The Doctor Dances
by Gallifrey
Edited by Reevsie and shad0wstalker
Story inspired byDeadpony
A good idea given by thatman
The engines protested loudly.
"Behave will you?!" exclaimed an agitated stallion, harshly bashing the console with a rubber mallet. The time machine lurched violently, throwing the Doctor onto his back. "Ouch! Stupid thing!"
With a heavy sigh, he picked himself up and put a tired hoof to his head. He looked up at the closest thing he had to a home: his TARDIS.
"I-I'm sorry, Sexy," he murmured, "I've been here for eight months now and I still have no idea of how to get out of here!"
The TARDIS made a reverberating metallic sound, whether it was in sympathy or purely coincidental, he wasn't sure, though he could guess.
"I know you miss it too, we'll get back one day, I promise..."
Leaning on the console, the Doctor closed his eyes and recalled where it all went so wrong... or at least, more wrong than usual. For reasons he was yet to fully understand, the TARDIS had fallen out of the Time Vortex and he had woken up to find he was a pony of all creatures. Of all the wide and varied species across all universes, why did he have to be so boring? He wasn't even a cool unicorn or pegasus, just a pony, with no particular special skills except that he still retained both of his hearts, if that could be called a skill.
This universe is ridiculous, he thought, it makes no sense! There's nothing for Sexy to work with here, like she's gonna know how to deal with magic, even I don't know how to deal with it! Twelve hundred years and still I'm constantly surprised. He smiled briefly and toyed with a dial in front of him. Now that's magic if ever I saw it. His smile faded. But still, she doesn't recognise the Time Vortex of this world, at least, not yet...
Eight months of labour hadn't borne much fruit for the light brown Time Lord, but what fruits he had grown were extremely succulent. Not only had he reconfigured the zigzag plotter so that it now worked in this place, giving him the ability to at least fly the TARDIS through space, if not through time, but he had also gotten the inertial dampers working so that every time he did so, he didn't crash as hard. He'd rebooted all the electronics after spending the first three weeks in the dark and cold. His greatest triumph, however, came just last week, when he fixed the mustard and ketchup dispensers. Pony food was definitely lacking a certain flair, to his mind.
Snapping out of his reverie, he walked around the console and checked the date. "Hmmm, I need to take those books back, or renew them. At least I have something to do today for a change; sorry dear, but it can get boring in here."
The TARDIS replied with a series of indignant thrums.
"I know I'm not always a barrel of laughs either, you don't need to rub it in."
Trotting through the long winding corridors of the TARDIS gave the Doctor time to think about the adorable, helpful librarian who had been invaluable in teaching him how Equestria worked: not only a native, but an exceptionally clever individual to boot.
"A clever mare who I wouldn't like to be on the wrong side of, methinks," he mused, entering his spacious and cluttered bedroom. Moving aside a big pile of Gallifreyan notes and a few postcards from the New Holy Roman Empire, he retrieved the pile of books written by Einstallion, Stable Hoofing, Schrödinghoof and, on Miss Sparkle's recommendation, Starswirl the Bearded. The books had been highly informative on the reality and magic of Equestria, particularly the time travel spell that was mentioned.
"Now that," he muttered, looking over the spell with a curious eye, "that's very interesting indeed, I must remember to ask Miss Sparkle about it."
Looking up, the Doctor surveyed the scene before him. Even his red and gold bed was somehow a terrible mess.
"If I had hands, I could tidy this mess up," he said, looking forlornly at the stubby hooves where his nimble hands used to live. "Ah, who am I kidding, it's always been this messy."
Collecting his books, he shoved them into a saddlebag and threw it over his back, ready to face Ponyville.
The first time the Doctor set eyes on Equestria, it sent his mind reeling. The vibrant attack of colour gave him a headache and took some getting used to, and even now he still blinked forcibly a few times to adjust to the riotous spectrum before him. Trotting off through the trees, he threw one last look to the blue police box behind him.
"I'll see you later! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He paused for a second. "Or would do, for that matter!"
The brown stallion resumed his trot and took a deep breath, the fresh air was nice; he felt like today was going to be a good day, with no dying, which made a change- he was far too used to people around him dying. It was starting to get more than a bit old, in his opinion.
The Sun shone down on his back as he entered Ponyville proper, and he smiled at all the happy peaceful faces around him as ponies went about their daily business.
"This is how life should be," he said to himself as he watched Miss Heartstrings and Miss Bon Bon enjoy a coffee together under a parasol, and Miss Rarity as she carried a saddlebag bulging with what must have been new lengths of fabric. "I still need to thank her for that magnificent bow tie she made me," he mused.
"Merry unbirthday, Doctor Whooves!"
"Agh! Oh, it's only you, Miss Pie."
"Only me?" chirped the pink party pony, who had appeared from nowhere. "What were you expecting, a giant pepper pot with shooty lasers?" She reared up and pretended her forelegs were such deadly weapons.
"You never know," he muttered darkly, continuing his walk to the library with a Pinkie Pie in tow. "And what do you mean, unbirthday?"
"Well, is it your birthday today?" Pinkie bubbled happily.
"No..." he began.
"Then it's your unbirthday!" she said, bouncing up and down. "Merry unbirthday!"
"Oh, I see!" said the Doctor, chuckling, "I take you've read Lewis Carroll then?"
"Who?"
"Oh, never mind."
"Snnnrk! You say the silliest things sometimes, Doctor!"
"You have no idea," he said placidly.
"I also noticed you were talking to yourself, I do that too!"
"First sign of madness, Pinkie, believe me."
"All my friends say I'm mad, I don't know why, it's not like I go around putting my friends into cupcakes or anything," she shuddered, "can you imagine?!"
"If you were, I would've stopped you by now anyway," said the Doctor casually, looking up to see the leafy branches of the library casting them in cool shade.
"I should hope so too, and are you seeing Twilight?"
"I am indeed, I have some books to return," he said, jerking his head to the saddlebags.
"Well, be careful," said Pinkie, serious for once.
"I... w- what?"
"I saw her earlier today, and she seemed more um... what's the word... stressed! She seems more stressed today for whatever reason."
"Well, I've had more challenging foes than a stressed unicorn before."
"Oh good! You'll be fine then! I'll see you around, Doctor!"
And with that, the pink mare bounced off, bumping almost immediately into a demure yellow mare.
The Doctor shook his head and opened the library door. A bell tinkled merrily as he stepped inside.
"Just a minute!" came a voice from somewhere upstairs. He heard the patter of hooves across the ceiling and down the stairway. "Good afternoon," said a levitating pile of books, "how may I be of assis-" she stopped abruptly when she moved the books to have a look at her customer. "-tance... Doctor Whooves, I-I was wondering when you'd be coming round."
"You mean you've been expecting me?" asked the Doctor.
"Oh yes, you're very punctual with your returns," said Twilight, flashing him a pearly smile, "unlike some," she growled. Of course, by some, she meant Rainbow Dash.
"A pity," he said, taking the books out of his bag.
"Not really. If nothing else, it's extra pocket money for me in library fees."
"Very true," he said, nodding.
"So, what have you been up to recently?" asked the lavender mare, as she relieved him of the heavy books.
"The usual, reading up on physics and magic."
"Still not gonna tell me why?" she asked hopefully.
"Not yet, Miss Sparkle," he said gently, straightening his bow-tie as Twilight pouted.
"You are the most mysterious stallion sometimes," she said quietly, staring at him.
"You think? You should get to know me better, it gets so much worse."
Twilight was just thinking about how she'd love to get to know him better, when she found herself squeaking: "I have some biscuits and tea in the kitchen if you'd like to join me for afternoon tea?" She threw a horrified hoof over her mouth and looked fearfully at the Doctor.
"You had me at biscuits, Miss Sparkle," he said kindly, "though may I ask what type?"
"Jammie Dodgers."
"Oho, I like you, I like you a lot."
Twilight's heart fluttered.
"So, why did you invite me for tea?" asked the Doctor, happily snapping up a Jammie Dodger.
"No reason," said Twilight nervously from across the coffee table in her living room. "Just being friendly I guess."
"If only everyone were as kind as you, Miss Sparkle."
"Please, Twilight is fine," she whispered, blushing furiously.
"Okay, Twilight," he said with a smile.
"Speaking of names, surely your name isn't just 'the Doctor,' haha, that'd be silly."
"Yup, just the Doctor," he said simply.
Twilight was taken aback.
"Doctor Who?"
"Sometimes, even I'm not sure."
"Were you always the Doctor?" asked the inquisitive mare, taking a sip of tea.
"Not always," he admitted.
"So what's your real name?"
"Aha, entire causes, nations and armies have tried and failed to find that out."
Twilight's brow furrowed.
"Just who are you?"
"You really wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me," she challenged.
"Maybe later."
Twilight looked as though she was about to argue, but thought better of it.
"You make excellent tea by the way."
"Thank you," said Twilight.
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Twilight admired the Doctor while the Doctor admired the repository of knowledge around him, even in the living room. He turned to look at her, and she swiftly averted her gaze.
"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you're not from around here are you?"
Twilight giggled nervously.
"No, I'm not, why do you ask?"
The Doctor shrugged.
"Merely curious. I like knowing things, you see."
Twilight nodded, knowing the feeling very well.
"I'm from Canterlot," she said, "though Ponyville has been my home for two years now."
"I see, what brought you here?"
"My friends."
"Ah, I had friends once."
"You mean you don't now?" asked Twilight, her heart sinking.
"That's not what I mean," he said gently. "I mean there's you and- and, hmmm."
"You mean I'm your only friend?" asked the purple mare, surprised.
"I never have too many friends: I have a knack of losing them in parallel worlds, destroying their lives, make them forget I ever even existed..."
"Oh Doctor, you do say the most peculiar things."
"Heh, I do don't I?"
"So where are you from? I doubt you're from around here either."
"Gallifrey," he said shortly. Twilight frowned.
"Doctor, I got a hundred and seven percent on my world geography exam and I've never heard of that place."
"I can assure you that's where I'm from."
"Is it an archaic name by any chance?" she asked, draining the last of her tea.
"You could say that, it doesn't exist anymore after all."
"Oh? What happened?"
"Bad stuff, very bad stuff."
Twilight waited for him to elaborate; he didn't.
"Oh, I see," she said. She didn't see at all.
The Doctor finished off his tea too and stretched.
"Anyway," he yawned, "I need your help with something."
"Anything," she said immediately.
He leaned forward.
"What do you know of Starswirl the Bearded's time travel spell?
The Sun was setting, soaking Twilight's living room in a warm, ruddy glow. The studious purple unicorn was bending over the fireplace, lighting it with her magic, and the Doctor noticed she was making quite a palaver over it.
"Are you sure you're alright over there, Miss Sparkle?" he asked from the nearby sofa, talking to her gently swaying rear end.
"Quite okay, thank you Doctor!" she replied, "And I told you, call me Twilight!"
"Sorry Twilight."
"No worries," she said, pulling herself up and blowing stray bits of mane from her face. She took a seat next to him and exhaled. "So, time spells," she said brightly.
The Doctor however was staring intently at the fireplace.
"That fire," he said.
"Yes?"
"Fire... you live in a treehouse."
"Yes?" said Twilight, looking around to confirm this to herself.
"Wood burns," he said simply.
"Oh, that!" she said. "When I moved in, I installed the fireplace and fireproofed the chimney stack and hearth." She smiled at him.
"You fireproofed- with magic I suppose?"
"Naturally."
"Amazing," he murmured, "what were we supposed to talk about again?"
"Time spells, remember?"
"Oh yes!" he paused. "How do they work?"
Twilight looked out of the window at the crimson coloured clouds as she thought.
"Nobody's entirely sure," she said lamely.
"Oh," said the Doctor, looking crestfallen.
"Oh, don't look so glum! We do know some things!"
"Aha, excellent, do tell."
Twilight giggled internally at the twinkle in his eyes, she knew that look well: it was the look of a pony who was thirsty and eager for knowledge.
"The most fundamental step in this spell is using the mana to open a rift in time."
"Hmmm, interesting. What would you say it looked like, exactly?"
"I could show you if you like?"
"You can do it?" he asked, astonished.
"Of course I can, I'm not the student of Princess Celestia for nothing you know," she said with a hint of pride.
"So you're the student of-" he began, wide eyed. He coughed. "Ahem, yes, I'd love to have a look at it please."
"Okie doke, let me just clear a space."
Her horn was glowing purple as she levitated the coffee table over their heads with apparent ease.
"You ready?" she asked.
"Yup," said the Doctor, having no idea what was about to happen.
Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated hard; a breeze rippled across the room, flickering the candles and ruffling book pages. The Doctor looked on in fascination, impressed with the expert control of the purple mare. A light appeared from the centre of the room, growing all the brighter as Twilight fed her energy into it. The Doctor got up and inspected it, and Twilight opened her eyes when she heard his hoofsteps.
"Be careful, Doctor! If you get too close you'll be sucked in!"
He nodded and walked full circle around it, coming to stop beside Twilight.
"You can stop now," he said softly.
Twilight broke the spell, panting slightly.
"Did having a look at it help you?" she asked breathily.
"It certainly did, thank you Twilight."
Her cheeks tinged pale pink as the Doctor began pacing.
"From what I saw," continued the earth pony, either not noticing the blush or tactfully not mentioning it, "I'd say that it looks rather familiar. It bears certain resemblances to the Untempered Schism... does this spell happen to only work in travelling to the past, perchance?"
Twilight, who had been wondering just what the Untempered Schism was, blinked.
"Y-yes it is, how did you know?"
"A Time Lord can tell these things," he murmured, slowing to a halt.
"Time Lord?"
"Tell me, I assume you've actually used this spell before?"
"Yes, I have, why do you as- eeeek!"
Twilight jumped as the Doctor sat beside her, grabbed one of her forehooves and stared intently at it, occasionally running his hoof over it. Twilight hoped to Celestia that he couldn't feel her rapid heartbeat in his grip.
"I miss having hands," he lamented, turning over Twilight's hoof slowly and thoughtfully, "hooves aren't the most practical of appendages... yes... oh this is interesting."
Twilight, meanwhile, had been thrown into complete confusion; she was about to speak but the Doctor barked:
"Yes! It's here! Artron energy! You, Twilight, have travelled through a Time Vortex! Completely unharmed too!"
"Artron energy?" she said weakly, "Time Vortex?"
"Yup yup! You've travelled through this world's Vortex, and you've picked up the- the background radiation, if you will. It's called artron energy, completely harmless," he said, waving a hoof, "but, this is great news! Because I know about this stuff, and if I know about this stuff it'd be easier to get my TARDIS to work!" He beamed.
Twilight just stared at him.
"Oh but that's it!" he exclaimed, smacking himself on the forehead, "I could take you to her, and I could make her recalibrate around you, a time traveller from this world, and I could get her working, and- oh you are amazing, Twilight!"
Before she knew what was happening, she was being kissed on the nose by the excited stallion. A highly surprised and crimson cheeked mare squeaked:
"D-Doctor, can we slow down a bit... please? I have no idea about half of what you just said- and believe me, it's not often that happens."
"You're not the first, don't worry."
Twilight giggled, but then her smile fell.
"Who's she? Surely not a pony when you talk about recalibrations..."
"My TARDIS, my home."
"So you live in this TARDIS?"
"Why certainly, I don't know where else I'd live."
"Uhuh, and what in Equestria is a Time Lord?"
The Doctor glanced at her, as if measuring her up.
"I'll tell you later," he eventually said, "I promise," he added, noticing the scepticism in her eyes. "It just won't make sense right now."
"If you say so," said Twilight, still thoroughly puzzled.
"Actually, I lied: I won't tell you."
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"I'll show you," he spoke with a glint in his eyes. "Come with me," Standing up, he proffered a hoof. Twilight smiled and took it.
"Doctor, are you sure this is the right way?" asked Twilight, stumbling slightly on a fallen branch.
"I am, are you?" came the Doctor's voice from behind a shadowy tree.
The Sun had set, and Ponyville was bathed in the evening's glow. Despite being named after the dusk, Twilight couldn't see all that well through the trees.
"Not really!"
"No matter, we're almost there!"
"But where is there?"
"Come and have a look!"
Twilight meandered around a tree and saw the Doctor standing beside a bizarre looking blue box. The unicorn approached it cautiously; she felt as if it were watching her. Her eyes scanned the glowing words at the top.
"What's a 'police public call box?'"
"It's a disguise," said the Doctor happily.
"Why would you need a disguise on your 'house'?"
"So that it blends in."
"Huh, Doctor, you can't possibly live in this thing."
"And why not, Twilight?"
She looked at him incredulously.
"It's tiny!"
"Would you like a look inside?" he queried.
"Sure, but I can't imagine there's much to see."
"I assure you it's quite the sight," he said, unlocking the door. "I love this part," he said as he flung the door inward.
"No," said Twilight. "Nononononono, that's impossible!" She looked at the Doctor desperately, waiting for him to explain the trick.
"It's impossible, yet there it is," he said simply, eyes brightening. "Come on!"
Twilight shuffled inside and looked around in absolute disbelief.
"Welcome to the TARDIS!" he said dramatically, dancing up the steps to the console. "Any thoughts, remarks, sentiments, quotes, theories, and or feelings on it?"
"It's-" she began.
"Yeeees?"
"It's-"
"What is it, Twilight?"
"It's... bigger on the inside."
She jumped as the Doctor whooped.
"You said it! Haha!"
Twilight blinked.
"Doctor, please explain, this is making my head hurt."
"It's quite simple: it's dimensionally transcendental."
"Is it a form of magic? If so, I've never heard of it before, and honestly, that's a bit disconcerting."
"No magic here- the TARDIS was grown."
"Wait, what?"
"Mmhmm, grown. Long ago."
"Doctor, I feel like I'm missing something here... something big."
"And as usual, you'd be right. And I'll explain, but first, can you please come up here and touch this?"
Twilight obliged and trotted up the steps to see the Doctor holding a deep blue sphere in his hooves.
"Just touch it," he said.
"What is it?"
"It's a very clever thing that I need to give a clever name to," he replied, "as for what it does, it'll absorb your artron energy and I can put it in the TARDIS for her to recalibrate around."
"Oh," said Twilight, as she put a hoof carefully on the orb, almost immediately, it began glowing. This was apparently a good thing.
"Aha, perfect! I'll just put this here," he said happily, placing it in a small hollow in the console. "While it does its stuff, I should explain who I am... you should probably follow me, this might take a while."
"Doctor, your room is appalling!"
"Look, I know I don't have the best eye for fashion and design, but what's wrong with red and gold?"
"It's not that, the colour scheme is actually quite nice. But this mess, it's awful!"
"It's not mess! It's organised chaos!" he defended, surreptitiously kicking a few things under his bed. He moved a few more artefacts out of the way so that the floor was at least traversable.
Twilight curiously eyed some of the objects around her; they looked so alien and unusual, she could only guess their nature.
The stallion bounced up onto his bed and patted next to him. Twilight took up the invitation and sat down.
"I imagine you have quite a few questions," said the Doctor with a grin.
Twilight swallowed and nodded.
"Um, who are you?"
"Ooh, that's a good one. I'm the Doctor."
"And who is the Doctor?" asked the purple mare, falling back on the bed in exasperation. He sat silent for a minute, as if pondering, or daring, whether to tell her.
"I'm from Gallifrey... I'm not of this world, Twilight." He looked reluctant to divulge this information and fidgeted uncomfortably.
"What do you mean? You mean- another planet?"
"Twilight, I know you're curious, but I'd rath-" He looked at her, those achingly inquisitive eyes; how could he deny a mare who loved knowledge so? "More than even that, a whole universe," he sighed.
"I guess that explains all these odd things, a box that's bigger on the inside and all the funny things you say."
"It sums me up nicely doesn't it?"
"So, um, why are you our species then?"
"I don't normally look like this, I think it was the TARDIS' Chameleon Arch that did this," he said, looking at his brown furred body. "Changes my biology," he explained, seeing the confused look on her face, "in fact, I should have some pictures around here..."
He leant down and rummaged through some drawers.
"Books, really need to take those back to The Library..." he chanced a glance at Twilight, who looked disapproving.
"Are they overdue?" she asked.
"Normally, return dates don't exactly apply to me..." he said vaguely, "Ah! Here we are!"
He pulled a heavy photo album out and lay it in his lap.
"Here's me not long before I changed," he said, pointing at an image of himself. Twilight stared at the strange creature with a floppy, brown mane, who donned a quirky red bow-tie, tweed jacket and odd coverings for his hind legs. It was fascinating for the purple mare.
"Why are you rearing up?" she asked.
"Time Lords are bipedal you see."
"Oh right. What's that?" She pointed at a huge clock tower in the background. The unicorn leaned toward him when she pointed, surreptitiously making light contact with his sides. He felt warm.
"That's called Big Ben, I was in the capital city of the United Kingdom on a planet called Earth."
"A kingdom? With two princesses like us?"
"They had a queen when this was taken."
"Wow... and are all these Time Lords too?" she asked innocently, pointing to the crowds behind him.
The smile the Doctor had been sporting faded slightly.
"No...they're not Time Lords, they're called humans. Earth is their home."
"Why do you look like them then?"
"Hey, they look like me!" he said indignantly.
"Doesn't it ever get confusing telling them apart?"
"Ha, no, not really. You see... there are no more Time Lords..."
"What do you mean?"
A pained expression flashed across his face.
"I'm the last of my kind, Twilight."
"You don't mean-" began the unicorn, horrified.
"I am all that remains of a billion years of history," he said quietly. "A billion years of knowledge, science, art, music, philosophy, literature, life, death, love and war." He looked solemnly into her eyes. "Can you imagine what that's like?"
"Oh Doctor-"
"I've lost everything I ever cared about... countless times."
"What happened?" asked Twilight, trying to comprehend such vast losses.
I'm telling her, why am I telling her? I don't even know her all that well. She feels different from the others, I just... there's something special about this one.
"Doctor?"
Apparently he'd been staring at her in silence, he blinked, and plunged recklessly onwards.
"A lot of bad things happened: there was a war, Twilight. The most terrible war you can imagine and make it ten thousand times worse. I lost my planet- it burned- I lost everything, I even lost myself a couple of times..." he looked around him and sighed, "all in the past though, eh? And, speaking of the past, here's an older picture of me."
"B-but that can't be you!" exclaimed Twilight, looking at the man with shorter hair, crisp suit and long, brown coat.
"Ah, well it is you see: I have an ability to change myself, renew myself, regenerate."
Twilight, who was right against him at this point, looked into his bright blue eyes.
"You are the most remarkable pony I've ever met," she whispered. "You talk and talk, and all it does is add to the mystery that you're steeped in..."
The Doctor merely stared back into the big, purple eyes of the unicorn.
"Tell me, Doctor, do you ever feel lonely?"
"Lonely, I..." he swallowed; it looked painful for the poor stallion. He thought of his long years, and how many of them he had spent alone. "All the time, Twilight."
"I can see it in your eyes," she said softly, daring to brush some of his mane out of the way. "Nopony should have to be alone, you least of all, Doctor." She looked at the gramophone perched on a shelf across the room. Heart racing and brain protesting, she blurted recklessly, "Dancewithme,"
"Pardon?" he asked politely.
Twilight took a calming breath and began again.
"Dance with me," she said steadily, though she looked ready to run.
"I'd love to!" he said happily. "It's been so long since anyone asked me that."
"Really?"
"Sure, who doesn't love a good dance?"
He bounded off the bed and reached for the gramophone, and began searching through a stack of records, muttering to himself.
"How did you get here?" he asked a top hat, throwing it over his head and catching Twilight on her rear. She picked it up and approached the Doctor, placing it atop his head.
"Huh?"
"It looks good on you," she said, "goes well with the bow-tie."
"Thank you. Oh!"
He ran off to the window sill and picked a flower from a vase. Twilight wondered how a window was even there, but was distracted when the Doctor put the pure white, bell shaped flower in her mane.
"Silver Bells from the flowing fields of Airelnia," he said in a low voice, weaving it through the soft purple strands with finesse, "I have a lot of history with this flower."
"Oh?"
"I'll tell you someday," he said with a wink. "There, done. You look marvellous."
Twilight blushed. The Doctor went back to the records.
"Ooh, Frank Sinatra!"
"Did you just say Flank Sinatra?"
"No, Frank. Fly Me to the Moon! I love that one! Earth classic!"
"B-but we have that song too!"
"You do? Maybe this universe is more parallel than I thought... at least we'll both know the words!" he said with a chuckle, throwing the disc onto the gramophone.
The Doctor offered Twilight a hoof, which she graciously took as they reared onto their hind legs.
"Forgive me if I'm a little rusty," he whispered into her ear as the beat started.
"Likewise."
Fly me to the Moon,
Let me play among the stars,
Let me see what Spring is like on Jupiter and Mars,
In other words,
Hold my hand,
"Hand!" sang the Doctor.
"Hoof!" sang Twilight. "Oh sorry!"
"Perfectly understandable, my dear."
In other words,
Baby, kiss me.
They both blinked, then the Doctor spun Twilight around, much to her surprise.
Fill my heart with song,
Let me sing for evermore,
You are all I long for,
All I worship and adore,
In other words, please be true,
In other words,
I love you.
Twilight laughed as they swept across the spacious bedroom floor, the Doctor taking the lead in navigating around various objects. Once or twice he almost stumbled but passed it off as fancy hoofwork. Twilight meanwhile was having the time of her life in the embrace of the stallion she adored so, letting herself drift across the floor, she beamed at him; he beamed back. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of that flawless and gorgeous smile. This moment was perfect... almost.
Fill my heart with song,
Let me sing for evermore,
You are all I long for,
All I worship and adore,
In other words, please be true!
In other words!
In other words!
I love...
"You!" gasped Twilight as she all but threw herself at the Doctor, sending him tumbling onto the bed, knocking his top hat off. There was a scramble of confusion, with only one outcome.
"Mmmmfffff!" exclaimed the Doctor as he suddenly felt a pair of soft lips pressed against his. At first he was shocked, not anticipating a pony like Twilight to be so bold. But he soon found himself melting like sugar into the sweet kiss.
When Twilight's consciousness caught up with her impulses, it was pleasantly surprised by the rapid turn of events. She sighed lightly and eventually pulled back.
The Doctor blinked.
"Well..."
"Uhuh," mumbled Twilight as her face and even her ears began turning bright red.
"Th-thanks, I guess," he said, pulling himself up. "I'm not going to lie and say I didn't enjoy it: you're a great kisser, has anyone said?"
"N-no," squeaked the purple mare, wondering if he was being sincere or just being all 'alien' again.
"But yeah, I uh..."
Twilight noticed that for the first time his cheeks were pink. She smiled, and he returned it.
"Nopony should have to be alone," she whispered, staring down at her hooves.
She felt a hoof on her chin as the Doctor gently lifted her head.
"The Lonely God they used to call me," he said quietly, tracing Twilight's cheek with a hoof, "the former I can agree with, but the latter..."
"It's funny," said Twilight, lips curving upwards, "I would say the opposite..."
Silence fell between them as they spoke wordlessly. Much was said, and yet no words were given breath. The Doctor eventually broke the quiet.
"We should really have a look to see if she's ready."
Stallions and their machines, thought Twilight. "Okay, let's go," she sighed.
"Twilight Sparkle, what would I do without you?!" he cheered as he danced around the console, flipping switches and setting gauges, "She's working perfectly!"
"That's great," said Twilight flatly, standing out of the way.
"Even the blue boringers, but you can't have everything."
"You don't have to tell me."
"She's even managed to retain her memory of the original Time Vortex, so when I get back she'll still work!"
"Fantastic."
"Oh this is-"
"So you're leaving," Twilight cut across him. The Doctor halted in his tracks.
"I..."
"From what you've told me," she said steadily, "is there anything for you to go back to?"
He looked at her, and approached her slowly, face unreadable.
"Come with me."
"Wh-what?"
"Travel the stars with me: we could see the wonders and mysteries of the Universe together, Twilight. I never said that the TARDIS is also a time machine, did I?"
"It-it is? That explains why you needed me, I guess."
"You sound like I used you as a mere tool," he said, sounding slightly hurt.
"That's not what I meant," she said softly, with a wry grin. "Anywhere in space and time?"
"Yes," he said smugly, leaning back on the console behind him.
"But no matter where you go, when you go, what you do, or who you're with, death always finds you."
This struck something deep inside the ancient stallion. His heavy eyes said everything she needed to know.
"I thought as much," she breathed, looking around the time machine and then back to him. "You've been running for a long time Doctor."
"How did you kn-"
"How could I not?" she said morosely, "Who wouldn't run if they'd suffered as you'd suffered? Who could want to go back to that?"
The Doctor fell to his haunches, speechless. His mind raced through the screaming nightmares he'd lived through; whirlpools of pain and harsh lashings of grief tore at his thoughts. He had seen more death than any other being in existence, known more pain and regret than any... but maybe it didn't always have to be that way... he looked desperately at Twilight, but she wasn't there. She was sitting next to him, concern etched over her features and tears sparkling in her eyes. She reached out a tender hoof and dried his cheeks, apparently he'd been crying. It'd been a long time since he'd last done that.
"It's time to stop running," whispered Twilight.
The Doctor felt as though she was asking for the impossible.
"Running is all I know, though," he said, voice cracking slightly. "Don't think of me as anyone special Twilight. I'm just a daft old man who stole a magic box and ran. I just never stopped."
"Maybe it's time. Come with me." Standing up, she proffered a hoof. The Doctor smiled and took it.
"Twilight, are you sure this is the right way?" asked the Doctor, stumbling slightly on an inconvenient rock
"I am, are you?" came Twilight's voice from somewhere in front.
The Sun had long since set, and Ponyville was flickering in lanterns' glow. They were climbing a hill on the outskirts of the town under the watchful gaze of the stars.
"Not really!"
"No matter, we're almost there!" called Twilight.
"But where is there?"
"Come and have a look!"
The book-loving mare was sitting atop the hill, head pointed up at the midnight melody before her. It was if Luna had taken a starry brush and painted the night venetian blue. The galaxy was dripping across the heavens with supreme majesty, and the Doctor saw the beauty in a way he had never quite done so before. All was tranquil, the soft scent of the grass wafted up in the soft zephyrs. The twinkling lights of Ponyville below reflecting the skies, sparkling prettily. It was a beutiful night, and yet... he couldn't get the notion out of his head that Twilight was the most beautiful piece of all in the landscape around them.
"I come here when I feel alone at night," said the mare quietly, breaking the silence, "when I feel disconnected from the world around me, and when I feel alone, the stars have always offered me solace."
The Doctor, joining her, nodded in understanding.
"Luna's Moon too," she continued, "it's all very comforting, I... sometimes I talk to them." She looked fearfully at the Doctor; she had clearly never told anyone this before. The Doctor meanwhile was confused.
"Why are you scared, my dear Twilight?" he asked, putting a hoof over her.
"You might think I was a crazy old pony or something."
"Twilight, I think we all know who the crazy old pony is here," he said, laying on his back.
"Are you going to leave then?" asked Twilight forlornly, doing likewise.
"I'm not sure, which is unusual in itself."
"Maybe I am crazy. I just thought- we might have had something," the mare mumbled.
"Hmmm?"
"You know, um- together."
"Together?" he asked, puzzled.
"Yes, I like you, Doctor... like like you," she added so he couldn't be mistaken.
"Oh, together."
"Yes."
"I-I'd love to, but how does this tie in with me leaving?"
"Because... I don't want to go," she said simply.
"You don't... but what about all the amazing things to see and do?"
"Doctor, I'm very sure that there is a lot to see and do out there, but you can't just ignore the danger! You told me you lost all your friends: would you have lost them if you hadn't taken them with you?"
"I- no..." he admitted.
"I'm sorry to bring that up Doctor, but I'd be risking my life, and you'd be risking yours. There's more than enough to see and do on just one planet, don't you think?"
"Doesn't it ever get boring?" he asked, fear sliding to the fore of his voice.
"Hardly, there's always something crazy going on around here," she chuckled, "and, huge bonus, no-one's died."
"Fun, and no death?" he asked, questioning this bizarre concept.
"Uhuh, plus mmmm, there's always me..." she said, giving him her best bedroom eyes.
"That m-might just sway it for me," he said, with an awkward smile Twilight found adorable.
"Good," she whispered.
Twilight's lips brushed against his as they shared a gentle kiss under the stars.
"So, you're telling me you got a coltfriend now, Twi?"
"For the eleventh time Rainbow, yes!"
"Well, where the hell is he then?" the blue mare exclaimed, drooping over the table in boredom.
Twilight and Rainbow were sitting in Sugar Cube Corner, along with Applejack and Pinkie Pie.
"Simmer down, RD," said Applejack sternly, "give the poor guy a chance to get here, what time did he say, Twi?"
"Twelve."
"And what time is it, Pinks?"
"We have one minute!" burst the party pony. "Oh wait, now it's twelve."
A bell tinkled and the Doctor entered.
"Oh wow, he actually does exist," said Rainbow weakly.
"Is somepony jealous?" muttered Applejack, elbowing her.
"No!" she claimed, folding her forelegs; she looked at him again. "Maybe."
"Bang on twelve," said Pinkie, smiling.
"Well, what kind of Time Lord would I be if I were late?" he said, taking a seat beside Twilight. "Or coltfriend for that matter. You have lovely friends, Twilight."
"You've only just met them."
"I know, and I can tell they're lovely, however, I can't tell their names, except Pinkie Pie, who I've met a few times before."
"Well, she works here in Sugar Cube Corner and is our resident party pony."
"I'm so happy to make a new friend again!" she bubbled, bouncing on her chair.
"This is Applejack, she works down at Sweet Apple Acres."
"Pleasure to meet you Miss Applejack," he said politely, shaking her hoof, "I had a friend once who liked apples."
"Oh really, do I know 'em?"
"I would be astonished if you did."
"And this is Rainbow Dash: she's on our Weather Team and hopes to join the Wonderbolts one day."
"What's it like, flying? In all my long years I've never had wings before."
Rainbow's brow furrowed in confusion, but she dismissed it.
"Flying's frickin' awesome!" she gushed, "To feel that level of freedom is the best, ya know? To fly above all your problems until it's just you and the air-"
Twilight coughed and Rainbow shut up.
"Doctor, why don't you tell them about yourself?" she suggested, putting a hoof lightly on his.
"Really? You might want to get some snacks and drinks girls, because this will take a while!"
"Did I make a good impression?" asked the Doctor, walking out of Twilight's bathroom with sparkly clean teeth.
"Definitely," said Twilight from her bed. "After they'd gotten over the fact that your history is a little... unorthodox, to say the least. Do you ever run out of stories?"
"Nope, you know why?" he asked, joining her under the covers.
Twilight shook her head.
"Because we're all stories in the end," he said, kissing her on the nose.
Thrum
"Doctor, must we keep the TARDIS in here?" she said with exasperation.
"I feel odd enough not sleeping in there, please can it stay here? I can put it on silent if you want."
"You- of course you can," she said resignedly as the Doctor pointed the key at the TARDIS.
"There we go."
"You impossible stallion," said Twilight, drawing him into a hug.
The Doctor gently stroked Twilight's mane as they slipped sweetly and soundly into their dreams.
The End
