//------------------------------//
// Prologue: Running 
// Story: Doctor Whooves Episode 20: The Cure 
// by Doctor Perseus 
//------------------------------//


Doctor Whooves: Episode 20


The Cure



Prologue: Running


Froggy Bottom Bogg, Outskirts of Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

She had to keep running, no matter what. Despite what terrible fate may have fallen her fellow soldiers, despite the dangerous obstacles ahead of her, despite the impossible odds, she just had to keep running. The air felt acidic to the touch and the sky appeared much more rustic than it usually did. Ash, dirt, and smoke filled the air like mist and caked the dead carcasses of plants and unfortunate animals like the most viscous of frostings. A cough escaped from her lungs and she hastily brushed the hair away from her eyes. She had to see where she was going, even though the dense, smoky atmosphere prevented her from seeing beyond a few feet in front of her.
She let out a gasp as she felt her foot fall off a small ledge and sink into a thick mixture. "Great. Into the bog we go," she sighed under her breath as she began trudging through the contaminated water of the swamp. Through her protective goggles, she could see that the water reached up to just over her knees. It was an incredibly cold mixture with odd hot spots here and there that sent sharp jolts through her body like static electricity. The cries of mutated creatures echoed off in the distance and a few weak tentacles could be seen rising out of the water in the distance before falling back down into the depths. "When does this bog end?!"
Then...it appeared. She stopped dead in her tracks and her breathing morphed into that of a raspy, slow series of exhaling and inhaling. The tall Cyberman walked out of smog and approached her. The swamp water clung to its lower legs like glue and its metallic feet managed to still give off a stomping sound despite being sunken in the murky sludge. "REBEL SOLDIER! YOU WILL SURRENDER AND RETURN THE STOLEN TECHNOLOGY!" ordered the Cyberman.
The rebel soldier clutched a circular device wrapped around her wrist and shook her head. "Not a chance! You can have this instead!" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a lavender wand. A blue light shot out of the wand and smashed into one of the Cyberman's legs, cutting it clean off. She took off as soon as the Cyberman hit the surface of the water.
The bog water splashed up against her pants and jacket as she ran. The helmet on her head bounced about slightly and rattled against her skull like a shaking chain. She only got in a moment or two of running before something jumped out of the water at her. She dodged the attacking creature before getting a good look at it. The creature appeared to be a white rabbit with two heads, the claw of a wolf, and the tail of an alligator. The soldier let out a sad sigh as she aimed her wand at the growling beast. "You poor thing," she said. "I'm so sorry." With that said, a green beam shot out her wand and hit the creature right in the chest, sending it flying backwards into the water with its eyes now forever frozen with eternal slumber.
The sound of stomping, metallic feet began to emanate from the distance and the rebel took off again. She nearly tripped when she finally managed to return to solid ground. Sweat began forming on her brow as she ran through the smoke towards whatever haven she could find. Eventually she found herself standing under a lone dead tree in an area of the bog that seemed to have less smoke than usual. Maybe teleportation can work here! she thought before pointing her want upwards and focusing on a destination. Unfortunately, merely a single spark emanated from the wand's tip. Damn. Looks like I'm on foot until I'm out of this bog. The sound of stomping feet returned and she took off back into the thick of the smoke.
The sound of stomping was increasingly growing louder as she ran. She tried not to focus on those she was escaping from. She simply tried to focus on finding safety. Finding a place to hide. A place to keep their only chance to reach the Doctor safe. She could feel the ground beneath her growing rockier as well as beginning to slant upwards. There was no option but to trudge upwards. There was no idea of what awaited at the end of this upward path but it could only be one of two things: salvation or damnation.
Dead, corroded trees passed by the soldier's line of sight as she ran up the path. The stomping feet of the Cybermen could still be heard behind her, deep within the dirty mist. She tried to keep her breathing and running steps as silent as possible but a shocked gasp escaped her lungs when she nearly ran off the edge of a cliff. Part of the mountain pathway she was now on had given way and a gap several yards wide now stood in place of the lost section. The soldier took a deep breath and aimed her wand at her feet. A few seconds later, her body levitated a few inches in the air and she carefully directed her floating body over the gap. She made sure not to look down into the pit which she could guess consisted of a rusty void of ash and soot. After what seemed like hours, she reached the other end of the gap and lowered herself down. This feat of magic left her weakened but she wiped the sweat from her brow, took a few heavy breaths, and took off once more.
She continued to run up the path. Run, run, and run some more. That's all life had pretty much become about since the invasion a year previously. Run from the mutations. Run from the Cybermen. Run from the all-seeing eye and frightening intelligence and greed of the one simply known as Discord Whooves. Just keep running. Don't look back. Fight when you must. But always keep running until you are sure of your safety.
After what must have been at least an hour, she finally reached the end of the path, which was basically at the edge of a cliff at the top of one of the rocky structures that overlooked Froggy Bottom Bogg. She bent down and took in a fair amount of deep breaths before examining the device on her wrist once again: a simple, white, glowing piece of technology stolen from the heart of Canterlot itself. The leaders of the rebellion had obtained it themselves. This was a feat that didn't surprise the soldier. She had an incredible amount of respect for Colgate and Clockwork. She had been an ally to them since the day she first met them back in Canterlot on the day of the invasion and had always stayed by their side. Now, she was lost. She was trapped on top of a Froggy Bottom Bogg mountain with Cybermen catching up and the only chance to reach salvation could very well be ripped out of her dying hands. "It can't end like this," the soldier stated with a snarl. "I can't let Colgate and Clockwork down!"
Then...she heard it once more: the stomping footsteps of the Cybermen. The killers of her comrades and the invaders of her home. The followers of the tyrant who took everything good out of Equestria and crushed it into dust. The soldier readied her wand as she turned to face her pursuers, who were now emerging from the smoky abyss. Their emotionless faces eyed her through the falling ash and their metal skins gleamed in the light of the rusted sun. "YOU WILL SURRENDER!" ordered one of the Cybermen in the front.
The soldier was ready to attack with everything she had...but there were too many. She knew there were. One magician could not simply hold off a group of at least twenty Cybermen. They could upgrade too quickly. They had too much protection on their side. Within time, magic could potentially have no effect on them. With a heavy breath, she glanced back at the cliff and clutched the device on her wrist with her other hand. Colgate told me that a leap should do it...but the device isn't fully ready yet. There's no guarantee that it will work, the soldier thought as she considered her last option for escape. She looked at the Cybermen as they cautiously started to approach her. Still...I have to try. This is our last chance. We need the Doctor. We need him here. Only he can help save our world of this disease. The soldier turned away from the Cybermen and clicked a button on the device, which let out a soft hum in response to its activation. She closed her eyes and took in another breath before charging towards the cliff edge. Take me to Colgate's universe. Bring me to the Doctor. Help me find the Doctor. As the Cybermen behind her began to scream for her to stop, she jumped.
For several seconds, all she felt was the smoky air grazing against her clothes and skin as she fell. She could still hear the Cybermen calling after her, though she could no longer make out anything they were saying. The hum emanating from the device on her wrist suddenly began to grow louder and increase in intensity. Her arm started shaking and, in turn, the entirety of her body began vibrating at abnormal speeds. She felt the air spin around her as pressure started to build around her being. Then a powerful force seemed to kick her in the back as she was flung off in another direction like a speeding bullet.
The rusty light of her dying world vanished to be replaced by a bright, white light that seemed to rain down from the stars themselves. The soldier covered her eyes as the winds of the multiverse blew past her and kicked her every which way. Her hair fluttered about like it was caught in a tornado and her eyes could hardly be kept open once her goggles were blown clean off. A loud roar pounded against her ears for a minute or so. It was a powerful and violent roar which chipped away at every thought she attempted to bring up. A weak gasp escaped her lips as the roar began to tear away everything within her psyche. What was her mission? Where was she from? What was her name? Who did she love? Who did she hate? Why was she here? The only thing her attacked mind could focus on was one name: Doctor. She had to find the Doctor. Everything depended on this one remaining chunk of her lost memories. Suddenly, through the painful continuation of the inter-dimensional roar, she heard the sound of voices. They were muffled at first but soon began to increase in clarity.
"I'm sorry!" pleaded a female voice.
"It's not your fault, Derpy," replied a second, familiar female voice.
A male laugh echoed against the soldier's ears and warmed her heart like a cozy fire on a winter's night. "I know I said I had a craving for some cocoa but nopony had to throw it at me," chuckled the male voice.
The first female voice giggled. "Sorry again, Doctor."
The soldier couldn't help but smile as she felt the dimensional winds begin to drag her in the direction of the voices. "Doctor," she stated. "I've found you."