Lapy was inspecting a round building. “So this is where you live?“ he asked Sweetie Belle.
“Yes, this is the carousel boutique. Me and my sister life here.“ she replied, before knocking the door.
A few moments later door opened, and white unicorn that had quite some resemblance to Sweetie Belle came in to view. She noticed Lapy, her eyes resting on him for a moment before turning back to Sweetie Belle.
“No Sweetie, you can’t keep him.“ she finally said. “Bring him back where you found him.“
Lapy chuckled. “I wasn’t planning to stay anyway.“ he commented, earning a surprised look from the unicorn. “I assume you’re miss Rarity?“
“You can ta... I am terrible sorry, i didn’t realize that you where...“ she replied, clearly embarrassed.
“Not a problem.“ He offered her a claw. “You can call me Lapy.“
The mare unsurely shook it. “I am Rarity.“ She looked over him. “What brings you here? I have never seen someone like you before.“
“The Crusaders invited me over, after i helped them fix they’re broken scooter.“
“You dit?“ Sweetie Belle nodded. “That’s very friendly of you darling. Where are my manners? Come in.“ she said, inviting him in, what Lapy greatly accepted.
A bit later they where sitting at the table with a some cake and tee. While Rarity was sipping at hers, Lapy hadn’t touched anything yet.
“Do you not like apple pie?“ Rarity finally asked.
“I don’t feed on pie or tee. My system can’t process them.“
“So you’re a carnivore?“
“No, i don’t eat at all.“
“That’s ridiculous. Everycreature has to eat.“
“I am not a creature, i’m a bot. Bots don’t even have a digestive system.“
“But how could you live without one?“
“Well technically i’m not alive.“
Rarity looked at him with surprise and horror. “But if you’re not alive, then you’re... death?“ She fainted on a couch that came from... somewhere.
“I get the smelling salts.“ Sweetie Belle said with a sight.
“So you’re a sentient machine?“ Rarity asked in disbelief.
Lapy nodded.
“But how-“ She didn’t get further as the door of the boutique flew open.
“I know that you are here somewhere mysterious newcomer.“ a familiar voice said. “You can’t hide from my Pinky sense.“
A bit later a pink pony was standing in front of Lapy.
“Uuuh, what are you, i haven’t seen anyone like you before. A robot? A walking radio? A robot that is a walking radio? “
Lapy chuckled, not startled, as quick reaction was important in the devasted lands. “No, i’m only a robot. Who do i have the pleasure of meeting?“
“I’m Pinkie Pie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.“
“Pinkie!“ Rarity scolded, finally having recovered from the shock when the party pony had her entrance. “That was quite a rude interruption from you. Me and Lapy have been talking just now.“
“His name is Lapy? That’s great, now i can hold him a “Welcome to Ponyville“ party.“ she replied, bouncing out of the door. “I need to prepare, see you later.“ Was heard, before she was gone again.
“That Pinkie Pie is an interesting individual.“
“You’re putting it lightly.“ Rarity sighted.
After that incident Rarity decided to introduce Lapy to her friends, the Crusaders following close behind.
“I never seen a building this impressive.“ Lapy nodded, with a look at Twilight‘s castle. “I can’t identify the material, and the architecture is unknown to me. It’s almost as if it’s made by magic.“
They entered the castle, the guards giving Lapy curious looks, but finally shrugged it off as another saturday.
Soon they arrived in a room holding a big map with six chairs around it. Five mares turned towards them when they entered. Lapy recognized Applejack and Pinkie, but the rest was unknown to him.
“So you’re Lapy?“ a purple unicorn with both horn and wings greeted him. “It’s nice to finally meet you, i’m Twilight Sparkle, princess of friendship, and that are Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. You already know Applejack and Pinkie Pie.“
“Affirmative, that’s me.“
“Where do you come from?“ Twilight asked curiously.
“I’m from the...“ WHAM!
Everyone whirled around, looking at a guard who had slammed open the door.
“An unknown monster is attacking the market place.“ he said, a panicked look on his face. “We tried stopping it, but injuries caused by our spears seemed to only anger it.“
The mane six looked at each other. “You think it’s back?“ Fluttershy nervously asked.
“Sounds like he is.“ Rainbow Dash replied. “And this time he-AAK!“
“Easy sugarcube, you’re still recovering from the last fight.“ Applejack said, hurrying towards her friend. “I suggest you stay here.“
“No way, he still owns me a rematch.“ she complained.
“Sorry Rainbow Dash, but i have to agree with Applejack here. You’re to hurt to fight off a monster.“ Twilight replied. “Fluttershy, can you take care of Rainbow?“
A few minutes and a handful of Rainbow Dash‘s complaints later the mane six minus Fluttershy and Rainbow arrived together with Lapy on the market place.
They quickly realized that they where not dealing with the same creature that they where fighting last time, although it had a similar body structure. It’s body was brown instead of yellow, and was bulkier in general. It’s teath where visible, sticking out of its disfigured mouth and it carried no weapons. Instead it used it’s fists to destroy everything that came in it’s path.
“A ghoul.“ Lapy realized gaining the attention of mares that accompanied him.
“You know what that is?“ Twilight asked in surprise.
“Affirmative. That creature is called a ghoul and comes from my home world. They’re mutated by radioactivity and run purely on instincts. Highly dangerous so be careful.“
“Have you tried taking to it?“ Fluttershy suggested.
“That won’t work. They’ve lost their intelligence and...“ he paused, realizing in horror that the ghoul had noticed them. Then it charged.
Lapy quickly got in between it and his friends, taking the charge head on.
An ugly *crunch* was heard as Lapy‘s armor bend under the punishment. The ghoul gave him a punch to the head, but he didn’t stumble back, catching the other arm as it swingend again, and cutting of its hand with his claw, that had taken the form of cutting pliers.
The ghoul growled in anger, biting in Lapy‘s arm, causing electricity to spark.
Now Lapy did stumble back, looking at the damaged arm.
“Busted. No way that’s still operational...“ he realized, inspecting the damaged arm.
The ghoul charged again, and Lapy quickly turned his arm in to a drill holding it in front of him. The ghoul ran straight in to it and let out a loud shriek as green blood flew trough the air, iron cutting trough flesh like butter.
Then came silence.
Lapy looked up and noticed the death ghoul hanging on his arm, the drill deep inside it’s body. He quickly shook it of and the ghoul slowly dissolved, having lost it’s extreme regeneration with it’s life, and the radiation finally took hold of him, turning it in to a puddle.
The second thing Lapy noticed was the shocked look of his friends.
“Are you ok?“ Fluttershy finally asked, looking at his damaged arm.
“Not really, but i can wix it once i’m home.“
That snapped the others out of their trance.
“Did you just kill it?“ Twilight asked.
“I had to, or it would have killed us...“
“That’s understandable... i think...“
“Someone should take care of your arm.“ Rarity noted.
“I will return to my home to deal with that.“
There was an awkward silence.
“Bye i guess.“
“Bye.“ The LapaBot slowly walked away until he disappeared in the Everfree Forest.
“And that’s what happened.“ Lapy finished his explanation towards Charlie.
“That’s not good.“ Charlie realized. “The creatures of this world are easily dealt with, but if ghouls have followed us we might not be as safe as i originally thought...“
“So what will you do?“
Charlie walked towards the research bench, pulling up the blueprint of the HAL Bot.
“Let’s just say that you’re about to get a brother.“