Prisons, as far a Sweetie knew them, were like a giant naughty spot for grown ups. It was like being grounded, except you did not get to stay locked up in your room all day.
No. Grown ups got sent away , on much longer time outs, To a house specifically for grounded grown ups, when they had done stuff that were way worse then some simple children prank.
Grown ups did not get caught with their hoof in the cookie jar. They got caught robbing the bank, usually by the Power Ponies or some other group of heroes.
The comic books did not say too much about the EPD (Equestrian police department) or the Equestrian royal Guard. But someone was needed to watch the bad ponies when they were sent away.
Some ponies simply needed to be sent away. Bad ponies. Ponies that hurt other ponies.
Sweetie had never dome anything to hurt anyone. At least not intentionally.
And she had never robbed anypony. At least not intentionally.
She had most certainly not just committed attempted burglary on princess Celestia's vaults.
At least … Not intentionally.
That's how the story went. They had not intended for a lot of things. They just of sort of happened on their own.
The guards had not been great listeners. They had first escorted the three confused little fillies to the underground guard quarters, where they had tried to make sense of their three confused stories. (Mostly the guard had asked only three questions – who they where, where they were from, and what they were doing breaking into the royal vaults.)
Then Scootaloo had demanded they get to speak to Princess Celestia.
Then there had been a brief stop at the dungeon – where the fillies were told to wait until summoned. The guards had even slapped them in chains and placed a magic nullifying ring on Sweeties horn.
Finally the girls had been escorted up into the glamorous halls of the castle propper, and finally the girls had gotten a bearing on where they were in the world.
And finally, any illusions the girls might have had about where they were in the world were shattered as they entered up into the glamorous halls of the castle, and were able to look out over the City of Canterlot and the landscape beyond its mountains.
Finally they had ended up face to face with the ruler of the land herself. And Scootaloo had instantly regretted ever demanding to speak with her.
Princess Celestial had listened until their full story was told, then she has sent them into one of the guest rooms in the outer wings of the castle, and told them to wait there.
And waited the girls did.
Their new prison was a clear upgrade from their previous, dog infested hole in the ground. It was one of the most luxurious guest rooms that any of them had ever been in. Perhaps not the most Luxurious in the entire castle, butt still enough to impress three little fillies.
It had a posted bed that was big enough for a whole family. It had white marble walls with column arches for the doors and windows. Huge windows with golden frames that gave Applebloom a good look over the city as she sat upon the tabletop of an ancient Rococo desk, wondering where her life had taken her.
“You know girls – this is starting to become a habit.” She said.
“Don't worry” Said Scootaloo, Who lay comfortably on her side in a big poster bed. Chewing on a biscuit from the silver tray of buns and soup they had been locked in with. “They cant do anything, were underaged.”
She spoke like a true pro at getting caught with her hoof in the cocky jar.
“Still. I don't think my sister will be so proud of me if I ended up with a cutie mark of jail bars.”
“Relax. Its not like were in prison or anything.”
“No... Of course not. Were just guests here.”
Appleblooms voice was thick with sarcasm as she shook the chains very much still on her person.
It was some very pretty chains. With fine silver links and cuffs padded with pink fur as to not scar their fetlocks. Chains that were crossed between their legs. preventing them from running. Or raising their hooves above their heads.
“They … they believe us right?” Sweetie said a bit uncertainly. “I mean, they know that we would not just do something like this?”
“Yeah, I think they do. Celestia has to. She knows who we are.” Said Scoot, but a little doubt crept into her voice. “But … She did seem a little angry.”
“I think that might be part of the problem.” Sighed Applebloom. “And that was not doubt, that was disappointment. I think I would be too, if someone broke into my place, unintentionally or not.”
“I'm sorry my little ponies, but with you three one cant take any risks. ”
The voice of Celestia came out of Sweetie's mouth as she replayed the last thing the princess had said to them before she closed the doors. Then the three had felt a magical golden aura sweep over them.
Not to prove Celestia right or anything, but Sweetie had tried the door. Big brown oak doors with an overflow of patterns that just failed to hide how heavy they looked. Sweetie had not been able to move them an inch. The door handles were unresponsive and the doors themselves held down with magic.
The whole room had become a gilded cage.
And, unfortunately, Twilight must at some point have taught Celestia about Sweetie's Restrictions. For she found herself unable to muster all the strengths her titanium body hosted. That spell had not only sealed the room, It had also made it impossible for Sweetie to do anything beyond the strict setting of “A normal filly”
The 'perfectly normal' filly now sat leaning on the door looking out over the room. There was no clock, and Sweetie was glad she did not have one installed. Hearing the seconds tick by as they waited would probably be a lot worse. Only the sun outside the window told them that more then half of the day had passed.
“We're grounded ain't we?” She said “Royally.”
She fell backwards as the doors swung outwards, gripped by purple magic, And found herself Staring up onto a crowned purple Alicorn.
“Twilight!”
Sweetie stood up, and the other two jumped to stand beside her.
“Twilight! Twilight! You've got to help us! It wasn't us! I mean it was us but not just us. I mean we were tricked!”
Twilight Raised a hoof to stop the kakofony
“Girls, girls. One at a time.” She said in a tone a little to serious for the girls liking. “I've just spoken with Princess Celestia. She summoned me here on a pretty shot notice, not to say 'Instantaneous emergency'. So I had to teleport all the way here. Got a pretty big headache from the effort.”
She rubbed her crowned forehead, and Sweetie took note of the black lines under her eyes. And the cape of ponytails official colors that hung from her side, held in place by a ribbon belt that crossed her chest, marked by an official seal.
Someone had gotten to to get very royal in a hurry, and that set of alarm bells.
“But not as big as a headache as I got when I got to hear a pretty unbelievable story.” Twilight finished.
Some part of the darkness around her eyes seemed to creep into her glance. Like it does to ponies who who's having a bad day.
Now, now. Celestia has already told me everything. And she knows I know you better, so she wanted to hear what I had to say, And before I say anything, I needed to hear what you had to say.
She gave them all a hard look.
“Now, Is it true that you broke into the vault beneath the castle?”
“I have the right to an attorney!” Screamed Scoot. Making Applebloom elbow her.
“N.. No … Not exactly, I mean … For the hundredth time today – not intentionally.”
Twilight sighed.
“So. You were not intentionally caught red hoofed with your saddlebags stuffed full of ancient relics and treasury?”
“I mean … Well . .. yes that is true but...” Applebloom Stammered.
“We did not know it was Celestia's would not even have known about that place if the mole king had not tricked us.” Sweetie added. “He only wanted the Sunstone. He took it!”
“No, he didn't.”
“What?”
“Luckily all of the treasury is right back where it belongs now. Every last piece accounted for.”
“You... You have to count it again. Maybe he took something Else!”
Twilight gave her a look of someone who was definitely not gonna do that. Again.
“Are you Sure?” Scoot added dumbfound.
“Yes I am. The Sunstone was found having rolled into a corner, Wrapped in the magic cloth that blocks its light. It was a little hard to find because of it, but there is no mistaking that stone when its unmasked
Furthermore The only thing we found outside the hole you made was a caved in tunnel fitting the Diameter of your drill Sweetie.”
She sighed.
Pretty impressive of you, to make a drill on a forenoon. I should be impressed, if I was not so disappointed over what you have used it for.”
The hard look returned.
“Do you understand that its not a pretty picture the reports have painted.”
“That … That's not possible.” The girls started shouting all at once “There … there was a giant drill, And lights and stuff! He must have move it! Or buried it! With the explosion! And there was another tunnel. And a shaft. You're looking in the wrong place! Twilight! You have to go and tell them they are looking in the wrong place! There were other tunnels next to them. Please believe us. We could not have come all this way on our own!”
Twilight flashed them a smile. All be it a weak one.
“I believe you girls. And we will look in to it.”
The three shone up.
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! We knew you would Twilight. Now just let us out of here and well show you.”
“No”
"WHAT?"
“No, girls, I think you've done enough for today. Do you see these bags under my eyes? this is from dealing with all the trouble you've cause today. And believe it or not, that vault break-in is not even the top of the crimes you have committed today.
“What are you talking about? Look – were the victims here.” Said Scoot.
“Yeah – We were just out digging for gems.” Said Applebloom
“And then the Diamond dogs captured us!” Said Sweetie.
“ Yeah, that's actually part of the problem girls. I've spent all morning trying to negotiate with some very angry dogs. And you know – they had every right to be angry. You broke into their homes, and tried to steal from them.”
“Well … When you say it like that it … sounds kind of bad.”
“They locked us up! And they forced us to work for them! WE had to escape somehow – what was we to do? Just sit around and wait for rescue?”
Twilight raised an Eyebrow.
“Besides – The diamond dogs don't own every piece of gem in the ground.”
“No.” Said Twilight, just the ones that are already part of their mines. - Trust me, there is a very clear set of quarry regulations in place between the Diamond dogs and Ponyville – It was actually the main cause of concern while forming the treaty. They don't kidnap any ponies – and we don't dig into their tunnels.”
She gave the girls a look.
“Did you really have to dig so ridiculously deep?”
”But Twilight. Your a princess. Cant you, you know, pardon us?”
“No.”
“But why not!” Scootaloo exploded “You cant just leave us in here!”
“No – I'm going to do something far worse.” Twilight said with a smile. That kind of warm and innocent smile that all troublemakers have learned to fear more then a cold stare from Fluttershy.
“I'm going to tell your Sisters.”
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle's faces dropped. Scootaloo smiled.
“Jokes on you! I don't have a sister.”
“And I'm going to tell Rainbow Dash.” Twilight added. Making the little pegasus face drop like the others.
“Just … Leave us in here.” They whispered. “We are going to be so grounded that it wont make a difference any way.”
“Sorry girls, but you are going to have to fess up for what you've done. I'm sure they will be much more disappointed then I am.”
“I'm especially disappointed in you Sweetie. I leave you alone for one day and you do and go something like this? I could have accepted a little mischief – But THIS!!!”
Sweetie lost it.
“What did you expect of me! Those restrictions finally come of and you just expect me to behave as if I still have them – then you are just like my sister! All of you are talking about how we all need to accept that I am a Robot but none of you will let me use the talents that actually comes with that! - So you know what – I'm glad I did it. I'm glad that you for once forgot to put your stupid spell on me. Because I was having way more fun today then I've had all week. ”
”Its not fair that im suposed to be ”restricted” but no one else. Just because you can do that to me does not mean you should! Others just gets sent to the naughty spot. But im suposed to have a whole part of myself be password protected????”
“You do know that those ”Restrictions” are a form of punishment right!?!” Twilight bellowed right back.”Have you already forgotten those foals in the hospital? You put them there because of what you did on that game! You had been a bad pony Sweetie! And we agreed that you had to be put on a time out! You still had it luckier then most as you were still alowed to roam around and play and not be grounded! I actually encuraged it because I thought that you might learn someting from it. I Believed it so much that I alowed you to walk away unrestricted today.”
”W... What....?”
That could not be right, Twilight had forgotten, she had goten into an argument with Rainbow dash and … let Sweetie walk away.
Like she read her mind, Twilight continued:
”Did you realy believe that I just forgot to put those restrictions back on? No. I let you go as a reward for having been such a good girl earlier today. I was qurious to see what you might do with that freedom.”
Twilight words just trailed of, and she just shook her head.
But I did not eccpect this...”
She began to walk off. But before she faded from view she turned around and said:
”Guess you got your wish. For now you are realy REALY grounded … Just like any other filly.”
With that, she turned around and walked away. The door once again slamming shut and gleaming as magic was put back on it.
“We've really done it this time girls” said Applebloom.
”Yeah – I can just see the headlines. 'Cmc – jewlery heist busted.' Said Scootaloo. Gesturing with her hooves as faar as her cains would alow.
Applebloom stomped the floor.
“Dang it! Its not Fair! Its the mole kings fault! Everything is! Its his fault that we are sitting here!”
“I don't understand why he would do it.” Said Sweetie “why would he use us like that?”
Because that's what he does.
The whole room froze up as everypony looked around for the source of the voice.
“Who's there? Who said that?”
“I did” Said Sweeite's tail.
All three watched as the straws of her pink and purple curls were being ruffled around, before a tiny goggled head surfaced.
“SIM!” Sweetie almost jumped in surprise.
“Yeah! Me.” Sim said as she pulled herself free. “Whats up?”
“What are you doing in my Tail? How are you even …”
Sweetie did a quick internal systems check. All her sensors were working correctly, And she could extend herself all the way out to the tip of her tail. But, Looking closer, the connection seemed a little off.
“Oh, that's easy” said Sim I simply redirected the flow of energy from the center of your tail somewhere else.
“I figured it out once you told me that your skin is connected to your sensors by an arrangement of magnets, That antenna of a tailbone became a weak spot as all I had to do was rearrange the connection a bit so that some of the sensors and magnets were sensing Each other instead of their targeted patch of skin, Basically left me a blind spot. After that I simply had to make myself comfortable.”
Sweetie blushed so hard that the cheeks started to smoke. Someone had hitchhiked on her, simply because she had taken for granted that everything was ok. All because her sensors did not bother with what part of the body they were connected to, as long as a signal came forth, everything was ok.
“When could you ever have learned that?, When Did I ever tell you that?”
“When you saved Slip from the great horrible hngine.”
Sim spoke as she pulled her sack free.
“True, it was a risk, I simply had to count on that you would not notice.”
“But why?” Said Applebloom.
Sim shrugged.
“The entire town was after me after what I did with the worms, So I had to hide somewhere.”
“You could have just hid in our bags.” Said Scootaloo.
“True. But I didn't want to get separated. Besides, someone might think to look in a bag. And, no offense, but you are fascinating.”
Sweetie had to turn of her blushing subroutine as the air started to smell like bacon.
“I overheard your conversation with the king, and I realized that if I ever wanted to see the sky then this would be my only chance.”
Sim slung the bag over her back, and looked around.
“So … This is it?” She said, taking in her surroundings with no small amount of bewildered awe.
Sim stared up at the window, and the great yellow sun that was hanging in the sky just outside.
The little mole quickly scuffed over the floor to the big desk under the window. Pulled out a hook and a rope (to the ponies no bigger then a bent needle on a fishing thread) and threw it with great precision around the top drawer handle. She then climbed up the line and hauled herself over and up to the bench with impressive speed before then simply walking slowly up to the windowsill.
“This … This is real right … I'm not dead.”
She put her paws on the glass. And stared out over the city of Canterlot and the landscape beyond. All underneath the endless blue sky and the big orb in the middle of it all.
It was a sight enough to inspire anypony. But Sim was drinking it all in like a thirsty soul in an endless desert.
"No. You are not dead. Why would you be?" Applebloom asked.
"Because... Thats what they all say. That all good moles go to the sky when their time comes. Unless you were bad of course, then you become a demon dog. Though I don't know about that either. I thought there would be more demon dogs to fight on our way here."
She hung her head.
"Tell me ... Are the dogs even real?"
"Well ..." Said, Scootaloo "I know the Diamond dogs are, But I dont know how whidspread they are."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Applebloom blurted in, and tried to wave her hooves as far as the chains would alow. "What do you mean "when a moles time come?"
"I Mean when they grow to old, When a tunnel colapses or someone gets caught in the gears of a machine, or perhaps just when the Deamon dogs, or some other meance takes them." Sim leaned against the window glass. "Everyone whos not coming back ... Have gone to the Sky."
"You mean ... Oh ... Oh no." Applebloom stamered. "You mean like ... the Ever-after?"
"I dont know what that is" said Sim. "But if its a place where your loved ones go and dont come back from ... then yeah."
Sweetie felt her processing power suddenly flipping on its head. Suddenly a lot of the strange, incomprehensible ways that the mole children had spoken about 'the sky' Made a lot more sence."
"Hold upp!" Said Scootaloo "you mean that no one down there acctually believes this is real?"
"Oh ... they believe its real alright." Sim was gritting her teeth. "Its as real as the mole king has made it to be. That place where all good moles go . A place seperated from uss by demon dogs and dangers. You knew, didnt you? you, who were the only one to reach the sky ... and return."
Sim banged her head against the glass.
“Sorry … Its just … All this time... It was here, It was right here … And you would not let us reach it.”
“Who?” the girls asked.
“The King of course! That bastard. Always claiming he was so special for having reached the sky and returned … But you knew dad … You knew it was a real place.”
The fillies gatherer around the bench.
“Sim, Shy would the king do this?”
“I don't know … Because he is evil? Because he likes staying in power? He's using moles, Forcing tiny once like me to work in his dangerous machines, while claiming it all in the service of saving out people.”
With great effort, Sim turned away from the window. Tears streaming down her face.
But my dad. He believed there was another way. He believed that there were others who had reached the sky, Just like my grandma told him.”
Sim pointed halfway accusingly at Sweetie.
“That drill. It was made by my dad. It was made to finally reach the surface … But the king. He only wanted it to break into some darn old ruins.”
“Old ruin.” Scootaloo sneered. “He'd had to have known all along that it was Celestias vault. He knew exactly what was in there.”
“Why didn't he just take the sunstone and run? What sense does it make to break into a vault and don't steal anything?”
“It makes perfect sense – who is going to check on a vault where you have already captured the burglars?” Said sim.
“A double bluff.” Said Scootaloo “To fill the guards with a sense of false security.”
“But, even so, Twilight said that it was right back where it should be.”
“Yeah - According to the guards, under a blanket that no one can see through. Remember, the king is pretty small to you ponies, He could just have hidden in some dark corner – then waited until the guards put everything back and escorted you off, then he probably made his move.”
"How do you know this?"
Sim shrugged.
“Its what I would do.”
Applebloom opened and shut her mouth a few times, trying to find an objection.
“But … Twilight believes us. Shes going to go down there right now and find them all – shell see that we are right.”
“It wont work.” Said Sim. “They'll never find them. Those tunnels are a maze and are constantly being demolished and re-dug.”
Sweetie knew that Sim was right. She had almost lost count of how many times their ride here had changed track. Even replaying her memory files backwards it was going to be trouble finding her way back, And if the underworld was constantly being reshaped it was going to be impossible.
“But … if no one ever finds them, then that thief is going to get away. That's not fair.”
“You know what else is not fair.” Said Sim “My fathers last creation going to waste on some darn heist.”
The little mole turned back to the window, where the heat of the sun dried the tears from her face.
“The king will probably take that stone down to Moletown, tell everyone that he has finally brought them the sun. And they'll love him for it. Revere him. Worship him. No one will ever have an incline to look for this place. And with daddy's drill gone...”
She took a deep breath, And spoke out towards the sky.
“No. Its not gone. Its right here, isn't it dad? Your drill finally pierced through to the sky! You were right Dad, Just like Grandmother was!”
She turned around. The heat of the sun having filled her with determination.
“You wanted to show them that the only thing you have to do to reach the heaven is to dig for it. Well, I guess its up to me.”
She looked across the three big fillies
“No. Its up to us. You wanna get that bastard to, I know you must. Because you're just like me. Your stubborn. Once you set your sight on something you don't back down.”
“YEEEEAH!” Shouted Scootaloo. “what – seemed right at the moment?”
”Youre right Said Applebloom” We have to get back to Mole citty. We have to stop that mole king and prove that we are right”
”Saving a whole kingdoom from a diabolical ruler should prove that we are good girls, right?” Sweetie Agreed. ”But … How are we going to get out of here?”
She shook the hoof. Making the chains between her legs clatter.
“What?” Said Sim “you've walked through impenetrable walls today. Don't tell me you cant break a meager little chain.”
“These are magical chains.” Sweetie said sarcastically “And then there is this Magical nullification ring.”
She pointed as far as the chains would allow her, Coming to think about it, that ring did seem pretty pointless on her, She guessed it was just standard procedures for captured Unicorns to be outfitted with one. The most it could do was prevent her from activating her drill.
Sim took a running leap of the bench and landed smack down on Sweeies forehead.
She tried to pull the moonstone ring off Sweeties horn. But It sat too hard, and she was too small.
“Blasted. Not gonna be able to remove that one.” She cursed. “Now if only you...”
She looked Sweetie up and down.
“Hang on – I've got an idea.”
From her sack, Sim pulled out a screwdriver of her own. It looked almost too big for the sack she carried on her back, but one who had lived around Pinkie pie had stopped questioning things.
She then jumped down onto Sweeties outstretched hoof. And after poking around a bit with her tools she opened a lid in the middle of the hoof-sole.
Sweetie just stared at the hole that appeared as the area behind her hoofs outer iron rim-horn. Before her own systems had time to even register that her sole had been opened like the hatch on a submarine – Sim had thrown her backpack and sack down the hole, and jumped in herself.
“Wait! WHAT!! NO!!!”
Sweeties other hoof reached instinctively. But only ended up smacking the lid shut on her hoof again. She instead began to frantically grab and knock down the length of her leg, past her shoulder and then her torso, as if doing so would allow her to grab the intruder through her own iron reinforced skin.
-:: !!Warning!! // Intruder detected // !!Warning !! ::-
-:: !!Warning!! // Breach of personal space // !!Warning !! ::-
-:: !!Warning!! // Personal integrity violation in effect // !!Warning !! ::-
“NO! Get out of there its creepy!” Sweetie cried. It dawned on her more and more that there was someone inside her! There was an actual living breathing rodent inside her and she could not do anything about it!
She did not even have any idea of where the thing was, her sensors were for the outside of her body – Not inside!”
“Stop crying, I'm just gonna get a feel for what I'm working with here!”
The tiny voice came from inside her.
“NO! You stop being inside me this instant! Get out of there NOW!”
A lump appeared on her belly as she registered a plate being moved aside.
“Nope – that's not it.” Said the lump. And dissipated again before Sweetie could smack it.
Another one briefly appeared on her neck, and a few seconds later it was on her back.
A shiver went down Sweetie's spine as she felt the skin disconnect from her hull as tiny paws moved over her back.
“Scootaloo! Applebloom! Get her! GET HER!”
Booth of her friends managed to trip over their own chains as they tried to reach that fast moving lump on Sweeties back. She all but jumped backwards herself, and managed to land on her back – But not before Sim had disappeared down another self made entrance.
“You know – This would be faster if you stopped wriggling around.” Sims tiny voice echoed from somewhere inside.
“It would be even faster if you would get out of my body!” Sweetie cried as her panic levels started to rise. She somersaulted through the room and managed to break a leg of the expensive desk out of pure defiance to her uninvited intruder.
“The mole king forced me to crawl around moving machinery all my life! Do you really think this is my first rodeo?”
Sweetie dropped down on the floor in defeat. An actual lump was growing on her forehead where the desk had struck her beneath the horn.
“Hmmm …. your pistons ain't working at peek efficiency.”
“Tell me about it.” Sweetie sighed.
“I just did.”
“No – I mean … Ugh … Its just An expresion … you know what, nevermind.”
“I'm trying to help you know.”
“Its pointless anyway. My performance is locked down by magic. Twilight casts a spell on me forbids me from doing all that I'm capable of.
“That's some strange magic” Said Sim “Why would anyone not want your Engines to 'peeking my efficiency'.”
“Because I'm not an engine!” Sweetie snapped. “Just who in the hay do you think I am?”
“A very angry machine pony?”
“Gaaah! ... And that's because were trapped here and they don't want us to leave. There! Did that answer your question?”
Sim was silent a moment. Sweetie thought her left microphone caught the soft echo of a “Hmmmmm” as someone thought really hard.
“This magic” Sim said. “Does it affect your entire body.”
“No” Said Sweetie … “actually, it does not.”
Twilight could most certainly have thrown a restraining spell on her, or anypony, in order to limit their abilities. Like a fatigue spell, or something like binding a pegasi's wings behind their back. The difference was that while this might prevent a pony from preforming their most basic functions, like their hooves had been tied with an invisible chain. Sweetie wasn't limited in that sense. A fatigue spell would not work on her. And one could of course try to bind her in magical chains, it would need to be some darn strong magic, since her machine muscles would fight against of the spell with a strength few ponies could muster, and render the spell ineffective, or perhaps even break it. Sure – she might run out of energy faster by doing so, but she would still not let herself be held back.
No – Instead, Twilight's spell had targeted Sweeties energy directly. More specifically her distribution center, the component in charge of regulating her energy output. It was a place that was – handy enough – already came with a series of pre-determined settings for what her creators had once upon a time agreed on that a 'normal' little fillies limits should be.
Twilight's spell had taken these settings and locked them in place. Like a switchboard with all the options set to low. Then it simply did all the work of regulating Sweeties energy output, and preventing her, like it had been designed to do, from surpassing her old “normal filly” setting.
She could not override these settings. It was like a lake pushing water through a tiny floodgate in a dam. Try as you might (and she had tried) you could only get so much water through at a time.
And so she told Sim.
“You have different setting? Why?”
“Its … something that's left over from before … you know what , I don't want to talk about it.”
She did not want to tell this stranger that she had not always known that she was a robot pony.
“These settings. From where are they regulated.”
“Its my distribution center. Basically I'm not able to pump more energy into any of my other systems then the setting in it allows.”
“hmmmm …. “Well I don't know anything about programming or spells. But I do know that if a part of a machinery refuses to work – you work around it.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the distribution station don't work. We are simply gonna have to take energy directly from the source.
There suddenly came a lot of sound from inside Sweetie.
“What are you doing!?”
"I'm gonna bypass your distribution station by hooking up your batteries directly to your legs. in other words I'm hotwireing you!”
-:: PANIC LEVELS RISING ::-
In an instant Sweetie was up and about, or at least she should have been. There was a hiss and a snip, and then Sweetie lost control of her legs.
-:: Power failure detected – Main power route compromised ::-
“No, that was wrong” mumbled the mole. “Sorry. Had to detach a wire – or four.”
Then her legs started jerking and spinning around completely beyond her control. She tumbled down on her back and started to tangle herself up in her chains.
“Sorry – My fault!” Yelled the mole.
Sweeties fear levels where rising. She was left completely at the mercy of the little thing inside her.
Her friends where screaming from their ends of the room at the mole to stop and get out of her this instant.
But Sim worked feverishly, and after a few hellish seconds of devious tinkering Sweetie fell still again.
“Ok! Try it now!”
Sweetie had control back over her legs.
She stretched her legs outward. Pulling the chains apart with all the strength her little pistons could muster. and even though the head told her she should not be able to muster enough energy to do so, the chains started to squeak and their metal rings beginning to burst.
Her fatigue protocols, the ones that simulated exhaustion and lactic acid, kicked in. Sweetie ignored it, Like she had so many times before. Of course, the protocols themselves were just programs, a reaction to when she pushed herself beyond her “normal filly” settings.
Turning them off did not actually let her push herself beyond the settings. It was like a lake pushing water through a tiny floodgate In a dam. Try as you might – you could only get so much water through at a time.
But even though her settings told her otherwise – Sweetie felt her cybernetic muscles charge up, And the chain strain and crack.
Of course – since her legs where disconnected from her distribution system they never got the reading that she was using more energy then her settings allowed to. A river had been opened in the landscape besides the dam and its tiny floodgates, and the lake was now pouring through.
Sweetie told herself to simply ignore the ghosts in her head, the voices of programs saying she was unable to.
She pulled again, and the chain snapped. Little metal rings went flying like projectiles and buried themselves in the walls and windows.
Applebloom and Scootaloo looked up from their cover under the blankets in the bed
“That was AWESOME!” Said Scoot, as they jumped out of bed. “I didn't think that was gonna work.”
“Neither did I” Said Sweetie, as she pulled the metal cuffs off her fetlocks.
“You must be the greatest Engineer in the Underworld or something.”
Sweetie realized that Scootaloo was talking at her – not to her.
“It wasn't that hard.” Came Sim's muffed voice “Only had to rewire a few cords. Your hardware is impressive but your electrical outlet is really straightforward.”
“Um … thanks?” Sweetie said, trying to keep an blush of embarrassment from spreading.
She pulled the chains off Scootaloo and Applebloom.
”Come on now, Lets get out of here ” Scootaloo said, jumping at the door and starting to pull at the handels.
”Thats not going to work. The doors and windows are held fast by magic.” Applebloom reminded her.
”Well if we cant go through it, Lets go under it.” Said Sim from inside Sweetie Belle.
She was already pulling the strings (quite litterally) Upp to Sweetie's horn.
”What?! Are you crasy?” Sweete shouted.
”Look – Do you wanna get out of here or not?”
”I do, But … Wait a second.”
Sweetie Puched the broken bench away, and looked out the window. Directly below them, there was a cortyard of stone, and it did not look like there would be anny floors below it.
Sweetie relied her idear to Sim, who laughed.
”Now you are speaking my laungage.” She snickered.
“Ok Girls! Grab onto me.” Sweetie said. And Applebloom grabbed a hold of her tail as Scootaloo grabbed a hold of hers.
Sim gave the little The little red crystal a shock. And Sweeties horn instantly expanded out with such force that the magic dampening moonstone ring shatered, as the drill foulded out into its full size.
With a gust of bypassed energy, the drill began to chew and spit white marble and stone as sweetie aimed the tip right below the windowsill. The magic had been designed to hold the window shut – And shut it remained as it flew out into the courtyard and landed, very unbroken, upon a statue below.
Sweetie might have simply stopped there. But the bypass feeding directly into her battery meant she could not stop. And she was dragged along as the teeth of the drill had been designed to pull itself forward by its own force. And sow it did – Until it was clear of the much larger circular window that now occupied the wall above the courtyard … Three floors below.
With no other Choice then to obey the forces of gravity, Sweetie took a leap and jumped, Her friends clinging on for the ride.
She felt the gust of air blow past her as they descended out into the cool canterlot air. For a second she saw the afternoon sun beginning its decent over the second half of the sky-arch. Over the roar of the drill she barely heard Scootaloo Screaming The CMC catchphrase at the top of her lungs. Then she felt the tug of gravity pulling them all down towards the cobblestone.
But she did not feel the impact they hit the ground. For the ground gave way as the drill sliced through it like a hot knife through melted butter. And very soon, Sweetie found that she was running almost vertically, trying to keep up as the drill pulled her down through the bedrock of Canterlot mountain - with a tiny voice in her head laughing like a maniac.