Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend - Albert Camus
-----
The room stood in an unbearable silence as I thought that I may have taken the introduction a little bit too far due to my aggressiveness. After my ‘presentation’ I felt my anger die down upon seeing a bright ‘W’ on my forehead from the clear floor, the letter slowly disappeared as I noticed something more alarming, my appearance had changed dramatically as I looked like my old self from some of the early memories that were left in my mind, although some memories were beginning to return though and besides…I had more important things to worry about.
‘But…was that W the reason why I was so angry? Does it amplify my emotions? No…I felt different…like I wasn’t myself…and I feel stronger than usual-,‘ Suddenly, I started to feel a sharp pain in my head as the world around me started to shift into something else entirely. When my vision was stable I found blood…lots of it…on my hands. I looked down to find groups of reploids, all lying down…dead as there were holes in their chests and arms that were ripped off of their body, the same for the legs as I looked in horror at the carnage.
“Zero…my masterpiece…,” my heart stopped as I heard those words. “Go, destroy anyone who interferes with my plans, kill them all!” I suddenly heard the metal door behind me but I couldn't turn around, I couldn't move at all. My face suddenly turned slightly to the side to see a large green reploid with brown legs walking towards me as the world started to shift back to the throne room, the last thing I did was smile at the green reploid but it wasn't a friendly one…it was one of a maniac that looked ready to kill.
“Zero!” I shook my head as I heard someone whisper my name, I looked down at Cadence, worry plastered on her face
“A-are you okay? Why do you look different now?” I could tell that she cared about my well-being as I gave her a nod.
“Don’t worry Cadence, I’ll tell you later,” I replied, giving her a smile, she smiled back as I turned towards the main point of interest that concerned me the most right now. The princess and her royal guards didn’t seem to care about us at the moment as their heads were all facing Celestia, wondering what she would say in this situation. Celestia’s eyes were closed, obviously deep in thought.
‘Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to intimidate the ruler of a country right off the bat. Especially one that could send armies after you,’ I thought, waiting for the alicorn to respond.
“Captain Silver…you and the rest of your guard may leave us,” Celestia ordered, eyes staying on me the entire time as Silver began to fall over his own words. Even I was thinking that she would at least have the guards to keep her protected…although she is an alicorn after all.
“B-b-but your highness! That…thing could bring harm to you!” he stated, earning him a glare by me and Cadence.
“Captain I am more than capable in dealing with one creature if he decides to attack me-,”
‘Looks can be deceiving Celestia, always remember that.”
“-so it is okay for you and the rest of your squad to leave us, I’ll be fine,” Silver seemed hesitant at accepting Celestia’s order but obeyed none the less, giving the rest of the guards the sign to leave as the doors closed behind us. Celestia, Cadence and I were the only ones left in the room.
. . . .
I didn't move from my position during the silence that had enveloped the room and neither did Celestia however I wanted her to make the first move. Not a sound was made in the room and not a sound was heard outside as well, making it feel like time was standing still…although Celestia’s ethereal mane dismissed that idea. From what I could tell was happening through this long silence, she was studying me, trying to find a sort of weakness or to see if I was a friend or foe. I didn't know if she was doing either of them to be honest, perhaps trying to see how strong I was.
Celestia suddenly stood up from her throne as she began to walk towards us, her face showing no emotion whatsoever, causing me to reach for my saber (even though I didn't want to in front of Cadence) in case things started to get ugly…that is until her face morphed into a smile however Cadence didn't seem to notice it.
“A-auntie! Please don’t hurt Zero! He’s the first friend that I've made and he isn't bad or evil! Please don’t take him away!” my lips curled into a smile at the sound of her voice sounding like a child not wanting her favorite toy be taken away, then again she was just a filly. Celestia looked down at her.
“Do not worry my niece, I will not take him away in fact, I am surprised that your first friend is an unknown cre-,” I held up my hand, pausing her sentence.
“Reploid,” I answered, making Celestia give me a motherly smile as well as making me smile with her (It’s so catchable!).
“-Repliod…that we have never seen before. Now may I ask if there are more of you?” Celestia asked in a hopeful tone, said tone faded as my face dropped into a sad frown while I crossed my arms.
“I’m sorry your highness…I’m the only reploid left…at least I think so,” my sad tone caused Celestia’s ears to drop; her ears folded downwards detailing that it must mean that a pony is sad or hurt. Said detail was right.
“I-I am truly sorry for bringing that up Zero,” I put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch slightly, obviously thinking that I was mad. “Don’t worry Celestia, I’m fine,” I reassured her as she began to smile again.
“Thank you Zero but may I ask a favour?” I unfolded my arms and raised my eyebrow, letting her continue. “I was wondering if I could use my magic to identify how you work,” I closed my eyes and thought about her question, after a few seconds I decided that it was fair for her to do so.
“Yes,” Celestia’s horn started to glow a golden aura as it surrounded my body, magic at its work.
“Zero, why do you wear those heavy armour pieces all the time,” Cadence asked, Celestia listening in on the conversation.
“Well Cadence…I am supposed to wear it all the time as it is the only piece of –how would you say- clothes that I have at all, also the fact that my body is almost completely made of different types of metal,” this caused Celestia’s jaw to drop slightly as the news that Cadences first friend was a being of metal. Seconds later she stepped back, her horn glowing more fiercely than normal at her face changed to one of anger.
“Cadence, get behind me!” she shouted, causing said pony to widen her eyes.
“W-what? Aun-“
“Get away from him! There’s something evil inside him! More evil than Sombra…,” I instantly new what she was talking about as I went to explain however Cadence had a different thing on her mind.
“Auntie, Stop! Zero made his choice not to be evil!” I motioned my hand in front of Cadence, telling her to stop as she looked at me with pleading eyes.
“Don’t worry I’ll be fine, head outside the doors. I can take care of this,” I replied, seeing her in such a worried state made my heart ache but I knew what I had to say to solve this and it could either let me stay…or be hunted down. As soon as Cadence closed the doors with her magic, giving one final look, I turned back to look at Celestia.
“Celestia, I know what you found inside me but listen. What you found was not me, it was the maverick virus…my virus,” Celestia kept herself in a defensive position however her horn’s golden glow seemed to soften.
“Celestia…be truthful here…have you ever done something that you never wanted to do in your life or let something horrible happen and you know that it was your fault that caused it?” As soon as I finished my sentence I saw Celestias' legs wobble slightly as her aura disappeared completely, walking slowly over to me, her eyes looking as if they were about to cry. They did.
As soon as she was but a meter from me she wrapped her hoofs around my neck and buried her face in my chest, causing me to kneel down on one leg.
“There, there Celestia. Just let it out,” I said, wrapping my arms around her as well.
“I-I-It was all m-my f-fault! If I h-had paid more attention t-to Luna, she would n-never have had to leave!” She cried tearfully as everything came into place after those words were said. The moon looking like a pony, the sign of life coming from the moon and no one knowing who Luna was…she was on the moon.
“We all make mistakes Celestia, even if we never knew how they would affect us until it would be too late,” Celestia’s head rose from my chest as the tears stopped coming out of her eyes.
“How could you have done something worse than having to banish your own sister?” Celestia said, tone still cracked and with regret.
“Do you remember what I said about being the son of Dr. Wily?” she nodded her head, regaining her composure as well as using her magic to make her eyes look like that they never cried at all.
“When he created me, he also created a virus that could make reploids lose control and become highly violent, making them able to kill any creature that stood in its way,” Celestia’s face turned into one of disgust for the Doctor. “He put the virus inside of me and sealed me away for years and when I woke up-“
“The virus began to spread,” Celestia finished for me, her voice laced with realisation and horror. I nodded my head sadly.
“Because I was free, the virus killed so many innocent lives…all because of me,” I felt Celestia cup my cheek, making me look up and into her eyes.
“Zero, I am so sorry that you had to bear this but know one thing. It was not your fault; it was that horrible Doctor that did this.”
“Thank you…,” she smiled her motherly smile again causing me to give a small one, knowing that she was right (It’s so contagious!).
“Were you always alone Zero?” That question managed to make my smile grow.
“No Celestia I wasn’t. I had a friend that was with me the whole way from being awakened to arriving here in Equestria, his name was X,” Celestia raised an eyebrow at the name.
“X?”
“It means endless potential,” Celestia did a double take, shaking her head and looking back at me.
“E-endless…p-potential?” I nodded in confirmation. “Yes although I wouldn’t call it ‘potential that could completely destroy a world’ though, that would be a bit ridiculous as he was created to protect the world,” this made Celestia calm down, as I thought of X beating Celestia in a battle as the name King X went through my head, I inwardly laughed. “He was able to use it in dire situation where his power -or magic if you want- increases exponentially due to his worry and care towards living beings or to put it simply, he was made more complex than the rest of us except for me though.”
“Who created X? Was it that Doctor?” Celestia asked, voice turning into a slight snarl which I thought was unexpected for the princess to do as she seemed very passive in her appearance.
“No, in fact it was another Doctor by the name of Tomas Light,” I said, stating his name proudly as he had the right to be praised. Celestia gave an amused –but happy- smile at my praise. “He was a brilliant man, the best I know because if he never created X then the world would have been destroyed by the infected reploids or Mavericks as we called them,” I stood back up and turned towards the double doors, hand on the side of my mouth. “Cadence! You can come back in now!” The doors opened and Cadence ran back in giving me a hug which I gladly accepted.
“Now…I bet you two would want to know of how I got here then?” Cadence nodded her head as Celestia did the same but in a more proper manner.
“Well where to start…”