Hurricane

Chapters

Prison and the Escape
Step One
The Bar
Step Two
Investigation
Return to Appleloosa: Rumors and a new Companion

Prison and the Escape

Author's note: Keep in mind, this story is loosely based around 'Hurricane'. The time frames stated in the song will be the same as in the story. For example, "Four month's later, the ghettos are in flame," as in the song.

One week. One week since the shooting. One week since Applejack had been thrown in jail. The evidence was overwhelming. Her lawyer recommended pleading guilty. So she did. She was thrown in jail immediately.

Sure, her friends had come to visit, but they all acted distant. It was almost as if they didn't know her. They said they were sorry, but for what, Applejack couldn't tell. Rainbow Dash seemed to be the only one who fully supported her. She kept saying that if Applejack ever broke out of jail, she would help her clear her name.

It was an offer Applejack had gladly taken. But of course, she had no hope of escape. No hope of justice or a hearing by a court. As far as the judicial system was concerned, she was guilty of first degree murder. Because she 'confessed', she was given a life sentence instead of the death penalty.

It was the same message to her either way. Because of her race, she was blamed for something she didn't do. Damn unicorns and their racism. Ponyvillians didn't care either way. They were all brothers and sisters. Canterlot citizens however, held extreme prejudice toward the earth ponies for a long forgotten reason.

Jail life was tough on the work horse. She could easily take the physical challenges, though the lack of well made food was disheartening. Ever day, she fell into her smelly cot, tired and sore from mining in the nearby caves, a punishment that all inmates were subjected too for their first month. Her 'room mate' was some old stallion who had used too many steroids and whose muscles had begun to deflate like helium-filled balloons that had lost their ability to float. His stories were entertaining enough. He talked about his 'adventures' before he was thrown in jail, which were obviously just hallucinations due to his drug use. Yet they were still entertaining. Other than that, her life had become meaningless in her one week imprisonment. Ever day was the same. Get up, eat what the cooks called breakfast, go to work in the mines, eat lunch, work, eat dinner, then collapse in her cot and listen to more of the old stallion's drug hallucinations. As far as she was concerned, the mare called Applejack no longer existed. Not really, that is.

/)*#*(\

Another week passed, and Applejack felt like nothing but a lifeless shell of her former self. The stallion she had shared the cell with had been moved, and she was now all alone. She oddly missed his company, though he could be a pain in the butt sometimes.

As the hours droned by on her 14th day, she could think of nothing more relaxing than lying on her smelly cot at the end of the day. When the time finally arrived, she was returned to her cell by a guard, where she flopped onto her cot's lumpy surface.

As she closed her eyes to sleep early, she began to hear a weird whirring noise. Her eyes snapped open when she realized that it was coming from inside her cell. Sitting up, she thought she saw a big blue box materializing in the corner. She rubbed her eyes with her hooves, trying to clear her vision. Sure enough, she wasn't just seeing things.

Now in full reality in the corner of her tiny cell was the TARDIS in all its glory. Its outside shimmered in the dim light, and the words Police Public Call Box were clearly visible on the upper edge of it.

Listening closely, Applejack could hear voices coming from inside. "No joke. The air literally smells like warm root beer," came the voice of a stallion.

"But *muffled*, I thought you were going to take me to space Florida. I heard they have an excellent space Best Buy out there," came a responding mare's voice. Applejack knew who would step out of that shimmering blue box before she heard the voices, yet hearing them confirmed her suspicions. As the door swung open, Applejack saw the figures of none other than the Doctor and... Ditsy Doo? What was she doing there? As far as Applejack knew, the Doctor currently traveled alone. Why, she had seen him a week before the shooting running from nothing but still hurrying into his blue box by himself.

"Applejack!" shouted Derpy. "What are you doing in prison? Better question. Doctor, why are we in a prison?"

"I don't know Derpy. I don't know. However, I want to know the same thing you do. Applejack, why are you in prison?"

"An' why are you travelin' with Ditsy? I thought you traveled alone after what happened with-" She caught herself. Maybe he hadn't met Vinyl Scratch yet. Maybe this Doctor didn't know what happened between them. "Wait a minute. When did you run into Ditsy?"

"Well, it was when I first arrived here, during the summer sun celebration," said the Doctor. "Why do you ask?"

Okay then. So this Doctor showed up during the summer sun celebration, while the Doctor she knew appeared during the Discord incident. That must mean...

"Uh, Doctor? I think you're from another one o' them alternate universes. The Doctor Ah know showed up durin' the Discord incident, and he only ever traveled with Vinyl."

"Vinyl Scratch, eh?" The Doctor chuckled to himself. "Hm. Anyway, you never answered my question. Why are you in prison?"

"Ah was framed for a shootin' in a bar in Canterlot. These two ponies Ah don't even know convinced the cops to find false evidence on me. My lawyer jus' recommended that Ah plead guilty so Ah wouldn't get the death sentence. Ah still got life though, and Ah ain't done nothin' wrong!"

The Doctor and Derpy looked at each other nervously. "So no one thought to believe the element of honesty? I mean, you are the element of honesty in this dimension, right?" asked the Doctor.

"Yer darn tootin'."

"Well then, step inside." The Doctor then pushed open the door to the TARDIS.

"What, you mean break out o' jail? But that's illegal!"

"Sshhh! Keep your voice down," said Derpy in a whisper. "Yes, it's kind of illegal. But we can't just let you sit here and face life if you didn't kill anyone."

The doctor simply held out his hoof and motioned Applejack inside. Gulping, the work pony began to slowly walk toward the door. When she stepped inside, she couldn't believe what she saw. She'd heard the myths, but she never imagined them to be true.

To put it simply...

"It's bigger on the inside," gulped Applejack, hardly able to breath from how shocked she was. The Doctor mouthed the words behind her as they were leaving her mouth. He immedately began speaking when she was done.

"Yes I noticed that. Timelord technology. Never leave home without it. Well, not that there's a home to return to." Applejack thought on that last comment for a moment. The Doctor jogged up to the big console in the center of the massive room she found herself in. He began to press a few buttons and turn a couple of dials. Then, picking up a mallet and putting his free hoof on a lever, he shouted with excitement in his voice, "Avante!"

Author's Note

The Doctor's TARDIS is currently using the same 'desktop setting' it did durring the episodes featuring the 10th and 9th Doctors. If you really want to, you can imagine it in your own way. Just bear in mind that some of the descriptons won't make sense unless you imaging the 10th Doctor's 'desktop setting'.

Step One

After the whirring sound cleared from Applejack's ears, she shook her head to fully clear it and then opened her eyes. She was still inside the TARDIS. That was good. Looking toward the doors, the Doctor and Derpy were already waiting for her. "Well come on then," said the Doctor. "If I've managed to land us in the right spot, then we should be in Appleloosa. I wonder if my hat is still here." He then turned the lock on the door and stepped outside. Derpy followed him immediately.

The Doctor popped his head back in for a second. "Oh and, I'm sure you'll be wanting your hat back too." Hearing this, Applejack ran out the TARDIS doors as soon as she reached them.

She stepped out into the stallions bathroom in the local pub. She could tell it was a stallion's bathroom because of the smell. Before anypony could notice the odd group, they slipped out the doors and tried to blend in with the rest of the ponies in the place.

Doing an about face, the Doctor handed Applejack an odd key. It looked like a normal one, except it had a small electronic chip on one side. "That," began the stallion, "is a perception filter. It makes it hard for anypony to notice you. As long as you don't attract attention to yourself and you stick to the shadows, you'll be fine. That key is also a TARDIS key. It's only on loan to you temporarily in case you need to get inside in emergencies."

"Thanks Doc," said Applejack, extremely grateful for what could end of being a life-saving gift.

"Now to get our hats back," said the Doctor. With that, he grabbed Derpy and Applejack by their hooves and began to pull them through the crowd of ponies in the bar. Before they exited through the swinging double doors, the Doctor once again warned Applejack. "Remember, that perception filter will only work if you stay unnoticed. Don't draw attention to yourself unless absolutely necessary." With that, he brought them through the double doors and onto the platform that served as the bar's deck.

"Hey Doctor! I think I found the hat shop!" said Derpy excitedly, pointing to a building that looked like it had a bowler hat for a roof. Now it was Derpy's turn to pull. She began to drag Applejack and the Doctor through the middle of the street.

"Derpy, stop!" said the Doctor through gritted teeth. "Remember Applejack's perception filter. We have to stay inconspicuous."

"Oh right. Sorry Doctor." The mare then let go of Applejack's and the Doctor's hooves.

Applejack had nothing to say at the moment. She was still shocked at their teleportation. Other than through magic, she had no idea something like it was possible. The distance surprised her even more.

When they finally arrived at the hat store, the Doctor rushed to the display window with the look of a child's in his eyes. He grabbed his big blue top hat and rejoined the mares. "You'd better get yours too Applejack. We can't stay here long. Even though you know your cousin here and some of the townspeople, they may still sell you out."

"And what the hay is that supposed to mean? These ponies are like family to me. They wouldn't sell me out for te-te-te-ten thousand bits?" She finally noticed the wanted poster in the hat shop that was next to the counter. The sign clearly read, "Wanted DEAD or ALIVE! Apple 'The Hurricane' Jack wanted for murder in the first degree. A reward of 10,000 bits will be presented to the person that brings in this terrible criminal." A picture in black and white of the orange work horse was the center piece to the flyer.

Quickly, the Doctor pulled Applejack into a corner away from the window and the cashier. "Well, that's not good," said the time traveler. "We've gotta get you out of here. That's insane though. We only teleported you here. We didn't travel through time, did we?" Rubbing his head with his hoof, he realized his mistake. He had pounded an extra button with his mallet during the teleport. That must have triggered the extra temporal shift! "Okay then, maybe I did hit an extra button. I'm sorry, but when I see button I just have to press it," he said, noticing the mares' expressions. "Hurry and find your hat, Applejack. Then, we have to go."

She simply nodded her head, afraid to even make a noise. She then began to browse the few isles that were in the small shop. After searching for a few minutes, she found her exact hat. Some one at the jail must have brought it back here to sell it! It even had the smell of apples still in it! She handed it to the Doctor who took it and his own hat up to the counter to pay for it.

"So, have you heard?" said the cashier in a gruff voice. "They say this Hurricane character broke outa jail and she's comin' this way."

"Well, I'll keep my eye out for her," said the Doctor, using his psychic paper in the form of a credit card. He picked up the hats off the counter, putting his on and putting Applejack's in a bag. "Thanks."

Derpy took hold of Applejack as she saw the Doctor leaving the store. They followed him out and they regrouped in a nearby alley. "Okay Applejack. Here's your hat," said the Doctor, tossing it through the air. Applejack caught it on her head. She straightened it, then nodded to the Doctor, a smile on her face.

"Now, we need to find out how to clear your name. We could go back in time to the shooting. The only problem is that if you get seen by your past self, it could destroy the fabric of space and time. Unless, you remember seeing your past self. Do you?"

Applejack had to think for a moment, but she finally came up with an answer. "Eeynope."

"Well that settles that," continued the Doctor. "I guess we'll just have to find evidence some other way. However, there's still another problem. Derpy and I are stuck in your dimension. While we need to get back to ours, we can't risk meeting ourselves in this one. It won't hurt the multiverse, but we can't risk the other me slowing us down by trying to talk to us. Think Applejack. Were there any cameras in the bar? Any sort of recording device?"

"Not that Ah know of. Ah just watched a few people get murdered and ran."

"Okay, here's what we'll do," replied the Doctor. "Derpy, go to the bar." He handed her one of his patented 'Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey' teleporters. "I need you to search for recording devices. Search in the corners of the ceiling as well as around the bar itself. If you find anything, let me know immediately. Meanwhile, Applejack and I will try to work on the TARDIS to get it ready to fly back to our dimmension."

"Whoa. Hold yer horses there Doctor. I'm not good with that fancy shmancy tech ya got in that machine. How can I help you?"

"Yeah," said Derpy. "And why am I searching the bar?"

"It's rather simple actually. Applejack can't get noticed near the crime scene. Even with her perception filter, she will get seen immediately because the police are searching for her specifically. Remember how the filters work? Your invisible as long as no one is specifically trying to find you."

"Ohhhh," said Applejack and Derpy at the same time.

"Well then, off we go." As soon as he finished his sentence, the Doctor began to walk back toward the pub that the group had originated from. He and Applejack stepped inside and made their way to the bathrooms, trying their best not to be noticed. They slipped inside the TARDIS and disappeared from sight.

Inside, the Doctor moved up to the big console in the middle and then pulled out his sonic screw driver out of his 'pocket'. He began to push a few buttons on the console and used the sonic screw driver on parts of it. It made an odd noise as he swept the metallic item across the surface of the console, its green light shining from its end.

"So uh, Doctor? What do ya need me for?"

"Well that's simple Applejack. I need your brute force." This answer surprised her.

"But what could ya need somethin' like that for in this high-tech place?"

"I need you to do something very dangerous that even a Time Lord should never do. I need you to open the heart of the TARDIS. The time vortex." Just the words 'time vortex' sent chills down Applejack's spine, though she couldn't explain them. "The last time I absorbed the energy from it, it killed me and I regenerated."

"But if it killed you, then how the hay are you standin' here?"

"Like I said, I regenerated. It's a life process for Time Lords where we completely change our face and our personality. We change our entire cellular make up and essentially, we die. However, since we change our cells, our body stays alive. Really the only difference is the change in personality."

"So why'd you go absorbin' that time vortex if it's so dangerous?"

A look of sadness found its way into the Doctor's eyes. "I did it to protect one of my previous companions. She absorbed it first and it would've killed her had I not stepped in." He shook his head a little to dispel the thought. "Any who, I've developed a suit that will protect you from its radiation and its influence. All ya gotta do is kick the console hard enough to force the emergency override of the seal. Shouldn't be too hard for you." Stepping away from the console, the Doctor walked through a door way to the side of the room. He soon returned with a plastic-like suit.

Applejack took the suit and slipped it on, making sure to vacuum seal the ends so that none of the radiation would hit her. "OK Applejack. Are you ready?"

"Ready as Ah'll ever be."

"Okay then. Give 'er a kick!" With that, Applejack bucked the console as hard as she could. She felt it come loose a bit. Again. Again. Again. She bucked once more with all she had and the console opened up. Inside she saw it. The time vortex. It was beautiful. The way it shifted and bent was hypnotic. She began to move toward it without any self control. As she put her hoof out to try and touch the swirling mass, she was tackled to the floor. Getting a hold of her conscious, she looked to see her attacker. The Doctor was on top of her, holding her down with a serious look in her eyes. Getting off, he stood up on his hind legs and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, pointing it at the time vortex. A few explosions could be seen within the great spinning expanse, and eventually the console shut itself.

"Whew," sighed the Doctor. "Well that was interesting. Good job though. You did excellent. Good. For you. Yeah." His speech came in short, quick breaths.

"Uh, Doctor? Are you feelin' OK? Ya seem a bit, wobbly." The Doctor finally looked at himself. He could see he was shaking and he noticed sweat running down his face. He then felt a terrible sensation in his body that was too familiar. One that he hoped he would never feel again, yet he knew it would inevitably come back. It always did.

Looking down at his hooves, he noticed the familiar yellow glow of a regeneration cycle. He looked up at Applejack with a sad look in his eyes.

"Doctor? What's happenin' to you?"

"I'm regenerating," he said with deep sadness in his voice. "I must have absorbed too much radiation off of the time vortex." He suddenly convulsed in pain, falling to the ground then picking himself back up. "I'm about to change into a new man. I won't be the same. Maybe I'll be more stern or maybe I'll be crazy. I just hope I'll still have leg- AAaggghhh!"

His sentence was cut short as the golden glow intensified, engulfing his whole body with its brilliant light. Applejack could feel the energy in waves bouncing off of her suit. She was deeply scared for her new friend, and she hoped nothing bad would happen to him.

When all the energy finally cleared, he fell to the ground. He still looked the same. Same mane style, same cutie mark. He still wasn't ginger, that was for sure. Nothing about him had changed whatsoever. He slowly pulled himself up off the ground, groaning.

"Oh jeez, my head," he said as he rubbed it with his hoof. "Wait a minute," he said to himself. Even his voice still sounded the same. "I'm still me. I know I am. Ha ha! I guess I didn't fully regenerate! Yes! This is magnificent!" He began to run around the console with extreme joy.

Applejack slipped off her suit while he was running around. "Oh, you wonderful body you!" he yelled, patting himself on the back. "OK! I'm OK! Oh thank god I didn't fully regenerate."

Applejack just stared at him like he was crazy.

"Alrighty then. Back to business. The TARDIS is re-calibrated so it can travel between this dimension and my original one. Or at least, my original pony dimension." Applejack titled her head in confusion on that last sentence. "So now, all that's left to do is help you out. Derpy should be back here relatively soon."

Then came a knock on the TARDIS doors.

The Bar

As Derpy Hooves watched the Doctor and Applejack walk away towards the TARDIS's location, she walked into another alley and began to tap the screen of the device on her wrist.

"Welcome to the Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey teleporter," came the cheery voice of the Doctor. "Simply enter your destination along with the date and time of the event you'd like to revisit. Just remember. You'll be traveling the time vortex without protection. It can really screw up your back and leave you sore. Use it at your own risk."

Derpy tapped in the correct place, Canterlot, and the correct time, now. She didn't want to revisit the shooting herself. She never thought that violence was the answer, and she disliked the few wars that Equestria had gotten into so far.

She tapped the flashing 'button' on the touch screen and tried to relaxed as she felt her body being stretched and pulled in all sorts of directions. She screamed from the initial shock, but she soon grew accustomed to the pain.

/)*#*(\

Before she knew it, she was outside of the royal castle in Canterlot. She fell to the ground as the rest of the feeling in her nerves returned to her, bringing with them the pain from the unprotected teleport. Cracking her neck, she stood up and began to look around.

It didn't take long to find out where the scene of the crime was. She just followed the wanted posters until she came to what had now become some what of a tourist stop. There was a line leading into the bar to examine the crime scene which had only been cleaned of bodies, but not the evidence itself.

Getting ready for another teleport, she put herself in the mare's bathroom and let the pain from the teleport catch up with her before sneaking out and into the main room.

The sight was astonishing. Tables and chairs were flipped, there were blood stains on a few of the walls, and most of the alcohol in the back had been destroyed, no doubt by gunshots. The room itself had green wallpaper and was in the shape of a semi-circle. It was well decorated with beautiful chandeliers and paintings of famous business ponies from the late 1800's. There was also a noticeable smell of cigarette smoke and- Wait. Gun powder? It was oddly fresh too as if someone had just fired a shot.

Using what little ninja skills she had after traveling for so long with the Doctor, she began to sneak her way Metal Gear Solid-style around, using the tables and chairs for cover. She got as close as she could to some nearby officers who were conversing the matter.

"I hear that the heads of the department are trying to blame this on some earth pony. I don't think it's right, but then again, what can you do to unicorns who are racist?"

"You can kick 'em outa the force, that's what. I just hope we get somethin' else to turn up that will prove that mare's innocence. I mean, come on. Everypony knows she's the element of honesty. Yet still, her lawyer suggested that she plead guilty? Smells like foul play to me."

"Yeah. I guess we'd better get back to the crowd. We got another group of tourists showing up."

"Ugh. Don't they understand what happened here? Three people were murdered in cold blood, yet they still think they should put it on their family's to-do list for the weekend."

The two police ponies walked toward the door. They then pulled back the chains guarding the entrance to let the next set of tourists in. Derpy couldn't believe who she saw enter.

It was her and the Doctor! No sign of Applejack though. That must mean that she was outside with her persepta-whatever it was. Derpy took another quick look around the room, knowing that she would have to teleport rather soon to avoid being seen by her possible future selves. She then noticed her mistake on her teleporter. She had also entered the wrong time. She didn't look to see when though. After all, spoilers.

After searching the edges of the ceiling, she finally found her prize or prizes. In each of the corners were security camera's, all pointed at the crime scene.

Feeling satisfied with her detective work, she used the tables as cover again as she made her way to the bathroom. When she entered, she touched the screen of her teleporter and was off.

/)*#*(\

When she opened her eyes, she was back in the same spot as before she teleported to Canterlot. The Doctor and Applejack were no where in sight, so she assumed that they had to be in the TARDIS putting the final touches on the modifications.

She began to move toward the bar where the time machine was stored, only to stop in her tracks. She hid behind one of the barrels in the street as she saw the Doctor, herself, and Applejack running down the other end of the street with some sort of behemoth chasing them.

"And you're sure that's the thing you saw, Derpy?!" shouted the Doctor as he was running down the street.

"Yeah! I'm sure! I can't tell you where I saw it from though remember?!" shouted the other Derpy as she and the group ran from the beast.

"Yes, I'm aware of that! Just keep running!" The future group passed the barrel that Derpy had been hiding in, sending the whole town into a panicked state. What was that thing that just ran by? Was it dangerous? Why was it chasing those ponies? These were the questions on the minds of Appleloosans as they watched the group charging down the street.

"Oops," said Derpy to herself. "I might have overdone it with the time traveling part." She typed in a few more digits into the teleporter, this time double checking them to make sure that they were right. All the numbers lined up, and she pressed the button on the screen to teleport.

/)*#*(\

She arced her back in pain as the teleport completed. This time, she found herself outside the TARDIS. She picked herself up and brushed herself off, then knocked on the door.

Step Two

The Doctor hurried to the door and pulled it open. Sure enough, Derpy sat on the other side, patiently waiting for the Doctor to open the door. "Derpy! Great to see you. Why didn't you use your key?"

"I wasn't sure if you guys were inside," came her reply. "I've been jumping back and forth into the future on accident. But like you said earlier, I can't tell you about what I saw."

"It's great to see you anyway." The Doctor stepped forward, hugging his assistant. He then backed up and took the teleporter off of Derpy's hoof. "Now, what did you find?"

"Well like I said, I can't tell you everything, but I did find tons of cameras."

"Great! Then we'll be off." The Doctor then moved to the console and began to input a few commands into the screen while pressing a couple other buttons.

As the TARDIS buzzed to life, it began to make an odd sound. It almost sounded like something had latched onto the outside and was trying to get in. No sooner had the thought crossed the Doctor's mind than a claw about a foot long broke through the front doors.

In their shock, the group failed to notice the claw opening up to reveal a barrel of some sort, like that of a gun. Before anypony could move, the barrel flashed and a loud noise reverberated through the huge room. The claw retracted itself out of the door, and the TARDIS rebuilt itself around the hole.

The Doctor and Applejack were confused at what had just happened. What was that flash of light? On second thought, how had that thing broken through the door? The doors were supposed to be indestructible. Then the Doctor recognized the barrel from the claw. It was the same barrel of a gun from the plastic people that the Doctor had run into those years ago.

Before the Doctor could go any further, a sound came from behind him. "Doctor?" asked Derpy.

The Doctor spun around to look at his assistant. A single bullet hole was in her chest. She began to bleed heavily and fall backwards. The Doctor caught her just in time. "Doctor, what's happening?" asked Derpy again. "I feel so cold. What's going on?"

"Whatever you do Ditsy, don't look at yourself. Keep looking toward the ceiling." The wall eyed mare did as she was told as she began to take in short, quick breaths.

"But what's wrong?" came the pegasis again. The Doctor ignored her and began to shout something unintelligible to Applejack. Derpy began to close her eyes, her mind suddenly forcing memories from her life, though most of them were from the time she had spent with the Doctor. She didn't even know why it was happening, but she went with it. She remembered the ice serpent that they had fought on their first real adventure, the crossing over dimensions and meeting the other Doctor and Twilight. The time when she had saved the princess in the future. The time when she...

Her eyesight began to fade as she closed her eyes. The last thing she heard was, "Derpy! Stay with me!"

/)*#*(\

"Applejack! You have to get to the sick bay in the TARDIS!" screamed the Doctor at the top of his lungs as he watched Derpy's eyes closing.

"Gotcha!" yelled the work horse back.

"Derpy! Stay with we! Applejack, did you find it?!"

"Yeah!"

"OK. I'm bringing her in!" With that, the Doctor picked up Derpy's still form and began to carry her to the sick bay. He didn't care that he was covered in his best friend's blood. All he cared about was getting her to safety before it was too late.

He felt the TARDIS land at its destination, but he ignored it, moving through the nearby passageway and into the sick bay where Applejack waited. He immediately put Derpy into a strange looking pod with harnesses on the inside meant to suspend some pony in the air.

As he hooked her in, Applejack stood at the nearby console, ready for a command from the Doctor. "Now!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Without thinking, Applejack pushed the biggest flashing red button on the console.

She watched as a hatch sealed the possibly lifeless form of Derpy inside the strange pod, her blood still running down her front. The pod began to fill with liquid. It was odd, as it looked like a thick gelatinous mixture with green food coloring mixed in. Eventually, the mixture filled the tank up to the top and the machine stopped humming.

The Doctor looked towards Applejack with fear in his eyes. "What'd ya do Doctor?" asked the curious orange earth pony.

"I did my best to save her. But I just don't know if I made it. I just don't know." He broke down into uncontrollable sobs. Applejack made her way over to the Doctor and put her arm around him.

"You tried yer best. If there's nothin' else we can do, then we'd better get goin'. We have to find out what that thing was that shot 'er."

Calming down, the Doctor picked himself up off the TARDIS floor and walked out into the main room. He put his hooves on one of the panels and began to type something into a typewriter. A nearby screen displayed what he was typing. He searched space Google for any sign or mention of a creature like the one that had attacked and possibly killed Derpy. "Listen to me Applejack. I haven't forgotten about clearing your name, but right now, this takes the top slot on my priority list."

"That's alright with me, Doctor," said Applejack in reply. "Listen though, I need to clear my name faster than heck, and stayin' in here won't help. I'm real concerned for Ditsy, but I have to go. I can get help from ma friend Rainbow Dash. She said she'd help me if it came down to me escapin'."

"Fine. Just go." With the Doctor's reply, Applejack opened up the TARDIS doors and exited the big blue box, ready to continue her search for answers.

/)*#*(\

As Applejack stepped out of the TARDIS, she found herself in a remote desert. The TARDIS began to disappear behind her. She cursed herself for not staying by the Doctor when she had the chance.

Looking around to investigate the area, she found a terrible sight. The still form of an Appleloosan lay in the sand 20 feet away. She hurried to his side to see if he was alright. He was breathing, but three gunshots to his side made his death certain.

Slowly, he looked into Applejack's eyes. That's when she realized, she knew this pony. She had talked to him before the fight with the buffalo.

"You're the one on all the wanted posters. But Ah know you. Why'd you kill those ponies?"

"Ah didn't kill any pony. And hopefully, Ah'll never have to."

"Well that's good to hear *cough*." He coughed up a clot of blood then.

"What happened to you?"

"It was those two outlaws," said the dying stallion. "They came to Appleloosa a few months ago wearin' odd clothes and carryin' guns. They started causin' trouble, killin' folks and robbin' banks. Finally, the sheriff got to 'em. He sent 'em outta town and hopefully into the arms o' the cops. They escaped though, and I came out here to find 'em and finish what Silver Star started. They were waitin' for me though." He coughed again, releasing more blood.

"They shot me down before I could even draw this." He gestured to a pistol at his side. "Here. You'll need this if they ever come after you or you ever run into 'em." Reaching down to his waist, he removed his belt which contained the pistol, a holster, and extra ammunition. "And take this too, for protection from the elements." He pushed himself up off the ground with all the energy he could muster in his dying hour. He then took off his brown poncho and handed it to AJ. It had been torn on the edges and worn down, no doubt from over use. He fell back to the ground, a tear running down his face as he started to whimper lightly.

"I don't wanna die," he said, a small sob in his voice.

"Everythin's gonna be okay," comforted Applejack.

"But it's not. I'm gonna die, and mah foals will never know what happened."

"Shh," said Applejack, stroking his mane softly. Then, she heard a sound that she couldn't be happier to hear; the whirring sound of the TARDIS. She spun her head around to see the blue box had materialized where she stood before. In the doorway was Derpy, a smile on her face. Apart from a big white bandage across her chest that had some soaked blood in it, she seemed alright, if a bit dizzy.

"Come on," said Derpy, gesturing for Applejack to come inside. Picking up the wounded stallion and loading him onto her back, Applejack made her way to the TARDIS, hoping to Celestia that the pod that Derpy had been in was still functional.

She went inside and Derpy closed the door behind her. The Doctor stood at the TARDIS's main console, monitoring a screen with some statistics displayed on it. As soon as he noticed Applejack's cargo, his face darkened. "Bring him into the sick bay," was all he said.

Applejack did as she was told, bringing him inside and then hooking him up to the harness. She ran to the console to be stopped by the Doctor, who was already there. He pressed the button and the pod began to fill with the green liquid yet again.

If the situation was the same as with Derpy, then he would live. This came as a relief to Applejack who hated saying goodbye.

"He'll be okay in a month or so," said the Doctor. "That's how long I was gone with Derpy before I came back for you."

At first, Applejack didn't understand what he meant. Then she realized that it was a time machine. He could be gone for only minutes to her, but years for him and it wouldn't matter.

"If you'd like, I could go on another trip for a month and you could see him healthy again in a few minutes."

"No that's fine," said Applejack. She walked over the the pod to look at the wounded stallion inside. He was breathing the liquid as if it were air. "I wanna get this over with ASAP."

"Fair enough," said the Doctor. He moved to the command console back in the main room and set the TARDIS to fly to Canterlot. "We're gonna go drinking."

Author's Note

A separate story will be published when I get around to it about what happened during the month long period when Derpy was healing. It will also feature the investigation on what attacked Ditsy and the TARDIS.

Investigation

As the TARDIS stopped its humming and whirring, signifying a stop, the Doctor began to lay down the plan that he had formulated. "Derpy and I will make our way into the bar. Derpy, I need you to cause some kind of distraction. Don't make it illegal, just something that will take every pony's eyes off of the bar. Applejack, while Derpy and I are inside, you start searching for those two criminals who shot your friend. Be careful though, because they are likely armed."

Applejack nodded her head and began to suit up. She put on the poncho she had recieved, followed by the belt and holster for the pistol. Stopping for a second, she examined the weapon further.

The pistol was truly an example of fine craftsmenship. It was a double-action revolver with a maximum ammo capacity of 8 rounds in the cylinder. It was uncommon, but by using specially designed bullets, the gun maximized aerodynamicy of the bullets and the damage it could output with such bullets. Its barrel, cylinder, and hammer were silver while its handle was made of ivory and a metal plate on top of that. Both the barrel and handle had strange carvings on it that were foreign to Applejack. The gun also was designed to load in a top break style, where the entire barrel of the gun hinges forward to expose the cylinder.

Holstering the weapon after loading it, she picked up her hat, placed it on her head, and moved for the TARDIS doors. The Doctor and Ditsy followed, ready to begin their mission.

As the group stepped out, they found themselves a few buildings away from the bar. The Doctor and Derpy began walking toward the bar while Applejack turned and went in the complete opposite direction. Every pony had a goal, and they planned on executing their plan perfectly.

/)*#*(\

*CRASH* The sound of pottery breaking calmed down Rainbow Dash. After the wanted posters started showing up everywhere, she could only assume that Applejack had escaped. Two weeks after the posters showed up, and no sign of her friend at all. Rainbow thought she was supposed to help her clear her name. She had no idea where to begin though, much less where to find Applejack.

"Listen Rainbow," Twilight began. "I know losing Applejack like this must be hard for you, but she killed those ponies. You saw the evidence."

"No! She wouldn't! I know her too well. She was framed, and I'm gonna help her just as soon as I find her."

"I can promise I won't say anything Rainbow, but working with a fugitive is against the law."

"Forget the stupid laws. She's innocent, and I won't rest until she's free again." With that, the cyan pegasis sprinted out of the library, launching into the sky to get as far away as possible from Ponyville.

Twilight ran to the doorway to see Rainbow disappear above the clouds. She sighed, then went back to her books.

High above the clouds, Rainbow kept flying with tears in her eyes. She missed having her best friend around to compete with, and she wasn't sure how long she could go without the challenge.

After flying above the clouds without any idea where she was, she decided to take a peak below. As she dove down a few yards, she entered the cloud barrier and soon exited it, her body covered in moisture.

Looking down, she saw she was in some sort of a desert. 'Wow,' she thought to herself. 'I must've gone farther than I thought.'

Looking around, she saw a broken down carriege in the middle of the sand along with a strange blue box. Her gaze shifted just in time to see an orange figure carrying a lifeless body into the box. "Applejack!" yelled Rainbow at the top of her lungs. It was too late though. The blue box had already begun disappearing.

Releasing a sigh of defeat, she took to the upper layer of clouds again and kept flying.

After another hour, she decided to stop for a rest. As she flew under the clouds again, she found herself over Canterlot. This time when she looked down, she saw the blue box materializing. Out of it stepped some brown stallion, Derpy(?), then some pony that looked oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite place her hoof on it.

She decided to fly down to check on the stallion and his 'companion'. Maybe he would have some idea on what happened to Applejack.

She quickly landed in front of him, cutting off his path. "You, brown stallion, where's Applejack?"

"Um, I don't know who you mean," he said in response.

"Come on. Don't play dumb. I saw her walk into your blue box thing an hour ago in some desert. And besides, if that really was her, I wanna help her clear her name. I know it was fixed; the trial, that is. I wanna bring the real killers to justice."

Rainbow Dash watched a look of deep thought come into the stallion's face, yet he kept staring at her as he furrowed his brow. "She just went the other way," came his answer. "If you fly quickly, you should be able to catch up to her." He then looked away and kept walking. Derpy gave Rainbow a smile then began to follow him. Rainbow then noticed the big blood soaked bandage on Derpy's chest.

"Whoa, hang on you two." Both ponies stopped walking. "What happened to Derpy?"

"Oh, um, interdimensional plastic creature broke into the TARDIS. Still hunting it, but it's left us alone for now."

"Wait. Interdimensional travel?" She shook her head to clear her mind. Sighing, Rainbow Dash turned herself around and began to fly the other way. Could that shadowy figure have been Applejack? Not slowing down, she decided to find out.

/)*#*(\

As the Doctor and Derpy kept walking, Derpy began to bite at the bandage stitched across her chest. "Doctor, when can I take this darn thing off? It's itchy and uncomfortable."

"No," he replied sternly. "That bandage contains a healing agent that will regenerate your body and stop any infection. Believe me. After taking a hit to the heart, you don't wanna take any chances."

She sighed and continued walking after him, though she wasn't pleased.

A short time later, the Doctor and Derpy arrived at their destination. It was the same bar she had visited before, and she swore she saw herself teleporting inside as she looked at the line of tourists. She had to dismiss it though. Timelines and all.

She soon stepped into line along with the Doctor and patiently waited her turn to get to the gates. When the time finally came, the police officer opened the doors to the bar to let them in.

As the next group filed inside, the Doctor finally got a good look around. He was surprised that the police hadn't picked up. After all, two weeks should be enough time to clean up a crime scene.

That wasn't what he was after though. He began to scan the room, trying to locate the cameras that Derpy had told him about. He found them in the exact places that she had specified; the corners of the ceiling.

He turned to Derpy. "OK," he said. "Showtime!" Derpy then turned to the cops and challenged them to a hoof wrestle. The police were all for it, and the tourists didn't mind.

Once the match began, it was clear who would win. The police officer's hoof slammed down onto the table that they were using. "Is that all you got?" came Derpy, begging for more. The other police ponies began to step up, forming a line along with other tourists to see who could beat this strong-armed mare.

Meanwhile, the Doctor had hopped the bar and landed on the other side. He soon located a cabinet on the other side which contained a bunch of wires, no doubt hooked up to the security systems. After looking inside, he found a small monitor along with the wires which displayed replays of the tapes and kept the files stored and backed up.

Activating his sonic screwdriver, he changed the setting until he felt the screws on the box begin to vibrate loose. He soon pulled them out with virtually no effort, then removed the front panel to expose the machine's components inside.

While watching the screen to see what videos were being displayed, he used the sonic screwdriver again to scan the memory of the security box. He couldn't believe what he saw on the screen.

During the shooting, he heard three distinct gun shots. They came out of no where though. At least, that's what it seemed like at first. Upon closer evaluation, he saw the shots coming from a darkened corner where a familiar silhouette appeared. It was pitch dark even when it stepped into the dim light to leave the bar in the commotion.

His eyes widened when he recognized the shape. "No, no that can't be," he began saying to himself. "It just CAN'T be." Quickly, he jumped up and over the bar again, this time going for Derpy.

She was just sitting down again to have her last wrestle which appeared to be with a sailor of some sort. He had 5 o'clock shadow and a white hat on. His forearms were practically bursting from the muscle in them, and he had a tattoo of a heart with an arrow through it.. "Oh that's just disgusting," said the Doctor out loud, noticing his physical bulk.

The sailor had no plans to take it easy on this mare, especially after the losses he had already seen. When one of the police men gave the okay, every pony began to cheer. Even the Doctor fell into the rhythmic beat and cheered along with them.

So far, the match had gone well, Derpy took a clear lead, then was almost over taken by the sailor. As she was about to lose, she pumped her fore leg as hard as she could, using all the strength in her body to try and win. The Doctor stopped cheering at what happened next. So did every pony else.

In using all of that force, she had opened up her chest wound again. Her bandage became soaked in a new batch of her blood, while every pony looked on in horror as she gave it her all to win. The Doctor tried to reason with her. "Stop this Derpy. You're hurting yourself."

Her hoof began to come down on the sailor's as she began to gain ground again. "No," she managed through clenched teeth. "I can do this." It seemed that she hadn't noticed her opened wound yet.

Her bandage was now completely soaked and it began to drip her life blood onto the table. She just wouldn't quit though. She finally managed to bring her opponent's hoof to the table, yelling in triumph before the pain finally reached her brain. She collapsed onto the floor, blood now running down her body just like before.

The Doctor was at her side immediately. "Someone get a first aid kit!" he yelled. Within seconds, some pony handed him a white box. Looking up, he saw it was the sailor.

"Save her, Doc," he said. "That's one hell of a mare you got there. Don't lose her." The Doctor just nodded his head as he began to tear away the old bandage from Derpy. He quickly pulled out all of the clean cotton he could from the first aid kit and he began to furiously tape it to her.

She soon calmed down and stopped her slight spasmodic thrashing. The Doctor picked her up and began to leave the bar. He thanked the police and the sailor for their help, then went back to the TARDIS as fast as he could.

/)*#*(\

Rainbow Dash landed behind the figure which continued to walk away from her. "Hey!" she yelled, trying to get the attention of the pony in front of her.

Applejack just kept walking while she thought to herself, 'Please don't be talking to me, please don't be talking to me, please don't be talking to me!' She stopped in her tracks when she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

Spinning around with speed that would put a certain cyan pegasis to shame, she unholstered her gun and pointed it into the face of- Rainbow Dash?

Fear flashed into Rainbow's eyes as she fall back onto the concrete, her breaths coming in short bursts. Slowly, Applejack lowered the weapon from Rainbow's face, being just as shocked as her cringing friend on the ground.

She holstered her gun then stuck out her hoof to Rainbow on the ground. She helped her friend off the pavement, then pulled her into a nearby alley. "Rainbow, what in tarnation are you doin' here?"

"Trying to find you!" Applejack was silent for a second as she remembered what Dash told her in prison. "If you break outa prison, I'll help you clear your name."

"So you really wanna help me?"

"Buck ya I do! But what are you doing walking down the middle of the street? Haven't you seen all the wanted posters?"

Applejack fumbled with the necklace she was wearing her TARDIS key on. She pulled it out and held it up for Rainbow to see. "This is a per- perflecta- percepter- somethin'," she finally managed. "It makes it hard fer folks to notice me unless they really wanna find me. Guess that's why you saw me."

She slipped it back inside her poncho as Dash nodded her head in understanding. "So then, how can I help?" asked her pegasis friend.

"With what?"

"Ya know, clearing your name?"

"Oh, right. I need you to help me find some pony. Well actually, two some ponies. They're a couple 'o outlaws who the Doctor thinks might know somethin'."

"The Doctor? Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor. Anyway, he's checkin' out the bar where the shootin' took place."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go find those outlaws!" With that, Dash flew up into the sky at full speed. Applejack just stood there and waited for a few more seconds. 3,2,1. Rainbow landed back in front of her. "So what do they look like?"

"That's what Ah don't know. I was gonna go 'round and try to find some rumors. Though Canterlot isn't the best spot."

"Then let's board a train to Appleloosa. There are tons of western style killers hiding there."

"What makes ya think that?"

"It's the only pioneering-based town in all of Equestria. If a criminal was a fan of the western era, then where else would they go to stay in their comfort zone?"

"Gee Rainbow, that's really smart. Off we go then." With that, Applejack left the alley to the left while Rainbow started walking to the right.

"Uh, Applejack? The station's this way."

"Ah know. Trust me and come this way." Shrugging her shoulders, Rainbow followed Applejack back toward the TARDIS, where they could teleport to Appleloosa and save tons of time.

Return to Appleloosa: Rumors and a new Companion

As Applejack approached the blue police public call box, Rainbow Dash gave her a quizzical look. "Um, Applejack? Ya know we both can't fit in there right? It'd be really tight."

"Ah know," she said, but walked in anyway. Sighing, Rainbow Dash followed her into the box, expecting to see Applejack pressed up against the wall to make room. What she saw instead shocked her.

"It's-it's-it's bigger on th-the inside."

"Yes, I noticed that," came the cheery voice of the doctor from behind the center console. He stepped out, his front covered in blood. Rainbow Dash shrieked at the sight and backed up. Applejack just looked on, confused but not alarmed due to his tone of voice.

He finally noticed the looks on the mares' faces. "Oh, right! This," he said, gesturing to the blood on his coat. "Derpy got into an arm wrestle and her heart rate got too high. So high that her chest split open again."

"But then why the hay are ya covered in her blood? That is her blood, right?" asked Applejack.

"Well, she kind of bled on me when I carried her back here. And yes, this is her blood. She's sleeping now and she's extremely weak, but she'll be fine. I've left a note for her telling her where we are and to stay in bed."

"Wait, Derpy's here?" asked Rainbow.

"Yes actually. Well, not the one you know. You see, we're from another parallel dimension, where Derpy became my companion after I landed before the summer sun celebration. I guess in this dimension, I traveled with Vinyl Scratch for a bit." Rainbow Dash's face twisted as she tried to think about what the Doctor had just said. She finally nodded her head in understanding.

"Right then. Applejack, where to?" asked the stallion, already at the command console.

"Appleloosa," she replied.

"Appleloosa? Why are we going back there?"

"Rainbow thinks that those outlaws would be somewhere near there, or at least, we can get some rumors about them there."

"OK then, we're off!" As the Doctor finished speaking, he pushed a few buttons on the command console, causing the TARDIS to shake and hum, its whirring sound easily audible as it traveled through space.

When the humming stopped, the Doctor started moving toward the door when he was stopped by Applejack. The orange pony gestured to the blood that had dried on his coat. "Right. I should probably clean up." Applejack and Rainbow Dash simply nodded. Without hesitation, the Doctor ran off toward the shower.

/)*#*(\

As the group of three ponies stepped out into the harsh sunlight of mid-day Appleloosa, their eyes tried to adjust. Once adjusted, they devised a new plan.

"Let's split up," began the Doctor. "Each of us will go to different parts of town. Applejack, remember to keep your questions short and sweet. We can't have anyone recognizing you." She nodded her head in understanding. "Okay then, break."

With that, everypony split off from each other, branching into the many streets and preparing to start their hunt.

/)*#*(\

Applejack made her way to the small slums of Appleloosa, where the drunks spent their days wasting away. She figured that no one would turn her in there even if they did recognize her. If anything, they'd respect her for her "murder".

She did her best to find the shadiest bar in the place; a pit called The Salt Hole. She was apprehensive about going inside, but she had to find out where those crooks had run off too.

She slowly pushed open the doors, the hinges creaking from lack of care. Everypony in the bar stopped to give her suspicious looks before they went back to their drinks.

Stepping inside, she made her way to the bar, sitting down on one of the rotating chairs that was bolted to the floor next to the counter. She didn't order anything. She just waited for the bartender to ask who she was and what she wanted.

Nothing came.

Looking up, she saw that no one was paying any attention to her. Only one pony who almost sat down where she was managed to 'see' that she was sitting at the bar. He apologized, something uncommon in this part of town, then sat down a few chairs away from her.

Sighing, she slowly took off the TARDIS key, with its perception filter sticking to the metal. She was suddenly met with all eyes on her as the other ponies in the bar noticed who she was. Even the bartender seemed to be shaking.

"Relax," she said. "Ah ain't here to kill anypony. I just want answers." The bartender slowly nodded his head. "Okay, good. Now, 'ave you ever heard of a couple o' criminals that travel together? A couple o' cow ponies who stick around town?"

It took a second for the bartender to find his voice. When he did, it was apparent that he feared for his life. "Well, um, yes actually. They come here regularly. Of course, we get all kinds of ponies in here, so I never arrested them or anything. I'm sure they'll stop by here before long, though. They always do." His face darkened as he remembered how much he had to clean up the last time they stopped by.

"Ah'll right then. Thank ya." With that, Applejack walked out of the bar. As soon as she stepped out, she slipped her perception filter back on and prepared to move back toward the TARDIS to reunite with the doctor. Then she noticed a rainboom arcing across the sky.

/)*#*(\
Meanwhile...
/)*#*(\

Rainbow Dash split away from Appleloosa, planning to check the clouds above for pegasus ponies who may know the whereabouts of the two pony outlaws.

She touched down onto the soft clouds hovering over the pioneering town, taking a quick look around. It was no Cloudsdale, but it looked as if a group of pegasus ponies had started a small township of their own above the town below. No doubt, they had to have seen something of the outlaws. Rainbow Dash moved hurriedly to one group of ponies sitting by themselves.

"Hey," she said in a normal tone as she approached the group. They nodded to her and offered her a spot to sit down next to them. They were all stallions apart from one tomboyish mare, who wore a green camouflage cap backwards. She had a sage green coat and a short, black mane.

Rainbow Dash immediately skipped to the point. "Have any of you guys seen a couple of outlaw ponies in the town below?"

"Not a day goes by when we don't see some sort of robbery or attack," spoke the mare. "Are you looking for somepony in particular?"

"Yeah. They're a couple of stallions who always stick together, attacking ponies as a double team." All of the ponies in the small group started thinking hard, their brows furrowing in thought.

"Ya know," spoke one of the stallions, "I've seen a couple of stallions who always go to the same bar whenever they come to the city. Sometimes, they start some sort of a fight, but it's never anything too serious. Well, except for those three times where a massive shooting broke out. But other than that, it's nothing major. Maybe those are the ponies you're after."

"Maybe," responded Rainbow, thinking about the possibility.

"Hey, I never got your name," said the mare.

"Oh, I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria," she said with pride in her voice.

"That's pretty cool," said the mare. "But you should know, I'm the fastest in Appleloosa." That sparked Rainbow's interest. "Why don't you take a break from your stallion hunt and have a race? I'd like to see how well I match up against Cloudsdale's finest."

"Challenge accepted," said Rainbow Dash, fire burning in her eyes. However, before she continued, she had another question. "Wait, how did you know I was from Cloudsdale?"

"Lucky guess," responded the mare.

With that, the two pegasi launched from the cloud patch, not knowing where they were racing to, just that they had to beat the other one. Rainbow took an early lead, but the tomboyish mare soon caught up and even began to pass Rainbow. Now, Rainbow knew what she had to do to win. If this mare could keep up when Rainbow was going at near her top speed, then she would have to go full throttle.

Pumping her wings as hard as she could, she saw the other mare stare as a sonic cone formed around Rainbow. *BOOM* Rainbow Dash exploded forward as a massive colorful explosion left her body and a rainbow trail followed her. She looked behind her to see where the mare was (1).

Her challenger had nearly been knocked out of the skies. She had regained her focus though, and now hovered in place where she was before the explosion. She caught up to Rainbow after the cyan mare had slowed down.

"That was awesome!" exclaimed the mare. "You are the fastest thing I've ever seen! I'm Star Chaser," said the mare. Rainbow finally noticed her cutie mark; a shooting star. "Would you mind if I helped you find those two outlaws? I might not be as fast as you, but the speed I do have will come in handy."

Rainbow had to think for a minute. She wasn't sure how the Doctor or Applejack would react to another pony on the adventure, and she didn't know how this pony would react to seeing a terrible 'outlaw' like Applejack in the same room as her.

Sighing, Rainbow finally said, "Okay, you can come. But first, I have to tell you something. And no matter what, you can't tell anypony else, okay?" Star simply nodded her head. "Alright. *sigh* You've heard of the outlaw Apple 'Hurricane' Jack right?"

"Yeah. She's the talk of the town. Somehow, she escaped without damaging the prison at all. Isn't that amazing?" If anything, this mare seemed more excited by Applejack than afraid of her.

"Well, I've been.. helping her clear her name." Rainbow expected a look of surprise on Star Chaser's face, yet instead, she found one of interest. "I've been in direct contact with her. You have to know though that she didn't kill any pony. She wasn't even at the same bar. We need to find those crooks because they may know something about the real killers."

"Well then, all the more reason to come. If we're clearing the name of a friend of yours, then you need me even more. No doubt time is important here." The response shocked Rainbow. This pony that she had just met today was willing to help Applejack even though she had nothing to base her trust on.

"Okay then," replied Rainbow. "Glad to have you aboard. Follow me back to the TARDIS. I'm sure the Doctor and Applejack will love to meet you." With that, the two ponies made their way toward the TARDIS.

/)*#*(\
Meanwhile...(again)
/)*#*(\

After the group split up, the Doctor made his way into a nearby building to wait for Applejack and Rainbow to leave the vicinity of the TARDIS. As soon as they were out of sight, he opened up the TARDIS doors and made his way inside to the computer view screen on the console.

He began to type in a few things in some alien language. Soon, he found a picture of a black blob. He checked the name to make sure he had the right creature. An anamorphic(2) black slime. Though, for its name, its evolution was anything but gradual. It could change its shape within seconds, copying even the abilities of the creature or form it copied. The worst part was that it stole the remaining life time out of the creatures that it killed, either when transformed or not. In other words, by killing a time lord, or in this case, time pony, it could gain eternal life.

The Doctor immediately set the TARDIS to scan for the life form's DNA all over Equestria. He soon found a match.

The creature seemed to be in three places at once; one in Canterlot, one in Manehatten, and one in-

Appleloosa.

The Doctor burst forth from the TARDIS doors, trying desperately to locate Applejack and Rainbow Dash. He then noticed the rainboom and its creator. He was running out of time before one of the three slimes found him and his companions.

The Doctor began to charge through the streets, his sonic screwdriver held in his mouth generating a buzzing sound. He received a few odd looks from some other ponies, but he didn't care. The tracker that he had put into Applejack's perception filter would be worth it.

He soon found the mare making her own way back to the TARDIS to wait for Rainbow Dash. "Applejack," he began, out of breath. "we have to get you and Rainbow out of here. There's an anamorphic black slime here. It's extremely dangerous for all of us and we need to go NOW."

"Hold on there, sugarcube. Ah think Ah know a way to talk to those outlaws. Ah found the bar that they go to."

"That's great, but there's no time to talk right now. Let's GO." With that, the Doctor grabbed Applejack by the hoof and began to run at full speed back to the TARDIS. He was confident that Rainbow Dash would catch up anyway. In fact, she'd probably be there when he got back.

Sure enough, the rainbow mare was waiting for him outside of the TARDIS doors. However, she had another mare with her. Noticing this, the Doctor immediately shoved Applejack behind a few barrels. He quickly covered her mouth to stop her from saying the sure-to-come "What the hay," then proceeded to the TARDIS to get the mare away from his blue box.

"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?" he said, obviously a bit panicky.

"Oh, this is Star Chaser," replied Rainbow. "She's gonna help us clear Applejack's name."

"Wait, you told her? What were you thinking?"

The Doctor's tone took Rainbow by surprise, yet she answered any way with a hint of defense in her voice. "I was thinking that the more ponies we have to help, the better. Besides, she looked trustworthy enough."

Sighing, the Doctor just shook his head and said, "Okay, hurry up and get in already. We have to go now." Hearing the urgency in his voice, Rainbow grabbed Star Chaser and pulled her into the TARDIS, proceeding to give her the grand tour. She even got to respond to Star Chaser's comment of "It's bigger on the inside." She took extreme joy in that.

The Doctor turned around to go for Applejack, finding her in a collection of cardboard boxes near the barrels that he had hidden her behind. He pulled her out and hurried to the TARDIS, where he shut the doors tight and made his way to the command console. He put in a few coordinates into the console then pressed a button. The TARDIS rumbled to life, disappearing off the face of Equestria.

Author's Note

(1) As in the episode about the best young flyers' competition, Rainbow looked behind her while executing the Rainboom, proving that, at least for her, it is possible to do so at mach 5 speeds.
(2) pertaining to gradual evolution from one type of organism to another