"Now, now, Angel, I know you're eager to get your steamed carrot soup, but it's nothing to fuss over!" A butter yellow pegasus named Fluttershy said kindly to her pet bunny, giving it a soft nuzzle. "We're almost home, anyway." She softly said. She suddenly heard a mare's voice cry out in pain. Fluttershy's ears perk up at the sound.
"What was that?!" She said scared. She quickly picked up Angel bunny by her ears with her teeth and places the hare in her hair and runs for home.
Aegis's breathing became erratic as her body was racked with pain.
"Mommy!" A voice, one that is a child's, sounding very far. Fluttershy quickly bursts into the house, seeing Aegis crying on the floor, something that looked like a pony, but something else entirely different. Aegis curls up into a ball as the gashes on her body bleed profusely. With quick thinking, Fluttershy runs upstairs and comes back down shortly with a bunch of lager towels. She rolls up a couple, placing them in the gash, pushing to stop the bleeding.
"Calm down." She said softly. "Listen to me and you'll be okay. Take slow deep breaths, or you'll go into shock." She said. It only fell on deaf ears as Aegis whimpers from pain.
"You're going to be okay." Fluttershy said softly. She sighs as the oil comes to a slow, leaving the towel half soaked. Aegis's breathing slows down. Fluttershy suddenly hears the call for somepony's mom.
"Whose that?" She asked.
"Mommy!" The voice rang out again.
"If you can...just hold the towels down...I'm going to go see who it is." Fluttershy said. She went over to the door and a few steps she saw what seemed to be a smaller version of Aegis. She carefully walks up to to the filly.
"Aww, are you looking for your mommy?" She asked. The filly looks at Fluttershy with tear filled eyes and nods. The yellow coated Pegasus frowns, wondering if she should even see Aegis in her current state.
"Come here, little one, I won't hurt you." She said. She brings the filly into a gentle hug. The filly snuggles against Fluttershy and sniffs.
"What's your name, sweetie?" She asked.
"S-steel heart." the filly sniffed.
"Okay...just...wait here for a moment okay." Fluttershy said. She sets the metal pony down and goes back inside. "Um...Miss...there's a filly...her name is Steel Heart and she wants to see you." She tells Aegis. Aegis doesn't answer, because she has fallen asleep. Fluttershy sighed heavily and went back outside to se the filly glumly prodding a daisy.
"Do...you want to see your mommy?" she asked the filly? Steel heart smiles as Fluttershy said that and nods happily.
"Okay. Just...your mother..." Fluttershy said. Fluttershy sighs and carries Steel Heart inside. Steel heart has a wide smile as she was carried inside.
"Just be careful...she's badly injured..." Fluttershy said. Fluttershy nuzzled Steel Heart and set her down. Steel heart's smile fell as she saw Aegis.
"M-mother!" She yells as she runs up to Aegis. She nuzzles her slightly.
"M-mother, please, wake up." she sniffed.
"Let her be. She's only sleeping, Steel." Fluttershy sighed. Steel heart sniffs as she snuggles against Aegis.
"Mommy..." She sniffed.Fluttershy gently nuzzles the filly.
"I'll leave you be, okay?" she asked. Steel heart sniffs and nods.
"I'll just clean up..." Fluttershy said. Fluttershy watches the filly closely as she uses the other towels to mop up the oil. Steel heart curls up next to Aegis and sniffs. Fluttershy notices her small animals coming out from their hiding spots. Steel heart falls asleep next to Aegis. Fluttershy smiles at the sight, and gets a blanket to lay over them. Some tears fall from Steel's face as she slept.
"Sleep well, you two." Fluttershy whispered. Aegis twitches from the blanket, before she curls around Steel heart. Fluttershy smiles softly. Aegis has a small smile as she slept.
"you guys leave them alone." Fluttershy says to her animals before leaving. Aegis starts to wince as the pain starts to come back.
"I guess I should go get Twilight and tell her about this...creature..." Fluttershy said. Meanwhile, Fluttershy's friend, Rainbow dash was lazily sleeping on a cloud. Fluttershy took notice of the sleeping rainbow maned mare. She sighed and fluttered up to her.
"Rainbow Dash?" She asked, hardly above a whisper, only for Rainbow to turn over with a grumble. "I...I need your help...but if you don't want to, that's okay..." She said. Rainbow dash still doesn't move.
"Okay...I understand..." Fluttershy sighed, and as she flew slowly past, her tail grazed along Rainbow's side, tickling her. Rainbow dash's nose scrunches up and she starts to giggle, causing her to open her eyes.
"Huh?" she asked sleepily. Fluttershy sees that she woke up.
"Oh...hi Rainbow...if it's okay...I need your help..." She said. Rainbow stretches and looks at Fluttershy. She yawns.
"Yea Fluttershy, what is it?" she asked.
"Well...could you follow me?" She asked. Rainbow dash is confused.
"Umm, alright?" She said. Fluttershy smiles and flutters off for home. Rainbow dash flies after her. They soon reach Fluttershy's home.
"Just...don't make too much noise..." Fluttershy said as she opens the door and enters. Rainbow notices Aegis and steel heart.
"Who are these two Fluttershy?" She asked.
"The filly is Steel Heart, but...they're not exactly normal ponies..." Fluttershy said softly. Rainbow dash's eyes widen.
"Wait they're not normal. Wait, they're aliens!?" She yells.
"Ssshhh!!! You'll wake them up!" Fluttershy said sternly in a hushed voice. Rainbow glares at her.
"Fluttershy, they could hurt you, they could eat your brains for all I know!" She yelled. Aegis winces as the the loudness of Rainbow's voice, causing her to wake up.
"Huh?" She mutters.
"I asked for help, not a lecture, Rainbow. Now she's awake." Fluttershy sighs and sits over next to Aegis.
"I'm sorry to have woken you. Are you feeling better now? Your daughter was worried." She said. Fluttershy looked down at the whimpering filly, which she is crying. Aegis looks over at Fluttershy and her eyes wide. She quickly gets up and tries to back up, only to fall to the ground in pain. She breaths heavily. This then reveals Aegis' tank form to Rainbow Dash.
"Don't move, you're hurt!" Fluttershy said. Fluttershy slowly reaches out to Aegis, and Steel Heart wakes to the sudden movement. Rainbow Dash sees the strange appendage on Aegis's back and gets in front of Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy, look out! That thing has a weapon!" She yells, getting into an attack position. Aegis looks up at Rainbow.
"W-who are you?" She asked, her voice reverberating between normal and robotic.
"Rainbow Dash! Shes hurt! What can she possibly do to hurt us?!" Fluttershy yelled quietly. Fluttershy moves past Rainbow Dash.
"Sorry...I'm Fluttershy and this is Rainbow Dash..." She said. She holds the crying filly in her hooves, nuzzling it gently. "Do you want mamma to hold you?" She asked. Steel Heart nods and holds her hooves out towards Aegis.
"Mommy." She sniffed. Aegis's eyes widen
"Mommy!? I... I...I..." She stammered. Her head rolls back and she falls to the floor, causing the ground around them to shake, oil leaking onto the floor. Fluttershy hangs her head as tears begin to flow.
"I don't know what to do, Rainbow..." She sniffed. She holds tightly onto Steel Heart, who is crying against her. Rainbow looks at the oil onto the floor, then at Aegis. She looks at Fluttershy.
"I need to go and get the girls." She said.
"It's going to be o-okay..." Fluttershy sniffed. She keeps the filly close. Rainbow dash flies out of Fluttershy's house as fast as she could, and heads towards Sweet apple acres.
"Its going to be okay..." Fluttershy said. She nuzzles the filly, stroking her mane gently. "I have to help your mommy, okay?" She asked. Steel heart sniffs and nods. Fluttershy gently kisses the filly on the head and sets her down, then goes over to Aegis with another clean towel. Rainbow dash reaches Sweet Apple acres and sees an orange pony with a stetson hat.
"Hey Applejack!" She yelled. Applejack was helping Applebloom load buckets of apples into a wagon, when she sees Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, Dash! what do ya need?" She asked. Fluttershy manages to get the bleeding to stop, and blows gently on Aegis' face to try and wake her.
"No time! Grab your tools and some oil and meet at Fluttershy's house." Rainbow said before flying off towards Ponyville.
"Uh...alrighty then..." Applejack said with confusion.
"Are you hungry, Steel Heart?" Fluttershy asked. Steel Heart shakes her head.
"No, I-i'm fine." She said. Rainbow Dash sees Twilight, who is still trying to get used to being an alicorn, talking to Rarity. She lands in front of them. Fluttershy sighs and sits down next to Steel Heart.
"So...what are you and your mom, anyway?" She asked as she pulls Steel Heart into her lap. Steel Heart wipes her eyes.
"W-well, me and my m-mom are tank ponies." She sniffed.
"Oh...but you just look like a...tail-less pony." Fluttershy said. Twilight takes notice of Rainbow Dash.
"Oh, hi, Rainbow!" She said happily. Steel Heart sniffs.
"W-we do have tails. I-it's just hidden by our armour." She said.
"No time! Fluttershy's house, now!" She said, then flies off again.
"What was that all about?" Rarity asked.
"I'm not sure, but we should go check it out." Twilight said. Applejack arrives at Fluttershy's with the oil and her tools.
"Oh." Fluttershy said. She smiles softly at the filly, holding her close, nuzzling her cheek gently. Rainbow Dash reaches Sugercube corner and sees Pinkie pie.
"Pinkie!" She yelled. Steel Heart closes her eyes slowly and falls asleep. Fluttershy Hums softly, rocking back and forth.
"Come back anytime!" Pinkie cheered to her leaving costomer. Applejack walks into Fluttershy's cottage.
"What's all this babbling Rainbow Dash is going on about?" She asked. As Applejack walked in, there was oil all over the floor.
"Pinkie!" Rainbow yelled again.
"Yeah, yeah, there's a weird pony thing at Fluttershy's. I know. Just let me go tell the cakes okay?" Pinkie pie said. Rainbow Dash was just about to tell her that, but her mouth was wide open.
"She needs oil..." Fluttershy said. She points a hoof over to Aegis.
"What in tarnation!?" Applejack yelled. Steel Heart wakes up from the yelling and looks over at Applejack. She shivers as in fear as she runs and hides behind Fluttershy.
"Steel Heart, it's okay, she's friendly." Fluttershy nuzzles Steel Heart. "She's here to help your mommy." she said. The farmer mare looks over Aegis.
"Uh...where would I even put oil into this thing?" Applejack asked. Steel heart peeks out from behind Fluttershy.
"Y-you need to close t-the gashes along mommy's body, o-otherwise the oil will leak out." She said.
"Ah don't think even Nurse Redheart could fix....this..." Applejack said. She lightly taps Aegis' Steel side. "How would we go about doing that?" she asked.
"You need a welder or something of immense heat to close it up." Steel heart said.
"Ah got nothing like that...we'd need a dragon for that and frankly...dragons and ponies don't see eye to eye..." Applejack stated. Steel heart steps out from behind Fluttershy and sighs.
"I guess I will have to close it." She sighed.
"If ya got a torch, then by all means before she bleeds to death!" Applejack yells. she steps out of the way. Steel heart steps closer to Aegis.
"You might want to close your eyes." She said.
"Alright." Applejack said. She closes her eyes and Fluttershy does as well. A red flame appears on Steel heart's right arm as she lowers it onto Aegis's gash, causing a lot of sparks to fly as she went along the gash.
"Done yet?" Applejack asked. Steel Heart finishes up closing the last part of the gash.
"I just need to do mommy's leg." She said.
"So, how DO I feed her oil?" Applejack asked. Steel Heart movies over to Aegis's leg.
"We drink it." She said.
"Seems simple enough." Applejack said. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie enter the house. Steel Heart doesn't notice them come in as she works on Aegis's leg. Rainbow Dash sees the flame coming from Steel Hearts hoof, she gets into a defensive stance.
"Look out!" She yelled. Applejack chuckles lightly.
"Oh, Rainbow, Steel Heart is just healing her mother!" She said.
"You don't know that, those things could be dangerous!" Rainbow yelled.
"...Then why did ya bring me here?" Applejack deadpans.
"Such a good girl you are." Fluttershy said. She nuzzles Steel Heart, avoiding the flame. Rainbow Dash doesn't listen as she looks like she was about to charge at Steel Heart. Steel Heart doesn't lose concentration as Fluttershy nuzzles her, but has a wide smile. Applejack moves to stand in the way of Rainbow Dash.
"Can I hold you again when you're done?" Fluttershy asked.
"Applejack, what are you doing!?" Rainbow Dash yelled, just as Twilight and Rarity came in.
"I would like that." Steel Heart said.
"Keeping you from hurting them more than they already are!" Applejack yelled.
"Girls! What's going on here?!" Twilight yelled. Steel Heart lifts Aegis's leg so that she could get the other side.
"That thing," Rainbow Dash yells pointing at Steel Heart. "Could burn down Fluttershy's cottage right now, with us in it!" She yelled.
"Good point." Applejack pointed out. Twilight walks up to Steel Heart.
"Mind if we do this outside instead?" She asked. Steel Heart jumps from Twilight's voice and hides behind Aegis. Fluttershy sighs and places Steel Heart on her back.
"Nopony here is going to hurt you, okay?" She asked softly. Applejack carefully gets herself under Aegis and slowly stands.
"Heh, she's not very heavy for a pony made of metal." She said. Aegis stirs on top of Applejack. Steel Heart notices it.
"Look!" She said happily.
"Hey, she's waking up!" Applejack said. She slowly sets her down. Aegis slowly opens her eyes.
"Wha?" She moaned.
"Mommy!" Steel Heart said happily and jumps off Fluttershy. She runs towards Aegis and nuzzles her.
"Aww, ain't that just precious?" Applejack said. Aegis looks down at Steel Heart as a memory flashes in her mind, one she didn't have before, of her and Steel Heart smiling for a picture.
"S-steel H-heart?" She asked. Steel Heart smiles widely as tears fall from her eyes as she continues to nuzzle Aegis. Fluttershy smiles at the sight.
"How touching..." Rarity sniffed, wiping a tear from her he with a hoof. Aegis slowly gets up into a sitting position as Steel Heart is curled against her with a smile. She looks at the other ponies.
"W-who are you?" She asked.
"Well, I'm Fluttershy." Said the timid mare.
"Ah'm Applejack, but y'all can call me AJ if ya like!" Applejack said, tilting her hat.
"My name is Rarity." The fashionista pony said.
"I'm Rainbow Dash, and I got my eye on you!" Rainbow Dash yelled. Aegis looks over at Pinkie pie.
"And you are?" She asked.
"My full name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie! Or Pinkie, or Pinks, or You can call me by my full name if you want!" Pinkie said happily.
"And I'm Twilight sparkle." the purple alicorn mare said kindly. "Who are you?" She asked. Aegis raises an eyebrow at Pinkie, then looks at Twilight.
"I'm Aegis, Prototype Aegis." She said.
"A prototype?" Twilight asked.
"It's just my name." She said.
"Mommy, where's daddy?" Steel Heart asked. Aegis looks down at her.
"Daddy?" She asked. Steel Heart nods.
"Daddy Daniel." She said.
"Who's Daniel? Is he another tank pony?" Fluttershy asked.
"And...drink this..." Applejack said as she gives Aegis the can of oil.
"D-Daniel..." Aegis said, staring off into space, remembering the memory of when she sacrificed herself. A tear falling from her face.
"Something wrong?" Applejack asks, still holding the oil can. Aegis wipes the tear from her face and grabs the can of oil.
"It-it's nothing." She said as she drank the can dry. Steel Heart yawns and closes her eyes, snuggling against Aegis. Fluttershy places a hoof on Aegis's shoulder.
"Aegis, if there's something bothering you, you can tell us, okay?" She asked. Aegis looks down at Steel Heart.
"I-I don't want her to know." She sniffed.
"Well...I guess we can understand that...but do you think you can put away your cannon thing?" Twilight asked nervously.
"That part, I can't put away, it's attached to me. And let me ask you this, do any of you even know what a tank is?" Aegis asked.
"No idea." Twilight said, shaking her head.
"We are built for war." Aegis said. Everypony gasped.
"War? Why?" Twilight asked.
"There's been a war going on for almost sixteen years. And I was created to help." Aegis said.
"Oh, my, that doesn't sound like fun..." Rarity gasped.
"Well, there's no war going on here. But what was it like where you're from?" Twilight asked.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What do you mean there's no war going on? Everyone knows about the war. It's strange that you don't, almost suspicious." Aegis said.
"Here, it's been thousands of years since the last war...seems to me you're not from Equestria." Twilight said. Aegis quickly stands up, accidently waking Steel heart up.
"WHAT!?" She yells.
"Is there something wrong?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy gasps slightly and quickly holds Steel Heart. Steel heart looks around sleepily. Aegis tries to head for the door, but can only stumble.
"I... I need to get back." she said.
"Back to where?" Twilight asked.
"Hey there." Fluttershy asked. She gets onto the couch, placing Steel heart down on it, then curls up around her, draping her tail over the filly like a blanket. Steel heart falls back asleep. Aegis collapses onto the ground in pain. Fluttershy smiles gently at the filly, wrapping her forelegs around her.
"Here...let me help ya..." Applejack said. Applejack tried to help Aegis get back up. Steel heart snuggles against Fluttershy. Aegis has this far away look in her eyes.
"Is something wrong? You can tell us, Aegis. We're all here for you." Applejack said. Fluttershy lays her head on Steel Heart's side, keeping her warm.
"Sleep well." She whispered. Aegis doesn't respond.
"Aegis, Darling...what ever is the problem?" Rarity asked. Aegis still doesn't respond.
"Is it...Daniel? Do you miss him?" Twilight asked. At the word Daniel, Aegis eyes started to tear up.
"Awe, the poor dear..." Rarity sniffed, wiping her eyes. Aegis still doesn't respond, but more tears fall from her face.
"Let's leave her be, girls. But Aegis, please at least don't lay in front of the door." Twilight said. Aegis moves out of the way. Applejack lays next to Aegis.
"Look...we can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong...we want to help you." She said, hugging her. Aegis wipes her eyes.
"Y-You wouldn't understand." She said.
"What happened though?" Applejack asked. Aegis looks over at Steel heart and sees her sleeping. She sighs and begins to tell them what happened. They all listen closely. Aegis tells them about the monitor, the laboratory, and ends it on sacrificing herself onto a bomb to save Daniel.
"Oh, dear...I'm so sorry..." Rarity cried.
"If there's anything we can do to help you get better...just tell us, okay?" Twilight said sadly. Aegis doesn't say anything, but nods as tears fall from her face.
"And I thought losing my parents was bad..." Applejack muttered.
"If...you want...you and Steel Heart can stay with me. She's a cuddle bug." Fluttershy said. Aegis wipes her eyes.
"Wh... why are you all being so nice to me?" she asked.
"You were bleeding obviously, and hardly clinging to life it seemed. It wouldn't be right of us to let you...oil to death..." Twilight said.
"Steel Heart would be heart broken if you died too..." Fluttershy added. Aegis looks down and cries. Applejack sighs lightly and hugs Aegis, along with everypony else.
"We're here for ya, Aegis. Always." She promised. Aegis notices that Everypony in the room, except for Fluttershy who was keeping steel heart company, was hugging her. She cries hard, letting her emotions out.
TO BE CONTINUED