//------------------------------//
// 10 - Moving Forward 
// Story: A Wolf in Cybernetic Armor 
// by Shadow Quill 
//------------------------------//

It was tense in the waiting room as Shadow, the uninjured Apple Family members and the other Elements of Harmony sat around on baited breath, hoping that everything would be alright.  Granny Smith and Big Mac were seated off to one side, the elder mare’s eyes glistening with tears as the younger stallion held onto her in a comforting hug.  The Element Bearers were piled onto the duo of couches that faced the double doors next to the receptionist’s desk, silent and barely moving as the clock ticked by on the wall.  It had already been five hours since Shadow had first arrived with Applebloom in tow, and still there was no word about either of the Apple girls’ condition.

Then, without any warning, the doors slid open to reveal a light brown unicorn stallion in a doctor’s coat, his mask pulled down around his neck as he entered the room.  Immediately, everyone stood up and rushed forward, save for Shadow and Big Mac, who was supporting Granny Smith as she lifted her head to meet the doctor’s gaze.  

The doctor cleared his throat before speaking, his voice calm and his tone even as he passed the news, “I am happy to report that both Applejack and Applebloom are alive and recovering.  Applejack has a broken hind leg and will be unable to walk unsupported for the next week at least, so I am giving you direct orders to prevent her from doing any form of physical labor until her leg has healed.”  He waited until Granny and Big Mac had nodded their agreement, his eyes turning downcast as he continued, “Unfortunately, we were unable to heal every injury that had been inflicted upon Applebloom and have induced a medical coma, so her body can recover from her more serious ailments.”  A round of gasps echoed through the room, although the doctor forestalled any further outbursts with a raised hoof, “Do not take this as bad news.  While the filly will be unconscious for the next several days to a week, I am confident that she will make a full recovery given time.  Her body went into shock when we restarted her heart and she was having trouble breathing on her own.  We induced the coma so that way her body can return to a more balanced state before bringing her back to full awareness.  It will take time, but Applebloom is alive and should be back on her hooves two to three weeks from now.”

The mares in the room began weeping with joy at the news, Big Mac wiping a single tear from his face before turning to Shadow.  Taking a glance down at Granny Smith, the large stallion jerked his head in the direction of the cybernetic hound.  Granny followed his gaze and then turned back to her grandson, nodding once before pulling away so the stallion could stand.  

The others fell silent as the stoic apple farmer walked up to Shadow, his gaze never once leaving Shadow’s optics as he stood before the mechanical wolf.  Shadow kept his on gaze fixated on the earth pony’s, a loop of code running through his processor that he identified as nervousness as Big Mac opened his mouth and began to speak.

“Ya’ll did right by our family, saving Applebloom like ya did.”  Big Mac’s deep voice carried a weight that made everyone listen closely, his words carrying through the room even though he barely spoke above a whisper, “AJ would say the same if’n she was here with us, so Ah’m gonna tell you what Granny and Ah need to get off our chests before my sis comes through those doors.”  He bowed his head before Shadow and spoke clearly for all to hear, “Thank ya fer saving my little sister.  Ah don’t know how we can ever hope to repay ya’ll for what ya done today.  Ah know you don’t know us all that well, heck ya barely been to the farm other than to chat with AJ about our crops, but we would be honored to make you an honorary member of the Apple Family, if’n you’ll accept the offer.”  He raised his eyes to look up at Shadow while his head remained bowed, “What do ya say?  Will ya accept being a part of our family, as a sign of our gratitude?”

Shadow felt another loop of code run through his processors, this time falling under what he could imagine shock being like, rendering him speechless for several seconds as the others waited for his reply.  It was only after looking at Granny Smith and seeing the slight nod of her head that Shadow came to a decision.  

“Yes.”  He said with conviction, “I accept your offer and would be proud to state that I am a member of your family.  And as my first act upon taking the title, I swear that until Applejack is healed, I will take up her workload on the farm so that you do not suffer in her absence.”

“Now hold on there a moment, sunny,” Granny interjected as she climbed down from her seat and waddled over to plant a hoof in Shadow’s chest plating, “Ya’ll don’t need to do anything of the sort.  You saved Applebloom’s life and that is more than enough for us.  We’ve gotten through tough scrapes before, and we certainly won’t need any extra help to get through this one.  All ya need ta do is keep doing what ya’ll’ve been doin’ and we’ll keep the farm running just fine.”

“But as a member of the Apple Family,” Shadow countered, “am I not also responsible for keeping the farm in prime condition so that way Applejack and Applebloom have a happy and healthy home to return to once they recover?  I understand that you have your pride, but do not mistake my help for selfish actions when it is my own choice to offer my assistance.  Don’t let good help go to waste when it is freely offered.  I want to help, and if you don’t let me then I’ll be sitting around rereading books that I’ve already catalogued all day in Twilight’s library.  Please,” he bowed his head to the Apple matriarch, “let me help.”

Granny Smith was opening her mouth to throw back another objection when she was interrupted by a voice coming from the front doors, “I think you’ve met your match when it comes to stubborn pride, old friend.”

All eyes turned to the main entrance and beheld none other than Princess Celestia standing in the doorway with a pair of her guard on either side.  All of the ponies bowed to their diarch, save for Granny Smith, as Celestia walked into the waiting room with a small smile on her lips, “I have known you for a long time Miss Smith, and I have seen your stubborn streak break through some of the most steadfast of the nobles in Canterlot, but this time I am siding with our new friend when it comes to our current situation.”  Her expression turned serious as she lowered her head to match Granny’s height, “We both know you need the help with two of your grandchildren unable to help around the farm, and I also know that you would never dream of hiring outside of the family.  So, take the freely given help that is being offered to you, unless you would like for me to put in my own thoughts on the matter.”

The other ponies in the room openly gaped as Granny Smith raised her nose to Princess Celestia and fired back without hesitation, “The Apple Clan has stood strong for three hundred moons, and we won’t be beaten down so easily by a challenge such as this.  We’ve endured worse in our time, as you well know, so don’t go lippin’ at me about accepting help when we can hold our own just fine.”  

Her gaze stayed locked with Celestia’s as the Princess’s lips curled into a smile once again, the other ponies in the room still frozen with shock as the diarch of the day, ruler of Equestria, backed off and bowed her head to the Apple matriarch.

“As you wish, old friend,” that cheeky smile was still there as Celestia returned to her full height, “but understand this.  You may not ask for help, but that doesn’t mean it won’t still be given when it is needed.”  Her gaze traveled to Shadow, her eyes warm and her expression filled with pride as she addressed the automaton, “Therefore, I ask you, Shadow, to help the Apple family in any way you can, so long as it is required.”  She forestalled Granny Smith’s retort with a raised hoof, the elder mare falling silent as Celestia glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, “With two of their family members here in the hospital and unable to help harvest the apples from the orchard, it is vital that you do everything in your power to ensure that the harvest comes in on time, or else the surrounding towns and villages might not have enough food to last through the winter.”

Shadow’s optics travelled over the Apple family members that were present, taking in Granny’s stiff expression while also noticing Big Mac’s subtle glances between his grandmother and the Princess.  Feeling that a diffusion of the tension was in order, he bowed his head to Celestia and then turned his gaze upon Granny, “I understand the tasks set before me, but if Granny Smith truly does not want my help, then I will not infringe upon their property unless they ask it of me.  Honorary family member or not, I can only help if it is wanted, no matter how much it might be needed.”

For a moment things seemed to have been brought to a stalemate, neither side willing to budge on the issue.  Yet that all shifted when Granny let out a long-suffering sigh, her gaze turning to Celestia with an exasperated expression on her face, “Ya’ll really do know how to get yer way, don’t ya Celestia?”

Celestia, for her part, acted like she had no idea what the elder mare was talking about, “I’m certain I don’t have any idea what you mean.  I simply did what I thought was best for the town of Ponyville and the other villages that rely on your apples for their winter stock.  Personal opinion had nothing to do with it.”

“MmmHmm.”  Apparently, Granny believed the Princess’s words about as much as she could throw them, “Sure ya do.”  She let out another long sigh before turning to Shadow, “Alright young’n.  We’ll let ya help around the farm, but if I hear about one apple getting bruised or a single tree getting damaged from your efforts, Ah’ll have ya thrown off the farm so fast yer tail will end up hitting the road before yer paws do.  Do I make myself clear?”

Shadow nodded, “Absolutely clear, ma’am.  I won’t let you down.”

With the issue settled, the tension seemed to bleed out of the room as Celestia stepped up to Shadow and placed a hoof on his shoulder plate, “While I am happy to hear that you have been accepted into the Apple family because of your efforts, the real reason I am here is because of a more serious matter.  You, in an act of selflessness, saved the lives of three fillies and even got one of them to the hospital when all hope of preserving her life seemed lost.  It is because of your direct efforts that Applebloom is still alive, and for that you have my utmost gratitude.  Thus, as a sign of my own appreciation, I am inviting you and the others here tonight to Canterlot tomorrow afternoon.  In order to recognize your heroism and your bravery, I wish to reward you with a medal of service and to formally introduce you to Equestria as the hero you have proven to be.”  Her smile turned cheeky as she pulled her hoof back, “Plus my sister has been absolutely dying to meet you since you fist arrived in our land, so there is that as well.”

A soft chuckle rippled through the room at Celestia’s joke, the remaining weight in the air dissipating as the girls gathered around Shadow.  They offered their congratulations to him as he did his best to sidestep the praise, although it did little good as the Bearers thanked him in almost every way possible for what he had done.  Shadow’s processor was beginning to heat up as loop after loop of code ran through his CPU, his new emotion program having difficulty organizing them all as they slowed down his processing speed to a near halt.  

Finally, Shadow stepped out of the way of the girls and turned his attention to Celestia, who had just opened the front doors and was climbing into her chariot as the sun began to set on the distant horizon.  

“Pardon me for a moment, Your Highness,” Shadow forestalled Celestia’s departure as he walked up to the side of the chariot.  The others exited behind him and stood at a respectful distance, their eyes filled with curiosity as Celestia turned her attention to him, “but I have a request to make before you depart.”

“Very well,” Celestia replied, “but please hurry, I am due back in Canterlot before sunset.”

Shadow nodded, “The only thing I ask is that you keep my otherworldly origins a secret, lest the media spin it into something that could damage future relations.  I would rather there be a proper representative here before there are any revelations about aliens in your midst.”

Celestia seemed to ponder his words for a moment before nodding, “Very well, I will keep your true origins a secret, for now.  But I expect you to do everything in your own power to ensure that your creators understand Equestria’s stance on foreign policy.  We will be open to negotiations and trade, but any threat against us will be met with harsh consequences.  Is that understood?”

While Shadow wasn’t sure how much of a resistance the ponies could really put up against the human military, he nodded all the same, “I will keep that in mind, Princess.  I will do my best to make sure your kind are given an honest summary when I return to base.”  He bowed his head to her as her chariot began to move, keeping his neck lowered until she had flown up and out of sight.

Shadow turned his attention to the others as the sun finally began to set behind him, the dim red color turning his plating a dark blood brown as the Bearers and the Apple family stood before him.

“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” he stated with conviction, “but we’ll get through it and we will be stronger than before because of the challenges we have overcome.”  He turned his head towards the sun as it finally passed beyond the horizon, his optics glowing softly in the growing darkness as he finished his impromptu speech, “I won’t let anyone else come to harm as long as I can do something about it.  I swear it on my very being that I won’t allow any further harm to befall the creatures of this world.  Not while I still have power in my core and the will to keep moving forward.”

The ponies murmured their agreement as the stars began to come out, the moon taking up its silent vigil of the countryside as Shadow and the others returned to their respective homes.  Tomorrow was going to be a busy day, and time was running out before Shadow was due to return home and make his report.  He knew he was only going to get one shot at this, and as he powered down on Twilight’s couch, he set aside one of his processors to run through possible first contact scenarios between the human race and the ponies of Equestria.  He let it run as he powered down the rest of his systems, the usual critical data presenting itself as he shut off his systems for the night.  

Now if only he could figure out what exactly he was going to do if his creators decided not to send him back.  The possibility, while unlikely, made several loops of worry and unease run through his processor before he powered down, because if he wasn’t here to protect the ponies, who would?

…Power Core: 65%...

…Portal Recharge Time: 05:00:00:05…04…03…02…01…