Attack of the Cyberponies
It was a lovely spring day in Ponyville. The pegasi had cleared every cloud and the sun was high in the sky. A warm breeze carried with it the scent of flowers in full bloom, and the sound of bees harvesting their pollen.
At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack walked through the orchard, inspecting the newly blossoming trees. The further she ventured into the orchard the more she was sure that this years crop would be the biggest yet. Buds were exploding from every branch and the smell of apple blossoms filled her nose.
“Well colour me pleased as punch! I sure can't remember the last time we had so many blossoms. Big Mac and I are going to be working from sunup till sundown come harvest time.”
A feeling of contentment filled Applejack as she continued along the sun dappled paths amongst the trees. Last years harvest had been a disaster. A swarm of fruit flies had infested the orchard, and almost a third of the crop had been damaged beyond repair, before Twilight could rummage a spell to banish the pests. Applejack had tried to remain optimistic, but she had to admit to herself that she had been worried. The sight of the trees weighed down with blossoms had erased that worry, and knowing that Twilight was ready at a moment's notice with the banishing spell dispelled any residual fears.
Applejack was so caught up in her thoughts that it was quite a while before a strange sound came to her attention. It was a rhythmic, metallic sound and it was slowly getting louder. Her ears twitched as she raked her memory and tried to remember hearing anything like it before. One year Apple Bloom had tap danced across a metal grate and caused a similar sound but it wasn't quite that. Besides, Apple Bloom was currently at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, and wouldn't be home for another hour yet.
Applejack shook her head and continued, but the strange kept getting louder and louder.
“Almost as if whatever is causing the sound is getting closer.” Applejack didn't realise she had spoken the thought aloud. As soon as her ears heard the thought she got a strong sense of unease. Abandoning the orchard inspection, she peered through the wall of branches and blossoms.
There!
Something was catching the light and glinting in the afternoon sun. It disappeared from time to time as the trees hid it from from view, but it would always return. The sound got even louder and finally Applejack placed it – marching. But who would be marching through her orchard? Princess Celestia's Royal Guard weren't in Ponyville at the moment, and the school marching band were away in Fillydelphia at a competition.
Applejack gasped as the mysterious marchers appeared. Silver and awesome came a squad of shiny metal ponies. They moved in perfect harmony with each other as their metal hooves stamped on the hard earth. Their empty black eyes all faced forward.
“What in all of Equestria are they?” Applejack exclaimed.
The strange metal ponies marched right up to where Applejack was standing and then suddenly came to a synchronised stop. A pony detached itself from the front row and moved towards Applejack.
“Uh, why, hello there friends. My name is Applejack and this here be my farm that ya'll marching through. Would you do me the honour of explaining your business here?”
“We are the Cyberponies.” The main pony stated in a mechanical sounding voice. “You will be upgraded.”
“Now wait just a minute,” said Applejack, “just what exactly do you mean by upgraded?”
“You will be assimilated. You will become like us.”
“Li...like...you?” Applejack gulped. “I don't understand.”
“You do not need to understand. You will become superior. You will become like us.”
“Whoa there Nelly! Who gives you the right to come waltzing onto my farm and start threatening to change me into one of...one of...you? I refuse!”
“Upgrading is compulsory.” The cyberpony did not move, but just continued to talk in the same mechanical voice.
“Says who?”
“Say us.”
“No!” Applejack shouted.
The Cyberpony took a step forward. “Then you will be deleted.”
Applejack took a step backwards but the Cyberpony moved forward again to close the gap. Slowly retreating, Applejack saw the rest of the cyberponies moving at the same pace as their commander, always just a few steps away. Sweat trickled down her face as she desperately tried to think of what to do. The cyberponies did not hurry, they slowly advanced, matching her steady retreat. It was almost like they were supremely confident that she would not escape.
Applejack's flank bumped against something hard and she glanced over her shoulder. The Apple family barn was blocking her retreat. Turning back she saw the cyberponies had not halted, and were moving closer and closer. Her hooves slipped on the grass as Applejack backed as far as she possibly could against the wall. Her eyes darted this way and that as she tried to see a means of escape.
“Prepare to be upgraded. Prepare to become a Cyberpony.”
Applejack closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was determined not to go down without a fight. The earth pony raised her hooves. Suddenly she felt a hoof link with hers. Looking up she saw a strange pony beside her. He was wearing a brown coat jacket and had a spiky brown mane which was blowing in the breeze. There was no fear in his eyes. He said one word to her.
“Run.”
Applejack did.
They darted off to the side, the stranger bucking his rear legs, kicking a metal pony to the ground. Applejack knew the cyberponies were following closely by the rhythmic marching sound beginning again, but she dare not look behind. She trusted her strong legs to take her as far and as fast away as possible, and gave her mind over to the singular thought of escape.
Branches whipped past as they bolted through the orchard, turning slightly here and there to avoid a tree or a boulder, moving towards the tree line. The strange stallion galloped at her side; his breath sounding loud in Applejack's ears. They did not speak again for some time as both were putting all their effort into getting as much distance between the Cyberponies and themselves.
They soon left the orchard behind and galloped across the grassy fields that adjoined Sweet Apple Acres. The stallion veered towards the gully that led up towards the mountains and Applejack followed without question. She kept the Hourglass cutie mark on his flank in front of her at all times. The sound of the cyberponie's pursuit fell behind them, and a glance behind showed Applejack they had called off the chase. Still, the stranger did not ease up the pace, leading them deep into the gully. Only once the ground became too rocky to continue did they come to a halt. They stood gasping for breath after their desperate dash. Steam rising from the stallion's flanks despite the warmness of the day.
Applejack finally regained her breath. “Ok now, mister, just what in good's graces just happened back there? What were those ponies?”
“Cyperponies,” the stranger offered.
Applejack let out a snort of frustration. “I got that part. What I meant was what are Cyberponies?”
The stranger smiled and his eyes lit up with what Applejack thought to be mistimed enthusiasm. “They're an alien race from a planet not far from here. Once upon a time they were very similar to normal ponies but due to war and disease they started introducing mechanical parts to themselves as a form of self preservation. Eventually they lost everything that made them pony; they became cold and calculating and lost all emotion. They repopulate now by going from planet to planet and turning the regular ponies into Cyberponies. Upgrading they call it. Pretty nifty don't you think?”
Applejack stood there with a look of disbelief on her face. Then she fell to the ground laughing.
“Hahahahaha! Aliens! Other planets! Oh, good one! Hahahaha! This is one of Pinkie Pie's jokes, isn't it? Ya'll had me going there for a second, ya really did. You ponies got me good!”
Applejack continued laughing until she felt her belly would burst. Eventually she looked up and saw the strange stallion looking at her quizzically. She pulled herself to her feet and swished her tail to brush the dust from her flank. “You may as well tell Pinkie to come on out. She'll be dying to see how much I fell for her prank.”
“Sorry, I have no idea who Pinkie Pie is, but I can assure you, this is no prank. This is very real.”
His momentary smile vanished. The stranger looked so grave and solemn that Applejack choked back the rest of her laughter and composed herself. His seriousness seemed catching and instantly she felt very sombre. “Just who are you?” she asked.
“Me? Oh, I'm just the Doctor.” The stranger waved his hoof. He seemed to dismiss the importance of his identity.
“The Doctor? Doctor Who?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters!” Applejack exclaimed.
The Doctor sighed. “Ponies call me Doctor Whooves, but honestly, I prefer plain old 'Doctor'.”
Applejack's eyes narrowed. “I get the feeling you're not plain ol' anything!”
The Doctor shrugged. “Sometimes I am, sometimes I'm not. Really, who can say? To some ponies I'm many things, to others I mean nothing. Not a blip, nadda, zero. Wouldn't even know I existed. Half the time I get so twisted up in time and space that I'm not even sure if I do exist. Maybe I'm just a memory? Maybe I’m nothing?” The Doctor stared off into the distance for a moment, then shook his mane, seeming to clear his thoughts. “Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, what am I? Well today, to you and to your friends in Ponyville, I'm your salvation. But enough about me! What's your name?”
“My name is Applejack, I live over yonder on Sweet Apple Acres, the farm you found me on. I want to hear more about you though. Where do you come from? How do you know all this about the Cyberponies?”
The Doctor smiled. “It's a delight to meet you Applejack.” The smile then vanished and he sighed. “I'm the last of the Time Ponies. We lived on a distant planet of Gallopfrey which was destroyed in the Time War. I've travelled the stars for nine hundred years and in that time I've come across many fearsome creatures. I encountered the Cyberponies quite early in my journeys. I've fought them many a time and know just how determined and cunning they are. I'm determined to stop them.”
“Nine hundred years?” Applejack gasped. “Have you been alone for all that time?”
“Mostly. Every now and then I have a companion who travels with me. My last was Donna Noblesteed, but she returned to her family. Those times are short though. Inevitably it ends up just being myself.”
Applejack's heart broke at the thought of being alone for so very long. She couldn't imagine a life with nopony but herself for company. No family; no friends.
“Enough about me!” The Doctor seemed to have dismissed his glum disposition and now seemed almost jovial. “Now, I need to stop the cyberponies, but I'm going to need your help. Are you up for it?”
“Ya'll just tell me what you need doing and I'll do it! There's no way I'm going to do nothin’ and let them freaks turn my friends into ponies like them!”
“That's the spirit! First of all we need to find the place where they're doing the upgrading. Then I'll be able to override their systems and shut it all down.”
Applejack nodded. “So, how do we we do that?”
The Doctor grinned. “Easy. We just need to get to my TARDIS.”
“Your what now?”
“You'll see! Now follow me!” The Doctor turned and trotted up the gully and Applejack followed behind. They didn't go all that much further when the Doctor stopped.
“What's there? Is it more of them?” Applejack whispered, straining her neck to see around a large boulder.
“No, not cyberponies. Welcome to my home.” He held out a hoof and Applejack moved forward until she saw a large blue box sitting right in the middle of the gully. It had double stable doors at the front and a white sign next to the doors read 'Pony Box’.”
“What the dang is that?”
“It's...complicated,” the Doctor said. “Let's go inside and I'll explain then.”
“Inside? That? Oh no! I ain't going inside that thing until I knows good and proper what it is!”
The Doctor sighed. “Stubborn pony aren't you?”
“Granny Smith always says it's not stubborn if it's smart. And it ain't smart for me to venture inside that thing when I don't know what it is.”
“I can't argue with Granny Smith's logic,” the Doctor relented. “It's my time machine. It transports me anywhere I need to go in all of time and space.” He looked over at Applejack with a challenge in his eye. She got the feeling he was sure she would contest him.
“I see...” Applejack looked warily at the box. “I guess out of everything that's happened today, that seems the least crazy of the lot. Okay then, let's hustle inside.”
A look of surprise passed over the Doctor's face, but then he smiled and led the way over to the box. Applejack followed him inside and stood with her mouth agape. It wasn't the fandangled technology or the flashing lights that silenced her. It was the fact that “It's bigger on the inside...”
The Doctor laughed. “Yes it is! The first observation everypony makes!”
Applejack cautiously walked up the ramp towards the glowing centre console. The Doctor was a whir of motion, pressing one button with a hoof, and then pulling a lever with his mouth. Lights started flashing and he nosed a screen around to face them. On the screen was a map of Ponyville.
“This, here, where is that?” he asked.
“It's the school.” Applejack answered, instantly recognising the location.
“The school.” It wasn't a question. The Doctor's face darkened and he kicked his back legs out. He struck the bar that ran along the balcony and a hollow noise rung out. “Curse those Cyberponies!”
“What do they want with the school?” Applejack gasped.
“It's where they've set up their upgrading facility.” the Doctor whispered. A look of profound sadness filled his eyes.
“No! It can't be!' Applejack cried, a feeling of dread sitting like a stone in her stomach. “That's where Apple Bloom is! My little sister!”
“Don't worry, Applejack, I'm going to stop the cyberponies and I promise I'll keep your sister safe.”
“We need to get there now!” she cried. “It's on the other side of town. We have to leave now.”
The Doctor grinned. “Anywhere in time and space, remember? I'll have us there in a jiffy.” He knocked a different lever down and started trotting around the console. Each adjustment caused different lights to flash and Applejack could taste magic in the air. “Hold on!”
The TARDIS gave a shudder and an eerie whooshing noise began. Applejack backed against the railing. Keeping her feet was getting difficlut. The noise got louder and louder, and she was being rocked from side to side. Suddenly she was jerked sideways, and she fell in a pile of flailing legs, hooves, and knees. The shuddering came to a stop and so did the noise. She felt the Doctor at her side and he helped her upright.
“What just happened?” she asked. She shook her head to clear the stars.
“We, my dear pony, just arrived outside the schoolhouse.” The Doctor led her to the doors and opened them, revealing the familiar sight of the wooden building.
Applejack's eyes opened wide in wonder briefly. They then narrowed as she looked seriously outside. “What's our plan of action, Doctor?”
“The cyberponies will have set up in a large space. They need room for their upgrades. Any idea?”
“The auditorium,” Applejack stated with certainty.
Without further discussion the two ponies set off across the grounds. It was very quiet. There was no sound of little ponies playing or laughing. The school seemed deserted. They quietly entered the front door and encountered nopony. Doctor Whooves followed Applejack as she made her way past classrooms and lockers. She paused at the door and looked through the small windows at the top. Doctor Whooves joined her and together they gazed upon a nightmare.
Inside was rank upon rank of blank silver ponies. To one side fillies, colts, and teacher ponies had been herded into a corner, and one by one were being led into a large metal chamber. A blue bolt of magic would ripple down the chamber and from the other side a new silver Cyberpony would emerge. Applejack did not see the pony that entered the chamber leave it again though a Cyberpony did come and drag off a large container from under the chamber. Applejack fought to keep down her lunch as the Cyberpony passed by the door. She felt faint when she realised she had just witnessed what became of the ponies. The word leftovers came to mind.
“Doctor, we got to do something!” she pleaded.
“That's what we're here for.” He gave her a long look. “What I need you to do is cause a distraction. I need to get to that chamber undetected so I can break the magic connection. Think you can do that?”
“You betcha!” Applejack said without hesitation.
“Let's do this then.”
Applejack nodded and shouldered her way through the door. She bellowed a war cry as she galloped towards the corner where the ponies were being kept prisoner. From the corner of her eye she saw the Doctor sneak quietly into the room, moving quickly towards the chamber. In his mouth he held a shiny cylindrical object. A Cyberpony moved towards her and she reared up. Kicking forcefully she knocked it to the ground.
“Quick, everypony, run!”
Bolstered by her bravery, the ponies started to fight back, kicking at the cyberponies and making a break for the exit. Applejack took a second to search the room for Apple Bloom but she couldn't see her anywhere. A cyberpony stepped in front of her. She halted as it blocked her path
“You will be upgraded.”
“I don't think so you hunk of junk!” Applejack pivoted to one side and used her powerful hind legs to buck at the cyberpony. He fell backwards, two of his legs coming unattached in a shower of sparks, leaving him helpless on the ground.
“Yee haw!” she screamed, leaping over the metal pony and dashing towards the crowd of escaping ponies.
“Applejack!” Apple Bloom's scream echoed over the room. Applejack turned and saw her being dragged towards the chamber by a cyberpony.
“Get your filthy hands off my little sister ya shiny metal varmint!” she screamed, charging towards the monster. Apple Bloom's hooves dug into the ground as she struggled against her captor. The cyberpony wrestled the filly into the chamber. It turned and slammed the door just as Applejack reached them. Blue sparks flew into the room as a burst of magic rippled down the chamber.
“No!” Applejack's scream reverberated around the room. Everypony, flesh and metal, were temporarily shocked into stillness by her heart wrenching cry. “Apple Bloom! No!”. As the Cyberpony reached for Applejack she butted his hooves out of the way, slammed him down onto the ground, and grabbed hold of one of his front hooves with her mouth. She gave a powerful jerk of her head and ripped the limb from his body. She spit the metal arm to one side and it clattered to the ground. Applejack took hold of the other front leg and did the same.
“Stop. You will be deleted.” The cyberpony told her.
“Never!” Applejack knelt down until the cyberpony's head was between her knees then twisted to one side. As she tore the head from it's body the cyberpony shuddered and then was still. With tears running down her face, Applejack leapt towards the chamber door, and started butting against it.
“Apple Bloom! Please, Apple Bloom, answer me!”
Applejack collapsed against the door. She choked as a cry caught in her throat. Suddenly the door opened and she fell partly inside. Above her stood a grinning Doctor. Standing at his shoulder, with an impish grin of her own, was Apple Bloom.
“Huh?” Was all Applejack could manage.
“Applejack! Have you met Doctor Whooves? He's just the most wonderfulest pony in all of Ponyville. That awful metal pony put me in that room and tied me up and he said he was going to turn me into one of them and I was real scared but then Doctor Whooves came in through the other door and bam he hit the metal pony in the head and then they fought but the Doctor had this really cool screwdriver and he touched the metal pony with it and he fell to the floor dead and then the Doctor came and untied me and then we opened the door and there you were, all on the ground and then-” Apple Bloom's ramble was cut short by Applejack throwing herself against her sister.
“I thought I'd never see you again,” Applejack cried.
“The Doctor is here. He's going to make it all better.” Apple Bloom replied.
“Yes I am,” the Doctor agreed. “Now stand back. Allonsy!”
The sisters moved away from the chamber, and watched as the Doctor used what Apple Bloom had described as a screwdriver on the main control panel. Blue magic sparks shot everywhere, smoke filled the room, and cyberponies stopped chasing the ponies and turned to the machine. Several started toward the Doctor to stop him. Before they had taken two steps a loud boom sounded from the chamber. At the same time as the noise, every Cyberpony suddenly stopped, still as a statue. Applejack went to the nearest one and prodded it with a hoof.
“Are they dead?” she asked.
“Powered down,” the Doctor explained. “They all run off the magic that this chamber produces. We'll need to have them dismantled and then the pieces destroyed, but for now, they're safe.”
“How can we ever thank you Doctor?” Applejack asked, looking down at Apple Bloom.
“Ah, there's no need. It's kind of what I do.”
“Still, I want to do something for you. Tell ya what, why don't you come on over to Sweet Apple Acres for dinner tonight and I'll make you one of my famous apple pies.”
“Ooooh, yes please, Doctor? Please come?” Apple Bloom pleaded, jumping up and down.
“How can I say no to apple pie?” The Doctor grinned. “That sounds brilliant.”
*******
Later that evening, just as the sun was setting, Applejack walked the Doctor across to his TARDIS that was now parked next to the barn.
“Where will you go next Doctor?” Applejack asked quietly.
“Oh, wherever I'm needed, I guess. I always seem to turn up in the right place at the right time.”
“Just you and your box eh?”
The Doctor gave a sad smile. “What's a madpony without his box?”
Applejack laughed, and then was surprised she could still laugh after such a terrible day.
“Of course, you could always come with me?” the Doctor mentioned casually. “You're brave, and smart, and we could have such amazing adventures together.”
Applejack shook her head. “As wonderful as that would be, I just couldn't Doctor. I couldn't leave Apple Bloom. She'd get into too much trouble. And Big Macintosh would be left to harvest by himself. And what of my friends? No, I have too much here, too many ponies that need me.” She lay her nose on his shoulder. “But thank you for the mighty kind offer.”
“Any time, Applejack,” the Doctor told her. “I guess I should be off.”
The Doctor went into his blue box and within moments Applejack heard that whoosh noise again. The box seemed to pulse and a breeze whipped her mane around her face. When Applejack looked next the TARDIS was gone and so was Doctor Whooves. She was alone.
“Safe travels, Doctor,” Applejack whispered. She took one last look over the orchard and then made her way back to the farmhouse. It was getting late and there was a list of chores as long as her tail waiting for her in the morning. Time for bed.