BROKEN

by WolfoftheWaves Pony

He is not like us.

I secretly followed her all the way back to her house... or... shack? I had no idea she lived in this tiny thing. When I first came here, exploring Unit Area 4, I had seen this exact house and thought that it was abandoned. But now I see that she lives here. The only pony that has really truly ever shown me some liking.

Like the unicorn and earth pony from the air ship, most of the ponies here see me as a thing. A thing. And that's it. I guess I expected more. I thought that life here would not be just having to scan cards and read out load the pony in front of me's appearance when already know what they look like, and their citizenship number is already programmed into my software. It seems just so...

I am trying to find a better word for stupid.

But fillies flee from me, parents shy their foals away, and even old crazy hobos beat me with their canes if I come close.

I had to arrest that hobo. Destruction of government property. I didn't like to do it, but it was law.

Even my fellow Robot Units shy away from me, preferring to work alone and on their own terms (Their terms being the rulebook) and I am left here, in the cold. Of course, it has only been one day. But I have seen enough to know that I am different from all the others. I don't talk like them, apparently I don't feel like them, and I obviously want to do more than just arrest ponies and shoot them. And that is why I answered her question with a yes. I am different. I know that, and I know that she knows it too. It scares me a little, knowing that a pony like her knows about how different I am than all the rest. I guess that is why I hovered away from her last night. I was scared.

But now I know that I want to stay with her, because she does know that I am different. And she doesn't care. Or, at the very least, doesn't seem to.

And that is how I ended up here, hiding in a dead bush near her house-shack, listening to her every word.

"Blossom Wing, are you okay?" I deep sounding mare voice said.

"Yes, mom. I, I'm just a little tired, that's all," The all too familiar voice said.

"Yes, but you seem a little-"

"Did ya' bring the bagels?" A tinier voice said.

I heard Blossom Wing sigh. "Yes I did, little leaf. And I told you not to wake mother up before I got home!" I then heard squeals and laughter coming from what sounded like a little filly, too young to have her cutie mark yet, that's for sure.

"Blossom! Stop it!" The filly screamed. I heard Blossom laugh too. Just like when I told her that her friend had "mooned" a Robot Unit, whatever that means.

"Blossom, maybe you should lay down." The mare said. "You really don't look so good. Your face is paler than... usual."

"Thanks, mom," Blossom sarcastically said.

"Well, maybe eating the hay bagels will help you."

"Yeah, and getting them was hard enough," Blossom mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

"Well, I have to go for my shift at the laundromat. Can you look over Little Leaf until I get back? You know, since it's Saturday?"

"Yeah mom, sure. And I already know its Saturday. I'm not stupid."

"Okay then, good. Bye, honey."

"Bye mom!" The filly shouted. Then, a purple pegasus pony walked out the door. I shrunk away in the bush, trying not to be noticed.

She flew away on shaky wings, and I relaxed. But I waited for a moment before I poked my head out from the bramble, and then froze when I made the all-to-familiar gear grinding sound. And it was loud. More like a creak. I searched my database, and came up for a typical pony word for a situation like this.

"Oh pony feathers."

"What was that?" I heard Blossom Wing say. I saw her step outside the house-shack and look around. She then sighed, shook her head, and went back inside. I felt relieved.

Yes, I did not want Blossom Wing to find me here. Mt database told me that when ponies do something like this, they are called a "creepy stalker", and I did not want to be labeled a stalker when my sole purpose is to protect ponies. I guess that I just wanted to see her get home okay.

So I hovered away, ready to do my real duty as a Robot Unit. It was stupid of me, really, to try and see her again like that, and neglect my purpose. I should be chided, thrown in jail, but Robot Units do not go to jail. I know of this for sure.

I hovered over to the side of Area Unit 4 that is always in the sun, and landed in a busy street. A few ponies near me backed away, but others took note of me and just went on with their business. I started to walk down the bustling boulevard, and came up near a Robot Unit report station. I glanced at it, but didn't take complete note. I do not need to recharge yet. But then I stopped in my tracks when I saw the black earth pony with a blue mane step out of the station. From looking at security footage and files, I know that this is the pony that mooned another Robot Unit. Blossom Wing's friend.

He walked up to me, looking at my face, then sighed. "What, do you want my Identification form, or not?" I was jolted back to reality.

"Uh, yes." He got out his Identification form and I scanned it, saying the very same thing that I knew was right in front of me. As if we couldn't see. "Species: Earth pony. Coat Color: Black. Mane Color: Blue. Eye Color: Purple. Citizen number: 734-25. You may go." I handed the Identification form back to him, and he grabbed it with his mouth, put it away, and started to walk away until I stopped him. "Wait! What is your name?" He stopped, seemingly frozen there, then turned around to face me.

"My name?" He spat.

"Yes."

"Why would you want to know my name?"

"I, I know your friend, Blossom Wing." I said. He ran up to me, and put his face really close to mine, and started to whisper in my ear piece.

"Listen here, Robot Unit. You stay away from her, and don't you dare try to disobey. Got it? You understand me, you worthless pile of metal? Stay away from her. And we will have no more problems." He leaned away from my face and glared at me before walking away. "Oh, and by the way, the name's Tornado."

I should arrest him. I know I should. But I didn't. And to this day, I still do not know why.

**************

Oh please, I know who it was. I have heard Robot Units creak enough to know that it was 456770. He followed me home. He hid, listening to our conversations. I know he did. It was him. What other Robot Unit would do that? But Robot Units do not creak that often. And he is new, a new Robot Unit, and yet, there he was, creaking. It could be that the assembling process did not work right with him, a fact that might be true considering his behavior, but could that also mean that he could freeze up? That he could easily rust and fall apart? I don't want that to happen.

Now Blossom! Why would you of all ponies, whose friend has been arrested by his kind multiple times, not want something like a bolt coming loose to happen to him?

Because I don't. And that's the truth.

"Sis? Are you sure your okay?" Little Leaf asked, amidst her paper and crayons strewn all over the three legged table. "You seem, distracted."

I turned around to face her after staring out the window. I shook my head back and forth, to get some of the fogginess out from my brain.

"Did, something happen?" She asked me.

I looked down at her. "No, no, Little Leaf, nothing happened." She raised her eyebrow. "Aw come on, Little Leaf, would I lie to you?" I put on the best fake smile I could muster.

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I guess not. But why don't you lay down? That could help." I looked down at my little sister, who, so much younger than me, could be more mature about stressful situations than I could ever be. This time, I smiled a genuine smile at her.

"Alright, Leaf." I said, running my hoof through her mane. "I'll go lay down." I kissed her fore head, then walked into our bedroom and curled up on my bed, which was nothing more than a sheet of hay between two blankets, and gazed out into the dark room. The events that happened today, and yesterday, what are they doing to me? I just lied to my little sister.

My eyelids grew heavy.

I just lied to my mother.

My eyelids closed.

And here I am, worrying about a stupid, freaking Robot Unit!

I fell asleep.

He is standing there, 456770, before me in a large field. We are staring at each other, making no moves, making no sound. Suddenly, like a volcano erupting, thousands upon thousands of Robot Units lept up from the ground, materializing from the rocks around us themselves. I stood, frozen in fear, as they all took note of us, their glowing red eyes, so much like the Robot Unit who saved my life's, becoming one giant mass of glowing red intentness. "YOU HAVE BROKE CODE OF CONDUCT BY NOT TURNING IN THIS MARE TO THE CUSTODY OF THE GOVERNMENT." They all said together. I wanted to shrink, to run away from their voices, so different than 456770's. What did I do to anger them? I couldn't put my hoof on it. "STEP ASIDE."

"NO!" 456770 shouted. He stepped in front of me, blocking them from my view. "You will have to go through me first." I heard the familiar clank of metal, and I knew that they must have all revealed all their weapons. Guns and rockets, lasers and missals, and knives and swords. And they where going to use them all on 456770. I sprang forward in front of him, blocking the blades and bullets from hitting him just as they attacked. I took all the blows. And then I collapsed, bleeding from my wounds. I looked down at my body, and could see my own heart beating. My chest has been ripped wide open. Thump thump. Thump thump. And thick, sticky blood ran into the grass, staining the area around me. And the pain. Oh, the pain. It was as if a thousand volcanoes had erupted inside of me. I looked up at the stars, knowing that it would be the last time I would ever see them. "456770!' I called out in a quiet voice as the Robot Units gathered around me. Suddenly, I saw him step over me, a look of pure anguish in his eyes.

"Blossom!" He called out to me, though I could barely hear him. My ears where also bleeding. But suddenly, I saw his metal parts vanish, his nuts and bolts disappear, and his red eyes become those of like a pony. Indeed, he has become a pony. He is a unicorn, and he has a light purple coat like spun lavender with a mane of white, and eyes of ruby red. And his eyes, they are clouded.

"456770?" I asked him. He nodded. "You, you look so different." Then, everything fell to black.

I awoke with a start in my bed, hyperventilating and sweating bullets. That dream seemed so... real. I felt almost as if it had really happened, that 456770 really had shed his metal layers and became a pony. I felt like I could have reached out and touched him. Even now, as the nightmarish images are slipping away from me, I still feel like I could reach out and touch the image of his pony self.

And 456770 seemed more different to me now than ever before. And now I felt that calling him by a simple number was wrong. I always hated the act of the Robot Units calling me a number. Then why should he be a number? He needs a name. A name suited for a Robot Unit like him. Because 456770 is not enough.

And since he is not like the others, his new name should fit himself.

I came up with the perfect name in an instant. It sounded right, it fit right. I tried it out.

"Broken." Yes. His name shall be Broken.

Broken the Robot Unit, who, in my dreams, became a pony.

Author's Note:

And now the title makes sense! Feedback please! Oh, and let's have a little game, shall we? Any predictions of what will happen in the future?
-WolfoftheWaves Pony

Comments

[Hatty_Hattington]

Nice, this is getting real good~!

[WolfoftheWaves Pony]

4491682
Any predictions?

[Hatty_Hattington]

4491704 The government will find out about this and arrest Broken and Blossom!

[WolfoftheWaves Pony]

4491715
THEN I MUST KEEP WRITING SO THAT YOU MAY FIND OUT OF YOUR PREDICTION WAS CORRECT!

[Pyra Lira]

This is starting to get good!

[Apple Banana]

OooOOoooo~ Can't wait for the next chapter >v<!!!

[WolfoftheWaves Pony]

4491808 Do YOU have any predictions? Sorry, I just want to know!

[WolfoftheWaves Pony]

4491766 Yep. And more is on the way! (Who is your favorite character? Sorry, I just tend to ask questions like that! Don't hate me! *hides behind Broken and Blossom Wing for protection*)

[Pyra Lira]

4491873 Broken is best robot.

[WolfoftheWaves Pony]

4492022
Broken says thank you!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KAKC72RpH-CfDHremdklF6g5JeqdarTbfP65AYor9hw/edit

[hailspider]

I've noticed that this chapter has several small misspellings; you might want to go back and fix things.

Also, now things are really starting to get interesting... !