The Oncoming Storm

"You said Barcelona!" Applejack shouted at him, running through the muck. Half-crazed literal foot soldiers, as their whole body was one giant foot with tentacles whipping wildly about, coming from where the foot would meet the ankle, chasing them wildly on all fours, declaring that they were traitors and that they should "stop, criminal scum!"

"I'm sorry!" He shouted back at her, a glowing blue medallion balanced on his head. "I got a distress signal, and one thing led to another.. I didn't know we would be leading a revolution!"

"This is one hell of a first date," she shot back. A growling foot soldier lunged at her, and she bucked her hind legs back in recoil, knocking the creature into the rest of them, and causing them to fly in every direction, as bowling pins would if hit by a powerful blow. The sound of their bones colliding added to the effect. The two adventurers paused to catch their breath, and turned around to look at the tangled mess of giant feet. The Doctor let out a laugh, which Applejack was quick to follow.

"You're brilliant, you are!" He gave her an acknowledging nuzzle.

"Thank you, sugarcube," she smiled. "Don't we need to deliver that medallion thing now?"

"Oh, the hard drive?" He moved his eyes up to try to look at the glowing bit of metal on his forehead. "Nah, we just needed to take it out of the computer system. Now they can't fire the missile out of their building. We can just destroy it." He dropped it on the ground, it sinking into the mud, and then proceeded to smash it to bits with a hammer he took from the tyrant, Astep Ahed, then threw the hammer behind him.

"Let's go?" Applejack asked.

"Let's go," he nodded in response. The two began walking through the weird deep yellow colored muck towards the TARDIS, grinning happily, despite the strange circumstances. They could see the TARDIS in the distance, resting casually on a large green rock with metallic grey moss. "Oh, and Applejack?"

"Yeah?" She paused, and turned to face him. He was holding a key, dangling from a necklace sort of black string, in his mouth.

"What's that for?" She cocked her head slightly. He stepped forward and took off her stetson, then slipped the necklace over her head, replacing the hat.

"Its a key to my TARDIS, welcome aboard," he grinned, and gave her a quick nuzzle, before bouncing off toward his ship. Applejack following close behind him, a smile on her face.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure! Where to now?" He swung open the door, and ran inside, laughing happily. She was quick to follow.

"How about Equestria, fifty years after we left?" She suggested. "I just want to see how well Ponyville is doing in fifty years time."

"Sure thing," The Doctor nodded, and began pulling levers and pushing buttons. "But you cannot talk to anyone besides me, or it'll make about two thirds of the universe go screwy." The engine started, and when he was satisfied that it was traveling correctly, proceeded to take a seat in one of the chairs.

"Not one pony?"

"No."

"Not even.."

"No."

"It doesn't sound like fun anymore."

"No?"

"No."

The two ponies were silent for a bit, before the Doctor spoke up. "Where would you like to go then? We already are set for Equestria, 2063."

"I don't know, Doctor. I think I want to go home."

"I think you should. I don't want to lose you, and I'd always be able to see you later," he responded, a solemn look on his face.

"Can I?" She asked, fiddling with the TARDIS key around her neck.

"Of course you can," he got up and pulled a lever back one centimeter. Instantly, an echo rumbled throughout the machine. "You're back, five minutes after we- I mean I- left."

She walked over to the door, and opened it. With a grateful, sort of sad look on her face, she opened it and stepped out into the forest. After taking a couple steps, she turned to watch the TARDIS fade into the air, as she did five minutes prior. This time, she told herself, she wouldn't break into the ship. This time, she would let him go. But the ship never vanished. She stared at it, one minute, two, three, four, five.. The TARDIS wouldn't leave. Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.. The minutes ticked by, she was starting to get worried. Was something the matter? Fifteen, sixteen.. She burst back into the TARDIS, right into the Doctor, tackling him to the floor unintentionally.

"Hello again," he smiled at her, wrapping his front hooves around her neck. "I've been waiting for you to return. Where to?"

"You were worrying me! Why didn't you go?!"

"Without you?" He grinned. "Isn't it obvious?" They stared at each other for a couple moments, as Applejack thought. The moments seemed to last forever, as the two lay on the cold floor of the spaceship, pressed against each other by gravity, their noses touching.

".. Oh."

"So, where to?"

"To the stars and back," Applejack smiled. "But we are coming back, I don't want to be lost on some strange planet.."

"I'll make sure of that," the Doctor responded. Minutes passed, as they lay there.

"Are you going to get up, Doctor?"

"... Why don't we just lie here for a while, I want to save this moment."

"Me too," Applejack sighed contently. "Doctor?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm falling for you.."

"Oh?"

"Oh," she nodded in confirmation.