Tales from the TARDIS
by Gherkin
First published
A collection of short stories, detailing the Mane 6's individual adventures with The Doctor.
Set between The Regal Sisters and Discord and Time.
In the two weeks that Twilight and her friends have been travelling with The Doctor, they have been to many different places, and had many adventures. These are just a few. Come and see what life is like for a pony, travelling throughout all of time and space.
An Absolute Gem
The many halls that made up the interior of the TARDIS were eerily quiet, but with good reason. The Elements of Harmony were asleep, tucked up in bed in their rooms. The Doctor, however, was wide awake.
It was a well known fact that Time Lords did not need to sleep as often or regularly as humans (or, in the context of his current company, ponies), but The Doctor took this trait to a whole new level. His friends weren't even sure if he had his own room or not, as he always spent his time fiddling with things in the main console room. Now, however, the last of the Time Lords was creeping down the bedroom corridor, desperately trying not to make a sound. He was so focused on remaining silent, in fact, that he didn't notice that one of the bedroom doors was slightly ajar.
He reached the end of the corridor quickly enough without incident, and continued on without worrying about the noise he made. He trotted past the ship’s indoor helter-skelter and looked up at the next door, having arrived at his destination. The wardrobe.
He pushed it open and stepped into the expansive room beyond. The place was stacked to the ceiling with all types of attire, all of which was suited to an equine body. There was everything from formal dresses and dinner jackets to simple shirts, and everything in between. Still, The Doctor hadn't gone there to gawp at his selection of clothes, and so made his way towards the stairs that lead to where he kept his formal suits.
He reached the third floor quickly, and now stood before a clothes rack, lined with a variety of multi-coloured suits. Now all he had to do was decide which one to wear.
“Hmm... cream? No, too bright,” he muttered, sifting through them all. “Grey? No, that colour’s banned in three galaxies...” He sorted through hundreds of forms of attire, still not finding the right one. “Ah, perfect!” he exclaimed, having come across something that took his fancy. He took the jet black dinner jacket and matching top hat and slipped them on, adjusting the cuffs to fit his hooves. Smiling proudly, he took the hat and gently placed it upon his head, examining himself in a nearby mirror.
“Heh, cool,” he muttered, satisfied. With that, he trotted back down the stairs towards the exit. He had almost reached the door when he was distracted by a prissy, ladylike voice from somewhere deeper within the room.
“Ooh, this looks just fabulous... oh, the lace is a tad too long. Shame, if I had my equipment here I’d be able to make adjustments...”
The Doctor smirked. It seems we have a late-night ‘intruder’. Grinning mischievously, he made his way towards the voice, tiptoeing so as to not be heard. Pushing himself up against a shelf, he peeked around a corner to see none other than Rarity, curiously browsing through a selection of dresses. She hadn’t noticed him yet, and he was going to use that to his advantage.
“You know, I didn’t peg you for a late-night wanderer,” the Time Lord announced, stepping out into the open. “Guess I was mistaken.”
The white unicorn jumped about a foot in the air at the sound of his voice, before whirling round to face him, the dress she was examining hidden behind her back. “Oh, um, Doctor! I, uh, didn’t expect to see you here at this time of night!” she stammered, trying to maintain an innocent smile.
The Doctor chuckled. “The feeling’s mutual,” he said, walking towards her, “So, why are you out here at this hour?”
Rarity coughed nervously. “Well, honestly, I was just admiring some of the attire in here,” she admitted. “When you told us about this place yesterday, I just couldn’t help myself.” She stopped and noticed what he was wearing. “Why are you here, Doctor? Where are you going in that suit?”
“A party,” he answered simply, before adding, “On a planet in the Solana Nebula. Beautiful place really. Did you know that, for half a minute on one day every year, in a certain spot, the view of the countryside is the most stunning in the entire universe?”
The fashionista’s eyes lit up with hope. “There wouldn’t be a chance that I would be able to tag along, is there?” she asked tentatively.
The Doctor sighed, pulling a leather wallet with a thin sheet of paper inside out of his coat jacket. “Sorry, but I only have one ticket.” Her face dropped. “But I can bring along a plus one,” he said, grinning.
The unicorn burst into a fit of glee, leaping forward to hug him. “Oh thank you!” she exclaimed. “I’ll never forget this.”
“No,” the Time Lord told her, leading her out of the room. “You won’t. I can guarantee it.”
They made their way back to the console room as quietly as possible, trying not to wake their friends. Once inside, she leaned against one of the room’s pillars as he danced around the controls. With the push of a button, the column in the middle of the console began to move up and down, whirring all the while.
“Something’s different,” Rarity observed, as she slipped on a dress that she had been looking at, “I don’t have to hold onto anything for dear life.”
“I’m sticking to the speed limit for once,” The Doctor explained, pulling a nearby lever. The column ceased moving, and the whirring stopped. “We’re here, end of the line.” He held out his hoof to her. She took it eagerly. “Beyond those doors is an alien planet,” he told her, stepping towards the exit, “the likes of which your kind has never seen before. Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Positive,” she answered, nodding.
He smiled. “Excellent.” He put one hoof on the wooden double doors. “Geronimo,” he said, flinging them open.
They stepped outside into the chilliness of the alien air. Rarity stared upwards, in awe of the amazing night sky. To the right were a group of constellations, the likes of which would send Twilight giddy, and to the left was another planet, hanging there like a second moon. Her gaze soon moved to the huge spire that they both stood before. It reached up into the sky as far as the eye could see, and seemed to be constructed with some sort of gemstone. Something akin to diamond, perhaps. It was truly a sight to behold.
The Doctor noticed her gazing, and simply smiled. Every time they went somewhere new, the look on their faces was priceless.
He turned his attention away from his companion towards a native alien, clad in a modest tuxedo, who was quickly approaching them. It was equine in basic form, but was quite a bit taller, had little to no mane, and his eyes were perfectly black.
“Good evening sir,” it greeted them. “Welcome. I trust you have an invitation?”
“Here,” The Doctor said, flashing the alien his psychic paper. “And this is Rarity." He motioned to the mare, who had stopped staring and was instead looking at the alien, a sheepish smile on her face. "She’s my plus one.”
"Hello there," she managed to say.
“I see. Well, I hope you enjoy yourselves.” He nodded to them and trotted away.
“Doctor,” Rarity whispered as they entered the large building, “Why were they speaking Equestrian?”
“TARDIS translation circuits,” he explained, smiling at passers-by as they noticed the pair. “Subconsciously translates any foreign language into your own, and vice-versa.”
“You mean your ship is inside my head? I’m not sure if I like the sound of that.”
By then they had arrived in the main hall, where a number of guests of varying species were already mingling, sipping cocktails and munching on hor d’oeuvres. The ceiling stretched high above, from which a magnificent chandelier hung.
“So,” The Doctor said, turning to her, “Want to go meet some aliens?”
Rarity smiled. “It’d be my pleasure.”
Memories
There weren’t many things that Twilight Sparkle found trouble with. In her younger years, she was one of the top students in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. She was Princess Celestia’s personal student; the mare who represented the very element of magic. Heck, she was the filly that could recite the square root of five hundred and forty six off by heart. And yet, there was something that she could never quite get the hang of.
Swimming.
She stood tentatively on the edge of the TARDIS’ indoor swimming pool, watching with slight envy as her friends swam about merrily inside. Even The Doctor was having fun, playfully splashing Rainbow Dash as she floated on her back. I suppose I could always find a book to read or something, the lavender mare thought to herself, But why The Doctor has a swimming pool in a library is beyond me. What if the water ruined the pages?
She was knocked out of her thoughts by Pinkie Pie, who paddled over to where she was standing. “Come on in, Twilight, the water’s fine!”
“I’m sure it is, Pinkie, but the thing is... I can’t swim,” she admitted.
The pink mare gasped loudly. "You can't?" Twilight cringed. "Well, then we'll just have to teach you!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Hop on in!"
The unicorn bit her lip. "Uh, okay. Here goes." Slowly, she lowered herself into the water, relaxing slightly when she found that it was pleasantly warm. Standing on her hind legs, the water only reached her chest, so she could safely stand there without fear of getting out of her depth.
Pinkie Pie wasted no time in showing her the basics. Twilight soon got the hang of swimming to and from each side of the pool. She soon realized that she never knew how to before because of a subconscious fear of water, instead of simply not being able to.
When she was confident that she could swim properly, she joined her friends in their fun. After a while, they all ended up playing pool volleyball, which went on for at least an hour.
Soon enough, though, they all clambered out and dried themselves off. While the rest of them chatted amongst themselves, Pinkie Pie trotted over to Twilight.
"So," she began, "What do you think? Pretty neat, huh?"
Twilight giggled. "Heh, yeah. Thanks for that, Pinkie."
"Don't mention it," the party pony replied, beaming. "I'm always happy to help a friend in need."
The unicorn smiled, before noticing that the room was empty. “Guys, wait for us!” she called out.
“Hurry along now, Twilight!” came The Doctor’s voice from a nearby hallway. “Wouldn’t want you to get lost now, would we?”
Hurriedly, Twilight got to her hooves and trotted towards the exit, Pinkie Pie bouncing happily behind. When she reached the hallway, she was surprised to find it empty. They made their to the end of the corridor, where they met a two-way junction.
“Um... which way again?” Pinkie asked.
“Wait, I thought you knew?”
The party pony giggled nervously. “Uh... I forgot.”
The librarian put her hoof to her face and sighed. “Oh, great,” she said sarcastically. “I think it was this way.” She pointed left. Pinkie bounced past her, taking the lead. The hallway went on for quite some time, and Twilight was beginning to question whether she made the right decision. However, after about five minutes, they reached a large door.
“See?” Pinkie Pie said to her, “I told you we’d remember?” Smiling, she pushed it open, only to be greeted by the sight of what looked like an old study, instead of the bedroom quarter they were expecting. Pinkie, undeterred, hopped inside anyway.
“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight hissed, “I don’t think we should be in here.”
Pinkie ignored her, looking around the room in awe. In the corner, there was a small wooden desk, however the walls and shelves were lined with photos and mementos, “What is this place?” she wondered out loud, picking up a satsuma from a bowl on the desk and popping it in her mouth.
"I think it's The Doctor's private study room," Twilight said quietly, her curiosity piqued. Deciding to take a closer look, she wales over to a large photo hung on the wall. It depicted three unusual bipedal creatures. The one in the middle, who bore a familiar mad grin, had spiky brown hair and was clad in a long waistcoat. That must have been The Doctor, before he came to our universe, she deduced.
To the right was a similar looking person. He stood straight at about The Doctor's height. He was wearing a dark navy blue longcoat and seemed to be doing a mock salute. The final one, on the left, must have been female, due to her slimmer and more rounded body shape. Her skin was a darker colour, and she was smiling like the rest of them. Fond memories, huh? Twilight thought.
Drawing her gaze away from the large picture, she turned her attention to eleven framed photos hung above the desk. Each one depicted a different man. The first looked quite old, with greying hair, while the tenth looked like the one in the larger picture, albeit minus the waistcoat. The eleventh, the furthest to the right, depicted The Doctor as he looked now, grinning, standing in the middle of all his new friends.
The two friends froze in place when they heard the door creak and swing open. “Twilight?” came The Doctor’s voice. “Pinkie? Are you in here?” He poked his head through the doorframe and saw the two mares, looking surprised and nervous, as if they were two foals who had been caught with their hooves in a cookie jar.
“We’re sorry, Doctor,” Twilight began, “We didn’t mean to come in here, it’s just that we took a wrong turn and-” She was silenced when the Time Lord put a hoof to her lip gently.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said. “No harm done.” He turned away and stared around the room, looking upon all of his memories. “It’s about time someone else saw this place anyway.” He noticed Pinkie Pie inspecting the eleven pictures above his desk.
“This is you, isn’t it?” she asked, pointing to the tenth photo. He nodded. “But who are the other nine?”
“Uh, me,” he answered simply. In response to her confused expression, he continued. “See, Time Lords have this little trick where we can cheat death. Except, every time, I become a whole new man. Same memories, same personality, but a different appearance.”
“Wait, does that mean you’re immortal?” Twilight asked him, her curiosity piqued for a second time.
“No. If it happens quick enough, we don’t have time to start the process.”
They all stood in silence for a few minutes, the two mares casually observing the different memoirs the Time Lord had collected over the years. “So, how old are you?” Pinkie asked, finally.
“Very old,” he replied, still looking at a picture of a young, blonde girl. “You know, I think I’ve lost count.” He heard Twilight chuckle slightly, and turned to face her. “What?”
The unicorn giggled and sighed. “Every time I think I’m getting to know you, Doctor, you always surprise me with something new.”
The Time Lord smiled. “Yep, that’s me. ‘Surprise’ is my middle name.” He stopped for a second. “No, seriously. You should see the looks I get when filling out a form.”
Twilight and Pinkie laughed. “What, so you’re full name is The Surprise Doctor?” The librarian asked, still chuckling.
“Something like that,” he answered, stepping out of the room. They followed quickly, only to be stopped in their tracks when he leaped out into the doorway, shouting, “Surprise!” This only succeeded in making them all laugh even more.
“See?” he said once they had all calmed down. “Told you so.” Still giggling, they started to trot back down the hallway to the console room.
“Where to now, Doctor?” Pinkie wondered, merrily skipping beside him.
“Good question,” he told her, grinning. “Anywhere you want.”
What Friends Are For
The little pegasus filly zoomed down the street, soaring above the crowds of ponies as they went about their daily business. The whole concept of being closer to the ground was new for the filly, but she found it exhilarating weaving in and around obstacles she found in her path. It provided much more of a thrill and challenge than soaring high above the clouds, with nothing in her way. She loved to live on the edge, and she didn’t think there was anything closer to it than this.
Yet, Rainbow Dash still found her new home absolutely boring. Ponyville had nothing on her hometown of Cloudsdale. It was just so quaint, and normal. In the cloud city there was always something exciting happening, be it a competition or some sort of race, but here it was just normal ponies, doing normal things. Dash couldn't think of anything worse.
The one stand out was an earth pony filly she had become friends with, whose family owned a farm just outside of town. Applejack, her name was. They had gotten to know each other when she had helped Dash, after she had picked a fight at school that she couldn't win. The pegasus hated to admit it, but without the bright orange filly, she probably would have come out of that fight with more than a few bruises.
She didn't look it, but Applejack had a wild imagination too. She had told Dash wild stories of a stallion she had met once, who traveled in a 'magical blue box'. She wasn't sure whether to believe her or not, but Dash liked a good story as much as the next pony, so she went along with it, sometimes making up stories of her own to excite her friend.
It was her farm, Sweet Apples Acres, that Rainbow Dash was headed towards that day. It was quite hot, and the sun shone down unrelentlessly through the cloudless sky, causing the filly to sweat in exhaustion. By the time she reached the farmhouse, Dash was panting for breath. She knocked on the door and leaned against the wall, resting.
Soon enough, the bright red door swung open, and an elderly mare looked out. “Oh, hello there, Rainbow Dash,” she said warmly. “You here to play with Applejack?”
“Yes, Granny Smith,” the pegasus replied politely.
Granny Smith chuckled. “Well, go on up then. She’s in her room. No work to be done today.”
Dash thanked her and flew up the stairs, quickly reaching her friend’s bedroom door. She pushed it open to reveal a large room. On the far side, by the window, sat the orange filly, staring at a crudely made paper mache model of a blue box. Noticing the cyan pegasus enter the room, she tore her attention away. “Oh, hey Rainbow Dash,” she said quietly.
“Hi Applejack!” she exclaimed, excitement in her voice. “How’s it goin’?”
The orange filly sighed. “Okay, I guess.”
The pegasus’ excited demeanor disappeared. “What’s wrong?” She noticed her friend eyeing the blue box. “What, thinking about that magic stallion again?”
Applejack nodded silently. “Imagine how amazing it would be to travel with him, in that box of his. Maybe it’s a spaceship, or something.”
Dash looked away and rolled her eyes. Sometimes the filly could take her imaginary friends too seriously at times. Still, she wanted to cheer her up, so she trotted over to the bed. “Hey, who knows? Maybe he’ll come back one day.”
That seemed to help. Applejack smiled. “Yeah. One day.”
***
“She made a paper mache model of the TARDIS?”
Rainbow Dash and The Doctor were sitting in the console room, chatting about their pasts. After what Twilight and Pinkie had told her, Dash was curious as to what exactly the Time Lord did before he met them, and what it was like back in his universe. Likewise, he wanted to know about hers. She was telling him about Applejack’s slight obsession with him, when she was a filly.
The cyan pegasus chuckled. “That’s not even the half of it. She even made her brother dress up as you!” She burst into laughter.
The Doctor chuckled. “Well, maybe I just have that effect on people,” he said, before turning to the giggling mare. “Hey, did she really think my name was ‘Timey Wimey’, and that I was the chief advisor to the mayor of Manehattan?” Rainbow Dash simply nodded smugly. The Time Lord laughed slightly, and sighed.
Their attention turned to the staircase leading out of the room, where Applejack now stood. “Hey Rainbow Dash? What are y’all talking about in here?”
The Doctor and Dash just looked at her for a moment, before bursting out into laughter again.
“What?” the farmpony asked, perplexed. No answer. “C’mon, what’s so funny?”
The Doctor tried to calm down and talk properly, but found himself in a fit of laughter once more after looking at the mare. Soon enough though, both of them had calmed down.
“What was that all about?” Applejack asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing.
The Time Lord turned to look at her. “Oh, nothing.” Before she could say anything in return, he had launched off, flipping levers around the main console. “So!” he exclaimed, “Where shall we go to next? Ooh, I know! There’s a wonderful planet not far from here, completely populated by talking monkeys!” He turned to both mares, grinning like a schoolcolt. “Can you believe that? Talking monkeys!”
Applejack rolled her eyes, while Rainbow Dash trotted up to him. “Talking monkeys? Boring!” she scoffed. “What about that planet you promised to take us to? Y’know, the galaxy’s capital of air racing?” He looked at her, and was met with puppy dog eyes. “Please can we go? Please?”
He tried to look away; to resist, but found himself unable. “Oh, fine.” He relented. “But tomorrow, I’m telling you. Talking monkeys!”
Rainbow hopped up into the air in excitement. “Yes!” She flew around the room happily, doing laps around the TARDIS’ central column. Laughing and shaking her head, Applejack walked up to The Doctor. “Can’t keep that mare down, huh?” she said to him.
“Ha.” He smiled, looking at her. “You’d know it better than I would.”
The country mare chuckled. “Yeah. Like, for example, when she was a filly, she would always get into fights at school. Standing up for her friends, and stuff.”
He nodded, motioning for her to continue.
“And I would always be the one to bail her out. Every time, she got in way over her head.”
The Time Lord smirked. “Friends look out for friends, right?”
Applejack nodded. “Yep. It’s what friends do.” She stopped, and turned back to him. “You consider us your friends, right?”
He took his eyes off the console and turned to her. “Of course.”
She smiled again. “Then you’re looking out for us as well.”
The Doctor grinned, and turned back to his machine. “Always.”
Old, Sad Eyes
The timid yellow pegasus laid there, humming a catchy tune. She marveled at the birds flying past and the rabbits hopping along, a few even stopping and waving to her. Granted, they probably weren't real, instead being 'holographic projections', as he had called them. Fluttershy was lying in one of the many rooms of The Doctor's TARDIS, simply relaxing. The Virtual Reality room, it was called. A room that projected almost any environment you could possibly want.
It had been almost two weeks since she and her friends had started traveling with the mad stallion and his amazing blue box, and it had been the time of their lives. The shy pegasus had seen many unbelievable things, most of them extraterrestrial. Some of them frightened her, yet she was amazed and intrigued at the same time. There were so many new and different species for her to see, she just couldn't resist. After all, traveling through time and space must have been a once in a lifetime opportunity.
She paused for a second, dwelling on that last thought. How long were her and her friends going to travel with The Doctor? They had jobs back home in Ponyville to attend to; their own lives to lead, after all. Would it be something they'd balance out, taking two week trips with him every year or so? 'Normal life' and 'Doctor life', would that be it?
She wasn't sure, but it didn't do good to think about it right now. They still had so much to see, and the prospect of new worlds to uncover was very exciting. They had seen so much, and yet there was still so much more left to see. Maybe that was why she agreed to step inside this machine on that fateful day. The pegasus loved to discover new things, and they didn't get much newer than this.
She had been wrapped in her thoughts for a while now, and noticed that some of the virtual animals had gathered around her, cuddling up close to her as she lay on the grass. She smiled warmly. They weren't real, she knew, but it was better than being alone.
Fluttershy had lost track of the time since she had gone in there. It must have been a few hours, at least. She stood up, stretching, before turning to the animals.
"That was nice," she said gently, "but I'm going to go now. See you soon." A few squirrels waved their paws, before scurrying away. Satisfied, the pegasus trotted out of the room and into the corridors of the TARDIS. I wonder what The Doctor is up to? she wondered, making her way down the hallway. The main console room wasn't too far away, so she decided to go and talk to him.
She made her way down the brightly lit hallway, whistling nonchalantly to herself. She was upbeat, and in a good mood. She only hoped that the Time Lord would take them all to somewhere more amazing than the last the next time they decided to go somewhere.
Soon enough, the timid pony reached the expansive console room. A warm orange glow emanated throughout the room, as always, but there was no one to be seen.
"Hello?" Fluttershy called out. "Doctor? Is there anyone in here?" She trotted down the stairs and around the central column to find the Time Lord sitting on the floor, staring at what appeared to be a photograph. Hearing her approach, he quickly stashed it in his pocket and turned to face her, trying his best to put on a smile.
"Hello, Fluttershy!" he exclaimed almost too enthusiastically, smiling at her.
The pegasus wasn't convinced. "Doctor, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm fine," he lied, still hiding behind the smile.
"Please don't lie to me, Doctor. Tell me what's wrong."
The Doctor's façade dropped, and his look changed to one of sadness. "How could you tell?"
Fluttershy walked over and sat down next to him. "I saw you looking at something. And..." She trailed off.
He looked her in the eye. "And what?"
She looked back at him with pity. "It's your eyes, Doctor, I can tell. Your eyes always look sad, even when you're not." She sighed and continued. "You've told us how old you really are. Nine hundred years... You must have seen and lost so much, and it shows."
He looked away, gazing around the room. "I... I just miss some old friends, you know?" He pulled out the photograph he had been hiding before. It depicted The Doctor in his previous incarnation, grinning in the middle of a gang of friends, standing inside an older version of the TARDIS.
"You miss all if them?" Fluttershy asked quietly.
The Time Lord nodded. "Yeah."
"And you can't see them again?"
"No, probably not."
She leaned in close and hugged him. "It's okay, Doctor. We'll always be here for you."
The stallion chuckled and returned the favour. "Thanks, Fluttershy. Y'know, they don't call you the Element of Kindness for nothing."
She laughed slightly, before looking back at the picture. "Were they good people?"
He smiled. "The best." He pointed to a red haired woman, standing next to him in the photo. "Donna. Let me tell you, she was something. Next to her is Mickey.” He chuckled, looking distant. “There was no friend more reliable than Mickey."
The yellow pegasus listened intently as The Doctor pointed out his old friends, asking a few questions about them along the way. After a while, he was almost done.
"That's Captain Jack," he told her, pointing to a tall man in a navy blue trenchcoat. "Oh boy, was he trouble. Granted, the fact that he was immortal didn't really help."
"Immortal?"
"It's a long story," he explained, before pointing out the last person in the group, a young blonde haired girl.
"Who was that?" Fluttershy asked him.
The Doctor smiled warmly. "Rose," he answered. "She was..." He paused. "She was Rose, and I wouldn't have missed her for the world."
Fluttershy smiled. "Doctor, I want to thank you for doing all of this with my friends and I." She hugged him again. "We really appreciate it."
"No problem," he told her. He was about to continue, but was cut off by a loud beeping from the main console. He stood up and trotted over to investigate.
"What is it?" the shy pony asked, standing up.
The Doctor looked away from the console and turned to her. "One of the backup engines had accidentally shut down," he explained. "I'd better pop down there and fix it."
Fluttershy looked concerned. "Are you sure?"
"It'll be fine, I promise," he reassured her, trotting out of the room. "Don't worry, I'll be right back. It'll be like I never left."