Chapters The Stallion Lost in Time
Ditzy waited patiently on the platform for the telltale sign of the train. The train would be arriving around noon, bringing something Ditzy has been waiting for weeks. The thought of this brought a heavy weight to her belly. She tapped her hoof to a steady beat. The waiting. Oh Celestia, the waiting.
The ticks of the clock distracted her from her weariness. The ponies around her milled about, lost in a blur. The busied themselves with their many responsibilities. They were guided along a path that they chose. But she, Ditzy Doo, was not. She was directed onto a new path. A path she wasn't ready for. She had to forget all her dreams in order to take care of her new responsibilities.
Soon, the old train in front of her began to whistle. The ponies around stopped their dull activities and began to gather their things and leave, the buzz of their conversations reaching her ears. Their boring voices had of no interest to her. She was only focused on one thing. The ponies gathered on the train, their voices leaving the hollow station. She was left alone with her thoughts.
She felt the presence of the station as if it were herself. The worn colors of the station mimicked her mind and her body. The once vibrant colors of the station were her youth, the light browns and reds were once filled with joy. The aged windows were her eyes, dark and weary, devoid of any clarity. The creaky old floorboards were her body. The floorboards were once sturdy and strong, but now they groaned after years of accumulated weight on their backs. The station was only but a few decades old, and so was she. But after only twenty years of heartbreak, she felt nine-hundred years old.
Finally, at 12:06, the smoke spilled into the station. When the locomotive pulled in, Ditzy couldn't help but feel as if the bright colors of the train made the station obsolete. One by one, the ponies filed out of the florescent train. She flicked her eyes up at the train, her eyes spending only a few seconds on each face, searching for only one. The soft colors of the ponies's faces began to fade together as she rushed past the strangers. When she reached the back of the crowd, she was met with a small unicorn. The filly had a messy blonde mane, warm amber eyes, and a small lilac body. Her pale eyes fixed onto Ditzy, and she immediately perked up. She wrapped her hooves around Ditzy's neck and cried out in joy. "You came!"
Ditzy smiled fondly and hugged her back. She felt hot tears spill from her eyes as she clutched the filly. "Of course I came."
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The chime of the clock rang once more. At exactly 4:00, Ditzy sat in her living room, waiting once more that day. The steady tick of the clock was irritating beyond belief. She waited patiently for the newcomer, constantly glancing at the clock that hung above her couch. In the back of her mind, she thought that the tea might be getting cold.
She adjusted herself in her seat, laying on the soft fabrics, pondering the events that happened on that day. She had already flipped through her astronomy books, but her mind was elsewhere. She kept on thinking about Dinky and where she belonged. She blinked, her eyelids growing heavy. She let her mind wonder, soon letting the morbid ticks of the clock become a small lullaby for the gray pegasus. The cool fabrics of the sofa calmed her, and soon she was in a comatose state, dreaming of the stars and planets.
A knock came on the door. Ditzy jumped, falling off the couch and onto the floor. She quickly got off the ground and nearly tripped over her hooves as she reached the door. Opening it quickly, she groaned. Before her was a familiar yellow Earth Pony. Her green eyes were lit with friendliness as she chuckled, "It's good to see you, too, Derpy."
Ditzy did not react to Carrot's silly name. Everyone close to her called her this, and she had no problem with it. "I'm sorry, Carrot, it's just that... well, Dinky is here." she remarked, her tail flicking irritably. Carrot Top looked at the small pink jacket that hung on the coat hanger, and her eyebrows knitted together in worry. "How're you holding up?"
The gray mare sighed and fell on the couch. She touched her forehead with her hoof, rubbing it. "I'm worried about Dinky. She claims she's fine, but I can tell she's still sad about Cloud Kicker. And I can't blame her. Sometimes I think about her and all the good times we had and I..." she stopped as her eyes became wet.
Carrot Top frowned at her friend and sat beside her on the couch, resting a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Dinky will move on, and so will you. Yes, Cloud Kicker will be missed and cherished, but someday you will both move on. You'll both be happy." she reassured, a smile flickering on her muzzle.
Ditzy smiled at her friend and hugged her, feeling the tears slide down her cheek. "Thank you for your support, Carrot."
She flinched as another knock came. Carrot Top moved off the couch, gave her an encouraging look, and glanced towards the door. "Well? Your future awaits, Miss Doo." She raised her hoof to the door.
Ditzy sighed again and slid off the couch. She fixed her mane, which was quite messy, and gave her friend a quick glance as she opened the door. There stood a heavy set unicorn mare with bright ginger hair. She carried a satchel that swung across her shoulder and a black notepad that showed many years of use. Her horn glowed as she scratched on her notepad. Ditzy smiled brightly at the stranger, saying, "Welcome!"
She expected at least a glance from the strange mare, but her eyes remained fixed on the little notepad. Ditzy looked from her notepad to the unicorn and awkwardly moved away from the door. "Er... would like to come in?"
The unicorn moved inside, wrenching her eyes away from her notepad and onto the small two-story home. She narrowed her red eyes, searching the room for some unknown item. When her gaze finally fell on the gray mare, Ditzy felt scared. What if she doesn't like me and sends Dinky away?
"Um... this is my friend Carrot Top." She flicked her ears towards the yellow Earth Pony, who was eyeing the unicorn with a suspicious look. The unicorn met her eyes and raised her chin. "Charmed," she greeted in a thick, deep voice.
"Likewise." Carrot Top did not stop eyeing the unicorn suspiciously. Finally, she turned to Ditzy, her suspicious glare gone. "Well, I'm going to see Written Script. I'll see you later Ditzy." Casting another quick glance at the unicorn, she left, grabbing her coat.
The unicorn looked at Ditzy again. The red gaze was making Ditzy uneasy, so she lifted the muffins she baked to the mare's eye level. "Uh... want a muffin?" she asked in a high pitch.
The mare's hostile glare disappeared and was replaced with an interested look. Her eyes flickered over the muffins. "Yes please!" She grabbed a muffin, devouring it in a mere second. She sat down on the small chair beside the sofa, the legs of the chair groaning under her weight. Ditzy sat on the couch beside her, pouring tea for both of them. As she poured the tea into the cups, she prayed silently to the princesses that the pot will not spill. She carefully put the teapot down, cursing her clumsiness as the teapot wobbled.
When the mare had finished her muffins, she looked at Ditzy. "So..." she began, placing the platter on the coffee table in front of her. "About Dinky. I know your concern for her and your sister, Miss Doo, but you must understand that concern doesn't matter. We must know that you have the capability to care for a ten-year-old filly. We need to know about your income, your living quarters, if you're mature enough, and much more..."
Ditzy set down the teacup she was drinking out of and turned to the mare. "I understand completely, Miss..."
"Flo. Mrs. Flo."
Ditzy cleared her throat. "Right, well, Mrs. Flo. I'll have you know that I am fully capable of taking care of Dinky. My friends and co-workers will agree with me. I have been working for the Ponyville Mail Carrier for two years now-"
"I'm sorry, but a mail company? " Mrs. Flo interrupted, eyes flashing.
Ditzy flinched. "Yes, well you see-"
"I'm sorry, Miss Doo, but you cannot possibly raise a filly on the income of a mailpony. You must think about changing your career so that you can pay for Dinky's needs. Raising a filly is hard, but raising a filly on such a low income id even harder. An average mailpony gets around 45,000 bits a year. That may be enough to support yourself, but it isn't enough to support yourself and a filly. Not to mention the fact that there are no health benefits for Dinky, only yourself."
Ditzy remained silent as she listened to the mare go on about the income and benefits of another job, a job she did not have interest in. She had been a mailpony since she got out of high school, and did not believe she could leave her friendly job for that of a boring office job. She gave the teacup a final sip before replying, "I still have money left over from my mother's inheritance. I can pay any extra expenses with the money my mother gave me when she died. I can easily handle the little filly with the money I earn and my mother's money."
Mrs. Flo nodded giving the aged notebook a few more scratches. She took a sip from her own teacup and continued on, "While we're on the subject of health... I have a question about your eyes, Miss Doo."
Ditzy frowned at this question. All her life, she had been ridiculed about her strange eyes. Many ponies think that she may be disabled and unworthy to do acts that a pony with regular eyes could do. She always tried harder than other ponies, desperately trying to prove she wasn't as useless as they thought she was. She had to prove that her eyes did not effect her. "What is it?"
"I was wondering if... well, you could possibly get some sort of surgery for your-"
"My eyes don't effect me in any way shape or form!" she cried out in exasperation.
The heavyset unicorn looked at her in shock.
Ditzy blinked and sighed at the unicorn. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I shouldn't have snapped. It's just my whole life I've been told I am unable to do things because of my strange eyes. I can assure you that I am prepared to take care of Dinky. My eyes don't effect how I live."
"I see." Her answer was blunt, and Ditzy wondered if she had offended her with her sudden outburst. Flo continued to write in her notepad, Ditzy focused on the steady of scratches of her pen, hoping she was writing only good things about her. Finally, after what seemed like a decade, she looked up from her notepad. Her eyes shone warmly, giving Ditzy a sudden burst of hope. "I'm happy to tell you that the Equestrian Child Support services believes you are eligible for caring for Dinky. You seem to have a lovely home with a substantial income. Dinky could have a happy childhood here."
Dinky fluttered her wings in happiness. "Thank you so much! I promise I'll take good care of Dinky! I won't let you down!"
Mrs. Flo smiled warmly. "Don't forget I will be checking in on random times to make sure you truly are prepared for caring for a filly. You may be a diligent pony, but I don't know if you're a diligent guardian." She began to gather her things, slipping her notebook and pen into her satchel. She headed for the door, giving the young mare a inquisitive look. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Ditzy sighed happily, feeling the worry drain from her. "Yes. I'm ready." Ditzy opened the door for the mare, and watched her step outside.
"Well, I'll see you around, Miss Doo. I'll be coming around soon, don't you worry." And with a final, challenging glance, the mare left.
Ditzy whooped as she closed door, leaping into the air and punching it. "Yes!" In her brief moment of ecstasy, the pegasus didn't notice she had knocked over a nearby vase. She swooped down and caught it, seconds before it hit the ground. She chuckled and smiled sheepishly. "Oops."
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A great colorful light blinded her. The bright colors careened around a large cloud, who seemed to be nesting bright, large stars. A light blue light seemed to meld together with a red light, creating a brilliant cascade of colors. The lights reflected on the fluffy cloud below it. There was a dark area below the dark cloud, splattered with smaller and dimmer stars. Ditzy realized with a shock that she was looking at a nebula. But how could this be? It was impossible to look at such thing without a powerful telescope. She stood on top of a strangely lit ground, looking with awe at this spectacle.
"You like it?" A Braytish voice behind her made her jump. She turned and saw a brown stallion. Lights danced around him in a playful manner, but she couldn't quite figure out what they were. "I figured since we're horses we'd go to the Horsehead Nebula. Can you believe it? Sixteen-hundred light years away from... what is your planet called again? It's certainly not Earth, considering you're all ponies. I really miss Earth and the humans. I wonder if this is some parallel dimension and humanoids don't exist? Maybe humans do exist, but on a different planet. That would be fun to find out. We should search around the universe and find out, shouldn't we? Maybe it's just another Earth, but with a different name. Or it could be Earth with a different location! Oh, this is brilliant. Over nine hundred years of galavanting about the universe and I cannot find Earth."
Ditzy stared at the strange stallion, open mouthed. Never before has she seen somepony talk so much. Well, except for Pinkie Pie. She listened to the talkative stallion, trying to decipher the words that came rapidly out of his mouth. A few times she heard the words "sonic screwdriver" or "dimension jump", but couldn't figure out what they mean. Finally, she just stopped trying. She couldn't understand why he would feel the need to talk so much. After many minutes of his interminable speech he asked, "What do you think?"
Ditzy blinked at the stallion, surprised that he even asked her something. "Uh... sure, I guess."
The stallion grinned broadly, and started to press buttons and push down levers she hadn't realized were there until now. Suddenly she heard a loud whirring sound, and the room around her began to shake. She yelped in surprise and floated above the shaking room. "It's been a while since I've been there! Hope the Boodles haven't attacked again! That would mean a whole lot of trouble for us, but no matter! Allons-y! " he cried out before throwing down a lever.
Ditzy awoke. She lay on the couch, embracing the darkness of the living room after the bright and rather vivid dream she had. The dream still hung in her mind, especially that stallion. She couldn't help but feel affection towards him. Somepony has to be really lonely in order to talk that much. She chuckled at the antics of the strange pony, and wondered possibly if he existed. She shook her head and reminded herself that the stallion was just a product of her imagination.
She breathed deeply before crawling off the couch. She looked up at the clock, it's pendulum swinging steadily. 12:34, it read. Groaning, she stretched her legs and wings before heading up the narrow stairs. She abruptly opened her bedroom door when she reached it. Going into dimly lit room, she fell upon her mattress. She breathed in the stuffy fabrics briefly, half exhausted. She crawled into the covers, practically purring at the warmth the fluffed up covers provided. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she noticed a dim light in the corner of her eye. Tentatively, she took off the warm covers and made her way to the light, no doubt caused by a flashlight under a blanket. It was obvious who was under it all.
"Dinky?"
The lavender filly lifted the blanket above her head. "Hi, Auntie Derpy..." she smiled shamefully at the older mare. She blinked up at her with big amber eyes, obviously trying to win her affection. On her lap was an old raggedy book.
Ditzy gave her a stern look. "What are you doing up so late?"
Dinky flashed an uneasy look at the book she was reading. "Well... I couldn't sleep so I decided to read..."
The mare frowned as she noticed a brief flash of sadness pass through the young filly's eyes. She knew her niece was still grieving Cloud Kicker. Only is she could make her happy again... "Hey, why don't we go back to your room? I can read you that book if you like."
Dinky gave her a weird look. "I'm almost eleven... I can read on my own." Her eyes travelled over the book before looking at her aunt. "Yeah. That would be nice." she added quietly.
Ditzy smiled at her and ruffled her mane with her hoof. "Come on, it'll be just like old times."
Dinky smiled at this while picking up her blanket and flashlight and heading towards her room. Ditzy quickly followed, holding the old book in her mouth, knowing exactly what the cover read. She entered her niece's room, smiling as she saw Dinky already was stuffed in the thick layers of the covers. Her eyes shone as Ditzy sat next to her on the bed. She flipped through the yellowed pages, looking at the worn out letters. Nostalgia flooded through her mind as she thought of all the nights her mother read this to her at night. "My mom used to read this to me at night, you know. I always made her read it. It's called The Stallion Lost in Time. There are many stories in this book, so I'll just start with the introduction."
She opened the cover, her eyes skimming over her little scribbled signature she made as a filly before starting, "There once was lonely stallion. No one truly knew his name, but he was always calling himself the Doctor. Now, this stallion had never practiced medicine, nor had ever been to a university. But the feats he performed were beyond anypony's capabilities. He could save a town from the parasprites, or save a whole planet from hostile aliens. And if he did, nopony ever noticed. Nopony knew, nopony saw, nopony thanked him. He has saved millions of lives, and nopony so much as knew him. He was lonely.
The machine he travelled in allowed all of time and space to bend at his hooves. He travelled through galaxies, saving the lives of many. He had the ability to change history, but never did. His machine was his only friend on his lonely journey across the universe.
Once in a while, the stallion made friends. They would get friendly with him, and sometimes join him in his adventures, but in the end they would leave him. He could have a brief happiness with each of them, but then something could happen. The companion could get lost, and eventually forget him. They could leave him, and they could move on. They could die, leaving the Doctor sadder than ever before. But there is one thing the lonely Doctor could never do. He could never forget his friends.
And so on he would travel. Forever lost in in the intricate web of space, forever trying to find his purpose, forever trying to find that one being to say, 'Thank you.'" she stopped, getting lost in her own words. Ditzy noticed that Dinky had fallen asleep, her head resting on a soft pillow. She sighed, and kissed the filly's forehead. "Good night, little one."
She grabbed the rustic book, and left the room, her thoughts preoccupied by the lost stallion. Could it be the stallion in her dream, or it could it just be mere coincidence? Maybe her thoughts were preoccupied with the book she read as a child, so her mind formulated a dream? Maybe... just maybe... the stallion was real. She chuckled at such childish thoughts. Something so absurd couldn't be real. She put the book inside the bookcase in her room, and climbed into her adjacent bed. Her thoughts were filled to the brain with images of the brown stallion as the lonely Doctor as she fell asleep once more.
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Ditzy took another sip of coffee. Slowly, but surely, the energy slowly drained into her again. The dreams she had that night plagued her mind, causing her to have a restless sleep. She dreamed of chaotic laughter and screaming, leaving her anxious and dazed when she awoke later that morning. It disturbed her, but she didn't let it get to her. After all, it was just a dream.
"Have you seen the paper today, Ditzy?" Carrot Top asked from across the table. Ditzy looked up, slightly surprised to see her friend sitting there.
"No, I haven't actually." Ditzy murmured, taking a large gulp of coffee.
Carrot Top looked at her from above the newspaper. "Well, apparently another pony has gone missing."
Ditzy set her mug on the table and looked at her with shock. "You're kidding me, right? That's the third one this week! "
Carrot Top nodded and took a bite of her muffin. "This time it was Fluttershy, you know... the shy pony who lives in the cottage down the road?"
She gasped. "That poor thing! She must be terrified! I hope nothing else has happened to her."
The yellow mare knitted her eyebrows. "This is suspicious. First, Pinkie Pie is taken from the Cakes's. Then Rainbow Dash has vanished, and now poor Fluttershy has been snatched. Oh, Celestia and Luna help them."
"Obviously someone is after the Elements of Harmony." Ditzy said as she took a bite out of an apple.
A loud munching sound was heard behind the newspaper. "That's definitely what the police believe. They posted guards all over Applejack and Rarity. Not to mention Princess Twilight."
The two sat in silence, mulling over the recent events. Ditzy took a sip of her coffee, thinking about Equestria. What would happen to Equestria now that half of the Elements of Harmony are isolated? Who was this unnamed suspect and why would he want to harm the Elements? What terrors could be unleashed on the peaceful Equestria?
"I should wake Dinky now, shouldn't I?" Ditzy left the table and floated up the stairs, thoughts filled with Equestria's destiny and how this could possibly effect Dinky and herself. When she came to Dinky's room she knocked on the door. "Come on, Dinky! It's time for school." She knocked again. When no answer came, she suspected that the filly was still asleep. "Dinky?"
She opened the bedroom door and immediately felt a blast of cool air. That's funny, she thought. The window wasn't open when I left here last night. Her belly began to writhe when she realized that the bed showed no sign of the filly sleeping peacefully. The covers of the bed were thrown awry, and the suitcase was torn open.
"Dinky, this isn't funny. Come out here, right now!" she tried to sound commanding, but her voice came out small and scared.
The window was wide open, the screen completely destroyed. Ditzy wished with all her heart that this was all a silly joke the unicorn was playing. But she knew Dinky wasn't like that. "Please, Dinky, don't do this..."
She continued to search the small room, desperately wanting the filly to pop out and surprise her auntie. After that, Ditzy would give her a muffin and watch her as she left for school. She would come back from school and need her help for some homework. She would happily help, and finally they would have some dinner with Carrot Top. This should happen. Nothing else.
Ditzy started pulling back the covers of the bed, on the verge of tears. Half of her knew that the little filly wouldn't be able to hide under the covers without her knowing it. She stopped throwing the covers about when her eyes rested on something dark on the sheets. Her heart stopped as she realized it was a patch of blood.
"Dinky! "
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The Stallion Lost in Time
The last thing he remembered was a large crash.
Something had gone wrong, the regeneration was going badly. Something was ripping him, splitting his body in half, tearing his very soul apart. This was wrong. This never happened before.
All he could see was gold essence streaming from every orifice of his body. His screams ripped the tense, hot air. The TARDIS was making revving sounds as it traveled through the space vortex.
Then something crashed, and he didn't know if it was the TARDIS or his mind. All he knew that ground beneath him was comfortable and spongy; a perfect place to pass out. He thought that perhaps it would be better to make sure his resting place was safe. Oh, pish posh, he thought. Why would I ever need to get up? If I truly was in danger, I would be dead by now. Finally, he decided it was better to pass out on the delightfully comfortable earth. And so he did.
A high-pitched scream awoke him from his cheerful dream of pretty pink ponies.
"Dinky? " their voice came again in a scream, laden with grief and worry. Grief and worry, he thought warily. Never a good combination.
"Dinky! " they screamed again. The voice was female, he deduced as much. But why would they scream such an absurd word? Maybe it was a name...? "Dinky? "
He got up from his leafy nest, carefully making his away across the fern covered forest. His vision was blurry, as if his body wasn't fully there yet. He shook his head in hopes of his vision returning fully, hoping that this regeneration wasn't bloody blind. Realizing that he would probably have to get used to it, he picked his way across the small clearing, spotting a small hole in the fronds. He moved towards it, body aching, and peeked through it, expecting to see some humans calling out their strange names. Shocked, he realized he was looking at brightly colored ponies instead of the familiar humans. Their manes were strange colors, a bright blonde and ginger. Their coats were no less bright than the manes, one was a pale gray, the other a light yellow. He looked at them scrutinizingly as he also noticed markings on their rump. As he witnessed this, one thought had reached his mind. What on Earth is going on here...?
He continued to stare at the ponies, watching how they moved and how they acted. Their screams filled the grassy hollow, scaring some birds. The yellow one had stopped yelling and turned to her pale gray friend. "Ditzy... I don't think Dinky is here. We... we've been through the Everfree Forest at least three times. If she was here-"
"She has to be here! She can't be gone. I'm supposed to care for her. I'm supposed to look after her. My sister trusted me, and I failed her!" the gray mare cried. "I failed her, Carrot Top..."
He looked at the ponies, intrigued. They clearly had human like aspects. His eyes swiveled to the yellow mare, apparently called Carrot Top. She was looking at her friend with deep sympathy. "This could've happened to anyone, Ditzy. Just because it happened to you, doesn't mean you're to blame. We will find Dinky. Not today, though, Ditzy. You're exhausted. Let's go home."
These ponies were looking for someone. A niece, quite obviously. The gray mare was the aunt of said lost filly, quite distressed about the fact she had lost her sister's daughter. He easily guessed that "Dinky" was the daughter of the gray mare's, Ditzy's, sister. A mother would be much older, this pony looked young. But what disturbed him most about this situation was that the ponies spoke fluent English. The TARDIS couldn't translate their dialect; it had never learned the language of ponies.
"You go on ahead. I'm going to keep looking." Ditzy spoke again, snapping him out of his thoughts. He watched as the yellow one turned tail and trotted away. "Be careful!" she called back, as she disappeared into the ferns.
He looked at Ditzy, expecting her to go and search for her lost niece. She looked around the dense field of grass hopelessly. The gray mare collapsed on the wet earth and began to sob. He frowned, feeling a well of sympathy rise up in his throat. He had begun to like these ponies, they reminded him of humans. He had expected less of these strange beings, but he was delightfully surprised.
Then, quite suddenly, his vision returned. He could see things clearly now! The light green leaves around him were large and tall, quite unlike the ones on Earth. The tall oaks bore many knots and roots that entangled themselves below the ground. The springy grass held home to many brightly colored insects. He had never quite appreciated his vision before. The gray pony now had something different, too. On her slim back sprouted two feathery wings.
Wait, what?
In his astonishment, he fell clumsily onto the ferns that sheltered him from the strange ponies. He fell face first quite crudely on the harder rock, feeling around his mouth, he noticed some teeth were missing, then blood began to trickle steadily out of his mouth. He groaned loudly. By now, the mare would have noticed him. And plus, he rather liked his teeth.
He heard the clack of hooves and looked up to see a blurry gray figure. They had wide amber eyes stretched in worry and two wings that fluttered nervously. Okay, he was obviously dreaming. "Are you okay, mister?" a worried voice broke his foggy thoughts.
No. I am most definitely not okay. He opened his mouth to speak, but a high-pitched whinny escaped his lips instead.
That's new, he thought briefly, before passing out for the second time that day.
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His head throbbed painfully. His mouth was drier than wrinkled prune. Not to mention, his nose was covered in dried up blood. Sure, he had had worse. But he still didn't care for it at all.
Where am I? He opened his eyes, still slightly blurry from hitting that rock. Realizing that he was sitting on a fluffy sofa instead of the hard rock, he became suspicious. He looked around. It was a living room, obviously, and a blanket covered him. In front of him was a coffee table with a large stack of muffins. His eyes shimmered as he began to eat the chewy pieces of heaven. Then, with a sudden shock, he spat them out onto the platter. Pears? Who on earth likes * pears*? He began to scrape off the pieces of demon vomit off of his tongue.
Then he realized with horror he had no fingers. Instead of the thin appendages he used to grasp things, he had two smooth, brown hooves. He instinctively felt his face, searching for his familiar lips and nose, and found instead of a stout muzzle. He touched his ears, now large and horse-like that could swivel around. His hair was at least not that different. It still had it's smooth luminousness that spiked up in a most springy manner. Though, he supposed it should be called a mane, now.
"Who are you?" came a hostile voice from his left. In the doorway stood a gray pegasus mare with a mistrustful amber glare. He stopped inspecting himself and looked at the mare with wide eyes.
"You're a pegasus." he stated.
The gaze suddenly turned from hostile to surprised in a matter of seconds. "Huh?"
"You're a pegasus. And I'm a pony." he blankly said, shock buzzing through his mind.
She scrunched her eyebrows, her eyes crossing. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm a pegasus. And you're a pony. What's the big deal?"
Eventually the initial shock faded, and panic clouded his mind. "I can't be a pony! I need my fingers to use my sonic screwdriver! I need my fingers to guide the TARDIS! I need my fingers to bloody write! I can't be a bloody pony with a mane and tail- is that an hourglass on my * bum!?***"
Suddenly he was driven up against the wall, a gray hoof leaning on his neck. His eyes met angry yellow ones, and he felt fear rising up in his throat. "Can you please let go of my pony throat?" he asked nicely.
She didn't respond, and instead growled, "I'm not going to ask again. Who are you? "
He smiled sheepishly. "Hello! I'm the Doctor." he said weakly.
Ditzy frowned and stared at him with a fierce expression. "Doctor who?"
"Just the Doctor!"
Her eyes widened as she let him go. She clutched her forehead and fell on a chair, rocking back and forth. "But you're... he's... that's impossible!" Her eyes flashed and she turned back to him. "You're impossible! "
"Hey, I'm not the one with the wings!" he said indignantly.
She frowned. "But you're a story book character!"
He smiled. "Really? I don't think I have ever been a story book character before! Well, maybe once. Well , maybe a couple of times. Well, at least fifteen times."
She remained still, gaping at him.
"Don't do that. I hate it when people do that." he grimaced.
"You... you were in my dream..." she stuttered. He looked at her with interest. "You had this... room. F-filled with lights! And... and you were pressing buttons. A- a lot of buttons. You were saying a bunch of nonsense, I- I couldn't understand you at all! Why were you in my dream?"
He shrugged, eyebrows knitting. "I don't know. I guess it could've been something that came from the TARDIS and landed in your brain. It sometimes does that. Or it could've been from the storybook you have probably read. The stories we read often end up as dreams. Or it could be these dastardly pear muffins." He flicked his tail contemptuously at the fluffy demons.
Ditzy continued to gape at him.
"Please stop doing that."
"Sorry." she hastily apologized. They stood in silence, the Doctor glaring daggers at the muffins and Ditzy thinking deeply. The clock ticked. Finally, Ditzy broke the silence. "Why are you in Equestria?" she asked, eyes flickering up to the Doctor, who was still eyeing the muffins viciously.
He turned in surprise to the mare. "I honestly don't know. I think the TARDIS crashed here. Must've crossed dimensions somehow..." he looked off into the distance.
Ditzy fluttered her wings irritably. "Okay... what's this TARDIS you speak oh so fondly about?"
The Doctor smiled. "Glad you asked! She's my ship, helps me travel across time and space."
The Pegasus looked thoughtful. "That must be the machine you travel through time with. It's in the storybook."
He smiled fondly. "Yeah... she's..." a look of sudden clarity dawned on his face. "In the forest! I've got to go back and see how she's doing." He suddenly stood up, and stumbled, putting his hoof to his head.
Ditzy fluttered over to him, resting her hooves on his shoulders as she forced him to sit on the couch. The Doctor began to cough heavily, gold dust flittering from his mouth. Ditzy stepped back, scared. "What's going on? Why are you coughing up... that... stuff ?"
The Doctor stood up again, this time with a determined look on his face. "It's nothing. Just going through a regeneration. No big deal." He flinched as one of his two hearts clenched.
She gave him a worried look. "Are you okay, Doctor?"
He stood for a moment, blue eyes squinting, before saying, "Fine. Ditzy, I need that storybook. Could you get it for me? I need to go to the TARDIS. Make sure she's alright. I'll get rid of this vermin for you." He threw a disgusted glance at the plate of half-chewed muffins.
Ditzy nodded, slightly confused as to why she was obeying his orders, and left the room to get the book. The Doctor quickly picked the plate of garbage up and threw it into the nearest trash can. His thoughts were muddled with the condition of the TARDIS and the storybook. He wondered if what was written in his past or his future. He clutched his pockets for his sonic screwdriver but didn't find it. He remembered vaguely that his jacket, with the sonic screwdriver, was in the TARDIS.
As Ditzy came down the stairs, she heard loud curses coming from downstairs. She sighed, handling the book she carried with care. It was the only copy, after all. She went downstairs with a quick pace. When she saw the Doctor, he was pacing fiercely in the kitchen. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Left my sonic screwdriver in the TARDIS." he said. "I need to go. Will you come with me?" he looked briefly at her, blue eyes spreading wider than a puppy's.
"Oh... uh... sure." She didn't quite know why she said yes, but she knew somehow this stallion, this strange stallion, would help her find Dinky.
He grinned broadly. "Brilliant!" he exclaimed, shooting out the door. Ditzy quickly followed on wing, not sure whether this man was sane enough to travel through time. She saw the brown stallion rush ahead, streaking towards the Everfree Forest. A single poster fell from the fence it was on as he tore past. His eye were wild as he yelled, "I've never galloped before. This is fun! " Ditzy gave him a strange look, but continued to fly alongside him.
Together the traveled thought the dense forest until the Doctor stopped. "I have no idea where I am!" he exclaimed, obviously frustrated.
She balanced the book on her back as she responded, "Oh well... I picked you up around that side of the forest. Could your TARDIS be...?" she was unabled to finish her sentence as the excited stallion made his way through the forest rubbish, blue eyes sparkling with joy as he made his across the forage. He shifted past the heavy branches that hung low from the trees and finally stopped at a clearing. She quickly followed him, picking up the book with her mouth.
"Well, here we are. I recognize this place. I watched you and your friend here. By the way, where is she?" he asked with some interest, trotting happily across the field.
"Oh fee's wif her colfriend, Wi-en Scwi- fif wou fust say wou were waffing uf?" she asked, half angry, a book muffling her voice.
"That's not important." he muttered silently, moving into the fronds. Inside the shady the leaf shelter was a single blue box. Ditzy looked at in wonder, feeling something tugging in her heart. Something was familiar about this box, but she didn't know exactly what. She watched the Doctor approach the blue box, eyes shimmering with anticipation. "What have you got for me this time...?" he whispered, before opening the door.
Ditzy watched in apprehension as he walked inside the small thing. She flinched when she heard a shout of frustration come through the entrance. She followed him inside anxiously. She blinked as bright lights filtered into her eyes, she was used to the dark lighting of the Everfree. When her eyes focused, she gasped, her pupils dilating. Inside the small box was a gigantic room with brilliant, colorful lighting. In the center was a control pad covered in blinking buttons, a large bright blue tube sticking out of it. The area surrounding it was made of a brown metal, white lights protruding from the panels. Wires hung from the ceiling, nearly hitting her head as she flew in. "It's exactly like the last one!" cried the stallion, hooves raking across the control board. Then he stared at his ship, misty-eyed. "Well, I did rather like this version."
She set the book down on the control pad, hovering onto the ground. "But... how is this...?" she looked in confusion at the Doctor. His eyes were glimmering in amusement, and he bit his lips to stifle his laughter. Her eyes crossed in confusion. "It's..."
"Yyyyeessss? " he asked, eyes laughing.
"It's..."
"Yyyyyyyyyeeeeeesssssss? "
"It's impossible," she remarked, focusing her attention on the inside of the TARDIS. The Doctor frowned, expecting a more humorous response. "Utterly impossible. How could a small box be bigger on the inside ?" she gasped in wonder, eyes blinking under the lights.
He grinned, but said nothing. He snatched the book off the controls. "Now," he opened the cover, eyebrows scrunching. "About this book of yours. When was it made and by whom? I don't see any author on here." he flicked through the dusty pages.
"I don't know when it was made. But I sort of know who it was made by." she tried to remember the author's name, but it was blurry. "It... it was an old friend. My mother's friend made it for her when I was born. I can't... I can't remember the name, though."
The Doctor gave the book a thoughtful glance, turning through the pages, eyes quickly jumping from word to word. This was indeed new. He had had stories written about him, but never put into a collection. He felt as if he were excluded, a wonderer looking upon a strange man's adventures. This must be my future, he thought.
His eyes stopped on one particular story.
THE MEDUSA BOTS
The Doctor had found a new companion, and a new book. He could glimpse, but he could never read the book. He could never decipher it's hidden message. No, not until the very end. All he could do is wait and see what would happen to him and his new companion.
But that has no importance as of now. A new thing had arrived. It was a strange thing. It had sharp, bat-like wings and a swirled mane and tail. It could grasp a pony in a mere second and carry it off into a land unknown. Its violet eyes foretold of it's madness, swirling in a dangerous manner. A Medusa Bot. But it could only act if its master tells it to. But who was this master?
The Doctor pondered this. His ancient mind swirling with all the possible answers. Who was this strange deviant, who took ponies from their bed at night? Who made his minions do his very bidding? Who could strike a young mare and a child at any moment?
There was only one possible answer.
He stopped reading there. The Doctor slowly turned to Ditzy, who was looking at the flashing buttons with interest. "Ditzy, when was your niece taken?"
The mare looked surprised at the question, then remembered the Doctor had spied on her with an annoyed pang. Sadness clouded her gaze as she responded in a despondent tone, "Two weeks ago."
The Doctor nodded, pursing his lips. "Could you take me to the place from which she was taken?"
The gray mare nodded, wondering if possibly the stallion from her dreams could get Dinky back.
He hopped from he was standing, and quickly trotted to the entrance of the TARDIS, opening the door. It was then he had met the violet, mad eyes with his own. In an instant, he was snatched up, crying out in shock. Ditzy screamed after him, eyes wide with fear. It wasn't a second later when a pale purple hoof snatched her up out of the TARDIS, carrying her away. Nothing was left inside the TARDIS, just an old blue book.
He must be taken by the Medusa Bots.
The Stallion Lost in Time
The Master of the Medusa Bots
The Master of the Medusa Bots
The Master of the Medusa Bots was unknown. He gave orders to the bots from a secluded area, his identity left veiled from the rest of the pony world. His bots don't dare question their master, and follow his orders willingly. The Master had no heart, no. He had lost that many a millennia ago. The Master only chuckled darkly, often thinking of his plan, often pondering the doom of the ponies that live in Equestria.
Now he had created the Medusa Bots, but for what purpose? Had he created these mechanical ponies to be his servant, or did this terrifying god have something more devious planned?
The Doctor had to decide this himself as the Medusa Bots took him to their master.
She let felt the ground beneath her hooves disappear suddenly, and felt strong hooves grip her tightly. She screamed as they carried her higher and higher above the ground. The cold arms stifled her lungs, and her breaths came in short gasps. Ditzy's hooves stirred the air in panic as she looked at the earth below her. The land changed from Everfree Forest to farmland rapidly, the moving specks toiling away at the fertile soil. She felt panic rise in her throat. "Doctor! " she yelled, trying to seek comfort from this stranger. "What's happening?"
The brown stallion did not respond, and instead stared wide-eyed at the mechanical automatons. They were shaped like a pony, with heavy, purple wings, and their pupils were swirls of violet shades. Their manes looked frizzy, with ringlets lining their back. Their mouths creaked as they spoke to one another.
The Doctor stopped observing them, hostility forming in his chest. "Where are you taking us?"
The Medusa Bots continued on with their bizarre-sounding conversation and ignored the frazzled Doctor.
"Who's your master?" the Doctor cried, but to no avail. The bots acted as if he weren't there. "Tell me now, or else!"
The bots stopped communicating with each other and fixed the Doctor with their mad gazes. Not a second later, loud creaking noises were heard from their metal mouths, oil dripping from their eyes. The Doctor watched in awe as their shoulders bounced, and realized with a flash of anger that they were laughing at him. He reached towards his pockets for his sonic screwdriver, but grasped nothing. He bit down on his lip in anger. Being made fun of is never a fun thing.
Ditzy looked uncertainly at the Doctor, eyes crossing. "Where are they taking us?"
He scrunched his eyebrows. "Their master. It's best not to struggle. Stay calm and I'll try to figure something out." The wind skimmed over his head, making his ears roar. Ahead, a large mountain protruded out of the ground. A grand white castle hung from the summit, its ivory turrets sticking through the low clouds. They soared past the grand castle and ventured further, the early dawn sun casting pale amber rays onto their shocked faces. The bots had eventually stopped laughing cruelly and continued to speak in their strange, creaky tones. The Doctor fell silent, engrossed in deciphering their strange language. He was so busy he had barely noticed Ditzy call his name. "Doctor!" She called once more, eyes flicked with worry.
"What?" He snapped out of his contemplative state, and turned his gaze to the gray mare.
"We're... we're lowering." She said, voice softened by a minute amount of fear. Her face kept a strong look of determination, and for that the Doctor admired her, but he did not know if he could protect her. He often doubted if he could ever return the small filly to her and make the family whole once more.
The land below him had turned from tumbling hills to a rocky canyon, the sun beginning to glare more harshly from it's sky-blue pedestal. The bots carried him and Ditzy through the hefty rocks, swiftly maneuvering through the eroded sandstone. The bots' altitude decreased more, becoming so close to the sandy surface that their hooves skimmed the cool ground. Ditzy had not said a word, but instead had set her hard stare ahead. Her eyes had become crossed and red from the sandy winds , but that did not diminish her courageous attitude. Perhaps she thinks that she could get her niece back, thought the Doctor. If we have any luck, we might actually find her.
"Dinky's not the only one to disappear, you know." Ditzy spoke abruptly. "There have been others. The Elements of Harmony, to be exact."
The Doctor's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "The Elements of what?"
Ditzy swiveled around to face him, amber eyes alight with surprise. "You mean you haven't heard of the Elements of Harmony? " She bit her lip as the brown stallion shook his head. "They're... hard to explain." She continued on, "They help protect Equestria by the bonds of friendship. They're like warriors, providing ponies safety and shelter from all things evil. But lately, they have been disappearing. First it was Pinkie Pie, the element of Laughter. She really knew how to make a pony smile. Then came Rainbow Dash, the most brave and loyal of all ponies. And last was Fluttershy, the element of Kindness. She's very timid and shy... she must be terrifie-" she abrupty stopped as the bots swooped into a large crevice in a great plateau.
The crevice opened up into a large, black cave, moss hanging low from the ceiling and hitting the pair in the face as they ventured on. Eventually, the bright sun that illuminated the rocks faded, leaving only dark. It was silent. The only sound heard was the slow creaking of the wings of the Medusa Bots. They had traveled so deeply into the cave, their eyes could not distinguish any shape in the blackness. Ditzy looked around in panic, not even trying to hide her dismay anymore. "Doctor," her voice was breathless and weak. "I'm scared..."
"It'll be all right, just keep- AGH!" A sudden bright light had pierced his vision. Ahead of him, the cavern stopped suddenly, a bright, ominous light shining from the center of the cave. A tall, blurry figure arose from the rays, a malicious grin on the gray face.
"Bravo, Doctor! You have made it to my sanctuary! Ten points for cleverness. I mean a storybook, who knew?" He laughed at his joke, before giving himself a high-five. The Doctor blinked, blue eyes coming into focus around the figure. He stared at the round, yellow eyes filled with mischief and disarray. He stared at the mismatched wings and long, snakelike body. He stared at the sickly green lizard leg, and the dusty brown goat's leg. He stared at the red, scaly tail that swung around the creature's body. And he stared at the strange appendages that the creature might call arms. A grin appeared on his face once more. "Surprise. " The light faded.
Ditzy gasped. "Discord! But I thought you were serving for Celestia, now!" Her voice rose in panic, making the Doctor wary. Who was this creature?
The creature's chaotic gaze flicked over to her. "Hush now, pony. I'm speaking to someone else right now."
Ditzy stamped her hoof, eyes blazing with fury. "You're a traitor! You were supposed to serve Celestia and Luna! When I get home-"
Discord sighed and snapped his fingers tiredly. The pegasus had stopped speaking. The Doctor whipped his head around to see that Ditzy had disappeared. A small gray feather was left in her absence. The Doctor turned to his head to this creature called Discord and glared at him. "Return her right now! "
Discord looked at him apathetically.
"If you don't, and you insist on being such a cruel creature, I could tear you. I could rip your very soul out. No one in this strange universe will ever hurt an innocent life here! No, not if I could help it! And you know why that is? Because I'm a protector, a preserver, a guardian of all things good. And do you know what happens to those who defy me? They get destroyed. These ponies may not be humans, but I will damn well protect them with all of my power. And you will be nothing but a pile of ash!"
Discord looked at him, eyes wide and jaw dropped, before erupting into a fit of laughter. "Destroy me? BWAHAHAHAHA! Listen here, little doctor , I'm a god . Your pitiful attempts to 'destroy' me will probably end up with me laughing. That's how things usually go." He rolled onto the floor, shoulders heaving.
The Doctor glared at him, insulted. Never before had he someone laugh at him in the face. Well, besides the Master. "Say what you will, Discord." he said, eyes flashing dangerously. "But each time someone like you decided to rule the planet with a tyrannical claw, I have brought them down on their knees and had them beg."
Discord stopped rolling about on the floor laughing, and sat up. "Well, aren't we the egotistic one." His eyes glowed red, and suddenly the cave disappeared, leaving both the Doctor and Discord in a black void. The Doctor yelped in surprise as the gravity soon vanished, causing him to float about the abyss. He swung around to face Discord, who was swimming through the air, a content look on his asymmetrical face. Suddenly, images flashed past the two. Images depicting faces long gone, but never forgotten. The Doctor watched intently as one showed a woman with bright blonde hair, a grin flashing on her face. A man quickly followed her, a man with spiky brown hair with a lanky build. They hopped onto a small vehicle, both with broad smiles on their faces. The image evaporated, and a new one came from the shadows. This one had the same blonde woman crying on a shore, as the man, who stood adjacent to her, vanished suddenly. Discord had ceased frolicking in the black shadows and now floated behind him. The Doctor turned to look at him, eyes gleaming, not from anger, but deep, mind-rattling sadness. "Stop it," he begged.
The chaotic being merely chuckled before hovering off into the darkness again. The saddened woman's face melded into the shadows, a new image soon followed its place. A dark skinned woman stood on a gray surface, looking out on the dusty surface of the moon, eyes hungrily taking in the Earth that was a million miles away from where she stood. The man was beside her, a smile etched on his face. The image converged with another, and soon went away to make room for a more morose depiction. There was the same dark-skinned woman, now frowning, and speaking with the man. The man faced betrayed nothing, and he stood and watched as his friend left him in the hollow TARDIS. "Please, " he whispered, voice shaking.
He responded with a merciless laugh. The image changed once more, this time it was a larger woman with ginger hair. She speaking excitedly to the same man, a baffled look on his face as she handed luggage to him. She ventured inside the blue box, a gleeful look flickering on her face, before another image replaced it. The man was sitting on the couch, eyes aged with years of grief as the ginger woman entered the room. She said nothing to the man, acting as if she never even seen him before, and instead turned to an older woman and man, excitedly telling them of her friend's lives. The same man stood and left, leaving the woman and her conversationalists. She didn't know who the man was, and never would. "Stop it," the Doctor breathed. "Stop it right now! " His voice shook with grief and fury. He knew what Discord was going to say.
Discord regarded him with an unabashed look. "Now that you know the grief that these people brought you, why would you need that brain-dead pony? All she will bring is momentary happiness, that will be disintegrated under the weight of the impending grief that will swallow you up. Haven't you enough grief? Wouldn't it be best to- I don't know- not care anymore?" He raised his paw, a claw inching towards the Doctor's forehead. "Maybe you could... join me in power." His eyes swirled with foretold madness, relaxing the Doctor, making him forget all he cared about. He let go of his caring personality, letting a new, cold-blooded personality take over.
I suppose... in a way... they all break my hearts.
His color grayed.
Then, he thought of Rose, and her unbridled generosity, how she cared for everyone. He thought of Martha, and her healing talents, and how her smile would light up and whenever he spoke. He thought of Donna, and her loud, boisterous attitude. He realized that he could never forget them, even after they have long gone. An image of Ditzy's face blazed through his mind. He could not give up.
"No! " he cried out, being released from Discord's evil magic. "I will never join you." He raised his eyes to Discord's. His forehead glistened with sweat, eyes dark from anger and hate. "I have something you will never have, and that is love and compassion! There is nothing you can say to change my mind."
Discord looked at him, an odd grin splaying across his deformed face. He chuckled. "Whatever you say then, Doctor. Oh and-" his paw flicked once more and a flash of gray and yellow burned and evaporated within a second. A confused gray mare appeared, her eyes crossed and wings fluttering in nervousness. "Here's your pony back. I don't need her."
She blinked and let out a huge breath. "What... what happened?"
The Doctor put a tentative hoof on her shoulder as the abyss faded away into the cave. Discord stood with an aloof pose, eyes dull. "Well, now I'm bored." He clapped, and a great purple dust-cloud rose from the sandy ground. As the dust cleared, a bruised filly coughed. Her blonde mane was ruffled, and her hooves were dirty. Ditzy, beside him, stifled a relieved sob. "Dinky!" she yelped and hovered over to her, checking for serious injuries. "Only needed her to lure you here." Discord remarked.
"And you'll might need something else." With a snap of his fingers, three figures appeared. One was a cerulean pony with bright, rainbow hair and feathered. On her neck adorned a gold necklace, and in the middle was a small red lightning bolt. The other pony was light pink and had darker, fluffy hair. Her neck was embellished with the necklace, but the pendant had only three balloons of a sky-blue color. The last was a pale yellow pegasus, with soft, rose-colored hair and a pendant in the shape of a butterfly. All were asleep, eyes firmly shut and limbs moving freely. Dinky, the little filly on the floor, reached out with an uncertain hoof. Discord moved quickly in front of the Elements, making the lilac filly flinch. "You didn't actually think that I would freely give them away, did you ?" Waving his eagle talons in front of them, he made them disappear. The Doctor blinked in awe.
Discord laughed at their puzzled expressions. "Don't worry, little ponies," he had stopped laughing, and his eyes were now alight with amusement. "You'll find the Elements. You have a TARDIS, don't you, Doctor? All you have to do is travel through time and space, and find the pink one with the candy race! The shy one is timid and afraid, you'll find her at the masquerade! And last but not least, the rainbow one at feast!" He stopped talking, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Definitely not my best one, but it'll send you roaming throughout the universe for a good long time."
The Doctor's mouth was agape. Ditzy was in shock. Dinky looked befuddled.
"You can go now."
And with a flash, they were in the TARDIS.
The Stallion Lost in Time
It's been a long time since I updated, I know. And the last update was less than good. I have been working mostly on my other story, I know. You must understand, I really really wanted to write it! But, rest assured, I am currently working on the next chapter. I have the premise set in my mind and it refuses to leave it until I have written it down. And I have a lot more time now since school's gone out. (I'm a sophomore now! :D) Anyway, to be sure, I was wondering if anyone is still interested in this story and wanted to write a small comment. I know this is kind of an ass move, but it helps to see if my viewers are still interested. Thanks for all the support!
The Stallion Lost in Time
Will Not Be Continuing This Story
