Author's note.

Hey, who said I was done? Although I may be devoting a lot (as in a lot) of my free time to re-watching Monthy Py- ...I mean, writing 'Stealth', I (and my space fire monkeys) won't allow this story to go on hiatus! Especially now that Doctor Whooves is canon! I'm going to the pub to celebrate. En garde! I mean... Allons-y!

P.S. I used 'Silver' as a first name in three of my stories already. And I have just noticed that... Something's strange... Something's amiss...

P.P.S. For those who don't approve of my word count: Non annumero verba sed appendere - Cicero

P.P.P.S. The one who finds and gets the reference gets an imaginary cookie and a space fire monkey. It can write stories and quote Shakespeare. It can also parody Reagan. Please, take it - I have too many... I just- *screech* *bang* *crush* Oh, my... I gotta go now!

***

"Doctor, you are arrested for anti-war propaganda. You will now be extradited to the Equestrian Empire in order to be tried by a military tribunal and receive the respective punishment," The griffin spoke in a firm voice, taking off his glasses and nonchalantly wiping them.

Again, not the most pleasant situation to start the day, eh? Nevertheless, that's exactly how it all began. No, of course my day started differently. That happened in the middle of an especially sunny afternoon. You really want to know the former events? Okay, I'll tell you - though they weren't half as interesting. As the sun rose above the desert...

***

As the sun rose above the desert, its inhabitants immediately started preparing themselves for a new day. Carnivores were checking their fangs and claws to be ready to kill swiftly and for sure, while other creatures were finding such shelters where they wouldn't be found and would be able to hide from the approaching heat.

The barrack was silent. A small desert hare leaped out of nowhere, sniffing the hot air, and slowly crawled towards the lone building. Just as he reached the door, it swung open, hitting the poor creature and sending him flying, and a white pony ran out of it, cheerfully yelling:

"My first reconnoitring! The first ever! I'm so excited! Maybe I'll be just like James Colt! Oh, I should have brought a bow tie! Do you have a bow tie, Fire Coat?" The white earth pony began bouncing around a black stallion, who had just left the barrack, stretching his forelegs, shaking his head, letting his mane fall down on his shoulders.

The black earth pony groaned and wearily looked in the direction of the vigourous youngster, lowering his head.

"It's six a.m., White Feather. Six bucking hours past midnight. And you're asking me about a bowtie?" He wondered, almost drifting to sleep immediately.

A brown earth pony left the barrack, looking calm, yet not sleepy. He leaned against the wall of the building, smiling at the two soldiers arguing. They've grown so close in the past few days... It's like White Feather forgot about his... deed... The Doctor (and that was totally me! - T.L. ) thought, his smile fading for a second at the remembrance. He shook his head and moved closer to the ponies.

"And now those hayheads are sleeping calmly, while you and I have to go on a mission!" Fire Coat groaned. "Why couldn't old Shieldy send Clover Leaf - or go himself!" He muttered, trying to get rid of the sleepy look on his face by constantly frowning.

The cyan-maned pony only jumped enthusiastically, while yelling at the top of his lungs (although the black stallion was near):

"But Fire Coat! The mission is so awesome! Can you imagine - we get to the enemy town, we-"

"White Feather, it's a common mission, which is repeated, like, every week. Nothing special," Fire Coat interrupted him by putting a hoof to the white mouth.

"Bt s m frst n!" White Feather mumbled through his teeth.

To avoid further development of the one of the usual pointless arguments, The Doctor came up to the two earth ponies, smiling with The Charming And Disabling Time Lord's Smile [TM].

"Like father like son, Fire Coat?" He asked the red-maned pony mockingly, knowing very well it would make the older stallion embarrassed. And it did indeed. (Did - indeed! Get it? Hahahaha, it's hilarious... You ponies still find such puns funny, don't you? Ahem... Moving on! - your awesome Time Lord)

The black pony glared at the grinning Time Lord, shaking his head.

"You are one unbearable - sure, smart - but unbearable son of a-" He began, but immediately stopped upon looking at White Feather who blushed, not used to hearing swearing.

"-Mare. Son of a mare." Fire Coat finished, his face expression gradually softening.

"Tale quale," The Doctor replied, understanding very well that the black soldier's respect for him was huge - and so was his warm, almost fatherly, dedication to the young white stallion.

The black pony grumbled something indistinct and headed towards the middle of the desert. Noticing that he wasn't being followed, he turned round, raising his brow.

"White Feather, you coming or what?" He asked, trying to be strict - and failing miserably. It was as clear as noonday that he felt warm around the white stallion - actually, ex-colt - and was really proud to train him.

The cyan-maned pony shook his head.

"Um... No, Fire Coat. Remember - Marex wanted to accompany us?" He asked, gesticulating with a hoof.

The Doctor nodded. Yes, he needs to go there today... He thought to himself.

The black pony waved a hoof.

"Nah, he changed his mind after talking to The Doctor yesterday - said something about 'getting to know him', y'know?" He addressed the white soldier, who nodded.

The brown earth pony, on the contrary, paled. No, no, no! He must go! He panicked, looking around.

"C'mon, White Feather! Who needs those unicorns? There are two of us - and two's an army!" The volunteer yelled, moving neither back nor forth.

"But... Fire Coat... We need a magic user - Silver Shield said it was impor-" The white pony began, to be roughly interrupted by the red-maned stallion.

"Silver Shield," he began mockingly. "Can go and bu-"

A loud cough left The Doctors mouth.

"-buck some apples. If there were any," Fire Coat finished less confidently. "Who needs magic anyway?" He asked nopony in particular. His face expressed concern and hesitation.

The Time Lord groaned at how everything was constantly changing. If only Corl Marex were obedient enough to play the role of a scout for a day - but no! He would refuse, changing the whole flow of history!

"W-we need magic, Fire Coat. Silver-" White Feather tried to reason his now-mentor again but stopped, seeing the look in his eyes at the mention of the commander's name.

"I'll go with you," The Doctor suddenly said.

The ponies both turned their heads towards the brown Time Lord.

"I can use magic, remember? I'll replace Marex," he continued, still not fully believing in what he was going to do. He was going to interfere. He had already interfered - due to his blind desire to see the father of Equestrian revolution, he messed with the Time-Space continuum, making the future political scientist stay at the barrack instead of going to the enemy town - all because of him, The Doctor! So he had to fix it somehow.

"I don't object..." White Feather mumbled, investigating his hooves.

Fire Coat looked at the brown pony. The look on his face extradited his curiosity.

"Are you sure about this? We're going to town - to a town full of Griffins," he said to the brown pony, waiting for the answer - no, hoping to get the desired answer.

"I'm sure - let's go!" The Time Lord said a bit too quickly, trotting towards Fire Coat, followed by White Feather, who was clearly happy to be in company of two mature stallions. The fear of being unprotected still lived deep in his heard. Such fears cannot just be tuckered away - they are either killed mercilessly or spared mercifully. One of the rules of life - nothing more, nothing less.

Fire Coat chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well, if you are so eager..."

The three ponies slowly walked through the desert, chatting, bathing in the warmth of the morning sun.

***

"And then I said - 'oh, sure, let's do it, baby!' And then she-" the white stallion talked and talked, not being embarrassed, fine with talking about mares at last, slightly boasting - the visible sign of growing up.

Fire Coat interrupted him with laughter.

"Oh, my young soldier, you must have found yourself in peril!" He exclaimed mockingly, parodying antique-Equestrian style. (You see, antique Equestria was much like medieval Earth - not that you know much about Earth, of course, but... Ahem, I'm drifting off again, right? Josh, carry on. - T.L.)

"Well, can't I have a bit of peril now and then?" White Feather asked in the same tone.

"No, it's unhealthy," the black soldier parried.

The brown earth pony coughed.

The soldiers looked at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your intelligent talk..." The Doctor began, making the white pony slightly blush. "...But I can clearly see a town on the horizon. Is it the one we're searching for? He wondered.

"Oh, right! There's it! Concardia!" White Feather exclaimed.

"Wait a minute..." The Time Lord muttered under his breath, when the sudden realisation struck him. "If this is Concardia, and it's twenty-three past eight in the morning, then..." He continued speculating.

"THE PATROL! RUN!" He yelled, but it was too late - out of nowhere, four muscular griffins appeared, wielding swords, leaded by a slightly smaller griffin, who, in addition, was wearing glasses.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" The Doctor gradually raised his voice from a whisper to a heart-wrenching cry. Fear enveloped both his mind and body, circumscribing his very subconsciousness.

The leader of the Griffins smiled.

"Oh, Doctor? It is a pleasure to see you here. Although, if I may pose it in such a manner, you were most... anticipated" He spoke softly and slowly, weighing each word.

"How..." The brown pony exhaled. No, this cannot be happening! How - how in the Universe could I fall for this... again! Such thoughts haunted him, bringing pain and unease to his soul.

"So you replaced Corl Marex, am I right? Ah, yes - I remember: you did... you will do the same in one of the parallel universes... Wait a minute... you totally do the same, for it is that parallel universe!" The griffin chuckled at his joke, not losing his refined, almost regal, state.

"I... I can explain! Please - you know I don't want to!" The Doctor fell on the ground, shivering and crying.

The two pony soldiers froze in place at the sight of such an unpredicted loss of the brown pony's composure.

"Do not worry, Doctor. We will not do it - not this day. Though our ideas be different, our current goal is the same," the griffin leader continued, putting emphasis on the word 'current'. "As for now..." He continued with a sigh. "Some formalities. You two. my good ponies, will reach your goal untouched. The disguise will be awaiting you in the place defined by your commander, Silver Shield," he said, not letting the ponies say a word.

"Doctor, you are arrested for anti-war propaganda. You will now be extradited to the Equestrian Empire in order to be tried by a military tribunal and receive the respective punishment," The griffin spoke in a firm voice, taking off his glasses and nonchalantly wiping them.