Under The Milky Way Ch. 6

Under The Milky Way
Written By Closer-To-The-Sun (Joseph Noblit)
Chapter 6: Twilight

"You heard me, come along and travel with me!" the Doctor restated giving her a warm and welcoming smile.

Twilight shook herself back to normal, "Now you're just being more ridiculous than usual, which I have admit is something I didn't think you could do."

"Am I being ridiculous? I've been called a madman with a box far more times than I count!" the Doctor continued his trotting.

"Let's just get you to your TARDIS, or whatever it is," the purple mare spoke, still trying to process what the Doctor offered to her.

Celestia's sun had set by the time the two ponies arrived at the blue phone box hidden just off the side of the road.

"Ah, the TARDIS. Time and relative dimension in space! The old girl seems to be doing just fine. A little break from flying around the universe does it a world of good, both body as well as the mechanical parts within," the Doctor said as he went around the box, examining it in every little detail.

"Show off," Twilight commented with a smirk.

"Oi! It's not showing off, it's reflection! Me and this machine go back a long time! We have literally been to the far corners of space and back," the brown stallion became defensive.

"Well, I'm so sorry to have offended her!" Twilight mocked.

"You'll see just what it can do," the stallion pushed the doors open, revealing the inside of the time machine, "So then, shall we be off? All of time and space await."

Twilight was hesitant to respond. The thought of traveling off Equestria to see what wonders the rest of the universe was a tempting offer, but she couldn't, in good judgment, make a sudden decision like that on the spot. One of her hooves reached up and touched her still freshly burnt mane, "You just fall out of the sky, give me the shock of your life, captivate the mind of Spike, and now you are asking me to fly through space with you?"

The Doctor changed the subject, "I also noted that Spike didn't mock your burnt mane."

Twilight was quick to state the reason, "He knows that if he does, he gets extra chores, but can we get back to what you were saying? I mean, it's a lot for me to take it at once."

"Oh, right, of course! Sorry!"

With a sigh, the mare continued, "It's something I would love to do….but what about what you said about my future? You said I have big things in my future here in Ponyville."

"Time can always be rewritten," the Doctor stated.

"I don't know….I really don't know what to d-"

Stopping her by placing his hoof on one of her limbs, the Doctor looked up into the twilight of the night and spoke, "Look up, Twilight. Look up at the stars. Above are worlds without number. Life forms that we can only begin to count. I've been traveling among it for around a millennia and a half and I have only scratched the surface. I'm offering to you a chance to accompany me and see what others can only imagine, Across time, across space. What do you say?"

Finally, Twilight gave an answer, her voice was one of struggling, "I can't….I just can't do it! I have so much here to do. I can't do it in good faith."

With a small smile, the Doctor nodded, "My offer will always stand, Ms. Sparkle."

"I'm sorry," Twilight hung her head low.

"Fret not. I will always remember our time together under the Milky Way. And I will always remember you, the plucky purple unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle," the Doctor entered his TARDIS and began starting up the machine at his console. With one last look to Twilight through the doors, he asked, "Would you like to take one last stroll around the TARDIS?"

With a sad smile, she declined, "I really shouldn't, but thank you, Doctor. For everything."

"Ms. Sparkle, it is me who should be thanking you. And with that, I do sincerely thank you from the bottom of both my Gallifreyian hearts," the Doctor smiled brightly as he closed the doors to TARDIS.

Turning back towards Ponyville, Twilight began to trot away from the blue phone box. She heard a strange, yet slightly familiar whirring noise from behind her. After a number of paces, she turned back to see the TARDIS beginning to disappear. Over come with emotion, Twilight rushed back to the TARDIS as it was beginning to vanish. Tears started to form and fall down her face. She was immediately filled with regret that she did not join him, "Doctor! I've changed my mind, I want to join you! I want to go with you!"

Her words, however, only echoed in the twilight of the night. Crushed, she turned back towards Ponyville and started home.

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Back at the Ponyville library, Twilight dried her eyes as best she could before entering the building. Her dragon assistant, who was lying on the floor reading a book, could tell something was bothering her.

"Hey, Twilight, are you alright?" Spike asked with concern for his friend.

Twilight was a bit choked up to speak, but she managed to nod and speak a few words, "Yes, I'm fine."

"Would you like me to make you some tea?" the dragon offered.

Twilight nodded, "Yes, thank you."

Trotting up the stairs, the mare went out on to the balcony, allowing the night air to hit her coat again. Shivering slightly, she looked up at the stars in the sky. A couple tears returned to her eyes and rolled slowly down her face.

Spike stepped out on the balcony as well with a tray for tea in his claws. He set it down in front of the sitting unicorn.

"Thank you, Spike," she spoke, taking a sip of the warm liquid.

"Is he gone?" the dragon asked.

Twilight could only nod for an answer.

"You wanted to go with him, didn't you?"

Twilight didn't answer.

"If I may say something, Twi? I know he said he crash landed here and all of that by accident, but it could have been that he was here to help you," Spike stated, looking up at the multitude of stars in the sky.

"What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked.

Picking up the tray, Spike made his way back inside, "I don't know, I'm just a baby dragon with an overactive imagination as you would put it."

Sipping her tea again, Twilight looked back up to the stars in the sky and thought about the dragon's words. "Well, whether Spike has a point or not," she spoke to herself, "I know I won't forget you either, Doctor."

END