//------------------------------//
// (Part 5) The Medicine Pony and The Grey Queen 
// Story: Doctor Whoof: The Iron Horse 
// by Muleicous 
//------------------------------//


The Medicine Man and The Grey Queen

The Doctor watched as the Torchwhoof caravan made its way out of Appleloosa, dust flying into the hot night air. The time colt couldn’t help but feel proud of his little stunt, not only did it mean that he survived the encounter with these Cyberponies, but it hopefully meant that the rest of Appleloosa and Equestria did too. He made his way back to the jail/sheriff office, his eyes still adjusting to the dark of Luna’s night... Then he heard the laughter. It was a strange sort of thing to hear at night in Equestria, the laughter of a filly at about two in the morning, but what made it even more odd was that it seemed familiar. The Doctor looked around the nearly barren landscape, but the buildings of the town itself where the only things to be seen. Suddenly, the sound of hundreds of hoof beats filled the air once more, and The Doctor turned to see the buffalo herd heading straight for him. 
Chief Thunderhooves stopped just inches in front of the time colt, with his herd following his lead and halting inches from their leader. Only the hoof beats of Braeburn and Apple Bloom still thundered through the night sky as they charged toward their friend. “Doctor!” Apple Bloom called out, “the buffalo say they think they know where the Cyberponies are!”
“What?” The Doctor asked, a look of surprise on his face, “Is this true Chief?”
Thunderhooves nodded, “Yes Medicine Man, we have seen the cloaked ones many times during the last few nights, and they always seem to head towards the same place... Dodge Junction.”
“But ain’t that where cousin AJ went after the Canterlot Rodeo?” Braeburn asked, “Why would those metal things travel all that way, just to take ponies and buffalo from here?” Before Braeburn could get an answer, another thought sprang to his head. “That means... Lil’ Strongheart...” The deputy pony turned and ran to the general store, his mind set on buying the tickets to save his friend’s life. Before The Doctor could stop the stetson wearing pony, the Chief cleared his throat.
“There is something else that we must discuss, Healer.” The buffalo began, “Our elder foresaw this all, including your arrival. He spoke of a strange pony that would carry a magic stick, who would save these lands from certain destruction from the steel parasites. If you truly are this pony, the elder would wish to speak with you.”
The Doctor nodded and turned to Apple Bloom, “I need you to go with Braeburn to Dodge Junction. Tell him that I can’t make it, but to tell me anything that he finds there.”
“Awwww, but Doc-”
“Shush Apple Bloom. This is something only you can do, ok? If you don’t got with Braeburn, he might not find what we’re looking for.”
“But how do you know that I know what we’re looking for?” the filly asked, still pouting at her friend.
“You’re smart Apple Bloom, and you’ve seen the things that I’ve had to deal with here.” The Doctor smiled reassuringly at the farm filly, “If anyone can find something strange going on, it’s you.”
“Ok...” Apple Bloom’s voice was still filled with doubt. Big Mac and Applejack had told her something similar to this hundreds of times, but she never expected her friend, the friend she had helped save all of Equestria with, to tell her this. Maybe it’s for my own good, she thought, Maybe he’s tryin’ to  protect me... I just can’t shake the feeling that he’s just brushing me off like AJ does when she’s buckin’ apples. Still, the red maned filly trotted after her older cousin as the voice of The Doctor reverberated in her mind ‘go with Braeburn’.

***

The herd sailed through the desert like a ship on the high seas, The Doctor at the head with Chief Thunderhooves. The time colt couldn’t help but shake the feeling he had had at the Mayor’s office in Ponyville, it just didn’t make sense. These ponies, he thought, they’re years behind humans in some forms of technology, yet they have all this magic surrounding them. Magic, which they didn’t need to use to get pictures of me, which is something humans can barely do at all. Humans are lucky just to see me once in their lifetime, but these ponies... I’m friends with a good amount of them!  The Doctor sighed as he kept running, I mean, yeah, it’s nice here... But something just doesn’t feel right. Like someone’s watching me... waiting for... something... 
“Healer!” Chief Thunderhooves bellowed over the stomp of his herd’s hoof beats, “We are nearly at our village!”
The Doctor shook his head clear, placing the strange thoughts in the back of his mind as he saw the teepees. Soon, the buffalo village became clearer in the deep, starry background, and the fire in the middle of the circle of tents was the obvious stopping point. Unfortunately, the buffalo didn’t agree, pushing on past the fire and knocking The Doctor onto his back before they finally stopped. A few laughs came from the herd, some of the children giggled and asked their parents ‘Who’s that silly pony?’, but soon they were all silent as the soft hooves of another buffalo joined them.
This buffalo looked ancient, his coat seemed speckled with a fresh snow that shook as he trotted towards the time colt. The Doctor soon sat up and saw the elder fully. The elder buffalo wore no head dress, much like the other younger buffalo, but his horns were decorated with carved markings and two eagle feathers. “Hello strange one,” the elder said as he took a seat at the fire, “I have been expecting you... My name is Endlessgaze, and your visit here is no coincidence.”
The Doctor walked up to the fire, sitting across from the elder buffalo before he spoke. “What do you mean?”
“Weeks ago, when the moon was full,” Endlessgaze began, “I slept in this very spot and was given a vision from the ones who rule all.”
“The princesses?” 
The elder buffalo laughed, it was dry but kindly at the same time. “Oh, you ponies. Thinking that there are beings here that rule all... No, I speak of the two at war, Order and Chaos. They both see that you are here, and are hoping to return to your rightful place and keep the balance until then.” Endlessgaze paused, possibly waiting for the time colt to respond, then began again, “My vision was of a kingdom of strange beings that ate ponies and buffalo alike, they dressed in cloaks but wore suits of metal that would never come off. It also showed a brown colt, fearless yet full of fear, that would challenge these creatures and defeat them with the aid of his allies. I believe that you are...” The buffalo paused again, his eyes going white as the moon itself.
“Endlessgaze?” The Doctor stood and began to walk around the fire, and closer to the elder. Suddenly, the elder buffalo’s body was lifted into the air as his empty eyes seemed to focus on the time colt.
“Hello Doctor, it’s nice to finally see you.” Endlessgaze’s lips moved, but a different voice radiated from them... The voice of a young filly, “Then again, we’ve met before, back if the forest of the forlorn.”
“You!” The time colt yelled, “You’re the being that possessed Zecora in the Everfree Forest!”
“Of what you know, that is correct. However, time right now is indirect.” the young voice said through the elder, “I must tell you of your task, but this aid will be my last. For the task at hoof you see, you must have an army unseen, but fear not gentle friend, for your allies have that at hand. Though de beware the Grey Queen, for her gambit is too unseen.” The elder shut his eyes and slowly began to float down to the dust and sand below, and while the buffalo tended to his needs, The Doctor turned and made his way back to the town. He needed to get to Dodge Junction, and fast.

***

Little Strongheart opened her eyes, then quickly wished she hadn’t. The young buffalo shivered as her eyes fell onto the masses of metal ponies surrounding her, their cold, black eyes seemed to stare deep into her soul. Soon, the sound of metal hitting metal filled the room as a tall, silver alicorn entered the room. Her wings were long and beautiful, but much like the other Cyberponies her eyes were dark and lifeless.
The alicorn machine turned to face Little Strongheart, “You poor, poor dear.” Its voice was soothing, but metallic like its shell. “You must be scared to death... Good. You need to be scared for this.” Soon, Strongheart heard something buzzing and looked up to see a drill slowly advancing down, the sound of the whirling metal sending shivers down her spine. Soon, the Cyber Queen spoke once more, this time in the voice her subjects used as well. “We shall delete the weakness, delete the emotions, delete the negative, and leave only the collective. We shall assimilate... We shall rule.”
“Not yet.” A new voice called out, it was deep and obviously not another Cyberpony; however, the drill stopped and all of the steel horses and their queen turned to the origin of the voice. It was somepony in a long cloak made of what seemed like sown together patches of other cloaks. Under the hood, Little Strongheart could barely make out a horn. “This one can wait, because you have yet to delete The Doctor!”
The Cyberponies shrunk back in fear of the cloaked pony’s voice, only nodding and running away. The strange pony then turned to Strongheart, “I swear, it is so hard to find good help these days.”
“Who... Who are you?” the young buffalo asked. She could see a flash of white and yellow teeth from under the dark hood as the new pony answered.
“Just somepony that everypony should know...”