The Magical Land of Equestria circa 2875 C.R.

The roar of the engines was deafening even several miles away, and the smoke obscured the rocket from the eyes of the onlookers for a moment before it launched upwards like, well, a rocket. The cheers continued for several minutes, well after the rocket had vanished from view, none more enthusiastic than Celestia herself, largely hidden from view in the royal box seats.

"Why sister," Luna said, a wry smile tugging the corners of her mouth. "I don't believe I've seen you this excited in..." Luna actually had to pause and consider, before deciding on, "a very long time."

"Of course, Luna," Celestia responded. "Today is one of those moments. Something we knew would have to happen eventually, and here it is." Celestia let out a giddy sort of chuckle as she looked up at the smoke cloud that still climbed into the sky. "It's a beautiful thing, progress."

Luna smiled wistfully watching her sister. Celestia was like a new mare in recent centuries. With the weight of rule spread not just between the two sisters, but with a whole ruling counsel, Celestia hadn't been so light and free since... since... well, since the day the two of them were whisked away in that little blue box all those many centuries ago.

The smile disappeared from Luna's face as she too looked up at where the rocket full of brave explorers had vanished. Celestia noticed the sudden change in mood and cast a slightly concerned glance at her little sister. "What is it, Luna?"

"Hmm?" was the somewhat distant reply.

"Something is troubling you. What is it?"

Luna shook her head, and brought her thoughts back to earth. "I'm just worried, I suppose. This first step we're taking... we know something of the dangers awaiting ponykind out there."

Celestia nodded, her own mood brought down slightly. "Yes. Yes we do. But we also know something of the wonders as well. Indeed, it's a dangerous universe out there. But there's also kindness to be spread and friendships to forge."

"With one friend in particular, I suppose?" Luna responded, a teasing grin replacing her melancholy.

"Er, well, yes. I suppose," Celestia responded, blushing a little as she did.

"You've been thinking about him a lot recently."

Celestia responded with a slightly indignant huff. "I would think it only natural, all things considered."

"How long has it been since his last visit?" Luna asked.

"Ten years now I think, though the last visit didn't go so well." Celestia couldn't help but smirk. "It was the curly haired one with that impossible jacket."

Luna shuddered. That particular version of the Doctor tended to grate on both of their nerves.

Celestia let her gaze shift to the celebrations below. "Enough with this reminiscing. Let's go down and join the party."

Luna chuckled as she followed her sister's lead. Another effect of Celestia's diminished role in everyday government was more time and willingness to spend among the common pony, opportunities Celestia jumped at whenever possible, which also meant that their subjects were comparatively more at ease with her in their company. Celestia was right, Luna supposed. Progress was indeed a beautiful thing.

The afternoon passed most pleasantly. There were old friends to meet, food to partake in, and just an enjoyable party atmosphere to surround oneself with. Celestia found herself discussing the possibility of an open house at the School of Gifted Unicorns with the current dean (and descendant of Twilight Sparkle), when another nearby conversation caught her ear.

"That launch. It was most spectacular, wasn't it?" a male pony asked.

"Did you think so?" asked the voice of a young mare--a filly, really. "It all seemed very primitive to me. Didn't it to you, Grandfather?"

"Primitive? Primitive?" a gruff old stallion's voice responded. "We just witnessed a first step in a grand new world and all you can say is that it was primitive? Hmm, ah, I suppose it was a bit primitive, yes."

"It was all very impressive to me," the first voice said.

"Hmmm, yes. Well for you it would be wouldn't it?" the old stallion said in response.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Can't you two get along for one day?" an older mare asked with a sigh.

Celestia politely excused herself from her conversation and made her way toward this rather interesting quartet. The four ponies weren't especially far away, relaxing on a blue checkered picnic blanket. The young filly was a sky blue color, with a darker mane and a cutie mark in the form of a wristwatch. The older mare was a vaguely familiar combination of purples and pinks, with an open book as her cutie mark. The younger stallion was quite handsome, really, with a dark brown mane that went well with his much lighter coat. He had a cutie mark in the form of a glass beaker. But it was the older gentlecolt that really interested Celestia. His coat seemed to have been blue once, but the color had long since faded to near grey, his mane and tail were white, styled in a way that was centuries out of date, and he was fully clothed in a black suit and tie--certainly a bit overdressed for an event this casual.

And his cutie mark was an hourglass.

The conversation stopped almost immediately as she approached, the two middle aged ponies seeming to fall into a mild panic upon seeing her. They practically fell over themselves into a deep bow, with the young mare following a second later, but seemingly just because the other two did first. The old stallion calmly stayed seated.

"There is no need for such formality, my little ponies," Celestia said soothingly. "Please rise. I'd much rather talk to you face to face."

The three bowing ponies rose as asked, though the older two still embarrassed and reluctant to speak. Celestia chuckled. "Oh, please don't make such a fuss, really. I just noticed you all from across the park and thought I'd come over an introduce myself. I've made it a point in recent decades to meet at least one new pony at every event."

"Oh, w-well, it's an honor," the mare stuttered.

"Yes, quite," the old stallion said, in an almost indifferent tone. "It most certainly is a pleasure to meet you."

"Grandfather!" the filly scolded. "Show some proper respect."

"I am showing respect, child!" he snapped back. "I was nothing but polite, wasn't I, Princess?"

Celestia couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, yes. Very. I really didn't intend to intrude..."

"You're not intruding," the younger stallion said, perhaps a bit too quickly. "Please, stay."

Celestia stayed and conversed with the four ponies for several minutes. As she suspected, the two middle aged ponies were teachers. They introduced the filly as a student of theirs and the old stallion as her grandfather, though, they always found ways to change the subject when pressed further. Celestia, of course, knew the reason why, but felt it best to continue a charade of ignorance, nonetheless. Still, she found herself studying the young mare closely. So this is the granddaughter I've heard so little about, she thought. She was nice enough, certainly very bright, but seemed to have a certain naivete about her that was, frankly, dangerous given the kind of life Celestia knew she was leading. Little wonder the Doctor would find it necessary to eventually leave her.

"Well," the old codger--who had only made minimal contributions to the conversation--said when a lull was reached, "I do hate to be rude, your Highness, but I think we really should be going. We saw what we came to see, and did what we came to do."

"But Grandfather..." the filly complained.

"Now, now, Timekeeper," the stallion teacher admonished. "Your grandfather is right. We really shouldn't take up any more of the Princess's time. I'm sure there are other ponies who'd like a chance to meet her, too."

"There probably are, at that," Celestia agreed as she stood up. "It was a pleasure meeting all of you."

"The pleasure was all ours, really," the mare said with one more quick bow as the young stallion rolled up the blanket. With one quick round of farewells, the group were making their way through the crowds and were soon gone from sight.

"That was him, wasn't it?" Luna asked, suddenly at Celestia's side.

Celestia smirked. "You're never going to startle me, Luna."

Luna simply shrugged with a smile. "I'll still keep trying. But I was right, wasn't I? That old stallion was the Doctor."

"Yes. Yes he was."

Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Strange that he didn't seem to recognize you."

"Not really," Celestia responded airily. "That was easily the youngest I've ever seen him."

"That was the youngest...?" Luna asked with an amused expression. She chuckled and shook her head. "What a strange, strange pony he is."

Celestia chuckled herself. "Yes, he is, isn't he. And I think the entire universe is better for it." Her expression turned brighter. "Well, what are we standing around here for? There's still plenty of ponies to meet and things to do."

Author's Notes:

Well, I was done with this story for quite some time. But, as sometimes happens, I got a new idea. I thought it was appropriate, given that Doctor Who celebrates his 50th anniversary this year. Hope you all enjoyed my little bonus.