Wibbly Wobbly Lovey Wovey Stuff
He splashed about annoyedly in the lake, swimming towards the shore, his mane soaked thoroughly, making the top half of his sight obstructed by it. The rain and wind whipped at the parts of his body out of the freezing lake. And that mare had the audacity to watch, suppressing a laugh.
"Ya going for a swim?" She shouted to him, the wind carrying her voice to his ears. He grunted in response, although he was pretty sure she didn't hear. Who was she, and why was she watching him? Coughing and spitting out water, he crawled onto the wet grass, sinking a little in the mud, breathing heavily, eyes closed.
"Not. A. Word," he gasped, sensing the pony kneeling beside him. He was shivering, muddy, and drenched to the bone. He really didn't feel like getting rediculed.
"Easy sugarcube," the pony responded, in a southern accent, helping him to his hooves. "Easy does it." He childishly clung to the pony's neck, gasping and sputtering. He realized that his trench coat, which held his sonic screwdriver, was still in the TARDIS, which currently resided somewhere in the Everfree.
"Hafta get the TARDIS.." He mumbled. "So cold.. Hafta get the TARDIS.." He felt a strong hoof wrap around him, lifting him up to his hooves. He leant heavily on the mare, still shivering and coughing water.
"Easy there. The storm's about to get worse. Best be taking shelter," she whispered calmingly. He opened his eyes, suddenly remembering that accent.
"Is your little sister going to pester me to buy apples again?" He questioned, taking in her orange coat, her Stetson, her brilliant green eyes of which were staring into his, looking apologetic.
"I am terribly sorry about that. I don't know what was going through her mind," she bowed her head. A rumble of thunder rolled through the sky, following immediately by a flash of lightning, lighting up the churning cloudy sky, and the features of the golden maned pony, making her glow.
"Ah.. Uh.." He was speechless. Him, the Doctor! Speechless! Another strike of lightning, this one striking a tree down in short-lasting flames, the torrent of rain putting them out. "Let's save the apologies for later?" He suggested, raising the last syllable's pitch so that it became a question.
"Sounds good. Let's get some shelter," she began walking, the Doctor keeping in tow, not having to rely on her to walk, although moving sluggishly. The flashes of light from the lightning giving her the same glowy look, that of an angel, non-weeping. She was rather good looking, he realized, but that doesn't mean I'm falling for her, does it? He looked again at her. Absorbing her cute features. Her freckles, the way that her mane glowed when there was light placed in just the right way, her beautiful green eyes, her.. Way to go Doctor, you went and fell for her. Do you even know her name?
"Excuse me miss, two questions?"
"Ask away, sugarcube." There was something about that 'sugarcube', it reminded him of River Song's 'sweetie'. When exactly am I going to meet her again? Ever since The Library.. Her voice snapped him back into focus.
"Um, the questions?"
"Ah, right. Sorry. Where are you taking me, exactly?"
"To Sweet Apple Acres, are ya ok with that?"
"I guess so, but just one night. I've got to find my TARDIS," he knew that much, he couldn't let any other being find the time traveling blue box. She nodded sweetly in return, wondering what the heck a TARDIS was. The next couple seconds they walked in an awkward lack of conversation, the mud splashing specks onto their coat.
"And the other?" She piped up.
"May I ask your name?" The Doctor replied quickly, the faintest of blushes spreading on his face in embarrassment.
"I'm Applejack, sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier," she gave him a sheepish grin.
"I didn't introduce myself either, you realize. No need to apologize. Well, actually, I'd like to know why you were laughing at me while I was drowning."
"I thought you were joking around, I swear on my Element of Honesty that I only thought it was a skit or a prank until you were gasping and wheezing on the mucky ground," her head bowed again, and an ashamed blush taking over the orange of her cheeks, and making them red. He extended a hoof to pat her back softly.
"I have mistakes too, except most put in danger more than just one person's life. Its ok," he smiled kindly, brushing back his wet mane so he could see clearly, and wondering why he didn't do that earlier. "And by the way, I'm the Doctor. Just, the Doctor. And please don't ask 'Doctor? Doctor who?' It gets annoying after a while."
"Doctor?" She asked, faking an innocent voice, grinning.
"Don't."
"Doctor Who?"
"I'm not answering that." They walked in silence for a couple minutes, until coming to the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres, coming upon row and row of trees bearing the red fruit the land was named for, the rain still going strong.
"This is humongous! And you tend to this whole place by yourself?!"
"Well, me and my older brother, yes," she smiled, glad someone was acknowledging her endless work.
"That's brilliant! You must get quite the workout."
"Yeah, I do. It leaves me exhausted at the end of the day."
"Shall we?" He motioned to the barn and house in the distance.
"We shall," she grinned. Trotting off happily into the forest of apple trees.
I just made that girl's day. He smiled, forgetting the rain altogether. He quickly caught up to her, keeping pace with her, at her side, step by step.
"Best be picking up the pace a bit, don't want to get caught under a fallen tree or anything," she remarked, beginning to walk a bit faster, the Doctor keeping in tow.
"Would roots come out of the ground here?" He asked, to which in reply, Applejack slowed down.
"Good thinking Doctor," she smiled. "Don't want to injure myself, I've got too much work to do." The time it took to get from the edge of the fields to the house and barn was so fast it could almost be declared time travel. But time always happens to move faster when you are with someone that interests you.
"Granny, I'm home!" She hollered throughout the house as soon as they stepped through the threshold. An older pony with a green coat and grey hair held up in a bun walked in.
"You're all muddy! And who is this you have with you?"
"I'm the Doctor, ma'am. Applejack here made sure I didn't drown," he responded quickly. Granny Smith looked confused.
"Its that bad out there?"
"No, no, I was in the pond, back in Ponyville park," he explained. No realization showed in the elder pony's eyes.
"If you say so.. Applejack, I prepared a hot bath for you, you two go clean off," she motioned wildly to the stairs.
"Us two?" Applejack questioned, sounding shocked, motioning between herself and him.
"I'm not drawing two baths. Now go clean off," she had a 'don't mess with me' look in her eye, so Applejack nodded, a huge blush on her face, took off her Stetson and gave Granny the bag of bits she was keeping under it, said "daily earnings" and walked up a couple steps, then motioned for the Doctor to follow. She led him to a bathroom, where steam was coming out of the space left open by the ajar door.
"She wasn't kidding with the hot bath, was she?" He grinned.
"No, she wasn't. What are we, vegetables?"
"Don't think so Applejack, but we will be steamed," he nodded toward the door. "Better face the dragon." He nudged the door open all the way, becoming enveloped in steam for a couple seconds before it thinned out, then stepping inside. Applejack walked in, closed the door to hang her hat up on a hook on the other side of the wooden door, then took out her hairband, letting her mane free of its form being stuck together, and began combing it out.
"You're beautiful," he murmured, most likely too loudly seeing as Applejack dropped her brush and turned to him, eyes widened.
"I am?" She questioned. He was caught.
"Well.. Nah," he grinned. "Beautiful would be an understatement." In a flash Applejack's face flushed a deep red. Thank you, Captain Jack.
"You're treating me too well. Are ya just looking to get in bed with me?"
"We probably are going to share a bed, seeing as we're sharing a bath, and how iron willed your grandmother is. But no, I'm not. I would never do such a thing." He started to ease his way into the bath.
"You probably are right on the bed thing, I'm afraid," she let out a soft chuckle, and worked her way into the other side of the relatively small tub. "But if you were, you were playing me correctly. Complimenting my hard work, or my looks.." Her ears folded down a bit, and she turned to face the apple wallpapered wall.
"You don't get much credit, do you? Its all just work, work, work, and nobody acknowledges the fact that you are doing any of it. I'm sorry," his expression softened. "I am so, so sorry. But why wouldn't you get any suitors? You are a brilliant young lady."
"I don't exactly know why," she sighed in relief as she sank to sitting in the tub, her head resting on the back of it, the Doctor doing the same. "Although I am flattered, sugarcube. I really don't consider myself beautiful. The fact that nopony outside of my family compliments me on anything about my looks doesn't really help." The water of the tub soon became brown with mud as they relaxed in it.
"Well, rest assured, you are very, very wonderful. And aside from laughing at drowning ponies," she hit him, both laughing a little.
"Hey!" He held up his hooves in mock defeat.
"As I was saying, aside from laughing at drowning ponies, you have one of the nicest personalities out of the many, many people I have met."
"I.." She smiled goofily. "I've never been treated like this before, and I, uh, like it.. And you."
Score! he smiled, then did an inner facehoof. Brain, no. "I'm glad you think about me this way."
"Me too." They sat in the tub until the water was cold and it was half-mud, staring into each other's eyes and doing not much else.
"I think we should get out now, I feel pruney," the Doctor suggested.
"Same." They both hopped out of the bath, the Doctor holding his breath and unplugging the drain, while Applejack grabbed two cream towels, an apple embroidered in a corner in each of them, and wrapped one around him.
"Thanks," he smiled, drying himself off, then neatly folding the towel up and placing it beside the sink, Applejack following his lead, then taking her stetson off the hook, lead him to her room.
"I'm not going to wake up Granny at this hour of the night, so you'll just have to sleep with me," she smiled slightly.
"I'm not complaining," he replied, pulling the covers down on one side of her bed and rolling in. "Don't you love tonight?" A giant crash of thunder chorused throughout the sky.
"Yes. We've got the best weather ever, I'll have to thank Dash later," she crawled in to the other side of the bed, turning on her side to face him, they lowered their voices to whispers.
"Has a boy, from outside your family, ever hugged you before?" He asked.
"Not in a long time. No," she replied with a tinge of sadness. And without another word, she felt him wrap his front hooves around her, his warm body pressed against hers. He softly nuzzled one of her ears, which got a good reply/squeak from Applejack, so he decided to give a it a little nibble.
"What kind of magic are you using?" She sighed, relaxing in his hold.
"Would you believe none?" He grinned.
"No."
"Better start believing then," he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "You know I'm doing almost nothing when almost drowning is the best thing I have done in a while." That got a giggle out of Applejack.
"Why do I love you so much?" She asked. "I had only met you a couple hours ago."
"I'm pretty sure that I gave off a different attitude than all the others. Ever heard of love at first sight?"
"Its stuff of dreams, then again, this is almost a dream.." She thought for a moment. "Yes."
"Good answer, me too." He gave her a peck on the nose, to which she responded with a kiss on the cheek. They commenced an epic war of snuggling and kisses for five minutes, until Applejack moved her head in the wrong direction and they locked lips. Both of their eyes widened, then closed as Applejack moved her head forward. They held the kiss for a couple seconds, before breaking it.
"I taste apples, unsurprisingly," the Doctor remarked, as Applejack thought for a moment.
"Then care to explain why I taste fish fingers and.. Custard?"
"Long story, but lets say it involves a Pond," he smiled, snuggling up beside Applejack, enjoying her presence, letting all time in the world be lost. She moved one hoof to lift his head to look at hers, green against blue.
"Doesn't everything?"
"Doctor? Where are you going?" He turned around, looking at the orange mare of whom just woke up.
"I've got to go. I have to find my TARDIS," he sighed. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew too well what would happen if he took her on adventures with him, and she was needed too much by her family for that to happen.
"Can't ya stay here?"
"No, I can't. If anyone finds the TARDIS, the results could be catastrophic." She stared at him for a couple seconds, silently pleading him to stay. His expression softened for a moment, to which Applejack immediately jumped on.
"Please?"
"I.. er.." He shook his head. "No. I cannot. Its been nice to meet you Applejack, and I hope we see each other again." As he turned back to leave, he heard a rustling of sheets, and at a seconds notice, there was Applejack at his side. Her mane still not in a ponytail.
"Can I come with ya then?"
"I would love you to, Applejack, but I can't risk your death."
"What d'ya mean? I'll be fine."
"I've believed that lie too many times," he sighed, staring into her emerald green eyes. "And I care about you too much for you to die. Now go lie down in bed, and I'll see you again soon." He began making his way out of the house, pausing at the table of which Granny Smith and a rather large crimson earth pony sat to say thanks. He walked out of the house, and was almost beyond the fence of the building when Applejack ran up beside him, her mane in her normal ponytail, and wearing her stetson.
"At least let me help ya find your TARDIS," she suggested, sidling up beside him. He thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure, but that is it." Excitedly, Applejack ran into the house, quickly told her family that she was 'going to go with the Doctor for a second' and that 'she'll be right back', then took off.
"Lets go, Doctor." They took off towards the Everfree.
Big Mac looked at Granny Smith with a confused expression, of which she returned the glance, equally confused.
"You have no idea who he is?"
"Eeyup."
"Me neither."
A blue police box sat in the middle of a conveniently placed clearing.
"There's the TARDIS," the Doctor motioned to the box, then turned to Applejack. "You never told me why you were at the lake last night.."
"That?" She smiled. "That was just coincidence, I was walking home from my apple cart, when I noticed you splashing around and thought it was a joke."
"There is no such thing as coincidences."
"There isn't?"
"No. I know I'll be seeing you again, Applejack." He unlocked the TARDIS doors, stepping inside, then peeking his head out. "I know it."
"Where are you going?" Applejack shouted as he closed the door. She tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge. He locked her out. The TARDIS' engines began whirring, as she tried more desperately to open the door, turning around to buck it down. The blue box began to fade in and out, she didn't know exactly what was happening, but she knew she had to get in there with him. She took aim at the door and bucked it open.
"Applejack! What are you doing!?" The Doctor shouted from the control panel, he rushed back down to close the doors.
"I'm coming with ya!" She shouted, jumping in halfway through the open doors, as the TARDIS transported to space, making the bottom half of her body dangle dangerously over the edge and into darkness.
"Applejack!" He rushed down to the pony, helping her get inside the TARDIS, then shutting the doors. "I told you not to come with me!"
"I didn't listen," she grinned, then looked around. "Whoah, its bigger on the inside!"
"That it is," he chuckled. "Welcome to the TARDIS. It travels through all of time and space." Applejack ran around, looking at panels and out windows, gasping as she finally realized that she was in space.
"This is amazing!" She gasped. "I'm glad I didn't listen."
"Maybe right now you are.." He sighed, walking to the control panel. "I was thinking of going to Barcelona. The planet, not the city. The dogs have no noses. You want to come?"
Applejack could only nod, breathlessly.
"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.
