Now, as everypony who resided within Ponyville knew, Twilight Sparkle was a rational unicorn. Professional, hard-working, student to the greatest princess who ever lived, and logical in her work and surroundings. In a world of both science and magic, nothing seemed that out of the ordinary. And why should it be? Everything the young unicorn and her friends had been through told the intelligent mare that things were rarely impossible anymore. And that anything, even the most unexpected, shouldn't be that surprising.
Yet all that experience refused to refrain her from snapping her surprised slightly tired head upwards at an unfamilar sound and followed by blinking rapidly in disbelief at the sight of a rather large rectangular blue box materializing out of thin air on the second floor of her house.
A few seconds had passed, just as this strange object appeared completely solid, before Twilight instinctively stood on her hooves with wide purple wary inquisitive eyes fixed on the box in question, the books she had been reading as a past time before going to bed forgotten on the floor. Reacting naturally into a defensive position, powerful magic visibly presented on her horn, endless questions already swam through the young mare's mind; and you can probably guess what few of them are.
A careful glance upwards, Twilight already noted and burned the words presented on top of the box in her head. Police Public Call Box. What did that even mean? And more importantly, where did it come from and how, in the name of Celestia, did it get here? Magic? No, Twilight didn't sense any sort of power being used from the unidentified object. Was she simply hallucinating from lack of rest? It seemed likely as full night covered the outside Ponyville. Was it some sort of device? A trap? The careful purple mare mentally listed any opponents of hers who would do something like this, but only one certain blue unicorn came to mind, and Twilight shook her head. No, Trixie was far too magically-induced to work with anything technological.
So what, in all of Equestria, is exactly going on here? Should she wake Spike up and tell him to get the others? No doubt the small dragon slept through the loud noise (she swore that sleepy lizard can rest undisturbed through a stampede of joyful Pinkie Pie's). The young purple mare slightly smiled to herself at her own remark on her number one assistant.
While she pondered her options Twilight found herself circling the rectangular object, inspecting every nook and cranny, the magic dying down and fading from her horn, though prepared to be used should needed. In all her studies, the young unicorn had never seen anything like it, and that alone both fascinated and kept her on guard. Three sides were obviously walls, the fourth with a small sign on one door, while currently closed, seeming to be the only way in or out. Length-wise it was huge, even than Princess Celestia herself. Twilight doubted even the recently-reformed Discord could compare in height to this blue mysterious object. In wideness, however, it was fairly small enough, the size telling her only one pony would be able to fit in, two or three if they sat atop one another.
Returning to where she stood earlier, Twilight carefully weighed her options. On one hoof it wouldn't do well to just leave with this thing unguarded; who knows what might happen? On the other hoof Twilight couldn't face a threat, if this were as such, on her own. She was skillful, yes, but it would be foolish to take on something or alone, whatever was in there, without her friends by her side.
As she inspected the device some more, eyes shining in clear fascination, Twilight contemplated out loud: "Maybe it's a form of transportation..."
"Right you are!"
And all rationality the mare was known for instantly flew into the wind as she stepped back and landed on her plot in shock, a surprise yelp at the light-hearted voice and sudden emergence of a lightly brown young stallion, obviously years ahead of her age, opened the two-way doors from the inside and sent the surprised unicorn a grin Twilight could only describe as goofy. Unfazed by her justified reaction the stranger stepped out from the giant blue box, closing the doors behind him and eyeing the clean library around expectantly.
"Yes, everything seems to be in proper order. I wouldn't expect any less from you. Hope you don't mind me dropping in on you like this, Miss Sparkle. Now then, first's things first," the strange pony said with twinkling brown eyes and immediately began inspecting... himself? And he knew her name? Even more questions to be filled in the bucket. Yet Twilight could only blink with a speechless stare as the stallion moved his head around to see his whole body, as if it were something to behold.
"Legs? Yes I still have legs; perfect. Arms? Well, basically the same as legs now, but all four appendages still here, regardless! And a brown tail to boot! That might take a while getting use to. Hands... oooh... I have hooves now! Look at that, hooves. Next cool thing. Not as cool as bow ties though, let me tell you! Speaking of which: like my bow tie? Lovely thing isn't it? Of course!"
"Huh...? I don't... what...?" The young mare wanted to smack herself over the head. Snap out of it Twilight! You are capable of forming a response! Instead she just sat there, eyes wide and mouth agape like a fish.
The mysterious energetic stranger continued as though the unicorn's state of shock wasn't anything unusual, "Clothes? Yep; can't have a bow tie with clothes! Or can you? Imagine walking around wearing nothing but a bow tie. I suppose that'll be socially acceptable around here. Two hearts-" he thumped against his own chest twice as though checking for such an impossibility, "- excellent. Oh look at that! My very own cutie mark! Hourglass, how fitting; hope I don't confused for that confusing Whooves character. What else? Oh yes! Mane!" The stallion grabbed a hoof-full of his hair and brought it down excitedly to his brown gleeful eye level... before immediately crying out in dismay, "No!"
"W-What?!" Twilight finally manged to activate her voice box again and formulate a response, while jumping slightly at the exclamation from this stranger/intruder, standing on all four hooves and observing him wearily, to his ignorance. And his talking to himself, at least it appeared as though he was only talking to himself, sounded as though it was implied this stallion had only recently just become... a pony. And two hearts... what did Spike put in her coffee?
Maybe she was hallucinating after all...
"Even when travelling to this world... even when there was a only slight chance..." The stallion turned to her with a disappointed saddened expression and gestured to his light brown mane, "I still remain... un-gingered."
A pause took hold over the room.
"Oh well, can't be helped! No use being nitpicky eh?" He quickly recovered and rubbed his front hooves together as though he was having a ball of a time, surprising Twilight with these sudden mood swings, before suddenly squinting in thought, blowing loudly out of his nostrils, "Snout. That's new; same with the hooves. Maybe not as cool as the hooves, but I think it won't be difficult getting use to-!"
"Now wait just a minute!" Twilight halted the stallion in a authoritative tone that would make Celestia more proud than she already was of her beloved student, all rationality returned in her processing mind as the endless flow of questions already sprang from her mouth: "Who are you? Where did you come from? What is that thing and how did it get inside my library? What do you you 'traveled from another world'? More importantly, how did both it and you get inside my library? Was it magic? If so what sort of magic did you use to get in here, because I have seen such magic ever used to make something materialize like that...? ...Erm, why are you looking at me like that?"
Her questioning, well more of an interrogation, slowly died down at the wide ecstatic grin aimed directly at her, already her wariness rising immensely with a touch of uncomfortable at the intense gaze. And somehow, somehow, she already felt like a small filly when meeting the look of this stranger. Suddenly the young mare had the urge to just run and get help from anypony right now. Her rationality roared in agreement.
Just who was this stallion?
"Twilight Sparkle," He began in a sudden shift of tone, and she tensed up immediately at whoever this was knowing her identity. A part of her mind then suggested this could be some sort of task by the Princess, but something didn't right in that idea. Deafening silence took hold of the large room, she swore she can hear the rustling of the leaves outside, as the stallion took a step closer, swaying a little as though unuse to walking. Twilight wanted to take a step back, but herself unable to move, paralyzed by the intense brown-eyed stare, regarding her with curiosity and, dare she think it, wonder.
The older stallion continued, "You know no idea how much I've wanted to meet have no idea how much of an honour this is."
...What?
"Excuse me?" She couldn't help but ask dumbfound, raising a confused brow. How long he waited to meet her? Wait... so this wasn't by accident? It mustn't be! This stranger evidently somehow arrived inside her library with clear purpose. What that was, she had no clue. But Twilight had the suspicion these queries were about to be answered soon.
"The brave, young Twilight Sparkle. Student of one of the greatest monarchs to ever rule this world. Adventurous, brave and loyal to her friends, and an inquisitive genius. Fighter of many nefarious forces, and triumphs in the end with the help of her friends. An inspiration to all those around her; I'd be lying if I said I wasn't an exception," The mare couldn't help but lower her guard, albeit slightly, at the admiring words aimed at her. At least, there wasn't any hint of mockery in them. The stranger's gaze softened when within hoof's reach of the unwavered pony, a subdued tone on a goofy grin, "You are lucky to be surrounded by friends who would risk their lives for you, Miss Sparkle, as you would in turn. Especially when what the future brings to you."
She honestly kept remaining clueless on what to say, apart from a perplexed, "Erm... thank you?" Just who was he... what was he even? And what did he mean in the future?
At that hesitant reply, the grin returned, wider than ever, and Twilight raised another brow. "Right then!" The stallion declared as he turned and marched off, rubbing his two hooves excitedly again, "No using being somber now; new world to explore and all that! But first's things first (again), what do you say to a cup of tea? No no, better than that: fish fingers and custard! Oh right; the former isn't a thing around here," He pouted at the perplexed expression of Twilight's face, who honestly didn't know whether to be bemused or baffled, "Cup of tea it is then I suppose. If you wouldn't mind of course, Miss Sparkle... May I call you Twilight, by the way? Formalities always makes me feel old!"
"Um, sure I- Hey wait!" Twilight called out as the strange stallion spotted the staircase and was already proceeding downwards, halting mid-step and glancing over his shoulder, "Just who are you?" was now the number one question she desired... no, demanded an answer to. For this young older pony to drop into her house out of nowhere, act like there was nothing wrong with the world, compliment an admittedly flattered mare, and decided to have some tea without her permission to use the kitchen.
He should at least give her an answer on one thing, right?
The answer was simple, yet felt it carried more weight than it should, "I'm the Doctor, pleasure to meet you. Now, come along Twilight Sparkle, I have a strong urge for tea for whatever reason. Must be a side effect to this form...and I certainly hope we don't rouse the poor dragon from his sleep. Doubt it though..."
The young bemused unicorn shook her head in dismay. Figuring that was the only answer she may get out of him unless he got what he desired, the baffled mare quickly gave pursuit, a bigger question in mind than the revelation that he already knew about Spike admist his own mumbling, against her own rationality.
Doctor Who?
The student of Celestia then had the weirdest feeling that this was merely the beginning of something greater.
I basically made this short story for my younger sister; who loves both the MLP show and the 11th Doctor. This is a one-shot; mostly due to my amusement of ending with a cliffhanger for the look on her face, and partly because I won't be putting anymore thought into this. I can't wait to see her face lit up too tomorrow at the fact that I fulfilled what I said and made a crossover story involving her two favourite things specifically for her. Review if you wish, and a Happy New Year friends!