Location,
Fortune Holds, somewhere above the Sky's Mirror ocean (which happens to be the ponyfied variant of the Pacific Ocean).
Inside an amphitheater which currently seems to be used as a meeting place for the Great and the Good of this world.

The Doctor was the defendant in a debate with stakes as high as they could get... and he couldn't have been feeling more giddy.

He was not unaware of the predicament he was in. He just found the nature of the two new arrivals distracting enough to forget about it for a few seconds.

One of them was a tall, majestic creature. A pearl white equine, with flowing aurora for hair, as fair and beautiful as the morning sunrise. From what he could tell, that was Princess Celestia, the undisputed alicorn ruler of Equestria. He at least found that out in the library. He felt a mixture of excitement and fear that made adrenaline seem like diet coke was to coffee.

The other one, however, was even more impressive. Standing a head and a half shorter, though much lengthier than her and just as noble. A mythical Kirin, representing the local empire. He was similar to the white-chrome locals, if only for a few features that seem to cross into equine.

His thinner stature, his smaller, less reptilian head compared to his fellows, and the two zigzagging horns he had on his slightly larger forehead. The horns were not positioned like a goat, the smaller of the two was in front of the other. The forehead was only slightly bigger in comparison to the other drakes, whose serpent-like heads were of a smaller forehead than a pony's.

The Doctor was really looking forward to meeting Celestia, after all he'd heard about her and all he suspected of her. It was like that urge you get at a ledge. You know it would be kind of a bad idea, but you'd still want to jump.

A benevolent ruler, loving of her subjects and loved back. With the power to move celestial bodies... like, literally. Something the entire nation was insisting to be true. He was... refraining from deciding on that fact's validity.

She was also supposed to be even older than him. Far older. Older than their limited history books were able to date, which didn't say much. Not that he was going to point out anything of the sort directly. He didn't know too much about equine etiquette, but he was fairly certain that asking a lady for her age might be frowned upon.

Oh, and he was also going to have to keep his suspicions to himself as well. Unless he had a deathwish, of course. And he might've been of debatable sanity, but he wasn't too intent on poking the hornet's nest without an out handy.

Despite all that, the creature beside the supposedly immortal deity managed to overshadow her in terms of how much giddyness they were making him feel. The legendary Kirin oh so happened to be one of his most favorite legendary creatures. A spirit of peace and a protector, they were supposedly so peaceful they couldn't even hurt the grass when they'd walk through.

The two leaders seemed immersed in their conversation when they entered, and were surprised to see him.

"Guess I wasn't that late after all." the Doctor spoke out from under the pressing claws of his guard.

"Let him go." said the noble arrival in acknowledged authority. "We're grateful you could join us on such short notice, Doctor, but some of us had business to attend to."

"Thank you. And might I inquire what that business..."

"...Nothing for you to be concerned with."

"Very well."

Celestia appeared surprised to see him for the first instance she saw him. Although she was well aware that he'd need to arrive. Maybe she didn't expect the soldiers to be able to bring him in? Not much to go on at the moment.

She didn't react much at all, though perhaps she took a little too long to gather her composure. Like she was hiding something. What went through her mind, one could only guess. But it appeared that she knew enough to recognize him on the spot. So, at least there was that much left certain. That this wasn't the first time they met from her perspective.

The two newly arrived royals passed by him on their way to their seats. Celestia seemed... glad to see him. Emphasis on seemed. Her poker face was difficult to make heads or tails of, even for the Doctor.

"Nervous?" She asked in a sweet tone.

"Heh! Do you even know me?" He retorted, deciding to play dumb.

You never know with royals. You can never be too careful. With Celestia, however... the Doctor was actually concerned not to start anything. It seemed outsmarting her was out of the question.

She crept a brief smile. "Maybe a little more than I'd prefer. Last time I saw you, you were a lot... older."

"Good news for me, then. I got back to traveling."

"Yes, I suppose..." She was not exulted.

"From Your perspective, I must still seem quite young..."

"Oh well, what's a few extra millennia to a lady that never grows older than a few decades?"

The Kirin gave them an awkward cough. Celestia got the hint.

"...Either way, there's a serious issue we're facing here, and I believe you'd want to hear the details."

"Oh, yes. Endangerment of countless innocents. I wouldn't want to seem as if I was unaffected by the revelation..."

The Kirin took the stage. "At any rate, we're all very concerned over what we've learned. An unknown factor which threatens the people which we have vowed to protect... We'd all very much like to know just what exactly is happening. As I'm certain you do as well."

"Yes... well, I don't really know anything. All I know is what I've been told by a certain zebra hermit barely more than a day ago..."

He found the Zebraconian sage's face. Wrinkles were abound, as expected from an elder who doesn't benefit from either immortality or... Time Lord physiology.

She started in a wizened, raspy voice.
"I'm glad to learn that Zecora succeeded in passing on our message.
I take it that which it entailed, you have had enough time to manage?"

"...Yes, I had." was the Time Lord's steadfast answer.

"And what say you, trickster, who looks so young, yet has eyes ages old?
What say you in your defense, regarding the plight which we've foretold?"

"Well... I did have a whole night to figure out what to do now. But... honestly? I've got nothing. What can you say in your defense, when you've already been pronounced guilty? Could I at least know why you're so certain of the source of your little prophecy?"

The kirin answered, "We're not. That's why you're still alive."

His ears visibly flattened at that. "Oh. Huh."

"The actual reason why we brought you here was because we could use your insight in order to better understand the situation. Anything at all would be helpful. What you were planning on doing in the near future before you learned of our summons, or anything else you might consider noteworthy."

"Sorry. There isn't much I can offer. I honestly didn't plan on leaving the village I'm staying at for at least a few more weeks. I didn't have anywhere in particular to travel to. I can't imagine how I might find myself in a situation which could potentially threaten the well-being of all living creatures on this world..."

Kirin acknowledged. "...Very well then. We appreciate your input, nonetheless. As far as what you say is true, we can at least rule out the matter of your own motives..."

"My motives? Well, pardon me! It wasn't even by my own choice that I arrived on this world!..." he trailed off, then started again. "Count to think of it, did you give a name to this planet?"

"Feyraltia."

"...Fey ral... mind repeating that?"

Celestia started in. "Feyraltia. It's from ancient times, its true meaning and origins are unknown. It's just something which we agreed sounded nice."

"Really? That's certainly interesting... At any rate, what was I saying? I didn't arrive on Feyraltia by my own free will. Someone dragged me here. Someone with a lot of power at his or her disposal..."

"Which leaves, who? Everyone in this room as suspects?" the lizard asked him back.

"Everyone in this room, as long as they might have intimate knowledge of space-time quantum mechanics... aside from initial knowledge of me, before I existed in your history. Unless, of course your "magic" can bypass even such complex issues as puncturing the very fabric of reality?"

The ones throughout the room looked around awkwardly.

"You're joking, right?" They looked at him, ranging from expectantly to awkwardly. "You're not joking..."

He allowed a long, drawn out sigh. One worthy of someone who had just realized that his entire life's professional knowledge and dedication amounted to nothing. "Okay then. What else do we know? The message containing the prophecy. How did you receive it?"

The draconic leader answered. "Five days ago. When you first arrived on Feyraltia. Everyone and anyone who were both strong and attuned enough sensed a change. The only thing that can be assumed would be that as soon as you arrived, the entire world had changed to accommodate your actions on the time stream. You being a time traveler and all, though whether those changes be for better or for worse...

"At any rate, besides the sense of dread and uncertainty among those previously mentioned to notice your arrival, there wasn't any conclusion which could be taken. Only the Zebraconian Dream Spinners and the Highborn of Dagon insisted that there was something more to it. So, they set to investigate...

"Two days ago, they came forward with this prophecy. That was when we decided to arranged for this meeting."

The Doctor listened intently, rubbing his chin in thought. "There are a few theories I can make around what you described about my arrival. However, I'm not confident in them, given the unpredictable nature of your.... magic. All I can deduce is that the timeline was changed, but by no orthodox means..."

"How so?"

"Well, try to consider it like this:

"Your world, the string of events that your entire dimension consists of at a temporal level... It was all fixed. It could be affected in many ways. Perturbed, certainly. But it would always fall at around the same approximate design as it were originally found before. My arrival here was supposed to be resisted to a certain degree. Like a pebble thrown into a pond. Ripples were supposed to appear, but the surface would eventually settle. Instead, from what you told me, it would seem that my arrival came with a great, overriding wave. Either that, or the laws of this reality are far more different than I'd initially estimated. Like it were a completely different breed..."

"Given your theory is sound, what exactly is your point, Doctor?" the Kirin asked again, growing impatient.

"My point is that until I can clarify my suspicion, there is a... relatively strong possibility that whomever brought me here had access to indiscernible comprehension of the time stream as a whole, as well as massive power and resources... Well, only slightly more than what you'd need to punch a hole in the universe, make a link to a different plane of reality and remote control someone else's time machine by means of spam mail containing a virus advanced enough to override a Tardis main-heart-frame and force it to overclock and... Well, suffice to say they're wicked smart. So smart, in fact, that I believe they might actually be well past the knowledge of the Time Lords... And that's a scary thought."

The Gryphon ambassador started impatiently in the conversation in a germanic accent. "So what are you saying? Are we dealing with an organization that gained access to futuristic technology? What's your basis beside this long shot?"

"Oh, I see we'll get along just fine..." the Doctor offered chidingly, to which the avian feline offered a sound somewhere between an eagle's screech and a lion's growl. He received the response coolly, before returning a glare that stopped the hybrid's manifestation dead in its tracks. "You don't have to take my word for it if you don't want to. You don't need to take me seriously, but I will say that the intuition of a Time Lord is nothing to scoff at. I'm conscious of things you could never imagine."

The Gryphon receded in his seat in defeat, much to the amusement of the Zebra. The Diamond Dog, on the other paw, was laughing heartily.

The Doctor continued. "Then again, there is one issue with my theory. As far as I've seen, you don't have that much technology to speak of, and considering what would be necessary for something like this... either there's an ancient civilization in this world with fusion power at their disposal, at least; or they're somehow disconnected from temporal causality... Then again, who knows? Maybe the requirements aren't really that big here? After all, there's this untapped potential which you have access to here, as opposed to in my own reality..."

"Which would be?" the Kirin inquired.

"Magic. It's still a growing science, but so far I've noticed that your magics promise unimaginable applications..." He trailed off, looking away irritatedly with his arms(*) crossed. "I just didn't expect it to be so unreasonably convenient." He gave the alicorn a reserved look before continuing. "...quite a bit of power at your disposal, if you ask me. Wouldn't want to know half the things any hapless unicorn might get a taste for, should he be left to take in unrestricted knowledge. Nice job censoring the local library's contents."

There were a mix of emotions running through the royal alicorn's head, but none of them surfaced. In a determined tone, she resigned herself. "As soon as I'm certain that my subjects are ready, I'll allow them knowledge more freely. Until then, I stand by my actions."

"Which is what you should." He was less than lively. "Your job is to make sure your followers are happy and healthy. I speak from experience when I'm saying that offering someone more power than they can handle often proves to be very unhealthy for them, as well as for those around..."

The old Diamond Dog Chieftain made himself noticed. "There be age as well as wisdom in your words, Doctor. Me be surprised you not join our meetings earlier. Might have made them much shorter, avoided bad decisions..."

"I've only arrived on this world a week ago..."

"From what me understand, that not be enough reason to stop you. You speak of travel into past. Undo mistakes?"

"...There's more to it than that. Even if I had my... traveling equipment with me, I still wouldn't be able to alter past events after they've already happened. That is, without risking to collapse a completely different timeline on top of the previous one. No one has the right to that kind of power."

The Griffin Mayor was spurred. "And yet, you yourself heedlessly dabble with such power. What right do you have to hold it?"

"I..."

"You don't need to answer that, Doctor." the alicorn took his side.

"Actually... I do.

"Firstly, I don't dabble heedlessly. The implications are enormously drastic if you do something that goes against the laws of time, and the laws are there for a reason. Consider if you will, that the Universe has its own defensive systems against those who would dabble recklessly. The laws are there not to maintain order, as much as to protect the traveler.

"Still, I hold no more of a right regardlessly. It's a privilege to be able to travel the Universe, to see it for all its splendor it has to offer. And I can't imagine never being able to travel again. The day I'd stop travelling would be the day the best part of my life would have ended."

The mayor didn't seem impressed. "That's very touching, Doctor. But you've yet to give us a good reason why we shouldn't just lock you away right now, despite what you might feel about it. How could we justify allowing you to roam freely after you've testified how dangerous you are?"

"Well... there would actually be just one thing that's keeping me from my travels. I don't have my time machine. For now, I'm grounded."

"...For now. You're planning on resuming your... excursions."

"As soon as I were to gain access to provisions and a good enough destination, I was thinking about traveling around this wondrous world of yours... Feyraltia. It's pretty catchy.

"However, that was before I came to realize what risks were involved in doing so. I don't know what else I can do, other than stay put for now.

"As for why you don't need to lock me up, that's all I've got. I'm not looking forward to this global crisis any more than any of you are... I'm actually terrified of it ever happening ag... and I honestly don't appreciate you dancing around the elephant in the room. You're just looking for a reason to propose I'd be locked up and supervised in order to possibly avoid the prophecy from ever happening. Well by all means, you have the right. You are all the elite of this world. The supreme authority!... What does my say even matter when there's an entire world at stake?..."

They all kept silent. The Doctor resumed. "...I'm glad I was helpful to you in understanding the situation we are all in. But could we please... just cut to the chase? What do you plan on doing with me, now that I've helped you?"

The Lord Kirin took the stage resolutely. "Now that you've proven yourself exceedingly helpful to us, and that you've also shared with us not only your innocence regarding your part in the situation but also how responsibly you're considering it... we are willing to offer you a choice. Either you can stay here, in Fortune Holds. The most secure fortress in Feyraltia... You would have access to all the knowledge we have at our disposal in order for you to more effectively aid us in our investigations, or..."

Celestia cut off, "...You could stay in Ponyville."

Her saying that appeared unbiased, if only for a small hint of glee in her tone. Just obvious enough for the Doctor to barely perceive it. "You're... trusting me?"

The Zebra Sage, "Understandably, our responsibilities demand that we be cautious. But that does not mean we need to trample another's rights... We are certainly not going to lock away such a free spirit as yours."

The Diamond Chief, "Not to mention, we could not keep you here even if we tried. After all the stories we hear about you, we know better than to force a collar around your neck."

Finally, the Lord Kirin. "After all we've heard of this merciful hero with no name nor home, we only needed to hear it from you in order to put our own worries to rest. But now, what will be your choice, Doctor?"

It would definitely make his stay a lot easier... if only he wasn't undoubtedly risking the possibility of being locked up and supervised if he were to agree to stay here. As much as he'd hate to admit it, though, that would definitely be for the best. Hey, they all seem hospitable enough...
And who knew? Maybe by agreeing to stay here, he might delay the inevitable. Or maybe he'd be putting a strain on the forces working this fate, causing a more violent reaction... hypothetically, of course.

Leaving aside baseless assumptions, yes, it would be safer. Therefore, it would definitely be a lot more boring to live here. That was enough for the Doctor. "I do appreciate the offer, Your Lordships, but I believe you already know my answer. As much as I might prove to be of assistance here, in a controlled environment, I believe I can be of greater help in Ponyville."

The mayor scoffed. "By all means. We wouldn't want you to feel too cooped up or unused..."

The Kirin decided to pretend he didn't hear the griffin. "Very well then. If that is your decision, then we can only respect our vow."

"Thanks." the Doctor said, though still expecting a "however" to cut in.

"However..." Tia offered, as she stepped off her platform.

On her way down towards him, she started focusing energy in her horn. Reading a cold stare on her face.

The guards grabbed the defendant and held him down again, in a kneeling position before her. If it weren't for the uncomfortable position, he'd burst out proudly saying "ah-ha!". Oh well, his love for drama can back down for now.

"We said we were going to allow you to choose where you would hide, but we weren't going to allow you completely out of our sight should you choose to stay in Ponyville. You were to choose between having either Lord Kirin Thorael to be your supervisor... or me."

"Just so happens that she prefers to keep a tighter leash than me." The Kirin cut in, earning a few chuckles from the old dog.

As the alicorn lowered her glowing horn on top of him, the Doctor felt it surge through him. His pelt was hot around the back of his neck, going down to his right wrist.

When the process was finished and the guards let go, he got the chance to have a decent look at himself. On his fur were golden, spiraling streaks running up his right front leg. Like the streaks of the sun insignia on her side. They disappeared before he could ask:

"...You gave me a tribal styled tattoo?"

Celestia was unphased by his choice of words. "It's a reminder of the responsibility you have. Also, a signature spell for you to be able to open the letters I might send you."

"Really? Well, I... appreciate the gesture."

"Don't thank me yet. I'm not done explaining. You see, that sigil is constantly fed by my presence, otherwise it would wane away. You might not be able to see it now, but it's still there. I'm aware of the energy it feeds off, as well as where that energy is going..."

"...So, it's also a tracer?"

"Yes."

"Okay, what happens if I were to move too far away from Ponyville?"

"You would answer to me. And if you wouldn't heed any of my warnings, or if you'd try to remove the seal, you would be met by my subjects, to be escorted to Canterlot."

"Fair enough. I did say I agreed with staying put for now. Anything else?"

"I will provide further instruction later, in writing. It's just that there are a few chores I was hoping you could do during your stay in Ponyville. Nothing too difficult, of course..."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it. I just don't understand what your colleague meant by you having a tighter leash than him..."

"Really?" the kirin justified himself. "You mean you don't recognize the sigils around your neck as such?"

"Oh, this? Well yes, not that I think about it. I suppose this is a tight fit. Skin tight, even... Or should I say pelt tight? Heh heh..."

As the Doctor was walking back to the porting area to return to Ponyville, he was escorted by Celestia and a couple of draconic guards aside from the pony centurions. Shusei said he'd like to escort them himself, but he needed to bring in a report for a job he did earlier today. The Doctor asked what it was, but was answered with another confidentiality request. As in, he was requesting for the Doctor to accept that what he was asking for was confidential information.

He let off. On the way, however, his curiosity was sated by Celestia. Apparently, before anyone could travel between Equestria and the Storm Kingdoms, there was an issue to be resolved first. This issue consisted of a Tempest, a kind of creature which happened to project storms around it. The kind of creature she didn't allow being told to her ponies because of how skittish they are.

Said elemental beast was drawing close to the pony kingdom, thus the peculiar weather. Ergo, the storm clouds that just wouldn't let off. It was a priority, of course. One that was within the jurisdiction of Odin members in both Fortune Holds and Canterlot. Celestia wasn't allowed to leave Canterlot until her elite squadron returned with a positive report. If it were a negative one, in the event of the situation being more serious than expected, then she was to ask for aid from the nearest allied Odin bases.

Obviously, they'd have measures to deal with the magical monsters that might pose a threat to their well being. Celestia's centurions aren't trained to fight other nations. They're trained to deal with critical situations involving hydras, rampaging dragons (although that never really happens), and many other such threats. ODIN is meant for... worse. As in, necromancers, plagueweavers, other such users of forbidden magic...

It's rare, but it happens. Say, once a century or so.

And of course, their training also covered dealing with giant monsters of remarkable power. Regarding this particular instance, they were overprepared. They would've been overprepared even against a throng of Tempests.

Casualties were nonexistent. The creature only had to be herded off, back into a particularly treacherous part of the ocean. So treacherous, in fact, that the ponies were asked to go back. Though that might have been less because of them being any less competent than their draconic peers, and more because of the odd way their magical flying abilities were affected in that general area. Either way, they were relieved to not have to go there. Who in their right mind would want to go into the Gaping Storm of the Bermudis district, even if it was an order from their commanding officer?

Now that he knew, and he was grateful to Celestia for being willing to share this knowledge with him, he was left to wonder about the animals knowing about this creature's visit a few days in advance. Then he was told, however, that Tempests are generally not carnivorous. They fed of unfiltered precipitation, and from the reports she'd received, this particular beast was anything but bloodthirsty. It was actually a baby.

'So, that wasn't it, huh?'

"Is something wrong, Doctor?" the princess asked him.

He was deep in thought. His equine facial features might've given off his distress a little too much again. "Oh, nothing, nothing... There are just a few things I need to take care of in Ponyville. A few... uncertainties that are bugging me."

"I'm happy to see you're keeping yourself busy during your stay. Perhaps I could offer some insight?"

The way she said that...

"There are just too many variables for now..." the Doctor decided to not give her anything specific. As far as she knew, he didn't know anything. Still, he could argue about things that were obvious. Things she probably figured out by now, and which she expected him to have figured out by now as well. Can't clam up, it would be too suspicious. "Sometimes it seems that there are secrets circling around me, hiding in the shadows. Who brought me here? For what reason? Why in Ponyville... Why aren't they making any move? Are they not ready? Is there something keeping them?"

"...Or maybe you've arrived here by chance?"

"Unlikely. Send a pony to Ponyville? I doubt my Tardis had any record of this universe, so someone had to have arranged for this excursion. Someone who didn't want me wherever my ship was initially brought to. So either the ones who brought me here were only after my craft and were afraid of me, which I find flattering but unlikely, or they wanted me, but something happened to put a wrench in their plans. And considering the fact that I'm supposedly a key of some sort to bringing a global calamity, I'm inclined to the latter."

"Are you referring to the third party you mentioned today?"

"I'm saying it's quite probable that whoever brought me here might be the same ones as the ones behind the prophecy. Not certain, just probable. It's also something you might want to consider as well."

"Very well. Thank you again for your aid, Doctor. I promise that this will all be dealt with as soon as possible."

"Good to know... I only hope it won't take too long, though. Who knows what they're doing to my Tardis as we speak..." He stopped in his tracks. He didn't even consider his words as he spoke them.

"Doctor... don't worry. Everything's going to be fine."

"I hope so."

Unknown time, undisclosed location.
A laboratory. Technology, undetermined.

It was dark. There were no windows. Only a few crystal light sources and monitors which revealed the barest equine features of a dark figure working at a control panel. His hooves sliding down levers and dials. The monitor in front of him showing a mainframe, with several different encryptions. Some of them Gallifreyan.

"Blast!" the figure let out, annoyingly.

"No luck?" another voice in the back.

"It's as we've feared. The security is unlike anything we've ever seen before! As soon as I get a general idea as to what needs to be done, somehow, the entire programming changes! It's impossible!"

"As is to be expected. It is alive, after all."

The second figure walked past the first, along a few wires leading out the control panel, towards a big, blue, box. He slid a dark hoof across its wooden surface, occasionally meeting chains or wires. Though the sound wasn't that of hoof scraping on wood. It seemed oddly metallic.

They managed to disable the Tardis' shields, but the door won't open.

"How can a machine be alive?" the first one asked indignantly. "It's a computer! A program, it can't think! It... it can't..."

"It can. How else can you explain it being able to change its programming when you start decrypting it? It's aware of its surroundings, its situation. How else could it have saved the Doctor?"

"Maybe it's just simply that advanced. Maybe the Doctor had installed security protocols. Maybe it defended itself against me with another virus."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

"...No. I admit that after working on it for so long, after looking at its data cores, I can't help but feel as though it's looking back at me. Either way, it presents a complexity and, well, elegance... that I've never seen before. It's electronic, it's a computer program, but..."

After stroking the wood, he hit it, as hard as he could. The impact resounded throughout the chamber. Metal on wood. The door itself didn't budge.

The shields were down, but there's still something keeping them out. Something stubbornly refusing to let them in.

The figure stood there for a few seconds, leaning against the wood. "So close... So close to our goal, only for it to slip away." The silence was electric, thick and sickening. "...No matter. It won't be long now."

He stepped back, staring intently at the craft.

"He will come for you. And when he does, we will be waiting."

Back at Fluttershy's hovel. The two mares only now started to notice he was away for quite a while.

"He's certainly taking his time." Ditzy started. "How long has he been out?"

Half an hour.

"...Maybe he had an upset stomach?" Her host answered.

"I dunno... I think I'll go check on him."

As she reaches for the entrance's handle, it opens to reveal none other than the criminal in question looking worse for wear.

"Sorry I took so long. I... had a little trouble finding the outhouse in the dark."

"Really?" the mailmare questioned suspiciously.

"Yeah. Should've brought a light with me."

Ditzy eyed around him. The Doc didn't seem very eager by this. "Funny... Seems like there's something changed about you..." she spoke out.

"... Does it?"

She meant that he didn't seem as disembodied as he did for the last few days. Not as immediately, anyway.

"Are you feeling sick?" she asked. "Stumbling in the rain definitely didn't help either."

"Might've been something I ate..." His stomach gurgles in protest. He remembered that he ate next to nothing today.

The mare smiled. "Come on, let's get you dried up by the fire. The carrot soup is almost done... You think you can stomach it?"

"Yeah... I'm pretty sure I'm home free..." He looked out the window, looking for something. "For now, at least."

By the time they finished dinner, silently, the storm let off. The two guests were ever so grateful for the shelter, and the host was ever so grateful for the company.

The Doctor looked over to the animals, which only looked back just as pensively as before. He was right. Apparently there was still a predator nearby. And he had a prime suspect. He pulled an aside as to make sure the girls wouldn't hear, and gave them his word that he'd take care of this himself. His promise seemed to have rung with them, as they became noticeably more reassured.

The Time Lord figured he'd need to make plans for a short trip to Zecora's during the next few days. Thank her for the forward notice, and ask about any strange sightings.

As they left, however, the animals eyed him worriedly. They hadn't told him, but there was a reason why they were ready to fight tonight to the last in order to protect their caretaker. That beast?... It was right outside the house tonight. Waiting in the shadows. And it was stalking prey.

Fluttershy wasn't the only one they didn't want to worry. At least they offered the Doctor a heads-up.

On their way back home, Ditzy and the Doctor both remained silent, up until they closed in on the town's outskirts.

Ditzy was the first to speak, "You know..."

His ears perked up towards her. He was attentive, but she couldn't find the words she wanted to let out. She shook her head. "I'm still having a hard time getting you. How can you be so alien, and so equine at the same time?"

"I don't know. How can you be so Time Lord and still be nothing like me at the same time? Same goes for humans..."

She giggled. There he is again, answering a question by raising a dozen others. Then she saddened. "Regarding what I asked you today..."

"...For instance," the Time Lord cut her off animately, "Gallifreyans do have normal lives like the kind you lead here. So do Time Lords. We have jobs, hobbies, we pay taxes... Have families. Care for each other."

He looked her way. Their eyes met for a few long, short, moments.

Then he broke off.

"Say I try and take things easy. Maybe get a farm, settle down, enjoy the sunset from the porch... maybe even get a nice wife to share that sunset with... I could technically give that another try, but..."

'Another try?... Questions for later.'

"But what?"

"But there's still so much to see. Even if I were to try, even if I were bound to one place by, say, a prophecy of worldwide disaster should I leave... I can't stay in one place for long."

"You really like those travels, don't you?" Ditzy asked sadly.

"I've shown you what I've seen. Planets made of crystal, people made of energy, places made of... stuff..."

Holding down a soft chuckle, she returned in good cheer, "Yeah, I suppose normal life does so pale in comparison to places made of stuff..."

"...And also, there's still our racial differences. Have I told you? Time Lords are extremely long lived."

"...And that's a problem?"

He didn't stop walking. He just explained like he was repeating something for the who knows how many times. "Well, yes. For me, at any rate. You see, you can live the rest of your life with me. We could be, an item. We could be the greatest item that ever was... but only for as long as you'd be alive."

She stopped in her tracks, soon followed by the alien beside her. "...Oh."

So many things finally made sense for her now. Why he was always so distant, the look in his eyes that he had from time to time... Why he was so adamant about leaving... It was because standing still had nothing to offer him. He really didn't have anything else.

The Doctor stopped her train of thought. "Tell me, why were you so adamant to suggest it anyway? I can't be that handsome, can I?"

"Well..." 'handsome, fun to be around, great with kids... darn it! Focus, Ditzy, focus!' "I'm not sure why you're saying that. How was I adamant?"

"Sorry, then. It's just that from what I recall, ladies never ask guys out directly. They usually just flash their eyelids and expect the male to be man enough to approach them in a way they deem fitting. When you noticed that I didn't respond to your initial invitations, you decided to clarify the situation yourself. Something I assumed to be a course of action which only someone adamant enough would take."

"Wow. You really thought this through, haven't you?"

"I take it that's sarcasm in your voice?"

She relented on her defensiveness. "I don't know about where you're from, but you'll find that the female part is a lot more adamant around these parts. We do have a Princess leading, after all."

"Fair enough."

The conversation quickly deteriorated from there on out. The Doctor would eventually say something to rouse her anger, then Ditzy would yell at him, then he'd say something to make her laugh, then they'd eventually both forget what they were talking about in the first place. Generic talk between a girl who's trying to attract the attention of a guy he likes, and a guy who's well aware of the girl's feelings for him, but just doesn't want to return the favor.

Author's Notes:

(*) It's a figure of speech. Don't let me see you being a smartass about it.

SO yeah. I just named the planet. I took that liberty.

It's controversial. I know. Big whoop. There is no cannon name, except for Equus (and I pronounce that name with every bit of disgust and horror as I can muster without puking on the spot), so I just got this joke name to throw in with all the other ridiculous names in this universe. Sue me.

I was, however, more concerned with the turn off I might've done with this whole course of events. Building up everything like that, with nothing happening? That really can't be right. Well, unfortunately, things are still unravelling. You've sill got a few packaging layers to rip off. Even the romance bit is mostly just filler to keep you distracted until you finally reach the cream.

Anyway. As for the Kirin, I imagined him to be a combination of this and this. He doesn't have hooves, but he's still solemn and sort-of similar to ponies. Not as bulky and serpentine as the second, not as horse/deer-like as the first. Just landing around the equine-ish territory.