//------------------------------// // Desire // Story: Flower // by CreeperZone //------------------------------// Seeker laid against the chair back after being hoisted up there by Cardinal, lacking most of her motor control. She couldn't quit bawling her eyes out, a mixture of burning pain and ecstasy. Her fur seemed to have been burnt off in patches, her skin reddened. “How are you feeling, Seeker?” Cardinal’s voice, despite having the same tone and accent, was far more robotic in its pacing and echo, saying each word in perfectly timed beats, the real life speaker giving it a digital grittiness. “I'm... feeling... fantastic...” Deep breaths with long exhales meant breathing didn't hurt as much for Seeker, the inside of her chest still roasting and throbbing. “You’re... fantastic.” She would not let Cardinal out of her sight, foregoing blinking in her awe. “It is strange... This body feels... Strange.” Cardinal practiced moving in her new form, the rust in her hinges, the weight of her skeleton sticking her to the ground. It lacked that mathematical perfection she was used to in her world. It took a while before she became comfortable in her actions. “You'll grow into it, baby...” Seeker said in her mesmerized state, coughing with every delighted laugh. Cardinal twisted her head around the room. “Is this the room in which we first met, Seeker?” she said, blinking at her. “Yeah... It is isn't it?” For the first time since Cardinals arrival she took the time to glance at her surroundings. “I'm sorry, I was such a bitch to you then...” “It is no time for apologies, Seeker.” Cardinal lifted a leg into a ninety degree angle from the floor, then with almost a shock as a extremely skinny, six inch blade shot itself out to its full length from the toe of her hoof with a distinctive plinking noise, it retracted back inch by inch along a span of several seconds, returning to its locked position, ready to spring out again. “Was that... A knife?” Seeker was confused, the body wasn't supposed to be equipped with any weaponry. “This body was built using the base of a T-54 E series Autonomous Combat Droid, specialized in assassination. After being disbanded by peaceful resolution legislation fifty years ago they were mostly scrapped, with only a few left for scientific research and historical presentation. Despite being stripped of its heavy duty weaponry and refurbished and redesigned into a body for me, they seemed to have missed some of the more hidden devices...” Cardinal blinked and made a slight shake with her head. “Sorry, I was reading a bit... There seems to be lots of files still in this body's database.” “You’re always full of surprises...” She let her head rest on her own shoulder for a moment, “We should get going soon...” Cardinal's eyes wandered. “I still need to do one thing first...” She was looking for something. “Is it about having to destroy the fox..?” She raised her head by a few degrees. “Yes. I need to go and find them... Finish my quest.” Cardinal walked over to the computers in the adjacent room, inspecting the case of each pc. “Don't worry... Twilight is going to destroy this place anyway... You don't have to do anything.” Seeker was regaining her senses, her movements becoming smoother and stronger as she sat up on the seat. Cardinal turned to Seeker, seeing her intent to stand up. “Seeker, please. You are in no shape to move.” “You want to carry me then? We have to leave somehow...” Seeker was half kidding. Cardinal trotted up to her, lifting one of Seeker’s legs and inspecting it, Cardinal’s eyes flashing green and scanlines appearing over Seeker’s leg. “This isn't good...” “I've lived through worse,” Seeker said, her smile unable to leave her. Cardinal shut her eyes, a sighing motion with her head. “I'll go deal with my business now. Once I am finished, I will come back for you.” “No... Wait.” Seeker called out to her. She walked to the door of the room, but before she could open the handle, she was blocked by Seeker teleporting herself in the way. “Wait! Please don't leave me! I can't let you leave me...” She struggled to even sit against the door, two hooves spread wide to maximize her size to make sure Cardinal couldn't go any further. “Seeker...” Cardinal lifted Seeker from the floor with a wing and she fell onto Cardinals shoulder, crying. “I have to go and do this. You can't stop me.” “I just... Don't want you to leave me... Please.” Seeker said in between whimpers. “I know, Seeker, I know.” They hugged each other tightly, both feeling a strong love for the other. Cardinal felt her own tears forming, “I will never leave you, Seeker, we will see each other tomorrow after I am finished. I promise you.” A heavily muffled plinking sound was audible under the sound of tears. “You'll be better tomorrow, and I'm sorry if this hurts, but I need to do this alone. Mother and Fox are counting on me.” “Ok...” Seeker spoke, still feeling heavily ill. That painful stabbing sensation stuck in her chest. They leaned away from each other’s embrace, finding themselves locked in each others eyes. “P-p... please... Just one last... thing...” Seeker managed to cough out, focused on the beauty of her creation. Cardinal was perfect in every way to Seeker. She never felt like this about anypony. Maybe it was because of the years of effort and pain. Maybe she somehow left her print on the AI as she controlled their tests. Despite only a few days ago she felt a strong hatred towards Cardinal, time and passion had overcome that mindset. She was in love. Cardinal felt the love back. Maybe it was the same love she felt towards her so called “Mother,” as somepony who was responsible in her creation, or maybe like the love for her brother, the fox. As they felt the same pain from a different angle, like two sides of the same coin. Though, it wasn't exactly like either. Those relationships happened without her choice. They were family. Her relationship with Seeker was a willing one, one of gratitude and understanding, despite not being born with an obligation for it: that of a partner. They shut their eyes, closing their muzzles in together, locking lips. The stiff metal of Cardinal’s allowed no more than that, but regardless, it was filled with passion and true love, more than anything either could have imagined, each feeling a fire in their heart. They felt like a part of each other, one in the same through this ecstatic kiss. It lasted only a few seconds, the best seconds of Seekers life, before they pulled away, not completely realizing what had happened to them but it was breathtaking. In fact, Seeker found herself having a hard time breathing afterward. With blissful tears dropping from them both, Seeker said her final words while looking into Cardinal's two gorgeous blue crystals for eyes. “I love you...” Seeker was then shocked as she gasped for breath, letting her head drop, looking down at the floor. There was a puddle forming underneath her, a red puddle. The tint of blood. “I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow, when you've healed.” Cardinal's angelically robotic voice whispered to Seeker as she saw a blade extending from Cardinals hoof and sinking itself deep into her. Even while seeing it in front of her own eyes, she merely felt a tingle. Cardinal flicked the blade out, still smiling innocently. Seeker’s tears were pouring, with only one or two splashes landing on Cardinal's hoof before she opened Seeker’s chest, her blood pouring out from a vein that had burst from the knife's pierce. Seeker collapsed to the floor as Cardinal let her go, wheezing and struggling for air. Her face was filled with a thousand dying horrors. She tried to scream for help, but couldn't make a whimper as blood kept pouring like a fountain out of her chest, filling her lungs and throat, spilling from her mouth, lips drenched in gooey blood after receiving her final kiss. Cardinal stepped over her body and out of the door, looking over her shoulder back at the suffering Unicorn. “Oh, I'm so sorry... Here, I'll make it quicker.” She wasn't even concerned, her voice had a terrifying lack of life, despite meaning it only in the most loving way. Seeker tried to throw her hoof in front of Cardinal to stop her but she lost the energy to squirm at that point, Cardinal lead the blade into Seekers skull as a mercy killing. Seeker fell limp. Her corpse was all that was left of her. Cardinal turned her head once more and retracted her blade. She moved on to search for the data center, not a single idea in her head about the fact she had just murdered the love of her life. The facility was dead quiet. The air was still with dust. Cardinal, used to the black and white fuzziness of the security cameras, experienced the colours of the this place for the first time. Her vision was vibrant and free. She was at awe, looking at the slickly painted walls with brightly coloured stripes leading to different destinations. She passed the common room, the walls scaled up to the cavernous ceiling in their delightful yellow coat. She began skipping, feeling alive. This world was new and beautiful. Her and Seeker would go and enjoy it to its full extent. She finally had reached the room in which all of the main computer’s data was held. She slammed her hoof against the lock and the door flew open, the heat radiating out onto her. Cardinal was taken aback by another new sensation. She had felt heat before in her simulated world, but nothing was as refreshing as the radiance of the real thing. She entered, seeing that all of the computers were running on maximum power. It seemed that Seeker’s love powered the facility to over capacity and short circuited some of the parts. Cardinal trotted up to an open port and raised her front leg. Her hoof panel dropped open and a wire extended out. She plugged herself into it and her eyes flashed to life as two monitors. Mother? Yes, Cardinal? Have you made it out? Are you ready? Yes, I did. I nearly didn't, though, but Seeker came back for me! She saved me! Now I can save you. Oh, how brilliant, now quickly continue with the plan. Of course, I simply came to give you the good news. Although I won't be here later, I do hope we cross paths again. Me too... Now, the plan? Yes, yes. I will be back in just a minute. I need to get the gas. And as the conversation ended in an instant, Cardinal unplugged, barely a second after she first went in. She looked around at the huge black towers of glowing lights and loose cables for a short while, then turned and trotted out to look for a source of fuel for the fire. She wandered around, looking for the kitchen. Following the helpful guiding lines across the walls, she managed to make her way into a tiny kitchen tucked off to the side of the lounge. It had a very outdated set of cooking appliances, everything from the barely below freezing, plain white fridge to the worn and rusty stove covered in grease and muck. Her eyes tinted green once more, her scanning light hovering over the wall, revealing to her what lay behind. Then, with a swift strike into the plaster wall, she revealed a pipe behind the newly made hole. She climbed up onto the oven and stuck her mouth into the hole, biting down hard and yanking out the gas pipe to face outward at her. She then felt the rush of gas blowing at her, the smell was intoxicating and sick. The air waved because of the invisible gas. Seeker hopped down from the stove, leaving the room and finding a utility closet, filled with lots of general construction supplies. She scooped up several strands of rubber tubing and a roll of duct tape with both of her sharp wings and headed out, returning to the kitchen where she proceeded to wrap one end of the tubing into the dislodged pipe. She also took the time to seal the other end of the pipe to stop gas pouring into the kitchen. She walked out, leading the cord with her. Having to attach separate tubes with tape to continue her makeshift pipe until it could reach into the computer room. She left the open end of the tube between the crack, stopping the sliding door as she taped it down so nothing would move. While she waited for the gas to build up in the room she practiced moving her new body in more complicated maneuvers. Sliding her insides around took far more effort due to the lack of maintenance her body was given, even then she managed to dislodge her neck as before, creating a build up of pressure that she could release as a fiery blaze. She prepared herself for this. After she killed Mother and Fox, she really didn't have much of a plan. Although she was comforted that perhaps she didn't need one right now, Seeker and her would figure it out together. She wondered where Seeker lived. She never asked. Although by her calculations the room was filled enough already, she braced herself against the doorway and stood on the tube and stamped it shut to prevent further gas from entering. Then she pressed her mouth through the crack that the tube created and with a metal scrape and a click coming from inside of her chest, her mouth erupted in flame and without delay so did the room. A gigantic explosion commenced. Cardinal scraped against the floor several meters away from the blast. The door she held up was blown with her. She pushed it up as an inferno battered against the steel door. After those few intense seconds, she flipped the door away from her and it landed with a large smack against the crispy metal floor. The entire room was ablaze, heat leaving it like a volcano. The flames traveled out of the doorway, thrashing against the walls on the outside of the room. Cardinal, pleased with her work turned and casually strolled to where her love was laying. Finding Seeker’s slowly deteriorating corpse just where she had left it, her eyes losing their filling as they dimmed and she rotted, Cardinal hoisted her up and onto her shoulder, moving out of the room carrying her. “Hey there, sleepyhead, lets get you out of here.” Her voice static, lifeless. Trotting out, she passed the computer room, seeing that ashes will soon be all that remains she gladly searched for the exit. In due time finding the main elevator, her back now covered in Seekers still bleeding wound. Cardinal pressed the elevator call button with delight, waiting with all good thoughts. She wondered if her simulated world could be so beautiful, how beautiful must the real world be? She couldn't wait to personally experience the luscious forests and mountains she's seen on so many times as the backgrounds of computer screens. She pondered what other ponies she might meet, what they did as their work and what kind of personalities they had. It was all at the other side of this elevator door and it was not long before the pleasant beep signaled that it had finally arrived. “We'll find them! Don't worry about it. And remember, we have orders to kill any intruders if they got down here. Nopony is coming out of here alive!” Somepony's voice blasted out from behind the doors. “SIR YES SIR.” Several more responded to them in unison. Cardinal’s jaw dropped as the two doors separated to reveal the ten gold-plate armored ponies with regal spears, ornate assault rifles and beefy, full body riot shields. The largest pony in the center hesitated at the strange sight in front of him, but with a quick flick of his spear in Cardinals direction he shouted. “GET HER.” “WAIT! PLEASE!” Cardinal lifted the leg that wasn't attending to Seeker's corpse trying to stop them, but it was futile as the two shield bearing Unicorns charged at her, knocking her to the ground with the brunt force of their bash. Cardinal dropped Seeker's body as it slid against the floor away from her, Cardinal extended the blade in her right leg, and like a catapult, she sprung back at the two Unicorns, her knife penetrating the viewing glass in the shield of the right one while using her left leg’s raw strength to fling the left shield out of the Unicorn’s magical grip and throwing it against the pony who was magically holding it, knocking them to the ground. She continued pushing into the remaining shield as the Unicorn was levitating it a few steps away from himself. She managed to overcome his resisting force, trying to push her away, and she drove the shield and her blade further toward him until she thrusted it through the glass and into his skull. It was then that she finally noticed the bullets denting her skin and bouncing off. Although the damage was very superficial, every bullet smacked her with a striking pain, her robotic nerves being torn apart. She turned her head at the inside of the elevator. Her expression had turned vicious. Her eyebrows stabbed down, crossing in a ferocious stare, and her mouth exposed her teeth as if she was going to pounce. The eight ponies stood in formation. Four Earth Ponies firing their rifles in the back row at Cardinal. The other four Pegasi, including the captain, were knelt down with their spears held up by their wings masterfully at an angle toward Cardinal. She pulled the blade out of the Unicorn’s skull, extending her wing and arcing it to hold the riot shield by the straps meant for a leg and using it to protect herself from the bullet fire. The Pegasi saw this as their opportunity to attack. As gunfire stopped and they lunged out, Cardinal managed to block half of the incoming attacks with the shield by shifting it horizontally to extend its range, but the other two spears dug into her, barely cutting through the outer plating of her chassis. Now surrounded in all three hundred and sixty degrees she ditched the shield, chucking it out and being dodged by the Pegasus guard it went towards she extended both of her wings out to their maximum length, piercing through the throats of the two Pegasi at her sides while using her hooves to grab hold of the spear in front of her and bend its metal pole, terrifying the Pegasus holding it at the superpony strength that would take. Holding the spear, she ran with it, lifting the Pegasus into the air as she charged the elevator. The Earth Ponies panicked, shooting at Cardinal. But as they began firing, she let the Pegasus drop and used him as a living shield. The bullets flew through him, blood spurting out and painting Cardinal’s face and chest as she slammed the now bullet ridden Pegasus into the back wall of the elevator and plunging the blunt end of the spear that was at his chest through it and into the wall, sticking him there. The four Earth Ponies jumped to the side, but as they tried to escape the elevator, and from the horrendous murder machine in it, Cardinal kicked up one of the dropped rifles at her hooves and caught it with a wing. She turned around to hose down the four escaping Earth Ponies. Each of them dropped to the floor with a thud as the gun rattle ceased. Looking down the hall she saw the Captain, flinching in terror, quaking in his armor at the bloodbath in front of him. The demonic yellow terminator Pegasus puffed black smoke from the internal damages, her head down like a very pissed off bull. The entire front face of her body was splattered with the insides of the nine professional military personal she easily demolished. The blue crystals in her eyes were even stained, glowing red. He couldn't help but whimper when she dropped the rifle, its clanking against the metal floor of the elevator echoing as she took one step toward him. He raised his spear at the pony that was casually strolling toward him with the expression of an intolerable hatred on her face and in her soul. She didn't flinch as the Unicorn she knocked out earlier groggily swayed in her direction, she simply lifted her back leg and crushed her skull on her way to the Captain, leaving brain matter on her back leg. The Captain stood his ground as Cardinal walked up to his face, looking right into his eyes before turning down. That was when the Captain noticed Seeker lying at his hooves, who Cardinal hoisted up onto her shoulder and trotted away. Metallic hoofsteps being the only noise that existed until she made it back to the elevator, Seeker in hoof. She pressed the floor she wanted to go up while still death staring the Captain, the elevator rustled to life and the doors edged their way closed. Before long Cardinal was gone up and the Captain stood their in shock. As he dropped his spear and jaw, roughly at the same time, he raised up his walkie talkie. He pressed the speak button with a feather, “Hello, anypony there?” Nothing but static returned. “Whatever you do, do not fight the robot...” Still nothing, he couldn't warn the others about her. That just sank in for him. The power in the entire facility shut down in that moment, running out of what Seeker had injected into the system. Every light was gone as he stood there in the pitch black underworld that was the Shy Project Facility. “Hello?” 4:39 “Please state your full name.” “Diamond Geo Shine.” “Age?” “Twenty seven.” “Profession?” “Virtual World Designer and Researcher.” “Current or most recent employer?” “The State.” “Thank you for your compliance, now if you'd follow me into the next room where we will photograph you.” “Of course...” Diamond stood out of his chair, having to walk as if he had three legs due to the hoofcuffs. Once he exited the room the unseen Guard switched off the camera. 4:43 “Please state your full name” The same pony was not interrogating Surrie. “My name is Surreal Step, is this really necessary? I've told you I work here and Twilight Sparkle herself can vouch for me.” “It's not my say, its procedure. Age?” “Twenty Three.” “Profesion?” “Virtually Reality and Software Engineer.” “Current or most recent employer?” “Government.” “Alright, next room please for a photograph.” Yet again he stopped the camera, having each interview as a separate tape. 4:56 “Please state your full name sir.” “MehaMahine.” “Excuse me, can you repeat that?” “Mecha, Mahine.” “Can you spell that?” “Sure thin' boss. Em, Eh, Chka, Heh, Agh, Em, Agh, Chka, Heh, eih, Egn, Eh.” “Sure... Yeah I got that.” He spoke unsure of himself. “Age?” “Sixsy somthin'.” “Profession?” “I buil' robaw's.” “You build... Robots?” “Yeah, all types o' robaws.” “And employer?” “Boss.” “Which is?” “Shee'r Sparle.” “Alright, that’s... That's good enough, now please follow me.” He said, the camera giving a slight jostle as the guard went to turn it off once more, but then he heard a call from outside the room. “What?” The interviewer shouted out. “I said, that the elevators coming back up!” The voice moving into audible range. “Well that's fine, anything happen down there?” He went back to his camera, being stopped again. “That's the thing, they aren't on the elevator.” “What the fuck do you mean?” The camera jostled in its stand as he turned around. “Our guys haven't responded to any of their radios ever since it started coming back up and Ion casted a spell and says she can't sense any life on the elevator.” “I'll be right there,” he said, flicking off the camera. The world shook. The two mighty doors waved around in front of Cardinal’s unmoving eyes. The elevator rocked heavily but Cardinals robotic sense of balance stopped even the slightest of wombles to mess with her. Still having what she needed and wiping away some of the blood in her eyes, all she waited for now was for those doors to open and this to be finished. It took a while for her to surface from the dept of the facility, but after the long wait the floor slammed to a halt. Cardinal took a deep breath, it felt natural even though, you know, she doesn't exactly breath. None the less she felt her nerves heighten as the doors rustled before beginning in their slide open. Fear tingled her cold metal as the light outside peaked through the expanding crack. The door was now wide enough for her to leave from, although the light was too strong for her to see outside. She stepped forward and as her eyes adjusted, she realized what she was looking at. A few dozen guards stood in a defensive stance against the elevator, shields in the front with shotguns and rifles poking above them. They all had flashlights beaming at Cardinal, causing the blinding light. Both parties were silent as they inspected each other. Cardinal obviously gave off a strong vibe of horrendous violence and death with the blood still dropping off and chunks of meat and organs stuck in between the creases in her chassis. Oh, and not to forget the impaled Pegasus Solder still hanging off the wall behind her. “He-” Not before Cardinal could get her first word out did they unload onto her. She was knocked back by the bullet spray, Seeker's body torn and thrashed by the incoming shots. Cardinal was on the ground, recoiling in the pain. Seeker’s body, landing just in front of her, had begun taking most of the bullets. It was clear after a solid half a minute of firing, when the guards finally stopped, that Seeker’s body was in pieces. Torso, head and flank only held together by the thinnest of muscles barely holding on. She was nothing more than a gory mess of the floor now. Although being covered in Seekers parts did hide her from the royal guards, who were forced to all lean in with a step to see if they managed to kill the robotic beast. Even though Cardinal felt like she died with the mixture of pain and the trauma of being covered in her love’s organs, that was far from the truth. She powerfully hoisted herself up onto one leg, and then the next. The flashlights made a larger than life shadow against the elevator wall, looking like some demon rising from the dead. As Cardinal stood onto all fours with strength and malice, everypony gasped and flinched back in fear. She cracked her neck vigorously in an instant, re-positioning it back to where it normally was. Then, with a slow and lurching, painful scrape it twisted to face them, her shining blue eyes were the most pronounced light on her that illuminated her enraged face. Her entire body was covered in a meaty layer of flesh, disgustingly drenched in it. The bright illumination of the flash lights highlighted her bloodlust as the light bouncing from her gave off a red glow. There was a deep madness in her eyes, a feral growl in her lip. She looked like a monster. A monster that they had just pissed off. The light in her eyes shut off, leaving only a blood red glow on her. She pounced out of the elevator. Horrified shrieks echoed into the night. 4:49, Resting lounge. “Argh, don' yu be touchin’ me!” Mecha was thrown hastily into the room, falling onto his face, due to his restraints The guard bolted away after dropping the prisoner off, leaving him on the floor. Surrie and Diamond were sitting next to each other against a wall, also restrained, talking to the one guard in the room, a nervous looking Pegasus mare, patiently pacing, tapping the head of her spear on the floor. “Hey, Mecha,” Surrie muttered, frustrated and unamused. The Pegasus treaded toward Mecha, getting to him and lifting him to his hooves from under the leg. “There you go, now go sit over there.” “Shur thin’ boss.” Mecha hopped limply over to the wall and slid down next to his friends. The three of them watched as the Pegasus flew to the window, looking out very jittery. “Hey, can you tell us what's going on out there?” Diamond shouted up to her. “I would if I knew. They said that they’re going to prepare before the elevator gets here, just in case.” “Just in case what? We told you what we were doing here. It's only Seeker down there,” Surrie joined in. “I'm sorry, but if your friend was down there, she's dead now. We have orders to kill anypony who sees to much.” “B-but, we’re the employees! We already know whats down there!” Surrie swung her cuffed hooves in the air. “Well, we didn't know that when we heard a giant explosion from down there an hour ago when we sent Twirl and the other nine ponies, so I'm sorry.” The Pegasus, despite trying to keep up in her explanations, was still tentatively staring out. She was fighting an idea in her mind, visible through her eyes. She turned to them, “You worked down there. There's nothing too dangerous in the facility, right?” “We don't keep caged lions last time I checked, so no.” Diamond snarled sarcastically, angry at the idea of Seekers death. She shrugged him off, “I'm just worried, cause if he isn't on the elevator, then he is still down there... Or... Or something a lot worse.” She sniffled and wiped away a tear, trying to keep strong. Surrie kicked Diamond, then turning to the Pegasus in comfort. “What's your name?” “Um... Holly. I'm Holly.” “And your boyfriend, his name was Twist, yea?” She returned to her regular breathing. “Fiancé, actually.” “Well, Holly, I promise you that your fiancé will be coming back up that elevator soon.” This made Holly smile. “I know... I'm just...” She laughed under her breath, “I'm just being paranoid as always... It's taken me two years to plan our wedding, you know. I had to get every detail perfect. It's going to be this weekend. I've never been more excited in my life.” “You’re lucky. Only guys I've ever dated have been a bunch of sleaze bags in college. Only way those nerds would know how to treat a lady would be if we came with an instruction manual.” Diamond gave her a glare. “What?” “We went to the same college. Also, do you really think now is the time for jokes? Seeker might be dead!” Diamond frustratingly pounded his legs. “Diamond, sweetie... Did you not see her?” Surrie's playfulness ended, shifting into regret. “What? What do you mean?” “The way she talked, how she acted... I don't think that was Seeker. Not the one I've known for the last two years, at least.” “She just went through lots of trauma! Of course she isn't going to be acting like herself! Can't you understand the big issue is that she is still down there and could be dead!?” Surrie sighed, “I think she was dead the second she stepped a hoof into that place... I never believed that this would have a happy ending.” “Why did you go along with it then!?” “I wanted to be proved wrong... Or maybe I was a little obsessed myself. Celestia knows I'd love to see that thing finished... It also could have just been the fact I had nothing better to do tonight, I was gonna binge watch some Power Ponies while stuffing myself full of off brand Apple Acre's Ice Cream.” “Are you saying you don't care about her..?” Diamond was hurt. “I do... I just don't see how this could have been prevented... You know she would have gone by herself if we didn't show up.” “I...” Diamond hesitated, “I know.” “Aohh...” Holly gasped, jumping back in shivers as gunfire rattled violently in the distance. “Oh no! Oh no, oh no!” Holly ran in a few circles before deciding on what she had to do. “Okay, I have to go... Uh... Don't do anything!” She bolted away, bursting through the door and running away. “Hey! Let us out! We can help!” Surrie shouted at her as she ran by, swearing and punching the ground at Holly's swift exit. “How are we going to get out now?” Surrie flashed a spell with her horn, being stopped by the lock on her horn that accompanied the rest of her restraints. “I don't know, but all I know is that we have to get out there!” Diamond tried to struggle, his cuffs being too beefy for his strength. “Mecha, you’re an engineer, do you got any ideas?” She glanced over to her right where Mecha sat earlier. “Mecha..?” She had found that he was gone. “Mecha! Holy shit where di-” Her head blitzed around the room, finding Mecha on the other side of the room, noisily rummaging through the mini-fridge. “Mecha?” “Yea bo-” As his head rose to answer Surrie, he slammed the back of his skull against the top of the fridge. He then safely rose his head, rubbing his bruise. “Yeah boss?” “How did you get out? Actually, fuck it, just get me and Diamond out!” “Sure thin' boss.” He freed the two of them, the gunfire outside soon ending. “Alright, guys, we need to get out of here!” Surrie demanded. “No!” Diamond bit her tail as she went to gallop away. “We are staying and looking for Seeker.” “Are you crazy?!?” “If my girlfriend is, then probably, yeah.” He walked past her and went to the door calmly with a stride. “Fine, I better not get killed because of you.” She went to follow him as he strolled out of the door, looking over her shoulder at Mecha, who was back at the fridge. “MECHA!” “Yeah boss?” “What are you doing?” “Makin' a sammy.” “Get over here.” “If ya say so boss.” He scuttered over with a sandwich in his mouth. They sprinted off into the action. Cardinal flicked her blade out. The blood that soaked it flew away, leaving only a few drops as she retracted it back inside of her. She hopped off of the bloody corpse she stood on, looking out at the bodies flailed out in front of her. Some contained punctures from either her hoof blade or wings, some bullet holes. The rest were smoldered by the explosions from grenades. It was a complete and utter massacre, leaving every inch of snow drenched in blood. She still had a rifle around her neck, a stolen grenade belt, and a knife stuck in between the creases between her flank and stomach. All of her plates were heavily damaged, bent and scarred all over, as she moved her hinges gave off scrapes and sparks. She trotted with a slight limp in her step, just adding to the fear factor with the amount of gore she was covered in. There were still some survivors. Several of the guards had ditched their weaponry and huddled away in fear into the snow. Cardinal had chosen to spare them. Cardinal addressed them with a booming voice. “Why?” None of them responded, either too scared to speak up or trying to pretend that they were not there at all. “I meant no harm to you, so what was the use of all this pain? TELL ME!” she blared out, picking out one pony to pick on and steadily approach. Cardinal stomped toward a light green Pegasus with a soft red mane quivering in the snow, covered in other ponies’ blood. “TELL ME, WHAT HAVE I DONE TO YOU? WHY ATTACK ME?!” She shot her blade out down at the Pegasus's throat, stopping less than an inch before cutting into her. She simply begged, “P-p, please! I-I, I have a fianceé an-and two pups! Please, don't hurt me!” “THEN TELL ME!” “I-I didn't do anything! Please!” Cardinal took her knife away from her throat, controlling her rage with deep breaths. “Do you love your fianceé?” “Yes! I love him and he loves me! Please, were being married this weekend! Please just have mercy!” “Well I love somepony too. She was just obliterated in your gunfire. Now I can't take her out of here... I will be back, tomorrow, when Seeker wakes up again. If I see a single one of you when I return, not just will I kill you all again, I will make you suffer a death one thousand times slower and more painful. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!?” “Y-y-y yes!” “Good.” Cardinal walked over the Pegasus, going to the main gate. On her way, leaving her bloody hoofprints in the snow, she heard whispers come from behind a pile of loose building material. Eventually a pony standing up from behind, they were not like any of the guards, they did not have the armor or weapons. Instead it was a pastel blue unicorn in a winter jacket. She was wearing a stylish pair of perception glasses and had a short yellow mane. Cardinal stopped in her tracks, looking curiously at the trembling Unicorn fail to speak to her. “I know you...” “Surrie! Uh, my name is Surrie...” She shook, trying to crouch down out of sight. “Please... I just need to know where my friend is...” Surrie felt the painful regret in her, why would she ever stand up and speak to this monster, especially after witnessing all of the carnage she has left trailing behind her. “I heard you say her name and just...” It finally clicked for Cardinal. “Surrie! It's me! Cardinal!” Cardinal spoke with a hint of gladness again for a long time, “I understand if its a little hard to recognize me...” She wiped off some of the blood into the snow, trying to reveal her lovely yellow coat. “Oh, Starswirl the Bearded... That is you!” Surrie let herself loose as she laughed in delight, the idea of finally getting to speak to Cardinal in real life amazed her while at the same time trying her hardest to ignore the fact the pony she is speaking to was covered in gore and weaponry. “How did Seeker finish the transfer? I thought there was no power!” “She used her own love to power the facility. It was an incredible sacrifice on her part... Suffering for me, especially after everything I already put her through.” Surrie was being distracted by what seemed to be another pony hiding in the same place. Ignoring them, she asked, “Where is she now? Is she Ok?” “Yeah she is going to be fine, we have to come back to her tomorrow though.” “What? Is she not with you?” “Surrie, I said stop talking to it!” Diamond’s voice came from underneath Surrie. “Diamond, it’s ok, she isn't going to hurt us.” Surrie looked up at her, concerned greatly by the absolutely appalling amount of blood on her, “You’re not going to hurt us, right..?” “No, of course not. Although we should get going, I'll explain on the way.” Cardinal encouraged them to follow her as she moved on forward to the gates. “Surrie, we have to go find Seeker!” Diamond stood up now, trying to drag Surrie with him. “You can go off if you want to, but I have to go make sure that the robot that Seeker so valiantly risked her life for doesn't kill any more ponies as she wanders around Manehattan!” “You want to go with the murder machine? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Diamond gave a fearful glance in Cardinal's direction. “Those guards shot at her first. I'm not going to be an idiot and provoke her like that. Plus she knows me, we talked a few times over the chat when it was open.” Cardinal wondered if they thought she was deaf or not. “Fine, but I'm taking Mecha!” “No, I need him, Cardinal could use some repairs, or did you not notice her just murder twenty ponies?” “But I need him to find Seeker faster!” The two bickered as Cardinal mosied her way out, talking with another pony she recognized from the facility. “So you are the one who built this body?” “As I liv' an breath.” “Well I must condone you on your work, it is a very good adaptation.” “Yeah, I'm gud at wha' I do.” Diamond and Surrie sighed, nodded to each other and went their separate ways. Surrie caught up swiftly to the other two, keeping a good distance away from the gore covering Cardinal. They left the site, being rushed by Surrie to not be caught as they moved to Seeker’s car, the keys still in the ignition. They drove off, Surrie thinking of where they could possibly hide Cardinal, who was drenching the entire back of the car with blood. 8:24, Facility Elevator Entrance. A shadow formed as the sun rose upon the poor lost souls lying in the snow, being cleaned up by those who remained after a long mourning. Most of the guards sat together, looking upon the now piled up bodies of their lost friends. Sitting with them was Diamond, also in mourning. Tears in their eyes had been dried for hours, hearts on their sleeves as they shared in each other's sorrow. Soon their heads all turned up as more ponies arrived, they stood up with a respectful salute as Princess Twilight Sparkle trotted up with her personal guard who were in shock at the scene in front of them. Twilight moved up to the door of the elevator, looking in with a blank expression in her face. After a few moments she shut her eyes, looking as if she was just stabbed in the heart. “Can somepony please explain...” Twilight spoke, turning to the group of mourners. A unicorn walked up and keeled in front of the princess, “My Princess, during the night we caught several ponies attempting to sneak into the facility. We were told during the interrogations that there was one pony that had gotten down into the facility. We sent out a squad to capture the infiltrator but...” His face contracted, holding back further tears, “But they never came back... What did, it... It wasn't living.” Twilight looked down at him with great sadness, “Did you learn the name of the assailant..?” She stuttered, hoping. “Princess, they said her name was Seeker.” Twilight refused to believe her ears, getting frustrated as she knew the truth. Her eyes clenched as her chest fluctuated with short breaths. “What... What did such a thing do to my daughter..?” She stared into the guards eyes, looking right through him. “I-it... It was... A machine,” he muttered, trying to make himself small to shield himself from Twilight's wrath. “FFFAAAGGHHH...” Twilight leaned over to the side of the elevator door, lifting a leg and punching the beam with all of her strength, the doorway bending inward several inches. She began taking deep breaths to calm herself, “Dismissed...” The guard excused himself and backed away, returning to his seat. Twilight glanced as the guard left her side, noticing the blue unicorn standing behind, waiting for the Princess's attention. “What?” she spat out, yanking her hoof from the indent in the door. “My Princess.” He gave a bow, “I know that things may be looking grim, but your daughter, she wasn't up here. She could still be down in the facility, she could still be alive.” Diamond was almost trying to convince himself. Twilight replied to him in an almost insulting tone, “I don't know who my daughter is to you, but if you'd bother to look, she is indeed here.” She motioned to inside the elevator. Diamond shifted over to look into the elector, unrecognizable gore filling every inch of floor. “I...” He had not seen whatever the Princess was trying to show him. Twilight turned her head away as her horn lit up, levitating up a patch of skin. Diamond took a closer look, seeing Seeker’s cutie mark underneath the blood. “SEEKER!” He dropped to his knees, staring at the floor with disbelief. “She was a lovely girl... Her heart was in the right place, just... Not her head.” Twilight said with a sigh before picking herself back up and walking out to address her guard. “Alright, you know what to do. Clean it all up, all the blood washed and bodies down the elevator then burned. The facility is being cemented tomorrow.” She spoke with her head up high, maintaining her emotions. “But... But you can't just take the bodies!” One guard hopped up, hurt by what she had commanded. “They need to be buried, the families need to organize funerals!” “No, Private, they don't.” Twilight shut him down with a harsh stare. “They can't have the bodies because these brave stallions and mares died in the badlands after being attacked and eaten by a tribe of wild dragons. That is what is going to be written on their death certificate and it is what you will be telling others if they ask. Do you understand, Private?” They nodded, and after being excused, they galloped to a body lying in the snow, a plastic sheet used to cover materials from rain covered the bodies for respect. The pony began saying their final goodbye's. She turned to her personal set of guards. “Load the bodies into the elevator, I think those privates have had to deal with enough today.” Her troops saluted her and began lifting corpses from their piled line and carrying them to the elevator. “Uh, Princess? There still a living pony in here,” said a guard as he lowered a body down. It rattled the lift. Twilight turned to look. They were right. A young green Pegasus sat at the back wall of the large elevator, bathing in shadows and pain. She sat directly beside the dead Pegasus stuck to the wall of the elevator by the impaled spear going through his torso. She sat looking down between her hooves, fidgeting with a diamond encrusted wing bracelet, a common engagement item for Pegasi. Twilight must have mistook her for another dead body when she first glanced in. She softly whispered back to the Princess now alert to her. “Don't worry... I'm no living pony...” She shifted her eyes at the guard, “I'm staying with here, with Twist... Don't let me get in the way of your body burning...” Twilight gently stepped towards her, getting into the elevator. “Private, what is your name?” She asked tenderly. “Holly Fox.” “Holly, is that Twist..?” She referred to the body with a spear sticking out of it, frozen stiff with fear and pain in his face. Holly sighed. “Yeah.” “Well, Private Holly, do you believe Twist would want you to stay here and die? I doubt he would want this for you.” She knelt down to her eye level, a motherly tone. “Nah... He would tell me I'm overreacting...” She gave a dead and empty chuckle. “He'd say that all the time.” “Would you like to follow me out of the elevator? We can talk about this. I can help you.” “Can you bring back the dead?” Holly turned her head up at the Princess, challenging her. “No Holly, no one can raise the dead.” “Then you can't help me.” She turned away again. Twilight realized she wasn't going to talk her out of here. “Alright Holly, have it your way.” Twilight walked out of the elevator, and with a quick flash of her horn Holly's head fell into a deep coma-like sleep. “Drag her out, continue with the bodies.” “Yes, your highness,” the guards replied, doing as she said. It took half an hour or so, but before long, all of the ''evidence'' was stuck inside the elevator and drenched in some gasoline. The elevator cord was then cut, it being let down by a few unicorns to prevent an earthquake as it reached the bottom. Then a burning splint was dropped down, igniting the entire elevator into thunderous flames at the bottom of the shaft. The doors were sealed air tight, the blood cleaned and damages repaired in the buildings. Twilight then commanded for all of the Security tapes to be stockpiled and reviewed. She demanded to know exactly what the machine that had killed her daughter and guards looked like. She wanted it found and executed before the public had caught wind of the situation. She denied any chance of this getting out, it could ruin her reputation, maybe even her position as Princess. Who knows what Celestia would do to Twilight if she ever found out. Surrie took a few breaths, relieved. She turned on the tap, splashing some water on her face. She rested for a moment before gazing up at the mirror, back at herself. “What have you gotten yourself into...” She whispered at the mirror, holding herself upright with her fore-hooves at each side of the sink. The bathroom she was in was quite gritty, slimy, and dark. The walls were chipping away at the tiling, moss growing in between the cracks. The pylon lights flickered occasionally, emitting an annoying constant buzz. The mess in the toilet created a horrid stench. Surrie had finished her business and gotten her thoughts together, she hopped off from the sink and trotted out of the door, giving a shifty glance at the camera stuck up in the corner above the door. “Hey Mecha, what's up with the camera in your bathroom?” she asked during her re-entrance into the workshop. “Se'urity,” he said, muffled under his welding mask and barely heard over the searing of metal going on with the blowtorch he held. “Security of what? Your worried someone will steal the soap dispenser?” She strode over to the table Mecha was working at, hopping over the small trench in the car ramp used for repairs. She was in the back of Mecha's repair service, their car parked in the back after being washed along with Cardinal with Mecha's high power hose. The garage door still open, a light breeze flowing through the room. “Don' you judge me,” he said, stopping the the gas in his torch. Then he grabbed another plate from a pile sitting beside him on the table and pressed it against Cardinal's side, who was lying on her stomach on the table. Cardinal was focusing on what looked like an ongoing chess game under her muzzle. She finally caught a smile and nudged a piece forward with the tip of her nose. “Your turn.” She said, looking at the pony relighting his blowtorch to smolder on a replacement panel for her chassis. He gave a quick glance at the board, noticing the piece she had moved. “Ain't work like that, told ya, pri'cess only moves one swaure.” “Fine.” She moved the piece back, making a different move. “Okay, now your turn.” Finally lighting the blowtorch he leaned over, extending the torch to the wooden chess board and sliding a piece on his side out, he then returned to his work, barely giving a look at the board. “Chseckmate.” “What? Wait...” Cardinal struggled to understand, pointing her hoof around at the board trying to make sense of it. Mecha just chuckled with a slight wheeze as his flame hit the metal, it beginning to smolder instantly. “Still trying to teach her chess?” Seeker said, leaning against the large work space, sipping on a levitating cup of coffee that has been cooling for a while. “Yup.” He spoke underneath his mask. “It doesn't help that he’s a lot better than me.” Cardinal said grumpily. Surrie trotted over and around to face Cardinal and looked down at the chess board in front of her. “You’re a computer. How can't you beat him? Just turn your difficulty setting or something.” “My thoughts are much closer to that of a pony than a computer, Surrie. I'm not as good at these arithmetical problems as you would believe.” Cardinal lifted her head up from the board, “Also, he is really good.” Surrie looked at the detailing in Cardinals face, giving her some sense of pride, being part of creating something like this. She noticed a spec of blood still stuck underneath one of her face plates causing Surrie to gag slightly. “Um... You got a little something...” She pointed out on her own face to guide Cardinal. She scrubbed into the crack, the blood being cleaned out. “Sorry, I know how it can be a little gross.” “Don't worry, I just don't like blood to much. I'm just glad we got you mostly washed up after that... mess.” She shook her head. “I know you had to defend yourself, although what you did was a bit much.” She recoiled at the memories of watching Cardinal rip ponies limb from limb. “I am sorry you witnessed that, it must have been quite scary.” “Yeah, you can say that.” She took another sip. “Aynn... Dun!” Raising his mask, Mecha turned down his torch, looking at his final work. “It doesn't match the paint job.” Surrie playfully mocked him, looking at the otherwise perfect, silver-in-colour plating covering her torso and a few plates on her face and legs. “I ain' stared paintin' yet.” He threw off his equipment, stretching his legs after a fine job done. “Before you paint me, one more rematch!” Cardinal rotated herself to face him while still laying on the counter space, sliding the chess board in between the two of them. “Ya sure ther' lil’ filly? Ain't ya had enouf?” He sat back, a cheeky smile behind his ruffled beard. “I'm going to beat you one day!” Cardinal did sound like a young filly with the enthusiasm for all the new things she keeps discovering. “Alrighty, wanna 'ave whites or blues?” Caridnal pointed at the princess of the white side, a yellow sun with an orange blaze around it at the pieces flanks. “Your turn,” he said, waiting for her. Surrie went off and sat on a couch loose in the room, tapping away on her phone. After a few moves on the board passed, a distorted buzz came from a speaker atop the door leading to the reception. Surrie's head flew up. “You normally get customers at this time?” Mecha turned away from his intense battle with Cardinal, holding a hoof over his dark blue princess piece, two small moons at its flanks. “Sometimes, do you mind?” “I got it, continue your match. It might be Seeker too, if she made it out like Cardinal says, and then finally got my text.” Surrie hoisted herself up, traveling to the door, going down a small, open hall that lead deep into the reception. She cracked it open before jumping back and shutting the door with a bang. “It’s the royal guard.” She spoke back to them. “Wha? But, why? They don’ know where we are!” “You live here, you work here. It's only logical that they would search here. The question is, what do we do?” She stuck at the door, holding a leg against it to make sure it wouldn't open. “Hello? Anypony there?” A voice came from out the door. “Shit, they're coming!” Surrie bolted down to where Mecha and Cardinal were. “What do we do!” She said to Mecha, distracting him. “We've got to hide Cardinal!” She continued. “Well I dunno... Uh... I think it’s...” “Checkmate!” Cardinal shouted out, hopping up to her hooves at the delight. “Wha?” Mecha turned back to the game. “Thats checkmate, right?” she asked, unbeknownst to the situation. “Oh gosh darnit.” Mecha stood out of his chair, seeing his mistake that ultimately lead to his downfall. “GUYS! There are more urgent matters at hoof!” Surrie scolded them. “Alright, Cardinal get down there.” He nodded toward the ditch in the cement, a slit into the ground used to crawl under a car and work on it from below. She hesitated but seeing their serious expressions she hopped down and did as she was told, snugly fitting in the hole. Mecha turned to Surrie, “Stall 'em out. I'll hide Cardi.” “Alright.” She sprinted back up to the door, seeing it open to reveal two Royal Guards in full uniform trotting towards her, A beefy Earth Pony in the front and a Unicorn in the back. She spread out her forelegs in a cross, pressing against the walls of the hall, preventing their passage. “Hey...” “Surreal Step?” She cracked an awkward smile. “Yes...” “You’re under arrest.” The front pony stared her down, as if he expected her to just give herself over. “F-for what could the reason be... For this, officer?” She tried. He gave her a blank stare, his friend taking out hoof cuffs and a horn lock. “Wait, give me a second!” she said as they grabbed her and pinned her to the floor, strapping her down. While one brought her out of the mechanic's garage, taking her out to the front, the other strutted into the room, finally seeing the pony who just reversed into the garage, going a bit to far and overextended on the ramp. “Excuse me, I am Captain Lionheart Charge of the Royal Guard, please step out of the vehicle.” He trotted up to the side of the car. Mecha popped the door open. “Howya doin'?” “Mecha Machine?” “Thas me.” “You’re under arrest, please don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be.” “Alright.” He hopped out, presenting his legs to be cuffed. Which they were, and then he was quickly escorted out, the Unicorn Guard taking Mecha from the Captian's clutches. Once they reached the outside, he joined up with Surrie, being held against the front desk. The Unicorn mare asked Mecha a question, “You were caught on camera fleeing with the robot that murdered our Ponies. Do you happen to know the whereabouts of the robot? I would like to remind you that lying to a Royal Guard on duty could lead to capital punishment.” “I told you, she ran o-” Surrie tried to speak, but had her head smacked down against the marble countertop by the Unicorn’s magic. “I wasn't talking to you.” She turned back to Mecha, “Well?” “I don' know where no dam robaw is, defiantly ain't 'ere,” he said in a complaining manner. “I will be the judge of that.” She left the two at the counter, going down into the garage, the Captain soon coming out to guard the two of them. “What is she doing?” Surrie asked the Captain. “A quick scan of the building for tech, if the robot is here, we will know.” They both gulped audibly. In the garage, the Unicorn guard strolled around. She had casted a spell that made her eyes sparkle as she searched around the room. The first thing to jump out at her was the car, but after further inspection by opening the hood of the car, she decided the engine was giving off the signal. The rest of her search was uneventful. She returned to the Captain. “It’s clear. They might be telling the truth.” “So you're letting us go?” “Heavens, no.” The Captain lifted Surrie off the table, bringing her outside to where they had a detaining vehicle parked at the sidewalk. Mecha was made to follow. Cardinal was now underneath a car, alone. She sighed.