Tempo walked down the road with her husband at her side. The buildings seemed altered, despite being exactly as tall as they'd been before. The way the street led down a winding route rather than a straight line was no different, but somehow it was far more satisfying. It wasn't that they had taken the longest route, but they had taken their time. "The city feels different in ways I struggle to define." She leaned against Blueblood. "Do you share this?"
Blueblood caressed her mane. "I suppose that is one way of putting it." He exhaled softly, letting the steam puff out from his nose. "We were just barely on the edge of adulthood when we left here. We have seen much of Equestria and its citizens, as well as tasted life on our own. Our concerns and fears were different than they are now." He glanced towards the shops, all displaying signs with incredible prices, or so they all claimed. "Would you care for a treat, my dear? You certainly deserve one."
Tempo considered that a moment before nodding. "Perhaps something small?" She perked up, seeing a stallion trotting along in a rather fine suit. The pony didn't quite move like most of the others on the street. He didn't bounce and trot around. He was more precise and controlled in his movements. The reason for this was made clear when he reached into a pocket, pulling out a mirror to check his teeth, hair, and making sure his face was clean.
Blueblood noticed where her eyes had roamed, though confusion came over his face. "Does he catch your fancy, dear?"
Tempo jumped, startled, at his words. "You are my only, but something about him feels—" She paused with consideration. "Familiar?" She wiggled her ears as she followed the stallion with her eyes, letting her gaze roam all over him. She had to admit, he looked very nice. He moved like a machine, like a golem like herself, like an automaton. "It can't be, but, thinking about it, this shouldn't be impossible. If they made me, why couldn't they make another of me?"
Blueblood urged her to follow him up to the stallion. "Excuse me, but may we ask you a few questions?"
The stallion looked down his snout at them. "I suppose, yes."
Tempo forced a smile despite her internal misgivings. "I apologize if this sounds rude, but please confirm for me, are you a doll, like me?"
The stallion's face shifted to one of surprise. "I am. It has been some time since I was last in Canterlot, is everything alright?" He moved a hoof up to rub his chin. "I do remember you. You look exactly like that filly, and your face is the same as hers. Whoever made you must have had quite the skill to be able to make you match so well."
Tempo's eyes widened with shock. "You remember me?! From where?" She could feel her whole body tensing, as if she wasn't sure to run towards or away from that new doll she'd found. "Wait." It clicked. "The only way you could know is if you were made by the same people." She shrank back a step. "Are you made by those looney cultists?"
The stallion chuckled softly. "That is how I knew you, you're that filly that always stared at me." He tilted his head. "Those looney cultists? Yes, they were quite enthusiastic about their creations." He reached into his suit, pulling out a white rectangle.
Tempo blinked softly. "You don't sound that loyal to them. What's going on?!"
The stallion leaned in. "They both succeeded, and failed, spectacularly." He offered that rectangle towards her. "Here. You should have this. I'm to give one to any lost-looking doll I happen to run into, and you qualify."
Tempo glanced at Blueblood before reaching to take the offered object. She looked it over, noticing how it was covered in tiny little buttons on its face. "How does this work?"
The stallion tilted his head back. "Hold it up in front of your face, and the sense will come. It's written in a language only our insides understand. As a positive, it makes for quite the secret language for us dolls. The cultists thought they were creating a future, and they were, but one without them in it." He tapped the rectangle with a hoof. "This is the path towards that. If you're anything like me, you want to find out more." He bowed his head. "Perhaps I shall see you at the end of this?"
"I'd like that?" Tempo sagged against Blueblood as the doll wandered off on their own business. Why wouldn't a doll have their own things to do? She let out a strained laugh. "Today has become complicated. But not in an entirely bad way." She let out a nervous huff. "How is it you make me feel this way? You know how to take my worries and make them calm."
Blueblood touched his nose to hers. "Because I love you, dear." And that was all she needed, gently rubbing noses and just being quiet a moment.
Tempo smiled as she sat back. "Better, thank you." She lifted the letter with no letters into her view and stared at it. She followed the bumps and the grooves with her eyes until some deeper part of her captured the patterns and it started to make sense. "Oh! It has an address. It says to come to it to join the other golems." She squinted a bit as she turned the rectangle around, trying to find any kind of signage on it that might give away where it was from. "It just says come to the west." She pointed. "Which is where I suppose the address is."
Blueblood looked down the road Tempo was pointing along. "Well, dear, we can march there directly, or." He pointed back the way they came. "We could inform Auntie about it. Whichever you'd prefer, you know you have me at your side."
Tempo reached to rub her chin as she pondered. "This has been a rather exciting day, and I'm not sure how much more excitement I need." She held up the letter. "But it would be remiss of us not to go and investigate." She stepped from hoof to hoof, considering it. "Let's not be foalish. We'll inform Auntie where we're going, then we can go."
Blueblood bowed his head. "For whatever you decide, dear." He rubbed his snout against her cheek. "I will be here for you."
Tempo lead the way back towards the castle with a smile on her face, taking in the city around her with new eyes. "This promises to be exciting either way. If they are free of the cult, which it sounds like they are, meeting friends who are like me will be quite an experience."
Blueblood matched her pace easily. "If they've escaped from the cult, that will be wonderful." He let out a heavy sigh. "I fear you may be right about your people."
"In what way?" She nodded as they passed the guards outside the castle. They already knew she and Blueblood were allowed to go in. It was a well-trod path for the two of them, given that Blueblood had always lived there and Tempo had been taken in by Celestia for her own protection.
Tempo and Blueblood made swift work through the hallways to find Celestia in her courtroom, greeting some grubby-looking pony with a very long beard. The mane trailed down all the way to the ground, where it was divided into thick braids. It didn't stop there, however, as the bearded fellow also had several braids dangling off his beard.
Tempo moved to the side and settled to wait her turn to speak to Celestia.
The bearded pony, thankfully, was nearly done, and stepped out with a satisfied-enough expression. Celestia waved Tempo forward. "You two are back, and look like you have news?"
Tempo lifted the letter with her mouth. "It's like I said before, Auntie, my kind are likely made by that cult." She paused, glancing at Blueblood. "Is this because of what you were talking about before?"
Celestia inclined her head. "I didn't expect you to run into them this swiftly." Her horn glowed as she gently took the letter. "But, yes. There have been sightings of a fair few dolls in the city, enough for it to be more than a coincidence. You are uniquely qualified to discern their motives, and suggest a course of action." She flipped an ear back. "Have you made any discoveries with this letter?"
Tempo tapped her chin. "I did." She looked towards the door. "One of them gave it to me. It has an address and an invitation to visit them." She considered a moment. "I plan to go there after this, but thought it'd be best to inform you first, Auntie."
Celestia smiled at that. "A wise decision. We need to know what this group's motives are before we act further." She dropped the letter back into Tempo's mouth. "You may return to your day. If you would like a guard with you, take them, or do not. I trust in your judgement on this." She placed a hoof over her chest. "Have fun, and make friends."
Tempo bowed her head deeply. "I will do so, Auntie." She turned for the door with Blueblood following close behind her. "Thank you."
"Whatever for?" Blueblood sped up to be at her side.
"For coming with me." She closed at his side, walking with their sides touching. "We enter a den of automatons. You will stand out, and may feel alone. That is brave of you."
"Only as brave as you are every day." He nestled against her, but didn't slow his march. "Perhaps I can understand a touch of what you live, my dear. Come, let us meet your kin." He pecked her on the cheek as they walked, side by side, the entire way. Neither was to know what lay before them, but they knew they would do it together.
Tempo's eyes wandered over the city as they marched through it. "It happened again. The city has transformed, knowing there are others like me, wandering it, living." She hummed with thought. "I hope that is a good thing."
"If they are at all like you, I would say it's an excellent thing, my dear." He chuckled, still pressed to her. "I have it on good authority that they tend to be quite nice ponies to be around." He licked his lips, but let out a small laugh. "Perhaps nicer than the norm. Not everyone can match your amazing demeanor."
Tempo glanced to him with one eye. "You're so kind to me, and I feel so lucky to have you at my side." She nuzzled against him as they strolled through the streets. "There's no other pony I would want there."
Both confident, they walked in companionable silence towards that address. It led them off the main road, towards narrower alleyways were the more wealthy would have no business walking. It wasn't exactly a slum, but it was still run-down and dirty in a way that the rest of Canterlot tended not to be. Tempo peered at the door they arrived at. It had no signs or clear markings of what it was for, just a door in the wall. It could have been somepony's back exit, a fire escape and little more. "This is it."
"It does look a little unassuming." Blueblood tapped a hoof against the ground. "The number matches the address." He lowered his head. "Should we go in?"