I glanced at the drawing one more time before stuffing it in the saddle bag River had supplied for us.
Today was the day. All of the ponies called in from other units were all here. Today we start the trek to 1. Nervous? No. I was terrified. River said that I would be fine, and reassured me that I can dodge attacks like no pony's business, but can I really rely on that? Is that my only defense against their guns? Broken, on the other hand, had weapons and could shoot something and hit it every time. He has a better chance than me. I turned around and saw him staring at his hoof.
"Uh.. are you okay?"
He jumped, then looked at me. "What? Oh, yes. I'm fine."
"Why were you staring at your hoof?"
"I, uh," He put his hoof back down on the bed he was sitting on. "I was just, today we are heading to one. The place were they took my body apart and put me in this metal one. I don't know if I'm ready for this."
I walked over to him, and put my hoof on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Broken."
"Are you sure?" He asked me, uncertain.
I nodded. "Yes."
Suddenly the door to our room opened and a the pony known as Boxy stepped in. "We're about to leave. Pack your things and meet us down at the communal cave." He left, leaving me and Broken there. I sighed, turning my attention mack to the metal pony sitting on the bed.
"Its time. We have to go."
"But what about the telling?"
I paused. "It is going to be fine."
It is strange how the temperature of a cave never changes. It always feels cool and nice on your coat. But here, in the communal cave, all of the ponies' body heat made it feel like you were standing directly in the sunshine on the side where it never sets. And the heat wave nearly knocked me over.
And everywhere I could see ponies checking things in saddlebags, reloading guns, sharpening knives, and even practicing fighting skills on pony manikins in one corner of the room. They looked as if they had trained for this moment their whole life, while I have only had about a week's experience in the revolution.
And all heads turned to look in our direction as we headed down the path. They all became silent. The shocked ponies parted a path for us as we tried to find River. I could feel all of their eyes on us, watching our every movement.
I remembered Ire's words, how he told us that pretty much every pony in the revolution had heard about us the minute that we joined. It was probably big news to them: Something that they have worked their whole lives for to destroy had joined ranks with them? Become their ally instead of an enemy? I'm sure that it would be big news to anypony.
And so now this must be even bigger news: A pony walking along side him. I'm sure that at least some of them have heard about me. I bet that it was Broken who made bigger headlines. But now I think that they are staring more at me than at him.
Finally, I saw River through the crowd and made my way over to her. She looked up when I got close. "Oh, hey," She said, smiling. "You ready for this?"
"No," Me and Broken said at the same time. River laughed.
"Don't worry. You are." She looked out into the crowd of ponies, some of whom had started doing what they were doing before we came in here, and sighed. She looked around, then locked eyes with a large rock platform at the corner of the room. She headed over to it, and jumped onto of it. "Hey! Listen up!" She shouted. All of the ponies turned their heads to look at her. "First off, I must say, welcome to under Unit Area 4 for those of you who are not from here." She paused for a moment before continuing on. "Now, some of you may be wondering why we gathered in four when we could have gathered in one. There is a reason for that. And that reason is that pegasus and Robot Unit right over there," She pointed to us. I felt all eyes on me again, but I refused to look away from River. "The government has sent in hundreds of troops to search for Broken, the Robot Unit. Half of the government forces are going to be gone. They will expect us to gather at Unit one anyway. But gathering where they are going to have most of their forces, they will not expect that." She paused for a moment again, letting all the attention come back to her. "And that pegasus mare was the one who made that Robot Unit a friend, and not an enemy."
I guess there is some truth behind that statement. If Broken had never met me, he could be fighting along side the other Robot Units right now, and not here with us, no matter what his feelings were.
"And today," River continued on. "Is the day that we will finally infiltrate. The day that we will fight back. The day that we will make them pay!" River pumped her hoof in the air, and the crowd cheered. "Calm down! Now, it will take us about five hours to reach Unit area one and about another two hours to get into the capitol building. I hope you all packed snacks." This got a round of laughter from the ponies. Even me. "Yes. It is good to laugh. But today is no laughing matter." She paused for a moment. I knew what was coming. What we had agreed upon yesterday. I looked down at Broken. He was staring down at the floor. I knew that he wanted to run away from what was to come just as much as I did. "Remember when I said that the government had sent out multiple troops to search for one Robot Unit? We know the reason." The crowd gasped. Finally, they were getting their answers. River took a deep breath, and let it out. "It's because of an experiment." And then she told them. As she was retelling the story, some ponies screamed, others nearly fainted, and then some just froze. I looked down at Broken. He looked so vulnerable right now. I looked at my wings. One wing had healed enough that the bandage could come off, while the other was still wounded. I covered Broken with my usable wing. He did not object.
Finally, when River was done, I looked and saw every pony trying to get a look at Broken. But he was safely hidden under my wing.
Suddenly, I panicked. Tornado must be in this crowd somewhere. What does he think about all this? Thankfully, River saved us. "Stop staring! We have to go." All attention was back on her. "But first, words of motivation... WE WILL DO THIS! THE GOVERNMENT WILL FALL AND THE REVOLUTION WILL PREVAIL!!!!" The crowd cheered, their minds off of Broken for one moment and back on the task at hand. I must thank her later. River stepped down from the ledge, and headed over to us. "You okay?" She asked Broken.
"Yes..." He mumbled from under my wing.
"Alright! Let's head out!" Ire yelled from the front of the cave that led into the tunnel that would lead us to one. And suddenly, the infiltration had officially begun.
************************
It was very stressful, letting all the ponies know what I really am. I wanted to hide under Blossom Wing's wing forever, but I can't. I have to toughen up.
We had agreed yesterday that the ponies should know why so many troops are coming. They should be informed. And plus, it would be a way to really fire them up. Although I knew something like this would happen, I also knew that it was the right thing to do.
But now all the ponies are staring at me, as if I am an alien. Though, I guess I really am one of them. I was a pony, and I probably still have some pony parts left in this metal body. Probably my brain, maybe vocal chords. I don't know. But what I do know is that I want to stick by Blossom Wing for now.
But the ponies, trying to be discrete in their whispering and staring, made it very obvious. I decided that would refuse to look at them at all.
And it was absolute silence in the tunnel besides the faint whispering. So the only sound you could really hear was the gear-grinding sound I make whenever I move. This, of course, brought only more attention to me.
Suddenly I heard two ponies beside me talking under their breath. And I heard every word that they were saying.
"Its just so... sad."
"I know. How could they do that to some pony?"
"I feel really bad for him."
"Can you imagine? Being a Robot Unit?"
"No. You can never imagine what it is like." They turned to look at me when they heard my voice. "You can never imagine what it is like," I repeated. "So stop talking about it." They looked away, biting their lips.
I wish I could shrink and run away. One or the other would be fine. I just don't want to feel their eyes on me anymore. I don't want to hear their conversations. I just want dead, complete silence. But I wasn't going to get that anytime soon.
But as we were walking, I noticed that their stares became less sympathetic, and more angry. Their little talks turned into furious chants. And I now knew why. At first, the revolution was just a way to stop the government, make them pay for what they did to families. How they treated every pony. But now that they see true cruelty, true evil, they know that the government must fall. And it is because of me.
I am now a symbol of the revolution.
**************************
We all just walked silently after the whispers were done with. Each pony just following the pony in front of them. Each one lost in their thoughts. Not really paying attention to anything. Just the voices inside their heads.
Mine was going on and on about Little Leaf and mother. Like, what would mother think if she knew I joined the revolution? What would she think if she knew that I was going to help take down the government? What would she think if she knew that I had been friends with a Robot Unit all this time?
No. Broken was a pony. Technically, I guess he still is. But what if he dies while trying to help the revolution out?
What if I die?
I know for a fact that every pony has, at least once in their lives, wished that they could drop down dead. But when actually faced with the realization that they may, in fact, die, it makes you realize how precious the world around you really is. This is your life. The only one you have. And it can be gone with one click of a gun. And then that's it. BOOM. Your dead.
You don't exist anymore.
I glanced down at Broken. Is he thinking the same thing? Is he afraid of dying? Of no longer existing? I looked around at the crowd of silent ponies. Are they afraid? Are they scared?
Because I am.
I am so afraid.
I don't want to die.
*****************************
The story River had told all of us pounded in my skull and swam around in my brain, making sure that I would never forget it. That it would haunt me forever.
Even now, traveling with the rest of the group near the back, it chants its haunting tale to me. I wish that I could crush it, leave it, but it has attached itself to me, and I am its host. It is a parasite.
And a gory image of Broken as a pony being hooked up to many different machines, and ponies with knives are cutting him open and extracting his organs for study flashed in my mind. Blood is painting the floor.
How could they do something like this? How could some pony be so cruel? How could they take some pony's entire future away, sucking out all of the potential inside of him and then throwing it away?
So then I was wrong. The story isn't a parasite, it is the government.
And how long had Blossom known? How long has she known about Broken?
He must seem better to her than me.
I am a total jerk.
Can I please die?