The little orange filly sat down next to her bed, the mattress already wet with her tears. Her freshly given cutie mark now a little dimmer in the shadow of the night. After letting out another sob, Sunny whimpered, “Stupid daddy. Why did you have to go? Y-y-you promised me. You promised me that we get to see the unicorns and pegasuses together. Why?” she continued to cry, not evn hearing the door open.
It was only when she felt a hoof go through her mane did she stop crying for a moment, “Your father says he is sorry he had to leave you. He is sorry, but he hoped that I could make it up to you.”
“W-who are you?” asked Sunny, wiping her tears away and giving a little sniff. “How did you meet my dad? He’s dead!”
“Oh, I met him on his way to heaven as he was carried by the angels and he wanted me to check up on you. As for me?” the dark brown pony smiled as he adjusted his green tie and ran a hoof through his mane, “You can call me your fairy godfather! Or the doctor, whichever you find tickles your fancy.”
“A doctor?” Sunny asked, looking over the strange stallion, taking note of his cutie mark of an hourglass, “Of what?”
“This, that, and the whatevers. Right now, though, I am a doctor of sad little fillies who need a pickme up by giving them a special dream,” the doctor said.
The interested Sunny, “A dream? Of what?”
“Of how right your father was,” the Doctor said. “Now, close your eyes and count to ten.” he paused for a second and looked out the window to a large blue box, “No...twenty. Yes, Twenty works better.”
Sunny allowed herself a giggle and did just that, beginning a slow count from one. Everytime she let out another number, she could feel something different. First, the wooden floor of her home gave way to something metallic, and then she could hear the whoosing noise of an engine being turned on while it had it’s breaks on. Then the wooshing would slowly stop with a small thud. The Doctor then said, “Ok my marvelous little filly, open your eyes and step through the door of dreams.”
Sunny opened her eyes to look at a large blue door as it began to slowly open wide. Taking a breath, she walked outside of the blue box onto a grassy field and when she looked up she let out a gasp of happiness, “Wow! Is this?” her voice was caught in her throat as she looked at the small town around her. Everywhere, she could see unicorns walking with earth ponies while pegasi took to the air doing small flips. Taking a few more steps, she watched as the world of the past came to life before her eyes.
“Yes, this is Ponyville, Sunny Starscout,” the Doctor said, stepping out with his companion at his side, “As you can see. Your father was absolutely correct. A long time ago, ponies of all kinds worked together and joined together in happiness. And there was magic everywhere.”
“Everywhere?” whispered Sunny. With an excited trot she jumped up and down, while letting out a squeal, “Oh, show me show me!!”
The doctor smiled and stepped forward with a confident trot, making sure to step with the filly so she would not get lost in the big town. Then, with a smile, the doctor pointed up to the sky to show her some pegasi pushing the clouds aside to allow for a brighter day. Sunny watched this with rapt attention, noting how this world felt different to the world of her own.
So long she spent watching the sky of pegasi playing with clouds, that she almost missed the doctor walking away from her. Turning her head, she followed close behind the doctor as he approached a distant stage, “Will we see Princess Twilight and her friends?” asked Sunny. “Oh, I always wanted to get an autograph from her!”
The Doctor stopped for a second, holding his hoof up in the air, “Nope. If I’m right, and as your godfather I usually am, Twilight and her friends are off on another of their whirlwind adventures. Most likely stopping an eld evil with thier friendship or stopping something that shouldn’t exist.”
“Oh,” said Sunny, lowering her head in disappointment.
“Now now,” the Doctor said, tucking her little chin, “no tears now. I did promise you some magic did I not? Look over there!” he said, raising his hoof to the stage where a blue unicorn stood with her pink unicorn friend standing next to her in a sparkly dress.
“Welcome one and all to the Great and Powerful Trixie’s latest trix of absolute brilliance!” Trixie said, waving her hooves out at her sides as she stood to her full height. Then she began to look around, “Now, my lovely assistant will scout out the crowd for a little witness.”
Starlight looked at Trixie with an annoyed look before walking down from the stage and finding Sunny. Smiling, she went over to take Sunny by the hoof up to the stage and next to her. Trixie, smiling, said, “Now, young-”
“Um,” Sunny paused and looked to the crowd.
“It’s ok,” Trixie whispered, “Just remember, they are your audience and you need to get their attention.”
“Sunny Starscout,” Sunny said.
“Sunny. Trixie wants you to hold onto this,” Trixie said, giving Sunny a little ball. “And hold onto it while Trixie’s assistant will-Urrk!” with a gasp Trixie found herself tied with magic chains and then thrown onto a table by Starlight Glimmer. As Starlight walked around her, Trixie grunted and struggled, trying to break the binds that held her fast.
Starlight smiled and laughed evily as she generated a powerful ball of fire on her horn, “You have had me as an assistant for the last time, Trixie Lulamoon! Now I, Starlight Glimmer, will be the star! Now, fry!”
Sunny watched with a mix of horror and sadness as Starlight proceeded to fry Trixie’s captured body. After a few grueling moments of lighting hiting and burning Trixie, the lighting storm stopped and left behind nothing more than ashes. Sunny stepped forward, scared for the life of the unicorn. Then, she felt the ball in her hoof start to wobble and shake. Looking down, she gasped as the ball rolled off her hoof and in a flash of smoke, Trixie appeared standing on the ball, “Nice try, my fair Starlight, but you will have to wake up pretty early in the morning to overthrow this mare!”
This brought out a round of applause and cheers from the audience as Trixie leapt off the ball. Then she gave Sunny the little ball with a smile, “Here, souvenir.”
“Wow, but how did you do all of that?” asked Sunny, wide eyes.
Trixie smiled and booped her nose,”That is the power of magic, little filly.” and then went to stand in front of her audience.
Sunny happily waved to Trixie and ran back to the Doctor. The doctor looked down at her and chuckled, “Some little Sunny! We have an entire day to us! Allonzy!”
“All-on-Z!” Sunny shouted, thrusting her hoof up in the air and then looked at the Doctor, “I never heard of that word before. What does it mean?”
“It means that somepony needs adventure and adventure is on the horizon! And we godparents know adventure!” The Doctor said, taking little Sunny by the hoof and running away.
For the next few hours, Sunny felt like she was in the world’s biggest dreamland. She was taken to some food stalls to taste various foods, running through a park near the marketplace, and then getting a good view of Sweet Apple Acres. She stood in amazement when she got to see Canterlot itself in the distance, the massive castle looking over all.
Soon enough, the day slowly came to an end and Sunny laid next to the Doctor, letting out a yawn,”Doctor, I think I’m ready to go home now.”
“With pleasure little one,” The Doctor said, “But we need to see one thing, and I know you won’t regret it?”
“Hmmm?’ whispered Sunny as shse looked up to see the setting sun and the rising moon, “Is that...”
“Yes, it is. The rising of the moon and setting of te sun by the princesses. I knew you wouldn’t forgive yourself if you didn’t see it at least once. Oh sure, how it is done in your time is far more efficient but there is nothing compared to seeing the sun being set by Celestia herself.Twilight tried to-Oh, look at me,” the Doctor said with a chuckle, “Rambling. Time for my little charge to get to-”
The Doctor stopped as heard soft snoring coming from his side and looked to see Sunny asleep next to him. The Doctor could only let out a soft sigh and a warm smile cross his lips as he walked over to pick her up along with her souvenirs.
After a few minutes of walking, he reached his most faithful companion, his TARDIS, and stepped in. Before closing the door, he turned back to look at Ponyville one last time before he whispered, “To better days.” and then closed the door behind him.
In no less than a breath or a tick of a clock, the TARDIS appeared in Sunny’s bedroom and near her bed. The Doctor let out a grunt as he carried the little filly to the bed and tucked her in, “Sleep well little Sunny. I hope you enjoy your era, it’ll be fantastic.”
As he turned to walk out, he heard Sunny faintly say, “Doctor? Thank you. Did...did you really see Daddy?”
The Doctor stepped in his TARDIS and then smiled at Sunny, “Yes. I really did. He wanted you to see it, to remind you to not give up hope in a better world. To always believe in your dreams and to see the world as it always meant to be. IT was his way of showing you, that he was always with you.”
“Thank you...Doctor,” Sunny said, going back to bed.
The Doctor smiled as he closed the door and said to himself, “There Argyle, I hope you see that your daughter is going to be ok. As a matter of fact, she is going to be amazing. Rest in peace old friend.”
Stepping slowly, the Doctor began to flip switches and turn knobs, listening to his girl make the all too familiar noise. As he listened to the engines, he could feel his countless years hit him at that moment, “Oh come on Doctor, don’t be like this.” he sniffled, “You know that this was going to happen sooner or later. Empires rise, they fall, and eras end. Worlds change and all of that.”
“It’s the way the timeline works, and you know that you can’t stop it no matter what you do. All you can do is to buck up, and move on,” The Doctor sniffed, trying his best to ignore the wet split that formed on his console. “Maybe its because, I really didn’t want this one to end.”
“Doctor?” asked Ditzy peneing the door, “We brought muffins!”
“Momma made some for all of us!” Dinky said, running to the Doctor, “Doctor? Are you crying? Are you sad? Do you need a muffin? You can’t be sad with a muffin, tat’s a rule.”
The Doctor looked up and smiled at Dinky before ruffling her mane, “Oh, the Doctor is just being a silly old doctor. HE was just thinking on some sad memories. Now, he wants to think of the happy ones, so go out with your mothe and I will be right there.”
“Ok Doctor!” Dinky said, running out the door.
Ditzy paused at the doorway and looked over her shoulder at the Doctor.The doctor smiled and nodded as he stood next to his console, “I have seen eras end and begin so often, you think I would have gotten numb to it, but I just can’t. It’s not in me to not cherish the places I have bonded so well with, and the ponies I have come to care for.”
He began to walk out, “I guess that’s why I also cherish every memory I make, and the new ones I will create, because that is what is important. The worlds I see and what is to come. And besides,” he looked back at his console, “Can’t wait to see the next story that lies ahead. Allonzy!”
Author's Note
As always, one-shots are never edited.
I couldn't help it. This idea of one of the few ponies who could see the future and make sense was just too tempting. And I could see the doctor doing this for someone and an old friend at that.
Oh, and how the Doctor knew Argyle? You know Closing time? That guy who was a father and defied becoming a Cyberman through the power of love? That's Argyle.
I should mention, the doctor's speech is how I feel about every new adaptation, new generation, and new version of a series I love
