The Timepony's Journal

Chapter 4 - The Next Step

It was cold, dark, and damp with no hope in sight. The Doctor, Susan, Spark, and Blue were all trapped inside of a cave thousands of years from home and in the middle of a possible war. It was unlikely that they'd be able to escape this time. Blue trotted back and forth anxiously as they all sat dormant.

"I thought you were getting us out of this..." Blue croaked helplessly.

"Stay calm , there's a way out and I'll make sure of it." the Doctor replied in a calm tone.

"How can you be so calm? We're stuck here in an ancient cave in an ancient time, far far away from home. I'm scared out of my wits and yet... you're still just sitting their completely complacent. I know you've been through a lot and you're from another world, but this can't be a normal day for you."

The Doctor both looked and felt ashamed. He wasn't entirely ready for this just yet. His judgment had been blinded before and he hadn't thought of what came next when receiving what he wanted. He was truly unprepared for the universe outside.

"I'm sorry, my foalish actions are what got us into this mess in the first place. The truth is, I'm afraid as well. Fear makes companions of all of us my dear Blue. Yet in the place of fear comes hope. I promised to you and myself that I'll find us a way out."

No TARDIS, no scientific gadgets, only his wits and the problem at hoof. He observed the thick pile of packed snow , followed by his surroundings. Picking up two pieces of driftwood, the Doctor began to start a small fire which he held to the icy tundra.

"I won't be able to remove all of the snow, but I can melt it enough to get through. Spark, could you please give this wall a good kick?" he asked after waving a fiery torch around the snow.

With one swift buck the barrier gave way , creating a gap large enough to crawl through. Grey light shown through as they celebrated their victory. With no time to spare, each of them crawled through the opening before it almost collapsed on the Doctor's tail. The snow was getting worse than before, a complete and blind white out. Pulling out the locater he checked for the ship's location. Unfortunately, the circuits were almost frozen from the elongated cold exposure.

It was too cold for it to function properly, which was rather troublesome in a moment like this. Using a foreleg to shield his view from the blinding cold, the Doctor stared out into blizzard. A faint yet bright glow was emitting from not so far away.

"This way!" the Doctor gestured before heading off.

As the TARDIS came into view Blue could've sworn she saw a light blue haze in the distance. Another mystery for another day. Luckily the doors weren't buried too deep so they were still accessible without much digging. The silent click of the TARDIS lock was sweet relief to their ears as they escaped this horrible nightmare.

"Careful, careful. It's still a little steep but you'll be fine." assured the Doctor.

Berry bolted inside, afraid that she'd seen something else of legends. Despite his warning Blue bolted through the double doors and skidded across the floor. She shivered and clutched her wings like a blanket as they wrapped around her.

"Now dear, what was that all about hmm?"

Blue looked up still shivering and shaking. She began to take a few deep breaths to calm and compose herself before speaking. Once her heart finally slowed down she heavily stuttered out a response.

"I-I could've sworn I-I saw w-windigos. O-out t-there. But that's i-impossible , isn't it?"

"Oh nonsense. They're just myth from an old foals tail." scoffed Spark.

"Wouldn't you be saying the same if told our previous predicament, hmm?"

The Doctor grinned and they all burst out into laughter. With the doors closed and the TARDIS in flight, there was no longer any need to worry. Susan began to help by passing out hot cocoa and warm blankets to everypony. Once settled, the Doctor began to try and set the coordinates for Foal Hill in 963 AD.