Fray raced through the facility, and ran smack into Infra.
"Well, fancy meeting you here!" She exclaimed.
"What are you doing?" Spark asked.
"Nothing, really. I haven't found anything important yet."
"Well, could you get the others here?"
"Sure."
A few minutes later, everyone was gathered in a group.
"I found........ the prototype," Fray said, struggling with the words.
"Why don't you head out?" Hazard said, "This seems to be an emotionally riveting place for you."
"I'm fine, but--"
"I think that a few of us should stay outside the lab in case anything happens," Mirage said.
"Good idea," Tripwire said, "In fact, it's probably best if all of you get out of here. I don't know what might happen, and I don't want anyone to get hurt."
As everyone nodded in agreement and headed out, Fray stayed behind.
"Thank you for making them leave. There's a trap in here," she said.
"I know," Trip replied, "but I won't be able to activate this outside of the lab. Get ready to run."
Fray nodded in understanding.
Tripwire didn't notice. He was too focused on the task at hoof.
His aura brightened as he focused.
He touched the metal. Much of the former prototype was covered in rust, forcing Fray to turn away. It was too heart-wrenching.
The metal filly began to twitch. A rusted eye opened, and gave an expression of fright. Fray turned around, and saw that eye. It blinked, and began to skitter around.
'The problems included twitching eye movement,' Fray thought, 'Poor thing.'
Suddenly, alarms began blaring.
"We need to get out!" Tripwire yelled.
"I know!" Fray replied. The two took off, with Tripwire carrying the rusted filly.
The lights began shutting off. And metal floor began to shake and rip.
"We have 30 seconds to get out of here!" Trip yelled. The two were hurriedly making their way to the exit.
"There's the door!" Fray exclaimed. The two ponies made a run for it.
As the door was closing, Tripwire kept through, dropping the prototype.
"No!" Fray cried. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to grab her, just as the door closed.
.....................
"Fray!" Tripwire yelled. Banging on the door. The others rushed over, including Cadance and Shining Armor.
"We have to get back!" Hazard said, "This place is going to blow!"
"But Fray-" Amplitude said.
"Is trapped, and there's nothing we can do," Mirage cut in.
"So we're just going to leave her behind!?" Rainbow Dash said, racing up, "You can't tell the element of loyalty to do something like that!"
While everyone else was scrambling back, the cyan Pegasus barreled toward the door, until she was stopped by somepony unexpected.
"Don't do it," Axle said, flying in her path, "You know that it's suicide."
Dash gave a look of shock, then anger, then defeat. She reluctantly landed.
"Listen, Tripwire can just rebuild her," Infra said, perking Dash up.
What Dash didn't see was the worried glance she exchanged with the half-metal pony. They both knew it was a lie. Tripwire never scanned Fray's circuits.
..................
Fray desperately fired at the door. She had to get out. For the filly. For Hazard and the others. For Equestria.
She looked at the filly. Its eye had stopped twitching, and was now focused on her. It was too much.
"I'm not going down," Fray said, her voice rising in volume, "I will not let myself fall with this facility! Not now. I am not a part of this! And neither is this filly! We will get out of alive," her voice quickly lowering, "We have to."
She immediately saw the necessary information in her eyes.
'10 seconds,'
She grabbed the filly,
'8'
She spread her wings.
'5'
Her horn began to glow.
'4'
A copper sphere surrounded them.
'3'
She closed her eyes.
'2'
She reopened them.
'1'
She took off.
........................
The ice shattered. The explosion shook the ground.
"Sweet Celestia!" Applejack exclaimed.
Rarity saw something barreling towards them.
"Everypony, DUCK!!!" She cried out.
"Duck!? Where!?" Pinkie Pie squealed, only to be pulled down by Twilight.
Fray tumbled into the snow, while the rusted filly came crashing behind her.
"FRAY!!!!" Pinkie yelled as she bear-hugged the robotic alicorn.
"Okay, Pinkie. Take it easy," Fray said.
"Y'okay, sugar cube?" Applejack asked.
"My gravity sensors are a little out of whack, but I'm fine," Fray answered, "But I don't know if she is," she added, nodding toward the rust filly. Her eye was twitching again, but it would be still for several seconds at a time. Fray could see the pony's gratitude.