More Machine
Twilight swallowed a mouthful of leftover food from the party in a single large gulp before grabbing another hoofful of the stuff. Though they were not the most filling thing in the world, Pinkie Pie had packaged all the remaining appetizers and placed them in the fridge. Having yet to go bad, the dry prawns and cold sausage rolls went down easy despite they had lost flavor overnight.
Chewing loudly, Twilight had brushed aside any attempt to eat with any degree of politeness. Her stomach burned, and her body required sustenance, a desire she was going to fulfill as soon as possible. Sure enough, in no time at all she had inhaled nearly all of the remaining finger food. She sighed contentedly, swirling a cup full of punch in her hoof.
“Feel better?” asked Spike.
“Like you wouldn't believe,” Twilight replied before tossing back the red liquid and gulping it down.
“You weren't kidding when you said you were spent. It's a good thing Pinkie Pie made so much,” Spike remarked.
“She knows how hungry one can get after using their powers for an extended period of time,” Twilight added, picking up the plates, cups, and empty packaging before making her way over to the metal sink.
“So, where ya off to now?” Spike asked.
“Out. Gotta see this council of theirs and find out if we are going to have a problem,” Twilight replied, dumping her dishes in the shallow metal tub.
“I’m coming with you, ya know,” Spike declared.
Twilight stopped and turned to the young dragon, eyeing him closely. For a moment she considered telling him to stay here, but quickly thought better of it.
“You know, I’m going to see Celestia,” Twilight reasoned.
“Of course,” Spike exclaimed.
Twilight nodded. “I wouldn't keep you from her. Come on, we better get moving if we want to see her and still have time to meet whomever is holding the reins of the confederacy.”
“How are we going to find her? This place is enormous,” Spike asked.
“Simple, we ask directions from someone who knows,” Twilight replied with a wink.
The pair trotted out of the barracks, idly noting that the broken doors had finally been removed and had not been repaired. The guards were also gone, replaced by a lone sentry sitting further down the hall. The stallion was a bit on the older side, and gave the infested only a brief glance before looking back down at his newspaper.
Twilight resisted the urge to comment on this change until she was in the elevator and the doors had closed.
“I guess they’ve given up attempting to keep us locked down here,” Twilight stated.
“I mean, there is only one elevator,” Spike pointed out. “If they wanted to, they could just disable it, and we’d be stuck down here.”
“No stairs? What if they lose power?” Twilight inquired, the numbers above her head slowly rising until stopping with a quiet ding.
“I think there might be a ladder or something in the shaft, but I don't know how that works. Zecora was determined to figure out how to escape, though she gave up on that pretty quick,” Spike explained.
“Why is that?” Twilight pressed.
Spike shrugged. “There wasn't much to go on, and everyone else was convinced that you were coming back, so we didn't want to push our luck.”
“That's fair, though it seems as though Zecora was unconvinced I would return,” Twilight pointed out.
“Yeah she was certain that you were gone for either good, or a long while, and wanted to get us to form an escape plan,” Spike continued.
“I’ll have to keep an eye on her,” Twilight muttered.
“I wouldn't worry about it too much. Zecora is just a bit too analytical for her own good. Got a bit too much zerg in her or something,” Spike exclaimed with a shrug.
Twilight merely hummed to herself as the elevator came to a stop, allowing the pair to depart and pass through another security checkpoint. This one was only slightly more thorough than the last, as there were two guards, one of which asked how Twilight’s day was going. After a very brief exchange, Twilight and Spike were on their way once more, with Twilight leading them further into the facility.
Several twists, turns, elevators, and security checkpoints later, the pair had still not reached their destination. In fact, the metal hallway they were in seemed to be the exact same as the other dozen which had come before, at least in Spike’s opinion.
“Who or what are you looking for again?” Spike groaned. “It feels like we've been walking forever.”
“Just a little bit further,” Twilight encouraged, her metal-clad hooves clanking loudly against the floor.
“You’ve been saying that for like, an hour,” Spike whined.
“This time I mean it,” Twilight stated.
“You’ve been saying that for a while too!” Spike exclaimed.
The unicorn came to an abrupt stop in front of a seemingly random door, causing Spike to nearly collide with her backside. Thankfully the dragon stopped himself a moment before he would have gotten a faceful of unicorn butt. Spike was about to ask where exactly they were, but Twilight had already raised her hoof and knocked twice, causing a pair of loud clangs to echo down the hall.
“I keep forgetting you’re covered in metal now,” Spike muttered as he rubbed the scales located immediately around his ear holes.
“Err, what? Who is it?” shouted a familiar female voice.
“You know who!” Twilight yelled back.
A moment later, the still slightly confused face of Steel Heart emerged from between a crack in the door. Her bewildered expression was made even more ridiculous by the tiny hat complete with pom pom which sat atop her head. Twilight also noticed that she wore a white onesie covered in tiny red hearts and had yet to don her prosthetic leg.
“Just a second,” Steel Heart murmured before slamming the door shut.
“Was she wearing what I think she was wearing?” Spike muttered.
“She looked cozy,” Twilight remarked.
The pair exchanged a snicker while Steel Heart clattered around within her domicile. A minute later, the large mare emerged once more, now wearing her usual mechanic outfit and metal leg.
“Sorry about that,” Steel Heart whispered, a slight blush creeping onto her face. “Your sudden arrival yesterday left me with a lot of paperwork, and I might have overslept a little.”
“That explains why you couldn't make it to the party,” Spike added.
Steel Heart sighed. “Unfortunately, it does. I tried slipping out the back and handing my work off to one of my underlings, but that… didn't go so well.”
“It's fine, Steel Heart. That just means we’ll have to throw another soon,” Twilight replied with a soft smile.
Which Steel Heart eagerly returned. “Thank you, Twilight. Now then, what did y'all need from me? Or did ya just want to shoot the shit a bit over a pot of coffee?”
“I’m afraid not,” Twilight answered. “We were hoping you could point us in the direction of Celestia.”
“We haven't seen her since well… you know,” Spike muttered in a low tone.
Steel Heart winced and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “I suppose I should tell you that officially no one is allowed to see her.”
“But?” Twilight pressed.
“But I’d never forgive myself for barring a child from seeing her mother,” Steel Heart finished.
“Are you sure you won't get in trouble?” Spike inquired.
Steel Heart chuckled bitterly. “Oh, I will. I just don't rightly care, if I’m being honest with ya.”
“Thank you, Steel Heart,” Twilight offered, clasping the other mare around the shoulder.
“Yeah yeah, just don't get all mushy on me, or I’ll lose my edge,” Steel Heart muttered, brushing off the unicorn’s foreleg. “Speaking of which, we better get going.”
“Did ya get a good sleep at least?” Spike asked as they all began to move down the hall.
“Not bad, weird dreams though,” Steel Heart muttered.
“Would you kindly bugger off already? You’ve seen my clearance level!” Steel Heart shouted, looming over a guard positioned in front of a large blast door.
“But we aren't supposed to let any--Help me out here, Leafy,” muttered the male, glancing expectantly to his partner.
“Don't drag me into this. I told you to just let her in,” replied the other guard.
“You really should listen to your betters,” Spike exclaimed, flashing the young pony a wide, toothy grin.
Twilight tapped her hoof on the stone floor, her restlessness growing as the seconds ticked by. The constant metallic thump didn't do much to ease the royal guard’s nerves, and he tugged awkwardly at his golden armor. Unlike nearly everyone else Twilight had seen, these two were outfitted like Celestia’s personal army had been back in the day.
That wasn't all that was different though, as the building they were now in was made of stone, and had been set apart from the others. Guarded by every single living and loyal member of the Royal Guard, this structure was probably one of the most well-defended places in the city. Magic hummed in the air, and Twilight could tell that despite being granted access to most areas without complaint, she was still being watched.
“Alright, fine,” muttered the first guard, who threw up his hooves. “But if I get in trouble, then I’m passing the buck to you.”
“Yeah, whatever. Just open the door already,” Steel Heart barked.
The royal guard took a step back and lit his horn, joining his ally as they cast the necessary unlocking spell. A second later, the hulking wall of metal released a heavy thunk, falling backwards a few inches. It then rolled to the side, revealing what at first glance looked like a massive indoor greenhouse nearly the size of the Canterlot gardens.
Tall trees grew all over the place, their trunks spotted with moss, and were occasionally crowded by bushes. Grass and flowers filled what space was not occupied by larger plants or the dozen or so walkways criss-crossing the space. All of which began or ended at the enormous glass box sitting at the center of the area, the walls of which were several floors high.
“Woah,” Spike murmured.
“She always did love her plants,” Twilight murmured.
Together the trio trotted towards the glass box, the metal door rolling back into place and sealing the exit behind them. Once inside, Twilight detected the sounds of birdsong and the occasional chirp of an insect which could be heard over the dull whir of a distant set of fans. Twilight’s mind idly noted that there was also a giant rune replicating the sun at about two in the afternoon set into the ceiling.
Pushing all such minuscule considerations from her mind, Twilight focused entirely on what lay before her. The glass box itself seemed to be foggy, but it slowly began to clear the closer they got, until eventually they were standing right next to it. From that angle, the interior of the cube was completely visible, revealing that it was a large hospital room dominated by the suspended form of a metal pony.
No, not metal, Twilight quickly realized, as there were patches of Celestia’s skin which had not been covered by steel, wires or tubes. Those small sections were definitely in the minority however, as the vast majority of Celestia’s body was encased in a dull grey material. Her bottom was a different story, as it had been seemingly replaced by an incredible number of tubes which snaked all over the place.
Suspended upright, Celestia hung motionless as several doctors poked, prodded, and monitored the alicorn’s vitals. These most trusted of ponies wore all white, save for a small golden sun patch which had been sewn into their collars. Surrounded on all sides by equipment, assistants, and various monitors, the scene looked chaotic, and yet orderly at the same time.
Twilight placed her hoof on the glass, curiously extending her senses into the room beyond. Though she sensed Celestia’s mind hidden away beneath all that metal, Twilight could barely detect even the most surface level thoughts. It was clear that there was some kind of dampener at play here, though even that didn't explain why Celestia was as difficult to contact as she was.
Peering intently up at the alicorn, Twilight studied the partial mask which covered Celestia’s nose and mouth. Though it replicated Celestia’s features relatively well, the false visage could not hope to do so perfectly. Feeling her teacher’s mental presence, Twilight was tempted to brush against it and speak with Celestia directly, but she stopped herself before that could happen.
“Is she going to be okay?” Spike whispered.
“I’m not sure,” Steel Heart admitted. “An alicorn’s natural magic is strong, and Celestia is unconsciously resisting our attempts to save her, though she likely doesn't even know it.”
“And all the tubes?” Spike asked.
“Those machines you see arrayed around her are replacing the use of the organs she lost,” Steel Heart answered. “There were plans to create a proper body for her, but she's far too weak to undergo such extensive surgery at the moment. That, and we’ve been scrambling to even create a usable prosthetic replacement.”
Twilight ignored the rest of the conversation, focusing on Celestia’s mind and creating a small, narrow bridge between them. Crossing over that threshold, Twilight sent all the calming emotions she could muster towards the alicorn. Twilight accompanied these feelings with sensations of acceptance and relaxation, though she was unsure if they would even get through.
The alicorn didn't seem to notice this attempt on Twilight’s part, at least not at first anyway, for after a few seconds her body relaxed. Muscles fell slack, her wings falling to her back, and the mare seemed to rest for the first time. The alicorn’s doctors immediately started to panic, only to stop when they found out Celestia was not dying. The shock of the sudden shift washed over the orderlies, and soon they were frantically moving around the area, readying themselves for the next surgery.
Let the doctors do their work, Twilight thought, directing the statement at Celestia herself.
Twilight? Celestia inquired, her mental voice weak and fading rapidly.
Rest now. We are all okay, Twilight encouraged.
Celestia’s mind began to still, her thoughts falling away as she slid into true unconsciousness.
“I assume that was you,” Steel Heart murmured.
Twilight nodded slowly. “She was worrying about us.”
Spike sniffed. “Oh, that silly old mare.”
“What now?” asked Twilight.
“They’ll be able to give her the implants she needs, and hopefully undo the damage done to her brain due to all the blood loss,” Steel Heart replied. “Not sure what they all need to replace, but it's quite a bit, or so I heard anyway.”
“There isn't much left of her,” Spike whispered.
Twilight couldn't help but agree, though she didn't dare utter it, her eyes too busy roaming across the alicorn’s torso. Which was indeed almost completely gone, Nightmare Moon’s blade having sliced through Celestia’s back just below her wings. Twilight couldn't help but wonder if there was even a single fully intact organ within the alicorn’s body at this point, save, of course, for her brain.
All she has left are her wings and forelegs, Twilight thought to herself.
“Are you alright, Twilight? Your thoughts are so turbulent I can't really tell what you’re thinking,” Spike whispered, leaning in close.
“It's nothing,” Twilight replied. “Just… sad. That's all.”
“I’ll just be, uh, standing over here whenever you’re done,” Steel Heart offered.
“No,” Twilight interrupted, glancing over at the other mare. “I’d appreciate it if you stayed with us.”
Steel Heart nodded solemnly, walking back to Twilight’s side and standing quietly.
Are you thinking about infesting her? Spike asked, his thoughts piercing the veil of grief which had briefly overcome Twilight’s mind.
Yes, and no, Twilight replied. At this point infesting her would likely do more damage than good, but if I had the necessary biomass to rebuild her body…
It would be different, Spike finished.
It would, Twilight admitted.
Then what are we waiting for? We should get out there and gather everything we need! Spike exclaimed, pulling on Twilight’s forehoof.
No, Twilight stated. I can't do that to Celestia. She needs to be able to consent, and right now she can't do that.
So we get everything ready, wait for her to get a little better, then ask her, Spike reasoned.
We still can't, Twilight replied, glancing down at Spike’s frowning face. To infest Celestia would mean making her subservient to myself. Not only that, but then I would have her DNA.
So? Spike retorted.
So if we got captured by the nameless queen, then we’ll have accidentally given them everything they need to take over the world, Twilight exclaimed.
Still. This is Celestia. We can't just do nothing, Spike continued.
We won't do nothing, Twilight stated. We’ll fight to protect her ponies, and make sure that when she does wake up, there will be a world worth waking up into.
“I hate it when you’re right,” Spike muttered, blowing twin smoke circles at the glass wall.
“Me too, Spike, me too,” Twilight whispered.
Spike turned away, joining Steel Heart as they walked towards the exit, silently giving Twilight a bit of space. Space which the unicorn desperately needed, as she was busy grappling with a tidal wave of guilt and uncertainty. She wanted to help so badly that it hurt, yet she knew there wasn't much she could actually do at the moment.
Growing a body without alicorn DNA would be borderline impossible, and infesting Celestia was out of the question for a myriad of reasons. Leaving Twilight little to do but heed her own words and focus on protecting what Celestia had sacrificed so much to protect.
That thought alone made Twilight’s gaze return to Celestia’s shattered, mostly metal form. The dozens of tubes running from the alicorn’s midsection made Twilight wince in sympathetic pain. Yet there was an odd beauty amidst the exposed wires, gunmetal grey, and visible bolts riddling Celestia’s body.
The alicorn looked, for a moment at least, like an angel, one that was simply incomplete at the moment.
Twilight couldn't help but smile, giving Celestia a bow of appreciation before turning away from the alicorn. Keeping all of her teacher’s lessons in mind would be difficult, but Twilight was determined to do just that. Celestia had given so much for a chance at peace, and Twilight would not soon forget the pain her mother had gone through.
“Sorry if I wasn't exactly the most helpful back there,” Steel Heart muttered. “I never was good with… delicate situations.”
“Don't worry about it, Steel Heart. You did great,” Spike offered, patting the mare on the back.
“Thanks, Spike,” Steel Heart murmured.
“Just your presence was enough,” Twilight added. “Though if you don't mind, I was hoping to change the subject.”
“I’d give my left ovary to talk about literally anything else,” Steel Heart stated.
“Even the fact that you gave up the chance to challenge Twilight to another game of poker last night?” Spike asked.
Steel Heart snorted. “Anything but that.”
“I was hoping you would confirm a few things for me. Such as whether or not there was a dampening field in Celestia’s vault,” Twilight inquired as the trio continued their long trot down another long metal hallway.
“Sorta,” Steel Heart muttered. “After finding out that putting a ton of metal and concrete over the heads of a few infested people kept them from sensing much, we worked to refine that effect. It's still in the early stages, but we believe that with proper experimentation we can discover the right mix of magic and metal that will be able to block psionics entirely.”
“That seems like a bit of a long shot,” Spike offered.
“It is,” Steel Heart admitted.
“So, that's still… what, a few months out?” Twilight inquired.
Steel Heart shrugged. “Or years. It's not a science we’ve explored much, and there isn't a ton of demand for it either.”
“Well, I would argue otherwise. If you could create a device capable of being moved onto the battlefield and deployed near the zerg front lines, you would have quite the advantage in the ensuing fight,” Twilight pointed out.
“How so?” Steel Heart replied.
“Simple, with a link to the hive broken, most zerg bioforms will turn feral and either run or attack one another,” Spike answered.
Steel Heart hummed thoughtfully. “That would be pretty useful, but still. I wouldn't hold your breath for some kinda psi-dampener to be made anytime soon.”
“Which brings me to my next question,” Twilight began. “What seems to be the zerg’s primary objective?”
“To be honest? We aren't totally sure,” Steel Heart admitted. “They ain't exactly chatty, and we have yet to take any queens alive.”
“They will have probably already sensed Celestia’s presence and are likely moving to capture her even now,” Twilight reasoned. “They have a few infested ponies on their side. So we should assume they know that an alicorn is the only one capable of moving the heavenly bodies.”
“Duke mentioned that was a possibility, though I didn't believe him at the time,” Steel Heart murmured.
“Well, either way, it's something to consider,” Spike offered.
“True. Now...” Steel Heart clomped a metal hoof against the grated floor. “Was there anything else you want to ask? Because we’re getting awful close to the command center.”
Twilight shook her head. “No. I’m ready.”
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God the picture i got in my head from this Hurt like hell for all the reasons, And those fuckers already got Cadence so if they try for Celestia they might as well bent over and prepare for Twilight for if they get Her, She wil have close to nothing left to lose
Who's more machine here, Twilight or Celestia.
Also, Damn, no Zerglight Celestia.
I'm going to say I'm worried about Zecora, Slightly Fluttershy. Maybe. In the previous chapter, Pinkie said something about taking over the world, and these two were interested. I might be taking a joke too far, but with how Zecora was acting about Twilight missing worries me the most.
So Celestia's the adjutant?
Well now we know why they were not hinting that Celestia was actively involved at the moment. Were hoping she was just impossibly detained, but we suppose comatose is equivalent.
Wonder if maybe they could get Numbi to help out? She'd be over the moon! Only trouble is how to get there safely and he able to hole up for long enough...
Hmm
11034246
Basicly, yes.
11034200 11034224
Seems to me Celestia looks something like this:
artfiles.alphacoders.com/750/75057.jpg
11034921
I can see what you are saying
11034224
I don't think you need to count Zerg Celestia out yet for as Twilight said she will need her consent for her to be willing to do that to Celestia, And i don't think She will say no to it if ask do to how much She trust Twilight, And a part of me belive that Celestia might even ask for Twilight to do it, For there is not one souls Celestia seens to trust more the Twilight for those two might as well be Mother and daughter, So for Celestia becoming Zarg link to Twilight will just seal the Deal.
and you are right Zecora is sus as hell, she might just be one of starlights Zargs there just to get Twilight's Trust and then do some backstabbing
11034246
Probably not far off based on the description. My first thought was like the inside of a dragoon but terran version.
Nooo, I finally caught up!
I had a lot of fun reading this one over the past week, I love it just as much as the others. Very creative take with this alt universe, appreciate it
11054878
I'm glad to hear youve enjoyed it.
All hail the Broken God, may his broken form be complete once again.
(Reference to SCP-001 the Broken God)
It's good to have a plan Z in case s*** hits the fan
not surprising since the dream machine was destroyed