1003 ALB
Attempting to sleep in Manehattan was often a fools errand. The city got so noisy, and there was always so much going on, that without a means to muffle it all, it was nearly impossible. Dreams and respite denied due to discomforts, rude awakenings, various sounds from noisy peoples.
It made it feel all the stranger, when Suri let out a long yawn, that she had managed such a thing. Stretching out, bumping into something at her side. Turning over where she laid, her eyes came to rest on The Professor. The enigmatic blue mare sitting, eyes closed, upright.
A rushing wave of experiences, and memories over what had just transpired, at least from her view of things played back to Suri. Reminding her that she hadn't really 'fallen asleep' more that something, or someone had knocked her out. Which in itself, wasn't all that positive a thing to recall.
Searching these memories, she could recall the face of the entity, who it was. The strange pegasus having been the one to take her...somewhere. The exact location, however, was unpleasantly hazy. But the feeling of it wasn't. That feeling of nothingness, staining some aspect of her memory, like a fixed blur. Bitter and unpleasant.
"You went and...saved me didn't you?" Suri spoke aloud her conclusion.
The Professors eyes opened. "You're awake. It's...don't worry about that right now." She added. "I wanna show you something. It's...well it may be a lot, but I think you can handle it. Hopefully."
"That's vague as hell." Suri muttered, making an effort to sit up, yawning. "So...what's up?" She felt the breeze. "Uhm, where are we?"
"The roof of an office building." The Professor told her. "It's across the street from where we first met."
Suri was able to confirm their position, if nothing else. It was on the root of some building, with the strange red box seemingly parked near them. Though, she had no idea how such a thing got onto the roof.
"Why?" Suri pondered.
"Well, you see-" The Professor pointed. "We're a few months in the past. And if you look right there-" Suri looked. "that's us. Meeting for the first time."
Doing as requested, Suri looked out and across the street. Resting her forelegs on the raised edge of the rooftop as she did so. It took her a moment to register exactly what she was witnessing, but once she had it hit her senses pretty hard.
She was actively watching herself, or a version of herself interacting with that same nasty pegasus that had abducted her. And saw The Professor starting over, as the ruder mare left. Their meeting beginning to play out, under the watchful eye of the two of them. Who were both across the street, and on the roof, watching themselves across the street.
The pair remained fairly silent as this went, Suri watching things play out, and The Professor watching her. A slight expectant smile, on the time-lady's face. Before Suri glanced, wearing a curious expression.
Suri took a deep breath. "We're in the past."
"Yup." The Professor replied.
"Like we traveled to it. Went to it. We're here now, then, now..." Suri hesitated. "both...we're both."
"We're in our shared past. But our present moment." The Professor told her. "Which, as an aside, we can't interact with our past selves. That would create a paradox, and those can destroy most everything."
"No slapping myself, got it." Suri took a moment, nodded, and asked. "How?" She noted. "I don't think even the best unicorn mages can do...this."
"I'd hope not." The Professor snickered some, before explaining. "Time Travel is best left in the hands of professionals, like myself."
"What makes you a professional?" Suri inquired.
"Lots of experience. Also, I'm a Time-Lady. Part of the Time Lords." The Professor told her. "Technically it's largely pointless to make the distinction, but I like to out of spite for someone else."
"Time Lord?" Suri inquired. "What is that?"
"It's the name of an alien species." The Professor told her, with a little smile.
"You're an alien?" Suri asked.
"Mhm. I can prove it too." The Professor turned, and tapped her chest. "Two hearts. Even in this body. Go on, listen."
Suri leaned her ear against The Professors chest, and listened. It took her a moment, but she was able to hear that it was off. It was an odd sound, a bit like the beating of a drum. Tap tap tap tap.
"Professor, right?" Suri asked, getting a nod. "Right. Just wanted to double check before I said...you're throwing a lot at me right now. And I think I'm handling it pretty well."
"You're doing remarkable actually." The Professor told her. "I half expected you to pass out."
"See, I thought about it. Sounded awful." Suri nodded slowly, asking. "So, you-we...we traveled through time. How...how did you do that?"
"You remember when you showed up, walked inside that red box behind us and said-" The Professor began.
"It's bigger on the inside." Suri recalled, noticing a satisfied look. "What was that about?"
"N-nothing, it's just...I like that. That uhm, bit there. When people say it." The Professor told her.
"You're a little crazy, you know that?" Suri asked her.
"I do my very best to be. Annnywho, that's The Tardis. My Tardis." The Professor gestured. "The name stands for Time, and Relative Dimension in Space. Tardis for short." She sighed contently. "Her name is Lovely, and she is capable of moving through space, and time."
"I...vaguely recall something about you...the, okay." Suri shook it off, and refocused herself. "More important question. So...when you were inviting me to travel with you. You were inviting me to like, travel with you through uh..."
She glanced back to where her past self was sitting, going through the usual day. The concept of the offer was, surprisingly vast. The pink mare noting the necklace she was still wearing. The one with the key on it.
The Professor took a breath. "Suri Polomare. All of Time, and Space. Everything that ever is, or was. Anywhere." She began. "The most distant galaxy, to the next planet from your own. The first moments of existence, and the dawn of the first suns. To the end of time itself." She said. "Where do you wanna go?"
"That is one hell of a sales pitch." Suri admitted, hesitating. "First...I guess. What happened here...with all this?"
"Do you recall that pegasus that stole your headband?" The Professor inquired, getting a little nod. "Well, she wasn't actually a pegasus. She was something called an Erinyes." She explained. "Like a fury, or...it doesn't matter. What does, is that she was targeting you." She said. "Evidently there are those out there with unsavory opinions of you, and a desire to see you..."
"Hurt?" Suri guessed.
"Yes." The Professor replied. "That vengeful opinion, and their shared sense that you are 'guilty' and thus deserve some form of punishment, drew the Erinyes here. They're creatures of vengeance, who act a bit like beat cops. Heading out on patrol, looking for something going on." She explained. "This one strayed from her normal jurisdiction, to target you."
"So...I don't understand." Suri admitted. "She was...some cultish...vigilante nutjob?" She then asked. "Was she an alien too?"
"Surprisingly no." The Professor responded. "Clearly has knowledge of them however. So that was moderately useful."
Suri added. "I'm guessing she didn't know I'd...lost my studio, my contracts, my deals, my home, and...the ability to compete or anything really, right?"
"No, she knew. Possibly made it happen." The Professor told her. "The thing is, she was acting more like a torturer, than some mere vigilante." This prompted a raised brow. "Suri, she was sabotaging your life for some time. I don't know for how long. But I know she was spreading rumors, actively ruining opportunities for you. Stalling your progress. All in some perverse vengeful 'justice' as she saw it."
Suri added. "So...everything that happened...that was...because of her?"
"I don't know." The Professor admitted. "But a lot of it, probably. Also, the reason she finally came out of the shadows, is because you entered The Tardis. She no doubt sensed it could be some method of escape from this 'punishment' she'd devised."
Suri took a moment to respond, visibly considering all this.. "So, she figure out that if I went with you, I could leave. And she didn't want me too. Because she's a bucking bitch. Which led her to snatch me up, to prevent you from stopping her, from stopping me?"
"That would be accurate, yes." The Professor replied.
"So you're...a monster hunter?" Suri half-asked. "Travel through time and space, what, dealing with the bad guys?"
"No, nothing like that. I'm just a traveler." The Professor told her. "But, I saw that she was preying on you, and went to do something about it." She then added. "And now, you won't have to worry about her ever coming to darken your doorstep again."
This prompted a head tilt, as Suri asked. "Why...what did you do?"
The Professor replied. "It's...complicated."
"Uncomplicate it." Suri ordered.
"I've visited the local museums, and even made a quick stop at one to refresh my memory on Equestrian Mythology." The Professor began. "It gave me an idea what she was, and what I 'could do' about her. I then gathered evidence from our conversations, accumulated that data and then played the role of The Valeyard for the case."
"That sounds...very complicated." Suri said tiredly. "First, what's a Valeyard?"
"Educated Prosecutor. It's a word from my home planet." The Professor half-explained. "It was the, you remember the other name I almost picked, it was that."
"Honestly, that sounds brilliant." Suri told her.
"Hmm, what does?" The Time-Lady asked.
"Valeyard. I've never heard it before. It sounds fancy, very unique." Suri observed, adding. "What stopped you from picking it before?"
"A mixture of spite, and a desire to be something I...don't know that I can ever be." The Professor admitted, adding. "It's complicated."
"Okay. Now. Answer my question." Suri nodded. "What did you do to the Erinyes?"
"I got her fired." The Professor replied with a shrug. "Removed from her 'position' in life."
Suri let out a hesitant breath. "That sounds like...you killed her." The Time-Lady was silent. "You did...you're dancing around it, but I know when someone's trying to tell half-truths."
The Professor let out a breath. "I was a bit low on time, ironically. And low on options." She added. "I was presented with a choice, to let you suffer for the rest of your life-"
"Or end hers." Suri noted, seeming to shift how she was sitting. "What makes mine worth more?"
"The Erinyes tormented you. She didn't know you. Didn't know anything about you. Didn't know if you were guilty of anything. She just presumed you were." The Time-Lady replied. "And she would have continued, with glee, and joy, at every little moment of your suffering." She added. "I offered her a chance to stop. To return you, to let you go. And she refused, and attempted to kill me. And besides, her death wasn't up to me. It was up to her boss. I just presented the evidence of her wrongdoing."
"You say that very coldly, Professor." Suri noted with concern. "Especially for someone who wanted me to travel with them."
The change in tone, the altering of song. It spoke to the Time-Lady, in ways the words were failing to reach just yet. And a sort of emptiness found its way to her eyes, and the odd smile she wore.
"Originally, I invited you because I wanted to keep you safe." The Time-Lady admitted. "To protect you from this threat. But, if you did ever decide you wanted to try...you would need to know-" She shrugged. "It can be dangerous. It can be brilliant. There are wonders beyond imagination. Amazing, calming, and serene beyond expression."
"As well as fatal things. Terrifying things. Threats my nightmares couldn't conceive." Suri guessed.
A silence fell between them. "Yes. And sometimes, decisions have to be made to survive." The Time-Lady told her, adding. "I can sense, you don't want to go anymore. And I understand the why's. Including my own actions."
Suri frowned a bit. "I don't...blame you. I appreciate you saving me. I do." She then added. "But...I don't know that I could...do that. It's...all to much."
"Alright." The Professor cleared her throat. "Tell you what then. One quick trip, I'll drop you off. Back in your own time, anywhere you wanna go."
Suri contemplated this. "I think I'd like to go home. Spend some time in Ponyville as...someone besides Suri Polomare, if that's alright?"
"I understand, I do." The Professor turned and opened The Tardis. "Shall we?" Suri glanced at the key around her neck. "You c an keep it, if you'd like."
"But it's-" Suri began.
"I meant what I said before." The Professor told her. "Maybe you never change your mind. Maybe you do. But if nothing else, if anything ever threatens you-" She made a tapping motion on her own neck. "just hold onto it. And I'll come and help. If you want."
"Alright." Suri muttered, thinking. "I will... on one condition."
She started forward, and into The Tardis. The Professor closing the door behind her, before heading up the console. Beginning to get things sorted out.
"What's that?" The Professor asked.
"I'll hold onto it, if you find someone." Suri requested, getting a glance. "I've spent a long time alone. And nopony should be. It's...dangerous." She took a seat, hearing the whirring. "Can you do that for me?"
The Professor considered. "I'm not...the best with people. Clearly." She admitted. "Besides, I don't really need-"
"I'm not keeping the key, unless you promise this, idiot." Suri said in her more normal tone. "Promise me you won't travel alone. And...I want to meet whoever it is later. Got it?"
The Professor snickered, and smiled some. "Yes ma'am."
The Tardis landing, the doors opening to ponyville for a second time. Suri gave it a look, and seemed to consider things. Glancing back to The Professor, she started over, and hugged the crazy blue mare. Getting a hesitant hug back. When it ended, she nodded, and headed out.
Some part of her wanted to say yes. To explore and see everything. But, she couldn't. It was all too much in the moment.
The Professor watching, as the doors to The Tardis closed. Her dull eyes turning back to the console. A little laugh escaping her lips, as she wondered why she even bothered to try. Starting things up, she hesitated a moment.
Setting in the coordinates to the library, she examined the console for a moment. Noticing that The Tardis was a bit low on fuel, as it were. She sighed, and adjusted things. Wagering that, perhaps afterward she'd try the library one more time. The engine whirring into motion, as they headed off.