//------------------------------// // Deep Blue, Part 2 // Story: The Iron Horse: Everything's Better With Robots! // by The Hat Man //------------------------------// Pushing past the heavy ancient door, Twilight and the others entered the castle and stepped into the Great Hall. The dim light of the moon filtered in through the cracked stainedglass windows just enough to illuminate the area. Bits of rubble littered the floor and vines grew up through cracks in the floor. A forest of cobwebs hung from the ceiling high above them and they shifted slightly at the change in pressure as the ancient door was opened. A cold autumn draft blew through the nearby halls, carrying the scent of mildew. “My…” Rarity whispered, glancing all around her. “I’d forgotten the awful state of this castle.” She shivered. “Not chickening out already, are you?” Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered over her, forelegs crossed, staring down at her with a grin. “C-certainly not!” Rarity shot back, holding her head up. She took the lead as the others followed. As they proceeded, the dark path was slightly illuminated by a violet glow which cast their shadows ahead of them. They turned and parted, seeing that it was just the light emanating from Turing’s glowing eyes. “I had withheld my inquiries until now, Twilight Sparkle,” Turing said as she trotted alongside Twilight, “but it may now be appropriate to point out that no one has explained what a ‘scavenger hunt’ is to me.” “Oh, right!” Twilight adjusted her wizard’s cap, glancing at the darkened stone alcoves to her left and right. “Well, it’s usually a game where everypony has to get a bunch of items or take pictures next to a landmark or something. And whoever finishes their list first wins!” She glanced around again, smirking as she did so. “In this case, we’ll probably need to search all over the castle, so teams will have to do this without getting too freaked out. But that’s part of the fun!” “Understood.” “Ooh, I can’t wait!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, leaping into the air, the fake wings of her Fluttershy costume flopping at her sides. “I just bet whoever set this up is planning to jump out and scare us,” Rainbow Dash said. She eyed Rarity with a raised eyebrow. “Whoever invited us better be good… I don’t scare easily!” Turing turned toward Rainbow Dash. “Please clarify. This sort of activity involves somepony hiding until they are able to surprise us at an unexpected moment?”  Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Usually.” Turing tapped her chin. “And that is a source of amusement?” “Now you’re getting it!” Lyra said. She shivered, but smiled to herself anyway. “I’m usually pretty terrible with this kind of scary stuff. I get a nightmare and can’t get to sleep for hours, but then Bon Bon just makes me some cocoa and she talks to me until…” She frowned, her ears drooping. Twilight went over to her to put her hoof on her shoulder. “Lyra? Is everything okay?” “Y-yes,” she said slowly. She patted Twilight’s hoof, managing to smile. “I’m all right.” Twilight returned her smile. “Okay. If you say so.” “Look everypony!” Rarity cried, startling them all. “There’s an envelope on the stairs!” They rushed forward toward the stairs at the end of the Great Hall when suddenly, slowly, the envelope floated upwards and began to dance in the air. “Ooooh!” a voice warbled from the envelope. It wobbled in the air to the left and right as the voice continued, saying, “I am the Pony of Shaaaadoowwwsss. Leave my castle at once or--” Rainbow Dash burst out laughing, collapsing to the ground as she shook her head. “Seriously? This is somepony’s idea of scary? Whoever’s doing that voice doesn’t even sound like they’re trying. Somepony’s probably just levitating it with magic.” She turned to Rarity and Lyra, smirking at them. “Was this your idea?” “Uh, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight whispered, elbowing her. “I don’t see any magical aura around it. And I don’t see any wires either.” She frowned, but she looked more curious than actually afraid as she rubbed her chin. The envelope shook even harder as the voice continued. “N-never mind that! I told you to leave, now go!” Pinkie, still in her Fluttershy costume, joined Rainbow Dash’s laughter. “Ha! Uh oh, Rainbow Dash, looks like you made the ghost angry!” She bounded over to the envelope. “Hi, ghost! Hey, since you’re dead, do you want to hear Rinny’s joke about Starswirl the Bearded?” “In actuality, it is not a ghost. It is Bon Bon.” They all froze, including the envelope. The others turned to stare at her. “Thermal scans revealed her following us since we left Ponyville.” She paused a moment, her eyes contracting slightly. “Was her concealment part of the attempt to frighten us in a way that would cause amusement? I apologize for revealing her deception.” She lowered her head. “Sad beep.” There was a sigh and the envelope fluttered to the floor and Bon Bon faded back into view, her hoof touching a circular device hung around her chest. “Great.” She blushed as she gave them all a weak grin. “Um, hi everypony.” “Bon Bon, it really is you! You made it!” Lyra cheered, rushing over to her and throwing her forelegs around Bon Bon’s neck. Then she blinked and let her go, backing away slowly. “Wait, you weren’t invited. But… now I can’t remember why…” Bon Bon shook her head and led her back to the group. “Never mind that now. Look, we don’t have time to mess around.” Her eyes narrowed and she leaned in toward all of them. “Seriously, you all need to leave this castle right now.” Rainbow Dash frowned. “But we didn’t even start the scavenger hunt!” She knocked on her pith helmet. “I was all set for this little adventure, even if your stunt was lame.” “Oh, so this whole thing was your idea, Bon Bon?” Twilight asked. “Listen, just because this part didn’t work out--” “It wasn’t my idea!” She stomped both forehooves on the ground, growling through her teeth. “Look, please…” She glanced at Lyra and her anger shifted into fear as she bit her lip. “There is no scavenger hunt. It’s all a ruse to lure you into a trap. Please, for your own safety, just leave!” Turing Test raised her head, ears twitching inside the cardboard box on her head. “Somepony is approaching.” They followed her gaze and heard soft hoofsteps. Bon Bon placed herself in front of the others as a figure slowly came down the darkened staircase. Her eyes widened and her blood turned to ice when she saw who it was. “Dear little Sweetie Drops, must you go and ruin everypony’s fun?” Grace stepped into the moonbeam that radiated through a hole in the roof, the glint of the metal plate on her habit reflecting faintly on the stone wall as she descended. She wore a serene smile and her eyes were closed, though she hit each step on the stairs perfectly. She reached the landing halfway down the stairs and sat down, her hooves raised as she smiled beatifically. “Welcome, Children of Harmony. I am Sister Grace, a humble servant of a higher power.” Bon Bon tensed up. “Everypony do as I say.” Her voice was quiet and even. “Start moving toward the exit.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at the stranger. “What for? Some pony with a scarf on her head is supposed to scare us?” She turned to the others, expecting similar expressions of doubt, but then she saw Rarity and Lyra. Rarity’s eyes were constricted and she and Lyra were both backing away. “Rainbow Dash… I think I remember her,” Rarity whispered. She was shivering, lip quivering “Sh-she came to the Boutique. Lyra and I were there--” “There were two of them!” Lyra cried suddenly, her eyes bulging. She then huddled behind Bon Bon, shutting her eyes tightly. “I remember now. Th-they did something to us. It’s all a haze, but I remember... I was fighting, but there was nothing I could do! She was in my head. She was saying something and I couldn’t shut it out!” Bon Bon grit her teeth. “It’s okay, Lyra,” she said, placing her hoof over her friend’s. “Everypony just get out of here and leave her to me. And whatever you do, don’t look directly at her!” Grace chortled at that, covering her mouth demurely. “Now now, there is no need to fear, if you cooperate. I will be direct.” She turned toward Turing, eyes still shut, and pointed a hoof at her. “We are here for the Machine.” They all looked to Turing Test, who’d locked her gaze on Grace. “Our little pawns, Miss Rarity and Miss Lyra were made to participate in a scenario that would bring it here.” They all stiffened at that, stepping forward in front of Rarity and Lyra defensively. “The rest of you were to be a bonus,” Grace continued. “We’d hoped to gather you here so that you might all face judgment for your sins. However, if we must conclude our business early, then you may simply turn the machine over to us and we will leave you unharmed.” She chuckled again, adding, “And by the way, those are quite charming little costumes you’re all wearing.” “You’d see ‘em better with your eyes open, lady!” Rainbow Dash yelled, shaking a hoof at her. “And if you think we’re giving Tee to you, then you’ve got another thing coming!” She shot forward, tackling Grace and pinning her down at the landing. “Rainbow Dash, don’t!” Bon Bon screamed, reaching for her. As Rainbow held down Grace, the smiling nun opened her eyes, bathing Rainbow Dash in a deep blue glow. “What are you… you…” She released her grip and sank to her haunches as Grace gently pushed her backwards, standing up. “Oh yes, you’re right,” Grace whispered, her smile drawing up into a tight grin. “I can see you much better now.” Rainbow Dash’s jaw slackened and her eyes became unfocused as she stared into that glow. Her rage had subsided along with her thoughts, imagination, and memory. There was nothing but the light. And within that light, there was absolutely nothing. Grace shut her eyes again. “Pride goeth before a fall, dear child.” She gently pushed Rainbow Dash backwards, causing her to tumble down the steps as limply as a ragdoll, landing roughly before her friends who all cried out and ran to her side. “Dashie!” Pinkie screamed, taking her face in her hooves. “Dashie, are you all right?!” Twilight waved a hoof in front of Rainbow’s eyes. “Rainbow! Rainbow Dash!” Her gaze was blank and unresponsive. “Scanning vital signs,” Turing said, stepping forward, removing the box from her head to see better. “Analysis: breathing and heart rate are normal. No fractures detected. Physically, she is unharmed.” “She’s catatonic.” They all turned to Bon Bon when she spoke. She was shaking, her eyes aflame and her teeth clenched. She stomped her hooves, a roar erupting from her throat as she looked up at Grace who smiled impassively down at them. “Grace, you monster!” Grace laughed dryly, putting a hoof to her chest. “Please. Ponies are the real monsters, Sweetie Drops. But enough pontification.” She cleared her throat. “Now don’t bother trying to escape. My dear companion Glory has already cut off your exit.” She raised her head. “Isn’t that right, Glory?” They all whirled around to see the massive stallion standing in the doorway, blocking the exit. “Indeed, Grace,” he replied, his deep voice echoing throughout the Great Hall. He slowly began to approach them, a slight amused grin on his face. “I’ve destroyed the bridge leading here. Your exit is gone, Children of Harmony. Your only hope now is to cooperate.” Rarity and Lyra had both started panicking, looking for a way out and seeing none. Pinkie was still trying desperately to awaken Rainbow Dash, calling her name again and again. Twilight, Turing Test, and Bon Bon huddled together as the pair began to advance on them. “I… I don’t care who you are,” Twilight shouted, looking back and forth between Grace and Glory, “but I’m not giving Turing Test over to you!” “Twilight Sparkle, perhaps we should consider--” “No, Turing!” Twilight said, turning to her, eyes narrowed as her horn began to glow. “You are not going with these two! We’re getting out of here!” She levitated a huge chunk of stone from the collapsed ceiling and flung it at Glory. She’d expected him to dodge it, but instead the chunk struck him directly, shattering into tiny pieces. There was a burst of dust and gravel, but then he stepped right through it, flashing a gleaming white smile, gently brushing the dust from his shoulder. There wasn’t a bruise on him. “A mere half ton of stone? You may as well be hurling spitwads.” He lowered his head, brown eyes narrowing. “But you’ll still pay for that just the same, Princess.” Twilight’s jaw dropped and she sank to the ground. “Impossible. H-how…?” Grace sighed. “Oh, you poor, lost Children of Harmony. I was looking forward to the thrill of taking each of you apart one by one, much like your multicolored friend there, but it seems we’ll have to make this quick.” She drew her lips down into an exaggerated frown. “For your sins, I’m afraid you must pay a heavy penance.” She slowly began to open her eyes, a sliver of blue light shining outward. Bon Bon reached into her suit and removed a small green sphere, throwing it at the ground between the group and Grace, causing it to explode in a huge cloud of smoke, obscuring Grace from view and causing her to stagger back, coughing. “Twilight, listen, we need out of here now!” Bon Bon hissed. “Can you teleport us back across the chasm to the Everfree Forest?” Twilight blinked and then her eyes lit up as she nodded. “Everypony, near me!” Turing dashed forward, snatching up Rainbow Dash as Pinkie and the others joined Twilight in a cluster. “Glory!” Grace shouted, coughing through the smoke as she ran through it. Glory roared and rushed at them like a freight train as Twilight’s magic energized. However, she wasn’t prepared for his burst of speed. Turing was there in an instant to block him, but his momentum was enough to allow him to plow into the group of them just as Grace reached them, knocking Twilight off her hooves and interrupting her spell. There was a bright flash of light and the whole group of them vanished, leaving the Great Hall empty and silent. *** Glory shook his head. He was in a stone hallway. He stood and grunted as his mane became entangled with cobwebs. He glanced around, blinking in the dim light until he spotted something on the ground. He came closer and saw it was Rainbow Dash. She was lying on the floor, flat on her back, her breathing very slow, her eyes half-opened and glazed over. He grunted. “Filthy defiling maggot.” He placed his hoof on Dash’s chest and slowly began to press down. She barely made a sound as the breath was crushed from her lungs. “Glory!” He whirled around, taking his hoof off Rainbow Dash, and saw Grace galloping towards him. “Grace, there you are!” His ears perked up and he knelt down, touching his nose to hers. “I’m relieved to see you’re unharmed.” He jerked his head at Rainbow Dash. “I was just about to send this sinner to her final judgment.” Grace held up a hoof. “Now now,” she said gently. “There is no need to harm her. It isn’t as though the poor wretch could feel it now anyway.” She turned her head up toward him. “We should gather her up. Even if she is little more than an empty vessel now, she may yet make a good hostage.” Glory nodded and gathered Rainbow Dash up, draping her across his back. “Looks like Princess Twilight’s spell misfired. We’ve been scattered across the castle.” “Indeed.” Grace searched the walls. “Now, if I’m not mistaken… ah!” She pressed a brick on the wall and there was a pop and the sound of gears turning as the wall pulled back and slid away, revealing a hidden passage. “Mind your head, Glory,” she said as she led him into the corridor. “We must hurry and find the others.” Glory chuckled. “It seems we’ll get to enjoy a scavenger hunt for Nightmare Night after all.” Grace turned to him, the glint of her teeth barely visible in the near-total darkness. “Then let’s play for keeps.” *** Pinkie and Lyra were halfway down the Hall of Hooves, the narrow hallway lined with disembodied forelegs. “Did you hear something, Lyra?” Pinkie asked, her ears twitching as she turned her head. When she didn’t respond, she turned to see Lyra staring at one of the hooves. “Uh, Lyra?” “Why hooves?” she muttered to herself, rubbing her chin as she narrowed her eyes. “Now a Hall of Hands, that would be impressive!” She brightened at the thought. “I wonder if I could convince Bon Bon to let me work on a new arts and crafts project…” Then she blinked and lowered her ears, heaving a sigh. “Bon Bon.” Pinkie went over to her, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Ly-Ly. We’ll find her and the others in no time!” She gave her a kind smile. “When you see Bon Bon, I’m sure she’ll want to see you smiling, not looking all downy frowny!” “Yeah.” Lyra managed a smile and nodded to her. “You’re right, Pinkie. And I bet Twilight or somepony else can help Rainbow Dash. You and the others are the Elements of Harmony, after all! I’m sure you’ll beat those two!” “Right!” Pinkie exclaimed, her voice echoing loudly through the hallways. She covered her mouth. “Uh, but maybe we should be quieter in case those meanies are out there looking for us.” Lyra swallowed, glancing around. “Good idea,” she whispered. Pinkie’s ears twitched. “Hm. It’s a little hard to hear in this Fluttershy costume.” She reached to the back of her head and pulled a hidden zipper, letting Fluttershy’s head split down the middle as her own head emerged. “Ah, much better!” Lyra  stuck out her tongue, turning away. “Ew. Just when I thought tonight couldn’t get any creepier.” Pinkie bounced by her. “Okay, Ly-Ly! We’ve got to find the others, and I bet we can find a secret passage that will lead us right to them!” She began examining each of the hooves lining the walls. “Hmm,” she said, jutting her lower lip out as she stroked an imaginary beard. “Now, which of these was it?” Lyra, a few meters behind her, raised an eyebrow. “Heh. Hey, maybe these hooves would be more helpful if we were friendly.” Chuckling to herself, she touched one of the hooves, attempting to shake it in greeting. “Nice to meet you, Hoof! I’m--” the hoof twitched and a trap door slid open under her, dropping her out of sight swiftly before closing again. “Sorry, Lyra, could you say that again?” Pinkie waited for a response. When she didn’t get one, she turned her head and saw the hall was completely empty. She furrowed her brow and began to look all around her. “Um… L-Lyra?” And then she heard hoofsteps coming up the hallway. She froze, backing away, her blue eyes widening. Two ponies were approaching. *** Twilight threw her wizard’s hat on the ground, stomping on it. “I can’t believe I messed up the spell!” she shouted. She tossed away her cape and glasses as well, no longer in the mood for any Nightmare Night foolishness. “It was not your fault, Twilight Sparkle.” Turing Test walked over to her, the rest of her costume also shed. “She’s right, Twilight.” Bon Bon was checking the pockets inside her black suit, electing to keep wearing it and making sure her supplies were in place. “You still got us away from Glory. Another second and he probably would have stopped your spell completely.” Twilight sighed. “You’re right. Let’s just focus on finding everypony else.” “Twilight Sparkle, an optimal solution would be to teleport our friends from the castle.” Twilight tapped her chin. “That would be possible, but we need to find them first. And I just teleported nine ponies at once, so I’ll need a little while to let my magic recover fully. Teleporting a large group is much more draining than just teleporting myself. Now let’s see where we are.” She glanced around the area, taking in the sight of it. The room was a cavernous dining hall. Once upon a time, there had been a beautiful wooden table there and a proud chandelier. The table had long since rotted away and the chandelier was dingy and lopsided, barely hanging on to the ceiling. Though they were faded and the paint cracked, several portraits still hung on the wall. “That’s Lord Canterbury!” Twilight said, rushing over to the painting. “I remember now! This must be in the west wing. I think I can navigate my way around from here.” Turing’s ears moved up and down. She then placed a hoof to the stone wall. “One moment… auditory and vibration sensors do not indicate any movement in this vicinity within 75 meters. This area  of the castle is clear.” “Okay. Turing, your eyes and ears are best, so you take the lead. Let’s find the others!” They broke into a gallop, moving through a stone archway and through a long, curving hallway. “While we’re looking,” Twilight said, glancing over at Bon Bon, “maybe you’d like to tell us just what the hay is going on here? Just who were those two ponies?!” Bon Bon narrowed her eyes. “Nopony knows everything about them, but we do know their real names. The stallion is Glory Be and the mare is Amazing Grace. Glory Be was a former candidate for the Royal Guard. He was a cadet with outstanding strength and skill, but he couldn’t control his strength or his temper. Too many injuries to the others in sparring training, and too much back talk to his superiors. When he was finally drummed out, he beat his drill instructor insensible before fleeing. And that’s when he got picked up by the Umbral Order.” “Wait… Umbral Order? Why does that sound familiar?” “They were a cult, a religious order that believed that the time of ponies was ending and that a race of living shadows called the umbrum--” “Wait, of course!” Twilight gasped. “Not long ago, Princess Cadance and I found King Sombra’s old personal study in the Crystal Empire. We found his journal. It said he was really an umbrum who wanted to awaken an army of umbrum sleeping under the Crystal Empire!” “Exactly. That’s what the Umbral Order wanted too: they believed the Crystal Empire would soon return and that King Sombra would reappear to fulfill that destiny.” She grinned at Twilight. “Guess they were half right, thanks to you and your friends.” Twilight smiled back, but her smile faded as a thought occurred to her. “Wait, is that why they targeted us? Because we defeated Sombra?” “Knowing those two psychopaths, I’d say so.” Bon Bon made a face. “The Order had a secret compound on the outskirts of Equestria where they preached to their members that ponykind was inherently wicked and that the umbrum would cleanse the world. And central to it was a convent of nuns that controlled every aspect of daily life there. Sister Amazing Grace was one of them. She always wears her habit with an image of King Sombra on the forehead.” They reached the end of the corridor and found that the secret door that led to the exit had been smashed clean through, the hard stone shattered into rubble. They slowed and stepped out, finding themselves in the ruins of the throne room. There was nopony around and the area was silent save for the sound of wind blowing through the abandoned castle. “Heat traces located,” Turing said. In her vision, she spotted several glowing hoofprints that were invisible to Twilight and Bon Bon. She began to follow them. “Thermal scans indicate that several individuals travelled through this area. Matching size to visual memory… Grace, Glory, and Rarity are the most probable individuals. We must hurry.” Turing Test took the lead as Twilight and Bon Bon fell in step behind her. “So, what happened to Rainbow Dash?” Twilight whispered. “How did Grace make her like… that?” Bon Bon swallowed. “The Order was experimenting with forbidden alchemy and dark magic to try to create all kinds of living weapons, monsters really, to attack and undermine Equestria’s defenses before Sombra’s return. Glory Be and Amazing Grace both volunteered for their experiments and apparently were the only ones who made it through the process” Twilight gawked. “You mean…” Bon Bon nodded. “Exactly.” She curled her lip at the thought. “Still, they both gained incredible abilities. Glory has unbelievable strength and endurance. He’s practically invincible. When the compound was raided, he put thirty ponies in the hospital when he escaped. Spears, magic, brute force… nothing could even slow him down. But Grace…” She shivered. “She’s so much worse. “Grace gained psychic abilities. Her eyes generate psycho-reactive energy. Whenever she opens her eyes, a blue light shines out of them. If anypony makes direct eye contact with her, she can scramble their minds, make them hallucinate, disable their senses, or… or just render them catatonic. She can even drive you insane just by staring at you.” Twilight slowed her pace, her eyes going wide. “That’s horrible… and now she’s done that to Rainbow Dash.” “And she implanted the idea for this scavenger hunt in Rarity’s head. And Lyra’s too.” She hung her head. “That’s how I knew it was her. I recognized the symptoms in Lyra.” Turing Test quickened her pace. “The trail is becoming stronger. I believe we are coming close.” “Good job, Turing,” Twilight said. Then she frowned and glanced sideways at Bon Bon. “How do you know all this, Bon Bon? Please tell me the truth.” Bon Bon bowed her head. “The truth is--” There was an ear-splitting scream just ahead of them, further up the hallway. “Rarity!” Twilight cried as Turing broke into a run. “Hold on, let me go invisible and we might get the drop on them!” She put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder as Turing ran ahead. “Just remember, no matter what, don’t look at her directly! If you make eye contact with her, it’s all over!” Twilight nodded and dashed forward as Bon Bon turned on the Doctor’s device, vanishing from sight. “No! No, please!” They entered the room, a massive empty wine cellar lined with rotting wine casks, and saw that Grace and Glory had already cornered Rarity. Glory was holding her easily in one foreleg as Grace approached her. Rarity’s eyes were shut tight as she struggled, refusing to face her. She was shaking in fear, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Rarity!” Twilight shouted. Rarity turned at the sound of Twilight’s voice, her eyes popping open. “Twilight?! Run! Run before--” Grace seized her face and turned her towards her own, opening her eyes, bathing Rarity in blue light. Her struggles stopped instantly. “Rarity, no!” Twilight screamed. “Turing, stop them!” Turing sprinted forward, but Glory spotted her and seized Rarity’s neck in a vice-like grip. “Stop right there!” Glory bellowed, holding Rarity up, her body limp as a ragdoll. Rarity’s expression was blank, her eyes drooping half-shut and her mouth slightly open. “One more step and I’ll break her in two.” He stepped aside and revealed that Rainbow Dash was laid against the wall. “Both of them.” Turing stopped immediately, her hooves skidding on the stone floor. “There’s a good automaton,” Glory said with a chuckle. “I prefer the term robot.” Grace stepped forward, her eyes now closed. “Oh my, it seems somepony built her with a bit of an attitude! But still, I am glad you’ve come, Machine.” She sat down, bowing to her. “And it seems Princess Twilight is here.” She paused, turning toward an empty pocket of air. “And also our dear old friend Sweetie Drops.” Bon Bon stopped in her tracks, still invisible. How? How did she-- “Now now, if you do not stop trying to sneak up on me, Glory will make good on his threats. You don’t wish him to harm the poor child, do you?” Bon Bon reappeared, turning away from Grace as she backed away, motioning for Twilight to do the same. Grace crossed her hooves in front of her chest. “Your little device cannot deceive me. By the blessed will of the umbrum, one of the side effects of my wonderful gift was that I can now sense the world around me without my eyes. I must keep my eyes closed to keep my dearest companion safe, but clearly they did not wish for me to be blind and further burden him.” She gestured to Glory, who bowed to her. “You’re no burden at all, Grace.” Then he turned his attention to Turing Test. “Now, Machine, you just stay right there.” “You have attacked my friends and are holding two of them hostage.” Turing Test held out a hoof. “What is your objective in this matter? Perhaps we can reach an agreement.” “Such a polite thing! But still,” Grace shuddered, “to think that the sinful ponies of this world would create a graven image like you, an idol to their own arrogance!” “Indeed,” Glory said, curling his lip, “she really is an abomination unlike any I’ve seen.” “Your attempts to insult me will not be effective. I only wish to assist in the recovery of Rainbow Dash and Rarity.” “Such concern!” Grace intoned. “Well, to be perfectly blunt, Machine, we have been offered a very generous donation to our cause to acquire you. And now that you’re here,” she opened her eyes, staring directly at Turing, “you will come with us!” Twilight and Bon Bon shielded their eyes completely. “Turing Test, don’t look at her!” “It is all right, Twilight Sparkle,” Turing replied, staring right back at Grace. “My analysis of the magical energy she produced while attacking Rarity indicated that it would be largely ineffective on my artificial brain. She is unable to control me.” Grace shut her eyes, her face bunching up into a deep frown. “I see,” she said, her voice taking on a growl. “I cannot penetrate the soul of something that has no soul.” “What is a soul?” Grace burst out laughing, her high voice echoing throughout the stone room. “Truly the words of an ignorant child!” She held up a hoof as she got herself under control. “Very well then. We will do this the old fashioned way: you will shut down and give yourself over to us, or else your pony companions will suffer the consequences. Though I suppose, as a mere machine, you do not care about them--” “Incorrect. I do care about them.” She turned to look at Rarity and Rainbow Dash. “I do not understand why you wished to harm them. However, I will comply--” “Turing, don’t!” Twilight shouted. “You can’t go with them!” Turing looked over her shoulder. “Twilight Sparkle, it is not logical to place the safety of a robot over that of your friends.” “She’s right, Princess Twilight.” Bon Bon tightened her lips before adding, “Listen, she’s just a machine. Even if she is nice, we can’t trade our friends’ lives for--” “Quiet, both of you!” Twilight shouted, stomping her hoof. “Turing Test, you’re my friend too and it isn’t right to ask you to give yourself up to save another of our friends! No matter what, I order you not to surrender to them!” Turing was quiet. She slowly turned back to Grace. “Twilight Sparkle is my end user. I cannot controvert her order.” Glory sneered at that. “Then she’ll just have to change her mind.” He hefted Rarity up. She made only the slightest sound as he tightened his grip around her. “No, wait!” Bon Bon shouted, reaching out with one hoof, still keeping her eyes turned away from Grace. “Just… let me talk some sense into Princess Twilight for a moment!” “As you wish,” Grace said, motioning to Glory. He relaxed his grip, though Rarity was still dangling limply, her eyes still vacant and bleary. “Okay.” Bon Bon swallowed. “Turing Test, just stay there and keep an eye on them.” “Understood.” Bon Bon came close to Twilight, practically nose to nose. “Princess, is your magic back? Could you teleport a group of us to someplace safe?” she whispered. Twilight closed her eyes, concentrating. “Yes, I think so. But I can’t teleport Rarity or Rainbow Dash unless they’re close enough to me!” “That’s fine.” Bon Bon shifted her eyes over to Turing momentarily. “And Turing, if your ears are sensitive enough to pick up what we’re saying, give us a sign without tipping off Grace and Glory.” Turing didn’t move from her spot, but her ears slowly twitched up and down, squeaking rhythmically as they did so. “Guess she can.” Bon Bon smiled. “Twilight, get ready to teleport. Turing, get ready to grab Rainbow and Rarity.” She continued to whisper as Grace and Glory waited. Grace furrowed her brow and Glory yawned, blinking away tears of boredom as he did. Bon Bon suddenly reached into her suit and whirled around flinging a hoof-full of brightly-colored round pellets at Glory’s face. They erupted on impact with a series of loud cracks and bright flashes. Though he wasn’t in pain, he still flinched and reeled back, dropping Rarity in surprise. “Engaging U-Mode.” Turing Test’s horn emerged and she enveloped Rainbow and Rarity in her magic, yanking them away from Glory and pulling them back, right past Grace, before dashing back to Twilight and Bon Bon. “Glory!” Grace shrieked, jutting her hoof at them. The gigantic stallion was on all fours in an instant, and dashed toward the group almost as fast as Turing had, intent on stopping their teleportation. Seeing him, Bon Bon levelled her hind legs at a nearby wine cask and kicked with all her might, causing the rotting wood to crack and the dark red contents to come gushing out, blocking Glory’s path as he reared back. Behind the wave of liquid, there was a bright flash and the group blinked out of sight. Glory growled in rage and stomped at the ground, cracking the hard stone floor like it was made of glass. Grace let out a long sigh. “There is no time for regret, Glory. The Children of Harmony have not escaped us yet. Let us hurry and procure another hostage before they escape.” Her expression darkened. “And next time we see Agent Sweetie Drops, we will be sure she doesn’t have another chance to use one of her toys.” *** Bon Bon opened her eyes. The room they were in was a cavernous library. A dusty and worn table stood in the center. Twilight trotted over to a chair and tipped it backwards. There was a hiss and creak of ancient gears and the nearby bookshelf pulled backward and then separated, revealing a door. “Come on, this way!” Twilight said. Turing Test, still carrying Rarity, followed her with Bon Bon coming right after. Twilight flicked a switch on the wall, causing the shelf to slide back into place. Lighting her horn, Twilight led them into the hidden room. “Whoa.” Bon Bon looked around the room breathlessly. The circular room had more bookcases and two arching stainedglass windows, the glass still intact, which displayed a stylized image of the sun and moon, respectively. The paint and drapery were still intact as well. There was a couch near the wall and Turing laid Rarity and Rainbow Dash on it gently. “They seem to be in good condition, Twilight Sparkle,” Turing said. “You call this a good condition?!” Twilight shouted. “My apologies. I only meant that their vital signs are strong despite their unresponsive state.” “They’re catatonic, Turing! They’re…” She looked to the pair of them and her eyes began to fill with tears. “Rarity… Rainbow…” “Princess Twilight,” Bon Bon said, going to her, “I’m so sorry about all this. I just--” Twilight whirled on her, eyes narrow and teeth clenched. “All right Bon Bon, or Sweetie Drops, or whatever your name is! I want the whole truth this time!” Bon Bon gulped. “All right.” She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Three years ago, before you ever came to Ponyville, I was a member of the RMCA - the Royal Monstrosity Containment Agency - operating as a Special Agent codenamed Sweetie Drops. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. Celestia could tell you all about it; she commissioned the group herself a hundred years ago. We were a group of monster hunters tracking down abominations and artificial chimeras that threatened the peace of the nation. The Umbral Order’s experiments, including Grace and Glory, qualified.” She hesitated a moment before drawing herself up. “I was part of the task force that infiltrated the Order. For a short while, I was posing as one of Grace’s nuns. They took me because of my skill with alchemy. My special talent is candy making, but I’m an alchemist by trade. That’s how I was able to make these things.” She opened her suit jacket, displaying that her pockets were lined with various things that looked like candy but Twilight suspected were far more potent. “Once we had our evidence, we raided the Order’s compound. That’s how Grace knows me.” Twilight was practically shaking. “If you knew all about them, why didn’t you prevent all this from happening?!” Bon Bon hung her head. “I tried. I tried, but…” She swallowed, shuddering. “I didn’t know where they were. I couldn’t break through to Lyra and get her to tell me where this scavenger hunt was. She just kept saying it was a secret. If I’d pushed her or prevented her from fulfilling her programming, she might have suffered an aneurism! Even if not, I had to find Grace and Glory and the only way to do that was to follow her, and by extension, all of you.” She shut her eyes tightly. “Princess Twilight, you don’t know the extent of how awful these two can be. Grace and Glory are the last two members of the Order and they care absolutely nothing for the ponies of Equestria. They left a trail of broken bodies and minds as they escaped. Now that they’ve resurfaced, I can’t just let them slip away. Plus,” she added, a crack in her voice, “they might have decided to cover their tracks by silencing Rarity and Lyra. Permanently.” “Then you could have at least called the Royal Guard--” “They aren’t equipped to deal with this!” Bon Bon snapped. “If they came here, it would be just like the raid on the Order! It would mean more ponies would suffer because of the RMCA’s failure to stop these two when we had a chance! My failure!” She shuddered. “I couldn’t let that happen. You saw what happened! If even more ponies suffered…” She took a deep breath. “So I let you and your friends spring the trap, but after that, I tried to scare you and get you to leave. I wanted to take them down by myself. I didn’t know Grace could see through my invisibility device.” Her lip quivered and she took a long, shaky breath. “This is my fault. I’m so sorry. I’ve lost so many other friends and colleagues to these two. I just didn’t want anypony else to get hurt. I… I’m sorry, Princess Twilight, I…” She felt a hoof on her shoulder and opened her eyes. Twilight was smiling back at her. “I understand. You were trying to do the right thing.” She let out a long sigh. “I still wish you had told one of us. Nopony should have to face ponies like these alone.” She walked over to Rarity and Rainbow Dash. They remained motionless, save for the very slow rise and fall of their chests as they breathed. “Can… can we fix them somehow?” Bon Bon swallowed. “There is therapy to help them, but it takes a long time and even then, not everypony recovers.” Then she glanced over at Turing Test who was merely standing by, listening to them. “However... if we could capture Grace and Glory or at least work out some sort of deal, we might be able to force her to restore their minds.” Turing was quiet for a moment. “I believe I understand her meaning, Twilight Sparkle.” She approached Twilight and raised her head. “We may be able to convince them to release Rarity and Rainbow Dash if I surrender myself. I will not object to that course of action if you order me to do so.” “I already said no, Turing!” Twilight snapped. “My apologies, Twilight Sparkle, but you informed me that I should voice my opinion when I feel your orders are in error. I believe you are being unreasonable at this time. While I am glad for the value you place on me, I believe it may be in error to value a non-living being over a living one.” “Turing!” Twilight exclaimed, bolting upright. “You are a living being!” “Technically, I am not.” “I don’t technically care! You... ugh, we’ll have this conversation later, Turing.” She turned to Bon Bon. “Bon Bon, can I count on you to watch over Rarity and Rainbow Dash while Turing and I are away?” Bon Bon nodded. “Of course. But where are you going?” “We need to find Pinkie and Lyra.” “I’ll come with you!” she exclaimed. “Lyra’s my respo--” “Bon Bon, no. You’ve obviously got some skills and experience, so you can use them to keep Rainbow and Rarity safe in case Grace and Glory find this room.” “I… yes, Princess.” She bowed. “I understand.” Twilight nodded. “Turing, come with me. We need to keep searching the castle and I’ll need your eyes and ears to track the others.” “Understood.” She and Twilight opened the secret door, glancing about cautiously before the pair left, closing the door behind them, leaving Bon Bon alone with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Bon Bon looked at the two of them and hugged herself. Lyra, she said to herself. I just hope Twilight and Turing Test can find you fast enough. *** In the darkened Hall of Hooves, Twilight and Turing began looking around. “They aren’t here either,” Twilight whispered. “Turing?” “Scanning… there is no heat signature. However, the dust near this hoof on the wall has been disturbed. There is a cubic pattern to the disturbance.” She tapped the ground, the metallic sound of her hoof ringing out. “The area below is hollow. One moment.” She raised her leg and stomped on the floor, shattering the trap door and revealing a polished stone slide beneath it. “Good work, Turing! They might have gone this way! Follow me!” She jumped down the hole, Turing following her, and the two of them slid into a room lined with wooden doors. The area was almost pitch black and the bare stone blocks of the hallways stood in sharp contrast to the more ornate parts of the castle. “Oh my gosh,” Twilight whispered. “It’s the Oubliette; the secret dungeon! I’ve never been down here!” “Scanning… no lifesigns detected. Shall we continue here or check another area?” “Let’s search the dungeon first. They might have gotten lost down here, and it is pretty large. Let’s make sure.” “Acknowledged.” The two began to trot down the hallways, searching the empty cells. Periodically, Twilight would quietly call out “Pinkie! Lyra!” loud enough for them to hear if they were close by, but not loud enough to be heard in the rest of the castle. “Twilight Sparkle,” Turing said quietly, “I must point out again that this course of action may place you and our friends in greater danger. Will you reconsider allowing me to surrender?” Twilight groaned. “Turing, please! We can’t just let those two have what they want! After all, who knows what these two want you for?!” “I have a hypothesis. Grace and Glory seem intent on my abduction as well as causing harm to you and the others. Fine Print, by contrast, wished for me to stay in your company and made no outward physical threats against you or your companions. Therefore, it is likely that they are not working for my creators.” “What? Then who?” “Considering the number of offers to purchase me after my activation, I suspect that a particularly wealthy individual hired Grace and Glory to acquire me when you refused that individual’s offer. For what purpose, I cannot say, though it is likely that they wish to disassemble me for research purposes to reverse engineer the technology that allows me to function.” “Well, I’m definitely not allowing you to go with them now!” Turing paused. “Twilight Sparkle, I do not wish for my friends to suffer.” “And neither do I!” Twilight shouted, whirling on her. “And that includes you! I’m not letting somepony take you apart so they can just copy you! I will never ever allow that to happen!” Turing’s ears twitched and she raised her head. “One moment, Twilight Sparkle.” She went over to a nearby stone wall. “I am detecting sounds from behind this wall. Analyzing… it is most likely galloping. It is approaching this wall and--” The wall exploded, causing Twilight to scream as Glory burst through it, sweeping Turing test off her hooves as he carried her down the hallway. “So loud, Princess,” Glory chuckled, lifting Turing Test up. “Oof. Heavy little thing aren’t you, Machine? Well, I have you now!” Turing, wrapped up in Glory’s foreleg, pressed her hooves against him. She didn’t budge. “Quit resisting, Machine! Nopony can overpower--” “Engaging E-Mode.”  Glory’s eyes went wide as Turing easily pried herself free, landing on the floor with each of her hooves clanging loudly. Glory’s jaw dropped. “Impossible.” He merely stared at her as she stared back at him. “How in the world--” There was a flash of light and he roared as he was suddenly hit in the face with a powerful blast from Twilight’s magic. It would have been enough to knock a pony across the room, but it only seemed to stun Glory temporarily. He turned to see Twilight had taken to the air and was readying another blast. “This is for my friends!” she shouted, her horn glowing brightly. She fired another beam straight at him. And then to both her and Glory’s astonishment, Turing leapt into the air, blocking Twilight’s beam with her body, taking the full force of it as it carried her backwards, smashing her into another stone wall at the end of the hallway. “Turing?!” Twilight shouted, landing on the ground. “What are you doing?!” Turing stood, shaking off the rubble. “The First Law of Automata states ‘An automaton may not injure a pony or, through inaction, allow a pony to come to harm.’ You were about to harm Glory; therefore, I could not allow that.” Twilight gasped, but then narrowed her eyes. “Turing, I--” She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around reflexively. Turing refocused her vision and saw who it was. “Twilight Sparkle! Do not--” But it was too late. Twilight turned to find herself gazing into Grace’s glowing blue eyes. Turing sprinted for them. Glory reached for her, but she nimbly leapt around him, springing off the walls and easily evading him as she rushed for Grace. “Stop right there or I will wipe her mind clean.” Turing froze at Grace’s simple order, halting a few meters from the pair. “There we are,” Grace said, her beatific smile back in place. Twilight slowly sat down, resting on her haunches. Grace gently lifted Twilight’s chin up as she stared into her vacant, mesmerized face. She patted her on the cheek. “Now, my dear child. It is time for you to put your toys away. Order the Machine to go with us.” “Turing Test…” Twilight whispered, her voice even and slow. “Go with them. I order you.” Turing tilted her head left and right. “No.” Grace frowned. “I thought you had to obey her orders. Now obey your Master and submit, you ghastly machine!” “I must obey Twilight Sparkle’s orders. However, she is obviously under your control and not exercising her own will. I will not obey her when it is clearly you giving the order. And her last order was for me to never surrender to you.” Glory growled, still averting his eyes, as Grace’s were still open. “What kind of crazy machine are you? You protect me from your own master but you have to obey everything she says?!” “There is no contradiction. She has commanded me not to harm others. She has commanded me not to surrender. I will do neither of those things.” “Then what is to stop me from simply eradicating her mind right now?” Grace asked, drawing her smile into a toothy grin. “If you do so, then she will never be able to contradict her earlier order and you will have no hostage to prevent me from attempting to apprehend you. There would be nothing to gain, therefore I do not believe you will follow through with that threat.” Grace sighed. “You know, we were offered a sizable tithe for your capture. Though we care not for the material things in this world, gold may yet assist our cause. King Sombra’s return is nigh, and we will use any means at our disposal to allow the umbrum to rise and consume this world!” She frowned. “But you are truly bothersome. Very well, you may have your master back with full control of her mind.” She gave a short, dry laugh. “But not all of it.” She stared at Twilight, her gaze brightening in intensity, causing Twilight to convulse before collapsing backward. Turing rushed forward to catch her as Grace stepped back, closing her eyes. “Glory! We are leaving!” “Right away!” He ran, scooping up his partner and placing her on his back with one swift motion before galloping away, the sound of his hooves fading rapidly. “Twilight Sparkle, can you hear me?” Turing asked. There was no response. She scanned Twilight. Life signs are normal. Pulse and breathing regular. Calculating options… safest course of action is returning her to the hidden room in the library. *** There was a sound as the bookshelf slid back open. Bon Bon steeled herself and reached into her suit for another weapon, but saw that it was Turing Test. And then her eyes widened when she saw Twilight on her back. “Twilight Sparkle has been attacked,” Turing said, shutting the door behind her, “but I was able to recover her.” Bon Bon helped Turing lay Twilight on the floor. “Okay, tell me everything that happened.” Turing recounted what had happened, explaining it as clearly and succinctly as she could. “Wait, wait,” Bon Bon said when she had finished. She leaned close to Turing. “You blocked Twilight’s attack?!” “I saw that she was going to attack with a significant amount of magic. It may have been sufficient to cause injury to Glory. I had to prevent that.” “Why?!” “As I explained, part of my default programming includes the Three Laws of Automata. The First Law states that no automaton may harm a pony or allow a pony to come to harm through inaction.” “Wait… you’re immune to Grace’s psychic attacks and you’re strong enough to overpower Glory, but you can’t hurt them?!” “Correct.” “Or allow anypony else to hurt them? Even after what they did to our friends?!” “Affirmative.” “That’s…” she held her head in her hooves. “That’s insane!” “That is my programming.” Turing lowered her head. “I apologize for the difficulty. My default programming cannot be altered without a direct order from Twilight Sparkle.” At that moment, Twilight stirred and she slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Mmm… is it morning yet?” Bon Bon breathed a sigh of relief. “She’s talking… maybe Grace didn’t do anything and she can still give you those orders.” Twilight opened her eyes after a yawn and then she jumped back with a jolt. She held her tail, hiding behind it as she cowered by the wall. “Wh-who are you? Where am I? Why is that lady wearing armor?” Bon Bon stared, frozen in place. “Oh no…” Turing Test stepped forward. “Twilight Sparkle, do you recognize us?” Twilight flinched, hiding even more behind her tail. “How do you know my name?” Her voice was small, quiet, and noticeably high pitched. “We’re here to help,” Bon Bon said, stepping forward and offering her a smile. “Maybe you were sleepwalking. Don’t be afraid; we work for the Princess.” “Oh! Really?” Her eyes brightened at that and she dropped her tail. “Well, my name is Twilight Sparkle. I live in Canterlot with my mommy Twilight Velvet, my daddy Night Light, and my big brother Shining Armor.” Turing Test cocked her head to the side. Bon Bon swallowed. “Okay, Twilight Sparkle. My name is Bon Bon and I’m here to help. Just one more quick question, please. How old are you?” Twilight perked up and smiled, puffing out her chest proudly. “I’m seven!” she said. “...And a half!” To be continued...