As they journeyed, Roll's injuries seemed to get better, much like a flesh pony might. The strangest part was when a collection of broken parts were outright ejected from her metal form when she was ready to replace the damaged parts. It was life, but made clear and visible. She was living, though it made her companions shiver in involuntary fear.
The female resided squarely in the Uncanny Valley of life.
Sunset faced the issue head-on, refusing to walk silently in awkwardness as the others did. "So, you're a living machine?"
"You are living meat?" replied Roll with the faint noise of a raised brow.
Sunset coughed into a hoof softly. "Fair enough... Please, I'm not trying to be rude. There aren't any, uh, living machines where I come from."
"Where do you come from?"
Sunset glanced around. "A different world... It had a lot of humans. I was at school--"
"How old are you?"
Sunset blinked. "Uh..." How did this turn back on her? "Old enough. I... guess I've gotten used to jumping worlds, seeing as this is my third one. The first one, I looked just like this." She gestured to her pony self, still garbed in her increasingly filthy shirt, skirt, and leather jacket. Its filth annoyed her.
For just a moment it filled her thoughts. She didn't want to be dirty anymore, or to stink, or to be around stinky people! With a loud growl, strange words she didn't recognize spilled from her lips and her horn glowed as she waved it through the air in motions she didn't know. She was casting a spell, but what?
Suddenly, she was clean. Her clothes were clean. She looked to Roll and she was clean. She looked at Twilight and, with a squeak, she became clean.
Giggling, Sunset turned her new magic onto their smallest member and cleaned him from head to hooves, the dirt seemingly vanished away. "I did it!"
Twilight shook herself violently. "What did you just do?" She looked down at herself, amazed at how she had suddenly ceased stinking and her clothes felt freshly laundered, right on top of her body. Her pores felt like they were crying out with joy for the abrupt cleanliness.
Roll turned to face Sunset. "Prestidigitation. I was not aware you knew that spell, but it is very useful."
"You're telling me?" Sunset was beaming, smiling from ear to ear with pride and joy at the trick she'd managed. "This world! I don't entirely under... Wow, that's an understatement, but yeah, I don't get it. I try to force my magic to work the way I want and it feels like I'm pushing against things I can't see. I either follow the invisible paths there and something happens, or I can stand there straining all day and nothing..."
Roll gave a silent nod, as if it were obvious. The short-leg advanced to Sunset's side and gently nuzzled into her fresh-smelling barrel in thanks.
"Aw, you're welcome." She gave him a brief hug before the group resumed its trek.
Ahead of them came a small town. The first sign of life for some time that hadn't been wildlife that kept a healthy distance from them.
The little pony bounced up and down with a nearly silent joy before he hopped forward towards the town, spun around and began pointed at it eagerly as he looked from party member to party member.
Twilight couldn't help but smile at his antics. "We can see it too. Are they friendly?"
Roll tilted her head. "Inconsequential. You are badly malnourished and dehydrated. Friendly or not, we will approach, or I will walk alone." It didn't sound like a threat, more like a sad truth. She did as she promised and approached the town directly with the short-leg bouncing around her.
Sunset moved beside Twilight as they came towards the town. "Shame I can't make water the same way I cleaned everything up..." They were both thirsty. The thirstiest they'd ever been. The short-leg had found them a small hoof full of nuts to chew on, but that was about it. "What do you think they use for money?"
Roll heard Sunset's question. "Coins are the standard. Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum in increasing magnitudes. I have some money in reserve."
Twilight let out a sigh of relief at hearing at least one of them had some money. "We'll pay you back, somehow... You've been nothing but a source of miracles, Roll. You could have left us back there and you probably would have escaped alone. Heck, maybe you would have been faster and not had to fight so many gnolls on the way."
"Affirmative."
Twilight colored darkly. She was admitting... she didn't expect Roll to just flat out say she was... "I'm useless."
Sunset nudged against Twilight. "Don't say that."
"But it's true!" Twilight bristled, but the effort of being angry was an energy she didn't have and she began to stagger. Maybe she was thirstier than she thought? She ended up flopped against Sunset, who collapsed under the pressure, and they both sprawled out, panting weakly.
It became quiet. Where was Roll? She said nothing, and neither really had the energy to look for her. They just laid there.
The sounds of hoof-steps became louder, approaching them. "There they are," called out a stallion. Other voices were with him, and soon they were hefted up in a shared glow of magic. They were carried into town by a small group of unicorns. They were saved...
While Twilight and Sunset slumbered, a pair of unicorns looked at Roll and the small pony beside her. "So..." began the stallion on the left as he looked to the mare on the right. "We don't get that many visitors here."
"Where is here?" queried Roll as she looked around the room. It was functionally designed, though a few keepsakes hung from the wall. It was a small village. No nobles had come to their aid, but that was hardly surprising.
The short-leg was busy looking at everything as if it were new. Despite drinking as little as the girls, he seemed to be full of energy. He had accepted the drink offered him and returned to the bowl where the fresh water rested between forays to look at everything in the house. Though forcibly muted, his energy seemed vibrant and his smile genuine. He seemed happy to exist.
The mare of the couple watched him as he wandered. "Such a small pony, and such a... metal pony. A curious group."
The stallion nudged the mare. "Let's be polite, hmm. You're in Sun's Tears. We're a small town, barely a town really... By the gods, we only formally founded a few years back." He nodded at Roll. "You seem to have weathered your journey well, as has the little one."
Roll nodded back. "I do not require much. The short-leg is as durable as his people tend to be. They are like children. They cry when hurt, speak frankly and honestly, and bounce back from injury well."
Perhaps hearing he was being spoken about, the short-leg approached and sat beside Roll, facing the two unicorns.
"Short-leg?" stated the mare curiously, testing the word across her tongue. "It fits their small statures nicely, but I'm certain your tribe has more to say than just being small. Don't be shy, you can talk to us."
His ears flipped back and he shrank a bit.
Roll put a hoof before him. "He cannot speak. He suffered damage to his voice box during our captivity. Without advanced clerical magic, his condition is permanent."
The stallion rose to his hooves and his magic plucked up the bowl of water. "Your friends need to be watered." He moved to carefully feed it to them, rousing them just enough to get them to swallow instead of choking or spitting it all up. They only spat some of it up. With some down in their bellies, he seemed satisfied.
The mare stood up as well, but she was moving for the door. "You're welcome to stay until your friends feel better, than you should probably go."
Roll tilted her head faintly. "Are we intruding?"
The unicorn looked like she didn't want to answer, which was answer enough. "I understand. We will vacate as soon as possible."
The short-leg didn't grasp it and pawed at Roll while looking at her for answers.
With the faint noise of moving gears, she gave the ghost of a smile. "Not all tribes welcome others, and not all are as unified as the Queen would have it. They only allow our stay because we have two unicorns with us."
"Please don't think ill of us," said the stallion as he set the bowl down with his magic. "The community would be quite... testy with us if we let you stay too long. Good news though, there's a train station not that far from here."
Roll perked up. "The Lightning Rail? Have they completed it?"
"Neigh, but they're far enough to get close to here." He pointed northwards. "You should be able to get a ride to a more... cosmopolitan place, like Viljatown." He directed a hoof at the bowl. "Be sure your friends keep hydrating. I must return to work."
Soon he was gone, and there was only the original party remaining, that being Roll, the unconscious forms of Twilight and Sunset, and the still curious form of the short-leg.
Twilight let out a small groan and rolled up to her haunches, looking around blearily as she felt about for her glasses.
The short-leg noticed almost instantly and grabbed the glasses in his mouth where they were laying across the table and brought it to Twilight. She accepted it and the world came into focus through them. "Oh, hello." She realized where her glasses had to be since the short-leg had no fingers and blushed and shuddered faintly. Were her glasses being held in a mouth that disgusting... yes, a little. "Thank you..."
Sunset softly grumbled but was starting to rouse as well. "Where are we?"
"Sun's Tears," reported Roll. "Are you feeling better? Water is available if you are ready to consume more."
Sunset sat up and shook herself out before she half-fell/half-dismounted the bed. "I think a good snack would be just the trick right about now. Are we in someone's house?" She looked around curiously.
"Affirmative. The owners of this house are attending to their daily functions. We are to leave when you are recovered. Are you recovered?"
Twilight blinked softly. "We barely survived. Give me a moment."
"I meant no offense. I... am a stranger to the feelings of hunger or thirst." Roll rose to her hooves. "Rest and recover. I will prepare something edible." She marched towards the kitchen without being asked, but was cut off by Sunset.
"Thank you, really, but let me." Sunset had a smile, a forced smile.
"Are you worried that I will not prepare it correctly because I do not eat?" Roll raised a brow. "I am aware of the basic steps required."
Sunset shook her head. "Not at all! It's just that you've done more than enough for us. Relax, let me handle this." She turned to the kitchen and departed quickly.
Twilight looked at the short-leg sharing the bed with her. She blinked at him as he sniffed and looked over her. "Hello?"
He perked up at her word and nodded at her in understanding.
She smiled a little. "We made it." He nodded harder. "Will you go home now?"
He blinked, then shrank a little.
Roll frowned at the exchange. "That was a cruel question. Our small friend has no home now."
Twilight blinked. "This isn't the only unicorn town, right?"
"Correct."
"So there's another town of little ponies, right?"
"Negative." Roll shook her head. "They liked all ponies, but lived with each other. Their town being put to the torch means there are zero short-legs remaining."
Twilight pointed at the small pony. "Clearly not zero."
"There is a small margin of error."
The idea of being a margin of error did not sit well with the short-legs and he shuddered violently at the idea.