Chapter Nine: Summer Sun Festival (Doctor`s Point of View)
She excused herself to lie down for a few seconds and I was kind of happy she had. The TARDIS began to accelerate faster through the vortex and I held onto the railings for support, almost falling on the floor when I changed back into a pony. It wasn`t as painful as the first time, but I almost felt like I had fulfilled a wish or a quest. It was like I was satisfied to be back as a pony.
Once we had landed I began to think to myself about Ditzy. Her intentions of me were still foggy and unclear in my head as were MINE for her. I wasn`t even supposed to be here, and she already has children. I don`t even know where the father is. I laughed slightly to myself when I realized this. Here I am, taking her out to travel the universe, and her husband might be wondering and getting the wrong idea of me. Do they even call the male of a wedded couple a "husband" in Ponyville?
I peeked outside of the TARDIS and saw we were outside of Ditzy`s house. I started to get a bad feeling, but I ignored it, shutting the door and shaking my head as I walked into Ditzy`s bedroom (still inside of the TARDIS).
Get your minds out of the gutter, will you?
I opened her door slightly and sat on the edge of her bed, just watching her for a few moments before gently shaking her shoulder to wake her up.
"Huh?" She groaned. "Doctor, what are you doing?"
"Waking you up, silly," I said softly. "We`ve landed and it`s almost time to leave."
"Oh, come on! I was dreaming, too," She giggled slightly.
"About what," I asked.
"..." She never did answer. She just rolled out of her bed and trotted to the door with me, avoiding eye contact.
"So when is this festival, exactly?" I asked her after a few moments.
"I never really found out, I just wait for the sound of cheering and such."
"And what time does THIS usually occur?"
She shrugged. "I don`t have many clocks in my house."
I opened the TARDIS doors and we walked inside of her house where Dinky was sitting patiently on the living room floor playing with her toy bear again.
"Hey, guys," She smiled.
"How was school, my little muffin?" Ditzy asked, sitting down next to her and inviting me to do the same.
"Better, way better." And for a split second Dinky looked at me and winked.
"Excited for this festival thing I don`t know much about?" I asked.
"You know I am. Maybe Princess Luna and Princess Celestia will talk to me!"
"Maybe," Ditzy smiled. "But for now, how about we get you ready?"
"Okay!" Dinky laughed.
They both went upstairs but I called out to Ditzy saying I`d meet them there, running out to the TARDIS and entering it.
"Hey, Old Girl, I`m back," I smiled. "Know by any chance where I should park you for this festival?"
No answer, no engines, nothing, absolute silence.
"Now, now," I pouted, "You know you can tell me your ideas. But I`ll believe you when you say you don`t know," I then laughed, walking off to the TARDIS closet.
When I entered, I began to talk to myself again, and old habit I still needed to break. "I don`t even know if these ponies are going to wear clothes to this festival thing I STILL don`t know about. Why don`t they, anyway, wear clothes? I mean, they`re practically running around naked, but none of them seem to notice. That`d be kind of awkward, too, if they knew how they were usually dressed. Unless it is intended for that purpose," I said to myself, pulling out the outfit I wore regularly during my sixth regeneration, a bright suit with the colors of yellow, red, plaid, blue, and salmon, accompanied by tan pants. I threw it to the ground in disgust. "Why did I wear this, anyway?" I asked myself. "I mean, it`s absolutely nonsensical! I wonder how I could have looked in the mirror like 'Okay, I`m ready to go out now, let`s go!' while having that cover me. But if I had said 'Allons-y' while wearing this I would have never forgave myself. The word needs to be treated by someone, um, somepony, normal, and not some dude in a so-bright-it-hurts-your-eyes suit." I picked up a different one. "Good memories, this one," I smiled as I looked at the outfit I had worn for my first regeneration. "It`s a bit dusty," I coughed. "And why am I looking through this, anyway? For nostalgia`s sake? Because obviously, none of this would fit me as a pony-"
"-Doctor, are you in here?" Ditzy asked, shutting the door behind her. "I want to know if you need help!"
"I do, I really do," I laughed, running (more galloping than running, actually) out to meet her.
"Oh, hey, Doctor Whooves!" She smiled.
"Stop my beating hearts, you said my new name!" I said excitedly.
"Yeah, what about it, did I do something wrong? Is the TARDIS going to take off?!" She looked around frantically.
"No, no, you`re alright, but do ponies wear clothes to these festivals?"
Ditzy couldn`t contain a giggle. "You were in your closet, weren`t you?"
"You know I was," I shrugged. "But you didn`t answer my question – clothes, yay or nay? Haha, get it, nay?" I laughed to myself.
She merely shook her head. "Apparently we don`t. But if you want to you can."
"Why don`t you guys wear clothes automatically?" I asked her as we walked to the closet again. "It`s kind of weird if you ask me."
"We are ponies, genius," She laughed. "Of course, when it is for formal places and times, we go to Rarity."
"Who`s Rarity?" I asked.
"A unicorn that makes dresses – total fashionista," She shuddered. "I once got kicked out for eating a muffin in her store. Haven`t been there since."
"That`s quite the story," I said.
"Anyway, um, what do you have?" She opened the door and surveyed the now messy area.
"Nothing with four legs, sadly."
"Then you need your own doctor," She laughed, picking up the colorful suit I had just ranted about.
"Oi, will this 'doctor' have a sonic screwdriver like mine?" I asked her.
"No, but he will have a stethoscope, I think," She shrugged. "Actually, a doctor for clothes has a sewing needle I think."
"I have one of those stethoscopes! But if he listens to my heart, he will notice I have two. I`d have to run off or I`d be burnt to death for being a witch!"
Ditzy lowered her eyes at me with a look that let me know she was confused.
"Don`t ask."
"Easy said, easy done. Now, how about we go and maybe you and Dinky can talk to me about the entire bully thing."
"She knows you know already?" I asked as we began to leave the closet and head for the exit.
"No, but you can tell her," She laughed.
"Why me," I pouted again.
"Cause you are a stranger, I am her mother, it would be weird for me to say 'Hey I overhead your conversation with the Doctor, why wouldn't you tell me?' now wouldn`t it?" She laughed.
"Yeah but it IS harder to come clean with a stranger for most people – ugh, I`ll just say beings."
She turned around to face me with an 'are-you-seriously-that-dumb' stare that made me smile even wider. "You are an ALIEN. An ALIEN, Doctor! You can do anything."
"Well, not anything, but something near it."
"Oh, stop your boasting!" She giggles, allowing me to open the TARDIS door for her and stepping out, entering her house once more.
"Hey, Doctor," Dinky smiled.
I sat next to her and nudged her shoulder using my eyes to gesture to Ditzy (who stood firmly behind us), my lips in a tight smile. "She knows," I finally laughed nervously.
"Ugh, you told her, didn`t you?" She groaned.
"No, actually, your mother has great ears and decided to listen in."
Dinky`s eyes fell to the floor nervously.
"You`re uncomfortable right now, aren`t you," I asked her, already knowing the answer.
Dinky nodded and Ditzy sighed sadly. "Sorry," Ditzy muttered, her right eyes rising while her left stayed aimed at the floor.
"Is this how family therapists feel? Dinky, she understands how you feel and she isn`t mad. Anything anybody – oh my, anyPONY – wants to add?" I asked, slightly frustrated at myself for saying "anybody" AGAIN.
Nopony answered.
"Should I leave you two girls alone for several minutes?" I asked, the cheering Ditzy had warned me about rising up from the other side of town.
"We are late!" She gasps. "Is she allowed in your house, the TARDIS, just this once so we can get there on time?"
"I-I-I..." I stammered, looking from left to right. Another bad feeling pounded against the back of my skull, but I shook it off, finally answering her. "Fine, just let`s be quick!"
"What`s the TARDIS?" Dinky asked as we all ran into my machine. "And why is it on our yard?"
"Settle down, Dinky, and hold on!" I smiled, grabbing a lever and pulling it down, yelling "Allons-y!"
Dinky gasped and looked around, Ditzy and I smiling at her expression. "What are we doing?" She asked.
"This, Dinky, is the TARDIS!" I yelled over the whooshing noise. "It stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space, it travels in both time AND space, and it`s all mine!"
A wide smile played out across my face and Ditzy laughed at the sight.
"We`ve stopped!" I cheered.
Ditzy grabbed Dinky`s hoof, beginning to run off and leave me behind in their rush, but I grabbed Ditzy`s hoof and caught up to them. A wide blush spread out across her face and she looked down, almost running into a wall.
"Why is it so small on the outside and big on the inside?" Dinky asked after we had exited the TARDIS (which was now, thanks to Ditzy`s genius idea, disguised as a common tree seen around Ponyville).
"It just is," I laughed.
"It`s Time Lord Science!" Ditzy cheered excitedly with a laugh.
"What does that mean?" She asked.
"It just means it`s Time Lord Science, alright?" I chuckled, slowing down to a halt.
As the festival thing went on, Ditzy flew up to see better and a nervous Dinky had hid behind a column.
The bad feelings had started again, but this time they felt fifty times stronger than before. I nearly fell to my knees in pain, but I fought it off bravely.
The longer nopony was standing there, the worse I had begun to feel. Blackness overtook my vision in a matter of seconds, and I jolted back to the sounds of screaming. The feeling was gone, just in a snap.
Instead of Princess Celestia, another mare/alicorn/pony... thing stood in place for her. Her mane and tail were still wavy like Princess Celestia and Luna`s, but it was colored a shade of light purple and heavy blue. Her body`s color was a really dark purple, almost mistaken to be a blackish shade. Her... what did they call it... oh, yes, cutie mark, was the same as Princess Luna`s.
"From now on, darkness shall rule over the land!" The mare declared.
Everyone ran off I grabbed Dinky. "Ditzy, we have a problem!" I screamed.
"Yeah, I see that!" She flew up next to me. "Here, let me see her! I can fly her to the TARDIS, just get back safe."
I handed her Dinky and she thanked me, flying as fast as possible back to the disguised time machine.
I went to grab my sonic screwdriver but when my hoof almost pressed the button a thought crossed my mind.
Don`t do it, It whispered.
Torn between choices, I followed Ditzy and rushed to the TARDIS.