//------------------------------//
// Guardian Machines 
// Story: To Protect And Serve 
// by Onomonopia 
//------------------------------//

The train clattered against the tracks as it pulled itself up towards the shining city on a hill. Held within its cars were seven ponies, three mares, three fillies and one guard. Sitting next to them and being the center of attention from all on the train was Robocop, who sat silently as the ponies talked besides him.

"Come on Twilight, can't you tell us anything else?" Rarity asked, but Twilight smiled as she made a motion like she was zipping up her lips.

"Sorry Rarity, but the princesses asked me to not say anything else about the surprise," Twilight chuckled, Rarity giving her pleading eyes while the fillies talked about what the surprise might be.

"Ah bet we've got a new princess," Applebloom speculated, Twilight holding her hooves over her mouth to stifle her laughter at the thought. "Who knows, maybe she'll make Robocop an alicorn fer all the good work he's done fer us." All of the ponies began to laugh at the idea of Robocop as an alicorn and how ridicules he would look with wings and a horn.

"Well it's pointless speculation until we get there or Twilight finally caves in," Applejack said with a quick glance at Twi, who looked away with a smile. "So instead ah'll go along the route of thanking ya again Robocop. If it hadn't been fer ya..."

"Your sister and her friends are safe, that is all that matters," he metallically replied, but the fillies caught the quick flash of a smile when he looked at them. "You do not need to constantly thank me."

"Then how about we talk about whatever it was that you used to destroy that Lumberwolf," Twilight asked as she turned to face him, taking on a more serious face. "You didn't tell us that you had those discs that could wipe out such a massive creature with ease."

"You did not ask if I carried any other form of weaponry upon me," he replied.

"Ugh you're so literal. Okay, what are those discs and what can they do?" Twilight asked properly. Robocop responded by letting his left leg open up to reveal two more similar looking discs. He wrapped his fingers around one of them and pulled it out, showing it to the ponies while keeping it out of their reach.

"Tactical ordnance. An explosive with ten levels to it that at level one can punch through a wall. This is what I use for when I need something more destructive and powerful than the auto 9," he explained as he held the item in front of them, noticing the ponies backing away from it with nervous eyes. "To destroy the Lumberwolf I used level seven. It seemed to suffice." All backed away except for Scootaloo.

"Cool! So if level seven could do that to a Lumberwolf then what would level ten do?" she asked as she tried to pluck it from his hand but Robocop was fast enough to close his fingers over it and pull it back.

"Unknown. I have never had a need to use level ten," he said robotically, Scootaloo sighing at his answer before a small smile crept across Robocop's face. "Though if I had to wager a guess, I assume that it would explode and nothing would be left." The smile the Scootaloo gave in response told Robocop to never let her near any of his weaponry. 

"Now approaching Canterlot!" the conductor yelled down the train, taking the ponies attention away from his weapons and to gathering their bags and preparing to exit the train. Robocop stood up, ignoring that the train was still moving, and walked towards the exit, where he stood by the door as the train started to slow down. 

"Um, mister?" Robocop turned and looked down to see a small foal standing next to him, looking up at him with nervous eyes that had hints of admiration in them. "Y-you're the pony who stopped the Lumberwolf, right?"

"Correct. I subdued it." After speaking it took the foal a few moments before he would speak again.

"T-thanks for doing that. I have a fear of Timberwolves ever since they killed my dog, so when I saw that monster I thought they were coming for me," he fearfully said before smiling up at Robocop. "Thanks for stopping it." The foal ran off before Robocop could respond, so he elected to watch him run off as the others walked up beside him.

"Well whaddya know? They don't seem to be afraid of you anymore," Flash said as he elbowed Robocop in the leg, immediately regretting his decision as Robocop looked around the train at the other fearful or hesitant stares he got. 

"Not all of them at least." The conductor informed the ponies that the train had come to a standstill and that they were allowed to exit, his instructions being followed by the doors opening and allowing the passengers to leave. Robocop stepped off of the train to find himself awaited on the platform by ten guards and two princesses, one of whom he recognized.

"P-princesses!" Flash stammered before throwing himself on his face.

"Princess Luna," Robocop said without any of Flash's theatrics, simply nodding at her before turning to the tall, white coated one with the beautiful mane. "Princess Celestia."

"Hello Robocop, it is nice to finally meet the one that Twilight has told me so much about," Celestia smiled back at the robotic officer. The other six ponies finally exited the train, all of them smiling when they saw the two princesses. The CMC and their sisters bowed while Twilight ran right up to Celestia and gave her a huge hug, Celestia returning the gesture with a smile. "It has been too long my young apprentice. How was the ride up?"

"Fine. Couple of bumps," Twilight replied as she smiled at Luna before looking around with concern. "Why isn't Spike here? Is he alright?"

"Spike awaits you in the castle, which I would like to head to now if you all don't mind," Luna said as she stepped up beside her sister, a serious look on her face. "Faster would be better, I do not like to be out here long with Sombra still on the loose."

"Alright princess, but I don't know how fast we can move, not with this slow poke with us," Sweetie said as she poked Robocop's leg, having learned from Flash's suffering not to hit him hard.

"That will be fine, we shall simply teleport all of you," Celestia said with a smile as her horn began to glow, Robocop reaching down for his gun before the light enveloped them all. When Robocop's sensors could see again he was in a new room that looked unfamiliar to anywhere he had just been. But that thought was cast aside as he drew his firearm and pointed it at Celestia, who looked shocked at his actions.

"This is your only warning. Attempt to modify or assault me with magic again and I shall bring you down," he threatened. Celestia and the other ponies looked at him stunned for a moment before Celestia let out a sad sigh and shook her head.

"That is the programming talking, isn't it?" she asked him, Robocop slightly lowering the pistol at her response. "Yes, Twilight told me that you are almost completely machine. Your actions now were not because you wanted to harm me, but because your programming acted in defense of itself. Am I right?"

Robocop gave her no words in response; all he did was lower his gun before holstering it. And while none of the other ponies noticed, Flash caught that he did not spin his gun this time. With the tension gone for the moment Celestia motioned for the others to follow her into what Robocop now identified as a castle. The fillies bombarded the princesses with questions as they walked, some of which the princesses answered while others they gave Twilight a look, but Robocop walked silently the entire time, something that Flash noticed.

"What's with you?" he whispered to Robocop as he fell back to join him. "You haven't been acting like yourself since you got teleported. Why'd that bug you so much, you've been hit with magic before?"

"I believed that she was trying to reprogram me and I acted in self-defense," Robocop retorted with a hint of anger in his voice. "I will not allow myself to be reprogrammed again." He picked up his pace after saying this and walked away from Flash, joining the others who were surprised to see that he caught up. 

The first stop for the group came when Twilight met up with a small, purple lizard creature that Robocop eventually added to his databanks as a dragon, one that wasn't threatening in the least, before Celestia and Luna led them to a new area.

"Princesses, if you don't mind me asking, where are we going?" Twilight asked as they headed to a dark part of the castle, one that didn't look familiar to her in the least. "I thought that we'd be discussing this in the throne room?" The sisters said nothing as they continued to walk, eventually taking a back door out of the castle and into a courtyard, where all the ponies gasped as they looked upon the monstrous dome that rested before them. It was an eerie green color and gave off a low humming sound, putting the ponies on edge.

"W-what is that? I read in your letters about a new building but that looks-"

"Come, we will explain inside," Luna quickly said as she looked around. The ponies and Robocop followed the princesses inside, which looked even weirder than the outside. Weird stone items lay strewn across the area and green energy floated around in the air, but what drew nearly all eyes was the pool bubbling in the center of the room. "Welcome, my little ponies, to the chamber."

"What's the chamber?" Rarity asked as she tried to keep her hooves as far away from anything green as possible.

"This is where we have been for the past few weeks, ever since Sombra's return," Celestia said with confidence in her voice as she looked at the ponies and machine. "Flash Sentry, Twilight sent me a letter detailing what happened in Ponyville and I have also spoken with the guards who failed to do their duty. But now I want your opinion. What do you think of the royal guard?" All eyes turned to Flash, who thought for less than a second before he answered.

"We're a joke. Most of us can barely protect ourselves, let alone others," he grumbled. The other looked at him sympathetically while Celestia and Luna both nodded their heads in agreement.

"Yes, in this time of constant peace the guards are soft and undisciplined, something that I allowed to happen," Celestia bitterly added. "In time I will return them to their former glory, but with Sombra striking here and now my sister and I decided that we needed something to protect the citizens in while we shape up the guard. This is what we have come up with." 

Celestia stomped her hooves on the ground and the surface of the pool began to bubble. The ponies backed away as the water broke and a massive stone being began to rise from the murky depths of the pool. A stone paw slammed into the edge of the water and dragged the rest of its body up, the ponies looking on with horrified eyes as the rest of the being emerged. It looked like a stone lion in face and body, but it was nearly as large as the princesses and instead of limbs green energy connected the stone parts of its body together.

"Behold, the Sentinels," Celestia proudly said as the beast of stone lumbered up to her, stopping in front of her as it awaited instruction. "Creature made of reinforced stones and powered by the pure magic that you see in that pool. These stone beings are entirely obedient to any princess, so that means they will listen to you Twilight. They are also designed to absorb magic cast at them and to be stronger than any Pegasus or earth pony. No criminal will be able to stop them and not even Sombra can twist them to his wicked ways. This is the only one online at the moment, but there are at least a hundred more waiting to be assembled."

"They...are truly fascinating beings, but surly this isn't necessary," Twilight stammered out as the lion turned its head towards her, awaiting her orders.

"It is only a temporary solution, until the guard are restored," Celestia added, Flash somberly nodding his head in agreement. "They are also programmed to not harm innocent unless attacked and can move for days without need to recharge. In a way they are almost like you Robocop."

Robocop made no response, for all he simply did was glare at the stone being before him. The Sentinel turned to face him and for one long, tense moment they continued to glare at each other. Then the Sentinel turned away to observe the other ponies, including the fillies that hid behind the mares. 

"I'm sorry if it scares you girls...how about a demonstration to show you that you don't have to be afraid of it?" Luna asked before looking at Celestia, who nodded in response.

"Robocop, would you please draw your weapon and point it at the Sentinel?" Celestia asked. Robocop slowly looked at her for a long moment before in a flash he had drawn his weapon and pointed it at the Sentinels head. The moment he did so the green energy flowing into it turned red and it let loose a roar as it turned to face Robocop.

'Put down your weapon and surrender! You have until the count of ten or else I will bring you down!' the Sentinel roared in a dangerous tone, not quelling any of the fillies fears. Robocop continued to glare at the robot with gun drawn, protocol emerging in his visor as the words reminded him of something, something he didn't like.

"I'd do as it says," Luna joked. 

BANGBANGBANG! 

The ponies screamed as three bullets flew from the end of Robocop's gun and shattered the Sentinel's stone head, causing the red energy to dissipate as the whole being collapsed to the ground without moving. Celestia looked from her destroyed creation to Robocop, who glared long and hard at the stone before spinning his gun and holstering it.

"Why did you do that?!" she roared with rage.

"It threatened an officer of the law." With that Robocop turned and headed towards the exit, all eyes on him as he walked away. Robocop stopped when he got to the exit and looked down to his right, his scanners telling him that something had just moved. He turned back around and gave one last scan of the room, but he picked up no anomalies. Without any reason for him to be there anymore, he turned and left.

DPD

'So that's what you tried so desperately to hide from me, eh Celestia?' a dark shadow thought to itself as it slipped out from under the dome and just out of Robocop's detection. The shadow slithered its way towards a dark and mostly abandoned part of the city, where it took form as the dark king. 'But you are a fool if you believe that those stone sentinels of yours will be enough to defeat me. And you are an utter idiot for believing that I cannot bend them to my will. But I shall wait my foe, until you have done all the hard work for me. Once you have gathered my army, then I shall subject them to Sombra!' he thought as he took his saddle bag off his back and placed it upon the floor.

Sombra then pulled out his orb and placed it to the side before taking out a long list, smirking to himself as he looked at the items on it. 'Alright, let's check the list. Get Dash to stay in Clousdale for weeks taking care of her father who "accidentally" broke his back? Check. Get Pinkie, Fluttershy and DISCORD to go visit Pinkie's mother after that "unfortunate" rock slide? Triple check. Capture the sisters of Applejack and Rarity to use as bargaining chips?...Work in progress. Well, seems that the protectors of Equestria are off doing their own thing for a while,' Sombra began as he put the list to the side and picked up the orb, gazing into it to see Robocop marching down the street. 'Which leaves me all the time in the world to deal with you.'