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[multaekappae]

 Previously

It was amazing that one could actually get bored inside of the bluebox. Riptide, having ceased her constant questioning of the Doctor in order to let him work, had quickly found herself out of things to do. As with many, boredom lead to risk taking and this lead to the kelpie finally deciding to risk transforming into an alicorn, the one pony type that kelpies couldn't take without great risk. It worked! Riptide found herself wearing the face and body of the dark blue alicorn Princess Foghorn Luna.

She was still gliding from box stack to box stack in her gleeful triumph when a door opened revealing the wayward travelers...and two new ponies. Her surprise at seeing the new arrivals was enough for her to misjudge the next jump and crashland in a pile of boxes.
 

 

 

     The unicorn started at the noise, peering at the curious figure– "Riptide!?" the time mare cried, seemingly surprised and delighted in equal measure.
 

The kelpie started, her name was not the first thing she was expecting to hear from the new ponies. Righting herself through the shredded packaging, a small part of her noting her initial surprise had stripped her of the princess's form.

"Oh, hello! Do I know you?" she asked.
 

Ako had accepted the glass of water and pills from Ramona, but from being more focused on not embarrassing herself further had not bothered to look at it until the party seemed to arrive at their destination. By that time she had taken a sip of the water and only then noticed something else in her hand. Dropping the pills carefully into her other hand, she peered at them suspiciously.

She opened her beak to ask the unicorn what they were, but when the gryphon looked up she saw the pony in question was already starting a conversation with Riptide. Making a face and wincing as the motion made her forehead throb, Ako instead flicked her tail against Sharpwit's side. Without looking over at him and taking her eyes off the room at large, she held the pills out a bit towards him to examine.

"What is this? What am I supposed to do with these?"

Her eyes narrowed, glaring at the kelpie and trying to catch how this unicorn knew her.

Sharp felt Ako's tail brush up against him as they  walked through the hallway. Glancing at his griffon companion, he found that she was holding the glass of water and aspirin that Romana had offered her. "What is this?" she mumbled under her breath. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

The Inspector, realizing how she was trying to save face, restrained a chuckle. Making sure to stare anywhere but Ako's direction, he muttered "It's aspirin. It's supposed to reduce the pain in your head." Realizing she probably would still be suspicious, he added, "I believe the folk-medicine equivalent would be willow bark?"

Noticing where Ako was looking, Sharp pondered a little as well. "I suppose you're wondering how the Doctor's old companion knows our dear kelpie..."
 

"Doctor!" Scribble spied his Doctor across the cargo area, messing with something as always. The guy was more confused than say.... a piece of popcorn in a popcorn shrimp basket, but at least he and Primeval had gotten a sort-of explanation from Isop. If he kept being helpful like that, Scribble would have to apologize for punching him out that one time.

"Reunited and it feels so good. Or does it? Just what is he not telling you all..."

"Doctor!" he shouted again, making his way across the room and ignoring the text that appeared at his hooves and vanished. Primeval trailing behind him, having nothing else to do and with almost as many questions. "Whatever mess we've ended up in now... I would have to say it's almost as confusing as the Discord thing. Are you aware that there's another you on the TARDIS?"
 

     The unicorn stopped, confused. "I... thought you – oh." Romana put a hoof over her muzzle. "Ohhh. Ah, that is to say, if I'm understanding this correctly, we will meet in your future, which will be in my personal past. Part of the complications of being a time traveler, I'm afraid." She shrugged.

     "There's a bit of a misunderstanding at first..." her brow furrowed and she looked at her Doctor, "Mostly his fault, but it mostly works out in the end. I'd like to think we parted on fairly good terms and no, before you ask," She grinned, "I can't tell you anything about your future self... other than obviously in at least one timeline you live long enough to meet me again for the first time."

     "Still, I'm glad to see a friendly face around here." The time mare frowned, "Not that I'm saying anything about your friends mind. But... ah, who are they?"

 

---

 

     The Doctor ... that is to say, the time pony known as the Doctor, currently in an incarnation with a penchant for wearing a jaunty green tie and somewhat spiky short mane, that fellow, regarded the blue earth pony. "Ah, weren't you here for... oh, no, you were out."

     Scribble didn't deign to give the babble a response.

     "Err, I wasn't aware he was here already, but I expected to meet a previous regeneration of myself. For you see, this isn't the incarnation of the TARDIS that–

     "Yeah, we all got on the wrong TARDIS, Isop already told me that part." It wasn't exactly an act of love and tolerance, but being able to steal a march on the time pony was simply too delicious to pass up.

     The Gallopfreyan stallion blinked several times in rapid succession. "Right. Well..."

     The pony who had been under discussion approached, after pointedly not noticing the presence of a kelpie with a horn in the room. He approached his quarry, his supposed future self. "So, are you going to explain why you felt it necessary to steal the TARDIS from yourself?"

     The later Doctor sighed, hanging his head. "Look I'm sorry, I really and truly am. So. Sorry. Just show me where you've parked my TARDIS and we'll see ourselves out, yeah?"

     The earlier incarnation frowned in a rather vague manner. "Oh, that is going to be ... err." He made an effort to laugh jovially. "You see, funny story really, it's been stolen. Romana and I barely escaped. Some sort of deuced hybrid magic/technology resonance system. Specifically targeted to my flight-pattern."

     "Wot?" The lighter colored brown stallion managed.

     "Oh, speaking of which, I suspect you ended up here because you didn't bother to re-calibrate the system before taking off. Tell me, when exactly do I become so sloppy?" The curly maned one frowned.

     "You... you lost the TARDIS, and you're criticizing me?"

     "You're saying slamming into temporal immersion without checking your parameters isn't a mistake?"

     "Of course I'm not saying that. It's bloody stupid – but I was fleeing a destructive harmonic feedback–

     "Oh yes, because we're not constantly in danger of being unmade or rewritten. And they call me sloppy."
 

Riptide tapped Scarfy Doctor on the shoulder with a hoof to get his attention. "If it helps, I was the one who pulled the lever...though for all I know all this could have been Discord's fault. Thank Dagon, we're still alive."

"And if this really is your TARDIS, then I guess you know we unintentionally installed a pool!"
 

     ... Tie Doctor cleared his throat. "Riptide, while I do appreciate your trying to share in the blame, it really wasn't your fault. And the one compensation for all of this madness is that I can be certain Discord never saw it coming." a hint of a smile that didnot speak of beneficence threatened on his muzzle.

     The 'Scarfy' Doctor frowned, "What do you–

     "Excuse me," Primeval interjected, "I don't know your customs, although the more I hear of you, the less I worry about offending you..." she took a deep breath,"But I would very much like to have the relevant question answered: Where is the TARDIS that belongs to our Doctor?"

     "Well, based on the interference I encountered, it has to be somewhere within a few kilometers of here." The Doctor who had been questioned answered, adjusting his hat.

     "Wait... somewhere around here? In pitch black darkness, near the very depths of the ocean?" Riptide asked, "Awfully convenient that I'm here, able to at least have a chance of finding it without–

     "I rather doubt your... particular talents will be needed." the curly maned pony remarked, "I the TARDIS was stolen, which means foreign agency, which implies a base of operation, which implies..."

     Several individuals shouted some variation of "The light in the darkness" at effectively the same time.
 

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