Birds sang joyously, sun shone high in the sky, wind blew through the leaves... It was another wonderful day in Ponyville, save for a few sneaky little storm clouds here and there. It seemed they were trying to start some trouble, but the weather ponies kept ruining their plans. No matter how hard they tried, the sky would still end up as wide and blue as it's been ever since he's gotten here.

The Doctor thought he'd take advantage of this nice weather and take a short rest under a tree. A break, after all the headache he had caused himself all day, quite literally. A Time Lord can only do so far before his head starts to suffer feedback. The fact that he didn't even get a decent one-or-two-hour sleep the night before wasn't helping either.

"Hopefully here I won't have to worry about having a bucket of water poured over my head..." he sighed, as he recalled the little incident from yesterday morning. "Plus, maybe if I try to sleep on the matter at hand... or hoof, I guess..."

Talking to himself again. He does that a lot lately. It seems he might just have a lot on his mind is all. You can't just let things fester at the back of your head, it's not healthy. So, best talk about it. It was the one thing that he was always best at, after all. Be it talk himself out of sticky situations, or amaze others with the ideas he'd bounce off them, or just simply run his mouth and confuse everyone. Oh, but he would love bouncing his ideas off of others over mostly all else. He almost loved doing it as much as he loved his travels, or the people he would meet on said travels. All those brilliant people that graced him with their friendships and stood by his side despite unimaginable threats, and in the end, saved his life when he himself needed it.

Unfortunately, those same people would often grow ready to put their own lives, and all the same, the lives of others on the line in order to protect him. He never wanted that, but it just seems that things wouldn't want to go the way he'd want. Was it just too much to ask, to let him have a break from all the running and death, and just settle down?

"...Yeah, that was unlikely from the beginning." he mumbled, still upset over what he'd learned last night.

It wouldn't be all that bad to have a friend to talk to right now. To listen to him, to help him resolve the matters that'd been keeping him in a hazy state of wake up till now.

Beside the matter of the mysterious stranger he'd finally found out about, there was also the prophecy he received. There was something really, really bad that was going to happen here in the near future, and it was all going to be his fault. Unfortunately, such a thing wasn't really something he could ask any random pedestrian about, much less anyone from a fairytale land where one didn't even have to worry about the weather.

He only wished he could do something about it, anything, but these kind of things never were in his ability to prevent. Something so big, so monumental, it was simply set to happen. It was fixed, and the fact that it actually got a prophecy to announce it only proved just how strong it was and how much stronger it would affect their society. Like a rock falling in a pond, it created ripples. If you saw the ripples, then it was too late to stop the rock from falling in the water.

He could try to return to his dimension, that way he wouldn't be here to cause any problems, but he couldn't even hope of doing that until he got back to his Tardis. No, the best thing he could do now was to lay low and hope that he wouldn't get found. Just wait and hope for the best...

There had to be something he'd missed. He already had so many pieces of the puzzle. What was he missing?

His head started throbbing again, as if he was suffering a minor seizure. Apparently thinking wasn't a recommended activity either... Hopefully he'd have a better view of things after some sleep. It was not like he had anything better to do right now.

Best just rest for a while. Listen to the birds singing... Wait. What did they just call him?

Back in town, Ditzy was out at work. There were a few shipments that were brought in from Phillydelphia the day before, that she needed to bring to their corresponding address. Nothing too hard, thankfully, since not unlike our dear Doctor, she wasn't feeling all that bright today either. It was no surprise, after last night.

It was anything but a dinner conversation.

And now that she thought back, she was wondering why they had to have that talk in the first place. Why they had to put aside their personal anxieties and share their most personal memories...

Oh, right. It was because she just had to know more about her tenant. That was what she told herself. She needed to know why he was so strange all the time. She needed to understand this outstanding person that, so far, had been bewildering her beyond belief...

Of course, she could just kick him out, but that would've been just a bit too cruel. He was stranded, and he could make new friends beside her. He could ask Carrot Top to take him in, have her take care of him. But there was just one thing.

She didn't need a reason to kick him out. By all means, she could do it quite easily should she want to, and it wouldn't be something anyone judge her twice for doing. But why? In the end, he was just a stranded traveler. He was alone, save for her. By all means, he should've been able to make new friends. He was sociable and outgoing, and despite how brash and overwhelming he might've been, he was incredibly friendly and fun to be around. But for whatever reason, everyone in town was scared of him. And she couldn't blame them.

They were saying that there was something... off about him. Even Pinkie failed to sense him when he first arrived, and that was something unheard of. It was as if he didn't belong here. That there was something wrong about his being here. He just seemed... disembodied.

Ditzy noticed it as well, but she seemed to be the only one to actually notice something else as well. There was something familiar about him that she couldn't put her hoof on. Like a memory at the back of her head, or an answer at the tip of her tongue. She had hoped that tonight she could find out what that maddeningly elusive something was, and for a moment, she thought she did. When she looked at that clock tower, she felt like she was remembering something... which gradually made her feel more and more disturbed. A knot grew tighter and tighter around her heart, and it just kept growing, until she snapped away desperately looking for something else to occupy her attention.

She needed him as much as he needed her. But still, she didn't really have to go through with what happened in the end. It had just become apparent now that she could just let him be, leave him to his indiscretions. Instead, she insisted on finding out more about him. She didn't want to ignore him. She had to find him.

And what she found was quite the wonder. His story was something that would make the greatest dramatist shiver.

The red hills, the domed tower-city, the passion with which he looked at it all... And then there was the war. The feeling in the air, so tense you couldn't move. Like the very sky was about to fall down on you at any moment. She knew it all too well.

He didn't show her anything from the battlefield. Neither wanted to force that out. It wasn't like they needed to anyway. She already found out everything she needed to know about him, so instead, he showed her some of his more fond memories. His Tardis, the places he'd visit in all of his travels, closing with his second home, Earth. And unwillingly, his friends which he'd left behind when he managed to leave his dimension...

She might or might not have reacted a bit emotionally.

What he could say about how he arrived on this plane of existence, was both overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. Overwhelming was the part where he saved all of reality from a weapon made up of multiple disappeared worlds, then dragged the Earth across what she learned to be the Universe, an apparently ceaseless expanses of space in which countless worlds could fit. For a moment, she got a taste of what the Doctor's world was like...

And then, the underwhelming part was what happened next. He just dropped his friends off at their homes. That amazing moment just ended and gave way to what made for normalcy, something that felt so alien to the Doctor.

'Maybe that's why he always feels so out of place. He can't help but feel that way himself, and some of that feeling slips out into us. I was the only one who met him before this feeling overwhelmed him, so maybe that's why I'm the only one who didn't run away as soon as he opened his mouth.'

...It might be best to just focus on flying right now. It's hard enough as it is, with her bad eye noticeably drifting off more persistently now than usual.

She sighed her heart out, then forced a smile on her face. "Okay! First things first. We have a package destined for Sugar Cube Corner. Hey, that's where Pinkie lives! Sweet!"

As she entered the shop and rang the bell on the counter to signal her presence, she was greeted by the well-known, cheerful and hyperactive pink pony... though only this time with a noticeable difference. She seemed concerned. She was still smiling, though it didn't exactly seem as joyous as it would usually be.

"Hey Derpy! Nice to see you!"

Derpy was her nickname around town. It was all in good fun, a reference to her silly eye wandering off. To the townsfolk, it was nothing more than that one thing they loved about her. To most of them, anyway...

The mailmare greeted back, then hoofed her package over.

"Thanks! It must be the extra special party ornaments I've ordered a few days ago. I've been wondering when they'd arrive!"

Usually about now she'd go on a rant about how she would normally just buy her materials in town square, or maybe she would start on explaining what exactly was so extra special about these ornaments, only to get distracted by some other, fleeting idea that she'd stumble upon at the moment. Now, however, not so much apparently.

"Yeah, you never know when orders arrive... Sign here, please."

"You couldn't have brought them at a better time, too! I was going to throw a party for the new pony in town, and I needed some extra special decorations if I was going to arrange an extra special party for him."

"New pony?" Ditzy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Now if I can only figure out where he's staying..."

"...Say, Pinkie, this new pony. Is he by any chance a chestnut-colored stallion with a Trottingham accent?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Well..."

Fancy that coincidence.

"WHAT? You mean he's been around for a WEEK and I didn't even notice him?! Now I'm sure he was upset with me!" the pink pony panicked.

"Pinkie..."

"I really hope he's not upset with me. Though I think he is..."

"Pinkie."

"...After all, I did mess up when I gave him pear! And he left pretty early. What if he was secretly allergic..."

"PINKIE!"

"Yeah?"

Just as suddenly as she started spraying her what-ifs, Pinkie stopped, looking as calm and jolly as she did but a few seconds ago. Just so very... Pinkie Pie, as always.

"...Listen. What do you mean upset? Why are you so worried?"

"Well... gosh, I dunno." she offered genuinely, a pink hoof to her pink chin. "I guess I was just worried about him for some reason. He just seemed so upset when he left. You could tell from his smile!"

"His smile?"

"Yeah! You know, I've seen a lot of smiles in my day, but his was... I dunno, just kinda sad looking. Like when you laugh right after you've been crying. Not that I'm implying that he's been crying, of course. That wouldn't be okay for a stallion. Even though it isn't that bad, actually. Why do you think they make such a big deal over it, anyway?..."

Her assumption did sound about right. And now that Ditzy thought about it, she realized that if anyone would know about these things, it would be Pinkie Pie. Leaving aside the fact that making others smile is her general thing, it just seemed like she knew about these matters more than she'd let on.

"So, how about we throw him a surprise welcoming party tonight to cheer him up?"

Ditzy pondered this proposition more carefully. "Well actually, I'm not sure how he'd react if we did it tonight. Though I think he said he's a party person. Tell you what. We can arrange a party for him as soon as I get more details on how he'd like it to be like."

"That sounds great! I actually wasn't sure about the theme anyway. Good thing I got you to find out for me! Though I think I could ask him myself, if he wouldn't be in such a hurry next time I meet him. Or if he didn't act as silly... he's not your usual customer, is he?"

Ditzy laughed knowingly at that. She really hit the nail on the head.

"You got that right. He's actually as far from the usual customer as you get." She said to the likes of Pinkie Pie. After a small lull, she spoke again, "Oh well, I guess I should be going. This mail isn't going to deliver itself."

"Okay. Just let me fetch you something for lunch break."

"Pinkie, you know you don't have to do that..." Of course, the pink mare ignored her and threw the paper bag containing freshly-baked muffins in her backpack.

I know, but I also know how much you and Dinky like these treats. So I guess I can just do it anyway."

How thoughtful. She remembered she'd take her lunch break with Dinky later. And she just had to go out of her way and get them a treat... again. Honestly, you'd wonder how come she didn't drive the bakery into bankruptcy by now. Then again, the author doesn't actually know that much about how economy works in this world, except that it obviously does because, duh.

"There. I've picked the blueberry ones, just the way you both like them."

"Gee, I don't know what to say."

"How about saying hi to Dinky for me?"

"...Okay. Thanks."

"Catch ya later!"

Back to the stallion that everyone is talking about. He was actually trying to rest, and was failing miserably. It seemed he was just too worried.
And there was also the fact that a few birds in the area seemed to have found it amusing to tease him for trying to sleep. That didn't help.
...And neither did the fact that there was someone sneaking around behind him. People all day today...

"You can come out at any time," he said, without even looking up.

He was answered by a barely audible squeak. Afterwards, silence.

"Come on now. It's not like I'm going to pounce and eat you up once I see your face."

After that, he could hear the pony in question jump in surprise and take a few steps back. Persuading the Time Lord to open his eyes and rise his head.

"I mean... Cause that would be just ridiculous, right? Who would do something like that? Heh heh..." he starts again, not wanting to scare the stalker any more than he already did. Doctor Whooves, this better not be because you need someone to talk to...

"Really now," as he finally got up, slowly."I'd just like to know what the pony that's been sneaking around my back looks like is all. It's not too much to ask for, is it?"

Then he turns around, only to knock right into the pony in question.

"Oof! So sorry, that was completely my f-..."

In front of him lied an amazingly striking cream-coated pegasus mare, her pink mane shining in the early noon sun.

"...Fault." What was he seeing? Come on, Doc, snap out of it! "Right! Please, let me help you up..."

Her answer was rather silent, but he could hear it. Barely.

"Thanks..."

She generally avoided eye contact, as if she was afraid of him. Being shy is one thing, but this is rather exaggerated.

"So... mind telling me your name, miss?"

"Uhm...It's Fluttershy..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"...I said... my name is Fluttershy," this time, it was even more silent. Not even his in-equine hearing helped him.

"Uhm... Okay..."

During the following moments of silence, a little bird landed on her head and chirped once, "Awkwaaaaard..."

"Oh, shut up." the Doc retorted.

At that, the mare finally faced him more openly, curious as to his sudden outburst.

"Oi! I don't need to take that from you!" the bird barked back.

"And I suppose you think rather highly of yourself, don't you, little feller? Didn't you mother teach you any manners?"

"Leave my mother out of this, wise guy!" was the bird's childish retort.

"Oh, please. Language!" offered the Doctor a bit too keenly.

"So you can talk to animals too?" the mare then burst out in excitement, her eyes shining like rubies for whatever reason, which caught the Doctor's attention. Oh, and she scared the bird away.

He was rather startled by her sudden outburst. "Uh, yeah? I can...?"(*)

"Oh, that's so wonderful! I've never met anypony else that can talk to animals too! Can you talk to any other kind of animal, or is it just birds by chance?"

"Well, actually, I can speak in any language period. Bird, bear, platypus, you name it!"

"Oh, really? How wonderful!"

"So you say..." He said thoughtfully, before starting to invade on her personal space. "Mind you, how did you do that earlier?" He scrutinized the mare a little too closely, causing her to back off a few steps.

"Ugh... do what?" The shy creature shrank.

"That thing with the eyes. They just shined earlier like they had stars in them or something. And honestly, your stars were actually a lot better than the real thing."

"I...what?" Fluttershy said, the choice of words and the close proximity of their faces causing her to blush.

He tapped his sides as he looked her far too closely in the eyes, remembering and regretting that he didn't have his coat with him. he could've used his screwdriver to run a more thorough diagnostic. He sighed and took a few steps away. "Okay, try not to get scared."

"...Why? Wha-"

The Doctor then decided to jump her, pinning her on her back. She looked at him in shock, who gazed deep into her eyes, like he was searching for her core. The sun positioned right behind him, she felt rather helpless under him.

"There don't seem to be any debris inside your eyes." he said, as he finally managed to get a good look once the lighting wasn't causing him trouble. He lay his hoof on her forehead, "You don't seem to be having a fever, so infection can't be the case either. Are starry eyes normal for ponies?" he asked her as he got off her and started to pace.

She was obviously not able to give him a proper response. The stallion didn't seem to give her much thought, apparently too focused on whatever he was so excited about. "This is fascinating! I thought I saw Dinky's eyes glimmer like this a couple times before, but I never followed up on it. There's nothing wrong with your eyes, and there didn't seem to be any obvious, natural reason for them to behave that way. But if it's not natural, then... Oh. Heh heh..." He started to shake in excitement.

"... Are you alright?" The pegasus asked, her fright giving way for concern.

"I'm fine! I'm better than fine!" He faced her, the excitement causing his own eyes to glimmer. "I think I just found a lead into studying pony magic!"

"You... did?"

"Yes! Isn't it exciting? Oh, this makes so much sense! The eyes are the gateway to the soul, after all! If my suspicions are correct, then the energies that ponies harness in order to manifest their supernatural abilities have to be somehow linked to the states of their emotions and mind! I might've even found a lead into proving the existence of the soul too... Huh. By the way, mind telling me your name again? I'm afraid these old ears of mine might have missed the first two times you said it."

"It's Fluttershy..." she finally said audibly, right now too confused to remember to be afraid of him.

"Brilliant. Very nice to meet you, Fluttershy! I'm the Doctor." He offered joyfully as he took her hoof and shook it, surprisingly gently.

"Uhm... Likewise?" She did wonder about the name he'd introduced himself under, but she wasn't really going to insist on asking about it. She didn't want to impose, after all.

"Anyway... Mind telling me why you were sneaking around behind me?"

It seemed she didn't take that well to the accusation, as she snapped back and regained some of her nervousness. "I wasn't sneaking around... I was just...uhm... passing by when I..." She would soon enough lower her volume to a whisper, once again.

"Very well, never mind then." he answered, slightly peeved.

As it seemed, this conversation was not going anywhere very soon. He figured he might as well just sit back down.

"I wonder though. You said you can talk to animals. Is that uncommon?" he asked the mare.

"...Yes."

"I see. Then I'm just guessing it's one of those personal trait things, the ones that get shown on your side. Am I right?"

"Uhm, you mean my cutie mark?"

"Yeah, that. I just wasn't wholly certain about it. It does sound rather childish to call it that... not to mention the whole idea of branding your fate on your side."

"Well, you can call it an emblem too... if you want."

"An emblem? Huh..."

"But I have to ask... if you don't mind..."

There she went again. Why did she have to act like this? The Time Lord felt so sorry every time she would act so docile. He was barely holding in his indignation.

"...How is it that you don't know about these things?"

"Well, that would be because I'm not from around these parts. Honestly, there really was no way for me to know about these things until just a few days ago..."

After all, just few days ago he was humanoid. We can't blame him for not detaining basic Equestrian knowledge. The denizens of this new universe, though, can. Fluttershy for one, was caught a bit off-guard.

"...But where were you before? How can you not know about cutie marks?"

"Let's just say I've come from very very... very far away. I've been traveling... well, everywhere, actually (not to mention every-time), every one place was all the more amazing than the last. This one is the most amazing so far. All of the implications are fascinating..."

A simple smile crept on his face as he told her these things. It's funny, he knew so many languages, but none were better than the language of the face. It also appeared to be the best kind of disease, as it was contagious enough for the nervous mare to get some of it herself.

"I'm happy that you like it here." She sat down in front of him, favoring a face-to-face position over sitting next to him for now.

The Doc let out a little yawn. "Yeah, well, I didn't really take to the place immediately. At first I thought it was so odd, nothing was making any sense! I kind of felt a little isolated. Still do, actually."

"...Really?"

"Yeah, really. I was a newcomer in a strange new world, everything was so different, the world seemed so big. Too big."

The coincidental choice of words seemed to ring with the mare. She leaned forward, "Weren't you scared?"

"Pfft. I was terrified! But I didn't let it pull me down. I was going to see this world, all of it, if it was the last thing I did! ...At least, that was what I told myself at first. But then..."

With baited breath, the canary-colored mare asked him, "But then what?"

She waited for a little while for the answer, then a little while longer until all she could hear was his steady breathing.

'...Did he just fall asleep?'

He did. He was sleeping peacefully. Arms behind his head. A calm, if somewhat sad look on his face. He left the mare to wonder what to do next.

For a while, she was content to just watch him sleep. Then she got up and approached him. Face right next to his, she gave him her own bit of intense scrutiny.

'Why do I have the feeling I've met you before?...'

It was already well in the afternoon now. Ditzy managed to deliver most of the mail. All she had left was a freshly printed book, after which she could finally call it a day.

Unfortunately, she didn't know where the tome was destined to. The part of the wrappings with the address was torn off, probably when she flew into that tree a few minutes ago. Not much she could do about it, it was rather difficult for her to tell distances on a good day, which today was not.

The mother wasn't one to give up, however. It couldn't be too hard to deliver this book. Considering it logically, she figure that if it wasn't destined for the library, then chances were that whomever ordered it probably checked there first, to see if they had it in store or to ask what title would be best to order. So that was where she was heading now.

Upon arrival at the large tree building in the middle of the town, she immediately knocked at the door. Conveniently enough, Twilight didn't take too long to answer, "Why, hello, Mrs. Doo. What may I help you with?"

"Hello Twilight. I hope I'm not dropping in at a bad time. I was just wondering if you, by any chance, ordered this book?"

The unicorn levitated the cover over to her for a better look of the title. "'Of monsters and magic'? That's familiar all right... Weren't you going to help pruning the trees in the park today?"

"Yeah, well, I would gladly lend a hoof, but a job's a job. What can you do?"

"I guess you're right. Concerning this book you were delivering. I'm not the one who ordered it, but I do think I know who did."

"Really?" The mailmare asked hopefully.

"It's not any of the books I advised her to order, but I think it's destined to Fluttershy. She came by a few days ago, asking about anything I might have on strange animal behavior. There wasn't much I could help with, since it seemed she had already read all of the books we have here. So I gave her a catalog to order her pick. After that, I just had Spike mail the order. Though I was rather surprised by her choice."

"Thanks! I don't know what I would've done without you!"

"Don't mention it..." The librarian then chanced a concerned look out towards the overcast sky. "But you might wanna hurry if you're delivering it now, it doesn't seem like it's going to be long before they start the storm. And considering how they kept all those last few days so sunny, it's probably going to be pretty strong."

"Okay, thanks. I'll just be off then... Oh, but before I forget again; Tell me, did the Doctor come by today?"

"No, he didn't. Why?"

"No reason." Ditzy smiled awkwardly in reply. "I was just wondering if you'd seen him. After all, it seems he's been coming by quite often ever since he arrived here. I hope he wasn't too much of a bother..."

"Oh no! Don't worry, he's always welcome to visit here anytime. It just gives me the chance to figure out what he's hiding..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" The librarian burst out. "I'll... see you later then?"

Nice. It seems he might've sprung Twilight's interest as well. It might not be the best combination of events. Hopefully, this won't lead the situation out of hand (hoof, whatever).

You already know that the Doctor's been at the library a few times, twice he couldn't find the resident mare. You might also remember me mentioning how he would often come visit, searching for whatever help he could gain in order to understand magic. He would say that he merely needed to check and ask about any more history material, but he always made sure to squeeze as much information out of Twilight as he possibly could.

However, after the first visit, information was no longer the only reason he would come by. It appeared that he developed a liking for Twilight and Spike's company. They wouldn't mind, save for the shroud of mystery he constantly kept around himself that'd been making Twilight feel a little ticked, which eventually caused her assistant a bit of headache as well. Like that wasn't enough, he also appeared to know every single thing contained in the library's collection, and even worse still, he also seemed able to read an entire, brand new volume of Equestrian philosophy, fresh out of the publisher's desk, in only a few seconds! (**)

She would often try to make him confess his secret, and fail. Eventually, she decided to respect his wish of keeping things to himself. From the way things were going, she was going to do something she'd regret before he'd break the ice anyway. Still, even if she stopped asking him directly, it didn't mean she was going to leave the matter of his ridiculous talents undisclosed.

For you see, Twilight was a girl that was well known for her short temper and her need to be able to understand whatever mystery came her way. She was a scholar by heart, through and through. She couldn't turn a blind eye to such circumstances. Of course, there was one explanation for this particular mystery, but it was just too... shoddy. That is that, simply, the Doctor was a genius. As in, a really, really genius one.

And she was right, even if maybe just halfway. He was a genius, though his ingenuity didn't have anything to do with his heritage at all. He might've been a pioneer among his own people once, a savant even. But when it came down to it, that was not really what was so brilliant about him, now was it?

Despite the Time Lord's knack for messing with the poor girl, either intentionally or not, he would still be very much welcome at the library. He'd always have some interesting and far-fetched tale to tell which they'd enjoy. He'd go on about far-off lands that he'd supposedly been to, battling great evils and saving the day every time.

Spike was actually really fond of them. He loves to hear about such adventures. Everything would always be so original and lively, not like most of the uninspired, childish, unimpressive stumps in the library. The Doctor's tales were brilliant, and his talent in telling them was what really got the little dragon whelp hooked.

The childish stallion was a bit of a bother sometimes, but he never meant anything bad.

Ditzy knew all of this all too well, but now she knew why it was so. Why the alien preferred to keep to himself. Twilight, however, had yet to find out. Which could lead to some unwanted situations... She would have to figure out a way to take care of this problem eventually. After she was done with today's shift.

A couple early raindrops found their way on her head. It was already too dangerous to fly, what with lightning just waiting to happen. Plus, she's been flying all day. Her wings are tired. Walking to her last destination sounds a lot more promising.

She arrives in the town's market district. She looked at the clock, hung above from a nearby lamppost. Half past four.

She could see her sister waving at her from Carrot Top's shop. They were packing up, like all the other merchants there. She waved back, then went on her way. They all had to finish what they had to do quickly. This storm looked like it wasn't going to wait for anyone.

It's quite impressive, actually. Being able to bend the forces of nature the way they do. It's in the norm for the weather to go by the ponies' schedule, only rarely do they witness any unexpected weather phenomenon. It's a good thing, too, because all to the average reader's surprise, their weather is a lot more dangerous than you'd think.
... What, you didn't know? Okay, allow me to elaborate.

You see, as you might well know, their world is a lot different from ours. For one thing, the sun and moon seem to be orbiting around their planet, rather than any other way. Or rather, they're being held in an artificially-sustained state of revolution. Like a curtain being pulled and kept spinning. It's not even certain what they are, exactly. But evidently, the ponies don't seem to give it much thought. They're merely satisfied with knowing that it's the way things have always been... but it isn't. Clearly, ponies weren't always around to control the world's workings, were they? And if they weren't, then how was it back then? (***)

That is a matter to be delved into at another time. For now, let's just guess. What would happen if they stopped their daily toils to keep the skies under control? Would they all stop? Would the sun and the moon stop dead in their tracks? Would the cycle of water stop as well, or would they run rampant and cause maelstroms and deserts? Why can't they all just work on their own, like they managed to do on Earth? The answer is this.

What do they have that we don't?

In a world where the laws of physics are constantly intertwining with those of magic and other supernatural forces, the weather, the cycles of day and night, the very color of the sky, everything is actually quite unstable. That is why it all needs to be kept under regulation. A task which needed to be fulfilled by the many nations of this world.

For the ponies of Equestria, it's up to Cloudsdale to prevent the weather from going askew. And they do it all as well as they can. Gryphons maintain the wildlife, making sure no magical beings lay ruin to any other. Diamond dogs gather food for the Dragons, the guardians of the world. Minotaurs stand guard inside mountains, Zebras oversee the balance within the Dreamtime and the Buffaloes maintain the balance of the spiritual elements.

Finally, the ponies in general seem to be the ones that often take care of everything else.

Unicorns always strive for advancements in their technologies, implementing not only the principles by which pegasi manage to fly and control weather, but also any base support from any other respective knowledge centers from across the continent, including but not limited to the many schools of magic in Canterlot.

Still, they have their job cut out for them, being charged with controlling precipitation in the land, among other things. It might not be so surprising to see that they might miss a few predictions. For example, this storm was planned in the last few hours. It seems there were a few unexpected influences that needed taking care of. The official excuse is that they simply needed to cover up the effects of an unexpectedly strong dry season. So, in order to prevent any unwanted side effects, they were just going to arrange a thorough shower.

Of course, that means they're going to need to make a "jet" strong enough to cover the whole thing. Which, of course, might be too much for some of the flora to handle, but what can you do? Better have a few flowers drown than have most of the area suffer from thirst, right?

It was a decent excuse. A clever cover.

Ditzy managed to arrive at Fluttershy's cottage just as the downpour started. It seemed she would have to wait it out inside. Well, at least she wouldn't have to worry about the time on Fluttershy's signature...

She could also keep her company, at least. It was pretty obvious just how much this would actually mean to her canary-colored friend, considering that, well, despite her choice of location and lifestyle, she wasn't really the bravest of ponies. Ignore technicalities.(1)

After knocking, she is greeted by a little white rabbit which, for some reason, was sporting a strainer on his head and a spatula as some kind of improvised weapon. He seemed a bit... ecstatic, and was looking at her quite suspiciously, making her feel rather uncomfortable. Finally, he decided he could let her in, as he jests with his spatula-spade.

"Okay, what was that about?" the mailmare questioned no one in particular as she proceeded inside.

As she proceed into the rather dark main chamber, she was greeted by the many animals that thought would try to shelter themselves from the now-bursting downfall as well. The only problem was, these animals were looking a little ecstatic as well.

Now, imagine a bunch of woodland creatures, one of them being a bear, another a hawk, all staring at you menacingly. Yeah, you can guess what was on the mare's mind. Fortunately though, Fluttershy came in to calm down the spirits.

"It's okay, everyone. She's a friend!"

Now, imagine a bear, a hawk, and half a room full of critters and birds all calming down, stepping aside and looking admirably and lovingly at the cream-colored mare, as she snuggles them and approaches the visitor.

At this point, the audience is encouraged to fawn and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"I'm sorry, it's just that all the animals in the forest have been acting nervous for the last few days.(2) This storm isn't helping much, either." At that exact moment, a lightning strike decided to support her claim. It got everyone in the room growling fiercely, like they were all doing their best to ward off some unseen threat. Surprisingly enough, among them all was Fluttershy who, despite trembling pretty hard herself, was trying to keep a brave face on to calm everyone else down.

As everyone quieted down, Ditzy couldn't help but stagger. It was all a little surreal, and a lot uncomfortable and scary. She considered whether she should've just left the book and tried her luck with the storm.

"Uhm... did I come at a bad time, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, not at all. Don't worry about them, they wouldn't hurt a fly."

At that moment, a frog on a nearby desk looked awkwardly around the room. The rabbit just shrugged at him.

"Let me treat you with some warm tea. It's so nice to see you, Derpy." (wait for it...)

"Yeah..."

They know each other for a long time. Back in Flight Camp, they used to hang out together with a couple others. Suffice to say they got close enough, since they've been together through something like that...

As they got to the dining area, Fluttershy started all flustered, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it! It just came out..." (there)

"Uhm... what?"

"Your name. I'm sorry, I know I should've been more thoughtful about calling you that way. It's just not nice to call someone after her fault..."

Ditzy's brain required a few seconds to register. "Wait, that's what you're so upset about? ... Fluttershy, please, I've already told you before, it's fine... I actually kind of like my nickname better than my regular name anyway. It's not the name itself that bothers me, but the way ponies use it."

Fluttershy just nodded and refilled her teacup. Annoying, how concerned she always is about upsetting everyone else, all the while getting herself all upset in the process. It certainly didn't bode well with the mailmare.

"Here. I believe this is addressed to you?" she tried to change the subject

She takes the book out of her bag with her mouth, then shows the cover. Fluttershy immediately brightens up as she takes it in her hooves.

"Oh, it arrived! I'm so glad! Maybe now I can figure out what's been bothering all my animals so much. I was thinking maybe it was a seasonal thing, but I couldn't find anything it the town library, so I asked Twilight to try and find something for me... Oh, but you came to deliver it on this weather? You're so brave!"

"Yeah, that's me. Brave ol' Derpy. You need to be, if you have someone you need to take care of. But I think you might already know that."

She goes red in response. "Me? I'm not brave at all..."

"Trust me, I haven't met a braver pony in my life."

That made her look at her funny. "Are you trying to joke? Because I didn't really get it."

As a response, the mailmare found it appropriate to give off a giggle. She stands up from the couch, in order to offer a satisfactory speech. "Fluttershy, I'm being completely serious! Ever since I've known you, you've gone out of your way for others, despite being afraid. And even after you moved here, it just seems you've taken it upon yourself to do it even harder! With all the animals you always take care of, for which, by the way, you settled alone in a cottage, right outside the Everfree Forest of all places! All the while, and pardon me for saying, but you're afraid of your own shadow! Tell me who else would do that!"

Fluttershy could only manage a long, quiet "uhm" in answer.

"Exactly!" Ditzy quickly resumed. "You can't even think of anyone. Maybe because there might not even be anyone. There might, but I sure don't know about any of them. Therefore, you are the bravest pony I know of!"(3)

She made her burst into laughter. Finally, she thought, she managed to make her friend lighten up. Never an easy feat, but all the more worth the trouble.

Eventually the caretaker calmed down. "I guess you're right... except for the part where you said I'm alone."

"Oh, right. Forgot about your animal friends..."

They look over to the other side of the room, where it seemed that Angel was inspecting a military line-up. He was probably scolding his unit for their poor show of self control so far, apparently focusing on the bear for his incessant growling. After a few unintelligible gestures, the white rodent threw his spatula on the floor and went up the stairs, rather peeved. The others didn't break formation, though they did seem to start whispering to each other, which the rabbit seemed to have noticed when he turned around to give them a grim glare. He wasn't kidding around, that one.

"Can't you talk to them? They're obviously riled up over something."

"I tried, but they just won't tell me. All they said was not to worry, but how can I when they're so upset?"

Next, they heard moaning from up-stairs, followed by a surprised yell and a bump in the ceiling. The voice then gave off more aggravated moans, then they could hear hoofsteps coming towards the door.

"You had company?" Ditzy asked.

"Why, yes. It was this pony I met today. He was pretty tired, so I let him rest here for a little."

"He? As in, a stallion?"

"...Yeah, why?"

A stallion, sleeping in her quarters? Could it be, she finally got a special somepony for herself? This was actually brilliant news. Who was it?

The familiar voice of the Doctor coming down the stairs soon answered her question. "(Yawn) Nothing like a nice rest. By the way, how did I get in that bed?"

Ditzy was dumbstruck. "What." she somehow managed, glaring some new, previously undiscovered combination of horror and skepticism.

Author's Notes:

(*) Well, technically speaking, he's probably just supporting a simple psychic connection to understand what it was saying. That is, unless the unreasonably long list of languages he knows includes bird. You know, besides all of those languages from all the different planets in the known universe. And baby. And horse. And, uhm... some kind of hypersonic frequency which electronic entities use to communicate, as far as I've heard.

(**) He did notice her presence, he just wanted to mess with her. He came to know her, and realized she was safe to be around, despite her apparent affiliation to the royalty he suspected of being tyrannical. And from Twilight's describing her mentor, the Doctor figured the librarian might've been subtly brainwashed... until he got to know her, at which point he realized she was just an eager, naive child that would gobble up just about any information she was fed. The royal didn't need to affect this brilliant mind, she only needed to play her cards right. And considering the fact that she had been playing this entire kingdom for thousands of years of complete, undisputed control... She had to have been quite the master manipulator.

Either that, or his suspicions were unfounded. But that wasn't any fun.

(***) In the very beginning? Before the creatures that kept balance? It was chaotic. It was a horrible pandemonium. On one half, an inferno, a boiling kettle where Elder Dragons and Elementals managed to develop. On the other, a frozen ocean wasteland where only Primal Windigos and Nightwalkers took form... I could go on, but I'm not giving anything else away.

(1) I'll get to that in a minute.

(2) Well, not ALL of them. Just the regulars.

(3) Reader, technicality. Technicality, reader.

I know what you're thinking. Hurricane Fluttershy, right? But to be fair, the two instances in which Fluttershy and Ditzy took interest in the Doctor are isolated. It was just a minor coincidence.
Anyway. Making way for the upcoming conflict.
And man. Looking back, this all seems a tad forced... and tedious to go through.

He just seemed... disembodied.

It's related to the thing he found out when he first saw the stars in this world. He's disembodied from his own timeline here, as well as disembodied in another, more important way because of the world he's now in. It feels kind of, very not pleasant, to the power of dead family member. It's so unpleasant that he can't help but leak out some of his misery psychically, unintentionally. Sounds emo? Too bad. The Doctor's story is emo. He's the last of his race, he's lonely and sad. The reason we like him is because he soldiers on anyway, and even goes as far as plastering a fake smile over his face. Because that's what we do in life. We carry on for as long as we have legs to carry us.