Rarity awoke to a world of dirt and ash.
It was a rather bland world, despite the fact that Rarity was just waking up in it. Perhaps it was the universal coat of brown and grey that seemed to cover everything in the immediate vicinity. Maybe it was the fact there was no light save for the gaping hole in the ceiling that was letting shafts of sunlight bleed in from outside. Or it could have just been the fact that Rarity found herself being held down by a steel girder.
Rarity decided the steel girder was not the source of the drabness, but it certainly contributed to her overall dissatisfaction with her immediate surroundings. Clearly there was only one thing to do about her predicament.
Gears whirred to life as she strained against the metal holding her down. A groan shuddered through the girder as it shifted just enough for the girl to get the weight off her chest. She slid free and let the girder fall, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured her vision. The dust caused a brief visual glitch, and for a moment Rarity thought she saw movement through the cloud in the air.
Rarity took stock of her situation as she waited for things to settle. Synthetic eyes scanned her body, checking for any damage. Mechanical fingers flexed slowly, each joint giving a tiny click audible only to her inhuman ears. Once she was satisfied with her diagnostics, Rarity left the dilapidated building behind.
“You’re a robot?”
“Utility assistance android.” Rarity corrected politely. “I was designed to help people, darling.”
“Right… and you’re sure you ain’t gonna hurt nobody?” The woman Rarity was speaking to crossed her arms. She didn’t look convinced.
“I assure you, I have been programmed with the strictest safeties. I couldn’t harm a human even if I wanted to.” Rarity said with a pleasant smile. “Which I don’t.” She added.
The woman was silent for a moment, eyeing Rarity with scrutiny before sighing and taking off her stetson and wiping some sweat from her brow. “Tell ya what, you can enter, but we’ll be treatin’ you the same way we’d treat any other newcomer. Everyone pulls their weight around here.”
“Oh, of course. I promise to help in any way I can.”
“Well, now that that’s settled, come on in. I’ll give you the grand tour.” The woman plopped her hat back onto her head and motioned for Rarity to follow. “Name’s Applejack, by the way. This here’s Sweet Apple Acres. What’s left of it at least.” Applejack’s face fell for a moment as she lead Rarity through a makeshift gate, the only way through a makeshift fence as far as Rarity could tell.
“It ain’t much to look at, but Granny Smith says it was apple orchards far as the eye could see before the world went to hell.” They passed a series of makeshift buildings. “These here are living spaces for most everyone else. You’ll meet everyone at dinner tonight.” Applejack pointed to a glass building off to the side. “That there’s the greenhouse where we grow the food. Just past that’s the animal pens. Then there’s the main house and the barn.”
As they passed through Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity was acutely aware of the stares the two of them— no, she was drawing. People peered at her as they walked by, curious whispers spreading through the onlookers like wildfire. Rarity gave a polite smile and waved, which seemed to only fuel the whispering.
“Don’t mind them. They’re just curious is all. We ain’t never seen nothin’ like you before.”
“Oh, it’s no problem at all. I’m sure I’ll be getting a lot of strange looks.” Rarity waved a dismissive hand as they reached the main house.
“Hello, there.” An elderly woman greeted from her rocking chair. “I ain’t seen one of you in a long time.”
“Rarity, this here’s Granny Smith. Granny Smith, Rarity. She’s a robot.”
“I can see that,” Granny Smith snapped. “my eyes ain’t what they used to be, but they still work.” The older woman slowly stood up, waving off Applejack’s attempts to help. She stepped close, shuffling about Rarity and looking her up and down. “Where’d you say you came from?”
“I was assembled at Starswirl Robotics, plant seventeen, located in Canterlot, Equestria.” Rarity held her head high as she proudly recited the place of her manufacturing.
“The old machine factory… Ain’t nobody been down there for ages. I’m surprised there’s any of you left.” Granny Smith stroked her chin thoughtfully. “What’re you built for, anyhow?”
“I’m a utility assistance android. I can do a number of tasks around the house, including preparing meals and yardwork.” Rarity gave a pleasant smile. “Is there anything specific you needed me to do, ma’am?”
“I got nothin’ for ya. Let’s get you settled in. Applejack can find somethin’ for ya to do tomorrow morning.” Granny Smith motioned for the robot to follow as she went inside the house.
Rarity sat on the porch, listening to the crickets chirp as she stared out across Sweet Apple Acres. The humans had all retired for the night long ago, leaving Rarity to her own devices. It was rather dull, actually.
“You’re the new robot, right?” a timid voice asked from the doorway.
“Utility assistance android.” Rarity corrected. “Who might you be?”
“Apple Bloom,” The girl said from the relative safety of the doorway. “why are you out here?”
“I can’t sleep,” Rarity said simply.
“Why not?”
“Because,” a smile tugged at the corners of Rarity’s mouth. “I don’t require sleep. I run on a battery of sorts, though I’m afraid I don’t know the details.”
“Why not?” The screen door opened slightly as Apple Bloom shifted closer.
“I suppose it would be because I was not programmed with that information.” Rarity patted the ground next to her. “Would you care to join me?”
Apple Bloom hesitated, glancing back inside for a moment before carefully slipping out of the house and taking a seat in Granny Smith’s rocking chair. “So… what are you doing here?”
“I don’t know, If I’m honest.” Rarity leaned back and stared up at the stars. “I just woke up today. Normally that wouldn’t happen until I was purchased.”
“Purchased?” Apple Bloom asked as she started rocking, adding a wooden squeak to the chorus of crickets.
“Bought, dearie.” Rarity glanced over her shoulder at the girl, taking a good look at her.
Apple Bloom’s red hair was an unkempt tangle, tied back by a ribbon that had seen better days, and she was wearing a set of grungy coveralls covered in grease stains. Rarity tried her best to hide her disdain.
“What’s that look for?” Apparently not well enough.
“Your outfit is, erm, interesting,” Rarity said delicately.
“It’s my work clothes. For workin’ in.” Apple Bloom puffed out her chest proudly. “I’m gonna be a mechanic like my brother. He’s always fixin’ stuff around here.”
“That’s an admirable goal.” Rarity gave a gentle smile. “Do things break that often around here?”
“Oh, yeah, all the time. Granny says we’da had to move years ago if it weren’t for Big Mac fixin’ the water pump all the time. Feels like it goes out once a week at least.” Apple Bloom stopped rocking. “On the bright side, if you break we got plenty of practice fixin’ other stuff so we could fix you, too!”
“Oh… Thank you?” Rarity chuckled weakly. “Though I would prefer to not need repairs, if I’m honest.”
“Don’t,” Apple Bloom let out a yawn. “mention it.”
“Are you alright, dearie?” Rarity asked.
“Fine…” Apple Bloom mumbled. “Just tired. I was just... fixin’ stuff.” Soon enough, the sounds of gentle snoring joined the chorus of crickets. A giggle slipped from Rarity as she slipped inside and fetched a blanket to drape over the girl.
“Now, ya gotta be real thorough-like whenever you’re weeding. Weeds’ll kill crops if you let ‘em,” Applejack explained to Rarity and a bored-looking Apple Bloom as she lead them past rows of plants. “We only got so many hands, so any help you can give will be great, Rarity.” Applejack turned to face the two. “Any questions?”
“No, I think you’ve covered everything quite extensively, Applejack.”
“I’ll say,” Apple Bloom murmured with a roll of her eyes.
“What was that?” Applejack shot a glare at her younger sister.
“Nothin’.”
“Right.” Applejack held the look a few moments longer. “Anyway, I got a few things to get done elsewhere. You need anything, Rarity, just holler.” Applejack left, glancing over her shoulder one last time before disappearing from view.
“I thought she’d never stop talkin’.” Apple Bloom let out an exasperated sigh.
“Apple Bloom, that’s not very nice.” Rarity admonished, delicately plucking a weed from the nearest planter box and tossing it into a bucket.
“I heard her tell me all this about a hundred times already.” Apple Bloom huffed. “I don’t need to hear how important it is to pull weeds. I know.”
“You are aware it was for me, yes?”
Apple Bloom scrunched her face in thought. “Fine. I guess you’re right.”
The two continued their gardening in relative silence punctuated only by the sounds of a water pump on the far end of the greenhouse. After a while, Apple Bloom broke the quiet.
“Hey, Rarity?” Apple Bloom looked up at the robot.
“Yes?”
“What’s it like bein’ a robot?”
“Utility assistance android.” Rarity corrected. “And to answer your question, I’d imagine it’s much like being a human, just without sleep or eating.” Rarity let out a tut of disapproval as another weed was plucked from its hiding place. “What is it like being human?”
“I dunno. Fun, I guess?” Apple Bloom stopped working, donning an expression of someone who had suddenly had her existence called into question. “I mean, sometimes it’s fun. Other times it’s boring, like right now. Then there are times it gets scary.”
“How so?”
“Like, sometimes stuff breaks, and then we gotta fix it super quick. Applejack says if we don’t fix it then we might have to leave Sweet Apple Acres.” A frown tugged at the corners of Apple Bloom’s mouth. “I don’t wanna leave. This is my home.”
“I’m certain it won’t come to that, Apple Bloom.” Rarity patted her hands together with a metallic clank, brushing off as much dirt as she could before she placed a reassuring hand on the young girl’s shoulder. “After all, Sweet Apple Acres has you learning how to keep it going.”
“Yeah…” Apple Bloom muttered sullenly before perking up almost immediately. “Yeah!” She dove into her weeding with a renewed vigor. “I’m gonna be the best mechanic this world’s ever seen!”
“I can’t fix this!” Apple Bloom wailed. “Oh man, what are we gonna do?” Apple Bloom paced in front of one of the greenhouse water pumps, muttering to herself as Rarity watched. “I don’t even know if we’ve got a gear to replace this!”
Apple Bloom waved a sprocket at Rarity for emphasis. The part in question had seen better days. Time had worn the gear’s teeth down to the point of slipping loose from its compatriots, rendering the entire water pump inoperable.
“Calm down, darling. This is no time to panic,” Rarity said as calmingly as she could manage. Worry still managed to creep into her synthetic voice.
“This is the perfect time to panic!” Apple Bloom threw her hands into the air. “We’re doomed! Doomed!”
“Apple Bloom, darling, perhaps we could get some help before we proclaim our inevitable doom?” Rarity smiled weakly, trying to sounds as reassuring as she could muster.
“You would say that, you’re a robot! You’re like, the least doomed of any of us!” Apple Bloom stopped pacing long enough to gesticulate at Rarity. “Wait, I got it! Big Mac will know how to fix this, he can fix anythin’.” Before Rarity had a chance to point out that that had been her suggestion, Apple Bloom bolted off to find her brother.
A smile touched Rarity’s lips as the younger girl vanished from sight, leaving Rarity alone with the broken machinery. On a whim, she took a closer look at the pump. It was a mess of cogs and wiring, with a dim energy cell providing a power source.
It all looked fairly complex to Rarity. Sure, she could probably dig up some general maintenance information from her memory banks, but she doubted any of the information would be specific to this particular sort of machine. To her surprise, she was wrong.
As a matter of fact, the pump shared a number of similarities to Rarity’s own designs in regards to the mechanics involved. She looked closer at the casing of the pump, peering intently until she found a faded insignia on the side. Starswirl Agriculture.
The android smiled and popped open a small panel on her forearm, revealing the gearwork within. A slow flex of her fingers showed her how the cogs fit together, and how they moved.
Rarity looked back at the empty spot in the pump where the worn gear had sat and back to her own parts. “Maybe…” Rarity muttered to nobody in particular. Delicate white fingers plucked one of the gears from her forearm—one that could potentially fit the pump— and placed it into the empty spot in the pump’s machinery before tentatively flipping the power switch.
She was rewarded with the renewed hum of the pump sputtering to life. Rarity closed the maintenance panel on her arm just before Apple Bloom came back with Big Mac in tow.
“What’s the problem, Apple Bloom?” Big Mac slipped past Rarity to inspect the ‘broken’ machine. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong here.” He gave Apple Bloom a pointed look, raising a questioning eyebrow.
“It wasn’t workin’, I swear! This gear had rusted out and I needed your help findin’ a new one.” Apple Bloom shoved herself between Big Mac and the pump. “This one, right here! Rarity, where’d this new one come from?”
“I found a replacement while you were looking for your brother.” Rarity tilted her head up slightly, flashing a smug smile. “I managed to fix it myself.”
“You didn’t take it from somethin’ else, did ya?” Big Mac asked worriedly.
“I assure you, I didn’t take it from anything important.”
“Well, thank you kindly, then.” Big Mac smirked down at Apple Bloom. “Your robot friend is already turnin’ out to be mighty handy.”
“Utility assistance android,” Apple Bloom corrected as she flashed a wide grin up at Rarity. “Thanks a ton, Rarity.”
“Hey Rarity?” Apple Bloom asked from Granny Smith’s rocking chair. “What’s wrong with your hand?”
“What do you mean?” Rarity sat on the edge of the porch watching the sunset with her hands curled in her lap.
“Your left hand is curled up all funny, and I don’t think it’s movin’.” Apple Bloom stood and sat next to the android. “You haven’t noticed?”
Rarity knew exactly why her hand was malfunctioning, an unfortunate side effect of removing parts from her arm. Still, Apple Bloom did not require that knowledge, nor the inevitable blame she would place on herself should she learn why Rarity’s hand was no longer working.
“I hadn’t, actually.” Rarity held up her good hand and flexed her fingers, looking at Apple Bloom in false confusion. “Are you certain? It seems fine to me.”
“Not that one.” Apple Bloom furrowed her brow and snatched up Rarity’s bad hand. “This one.”
Apple Bloom gazed intently at Rarity’s hand, turning it over and leaning closer. Rarity watched with fascination as Apple Bloom thoroughly inspected the machinery she held. It was a marvelous sight to see the girl so focused.
“What’re you smiling for? Your hand is broke.” Apple Bloom huffed with concern in her voice. “Do you got a way for me to look at the inside?”
“Oh, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.” Rarity waved her good hand dismissively.
“Not a big— of course it’s a big deal!” Apple Bloom growled. “Ya gotta take care o’ yourself, Rarity.”
A nigh inaudible click sounded as Apple Bloom figured out how to get into the maintenance panel on Rarity’s forearm. Rarity tried tugging her arm back but Apple Bloom held fast, staring intently at the inner workings of the android’s arm.
“Rarity?” Apple Bloom said slowly without looking up. “I think you’re missing a piece.” She gently turned Rarity’s arm to let in more light. “Yeah, there’s definitely a piece… missing.” Apple Bloom lifted her head and narrowed her eyes at Rarity.
“Is something the matter?” Rarity asked as Apple Bloom stood up slowly. “Apple Bloom?” Apple Bloom took off towards the greenhouse at a full sprint. Rarity scrunched her face in confusion before following.
“I knew it!” Apple Bloom exclaimed as Rarity caught up to her in the greenhouse. “That’s how you fixed it!”
“I’m sorry, darling, but I’m not following.”
“You aren’t missing a part, you put it in here!” Apple Bloom pointed an accusing finger at the water pump.
“Apple Bloom, sweetie, I just did what had—” Rarity blinked in surprise as Apple Bloom wrapped her arms about her waist.
“We gotta fix you now, ya dummy.” A choked laugh slipped out of the girl’s mouth as she stepped back and dried her eyes. “Come on, I know a place we can look for what we need.”
“It’s rather late, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, but I’ll have you with me, so it’s okay.” Apple Bloom grabbed Rarity by the hand and lead her away.
“You’re certain you won’t be in trouble for leaving?” Rarity frowned down at Apple Bloom, concern etched into her synthetic face.
“Not if we don’t get caught.” Apple Bloom grinned.
Rarity found herself back at the Starswirl Robotics factory, the same place she’d woken up just days ago. Gravel crunched underfoot as she and Apple Bloom crossed the barren yard and slipped inside through a crumbled wall.
“Where are we headed, anyhow?” Rarity asked, ducking low under a fallen column.
“Just ahead. There’s a storage area we should be able to get what we need to fix ya.” Apple Bloom called back to Rarity before slipping through a gap in a doorway. Rarity had to force the door open to follow.
She sincerely wished she hadn’t.
Rarity found herself scattered amidst the rubble of an open warehouse. Battered, torn, and broken androids lay splayed out everywhere Rarity looked. Each bore a striking resemblance to her. She picked her way around the corpses of her lookalikes, careful not to step on any of them.
“Apple Bloom?” Rarity called out.
“Over here! I think I found a good one!” Apple Bloom’s voice echoed from behind an industrial shelf.
Rarity followed the sound of the girl’s voice, finding Apple Bloom tugging on an android arm as hard as she could in an attempt to free it from its concrete tomb.
“W-what are you doing, Apple Bloom?” Rarity chewed her lower lip as she stepped closer.
“Trying,” Apple Bloom pulled on the arm with a grunt, “to get this bit out. I got a good feeling about this one.” She gritted her teeth and gave another hard yank, nearly losing her footing in the process.
Rarity looked at the scene before her with an unsettling weight in her gears. There was wrongness in everything here that made her uncomfortable. She sank to her knees, clutching her arms.
“Please stop,” Rarity whispered. Apple Bloom didn’t respond. “Apple Bloom?” The younger girl gritted her teeth and pulled on the arm as hard as she could.
“Apple Bloom, stop!” Rarity’s voice echoed off the walls. “Just… just stop.”
There was a knock at Rarity’s door.
Rarity knew who it was, of course. After her outburst at the factory, she and Apple Bloom had left, neither speaking on the walk home. Apple Bloom had tried getting Rarity to tell her what was wrong, but Rarity found she lacked the words despite her immense vocabulary. Now she sat in the small room the Apples had provided, hugging her knees on the bed as she tried to process her actions.
“Come in.” Rarity said sullenly.
“Rarity?” It was Apple Bloom, of course. “Are you okay?”
Rarity didn’t say anything for the longest time, silently mulling the question over. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know why I acted that way, and I don’t know if I am alright with that… place.” She patted the bed next to her. “But to answer the real question you’re asking, no, I’m not mad at you.”
The ghost of a smile flashed across Apple Bloom’s face as she clambered onto the bed next to Rarity. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t think about what I was doin’. Or how that would make ya feel.”
A quiet settled between the two of them as Apple Bloom pulled her knees to her chest, mimicking Rarity’s own posture. It was a pleasant quiet, though. The sort of silence that old friends share after a long day. A silence that could not last in the presence of curiosity.
“Rarity? Would you be human if you could?”
The android tapped a finger to her chin, furrowing her brow in thought. “No,” came the simple reply.
“Why not?”
“I’m an android. I may be designed to act as human as possible, but I’m well aware of what I am. So long as I can continue to be of help, I see no reason to care whether I’m made of metal or not.” Rarity stretched her legs out and let herself lean back against the headboard. “What about you? Would you choose to be an android if you could?”
“Nah, I like my sleep too much.” Apple Bloom let out a giggle that quickly turned into a yawn.
“Speaking of sleep,” a grin broke out across Rarity’s face. “it is rather late. Shouldn’t you be getting to bed?”
“Yeah.” Apple Bloom paused. “Can I sleep with you?”
“Beg pardon?”
“Can I sleep in here with you?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at Rarity with hope in her eyes.
“I don’t see any reason why not.” Rarity said, certain that if she had a human heart it would have melted.
“Thanks, Rarity.” came the sleepy reply as Apple Bloom wrapped her arms around Rarity. The two stayed like that for some time, with Rarity not daring to move, lest she disturb the other girl. Which only served to surprise her all the more when Apple Bloom spoke. “Rarity, how come you don’t sleep?”
“I don’t need to.”
“How come?”
“I run on a battery of sorts. I don’t need to recharge like you do.” Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Haven't I already told you all this?"
“Oh, yeah.” Apple Bloom murmured before sleep took hold. Rarity smiled down at the girl, stroking her hair gently and watching over her as she slept.
Apple Bloom and Rarity were spending their day weeding the crops. Again. Honestly, it was rather surprising how often the planter boxes seemed to need it over the last few weeks considering the facts that they were in a greenhouse and Rarity hadn’t seen anything growing outside since she’d woken up.
Apple Bloom was humming merrily as she worked, carrying herself with a bright energy that seemed to radiate outward from her. Rarity couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she carefully uprooted another weed and tossed it into a bucket at her feet.
“What has you in such a good mood, Apple Bloom?”
“I dunno.” Apple Bloom shrugged. “Just been in a good mood.”
“Well, it’s rather infectious. I—” A loud rattle from the far end of the greenhouse cut off Rarity’s words.
“Ah, heck, not again!” Apple Bloom pulled off her gloves and jogged over to the water pump, which lay silent after its outburst. Apple Bloom was already at work inspecting the pump when Rarity caught up to her.
“What’s the matter with it?” Rarity peered over Apple Bloom’s shoulder.
“I-I don’t know. Everything looks like it should be workin’ fine.” Worry tainted Apple Bloom’s voice. “Nothin’ looks cracked, or worn out, or broken at all. It just… stopped.”
“Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on?”
“Really, Rarity?” Apple Bloom shot a glare over her shoulder at the android.
“It’s the first thing users are supposed to try when troubleshooting me,” Rarity said a little more defensively than she had intended.
Apple Bloom sighed, but reached for the off switch anyway, toggling it off and then back on after a few second wait. The energy cell within glowed brightly for a moment before fading dark again.
“Oh, no.” Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide and she tried flipping the pump off and on a few more times. Each time the energy cell flared to life and died just as quickly. “No, no, no!”
“What? What is it?”
“The battery’s dead!”
“You can’t just replace it?”
“With what?! That was the last one we had!” Apple Bloom was breathing heavily, looking around frantically. “What are we gonna do? The closest town is Dodge City. The plants’ll be dead by the time we get there, and we don’t know if they’ll have what we need.” Tears streamed down Apple Bloom’s face, leaving trails on her dirty cheeks. “I don’t wanna leave Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity! This is my home!”
“Apple Bloom, calm down sweetie. We’ll think of something.” Rarity placed a reassuring hand on Apple Bloom’s shoulder.
“How?!” Apple Bloom spat back. “We’ve looked everywhere for replacements already. Even the old factory doesn’t have any left!”
“The factory? The one we visited?”
Apple Bloom nodded glumly as she chewed her lower lip.
“So, what you’re saying is the factory I was made had them at some point?”
Another nod.
“Then…” Rarity trailed off as an idea formed in her head.
“What?” Apple Bloom looked up hopefully. “Do you have an idea?”
“Yes, actually.” Rarity said slowly.
“What?” Apple Bloom’s face lit up.
“Well, we do have one energy cell we could use…”
“Really?” Apple Bloom’s excitement was nearly palpable. “Where? Is it far?”
“No.” Rarity lifted her shirt a little, revealing a maintenance panel as she popped it open. Within, an energy cell glowed brightly with blue light. Apple Bloom broke out in a grin, one that vanished just as quickly.
“No!” the young mechanic was shouting. “I’m not letting you!” She reached out and slammed the door on Rarity’s stomach shut.
“Apple Bloom—”
“I’m not letting you! You’re my friend, Rarity!” Fresh tears spilled down Apple Bloom’s face. “I ain’t letting you die!”
“I can’t die, Apple Bloom. It’s one of the perks of not being organic,” Rarity pointed out with a sad smile.
“But you’re my friend…” Apple Bloom’s voice cracked.
“And you are my friend, sweetie. But this is our only option. Without this the pump stays off, the plants die, and you’re not going to be able to stay at your home.” Rarity reached out and gingerly brushed away the tears on Apple Bloom’s face. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew there was a way to help everyone here and didn’t take that chance.”
“But—”
“No buts, Apple Bloom.” Rarity smiled warmly. “It won’t be forever, anyway.”
“It won’t?”
“Of course not. I’ve got the best mechanic in the world looking after me. And I know you’re going to find a way to fix this, I’m just buying you time. But you have to promise me something.”
“What?”
“Promise you’ll let me do this. I don’t want you letting Sweet Apple Acres fall apart just to save a robot.”
“Utility assistance android,” Apple Bloom corrected with a sniffle.
Rarity let out a short laugh. “I suppose you’re right.” She looked back to the pump. “No sense in dragging this out, right?”
Rarity grabbed her weeding bucket and flipped it over next to the pump. Next, she opened the panel on her stomach and pulled a red and black wire from within, connecting them to the energy cell in the pump.
She felt the effects immediately, the android’s vision dimming ever-so-slightly as she took a seat on the upturned bucket and smoothed out her skirt. The pump sputtered to life. “See? It’s working already.”
“Mhmm.” Apple Bloom nodded glumly.
“Don’t worry, darling, everything will work out.”
Apple Bloom said nothing.
Rarity smiled and began shutting herself down. Motor functions went first, and Rarity’s good hand dropped into her lap. Next went vision, and the world slowly faded from view.
“I’ll fix this, Rarity.” Apple Bloom declared. “I promise.”
‘I know, Apple Bloom.’ Rarity could only think as her vocal systems shut off. ‘I wonder…’ The last few systems started shutting off. ‘Is this what falling asleep is like?’