The City of Arcadia, Gallopfrey
12:22pm, 1100 T.R. (Time of Our Lord Rassilon)
Pinkie Pie loved the city of Arcadia, almost as much as she loved her friends and family; and that’s saying something! Pinkie grinned as they stepped out of the cab; the Doctor swiped his psychic paper over a machine and on the display blinked an infinite symbol next to the currency indicator. She didn’t really understand what that meant, but the driver’s mouth dropped and he thanked the Doctor for his generosity.
They looked upon the city square with awe-struck expressions and eyes brimming with wonder. Pinkie couldn’t believe her eyes but they always told the truth so it doesn’t seem right to sudden assume they’re lying. In the last chapter, Pinkie had spent the entirety of it playing outside with a bunch of school-ponies and having fun in the city.
She had asked them a bunch of questions about Time Lords and they asked her a bunch of questions about life in Ponyville, it was a really nice time, even after she saw that scary thing in the back of the park. Pinkie didn’t like to think about scary things, Granny Pie always told her that the scary things aren’t as scary as they seem and they shouldn’t get to her. Pinkie tried to keep Granny Pie’s wise words in her mind but found that she couldn’t. When she looked at the scary thing, it felt like everything she knew and remembered disappeared from her mind.
It wasn’t like a pony, or anything, it was just blob of darkness that briefly reminded Pinkie of that gelatin recipe the Cakes recently came up with. In fact, that gelatin was really good; so good Pinkie couldn’t stop smiling that whole day. Well she always liked to smile but it wasn’t a gelatin-induced perpetual smile. Anyways, where was she. Oh right, the scary thing. It just stood there by the school, although it didn’t have any hooves, Pinkie wanted to assume it was actually standing instead of levitating.
Nopony paid any attention to that thing and some ponies could walk right through it! But Pinkie froze when she saw it. It didn’t have a face but Pinkie swore it was staring right at her, pulling every happy thought from her eyes and absorbing them like a black hole. It made Pinkie want to run and hide, to duck under her blankie where things were nice and safe… then again, that thing gave her an irrational fear of the dark.
Before she could do anything, the creature disappeared like it was never there and Pinkie couldn’t actually remember what it looked like or what she was looking at. It was weird; every moment that passed her memory of the creature disappeared more and more. Pinkie feared that everything she knew would fade like that monster had…
“Lovely isn’t it?” the Doctor asked, wrapping her foreleg around Pinkie and smiling broadly. Pinkie blinked and smiled cheerfully at the Doctor, his smile was so infectious she just couldn’t help but grin back. There was this weird feeling in the back of her head telling her she’s forgetting something but she ignored it.
“Yeah, it’s super pretty!” Pinkie answered. “Rarity would love this place!”
It certainly was. There was a myriad of Gallopfreyan designs in their circle language decorating the window panes, illuminated in a brilliant spectrum of colors that blinked and changed between colors periodically so the whole square lit up magically. Gallopfreyans walked down the streets wearing clothes the ponies at the Citadel wore but the intricate designs were different in a subtle manner. For example: Arcadian ponies had Greek words on their robes whereas the ponies in the main city didn’t.
The tiniest differences, Pinkie thought, set them apart by leagues and she quite enjoyed it. Everypony had their own way of expressing themselves, whether it is overt like Pinkie’s antics or as subtle as Fluttershy’s gentle voice and soft-speaking tone. These ponies may have been Gallopfreyan but they were also Arcadians which set them apart in terms of culture, sociopolitical influence, even architectural designs.
That kind of stuff always intrigued Pinkie. Sure, she didn’t seem like the type of mare to care about the impact popular culture may have on susceptible ponies but she certainly did. After all, a party pony needs to have a good base knowledge on everything, how else can she come up with creative themes for each celebration?
Twilight could talk your head off about the implications of the business and political spectrum affecting the populace, even Rarity could lend in a hoof about cultural bias. It was all very interesting but it was difficult to pay attention to them when they talked a lot. Pinkie couldn’t help it! She tries, really hard to listen but her eyelids get heavy and her brain is like Hey, time to go to sleep!
Thankfully, her brain wasn’t anything like that right now. It was wide-awake, processing everything she saw and responded with a rainbow colored spectrum of happiness. Pinkie glanced at the Doctor and noticed he was smiling as wide as she was, which made her smile more!
“If only Jenny could see this,” the Doctor muttered. Then he frowned like he should’ve remembered something… something really important. Pinkie frowned as well, her head started to hurt, like it was trying to grapple a ghost of a memory.
Flashes of images came to her mind. Ashy-gray creatures, a domed military encampment, a blonde mare wearing camouflage fatigues…
But they disappeared in an instant and then confusion set on Pinkie’s face. For a moment she wondered why she was so upset a second ago but again passed it off as maybe a tummy ache or something. The Doctor shook his head in confusion, when he met Pinkie’s eyes he looked so sad, so lost for a moment. His golden eyes looked like rusted tin. But then it brightened like he remembered to be happy.
“I wasn’t from here, but Susan loved to visit Arcadia as much as she could,” the Doctor said, walking forward, through the grand city.
Applejack frowned as she followed. “Susan?” she asked.
“My granddaughter,” the Doctor answered. “Oh, you lot would’ve liked her. Very clever.”
“Where is she?” Pinkie asked, looking around as if trying to find her.
“Oh, she’s off with her coltfriend. She—“ the Doctor frowned. “Hm. Where is she…”
“I didn’t know you were a grandfather, Doctor!” Pinkie exclaimed with a giggle. “You don’t seem that old.”
“Ah, don’t let the cool gear fool you, Pinkie. I’ve got quite a bit of mileage,” the Doctor smiled wearily and patted Pinkie. “Now then, how’s about a trip to the museum?”
Normally, museum would’ve sound boring to Pinkie. Don’t get her wrong, the buildings themselves are usually really pretty and cute but it was so quiet and so boring! Walking around, looking at weird pictures of the bones of ancient animals wasn’t Pinkie’s idea of a good time (Gummy sure liked it though!)
But this museum was a bit different, the Doctor explained. It was more about the history of the individual Time Lords.
“Even you?” Pinkie asked.
The Doctor nodded. “All of my lives, ready for you.”
To be honest, Pinkie was very interested in learning about the Doctor. She knows that someponies prefer to keep to themselves and enjoy the prospect of solidarity and silence, Cranky taught her that. But come on, this is the Doctor! This Time Pony is mystery incarnate!
She’s wanted to know more about him since they first met. What his real name was, where he was from, what his favorite snack was (to this day, Pinkie still doesn’t know what jelly babies are). It didn’t help that every moment she was with the Doctor he did something amazing that blew her mind!
It’s like her mom gave her this really cool toy and told her that she can’t press the red button that was on its head. That no matter what the situation, she cannot touch that button. So, of course, all she wanted to do was press the button! And every five minutes or so, the cool toy randomly did something really cool like rockets appear on its back or it dispenses cake.
That’s what the Doctor was, this really cool toy that dispenses cake… in fact, could he dispense cake?
Pinkie was going to ask the Doctor if the TARDIS had a kitchen but then the wall glowed and a red light emitted from it, showering the Time Pony in a crimson hue until he looked almost timeless. The display on the wall showcased the Doctor’s expression; he was making a silly face, sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes so he looked like Ditzy.
The museum looked like every museum Pinkie’s ever been to. It had white, sterile walls and paintings set up everywhere of amazing, realistic landscapes or famous ponies with regal poses; staring off into the distance like, What is that?
Pinkie had expected some sort of grand exhibit for the Doctor but they had stopped in front of a blank wall with a single display on it and it took his picture. His goofy expression remained on the screen as pieces of data whizzed by it, so fast even Pinkie couldn’t read. She only caught a few words like Skaro, Eight-Legs, black hole, and Valeyard.
Eventually, the wall shifted until multiple displays lined it. Each display winked to life and the picture of different ponies appeared on it. Pinkie thought those were his family members because although they looked nothing alike, they had the same crazy look in their eyes, like a genius hopped up on too much sugar.
Then she noticed that underneath every stallion were their names: The Doctor.
“From 1 to 12,” the Doctor explained. “That’s me.”
Pinkie honestly thought the Doctor was playing a joke because the first 4 Doctors were, well, older-looking than he was. The First looked like the eldest, with snow-white hair, a wizened expression and a crotchety gait. It was only the 5th Doctor that it began to fluctuate and you couldn’t tell how old he really was. She looked up to the 11th, a dark coated pony with a wavy mane and sad eyes. The current Doctor was right next to 11 and although they looked the same, the Doctor’s golden eyes looked perpetually happy.
She decided that she liked 12 the most out of all of them.
“Ya got a lot of faces,” Applejack remarked. “But what about that one?”
Applejack pointed to the display between the 8th and 9th Doctor. Pinkie hadn’t noticed it before but all it showed was static, flickering on and off as if it was trying to grab that piece of data but either it wasn’t there or it simply couldn’t.
The Doctor frowned and placed his hoof on the broken display. His expression looked conflicted like he too was trying to grasp a memory that simply wasn’t there. “Must be a glitch,” he decided but he didn’t seem very convinced.
“Ooh, is that your granddaughter?” Pinkie asked, pointing at the 1st Doctor. Underneath his portrait were a few other ponies in a group picture. One was a handsome looking stallion with a neatly combed brown mane and a nice blazer with a dark tie beside a lithe mare with a big hairdo and flower-print dress. The smallest of them was a tiny mare with a pale coat and a short-cropped brown mane and meticulously brushed tail. Her eyes were dark but shared the same ingenious light the Doctor’s had and her cutie mark was like his: a Golden Hourglass but it glowed bright yellow, like the sun was right behind it.
The Doctor looked at the picture and nodded. A sad frown came to his lips as he looked at Susan. “Susan,” he said, his voice ragged. “She was always clever…”
“She’s quite pretty, Doctor,” Applejack remarked.
“Very.”
“Hey, who’s that, Doctor?” Applejack asked.
The Doctor and Pinkie looked at what Applejack pointed at and instantly a wave of nausea washed over her. Pinkie felt dizzy, like the world around her turned upside down. She felt her skin go clammy and her knees shook as she looked at the picture.
Right underneath the 11th Doctor was a portrait of several ponies: a red-haired mare, a stallion in Roanen armor, a mare with a big frizzy hairdo, but the very last one made Pinkie sick. She wanted to throw up, run away, hide under her bed and cry, all at the same time.
The last one was a tiny mare with a tanned coat. Her chocolate brown mane was beautifully straightened and draped over her neck comfortably. She wore a dark coat that made her look a bit tough and didn’t match her warm eyes and pretty smile that brought a tear to Pinkie’s eyes. But what made her so scared was her cutie mark: it was a strange blue mixing bowl with a whisk in it.
It was a strange cutie mark, admittedly, but it fit this particular mare. Pinkie knew that cutie mark, she’d never thought she’d see it again. She almost began bawling because that particular cutie mark and particular mare was her Granny Pie—
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The City of--------REDACTED
[REDACTEDREDACTEDREDACTED]
Pinkie Pie smiled as she shared a Popsicle with the Doctor. Well, share may be a grievous overstatement. She took the half piece of Popsicle that the Doctor held in his hooves and happily chomped on it. The Time Pony gave her a curious expression but said nothing as he continued with his own Popsicle.
Applejack was content with her own Popsicle and sat to the Doctor’s right. As expected from the farm pony she bought the apple-flavored Popsicle and was rather surprised at the high-quality flavor that washed over her tongue. The Doctor had a regular watermelon Popsicle while Pinkie opted for the blue bubblegum flavor. But Pinkie had finished her Popsicle relatively early and “asked” the Doctor for half of his.
The city of Arcadia splayed out before the trio as they watched the suns set on the horizon. The Doctor took his TARDIS and floated above the city while the three of them sat off the edge, just barely fitting, Pinkie was very much aware of her hindleg against the Doctor’s.
“Eventful day,” the Doctor remarked with a smile. “This is my favorite part, though.”
“Two mares on either side of ya as we watch th’ sunset? Yeah, Ah can imagine why this is yer favorite,” Applejack said with a chuckle.
The Doctor shook his head, unbothered by Applejack’s implications and pointed at the sunset. “The way the suns shine their last bit of light on the city,” he said just as they dipped below the horizon. “It makes the whole city glow.”
On cue, the last bit of light from the suns caught the large spires and refracted off the reflective surfaces and a rainbow exploded over the city. Pinkie Pie caught her breath because it looked like a sonic rainboom, glowing with a magic that couldn’t be explained very well. The rainbow was only there for a few seconds and when it faded the city fell into a sleepy darkness.
The Doctor looked at Pinkie Pie with a slight smile. In the dim lights of the TARDIS he looked like those knights Pinkie read about when she was a filly, brave, strong and timeless. His 14-carot eyes glittered playfully and Pinkie felt heat rise up to her cheeks as he leaned in close. She was frozen in place as the Doctor gently kissed her lips and fireworks went off in her head—
“GET TO COVER!”
Explosions obliterated the AA-gun and the pony manning it was vaporized instantly. Pinkie dove and pushed herself to the ground as much as she could as the Daleks dive-bombed for another run, just barely missing her as their Z-Neutrino energy blasts tore the ground up behind her.
Chaos erupted in her ears that only barely drowned out the perpetual ringing she heard. Screams of fillies and colts and innocent ponies burned into Pinkie’s memory. Orders were being barked by officers around her, trying to get some order into this mess but it was pointless.
Pinkie looked up at the sky. The once beautiful blue sky was blood-red with black clouds; the suns were blocked by the massive Dalek fleet that seemed to cover every square-inch of the upper atmosphere. She could see the sky trenches holding steady but the continued onslaught from the ships would destroy them easily.
Another explosion to Pinkie’s left jarred her back to reality. She rolled away as the heat washed over her and jumped to her hooves. Grabbing her weapon, Pinkie growled as it powered up and aimed it at the Daleks as they flew overhead, bombarding the bomb shelters like it was nothing.
She let off a barrage of energy bolts that collided with a Dalek. The first few only glanced off its shield but the next caused it to explode. Pinkie had to roll out of the way as the debris from the Dalek’s destroyed husk nearly crashed into her.
The Gallopfreyan armor felt bulky on her but Pinkie didn’t dare take it off. The armor was designed to absorb a few shots from a Dalek’s fully charged blast, afterward it would crumble like aluminum foil. Her earpiece buzzed with confused chatter and panicked distress calls; it seemed that this chaos was everywhere.
“PRIORITY LEVEL: OMEGA, ALL EARS. NOVA BOMB ACTIVE IN DELPHI. ANYPONY WITHIN A 50 MILE VICINITY EVACUATE. REPEAT. GET OUT OF THE CITY OF DELPHI, THE BOMB IS SET TO GO OFF IN—“
The radio line buzzed loudly, popped, and went dead. The ground rumbled under Pinkie’s hooves. She glanced to the west and saw the sun… No, it wasn’t the sun. A rust-colored mushroom cloud bloomed in the distance and Pinkie’s hearts dropped. A second later, a shock wave shook the entire city, shattering every window on every building and even knocked down a few skyscrapers.
Pinkie held her breath, staring out in horror as she watched the city of Delphi disappeared in an instant. She looked up at the sky, tears falling from her eyes as she angrily fired at the Daleks, yelling so loud all she could hear at the moment was the blood roaring in her ears. She didn’t hear the Dalek fire at her but felt her entire body burn as she was launched in the air and slammed into a building.
Her hearts ached with pain and her body felt like it was slowing down… she was dying but couldn’t feel her body regenerate as it should.
Pinkie’s eyes closed, falling into a deep sleep by the chorus of “EXTERMINATE!” by the Daleks.
Again... Mind exploded.
Told you!
Why does everybody never listen!
dfer.org/custom_images/toldya.jpg
And I thought "Bad Wolf" was mindblowing
Pinkie. breaking the 4th wall since 2010!![:rainbowlaugh:](https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/rainbowlaugh.png)
Ok, about an earlier comment, I WAS remembering wrong. Heh, the point I'm at in the show hasn't even MENTIONED Jenny, it was Susan I was thinking about.
um wat![:rainbowhuh:](https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/rainbowhuh.png)
I stand corrected. This is more like 'Amy's Choice' mixed with 'The Wedding of River Song' and 'Turn Left'.
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Also, AJ being flirty and Pinks blushing at the Doc. Some of the least romantic ponies I can think of besides RD. Tennant was the one with game, don't you forget!