Circumstances - Chapter 1

      "Barcelona?" Doctor smiled widely.

  TARDIS was purring quietly while her owner was impressing himself. Yeah, exactly - himself. If she only could tell him how bad he looked these days.

Unfortunately TARDIS couldn't speak. Disappointing was the fact that Doctor never thought about giving his spaceship a voice. It's very own voice. TARDIS could feel but she couldn't speak her thoughts... More or less. After some years she figured out other ways to communicate. Very effectively.

   Doctor stopped for a moment, looking at the door. He wished Rose was there entering the ship. He could clearly imagine her walking towards him with a bright smile. Time Lord snapped his fingers giggling quietly. Closing the door just in front of Jackie's face was just too funny to resist. But there was no Jackie. No Mickey. He missed them. He could remember all of them: Rose, Martha and even Donna, whose yelling didn't seem so irksome right now. But everyone was happy just as it was - world without the Doctor. Some him-human was taking care of Rose, doing his best to make her happy (if he really was that similar to his prototype). Martha was protecting her world, fighting with what shouldn't have ever come on Earth and Donna... She couldn't even remember him. Doctor was alone but he had chosen it to be this way. It was better for everyone. Well - almost for everyone.

   TARDIS knew what was the problem. She could always understand him. And she helped him the only way she could help.

      "So? Where would you like to go? Maybe New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York?" he took a deep breath before he could continue. "You know, it would be nice to check on how did they deal with setting up the new government" Doctor explained his idea walking vigorously near the console. It looked almost as if he was dancing around it. "I know there are those cat-nurses and I don't really like cats but... Come on - how bad it could be?" he smiled truculently, then turned on the switch.

   Spaceship started making it's familiar noise. Doctor smiled to himself. He didn't have much but he had a house and that was a treasure no-one could ever steal from him. No-one - as long as he was in charge.

   TARDIS obeyed Doctor's order. Actually the trip wasn't so long and their destiny was close or you would rather call it "soon". 4000 years wasn't really a big deal for such a young (over 1000 years isn't really anything to be proud of) but experienced TARDIS. They were almost there. The ship felt contented about the Doctors soul being a bit cured by visiting a human city. But as they landed things have changed.

   Doctor was usually very excited about going there. He even used to whistle from time to time some cheerful tune. But not this time. Time Lord was still standing in one place not moving even an inch. TARDIS feel something is wrong, different. The scar in Doctors heart was so deep that even this place couldn't help him to clear his head. If spaceships could smile, TARDIS would definitely giggle right now. The idea was too tempting to reject it. Suddenly she started taking off - as quickly as she had landed. Roaring became louder and louder, waking the Time Lord from his tormor.

      "No... No, no no, no, no!" Doctor looked at the console, reading parameters. "It's impossible" he whispered to himself opening his eyes widely. It was like the universe was absorbing TARDIS. He hit the console with anger but spaceship didn't change her mind. She could feel his despair and stray.

      "Why are you doing this to me? Why now?" he cried.

She wanted to answer him but it was pointless. She could only creak or roar from time to time, that's all. TARDIS was doing this for Doctors own good and she took whole responsibility for this trip. It was far from where they were supposed to be but it was worth going there - to the place where you can find only happiness and peace.



   The flight took them about two days. TARDIS was doing her best to make it as fast as it was possible  but the reduction of the time still didn't prevent the Doctor from spending almost 48h inside his beloved blue police box. Time Lord had fallen asleep couple of hours ago, as he was powerless towards the TARDIS. D was now sitting on the ground with his hands crossed. He leaned against the dark brown door. His head hung, simply lying in his chest. Every Time Lord sometimes needed some sleep.

Doctor wasn't moving. The only thing that could be heard in the TARDIS was a quiet mumble.
      "Banana cocktail..." Time Lord whispered, dreaming. It wasn't a good dream, nor a bad one. He raised his hand to touch his head. Two hearts pounded quickly when Doctor tried to get away from the castle, where British Queen appeared to be a human Dalek. He was looking for Rose to help her get away but she was nowhere to be found. Surprisingly hearts couldn't go faster, when their owner felt a dull pain in his skull.

      "Ouch!" Doctor opened his eyes quickly, as something heave hit him on his forehead. He wanted to complain loudly how ridiculous his dream was, when he realized what has woken him up. The first thing he could see was a big brown... thing. It was sitting in the top of his hand. Time Lord started shaking off that weird thing but it didn't want to move. Actually it couldn't, as it was a part of Doctor's body.

      "What?" he wagged his hand even more nervously. "What?!" Doctor groaned. In his entire lofe he wouldn't expect to have a... hoof (or even four of them!).

   Time Lord started examining himself carefully. Light brown fur, hooves, ears on the top of his head, long muzzle... He looked on the ground, where he could see his reflection in TARDISes deck. His mane was long and swept-back. Dark brown, which Doctor found rather disappointing.

      "A pony and not ginger". If TARDIS could, she would smile as a loud complain resonated around the spaceship. "But even so - I look surprisingly well, for a pony of course".

   He had also a short tail in the same color as the mane. After a while, another quite embarrassing fact hit him - he was naked. Only one part of his body was covered - the part no-one would expect to be hidden from others eyes.

      "How did I do this?" he looked astonished at his right hand (or rather leg). There was a dark brown, leather band. Quite wide. Under two clasps a sonic screwdriver was touching the thick material, waiting for its owner to be used.

      "Never thought about that" Doctor nodded admiringly. Even in this situation he could find a minute to compliment his own stroke of genius.

   His trip has ended. TARDIS was no longer giving out any sounds. Everything was quiet and steady - definitely too peaceful for a traveler like Doctor. Time Lord looked around for any clues. Becoming a pony wasn't quite a normal thing - even in the universe. He looked down on his legs. Hooves were something he had to accept, right now. Actually problem was how to stand up. It didn't seem to be the same a crawling, which he simply couldn't remember (come on, it was over 900 years ago). He stretched his front legs, than started to straighten the back ones. He was standing - finally.

      "It wasn't so bad" Doctor smiled to himself. "Allons-y!".

After he took a step there was a dull thud as some pony started a new friendship with the floor.