//------------------------------// // Chapter 29: Eve's Adventure Part 2 // Story: The War Machine // by Urimas Ebonheart //------------------------------// The War Machine Chapter 29: Eve's Adventure Part 2 I continue to follow behind Scootaloo as she speeds down the street, propelling herself with the aid of her wings which seem to be underdeveloped. I still gain the odd look from the ponies around us we pass by. After a couple of minutes, we reach a building that looks like a carousel. "Here we are!" she says as she skids to a halt in front of the building. I land beside her where she grins at me. "Come on!" she tells me and opens the door. I follow her inside and look around. There are mannequins to the right in front of the store's windows with different dresses on them. To my left is a counter with a book and cash register on it along with a few bolts of cloth. To the back right is a podium with mirrors behind it and to the back left is a stairwell and a closed door. "SWEETIE BELLE! COME ON ALREADY!" Scootaloo yells towards the stairs. "I'm coming!" I hear a voice reply followed by a crash. "Ow!" After a few seconds, a white filly with a pink and light purple curled mane and tail comes down the stairs. "Hey Scootaloo!" she says but then gasps as she looks at me. "Who's that? They look like Adam," she asks the orange filly. "Close, she's Adam's and Luna's filly!" Scootaloo replies with a grin. "What? She's Eve?" Sweetie Belle asks in surprise. "You know her?" Scootaloo asks her in confusion. "Yeah! We talk during Luna's singing lessons!" she replies and runs over to me. "Yes, it is nice to meet you face to face, Sweetie Belle," I say and look around again. I notice the door in the back is slightly ajar and the room inside is a complete mess. Cloth and silk, thread and ribbons, all strewn about in a chaotic mess. "So Adam and Luna finally finished your body!" Sweetie Belle asks and runs around me while examining my body. "Correct, I'm now free to explore and learn subjects by myself now," I reply as she stops in front of me. "Your eyes look soooo pretty! like lots of little lights huddled together!" she says and gets within an inch of my face to see closer. "They are just LEDs that react to my emotions and programming to convey my current mood," I tell her and make the eyes blink. Though my vision stays on at all times, it's just a program of my visor to simulate a pony's mannerisms. "That's so cool! So why are you here?" Sweetie Belle asks me. Scootaloo speaks up before I could reply. "She's coming with us to find that rare flower in the Everfree Forest for Fluttershy!" she says to Sweetie. "The Everfree Forest? I'm afraid I can't allow you to go in there," I tell them, making Scootaloo frown at me. "And why not?" she asks a bit angrily. "It is dangerous and filled with wild animals that could easily kill you," I reply making Sweetie Belle look worried. "I ain't afraid of some stupid animals," Scootaloo replies with a huff. "Can you say that when they have you surrounded or cornered, ready to pounce and end your life? Can you fight them off? I don't have any training programs, or weapons from my father, or the magic of my mother. I would only be able to improvise or fly away from danger as I currently am," I ask and tell her. Though the only combat programs I currently have are the ones for the turrets on father's workshop and vehicles. Scootaloo then growls at me before snorting and walking out the Boutique. "I'm sorry if I angered her, but I only spoke the truth. She and you would not survive an encounter with such an animal," I tell Sweetie who just sighs. "I understand, it's just she feels... I guess useless as her wings don't work like they should. She was teased about it now and then and it gets to her," she replies sadly. "I see. Has she seen a doctor about it?" I ask her. Sounds like a genetic defect like some kind of Achondroplasia. "Yeah, it's just a birth defect, they said she may never be able to fly," Sweetie replies and sighs again. I'll have to ask my father or mother if they could do something about it. "I see. I'll follow her and make sure she doesn't do something she'll regret," I tell her and head out of the Boutique. "Okay! I'll just wait here for her to come back," she replies as the door closes. I look around and see her scooter and wagon are gone. I spot the fresh trail of her scooter and activate my stabilisers to hover a few inches off the ground before taking off after the trail. Ponies yelp and move aside I as head through town following the trail, which eventually leads out of town and into the Everfree Forest. I shake my head at her rash choice and my eyes change to a frown to show my frustration. I connect my radio to father to inform him. "Father, Scootaloo has rushed into the Everfree Forest after I told her not to. I believe she has gone in to retrieve a flower she and her friends were planning on finding for Miss Fluttershy. What should I do? Over," I ask him. "Follow and find her, then bring her back, by force if need be. I'm on my way now, over," he replies. "Affirmative," I say and make my way into the forest following the trail until I find her scooter and wagon, but no Scootaloo. I look around and spot a disturbed trail heading further into the forest. I land and follow on hoof while staying on high alert. I hear faint noises of the wildlife in the area before a loud feminine scream pierces the air. I reactivate my stabilisers and make my way to the source quickly. After seven seconds of flight, I spot Scootaloo hiding in a hole near the base of a tree as a manticore attempts to claw at her with its oversized paws. Analysing... Manticore weighs approximately nine-hundred pounds. Appears to be fifteen years old. Male. Has a large scar on its left hind leg. Right eye is blind. Best course of action... drop from above to impact the base of the neck in an attempt to break it. Using my stabilisers, I rise fifteen feet into the air before cutting them off, free-falling into the back of the manticore's neck. The impact dazes the beast but it wasn't enough to kill it. I now have its attention and re-activate my stabilisers to avoid its claw swipes and tail thrusts. The manticore seems to be getting frustrated as I keep dodging its attacks. I perform a roll to avoid a swipe but can't manoeuvre fast enough to dodge his tail thrust. It hits me and sends me into a spiral towards the forest ground. I impact the ground and roll a few feet before getting back onto my hooves. My eyes narrow at the beast as I extend my wings and ready my flight system. The manticore growls at me as he slowly stalks towards me. "Eve! Just run!" Scootaloo yells at me getting the manticore to turn back towards her. With him distracted, I activate my jets and dig my hooves into the ground until I've built up enough force to launch myself at him. The noise of my engines regains his attention as the generated force is now pushing me slowly towards him. With enough force gathered, I push off the ground and launch myself head first into his forehead. The sharp horn on my head pierces his skull right between his eyes and I cut off the power to my flight system as my wings retract back onto my back while my jets retract into my sides. The residual force makes the manticore flip onto his back and since I'm still lodged in its skull, I slam into the ground with it. Static covers my vision as I'm thrown from the body and roll to a stop. Rebooting... Reloading subroutines... Done. Reloading audio drivers... Done. Reloading visual drivers... Done. Reboot complete. My vision returns and I stand back up while performing a diagnostic on my systems and body. Apart from a slightly bent left wing and my vision tinted red from the beast's blood, I am perfectly fine. Scootaloo slowly comes out of the hole with wide eyes. "Whoa..." she mutters as she makes her way over to me. "And this is exactly why I warned you not to come here," I tell her as my eyes look agitated. She winces and opens her mouth but the beast suddenly roars as it gets up. How it is still alive with a hole in its forehead confounds me, but before it can pounce a metallic grey blur slams into it from above, cratering it into the ground. "Don't you dare touch my little filly!" Mother shouts in anger as the beast is crushed under her hooves and the sound of bones breaking fills the air. She's wearing her titanium armour. Once she makes sure the beast is dead she walks over to us and looks around, meanwhile father glides in on his jet skates before sliding to a stop and shouldering his rifle. "Are you alright?" he asks as he scans the area. "Apart from a bent wing and impaired vision, I am fine," I reply. "I-I'm okay too..." Scootaloo says quietly. "Good. Luna, take Scootaloo and fly back to Ponyville, I'll carry Eve back to the workshop," father says getting a nod from mother. "You are in so much trouble young filly," mother says and levitates Scootaloo onto her back before taking off above the trees. Father picks me up and holds me under his left arm before activating his jet skates and heads out of the forest. "As soon as we repair your wing and clean you up, we will research a way to harness our magic and weaponize it," he tells me. "Yes father," I reply as we break through the forest's edge and glide across the grass towards home. We arrive where the thestrals are still running the course along with the changeling that was left here. We enter and father begins to remove my chassis and clean it from the manticore blood. I wait patiently while he cleans my chassis, it doesn't take long for mother to return as she removes her helmet with her magic and shakes her head. "I have returned Scootaloo to her parents, she's been grounded for a month," she tells us before walking over to me and levitates me off the floor. "I see no damage internally, good. Until we find a way for you to defend yourself properly you are not to leave our side alone again," she tells me and puts me down. "Yes, mother," I reply as father holds out my left fore-leg plates to mother. She takes the plates with her magic and begins reattaching them to me. They remain silent until I'm completely clean. "Alright, now to repair your wing," father says and disconnects my left wing. He takes it to his workbench where he and mother begin to reshape it. After four minutes of waiting, there's a knock at the door. Mother walks to the door while father continues to work on my wing. Mother opens the door to reveal a small grey three foot tall diamond dog who is panting for breath. "Need alpha! Rival pack attacking!" he tells her and collapses onto the ground. Father is already grabbing his weapons and ammunition as he heads to the door. "How long ago did they attack?" he asks the diamond dog. "Not sure, me bad at tell time..." the dog replies and whines. "Very well, go to the camp over there and rest up. I'm going to the den now," he tells the dog getting a nod in return. The dog limps over to the camp while father turns to mother. "Look after Eve and the others, I'll be back shortly," he tells her. "Alright, be careful," she replies. Father then uses his jet skates to head out to the den making mother sigh and turn back to me. "Let's get your wing finished shall we?" she says with a smile. POV: Adam It takes me ten minutes at full speed to reach the den and I can hear fighting within, metal against metal and cries of pain echoes through the entrance. I see ponies and a few minotaurs at the entrance with worried expressions. "Stand aside!" I order them as I run towards the gates. They part for me as I head inside and ready my rifle.