"Doctor! Doctor Time Turner!" An voice, frantic with urgency was calling out throughout the busy halls.
The Doctor in question just about barely heard it as he was roused from an uneasy slumber. He just about had enough time to get himself adjusted to the rapid change in settings before the one who was calling out for him burst through the door to his office.
"Ye.. yes." He attempted a formal and steady response, though his voice was noticeably shaky.
"We've got an emergency!" His fellow stallion cried out. "It's a Ten Seven!"
"A ten seven?" The Doctor repeated, losing all faith in the urgency of the situation. "Son, you should know by now how to handle a ten seven."
"No no. This really something major!" His fellow worker pleaded.
"A ten seven is not major." The Doctor clarified. "A ten eight isn't even major. You shouldn't be bothering me unless you've got a twelve or higher. You just don't know how to handle a ten seven, don't you?"
"Hey no I don't!" The worker went.
"Son, if what you are explaining is really a ten seven." The Doctor went. "Then you'll find everything you need to know about dealing with it in seven twenty section of the instructions manual. Unless it's a ten eight, then would you please consult seven fifty. Anything in the eleven category can be easily walked through with an eight ten through fifty, and like I said, if you get anything involving a twelve and above, then feel free to contact me okay. Did you get all of that?"
His fellow worker briefly observed him with a blank look on his face.
"Err... yes of course Doctor. Right away." He stumbled out eventually. "Sorry for bothering you."
"Good, now clear off." The Doctor snapped back.
The worker wasted no time in closing the door, though not without the Doctor catching his obvious look of embarrassment before he went. Timekeeping was an unusually difficult occupation with the small town of Ponyville, it seemed.
Now that he had once again had some time to himself, Doctor Time Turner, MD Ph.D. MAcc DT DMM DC... could finally come to grips with his tardiness. He had not anticipated that he would be waking up at such an irregular hour, but a steady sleep schedule was something that was denied him as of late. The reason for that happened to be directly in front of him.
The clock. There were many clocks all ticking away around the office but this clock in particular was something he was finding immensely difficult to keep his eyes off. His peculiar, complex clock that measured the various kinds of magical spells performed around the town. He had thought he had seen the most of what this particular clock was capable of, but he had been proven quite wrong in a very short space of time. Readings and measurements had been recorded by the clock, the likes of which the Doctor, with his many degrees and credentials could barely comprehend. It made him just a little nervous to know that.
This was an ancient clock, wrought through actions most unicorns had no experience in attempting. It was nothing short of a privilege to keep watch over such an arcane item; yet, now the Doctor was sincerely wishing he could forget the day he first laid eyes on it. For what the mystical clock had been churning out these past few days were the cause of his deep concerns. Strange magical events were occurring, and that was pretty much all Time Turner knew about them; he did not know what kind of events they were, who they were happening to, and why they were happening. He feared it was only a matter of time before these certain events starting happening a little closer to him than he'd like.
A sharp rapt on the door brought him out of his dark pondering. Once again, he barely had time to acknowledge it before the door swung open.
"Doctor. Have you been sleeping rough again?" The concerned voice of a young mare, his secretary asked him.
"I'm doing something about that, Calamity." Time Turner insisted.
"Are you really?" She continued with a disbelieving tone. "You've still got that clock I see."
"I can't help it." He said, standing in front of the clock, as if ashamed of its presence and trying to hide it from view. "I'm getting a bad feeling from it. If you had a fraction of the experience I had, you'd feel the same way."
"Well in that case, I'm glad I don't." Calamity said.
"Now what exactly are you doing here?" Time Turner turned on her. "I don't pay you to pester me."
"You don't pay me anything." She reminded him, which was true enough. "You weren't responding to any calls, so I thought you must have fallen asleep yet again, so I thought I had better come and get you up so you can do your job..."
"Well I'm up now!" He reminded her, as if she needed reminding. "You can go now."
"That wasn't all I came up here for." The mare Calamity said irritated at being interrupted. "You've got a visitor."
"A visitor?" He responded, puzzled.
"A mailmare." She said. "She's waiting in the lobby for you."
"Now why does a mailmare want to see me?" Time Turner continued.
"She asked to see somepony friendly. She's got a letter she's anxious about." Calamity explained. "Do you believe me?"
"Not really, but whatever." He informed her. "You can go now. I'll be down to see her soon."
"Alrighty then." His secretary acknowledged with some degree of cheek.
"By the way. What's her name?" He asked before she had left.
"Err, Hooves or something." She replied, closing the door behind her shortly after.
"Okay. Now I really don't believe you." The Doctor muttered under his breath.
Certainly a confusing chapter, introducing characters from tens of chapters back. I ask that you persevere through all this build-up, because this story is about to get wild!... ahem...
