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The Doctor shook her hoof and smiled. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Do.” Ditzy blushed slightly. “Please, call me Derpy. I prefer that name.” The Doctor nodded. “Very well, then.”

“And what’s your name?”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor who?”

The Doctor got a sense of déjà vu. “Just the Doctor,” he said. Derpy nodded. “Pleasure to meet you,” she said. “So, what’s this “special business” you’re on?”

“I’ve been sent by the princess to check up on the party’s progression.” Derpy’s face lit up. “Really? Princess Luna?” She began to speak faster. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Well, you can tell her that everything is going fine. The games and events are all scheduled. We have races, and contests, and dances, and…” The Doctor cut her off. “I think I have the information I need for the princess.” Derpy blushed again, and gave a nervous chuckle. “Oh. Um, sorry. I get a little excited sometimes.” The Doctor smiled. “Oh, that’s quite alright. It happens to all of us. I know I’ve had my moments.” He looked around. “So what specifically do you have planned?”

Derpy’s face lit up again. “Well, I’ve planned a lot, but some of the main events are capture-the-flag, hoof-wrestling, and a ribbon-collecting game that I invented. It’s gonna be a blast!”

“It sounds like a lot of fun! I can’t wait!”

“I promise you won’t be disappointed!”

The speakers crackled in the background. A new song began to play. The Doctor looked around and listened for a second. “The music doesn’t really seem like party material.” Derpy looked at one of the speakers. “Oh, this isn’t the music that we’re using for the party. This is just background noise for us to listen to while we work. Two of my friends are working on the actual music for tonight.”

“Their names wouldn’t happen to be Vinyl Scratch and Octavia would they?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

The Doctor smiled. He pulled out the princess’s list. “The princess wants me to meet with them as well.” Derpy looked over the list and her smile widened. “Really? Cool! I have a feeling that you’ll get along great with them!”

“You wouldn’t happen to know where they’re working, would you?”

“They’re working in an auditorium a couple blocks from here,” she said as she pointed to her left. The Doctor folded up his list and stuffed it in his collar. “Thank you, very much! Well, I should probably get going. It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet you, Derpy.” Derpy gave him a smile. “The pleasure’s all mine, Doctor. I have a feeling this is the start of a great friendship!”

“I look forward to it! So long!”

“So long!”

The two shook hooves and the Doctor went on his way.

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The auditorium, like the Royal Library, was enormous. There weren’t many ponies, however. The Doctor noticed two ponies talking with each other on the stage. One was a gray earth pony with a black, well-groomed mane and a pink bow tie. The other was a white unicorn with a blue, messed up mane and magenta sunglasses. The Doctor walked onto the stage. He stopped in his tracks when music blasted through the speakers with full volume. Everyone in the auditorium shielded their ears from the noise. The only one who didn’t was the white unicorn, who was banging her head.

The gray pony shouted something to her, and after a couple of seconds, the music stopped. Everyone was rubbing their ears. The Doctor could’ve sworn he saw some regeneration energy sprinkle out of his left ear. The white unicorn turned to her friend. “Too much?” Her friend looked annoyed. “Definitely too much.” She had an English accent.

“Sorry.”

“That’s alright. Just turn it down.”

Everyone began to get back to work. The Doctor walked over to the two. “Excuse me,” he said. The two turned to meet him. They smiled, and the gray mare spoke. “Yes. Can I help you?” The Doctor returned the smile. “I’m looking for two mares by the names of Octavia and Vinyl Scratch.” The gray mare’s smiled slightly widened. “Then look no further. I’m Octavia.”

“And I’m Vinyl. Nice to meet ya.” The Doctor shook their hooves. “I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor who?” asked Octavia. The Doctor was getting annoyed by the déjà vu. “Just the Doctor.” The two nodded. Vinyl spoke next. “So, what’s up, Doc?” The Doctor cringed. “Please, don’t call me Doc. I prefer Doctor.” Vinyl shrugged. “If you say so,” she said. Octavia continued. “So, what can we help you with?”

“I’ve been sent by the princess to check up on the party’s progress. I was told that you two are the ones preparing the music.” Octavia gave a smile and nodded. “Indeed, we are. However, we’ve been running into some…” she turned to Vinyl. “…problems.” Vinyl raised her eyebrows. “I said I was sorry.”

“And I forgave you.” The Doctor spoke. “We all make mistakes.” The two friends looked at each other and nodded. Octavia turned back to the Doctor. “Well, you can inform the princess that things are going smoothly for the most part.”

“Can I hear a bit of it?”

“I don’t see why not. Vinyl, do you mind?” Vinyl grinned. “Not at all.” She used her horn to levitate a control pad off a shelf. The Doctor stared at the trick, still wondering how it worked. Vinyl pressed a button. The speakers crackled for a second, and then the music started up. It was a mix of orchestral and electronic. The Doctor gave a smile. “You would think the styles would clash with each other, but you blended them pretty well.” Vinyl smiled. “Thanks, Doc. Tavi and I try our best to make the most awesome music possible!”

The Doctor and Octavia gave her an annoyed look. “Don’t call me Tavi.”

“Don’t call me Doc.” Vinyl continued to grin. “Oh, come on, you guys. You know I’m just joking. Lighten up.” Octavia sighed. “Very well. Anyway, thank you, Doctor. We appreciate your kind words.”

“You’re very welcome.” Vinyl pressed a button and the music stopped. “So, where are you headin’ next?” she asked. The Doctor pulled out his list and checked the names. “You wouldn’t happen to know a Lyra Heartstrings would you?” Octavia smiled and Vinyl grinned. “Lyra’s a good friend of ours,” said Octavia. “She’s preparing the decorations for tonight.” The Doctor’s smile widened. “Brilliant! Where should I be able to find her?”

“She should be in the town square outside the castle gates.”

“Excellent! I should probably get going. It was a pleasure to meet you two.”

“To you as well, Doctor.”

“Be sure to tell Lyra I said hey.”

“I’ll be sure to do so. So long.” The Doctor shook their hooves. “So long.”

“See ya later.” The Doctor began to leave. He stopped. “Oh, and Octavia.”

“Yes?”

“Nice bowtie. It’s cool.” Octavia chuckled. “Why thank you.” The Doctor smiled. “You’re very welcome.” With that, he left. Vinyl looked at Octavia, who was still smiling. “Admit it,” she said.

“Admit what?” Vinyl grinned. “You have the hots for him.” Octavia looked surprised and she blushed. “What? I – I do not!” Vinyl’s grin grew wider. “You totally do.”

“Vinyl!” she shouted. Vinyl laughed. “Oh come on, Tavi. You know I’m kidding.”

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The square was much larger than the one in the center of town. It was much more crowded as well. The enormous castle overlooked the entire area. The Doctor walked around the square, taking in the scenery. He looked at the towering buildings around him, ignoring the mare in front of him. The two collided with each other. The mint-colored mare dropped the rolls of streamers that she was levitating. She rubbed her head, as did the Doctor. He helped her off the ground. “I’m terribly sorry, ma’am.” He helped her gather her items. “That’s alright. Thanks for the help, mister…”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor-“

“I’m just the Doctor,” he said, getting annoyed with having to repeat himself. The mare looked at him. “You get that a lot?”

“You have no idea. And you are?” The mare smiled and offered her hoof. “I’m Lyra.” The Doctor perked up. He shook her hoof. “Well, what a coincidence! I’ve been sent to look for you! The princess wants to know how the party is progressing.” Lyra motioned to the square. “It’s going great! We have the classic decorations. You know balloons, streamers, etc. But I added in something special, just to go the extra mile.”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

There was a whistling screech in the distance. A streak of light shot up from behind a building. It reached the sky, and burst into an array of color in the sky. The Doctor watched as the colors faded with a crackle. He turned to Lyra. “Fireworks. Nice.” Lyra gave a proud look. “Why, thank you. I have another set up planned. Imagine a pinwheel of fireworks.” The Doctor had seen this design before, but he sounded impressed to be nice. “That sounds fascinating. I can’t wait to see the end result!”

“You won’t be disappointed! I promise!” Another firework went off. “Shouldn’t you be saving those for later?”

“Oh, those are just test runs. Besides, we have a lot more for tonight.” The Doctor nodded. He looked around at the developing party. He trailed off, beginning to feel homesick. He mumbled to himself, “Reminds me of the humans’ festivals during their renaissance.”

“Wait, what?” said Lyra, bringing the Doctor back to reality. The Doctor shrugged off his comment. “Oh, nothing. It’s-“

“You know about humans?” The Doctor looked at her with a shocked face. “Wait. You do?” Lyra gave a huge grin. “I knew I couldn’t be the only believer!” The Doctor kept staring. “I- How do you-?”

“Oh my gosh! We have to hang out later! We have so much to talk about!” The Doctor relaxed his face a little. “Yes. Indeed we do.”

“Well, until then, I have to get back to work. I’m sure you have some important things to do, too.” The doctor pulled out his list. He had one more pony to visit. “Actually, I do. I’m going to take a wild guess and assume you’re friends with Sweetie Drops.” Lyra paused, and then recognized the name. “Oh! You mean Bon Bon. Yeah, she’s one of my best friends. She’s in charge of the food for the party. She’s working in the bakery down the block.” The Doctor nodded. “Thank you Lyra. I’ll be heading there, then. I look forward to getting to know you better.”

“Same to you!” The Doctor turned to leave. He paused. "Oh. I almost forgot."

"What?"

"Vinyl said hi" The two exchanged smiles, then parted ways.

---------

The bakery wasn’t as large as the other places that the Doctor has been, but it was still large by bakery standards. The smells of breads and candies filled the Doctor’s nose. He took a minute to appreciate the peaceful moment. It’s was a pleasure he rarely got the chance to enjoy. A radio was playing cheerful tunes in the background. An earth pony stood up behind the counter. She had a light-yellow coat and a purple and pink swirled mane. “Hello, how can I help you?” she asked. The Doctor walked over to the counter. “I was told I could find Sweetie Drops here. I’m in charge of getting a progress report to the princess.”

The mare cringed. “Please, call me Bon Bon. I don’t care for the name Sweetie Drops.” The Doctor nodded. “I understand.” Bon Bon gave him a smile. “Thank you. And you are?”
“I’m the Doctor, and before you ask, I’m just the Doctor. I’ve already had to have this conversation about four times today.”

“That sounds pretty annoying.”

“It is.”

“I see. Well, you can inform the princess that everything is going fine.” A pan was heard hitting the floor in the next room. “Um, except for a few clumsy chefs. But, nothing’s been broken, so there’s that. Would you like a sample of some of the candies? We just got a recipe for a new gummy candy.”

“I don’t see why not. What do you call them?” Bon Bon reached under the counter and pulled out a jar of the gummies. “Jelly fillies.” The Doctor just stared. He took out one of the horse-shaped gummies. He studied it. It couldn’t possibly… He took a bite. It was. It was the same candy he enjoyed in many of his past regenerations. He felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. “Would it be too much to ask for a small bag of these?” Bon Bon considered the request. “Well, they haven’t been priced yet. I suppose…” She paused. “Oh, why not. I’m feeling generous today.” She pulled out a bag and put a few of the candies in it. She passed it to him. He gave her a warm smile. “Thank you! I really appreciate it!”

Bon Bon looked at him. “You’re welcome. You seem really excited. I didn’t realize that they were that good.”

“Oh, believe me, they’re delicious.” He paused and began mumbling to himself. “Now if only I could eat fish fingers in this form…”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. Nothing.” He cleared his throat. “Well then, if there aren’t any problems, I should probably get going. I don’t want to keep the princess waiting, after all.” Bon Bon nodded. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Same to you. And once again, thanks for the jelly babies…er…fillies.”

“You’re quite welcome. See you at the party!”

“See you there.” They shook hooves and the Doctor left.

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“I’m happy to inform you that everything’s going swimmingly.” The Doctor and Princess Luna had reunited in the castle garden. “Excellent! Thank you, Doctor. I have a feeling tonight will be a great one.”

“You’re very welcome. I can’t wait to attend. In the meantime, I’m going to check up on my transport.”

“Do not take too long. It would be a shame if you missed the party.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s great to finally get a moment of peace. My life’s a bit of a rocky road.” Luna nodded. “I know what you mean. I’ve lived for a long time, and seen many things as well.” The Doctor nodded, thinking about his own life. Luna continued. “Perhaps we can share our stories with each other one day.” The Doctor thought he saw a twinkle in her eye. Was there something she was holding back? He decided to dismiss it for now. He would think about it later. For now, his mind was set on his ship. He stood to leave. The two said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways.

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The Doctor entered the alleyway where his ship was parked. He placed his hoof on the doors and entered the box. He looked around the enormous control room. The room looked different. The central column had a different design. It had also changed from orange to white. The metal plates of the walls were bronze, and the support beams were gold. The walls were lined with alternating lights that circled around the room. The Doctor took a second to take in the new look. “Nice. You even put in some new round things! That’s brilliant!”

He walked over to the control panel. He looked at it from every angle. He put his hoof to his chin. “Hm. You still aren’t in any shape to go anywhere far. But, it seems you’ll be able to go short distances without any problems.” He pressed a series of buttons and switches. “Let’s head to the party tonight. Andiamo!” He pushed a large lever. The engines roared and the room vibrated. The central column moved up and down. The Doctor pulled a monitor to his face. The sky outside began to turn from day to night. The sun faded out and the moon took its place. The engines stopped. The room was still. The Doctor walked to the doors and exited the ship. He closed the doors and left the alleyway. Something in the night sky caught his eye.

There was a constellation in the shape of a horse’s head. It was bizarrely detailed, almost as if it was purposely shaped that way. “Hm. I’ll have to go up there and check that out when the TARDIS is up to the task.” He turned his attention elsewhere. “For now, I have a party to attend.” After walking a couple blocks, he began to hear the sounds of celebration. Two fireworks soared into the sky and exploded with a crackle. The Doctor smiled. “Looks like Lyra managed to get those fireworks up without any trouble.” He walked a couple more blocks. He came to the town square where he met Lyra. The place was packed.

Everywhere the Doctor looked, ponies were celebrating and having the time of their lives. Some more fireworks went off. The Doctor pushed through the crowd and came to a diner. “It’s a shame I don’t have anything to pay for food with.” He paused, and realization struck him. He grabbed his bag of jelly fillies, and began to eat a few. “I’m so happy they have these in this world.” He found a bench and sat down.

He looked around at the party surrounding him. He smiled, enjoying the good time while it lasted.

“Hey, Doctor!” The Doctor looked around. He recognized the voice. He felt a hoof on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Derpy, who gave him a friendly smile. The Doctor returned the smile. “Why hello, Derpy! How are you?”

“We’re doing great! Tonight’s been a blast!”

“Well that’s wonderful!” He paused. “Wait. We?” Derpy nodded. She turned and pointed to the two ponies behind her. One was a pink mare with a purple mane. The other was a purple filly with a mane of gold. “These are my daughters: Amethyst Star and Dinky.” Amethyst, the older daughter nodded to the Doctor. “Nice to meet you,” she said. Dinky, the younger, looked up at him. “Nice to meet you!” she said cheerfully. The Doctor nodded the two sisters. “To you as well.” He turned to Derpy. “You never told me you were a mother. That’s brilliant!” Derpy smiled. “They’re a joy to have.” She turned to Dinky and gave her a playful smile. “Though they can be a pain in my neck sometimes.”

“Hey!” said Dinky. Derpy chuckled and ruffled her mane. “I’m kidding, sweetie.” The Doctor laughed. “I know what you mean. My kids were always the same way.”

“Oh, you’re a father?”

“I’m a father and a grandfather.” Derpy gave him a confused look. “Grandfather? How can you be a grandfather?”

“Trust me. I’m older than I look.” Derpy nodded. “So where are your grandkids?” The Doctor’s smile faded slightly, but he continued to keep his expression. “My granddaughter’s off on her own adventures somewhere. We’ve been…” His smile faded. “…out of touch.” Derpy felt his discomfort. “I understand,” she said. She decided to change the subject. “So, the girls and I were on our way to see the princess’s speech. Would you like to come?” The Doctor brought back his smile. “I would love to.”

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The four made their way to the castle gardens. There was a large stage build on the southern wall of the area. The place was packed. They had trouble making their way through the crowd. “Mom, maybe we should find a seat near the back,” said Amethyst. “The view won’t be as great, but it’ll be easier to get settled.”

“What is the speech about anyway?” asked the Doctor. Derpy turned to answer. “Oh, that’s right. You’re new around here. Well, it’s not anything that important. The princess comes out and basically tells everypony how great the night is going.” The Doctor tried to keep a giggle back as he heard a sample of this world’s grammar. “I see.” What he didn’t see was the mare that was walking right in front of him. The two collided and fell to the floor. “We really need to stop meeting up like this,” said the mare. The Doctor looked to see Lyra, who was rubbing her head and smiling.

The two got up and dusted themselves off. “Hello Lyra. Nice job on the fireworks.”

“Why thank you.” A voice came from behind her. “I still say it’s a fire hazard.” Bon Bon stepped from the crowd. “They seem pretty sweet to me,” said another voice. Vinyl stepped out of the crowd. Octavia soon followed. The Doctor smiled at seeing his new friends again. “The gang’s all here! Brilliant!” Octavia spoke. “Yes, and we should probably find seats before the crowd splits us up.”

The group wandered about until they found their seats. Most of the crowd had begun to sit down. Dinky tried to look around the crowd, but couldn’t. She turned to her older sister. “Amy, help me.” Amethyst turned. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t see the stage.” Amethyst levitated Dinky onto her back. “There. Better?”

“Better.”

The group sat and chattered for a few minutes until a pony came on stage. “Fillies and gentlecolts,” she began. The Doctor couldn’t help but snicker. The mare continued. “So far, tonight has gone wonderfully. But I now you didn’t come to hear it from me. I’m here to welcome the great ruler of our great land. Please give a big round of applause for Princess Luna!” The crowd stomped their hooves in applause. The stage curtains began to open. The crowd stopped. No one was behind it. The gardens filled with nervous murmurs. “Where’s the princess?” asked Dinky.

The flames in the candles lighting the gardens went out with a gust of wind. The only light came from the stars in the night sky. The Doctor looked up and noticed something. The moon wasn’t in the sky, and neither was the constellation he saw earlier. His expression grew serious. “This can’t be good,” he said. Amethyst levitated Dinky off her back and held her close. Vinyl pointed to the stage. “What’s that?”

In the center of the stage, a ring of blue fire had appeared. It grew larger and higher. The flames reached to the top of the stage. The crowd’s noise had grown much louder. The top of the tower of flames grew into a swirling ball. The ball burst and the flames faded into the sky. In their place was a figure, who was hovering above the stage. The figure turned to the crowd, who had fallen silent. On stage was a mare with wings and a horn, just like Luna. However, she was much taller. She had a coat of black, and eyes like a cat’s, which were a bright crimson. Her mane seemed to be made of blue flames, like solar flares from a blue giant star. She was covered in golden armor. She gave an evil grin, showing her long, sharp teeth. She gave a malicious cackle. She looked over the crowd.

“Greetings to you all. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my adoring subjects.” The crowd stared in silence. The mare gave an angry look. “Of course. Of course you wouldn’t remember me. All you ever did was shun me.” The Doctor continued to hold his serious expression. I can never catch a break, he thought to himself. The dark mare continued. “Fine then. Allow me to refresh your memories. I am Black Hole Sun.” Lightning crackled in the distance.

The Doctor stood up. He shouted across the garden. “Can you just get to the point?” His friends stared at him with their jaws dropped. The crowd and Black Hole Sun did the same. She gave a look of shock. “Excuse me?” The Doctor gave her an annoyed glare. “Get to the point! The special effects aren’t that impressive. We get it. You’re the bad guy. Can you skip the ego boost and tell us what you want?”

Black Hole Sun stared at him, first with shock, then with annoyance. “And who are you who thinks he can give me orders?”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“Not now, but trust me. It will.”

The dark mare gave another cackle. “Very well then, Doctor. I’m here for the crowd.” Her expression turned angry. She turned to the crowd. “You love the dark and ignore the light. You love the stars but shun the sun. So be it. If it’s darkness you want. It’s darkness you’ll get.” Her eyes shined red. She lifted her horn as it began to glow. The sun rose from behind the horizon. The night sky turned to day. It rose until it reached the top of the sky. The Doctor stared. The sun remained idle for a few seconds. For that few seconds, things seemed peaceful. This peace soon faded away.

The clouds swirled in the sky. The wind blew harder, and was picking up speed. The sun’s golden shine stopped. It began to change from a shining beacon to a blackened orb. The walls around the garden slowly crumbled. The chunks of brick lifted into the sky. The sky around the sun seemed to morph and twist. The ground began to shake. The Doctor stared. A star had gone from a young stage to a black hole in seconds, right before his very eyes. He struggled to find words. “That… That’s impossible,” he said. By then, the crowd began to panic. Ponies began running and screaming as the world around them seemed to crumble. The Doctor felt a tug at his hoof. Derpy snapped him back to reality.

“Come on! We need to get out of here!” The Doctor nodded. He began to gallop with Derpy to catch up with their friends. They ran out of the gardens and into the streets. The black sun loomed above them. The Doctor ran to the front of his group. “Follow me! I know what to do.” His friends followed him. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. They ducked into an alleyway. The group stopped behind the Doctor, who was fumbling to put a key into the blue box in front of him.

Octavia turned mad. “That’s it? That’s your plan? Just hide inside that box while the world ends?” The Doctor continued to fumble with the key. He didn’t look back at her. “Well, not hide, but yes, definitely in the box.” He managed to get the key in. He slammed the doors open. He rushed into his box. He turned to his friends. “Come on! Get in!” Octavia became extremely agitated. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“No. No joke. Get in!”

“Even if I agreed with this plan, there is no way we could all fit in there!”

The Doctor looked annoyed. “Oh for God’s sake.” He grabbed Derpy’s hoof and pulled her in the box. The two emerged a couple seconds later. Derpy looked at the group. “Get in. Now!” The alleyway started to crumble around them. Amethyst grabbed Dinky. “We’re going in.” The two sped into the box. Everyone but Octavia did the same. The Doctor looked at her. “Come on!” She was hesitant, but as the world kept crumbling, she gave in. She ran into the Doctor’s box. The Doctor slammed the doors shut. All was quiet and still.

He walked past his friends, who were staring at their new location. He walked to the control panel of his ship and pulled a lever. The engines roared. The column moved. The room vibrated. The Doctor pulled over a monitor and saw that the ship had made it into the time vortex. He pulled the lever back. He sighed. “Okay. We should be safe, for now at least.” He looked at his friends, which were still staring. “Oh go ahead. Say it. Everyone else does.” The group stuttered. Dinky was the first to speak. “It’s bigger on the inside.”

Description
The Doctor shook her hoof and smiled. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Do.” Ditzy blushed slightly. “Please, call me Derpy. I prefer that name.” The Doctor nodded. “Very well, then.”

“And what’s your name?”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor who?”

The Doctor got a sense of déjà vu. “Just the Doctor,” he said. Derpy nodded. “Pleasure to meet you,” she said. “So, what’s this “special business” you’re on?”

“I’ve been sent by the princess to check up on the party’s progression.” Derpy’s face lit up. “Really? Princess Luna?” She began to speak faster. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Well, you can tell her that everything is going fine. The games and events are all scheduled. We have races, and contests, and dances, and…” The Doctor cut her off. “I think I have the information I need for the princess.” Derpy blushed again, and gave a nervous chuckle. “Oh. Um, sorry. I get a little excited sometimes.” The Doctor smiled. “Oh, that’s quite alright. It happens to all of us. I know I’ve had my moments.” He looked around. “So what specifically do you have planned?”

Derpy’s face lit up again. “Well, I’ve planned a lot, but some of the main events are capture-the-flag, hoof-wrestling, and a ribbon-collecting game that I invented. It’s gonna be a blast!”

“It sounds like a lot of fun! I can’t wait!”

“I promise you won’t be disappointed!”

The speakers crackled in the background. A new song began to play. The Doctor looked around and listened for a second. “The music doesn’t really seem like party material.” Derpy looked at one of the speakers. “Oh, this isn’t the music that we’re using for the party. This is just background noise for us to listen to while we work. Two of my friends are working on the actual music for tonight.”

“Their names wouldn’t happen to be Vinyl Scratch and Octavia would they?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

The Doctor smiled. He pulled out the princess’s list. “The princess wants me to meet with them as well.” Derpy looked over the list and her smile widened. “Really? Cool! I have a feeling that you’ll get along great with them!”

“You wouldn’t happen to know where they’re working, would you?”

“They’re working in an auditorium a couple blocks from here,” she said as she pointed to her left. The Doctor folded up his list and stuffed it in his collar. “Thank you, very much! Well, I should probably get going. It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet you, Derpy.” Derpy gave him a smile. “The pleasure’s all mine, Doctor. I have a feeling this is the start of a great friendship!”

“I look forward to it! So long!”

“So long!”

The two shook hooves and the Doctor went on his way.

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The auditorium, like the Royal Library, was enormous. There weren’t many ponies, however. The Doctor noticed two ponies talking with each other on the stage. One was a gray earth pony with a black, well-groomed mane and a pink bow tie. The other was a white unicorn with a blue, messed up mane and magenta sunglasses. The Doctor walked onto the stage. He stopped in his tracks when music blasted through the speakers with full volume. Everyone in the auditorium shielded their ears from the noise. The only one who didn’t was the white unicorn, who was banging her head.

The gray pony shouted something to her, and after a couple of seconds, the music stopped. Everyone was rubbing their ears. The Doctor could’ve sworn he saw some regeneration energy sprinkle out of his left ear. The white unicorn turned to her friend. “Too much?” Her friend looked annoyed. “Definitely too much.” She had an English accent.

“Sorry.”

“That’s alright. Just turn it down.”

Everyone began to get back to work. The Doctor walked over to the two. “Excuse me,” he said. The two turned to meet him. They smiled, and the gray mare spoke. “Yes. Can I help you?” The Doctor returned the smile. “I’m looking for two mares by the names of Octavia and Vinyl Scratch.” The gray mare’s smiled slightly widened. “Then look no further. I’m Octavia.”

“And I’m Vinyl. Nice to meet ya.” The Doctor shook their hooves. “I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor who?” asked Octavia. The Doctor was getting annoyed by the déjà vu. “Just the Doctor.” The two nodded. Vinyl spoke next. “So, what’s up, Doc?” The Doctor cringed. “Please, don’t call me Doc. I prefer Doctor.” Vinyl shrugged. “If you say so,” she said. Octavia continued. “So, what can we help you with?”

“I’ve been sent by the princess to check up on the party’s progress. I was told that you two are the ones preparing the music.” Octavia gave a smile and nodded. “Indeed, we are. However, we’ve been running into some…” she turned to Vinyl. “…problems.” Vinyl raised her eyebrows. “I said I was sorry.”

“And I forgave you.” The Doctor spoke. “We all make mistakes.” The two friends looked at each other and nodded. Octavia turned back to the Doctor. “Well, you can inform the princess that things are going smoothly for the most part.”

“Can I hear a bit of it?”

“I don’t see why not. Vinyl, do you mind?” Vinyl grinned. “Not at all.” She used her horn to levitate a control pad off a shelf. The Doctor stared at the trick, still wondering how it worked. Vinyl pressed a button. The speakers crackled for a second, and then the music started up. It was a mix of orchestral and electronic. The Doctor gave a smile. “You would think the styles would clash with each other, but you blended them pretty well.” Vinyl smiled. “Thanks, Doc. Tavi and I try our best to make the most awesome music possible!”

The Doctor and Octavia gave her an annoyed look. “Don’t call me Tavi.”

“Don’t call me Doc.” Vinyl continued to grin. “Oh, come on, you guys. You know I’m just joking. Lighten up.” Octavia sighed. “Very well. Anyway, thank you, Doctor. We appreciate your kind words.”

“You’re very welcome.” Vinyl pressed a button and the music stopped. “So, where are you headin’ next?” she asked. The Doctor pulled out his list and checked the names. “You wouldn’t happen to know a Lyra Heartstrings would you?” Octavia smiled and Vinyl grinned. “Lyra’s a good friend of ours,” said Octavia. “She’s preparing the decorations for tonight.” The Doctor’s smile widened. “Brilliant! Where should I be able to find her?”

“She should be in the town square outside the castle gates.”

“Excellent! I should probably get going. It was a pleasure to meet you two.”

“To you as well, Doctor.”

“Be sure to tell Lyra I said hey.”

“I’ll be sure to do so. So long.” The Doctor shook their hooves. “So long.”

“See ya later.” The Doctor began to leave. He stopped. “Oh, and Octavia.”

“Yes?”

“Nice bowtie. It’s cool.” Octavia chuckled. “Why thank you.” The Doctor smiled. “You’re very welcome.” With that, he left. Vinyl looked at Octavia, who was still smiling. “Admit it,” she said.

“Admit what?” Vinyl grinned. “You have the hots for him.” Octavia looked surprised and she blushed. “What? I – I do not!” Vinyl’s grin grew wider. “You totally do.”

“Vinyl!” she shouted. Vinyl laughed. “Oh come on, Tavi. You know I’m kidding.”

------------

The square was much larger than the one in the center of town. It was much more crowded as well. The enormous castle overlooked the entire area. The Doctor walked around the square, taking in the scenery. He looked at the towering buildings around him, ignoring the mare in front of him. The two collided with each other. The mint-colored mare dropped the rolls of streamers that she was levitating. She rubbed her head, as did the Doctor. He helped her off the ground. “I’m terribly sorry, ma’am.” He helped her gather her items. “That’s alright. Thanks for the help, mister…”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor-“

“I’m just the Doctor,” he said, getting annoyed with having to repeat himself. The mare looked at him. “You get that a lot?”

“You have no idea. And you are?” The mare smiled and offered her hoof. “I’m Lyra.” The Doctor perked up. He shook her hoof. “Well, what a coincidence! I’ve been sent to look for you! The princess wants to know how the party is progressing.” Lyra motioned to the square. “It’s going great! We have the classic decorations. You know balloons, streamers, etc. But I added in something special, just to go the extra mile.”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

There was a whistling screech in the distance. A streak of light shot up from behind a building. It reached the sky, and burst into an array of color in the sky. The Doctor watched as the colors faded with a crackle. He turned to Lyra. “Fireworks. Nice.” Lyra gave a proud look. “Why, thank you. I have another set up planned. Imagine a pinwheel of fireworks.” The Doctor had seen this design before, but he sounded impressed to be nice. “That sounds fascinating. I can’t wait to see the end result!”

“You won’t be disappointed! I promise!” Another firework went off. “Shouldn’t you be saving those for later?”

“Oh, those are just test runs. Besides, we have a lot more for tonight.” The Doctor nodded. He looked around at the developing party. He trailed off, beginning to feel homesick. He mumbled to himself, “Reminds me of the humans’ festivals during their renaissance.”

“Wait, what?” said Lyra, bringing the Doctor back to reality. The Doctor shrugged off his comment. “Oh, nothing. It’s-“

“You know about humans?” The Doctor looked at her with a shocked face. “Wait. You do?” Lyra gave a huge grin. “I knew I couldn’t be the only believer!” The Doctor kept staring. “I- How do you-?”

“Oh my gosh! We have to hang out later! We have so much to talk about!” The Doctor relaxed his face a little. “Yes. Indeed we do.”

“Well, until then, I have to get back to work. I’m sure you have some important things to do, too.” The doctor pulled out his list. He had one more pony to visit. “Actually, I do. I’m going to take a wild guess and assume you’re friends with Sweetie Drops.” Lyra paused, and then recognized the name. “Oh! You mean Bon Bon. Yeah, she’s one of my best friends. She’s in charge of the food for the party. She’s working in the bakery down the block.” The Doctor nodded. “Thank you Lyra. I’ll be heading there, then. I look forward to getting to know you better.”

“Same to you!” The Doctor turned to leave. He paused. "Oh. I almost forgot."

"What?"

"Vinyl said hi" The two exchanged smiles, then parted ways.

---------

The bakery wasn’t as large as the other places that the Doctor has been, but it was still large by bakery standards. The smells of breads and candies filled the Doctor’s nose. He took a minute to appreciate the peaceful moment. It’s was a pleasure he rarely got the chance to enjoy. A radio was playing cheerful tunes in the background. An earth pony stood up behind the counter. She had a light-yellow coat and a purple and pink swirled mane. “Hello, how can I help you?” she asked. The Doctor walked over to the counter. “I was told I could find Sweetie Drops here. I’m in charge of getting a progress report to the princess.”

The mare cringed. “Please, call me Bon Bon. I don’t care for the name Sweetie Drops.” The Doctor nodded. “I understand.” Bon Bon gave him a smile. “Thank you. And you are?”
“I’m the Doctor, and before you ask, I’m just the Doctor. I’ve already had to have this conversation about four times today.”

“That sounds pretty annoying.”

“It is.”

“I see. Well, you can inform the princess that everything is going fine.” A pan was heard hitting the floor in the next room. “Um, except for a few clumsy chefs. But, nothing’s been broken, so there’s that. Would you like a sample of some of the candies? We just got a recipe for a new gummy candy.”

“I don’t see why not. What do you call them?” Bon Bon reached under the counter and pulled out a jar of the gummies. “Jelly fillies.” The Doctor just stared. He took out one of the horse-shaped gummies. He studied it. It couldn’t possibly… He took a bite. It was. It was the same candy he enjoyed in many of his past regenerations. He felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. “Would it be too much to ask for a small bag of these?” Bon Bon considered the request. “Well, they haven’t been priced yet. I suppose…” She paused. “Oh, why not. I’m feeling generous today.” She pulled out a bag and put a few of the candies in it. She passed it to him. He gave her a warm smile. “Thank you! I really appreciate it!”

Bon Bon looked at him. “You’re welcome. You seem really excited. I didn’t realize that they were that good.”

“Oh, believe me, they’re delicious.” He paused and began mumbling to himself. “Now if only I could eat fish fingers in this form…”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. Nothing.” He cleared his throat. “Well then, if there aren’t any problems, I should probably get going. I don’t want to keep the princess waiting, after all.” Bon Bon nodded. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Same to you. And once again, thanks for the jelly babies…er…fillies.”

“You’re quite welcome. See you at the party!”

“See you there.” They shook hooves and the Doctor left.

------------

“I’m happy to inform you that everything’s going swimmingly.” The Doctor and Princess Luna had reunited in the castle garden. “Excellent! Thank you, Doctor. I have a feeling tonight will be a great one.”

“You’re very welcome. I can’t wait to attend. In the meantime, I’m going to check up on my transport.”

“Do not take too long. It would be a shame if you missed the party.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s great to finally get a moment of peace. My life’s a bit of a rocky road.” Luna nodded. “I know what you mean. I’ve lived for a long time, and seen many things as well.” The Doctor nodded, thinking about his own life. Luna continued. “Perhaps we can share our stories with each other one day.” The Doctor thought he saw a twinkle in her eye. Was there something she was holding back? He decided to dismiss it for now. He would think about it later. For now, his mind was set on his ship. He stood to leave. The two said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways.

------------

The Doctor entered the alleyway where his ship was parked. He placed his hoof on the doors and entered the box. He looked around the enormous control room. The room looked different. The central column had a different design. It had also changed from orange to white. The metal plates of the walls were bronze, and the support beams were gold. The walls were lined with alternating lights that circled around the room. The Doctor took a second to take in the new look. “Nice. You even put in some new round things! That’s brilliant!”

He walked over to the control panel. He looked at it from every angle. He put his hoof to his chin. “Hm. You still aren’t in any shape to go anywhere far. But, it seems you’ll be able to go short distances without any problems.” He pressed a series of buttons and switches. “Let’s head to the party tonight. Andiamo!” He pushed a large lever. The engines roared and the room vibrated. The central column moved up and down. The Doctor pulled a monitor to his face. The sky outside began to turn from day to night. The sun faded out and the moon took its place. The engines stopped. The room was still. The Doctor walked to the doors and exited the ship. He closed the doors and left the alleyway. Something in the night sky caught his eye.

There was a constellation in the shape of a horse’s head. It was bizarrely detailed, almost as if it was purposely shaped that way. “Hm. I’ll have to go up there and check that out when the TARDIS is up to the task.” He turned his attention elsewhere. “For now, I have a party to attend.” After walking a couple blocks, he began to hear the sounds of celebration. Two fireworks soared into the sky and exploded with a crackle. The Doctor smiled. “Looks like Lyra managed to get those fireworks up without any trouble.” He walked a couple more blocks. He came to the town square where he met Lyra. The place was packed.

Everywhere the Doctor looked, ponies were celebrating and having the time of their lives. Some more fireworks went off. The Doctor pushed through the crowd and came to a diner. “It’s a shame I don’t have anything to pay for food with.” He paused, and realization struck him. He grabbed his bag of jelly fillies, and began to eat a few. “I’m so happy they have these in this world.” He found a bench and sat down.

He looked around at the party surrounding him. He smiled, enjoying the good time while it lasted.

“Hey, Doctor!” The Doctor looked around. He recognized the voice. He felt a hoof on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Derpy, who gave him a friendly smile. The Doctor returned the smile. “Why hello, Derpy! How are you?”

“We’re doing great! Tonight’s been a blast!”

“Well that’s wonderful!” He paused. “Wait. We?” Derpy nodded. She turned and pointed to the two ponies behind her. One was a pink mare with a purple mane. The other was a purple filly with a mane of gold. “These are my daughters: Amethyst Star and Dinky.” Amethyst, the older daughter nodded to the Doctor. “Nice to meet you,” she said. Dinky, the younger, looked up at him. “Nice to meet you!” she said cheerfully. The Doctor nodded the two sisters. “To you as well.” He turned to Derpy. “You never told me you were a mother. That’s brilliant!” Derpy smiled. “They’re a joy to have.” She turned to Dinky and gave her a playful smile. “Though they can be a pain in my neck sometimes.”

“Hey!” said Dinky. Derpy chuckled and ruffled her mane. “I’m kidding, sweetie.” The Doctor laughed. “I know what you mean. My kids were always the same way.”

“Oh, you’re a father?”

“I’m a father and a grandfather.” Derpy gave him a confused look. “Grandfather? How can you be a grandfather?”

“Trust me. I’m older than I look.” Derpy nodded. “So where are your grandkids?” The Doctor’s smile faded slightly, but he continued to keep his expression. “My granddaughter’s off on her own adventures somewhere. We’ve been…” His smile faded. “…out of touch.” Derpy felt his discomfort. “I understand,” she said. She decided to change the subject. “So, the girls and I were on our way to see the princess’s speech. Would you like to come?” The Doctor brought back his smile. “I would love to.”

------------

The four made their way to the castle gardens. There was a large stage build on the southern wall of the area. The place was packed. They had trouble making their way through the crowd. “Mom, maybe we should find a seat near the back,” said Amethyst. “The view won’t be as great, but it’ll be easier to get settled.”

“What is the speech about anyway?” asked the Doctor. Derpy turned to answer. “Oh, that’s right. You’re new around here. Well, it’s not anything that important. The princess comes out and basically tells everypony how great the night is going.” The Doctor tried to keep a giggle back as he heard a sample of this world’s grammar. “I see.” What he didn’t see was the mare that was walking right in front of him. The two collided and fell to the floor. “We really need to stop meeting up like this,” said the mare. The Doctor looked to see Lyra, who was rubbing her head and smiling.

The two got up and dusted themselves off. “Hello Lyra. Nice job on the fireworks.”

“Why thank you.” A voice came from behind her. “I still say it’s a fire hazard.” Bon Bon stepped from the crowd. “They seem pretty sweet to me,” said another voice. Vinyl stepped out of the crowd. Octavia soon followed. The Doctor smiled at seeing his new friends again. “The gang’s all here! Brilliant!” Octavia spoke. “Yes, and we should probably find seats before the crowd splits us up.”

The group wandered about until they found their seats. Most of the crowd had begun to sit down. Dinky tried to look around the crowd, but couldn’t. She turned to her older sister. “Amy, help me.” Amethyst turned. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t see the stage.” Amethyst levitated Dinky onto her back. “There. Better?”

“Better.”

The group sat and chattered for a few minutes until a pony came on stage. “Fillies and gentlecolts,” she began. The Doctor couldn’t help but snicker. The mare continued. “So far, tonight has gone wonderfully. But I now you didn’t come to hear it from me. I’m here to welcome the great ruler of our great land. Please give a big round of applause for Princess Luna!” The crowd stomped their hooves in applause. The stage curtains began to open. The crowd stopped. No one was behind it. The gardens filled with nervous murmurs. “Where’s the princess?” asked Dinky.

The flames in the candles lighting the gardens went out with a gust of wind. The only light came from the stars in the night sky. The Doctor looked up and noticed something. The moon wasn’t in the sky, and neither was the constellation he saw earlier. His expression grew serious. “This can’t be good,” he said. Amethyst levitated Dinky off her back and held her close. Vinyl pointed to the stage. “What’s that?”

In the center of the stage, a ring of blue fire had appeared. It grew larger and higher. The flames reached to the top of the stage. The crowd’s noise had grown much louder. The top of the tower of flames grew into a swirling ball. The ball burst and the flames faded into the sky. In their place was a figure, who was hovering above the stage. The figure turned to the crowd, who had fallen silent. On stage was a mare with wings and a horn, just like Luna. However, she was much taller. She had a coat of black, and eyes like a cat’s, which were a bright crimson. Her mane seemed to be made of blue flames, like solar flares from a blue giant star. She was covered in golden armor. She gave an evil grin, showing her long, sharp teeth. She gave a malicious cackle. She looked over the crowd.

“Greetings to you all. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my adoring subjects.” The crowd stared in silence. The mare gave an angry look. “Of course. Of course you wouldn’t remember me. All you ever did was shun me.” The Doctor continued to hold his serious expression. I can never catch a break, he thought to himself. The dark mare continued. “Fine then. Allow me to refresh your memories. I am Black Hole Sun.” Lightning crackled in the distance.

The Doctor stood up. He shouted across the garden. “Can you just get to the point?” His friends stared at him with their jaws dropped. The crowd and Black Hole Sun did the same. She gave a look of shock. “Excuse me?” The Doctor gave her an annoyed glare. “Get to the point! The special effects aren’t that impressive. We get it. You’re the bad guy. Can you skip the ego boost and tell us what you want?”

Black Hole Sun stared at him, first with shock, then with annoyance. “And who are you who thinks he can give me orders?”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“Not now, but trust me. It will.”

The dark mare gave another cackle. “Very well then, Doctor. I’m here for the crowd.” Her expression turned angry. She turned to the crowd. “You love the dark and ignore the light. You love the stars but shun the sun. So be it. If it’s darkness you want. It’s darkness you’ll get.” Her eyes shined red. She lifted her horn as it began to glow. The sun rose from behind the horizon. The night sky turned to day. It rose until it reached the top of the sky. The Doctor stared. The sun remained idle for a few seconds. For that few seconds, things seemed peaceful. This peace soon faded away.

The clouds swirled in the sky. The wind blew harder, and was picking up speed. The sun’s golden shine stopped. It began to change from a shining beacon to a blackened orb. The walls around the garden slowly crumbled. The chunks of brick lifted into the sky. The sky around the sun seemed to morph and twist. The ground began to shake. The Doctor stared. A star had gone from a young stage to a black hole in seconds, right before his very eyes. He struggled to find words. “That… That’s impossible,” he said. By then, the crowd began to panic. Ponies began running and screaming as the world around them seemed to crumble. The Doctor felt a tug at his hoof. Derpy snapped him back to reality.

“Come on! We need to get out of here!” The Doctor nodded. He began to gallop with Derpy to catch up with their friends. They ran out of the gardens and into the streets. The black sun loomed above them. The Doctor ran to the front of his group. “Follow me! I know what to do.” His friends followed him. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. They ducked into an alleyway. The group stopped behind the Doctor, who was fumbling to put a key into the blue box in front of him.

Octavia turned mad. “That’s it? That’s your plan? Just hide inside that box while the world ends?” The Doctor continued to fumble with the key. He didn’t look back at her. “Well, not hide, but yes, definitely in the box.” He managed to get the key in. He slammed the doors open. He rushed into his box. He turned to his friends. “Come on! Get in!” Octavia became extremely agitated. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“No. No joke. Get in!”

“Even if I agreed with this plan, there is no way we could all fit in there!”

The Doctor looked annoyed. “Oh for God’s sake.” He grabbed Derpy’s hoof and pulled her in the box. The two emerged a couple seconds later. Derpy looked at the group. “Get in. Now!” The alleyway started to crumble around them. Amethyst grabbed Dinky. “We’re going in.” The two sped into the box. Everyone but Octavia did the same. The Doctor looked at her. “Come on!” She was hesitant, but as the world kept crumbling, she gave in. She ran into the Doctor’s box. The Doctor slammed the doors shut. All was quiet and still.

He walked past his friends, who were staring at their new location. He walked to the control panel of his ship and pulled a lever. The engines roared. The column moved. The room vibrated. The Doctor pulled over a monitor and saw that the ship had made it into the time vortex. He pulled the lever back. He sighed. “Okay. We should be safe, for now at least.” He looked at his friends, which were still staring. “Oh go ahead. Say it. Everyone else does.” The group stuttered. Dinky was the first to speak. “It’s bigger on the inside.”