I heard the laughter slow as I rounded the corner to see the inside of my house. I opened the door to see the walls being put into place. It had the maze-like feel of my ship, with a nice red and black color scheme. There wasn’t any furniture, but I could live without for a while. I saw Mech walking out as the last wall glowed and melded with the rest of the house. “Well mister Marx, Ah figure that that’s about it. Now, Ah ain’t got no furniture fer yah, but ah know a filly who’ll set yah up with the materials tah make yer own.”
I almost laughed at the good-naturedness of the pony. “Well then mister Mech, I feel I must thank you. Without you, I feel I would still be sleeping in my ship.” I looked at him as an equal until the door exploded, that diverted my attention rather well. The crusaders were there, outfitted with water guns and, somehow, a catapult.
Scootaloo walked forward switching between me and Mech equally. “Mr.Marx, I believe you splattered me and my friends with paint, no?” I knew where this was going. I jumped forward, patting scootaloo’s head as I grabbed her water gun. When I finished my roll I turned around the catapult and bolted out the door.
The chaos I caused lasted a little over six seconds before Applebloom rallied the troops. “He’s gettin’ away!” I smirked. These foals provided good sport. I started a light jog across Ponyville, dodging water the entire time.
After an hour I found a white flag posted by the sweet shop. I slowed and noticed a distinct lack of water being thrown at me. Being the logical thinker I am, I decided to go into the possibly booby trapped sweet shop. “Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner and- MARXIE.” I prayed to the Emperor for salvation, the pink pony of death approaches. “Wow Marxie, the crusaders said you’d be here soon, but I thought they were kidding. Since you’re here though, you need a cupcake.” The next half-hour is a blur of cupcakes, the crusaders trying to play tag, and a toothless alligator trying to ravage my armor.
I stood up and started trying to communicate with Pinkie Pie. “Well ma’am, thank you for your time, but I should see if Mech is nearby, he said he could find a pony to set me up with some furniture building materials.”
Pinkie stopped in mid-air. “You mean Mech as in, coolio construction pony Mech? OHMYGOSH, I still owe him cupcakes since I couldn’t get it to him when his little filly got sick a while ago. I should bake him a super-special batch.” With that simple phrase, I was yet again lost in a blur, now of cupcakes baking, and after a few minutes, a very confused Mech.
I stopped the whirlwind of movement with a well-timed gauntlet put in front of Pinkie Pie. “Ms. Pie, I wish to have a word with Mr. Mech, if you don’t mind.”
Pinkie vaulted over my hand and put a cupcake there. My hand had been sideways, and she had put a cupcake in my palm. I didn’t question it as the little scientist in me slowly killed himself. Pinkie jumped over my gauntlet again and ate the cupcake. “Sure thing Marxie, you were kinda in the way anyways.” The crusaders all tried passing along supplies to help bake the cupcakes.
I motioned for Mech to follow and walked outside, within seconds he was outside. “well then mistuh Marx, watcha need?”
I almost took off my helmet, them I remembered the anomaly in the building beside me. I tried to subtly get an armor diagnostic done while answering. “You said I could get some supplies to build furniture from someone. i was wondering if you could point me in their direction? I wouldn’t mind having a spare bed and such for any unforeseen circumstances.” i avoided mentioning my impromptu kidnapping of a homeless filly.
“Well friend, I think we can reach an agreement. Now I like you sir, but if I go home with nothing, I’d be out, so how’s about this? You owe me a favor, not something bad, just like a way to say you’ll help me build a house again if I need a hand.”
I was surprised to say the least. Favors were a solid currency to the honest, and this man gave one to a near-total stranger. I nodded, “Yes, I find that to be more than fair. In fact, I was going to ask if you needed another worker, I seem to be at a disadvantage for funds.” In hopelessly shrugged my shoulders as I talked. A small beep finished my armor diagnostic, I could live through some more ancient nuclear weapons. I was still scared for my life.
“In that case, why didn’t yah say so. Yah ain’t opposed tah work, so I’d love another worker.” He stuck out a hoof. I took it as an old Tera greeting and shuck it. I’ll run back this way if I get a building order, but I gotta roll. By the way, ask a Ms.Fluttershy for some lumber and an axe. She keeps track of where the forest needs some trimming.”
He ran off, disappearing into the night. Not a minute later Pinkie Pie came out, olding at least two hundred cupcakes. “Oh buddy, he ran off again. Not this time.” With those words Pinkie gave chase. I uttered a prayer for Mech and went to check on the crusaders.
They were inside still, though awake is a different matter. They were all three asleep on the floor of the shop. i figured letting them sleep offered no problems. I walked out again with my helmet telling me it was around twelve o’clock. I thought of visiting Fluttershy, but I had no idea who that was, I ran off towards the library, thinking Twilight might know her.
The library was locked, it foiled my plans expertly. I sat there for a while until my expert discipline cracked under knowing I was doing something without a use. I stood up and heard a small ‘eep’ behind me. I twirled around, perfectly transitioning from relaxed to defensive. I threw my hands up in time to see a small mare in the air. She had wings, like Rainbow Dash. That was where the similarities end. This pony was to scared to speak, let alone answer any questions. Luckily I had been the marine-citizen liaison, and had learned a few calming techniques. “may the Emperor guard your night and brighten your day sister.”
This ushered in a confused squeak with a flapping of wings. I remembered just how far from home I was. A sad, short, thought, but one I let linger. I took off my helmet, maybe that was a sign of trust here. “Ma’am, forgive me. I’m very far from home. I have a few questions. If you don’t mind.” This calmed her down from ‘scared as an eldar at a Slaaneshi party’ to ‘scared as a space marine at a Slaaneshi party’, both are scared, but space marines have security in their souls not being eaten. “If you need me to ma’am, I’ll just keep waiting right here for the librarian.”
The mare squeaked again before flying off. I noted a hint of urgency, but shrugged it off. I was a giant metal man in a world of tiny pony-xenos, I should expect some fear. I sat down and waited until I heard a galloping ponies heading for me. I stood, dusted off my armor, and waited.
I saw Twilight running up with the yellow mare. She got to the library and between me and Fluttershy. “One sec Marx, Fluttershy, is this the thing that scared you?”
I stalled my questions, the yellow mare, who I now identified as Fluttershy, was still scared. “Umm, uh, yes. He’s so big, and umm metal, and scary.” I almost laughed. It was a fitting description, but she was the first to bring it to light.
Twilight looked at me as if it was the first time she saw me. “I... I guess he is,... but he’s also really nice. I’ll vouch for him.”
This appeared to ease Fluttershy, if only by the smallest margin. “I-if you say so Twi. I’ll go back to my cottage now.”
This is where I intervened. “Actually Ms.Fluttershy, if you wouldn’t mind, I was looking for your help with something.” That went almost as badly as expected. She slowly turned to face me, opened her mouth, and turned around. She flew away as soon as I she finished turning around. I looked between her shrinking dot, and Twilight.
In Twilight’s defense, she only took a short period of time to laugh. “Sorry Marx, sorry, but watching you try to talk to Fluttershy is hilarious. I assume you needed something before she ran off?”
I smirked before putting my helmet back on. “I needed to know where I could borrow an axe, and cut down a few trees. I was told that she could help me.”
I looked at Twilight as she nodded. “Yeah, she’s good at telling where the tree’s need to be cut. I could get a few books on the matter, but I tend to get a bit... overzealous.”
A small chuckle escaped my lips as I heard her word choice. “Yes well, I still need to know where to get some supplies. I believe house furnishings are in order for the small resident who appears to be an orphan.”
Twilight took a double take. “A-an orphan. No, no, no. I would have noticed if Scootaloo was an orphan. She was always too brash, too smart, too nice, to be an orphan. Her parents must just live far away from here or something, I don’t know. I need to get a list of everypony in town and find her parents if I hurry I can do it be-”
I waved a gauntlet in front of Twilight. She stopped her rant mid-sentence to look at it. “Twilight, I will provide Scootaloo with a home. If I may make a suggestion, why not ask the princess about Scootaloo? Surely she’d know.”
Twilight yielded my point. “Ok then Marx. You keep an eye on that silly filly, alright? I’ll send a letter to Celestia as soon as I can. In the meantime, go to a cottage on the edge of the forest. It’s near your ship. When you get there, knock on the door, and... try not to be too scary.
I nodded and turned away, starting a run in the direction of my ship. The cottage was right on the edge of a massive forest, with a large amount of animals living around it. I walked up to the door and very calmly knocked on the door. I knocked it off it’s hinges. I heard an extremely scared ‘eep’ from the second story. “I’m so sorry Ms.Fluttershy. I appear to have broken your door. If you would be so kind as to tell me where I could acquire some lumber, I would rebuild it for you.”
The rebuttal was a yellow and pink head peeking out from behind a couch. “You would? It’s hard to rebuild a door. I would love it, uh, that is, if you don’t mind.”
“I surely don’t mind Ms.Fluttershy, though, I would need an axe, and know where the forest needs a trimming.”
Fluttershy almost looked like she was happy. She still eyed me like a rabbit eyes a wolf, but you know, small steps. “Well, I could show, but... ummm it’s kind of a long walk. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes darted to the floor as she kicked the ground aimlessly. I took my helmet back off and locked it to my waist. “Ms.Fluttershy I assure you, a long walk for you is average for me, and that’s at best.
“Um, if you say so. What’s your name again? All I remember when you talked to me was something about an Emperor.” She looked back up at me at this point.
“Yes ma’am. I am Crucius Marx, of the Emperor’s Blood Raven’s. As for the Emperor, he is my ruler, and as far away as he is, he will protect me. He is no god, but he’s as close as he can get.” I felt a sense of foreboding in those words, but I ignored it.
Fluttershy simply ignored it and looked to a rabbit on the couch. “Now Angel, keep an eye on the other animals while I’m gone, ok? I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Fluttershy looked back at me. “If you don’t mind, you can follow me there. If that’s ok.” I turned out of her still broken doorway and allowed her out.
I grabbed an axe out of a nearby stump. It was a human axe. It was then that a certain prince returned to my head. “Odd isn’t it. How all these ponies have a few human tools.”
I grimaced in my helmet. “Discord.”
Discord started singing. “I know something you don’t I know something you don’t. Let Tzeentch be praised for the gift of knowledge.”
I started to really want to kill him. “Discord, if there’s something I need to know, tell me ot get out of my head.”
He laughed, it was infernal. “Oh, this is a joy. I’ll leave, but try and do some research, look for the ‘before race’.” With that he left my head. I knew I would have to think about that later, but I shouldered the axe and ignored it. I had work to do, and ponies to try and get to stop fearing me.