Sorry Isn't Enough

The walk into the Everfree had been silent, Star had held the questions at bay, and the Doctor was fumbling with his thoughts. Neither of them were getting anywhere with this, and it was only serving to get her more upset with him by the second. She stopped in the middle of the forest and let out a long sigh.

He had been staring at the ground, trying to get his thoughts together and bumped into her flank when she stopped. He flushed and shook his head before looking up towards her. The look in her eyes spoke of disappointment as she gazed at him finally, and for some reason, it broke his hearts.

"Why?"

Simple enough question. But the answer, how could he answer? He remained silent.

"Why did you give me hope and just... leave me behind?" She turned to him fully then and came close, face to face, muzzle to muzzle.

Tread carefully Doctor, you're already in the pot, don't give her more reason to turn the on the heat. He had to think his words through, but the more he hesitated to tell her why, the more upset he could feel she was getting. "Being with me is dangerous."

"That didn't stop you from bringing me onto the TARDIS before."

"No I... I brought you into the TARDIS because you were injured, and that was my fault. I was responsible and it was my duty to make it right."

"Then what of those promises? Were they just... empty?"

He cast his gaze to the ground.

She took his silence as his answer. She pursed her lips together before turning and setting off again.

By the time he got his thoughts together he saw she had made quick distance between them, leaving him to mentally kick himself. He ran up behind her. "Star wait!"

She didn't stop. "The quicker we find the TARDIS, the quicker you can go." She did her best to remain stone faced, although her heart was broken from the apparent betrayal.

"Star please let's talk!" He wasn't good at this, why was he trying this hard? Normally he'd let them walk away, out of his life to forget him, why couldn't he let her do the same?

"You've made it very clear already, there's no need to talk about it any more." She said in a dry tone. She had to keep these emotions in check, for her sake. She was hurt, she should be beating him senseless, but she felt that would take too much effort. No, I'm not beating him senseless 'cause I can't. I should have seen this coming. He made me believe in him. I should hate him but I just can't. Why can't I?

He clenched his jaw as he followed her silently now. He watched her back and sighed. "Star."

She stopped and turned towards him. "What?"

He stared at her, eyes glimmering with a bit of hope as he locked in her gaze. "Can we talk?"

"I thought you've said enough." She said in an almost bored tone, throwing him off his guard.

The Doctor stared at her, mouth flopping open and closed like a fish before he got his thoughts together again. He shook his head. "Star, I'm... I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

"I forgive you." She said a little too quickly.

"You do?" He looked hopeful.

"No."

He slumped. "But Star, honestly I am sorry."

"I don't care if you're sorry. Sorry isn't enough for the heart ache you put me through these last few weeks. You abandoned me at my happiest moment. I wanted to share that with you, you were the reason for it, and you just left!"

He couldn't bring himself to look at her, did the other companions he left feel this way too?

"You promised me a lot of things and then you snatched that away. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? Your face haunted me as a filly and into my adulthood, you made me believe in you. Suddenly I have a family and you want nothing to do with me? Do you know how that makes you sound?"

He bowed his head in defeat. That makes me sound really selfish... doesn't it? He didn't know what else to say to her. When he looked up, she had turned and returned to their task of finding the TARDIS.

As they finally approached the TARDIS and the imminent end to their friendship, he felt his hearts nearly burst. He opened his mouth to blurt out all his feelings, "Starstrike I," but was conveniently cut off by the hissing of the TARDIS.

Star stared at the damage as she came closer. "This is a mess... he neglected you to huh?" She concentrated and her horn glowed softly, bringing the TARDIS finally off her side. At the action the TARDIS let out a bit of a pop as if thanking her for fixing her position. "You're welcome." Star reached out and touched the TARDIS and the door clicked open, letting her in, then shut before the Doctor could even attempt to enter.

"What? What!" His face looked completely scandalized, both females were conspiring against him it seemed. He ran to the door and saw the door shaking, Star was trying to get out, but the TARDIS was holding her captive. "Open up!"

"Doctor!" She called out from inside.

"It's alright! I'm here!"

She looked around, aside from the core door being open, the place wasn't that much of a mess, but of course this was only the control room, she could only imagine the state of the other rooms. With a sigh she made her way to the door with all intentions of closing it. He never warned her of the dangers or the effects of looking, even for a second, at the core would do to some pony.

It had gotten silent, too silent and that worried him. He pressed his hooves against the door, still trying frantically to open it. He heard a thud and his hearts raced. "Star! Star?" All sorts of things ran through his mind as he stood there. An image came to his mind, something from the past, when he was humanoid and didn't give a damn for humans except for preserving their existence, until she came along. Until she changed everything.

"Let me in!" He struggled against the door when finally it opened on him, leaving him to tumble across the floor as the doors shut behind him. When he recovered, he saw the core uncovered, the glow still inside and Star passed out on the floor. His hearts raced as he went to her and rolled her into a position where he could fully check on her. "This... can't be..."