//------------------------------//
// (Part 7) Hoof Full of Bits (or, The Good, The Bad, and The Mechanical) 
// Story: Doctor Whoof: The Iron Horse 
// by Muleicous 
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Hoof Full of Bits

(Dear reader, I apologize if this seems rushed. The first draft I wrote of this seems to have gotten deleted, and I want to try and wrap up with fic, so that I can start on the next installment of Doctor Whooves.-Mule)

***

The Doctor groaned as his eyes opened slowly, the sounds of grinding gears gnawing at his mind. The time colt turned his head, surveying his surroundings as best he could in the near pitch black room. All around him where Cyberponies, their black, empty eyes staring into his soul as they watched their captive stir from his sleep. Behind a large group of theses monsters was something a little different: a taller metal pony with wings and a horn, and a normal sized pony in a pure black cloak.
“Well... Hello.” The Doctor said, smiling cockily at his enemy, “You must be the Queen Cyberpony.”
“Affirmative,” the tall robotic horse replied, “I am the unit designated as Cyber Leader-QU33n. And you are The Doctor.”
“Yes, very good, now can you say your ABC’s?” The time pony chuckled, but was soon silenced as one of the Cyberpony soldiers hit The Doctor straight in the stomach with their hoof. Slowly, the room was filled with the soft laughter of the cloaked pony, it was a regal laugh but at the same time feminine. The strangest part was that it was familiar to The Doctor, his mind began working hard to try and match the giggle to a face.
“Doctor,” The Cyber Queen began, “you will be the final component in our plans. We shall finally show you the error of your ways. There shall be no individual unit, from now on this world and yours will be peaceful. It shall become one with the great power of the Cybermen.”
“Th...That’s all well and good,” The Doctor said, trying to catch the breath the Cyberpony had knocked out of him, “but I must ask... Why are you taking orders from someone else?”
“Elaborate.” was the only response.
“Well, it’s obvious that the pony next to you hasn’t been assimilated yet. I can still see his or her coat, a lovely sort of white by the way-”
“Thank you.” The cloaked pony said, a smile curling under her hood.
“-So why would you take orders from her? She’s no Cyber Leader, hell, she isn’t even a Cyberpony! There’s only one answer I can think of, and I’m sure it’s one you don’t want to hear.”
“Silence...” The Cyber Queen said, a slight sting in her voice.
“You’re afraid of her, aren’t you?” The time pony continued, ignoring the cyber alicorn’s request, “She’s powerful, much more powerful than even you are! I’m sure she could even cross dimensions if she wanted, and that makes you afraid.”
“Silence!” The Cyber Queen shouted, her front hooves seeming to dig into the ground beneath her.
“And in the end, you learned something after you assimilated your first Equestrian, didn’t you? Just like I learned something when I reprogrammed the Cyberpony Braeburn captured.” The Doctor glared at the Cyber Queen, but a grin stayed glued to his face, “Creatures here are tougher to reprogramme, much more stubborn than humans, right?”
“SILENCE!” The tall mechanical pony arched back her wings, as if she were going to pounce on The Doctor and rip his throat out.
The Doctor then lifted his head and looked out among the crowd of Cyberponies. “Little Strongheart! If you’re out here, Braeburn is still looking for you!”
The Doctor waited, and for the longest time there was nothing. The sound of the wind blowing through the wooden walls of the building they were in filled the air, as if it was the only noise that would ever break the disturbing quiet. Then, suddenly, a regal laugh could be heard echoing through the room, and The Doctor’s eyes focused on the cloaked pony once more.
“You sad little Time Lord.” The figure began, “You truly think that I would leave any seems undone? These poor, pitiful creatures are like lost little puppies with out my orders, and my orders are always to shut up and obey me.” The mysterious pony turned and began to walk to a small control panel, “I don’t know what my master sees in you, he told me you could do anything. I guess even cowards have limitations, huh? Oh well, no harm done, you won’t be harmed... In fact, my orders are to make sure you’re never hurt again.” Her hoof hovered over a large red button, a smile still plastered on her mouth. “A little assimilation should make that an ea-”
“B...Braeburn?” a mechanical voice said through the cloaked pony’s speech. The mare turned toward the crowd of monster machines.
“Who said that?” she asked, her teeth grinding under her cloak, “... I asked who the buck said that?!”
Suddenly, all the Cyberponies turned, their hoof beats sounding like the march of a cavalry. Then, all at once, they spoke. “I did!”
Even though The Doctor couldn’t see the cloaked pony’s eyes, he knew they were wide with fear and confusion. “I told you, ponies are tougher. I guess that goes for buffalo too.” The cloaked figure turned towards a wall as a bright magical beam blasted it, blinding The Doctor temporarily. The time colt could hear the distinct sound of hooves galloping across dirt; however, the hoof beats stopped suddenly as a small voice called out a single word.
“Doctor!” Apple Bloom ran up to her friend and hugged him tight, they had found him.

***

“What do you mean you knew we were comin’?” Apple Bloom asked, a confused look on her face. “It was Mr.Easthoof who knew were in the wide wide world of Equestria you where!” 
Braeburn nodded in agreement, he couldn’t help but think The Doctor was talking out of his plot when he said that. He turned his head and smiled at Little Strongheart, and his mate smiled back. It had taken a long time, but a letter The Doctor had written to Ponyville finally got through. After a day or two, Applejack and her friends finally got to Appleloosa, along with a team of unicorns lead by Miss Twilight Sparkle. 
It seemed that the Cyberpony-ization was pretty weak after all, and unicorn magic was able to reverse the process. A slight frown crossed Braeburn’s lips as he thought of the two ponies that lost their lives, the one killed by The Doctor and East hoof, before they could get this information. “Poor colts...” the deputy pony said out loud. Strongheart put her head on his neck, trying to comfort her coltfriend. The deputy smiled once more, his eyes closed as he remembered their deaths were not in vain.
Slowly, the 1:25 to Ponyville pulled up the the station, each of its passengers climbing aboard. As the train left the station, The Doctor looked back on the small oasis in the wasteland and frowned, his mind buzzing with questions. Who was that cloaked mare? Why did she seems so familiar? And, the one in the forefront of the time colt’s mind, who was her master?

To be concluded...