//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: I am Machine 
// by FoxyAndPip 
//------------------------------//

I stretched my legs and wings. “Ah, it feels good to be out of that hospital.”

“I thought you couldn’t feel? You’re a robot,” Twilight said, choking up at that last word. I wished I could help her. But I can’t. I’m just a heartless machine, right? 

“Yes, but the doctors managed to make artificial nerves so I kept my sense of touch,” I explained.

“Oh. That makes sense. Science really has progressed these past few years, hasn’t it?” she said trying to make conversation. 

“I wouldn’t know…”

“Oh. Right.”

The doctors said I shouldn’t live on my own for a while yet, not until I regained at least quite a large portion of my memories. Twilight volunteered to look after me. She just got this look in her eyes when the doctor brought it up. A look others might interpret as depression, or even insanity. Me? I saw pure determination. 

We walked through the town Twilight told me was called Ponyville. I saw quite a few ponies give me weird looks as we walked past, but some seemed relieved to see I was OK. A few, however, seemed angry or disappointed. I diverted my attention to the sidewalk I was walking on. 

“Rainbow Dash! Is that you?” I looked up to see a small orange pegasus filly running up to me with wide eyes.

“Um, yeah, kind of,” I replied hesitantly.

“Um, Scootaloo? Can we talk?” Twilight intervened.

“Um OK?”

Twilight told me to stay where I was as she and the filly, presumably called Scootaloo, walked a few feet away and began muttering. Scootaloo looked back to me for a second worried and looked back.

They walked back over, Scootaloo looking a lot less excited to see me than before.

“Sorry about that Rainbow Dash, I didn’t know,” she said sadly.

“It’s OK. Do you want to tell me who you are?” I asked, hoping it would jog my memory. Not just because I wanted my memories back, but because that might provide me with the metaphorical keys needed to unlock my emotions and personality.

“OK. I’m Scootaloo, your number 1 fan and adoptive sister.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked, curious.

Scootaloo told me all about how we became ‘sisters’, as well as the other adventures we’d had together. I smiled as she told me story.

“I sound like a great sister,” I said.

“You are. But, Rainbow? I have a question.”

“yes?”

“I thought you lost your emotions.”

“Oh,” my gaze dropped. “Well, technically I have, but I’ve been programmed with artificial emotions. It feels like I have emotions, and seems like I do on the outside, but when I think about it properly…it’s all a lie…”

“Oh…sorry I asked,” Scootaloo said.

I looked back up and put on a brave face. “It’s OK. You couldn’t have known. We’ll talk later, Scootaloo,” I said.

“OK!” she said, running off excitedly.

“Well, she was…active,” I said to Twilight as we continued our walk towards Twilight’s home.

“You were too…”