Twilight had gotten used to ponies staring at her whenever she took public transportation, but generally while those rides where filled with admires and friendly folk, this time most of the ponies stayed as far away from her and her guest as they could. Robocop did not seem to mind though, although Twilight had started to realize that he his expression never changed no matter what happened around him so he might.
"You seem to get quite the reactions," Twilight nervously chuckled, trying to break the ice with the officer.
"It is an expected response to one such as myself," Robocop emotionlessly said, causing Twilight to sigh slightly as he turned to face some of the terrified faces, scanning them for future reference if needed. "I assume this is their first time meeting a being such as myself?"
"You'd be right there, although I've met some humans myself...but none of them looked like you," Twilight muttered as she began to observe him again. Her eyes eventually made their way up to his helmet, where she seemed to be trying to peer into his visor. "You know you can take your helmet off right? I'd like to see your face, if you don't mind."
"I cannot remove my head protection without the aid of certain tools," Robocop robotically replied, Twilight frowning as she looked at his arms and legs.
"Is that the same for the rest of your armor?"
"Correct."
Twilight huffed as she tilted her head, having no idea what to say to the human. She looked out the window to see black thunderclouds resting over the landscape, giving her an idea. "Oh, looks like we're going to have a storm soon. Do you like thunderstorms?"
"They have nothing to do with my directives."
"Jeez, you're a bigger stick in the mud than me," Twilight muttered under her breath.
"Food or drinks?" a waitress asked as she pulled a cart by the two of them, smiling at Princess Twilight before giving Robocop a long look.
"A sandwich and some water for me, thanks," Twilight said as she pulled out some bits before looking over at Robocop. "You want anything?"
"I am not hungry. Thank you." Twilight shrugged as she paid the pony, levitating the sandwich and the drink in front of her as the waitress walked off with the cart. All the while Twilight ate Robocop's scanners were glued to her horn and the energy coming from it, slightly frowning as he watched how Twilight manipulated the sandwich and drink almost as if she was levitating them. "I believe that back in the city you called that energy...a spell? Were you implying that you were using magic?" he asked her once she had finished eating.
"Yeah, it's magic...oh, right, humans generally don't have magic," Twilight reminded herself as she placed her cup to the side and wiped her face with a napkin, although Robocop noticed that she had splotches of food on her face still. "Yes, it is magic. All unicorns can use magic." Unbeknownst to Twilight, Robocop was opening a new data entry for equestrian magic within his hard drive.
"Please explain to me how magic can or will be used," Robocop asked, Twilight giving him a look. "If I am to be facing off against criminals wielding...magic, then knowing how it works would be beneficial in apprehending them."
"Um, you're not going to be apprehending anypony," Twilight said with a chuckle, but it died out when Robocop's face didn't change. "Look, you might have been a guard...officer back on your world, but here you're more of a..."
"Experiment. Something to be watched." Twilight was almost certain that she had heard a hint of rage in his monotone voice for a moment, but since it hardly sounded any different she couldn't be sure. Since she didn't understand his full abilities though, she decided to play it safe.
"Fine, if you really want to know, a unicorn's magic comes from their horns," she explained as she looked up at her horn. Robocop remembered how one of the criminal’s energy...magic barrier fell when he shot the horn on its head, confirming her story. "With magic, unicorns can do a number of things, be it levitation, magic bursts, transfiguration and many other things."
"So unicorns are essentially unstoppable?" Robocop asked, about to raise unicorn's position on the threat level when Twilight shook her head.
"Not really, a unicorn's magic is tied to their skill and inner power," Twilight explained as she created a magical chart in front of Robocop, giving him a visual aid. "The more a unicorn practices, the more skilled they become and the greater magic they can use. But another factor that really decides a unicorn’s power is their cutie mark. That's-"
"The mark that is on your flank," Robocop cut her off, Twilight looking at him in surprise before nodding.
"Er, correct. A cutie mark is tied to a pony’s destiny, telling them who or what they're going to be," Twilight explained as she moved a bit to the side so Robocop could get a better look at the mark. "Take mine for example. Mine is the mark of magic, meaning that my destiny is to be skilled with magic. Because of this, I can use magic that no other unicorn can use. Not to mention that I'm also an alicorn and that gives me a huge magic boost."
"There are others like yourself?"
"Yup, three others. Princess Celestia, my teacher, Princess Luna, her sister and Princess Cadence, my sister in law," Twilight explained, creating magical images of them that Robocop recorded in his memory banks. "And they're all on my level of power, magically at least."
Robocop nodded as he closed the file on magic. "Thank you for this information. I am certain that it will be beneficial the next time I subdue and arrest a unicorn. Next I would like information on pegasi."
"You have trouble listening, don't you?" Twilight asked with a thin smile. "You're not an officer here. I can't have you go around arresting ponies without you being...approved by the princesses. If they do so, knock yourself out. But until then, you're just my guest. Nothing more." The long silence that followed her words made Twilight slightly nervous, as she feared that she might have offended him.
"What you are asking of me is to go against my directives, my code," Robocop eventually said to her in a much quieter tone that she had heard from him yet. "Therefor I must clarify what you are asking of me. Are you asking me to abandon the innocent when they need me, to let criminals to go free and to allow the public to suffer?"
"W-well, when you put it that way..." Twilight muttered as she placed her hooves to her head. 'That's not really the way I wanted him to take that. I just don't want the public being upset with the princesses if we do allow Robocop to continue to enforce the...his law. Actually, I wonder what he considers the law in his world.' "That's actually something I wanted to ask you, are you sure you're law is the same as ours? What do you consider to be...justice?"
"Are you asking for my directives?" Robocop asked, bringing his directives on screen when she nodded. "Directives: Serve the public trust. Uphold the law. Protect the innocent."
Twilight had to take a moment to process what he had said, but more importantly the way he had said it. 'His directives are actually...kinda like the ones we instruct the guards to carry out. But the way he said it...doesn't sound right. He almost says his directives the way our computers talk. It's...odd.' "Look, I'm grateful for what you did in Manehatten, but..." A loud whistle snapped her out of her thoughts and she stuck her head out the window to see the train pulling into the Ponyville Station.
"We're going to have to finish this conversation later, because we're here!" Twilight yelled out the window with a laugh as she brought her head back inside. She grabbed her luggage from under her seat as the train came to a stop at the station, smiling as she heard what sounded like a friend of hers waiting for her. "Come on Robocop; let me introduce you to my friends."
She skipped down the train towards the exit, Robocop slowly following her out of the train. Waiting outside of the train on the station stood three ponies with three fillies and a dragon, all of whom were waiting for their friend to exit off the train. Some were better at waiting than others.
"Where is she?!" Pinkie screamed to the sky as she hopped in place. Applejack and Rarity giggled at Pinkie's antics while Spike pretended he didn't know her.
"Ah calm down Pinkie, ah'm sure Twi will be out any moment," Applejack said with a chuckle.
"I hope it's soon, because I need to practice my spells again!" Sweetie exclaimed with a smile.
"Yeah, she's been gone nearly a week. We need to start practicing if we hope to get our cutie marks soon," Scootaloo said while balancing on her scooter.
"Patience dear sister. Can you at least try to act like a lady?" Rarity asked Sweetie Belle, who was watching butterflies overhead. Pinkie let out a shriek as Twilight stepped off of the train and was immediately tackled by the pink pony, who proceeded to squeeze the life out of Twilight.
"Welcome back Twilight! I've already planned you a welcome back party!" Pinkie exclaimed as Twilight fought for breath, having to use her magic to allow herself to breath.
"It's good to see you again, my friends," Twilight wheezed once she pried Pinkie off of her with her magic. The CMC and Spike tackle hugged her as well, all of them laughing at having her back. Rarity stepped forward to ask Twilight a question when her voice was stopped by a heavy, metallic footstep. She looked past Twilight to the train door and her eyes shrunk. The other ponies followed her gaze to see Robocop step off of the train and scan all of them.
"A monster!" Rarity shrieked, but before she could continue screaming Twilight clamped her mouth shut with magic.
"Whoa there everypony, hold on a moment!" Twilight said as she placed herself between her friends and Robocop, not wanting a fight to break out. "It's okay, he's with me."
"Twi, what have ya brought home with ya this time?" AJ asked with a shake of her head before she began to look over the robotic officer.
"This, Applejack, is Robocop. Robocop, these are my friends-"
"Applejack. Pinkie. Unknown," Robocop said as he looked over them, stopping when he reached the fillies. Twilight opened her mouth to explain who the others were when Pinkie ran up to Robocop and pressed her face against his visor.
"Hi there new friend!" she squealed happily. "Welcome to Ponyville!"
"Please back away or you will be met with force," Robocop warned her, getting a look of concern from all of the ponies except for Pinkie, who giggled as she backed up.
"You talk funny," she said with a laugh. "That's right, you're new here! I've got to go throw you a party too! Twilight, I promise that I’ll throw you your welcome back party some other time, but right now our new friend needs a welcome to Ponyville party! BYE!"
In Robocop's sensors, the pink pony was there and then she was gone, causing him to look around in confusion for her which got a chuckle out of Twilight. "Trust me Robocop; you're better off not looking. But as I was saying, this is Rarity, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and my little assistant Spike," Twilight introduced them, each of them waving or bowing as their name was mentioned. "Come on, let's head back to my...sigh, my castle and continue our talk. Come on Spike."
Twilight picked up Spike and walked off towards the castle on the horizon, Robocop following after her with the rest of the group behind him. Twilight spoke to him as he walked, but Robocop's attention was completely focused on the ponies in the small town, recording their movements and actions as they saw the metal man for the first time. He observed a lot of horror, a lot of fear. That didn't bother him. If they were afraid, they may be less likely to commit crimes. He also saw interest and intrigue. That was also to be expected.
"So what ya exactly?" Robocop diverted his attention from the town to the small, yellow pony in front of him. She had a red bow, but what gained Robocop's full attention was her eyes, eyes filled not with fear, but with wonder.
"I am designation Robocop, officer of the law," he responded formally, yet the curiosity in her eyes only grew.
"Wait, so you're a guard?" Robocop turned his head to see Sweetie Belle beside him now, giving him a questioning glance in contrast to Applebloom's curious one. "Well, I guess you are armored enough to be one, but can you use magic or fly?"
"I am incapable of "magic" nor can I fly on my own accord. I do not need them to fight crime."
"That is so cool!" Assuming the last speaker was Scootaloo, Robocop looked down to confirm his thought. "I mean your job must be awesome! Fighting crime, locking up the bad guys. Man, in comparison to that high octane life what do you do for time off?"
"I do not take "time off". I am on duty twenty four seven." Scootaloo's eyes grew wider at the remark, but before she could speak AJ cut in with a chuckle.
"It's no wonder Twi took ya in so quickly. She has a certain affinity fer guards." Robocop turned to face Twilight when his scanners detected her temperature increasing, but she cleared her throat and turned to face them all with a regal, and slightly red, face.
"Alright everypony, we're here," she said as she raised both her wings, pointing them up at the building behind her. Robocop followed her wings, looking up at a massive castle that towered over the rest of the town. His sensors couldn't determine what it was made of nor how such an unbalanced castle could stand, but despite that it impressed him a bit.
"Welcome to the palace of friendship. Now let's go inside."