more years, and the joint sciencist of the Planetary Fleet, should have the Mass Effect Drive ready to install in a ship by then.
"You lot will be able to start exploring your Star Cluster with that, and who knows, maybe even find a Mass Relay soon after. You are pretty close to the end of the Star Cluster, after all. Mass Relays like the Edge of things...what was I talking about?" The Doctor tapped his chin, with a hoof. "So many thoughts, hard to keep them straight. It's just annoying when you get that kind of face?"
Stealthy hesitantly nodded, despite not understanding what the Time Lord was talking about.
Strangely Mouthy answered, "You were saying, since the Mass Effect Engine, is almost finished, your first class of graduating students will be able to get their own ship." was that what he was saying? Stealthy wondered.
"Oh! That's right," The Doctor smacked his hoof, into his other one. Then continued. "Very good timing that. Though me, I'm good with time." He winked at Mouthy... perhaps acting like a goof for the child's benefit. "Queen Sparkle, set up a special division in the Interplanetary Fleet. So any Secondary School graduate, from my fine establishment, can enroll.
"Students, with good enough grades, can continue on at my university level. And THEN enroll in this special Division of the Interplanetary Fleet. Where they can immediately be listed as officers, of the ground parties."
"This Division will be more independent. Free Range, if you will. Accountable only to the United Council. They would not be above the spirit of the law, but they would have permission to act outside it. Though they would have to explain the need to do so."
"So you want my son to be some kind of Secret Agent?" Daddy eyed.
"Not so secret, he would be asked to directly represent the Equus System to other planets. A champion of Equus!” The Doctor turned back to Daddy hopefully. “Think of this as going to military school. He will receive the training, but it is up to him if he actually joins when he graduates."
Regarding of the Doctor's speech, Daddy wasn't convinced. "Well all that sounds well and good. Mouthy ages differently then ponies. Would you actually be willing to keep him at your school, long enough to receive a proper education?"
"Time runs different at my school. Mouthy will be able to spend over a decade learning, and accumulate the knowledge of several centuries. All without aging more then the outside world."
"That's actually a problem." Daddy sighed. "Mouthy will be a kid, for a few hundred more years, past a millennium... by the time he graduates your school, he still won't be accepted into the working world."
The Doctor frowned, "Yokai have... different degrees of adulthood then ponies. While they still believe in awarding privileges, at milestones, as opposed to just throwing the kids into adulthood. When they start rewarding those privileges is different. Due to how long Yokai live, and their ability to build themselves knew bodies when they die."
Daddy paled, "They can WHAT!?"
The Doctor blinked, remembering this Stallion had a Yokai Wife... a dead Yokai wife... one he likely wouldn't want to see again. "It's a skill, meaning it needs to be learned and practiced. Most Yokai can't do it." And due to this Stallion's treatment... that particular kit's soul was used to feed the devil's the Yokai traded with. A practice the Doctor didn't approve of, but he tried to stay out of the Yokai's legal system... and politics in general.
"More importantly!" The Doctor hopped in his seat. "Yokai tend to let their children experiment with Independence as young as 5... given that is actually five hundred. Then they are expected to start their apprenticeship, as soon as their magical core stabilizes... which for Yokai is seven hundred. I'm actually surprised a Hanyou is matching Yokai maturity so completely. They tend to be a bit off the mark, when it comes to that."
Daddy rolled his eyes. The god most certainly didn't have to explain the obvious, to a father of three Hanyou. It would be a miracle if he hadn't noticed that.
The Doctor went back to frowning, "Yokai are... weird. Their cognitive functions develop rather quickly. Lots of synapses firing from an early age. However, their emotional range, never matures further then a young child. Even their reasoning skills develop... differently then most sapient creatures. They are more animal like, by their very nature. Extremely intelligent animals, but still just animals.
"As a result Hanyou tend to think differently. They are emotionally stunted, and have difficulty grasping social norms, of either species. Need all the help they can get, and rarely get it."
Stealthy looked up at the god, glaring. "I know all that."
The Doctor nodded, "My school is probably the only place, in this entire realm of existence, that can teach the boy what he needs. Your other kids are fine, learning from a Yokai tutor, but due to this boy's additional gift... and the nature of those gifts... he is going to have a harder time of it."
The Doctor sat straight, giving a disarming smile. Instead of his default goofy grin. "And don't worry. As I said, it isn't mandatory for my students to join the Fleet. It is only encouraged. And IF the boy actually WANTS to, he still needs your legal approval."
"And what," Stealthy eyed. "Exactly, would happen if I gave my approval?"
The Doctor's frown returned.
Stealthy held up a hoof. "I just want to know what all his options are." and, in all honesty, it wasn't likely that Mouthy would be accepted in any other group, that would acknowledge the boy's limitations. Might be the only place, in all of the multiverse, that would respect his Yokai blood... without subjecting the boy to their harsh laws.
The Doctor thought on it. "As I said, Yokai have a different definition of adulthood." The god gave a shrug. "but rest assured, Queen Sparkle was able to create a system more acceptable by pony ethics. Due to his physical maturity, and the treaty with Yokai, he would stay in a purely Apprentice level capacity, for hundreds of more years.
"That's mostly doing D Rank assignments, which amount to chores on board his vessel. Occasionally C Rank, which is the away Missions, though never unsupervised. He won't be getting any B Rank missions. Much less higher threat levels. Not until he's at least hit puberty."
Stealthy nodded, "So he'd be more like a cabin colt?" That didn't sound so bad. Then the thought immediately came to him. "It's a boarding school, isn't it?"
The Doctor sighed, "I'm afraid so. Like any form of magic, Classes can be unstable during learning. They need constant supervision as they practice their art. It would be dangerous otherwise. However you can come visit him on family day, every weekend, and he will return home for the holidays."
Daddy looked down at Smart Mouth, who had just been staring at the Doctor, listening intently. Neither was entirely certain, but they both intrinsically knew the gravity of what they were hearing.
Daddy sighed and looked into the distance. He could hear the jeers of Smart Mouth’s classmates in a regular school. Necromancy was massively understood! Daddy knew that Smart Mouth would have an even tougher time understanding himself. That is, if he didn’t have a proper teacher.
Sure, Koto Sensei was a smart kitsune, but this was out of his league. Maybe, the Doctor turning his son into a champion of Equus, wasn’t such a bad idea, given the circumstances. "Alright... I'll let him go to your school."
View Online
TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Episode 1 - First Day, pt1: 1st Time Leaving Home
Author's Note
This chapter is dedicated to my Aunt, who recently passed.
See my mom left my dad, for my dad's cousin that was raised like my dad's sister. So in truth she was my step mom.
We called her "Auntie" because it was more socially acceptable, in the 90s, for lovers to tell people they were "Aunts" instead.
I can't make this shit up, my life is a soap opera!!!
Regardless, in this idealized version of my life, without My abusive Bio-mom, my step mom is still around. Still my mom, and definitely not romantic with her cousin. Cuz that's a level of weird I'm not willing to get into (shudders). And I don't think my dad would appreciate me shipping him with his cousin.
Little Smart Mouth just has an unorthodox family.
Ch1, First of Many pt1: 1st Time Leaving Home
Series: My Little Galaxy
Saga 1: TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Chapter 1: First of Many
Part 1: 1st Time Leaving Home
The Smart Manor had been a mess of busy-ness. While Daddy was herding the other children, Auntie was forcibly double checking Mouthy's luggage... which she had already done, last night.
Mouthy wanted to huff, to pout, but he dare not... for Auntie could be all kinds of scary.
She checked all the slots of the Colt kit's trunk, one final time, before nodding firmly.
Closing it up, before pushing a button on the side. Making the trunk shrink to pocket sized. Then quickly handing it over to Mouthy.
To which the little boy ignored the trunk, and squeezed his Auntie into a hug.
"I..." the little colt kit tried to find the words. This was important. He would be leaving for the better part of a year. "I love you." he insisted, with all his soul.
"I love you to, Sweetie." Auntie promised, though clearly she was confused what was going on... she thought the boy was eager to go study under the Doctor.
"You..." The boy tried to say, "You mean the world to me. You're the closest thing to a mom I ever had." he forced out.
The bat pony mare, stiffened. "No, that's not right." she broke the hug. Before guiding the little boy's chin with her hoof. So that they were looking deeply into each other's eyes. "I AM your mom." She said firmly, "Just as much as your father is father to my children."
"Even if you aren't married?" Mouthy asked.
Auntie smiled, "You're being weird again." she teased. "Trust me, when your mature enough to understand, you'll be thankful I'm not incestual with my cousin."
The boy tilted his head.
"Romance isn't what binds family. It's not even blood. I love you as my own, regardless of my relationship, or lack there of, to your father. Do you understand?" Auntie... Mom, smiled down at me.
"I think so..." The boy lied. This was all very confusing. But he trusted his mother's word. She was the one who taught him social norms... something he greatly struggled with. His half demon brain, always did have trouble grasping such things. He relied a lot on this mare, for that.
• Meanwile:
Street Smart left his new house, within his family compound. This... was strange. In a thousand years, the bat pony colonies had always stuck together. But ever since Luna returned to her moon, the Thestrals had scattered to the winds. Those that didn't join Luna, were slowly parting from each other.
Street Smart might have moved out of his mother's house... but he still lived in the new compound... Regardless, that didn't stop others from leaving all together. Even his young cousin.
Lunar foals didn't normally leave the colony, not even for schooling. As There were once teachers within the colony... now... there weren't.
The teachers had left with most of the other Thestrals. Then... the family that stayed behind began to part ways...
Even his Cousin was leaving. For all Streets life, the eternal 7 year old had been a constant... following him around, getting into his comic books... and now...
Street sighed, too many things were changing. It was a large enough stress to fall back into his salt addiction. But he had been sober for 5 years now. He didn't need it. He was stronger then that...
Shaking his head, Street walked through the estate of cloud and stone. He needed to tell Mouthy goodbye, and remember it wasn't forever. He would see the colt this weekend... everything was going to be fine.
The day finally came for the kids to journey to the Doctor's school. The school year was ready to begin. Smart Mouth’s family, along with everyone else, found themselves journeying to the nearest ‘Portal Port' by way of the train.
Mouthy found himself with his father, brother, Auntie, her sons and niece, and Finally his younger sister. Quite the big family. They had gotten their own private car, on the train. Even if the ride was only a few hours, they would be arriving in the early morning. The Lunar ponies would need to take a nap to get through the day.
Mouthy was looking out the window, never having seen the sun before. Not the real sun. That is, without a filter. The sky was so bright, it hurt the boy's eyes, but the little boy refused to look away. Most of his family was sleeping.
Mouthy's eagerness, at the sight of the painful sky, had him wiggling in his chair. He couldn't stop fidgeting. It was even worse then usual. “Are we there yet?”
His brother, who didn't trust Mouthy to resist getting into some kind of mischief, looked up from his book. He had chosen to stay up, with Mouthy... although he was already getting tired. “Almost. We just passed The Pie Rock Farm, so we are approaching the edge of Ponyville's borders."
Mouthy sighed not being particularly happy with that answer. Book Smarts picked up the slack. Needing something to distract Mouthy. “I spy with my little eye, a crab.”
Mouthy looked out the window. There wasn’t any water out there. “I don’t see it.”
“See, up there,” Book Smarts pointed up at a vaguely crab shaped cloud.
“I don’t see it.”
“It’s obviously a crab.”
“You’re crazy!" Mouthy huffed and just went back to looking out the window, trying to see the crab. While wondering why it be in the sky, above a wasteland.
The rest of the ride was uneventful, until they pulled into the station. The train parked right in front of a large building, looking much like one of the "airports" on Pathfinder.
This particular "Portal Port" had been set up by the Yokai when the ponies entered the space age, as a way to connect all the planets of the Equus system. There were a few of these stations all over the planet, in between major cities, similar to the set up of the other planets of the System.
Unlike Pathfinder's airports, instead of planes, each of these gates led to a different portal (hundreds of portals) connected to other gates throughout the system. Mouthy just needed to walk right through in order to get somewhere else... the notion shouldn't be so scary.
All that was required was a cheap ticket purchase, to cover the upkeep of the enchantments. Twilight wanted to have it covered by taxes, like the train, but individuals didn't use these portals near enough to justify raising taxes for that.
The entryway to the Portal Port was much like any Airport. There was one large ticket counter in the back of an open-air atrium. The windows to the outside were bigger than any Mouthy had ever seen before.
There were lots of ponies out here, as well as a bunch of creatures Mouthy didn't recognize. They were waiting for rides or making calls from payphones.
A few meters from the Station was a cell tower, one of many which projected the wifi enchantment across the system. The cell tower was near the station that way the signal could extend through the portals. That way their was total coverage in the system, even in the space between planets.
Some of the more advanced civilizations used buoys in between star systems, that effectively provided wifi to all surrounding systems. The residents of the Equus System knew the buoys existed, thanks to the Yokai, but didn't know how to access their signal.
"Keep up Mouthy," called Daddy as he trotted over to the ticket counter. "It would be awkward if we went to the Doctor without you." he teased.
Mouthy pouted, but quickly ran over. His little legs having trouble keeping up with the grownups long strides.
Mouthy's daddy bought a ticket to the Rift, having Mouthy show his passport to the nice... armed snake (as in a snake with arms and a torso).
Though most of his family wasn’t sure why the school had to be in the Rift. Sure it was the center of trade, and a nice neutral location for the school, but it was a pain to navigate without a ship. Obviously the Doctor had the TARDIS, and Mouthy’s imagination went wild with what it would really look like in person, but from what he heard the TARDIS was grounded, so how did the Doctor plan to get them across the rift?
Regardless of the little boy's worries, his family soon found themselves at the stellar checkpoint. The yokai didn’t frisk people for weapons or contraband, but they did keep an eye out for interstellar criminals passing through the Equus system. A rather mean looking Kitsune stared down Mouthy’s family. They didn’t know he had a magic eye for seeing through disguises.
As Mouthy passed by, the Kitsune sneered out, under his breath but loud enough for Mouthy to hear, "Mangy half breed." Mouthy looked to his dad, expecting the Stallion to defend his honor, but the pony didn't hear him. Mouthy assumed that meant his daddy agreed with the mean Kitsune.
They managed to get through without an incident and picked up their pace once they were actually in the building. “C’mon buddy, the gate’s this way.” Down the path they went.
Thankfully Auntie was able to keep the large family together. There were thousands of creatures walking the halls. So it was definitely a challenge to keep curious little boys from wandering off, and getting lost.
By some miracle they found their gate. There were a lot of other fillies and colts, along with their families, here too. All were in various states of goodbye. Some more tearful than others.
The Doctor really had found a whole school of students. There was a whole class here of various races and breeds. All were saying goodbye and sending their kids through the portal. On the other side Mouthy could plainly see the Doctor standing and getting a headcount of his students.
Smart Mouth could see his destination on the other side. It was a little scary. The portal almost seemed unstable. Not like the portals Koto Sensei could make at all. It flickered every so often and was held in place by two large pylons.
Obviously it was safe, since it was a well developed magical enchantment, but tell that to anyone who had never traveled that way before. Just like how it’s scary to get on your first airplane ride? It was kind of like that, except this would probably take a lot less long.
Daddy gently put a hoof on his son’s shoulder. “Okay buddy. No cold feet now. Remember we’ll be here if you need us. We’re just a call away. We’ll see you every week too.”
Book Smarts nodded. “It’s not forever. We’ll see you again!”
All his family gave similar good byes, even his little sister.
Smart Mouth looked up at his family and then back at the gate. "I'll... I'll see you all real soon... don't forget to come on family day." Mouthy practically begged. The adults chuckled and promised they wouldn't.
Mouthy turned to face the portal, getting in line and showing the lady (at least he thought it was a lady) at the counter his ticket. She scanned it and typed some things on her computer before sending him forward.
Pushing his Saddle bags onto his back, and clutching the trunk, in his pocket, he slowly stepped over to it. For a moment he stopped and looked back. “I’ll miss you. See you again soon.”
“Don’t worry son! Knock’em dead!”
Book Smarts cheered too. “You can do it!”
Mouthy nodded. It felt good to have his family cheering him on. He trotted up to the portal and looked slightly concerned at how it worked. Was this safe? The Doctor was clearly on the other side, with a few other students, getting things ready.
Before he could really think, someone bumped into him. “Oops, sorry.” It was a grey Pegasus. Little Rumble. “This is my first time doing this. You ready?”
“Yes…”
“Okay…” Both of them weren’t really ready but they decided that since someone else was doing it...It must be okay. Rumble closed his eyes and walked to the other side. He ended up bumping into the Doctor once through. Opening his eyes, he saw the Doctor's smiling face as the Stallion just ruffled the colt's mane.
That settled it in Mouthy’s head. He took a brave step through. It felt weird, as if he was pushing through a bubble. Even so, he found himself on the other side in the same amount of time it had taken to step through. Guess it must have been okay…
Mouthy looked back at the portal, but this time he couldn’t see his family. The portal just looked like a swirling vortex. The Doctor would later explain that multiple portals connected to this spot, so it wasn’t possible to see all the exits. It also made the portal a one way trip. So if they wanted to go home they would have to go back to the Portal Port.
Mouthy sighed, now feeling brave enough to continue. He trotted up to the Doctor to be counted.
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TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Episode 1 - First Day, pt2: 1st Moments in Space
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Episode 1 - First Day, pt3: 1st Lecture
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Episode 1 - First Day, pt4: 1st Proper Meal
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TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Episode 1 - First Day, pt5: 1st Night in the Dorms
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Doctor Whooves Past, pt4 - Everglow
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TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Episode 2 - Monsters Unite, pt1: Morning Rituals
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TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Episode 2 - Monsters Unite, pt2: Doctor's Visit
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TARDIS Academy for Gifted Tots
Episode 2 - Monsters Unite, pt3: Homeroom Lessons
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A/N: CANCELLED, being Rewritten
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