//------------------------------// // Black & Silver // Story: Captain Applejack Harkness // by Inthretis //------------------------------// July 1, 1613 AD (5 years before Nightmare Moon’s return) Canterlot “YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED. RESISTANCE IS HIGHLY PROBABLE, BUT WILL RESULT IN YOUR TERMINATION.” “Never! I mean to the assimilation and terminating, not the resistance.” It happened too quickly. At first she thought she was with her friend’s ghost. After all, for the past three months, ghosts had been appearing all over Equestria, and everypony believed they had good intentions. Why not? No harm was done, the ghosts were incorporeal, and most ponies believed they were dead friends and family. Aerial Ace was one of those ponies. She had a longing for her lost friend that was deep enough that she quickly fell for the false ghost. But it turned out that all the ghosts were actually Cyberponies, somehow. And because of that grievous mistake, she was going to die. But not before she took a couple dozen Cyberponies down. “Gaah!” She screamed. Aerial Ace was fast, her pegasi wings flapping wildly as she kicked the cyborg back and ran to her closet. “RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILA-” With all her strength, Ace batted the Cyberpony with her superpowered baseball bat. With a resounding Zap, the bat made contact with attacker’s head. The Cyberpony jittered as it hit the floor, its sensors and CPU completely overwhelmed, “Thank Luna I kept the Omega bat,” Ace said before getting out of her closet. “Now, which way to the daycare center?” she asked out loud before stepping outside. --0o0-- “Why,” Ace zapped a Cyberpony on the street as another attempted to jump her slowly. “Are there,” She batted the would-be assailant to the side as a trio attempted to halt her. “So,” Zap. A silver body dropped. “Many,” Zap. Bang. The second one sputtered as its mainframe short-circuited. “ROBOTS!?” She swung with all her might, launching the final Cyberpony sixty feet into air. She saw it rocket straight up, then remembered something crucial. “Oh right, I can fly,” she fluttered her wings and shot up into the air, attempting to reach her destination with haste. --0o0-- After only three minutes of flying, Aerial Ace was nearing her destination: Canterlot Children’s Play Center. It was an old, yet sturdy building, about two hundred years old. Built over the ruins of Canterlot Royal Museum, it boasted four stories of brick laid on top of brick, cemented using magically created paste. The building was gray, made into a rectangular shape that stood out from the rest of the newer, white domiciles surrounding it. Aerial Ace began her descent, wielding her weapon in preparation for any more Cyberponies. When she was only 500 yards from the daycare, she immediately stopped. Something was wrong. There was an eerie silence surrounding Ace until she heard the rhythmic marching of a squad of Cyberponies. She quickly ducked behind a nearby balcony, and scanned the oncoming group. She saw twelve Cyberponies, in three rows of four, advancing towards a nearby donut shop. Suddenly, Ace heard a scream. “Aaah!” The sound pierced the area previously silent, minus Ace’s breathing. Ace thought about her options. Go after the scream, or save Scootaloo? Reasoning: Scream equals cry for help. Cry for help plus Cyberponies equals Cyber conversion. Cyber conversion equals more Cyber ponies. More Cyber ponies equals more danger for Scootaloo. Ace charged towards the shop with her baseball bat of zapping power, only to be confronted by six Cyberponies. “PREPARE FOR ASSIMILATION. COMPLY OR BE TERMINATED.” “Never! I won’t become one of-” Ka-Boom!!! Ace and the Cyberponies looked surprisingly at the source of the explosion. For Ace, she truly felt fear for the life of her daughter. For the Cyberponies, they felt nothing. Just orders to terminate the intruder from the Cyber Controller. “EXTERMINATE INFERIOR LIFE FORMS!” One moment Ace was facing off six Cyberponies. The next, she was facing off six Cyberponies and two thousand Daleks. Ace’s eyes grew in determination, squinting at the otherworldly entities in front of her, “Batter up.” --0o0-- Aerial Ace had been having the worst day. So far, she had pummeled her way through a dozen Cyberponies while attempting to take her daughter to safety. When she decided to leave the Doctor, she expected a somewhat normal life. And now, she had stepped head first into a war between Cyberponies and Daleks, all which apparently started about two hours ago. She was definitely sure the Doctor was somehow involved. The Doctor. Maybe I could contact him somehow… Her thoughts were cut short as she hid behind an industrial oven. “TIME LORD TECHNOLOGY DETECTED! IT IS THE HOOF OF OMEGA!” Uh oh, that’d be me. She looked down at her bat. Okay, I’ll leave it here while I duck out the back. “HALT!” A Dalek appeared in front of her, “PEGASUS PONY MATCHES PROFILE OF ONE OF THE DOCTOR’S COMPANIONS! SHE IS OF IMPORTANCE!” “What, I am? I mean, of course I am! The prof told me all sorts of secrets, like, you know, his plans… and such.” “ELABORATE!” “Well, I’d like to, but you see, he only told me to tell you guys if you stopped killing everypony.” “DALEKS DO NOT NEGOTIATE! ATTEMPTS TO INGRATIATE A DALEK WILL BE MET WITH EXTERMINATION! NOW RESPOND!” “Okay, so the prof’s got this giant slingshot in the Tardis filled with grade-A plutonium. He plans on launching it into the air, causing all the rats and turtles in Canterlot to mutate into crime-fighting monsters of awesomeness! Then, he, um, plans to summon a demon from Tartarus to challenge you guys to a giant monster battle with skyscrapers. If that didn’t work, he was planning on activating-” Swoop. And then, just like that, all the Daleks and Cyberponies were sucked up back into the void by the Doctor and Rose, leaving Ace inside a collapsing donut store filled with the junk scraps of dead Cyberponies. “Well, that was odd,” Ace remarked as she left the shop. She didn’t know it then, but the Doctor had just saved the world from burning under a million Daleks. Some ponies were dead, but the vast majority of the planet was saved. --0o0-- July 9, 1608 Following the battle of Canary Wharf, as it was coming to be called, several thousand ponies and other races that had perished in the war had all of their names collected into one list to be broadcast across the globe. On page twenty-seven, numbers one thousand three hundred eighteen and one thousand three hundred nineteen on the list, were the names “Roseluck Tailor” and “Jackie-in-the-pulpit Tailor”. For many, the grief was terrible. This was much worse than the sycorax invasion, where one-third of the population nearly died. This time, ponies were dead and the death toll kept rising as more bodies were discovered. Aerial Ace was lucky. Nopony she knew had perished, but many of her friends were saddened by their losses. So for the past week, she and her daughter were together alone at the park, in a secluded area unnoticeable to visitors and covered by dense trees so thick that it was dark. Nothing could possibly go wrong here. There wasn’t even anything here. Well, except for a rustling in a nearby bush. Ace didn’t notice it, being occupied by her sleeping foal. The two of them were lying on a picnic spread cloth, taking the time to relax after a stressful week. Or whatever is considered stressful for a three-year old. Another rustle was made. Rustle, rustle. Ace looked around, attempting to pinpoint the location of the sound. Rustle, rustle. Ace stood up, leaving her daughter to dream about bunnies. A chill ran down her spine as the elder pegasus steadily walked over to a nearby bush. Rustle, rustle. Ace peeked inside the bush, and then- Something immediately grabbed Ace’s head and covered her mouth. Before she could react, a gas was released, pulling her into sleep… It smelled like roses. --0o0-- Ace woke up with a start. She didn’t know what happened, where she was, or how long she had been out, but the only thing that mattered right then was her daughter. Scootaloo. Was she safe? Did… whatever it was… take her too? Is she safe? Can she reach for help? Ace’s thoughts whirled around for several minutes as the rose-smelling knockout gas filtered out of her system. Her eyes adjusted to the dark room she was held in, and saw her surroundings. The room was filled with large cylinders made out of a silver tinted metal, next to each was a small control panel showing bio signs of some sort. Ace could barely make out any of the symbols, but the panels were glowing with a blue tinge that was distracting. Ace found herself on a table, with her four limbs tied down and her wings seemingly paralyzed. Everything in the room was black, gray, and silver, with the occasional blue flash of color, it was sterile. Cold, unemotional, and mechanical, like a Cyberpony. Suddenly, Ace heard the sound of metal pounding on metal, she thought she was hearing the beating of a metal pony’s hooves. The noise was familiar, and Ace suddenly recognized it. I have to get out of here. I do not want to become one of them! I have to find Scootaloo, even if I have defeat an entire Cyber Legion to get to her! Oh please, oh please be fine and safe, don’t be assimilated, she needs me! Clunk, clunk, clunk. Ace was beginning to panic, her breathing quickened and sweat began to drip of her forehead as adrenaline rushed through her bloodstream. She had to get out. Now. She swiveled her head, taking in her surroundings. Less than twenty feet from her was a damaged Cyberpony, its rhythmic marching echoing across the room. Alright, I can do this. If Daring Do can do this, so can I! First, I wiggle out my left hoof, freeing it, then I activate the control panel, causing a distraction. Next, I free my back hooves, kicking the Cyberpony with the right one while using the other to determine my location from my home by activating a GPS in my- Ka-boom! The explosion rocked the room, causing the cyborg to stumble slightly, but immediately straightened itself. Surprisingly, the hole in the wall created was circular and glowing red hot. A faint figure appeared entering the hole, as if through a wonderful portal to another realm. Right now, anything was better than a Cyberpony lair. The rest of the room was shocked, but the metal cylinders were intact. Before Ace could do anything, her vision blanked out, just as the Cyberpony’s hoof reached her… But before she felt the cold steel of the Cyberpony, she heard a clanking sound. What was happening? “YOU WILL BE DELETED.” “Not if ah can-” ZZapp!! Thud. Ace heard a body drop to the floor. Great. Just great. The cavalry comes, and is immediately killed. This day just keeps getting- “Yeargh! Ow, that hurt! You guys could at least use yellow lightning, that doesn’t hurt as much. But blue!?” “DELETE.” Zzap!! Thud. Okay, now she’s dead. Maybe I could activate my GPS now that- “Whoa! Haha, ah am not that easy to delete mister, now ah’ll give ya one chance to surrender or else-” “DELETE.” Zap!! Thud. Again. I’m just gonna wait. Any second now. Right about now- “Arrgh! Would stop doin' that!? It’s starting to burn my clothes, and ah only have six more long coats.” “YOUR APPARENT IMMUNITY TO ELECTROCUTION IS NOTED. PREPARE FOR MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF APPLIED PRESSURE.” “Wait. Wait a second, applied what?” “APPLYING EIGHT HUNDRED KILO PASCALS OF PRESSURE.” “Oh hay no! That ain’t happenin’.” Ace heard a faint whirring sound and multiple hoofbeats before a third voice screamed into room, “Eat my golden fury!” Ace, while unable to see what was occurring, and could make out the faint wave of energy passing through her body. Then she heard a whirring noise that sputtered until it stopped. Ace struggled against her bindings, but couldn’t free herself. “Is that her?” “Eeyup, that’s her. Aerial Ace, companion to the seventh Doctor, dragon slayer, bringer of really big explosions,and all around badass. She’s also the mother of Scootaloo, which is why we’re here.” “I still don’t understand your preoccupation with the filly. She seems normal enough-” Ace was suddenly furious, with all her might she screamed at ponies, “Stay away from my daughter, whoever you are! I know kung fu!!” “Really? Well so do I! We should spar sometime, but not right now. Let me try to undo this strap…” Ace felt hooves loosening the straps on the table, when both of her forehooves were free, she immediately reached for the nearest face and pulled her in close. “WHERE. IS. MY DAUGHTER!?” Ace demanded furiously. Both of her hooves were gripping the long coat of her savior, who was also a potential kidnapper. “Whoa whoa whoa, hold up now. She’s fine, doesn’t even know what happened. She’s at yer house with yer husband, alright? Now, ah’m here because you were in trouble, and ah wanted ta stop it. Any more questions?” Ace hesitated, wondering whether the mare was lying or not. But at this moment, she was in a position with no power, partially strapped to a table and blinded. She had no choice but to work with this pony, whatever her true intentions were, “Why am I blind? Who are you and why are you interested in me and Scootaloo?” “First off, my name is Captain Applejack, the new leader of Torchwood, after ninety-five percent of the staff died. Yer blind ‘cause my vortex manipulator leaves ponies it deems dangerous blind ta protect mah identity, and the feature keeps malfunctioning. Lastly, ah’m interested in ya because ah’m roundin’ up as many time-resistant ponies as ah can,” Applejack responded. “Time resistant ponies?” “Basically, ponies that’ve traveled with the Doctor, such as you an’ me, have some weird vibe that affects our position in the timeline, ah’ll explain later.” “Wait a minute, if you really traveled with the Doctor, then answer me this: Why does the Tardis make the noise?” “Something ta do with the brakes, ah reckon. ‘Course, it could just be ‘cause it’s so old.” “Well… I guess I can sort of trust you, after all, companions stick together, right?” Ace asked hopefully. Applejack merely smiled, “Right.” --0o0-- October 29, 1618 “And that Cheerilee, is how ah met DJ-PON3,” Applejack finished her overly long story of days gone by. Cheerilee raised a single eyebrow, with a look of befuddlement on her face, “So when exactly did you meet her? All you rambling about were Cyberponies and Aerial Ace! Also, Scootaloo’s mother was a companion?! The hay is with this mad conspiracy?” “Well, ya see back then-” “Stop. Just stop. I have been listening to this story for almost an hour, so can you please just sum up your actual meeting with Vinyl Scratch? I have papers to grade, and whatever crazy job you got planned for tomorrow.” “Fine, spoil the surprise, why don’t ya. Remember that Cyberpony that zapped me three times?” “Yeah?” Cheerilee’s look was simply incredulous and annoyed, with a noticeable frown leaving her lips and into the tone of her monosyllabic response. “That’s Vinyl Scratch.” Cheerilee froze and uttered the most basic response in one syllable, “What.” “Eeyup. Ya know how ya can’t fix a Cyberpony because they had their brains removed and implanted into a robot body? Well, during the whole craziness of that day, what with the Daleks and suburban warfare goin’ on, the Cyberponies began rush conversions, wrappin’ whole bodies in armor and turnin’ them into cyborgs all in one go. “It worked too, but some side effects included ponies resistin’ the upgrades, just enough so that any of them left over were spendin’ hours fightin’ themselves just ta convert one more pony to their side. At the rate they were upgrading, they would’ve died out by the end of the decade. “But not before takin’ lives. Aerial Ace was an example. Way back when, in mah timeline, Ace died after fighting a bunch o’ aliens to protect Scootaloo, leavin’ her an orphan. Ah couldn’t stand that, so ah saved Ace from dying, then ah convinced her to move here, to Ponyville, hometown to others like her, companions to the Doctor and their descendants. “Ponies who can withstand the blowing of the timeline, so when ah show mah hand, Princess Celestia will have ta give in. Ah’ve seen the future, ah’ve lived it, and it ain’t pretty. When ah finally confront her, ah would’ve already won.” This gave Cheerilee a lot to think about, her thoughts swirling as she digested what she was told. Finally, she decided to ask a question, “What do you mean ‘blowing of the timeline’? Is it some sort of anchor, or…?” “It’s more like a beacon, or a lighthouse. With this many ponies connected to the Doctor, he’s either bound to show up, or any one of his enemies, and when that happens, things get more chaotic. Mah current goal is ta bring this place into Discord’s interest, and then from there, ah can start bringing about the change ah need.” “What change are you going to do? You mentioned the ‘brighter future’, what is it?” “Ya know, ah’ll tell ya one day, but it’s hard ta work up the feelings fer it. It’s painful, s’all ah can say. But, maybe after we stop it, ah’ll tell ya what ah saw. But trust me when ah say you don’t want to be there and then.” “It was that bad?” “It was shiny, ah’ll tell ya that, with lens flares all over the place, and teleporters! Don’t get me started on the teleporters! Also, we had a moon ponies. An honest-to-goodness city on the moon! It was beautiful,or will be, but it hid some pretty nasty things.” “It’s alright, you can tell me, I mean, if you want,” Cheerilee tried her best to comfort the immortal in front of her, amazed by what she’s heard. Applejack blinked back tears as she began to remember, the memories she held back flooding her. “Ah-ah miss them, mah friends. There was Zircon, and Genna, and Neighsumi, and Trotty, and Crystal, and-and the others from back then. It’s hard ya know, this is the fifth time ah had a wonderful group of friends. But you Cheerilee, are the first pony ah’ve confided in fer almost four hundred years. Ah trust ya, because if ah trust mah future with, ah can trust ya with mah past.” Applejack had tears flowing down her cheeks by now, her eyes pink from the tears. Cheerilee simply replied, “It’s alright, the past and future aren’t things you have to worry about yet. It’s not happening anytime soon, just enjoy your present.” “Ah do, but when ya know yer past is the world’s future, it worries me when ah see things go the wrong way. Ever since ah learned the truth about about the origins of this world, especially Equestria, ah figured, if ah’m gonna reach the future eventually, ah might as well make it better. But for some reason, things played out the same way after ah thought ah fixed them. “It took me two hundred years to figure out how to make everything work, but ah screwed up so much along the way.” “Like what?” “Originally, there were five founders of Equestria.” “Wow. I don’t, that just, I mean, whoa.” “Eeyup, ah screwed up the timeline so much, ah’m surprised it’s still moving.” “Yeah, wow, so… about Vinyl Scratch… ” “First off, she’s got a marefriend.” Cheerilee blushed hard, “What!? No, no, I wasn’t asking about that!” Applejack snorted and grinned widely, her eyes still pink, but appearing soft and warm, “Ah know, just pullin’ yer tail. So what did ya want to ask?” Cheerilee composed herself as she asked, “Are you sure we can trust her?”