Manehattan's Lone Guardian

by Curtis Wildcat

Like the Summer Sunshine

That was embarrassing.

After that showy display of my defensive capabilities paired with a simple boast about my aquatic nature, I'm brought back down to earth by a basic door. I can only imagine what's going through these ponies' heads after that little debacle.

I can't even say it was anything but my fault. Few, if any, in Neo Arcadia are foolish enough to believe that doors have always opened either automatically or with a button press. The problem lies with the fact that how people passed between rooms centuries ago is a mystery. As with so many things in the world, the wars of ages past have erased libraries, museums, and archives alike. Knowledge of anything that existed before robots gained sentience, of dozens upon hundreds of things that the world once took for granted, is long gone.

And here I was, acting like a know-it-all and assuming that the door was going to open just because I was right in front of it. Master X must be spinning in Cyberspace right now.

Doorknobs... so basic in design, and yet so ingenius. Just turn it to the left or right, and it undoes a latch that keeps the door from swinging open. At that point it's just a matter of pushing or pulling on it depending on how the hinges are set. I shouldn't be so fascinated by this when I have much bigger things to worry about, but I can't help myself. I'm getting a glimpse of the distant past! Human or reploid, how many people back home can say that with a straight face?

Maybe when I get home, I can set one of these up to prank Harpuia. I respect him for his combat prowess and commitment towards keeping Neo Arcadia's humans safe, but the pretty boy really needs to develop a sense of humor. There's nothing wrong with smiling and laughing now and then, is there?

...Well, I guess there is if you're being laughed at instead of with. The workings of these doors is common knowledge to these ponies, and neither of these three that I'm with seem to know what to make of my lapse in judgement. One of those that are working the... um... "Miss pegasus, what were those things they were working with up front?"

"Cash registers. Why? You're confused about them too, right?"

Stop looking at me like that. When literally everyone has a card and a scanner for purchasing goods and services, what use do you have for coins and storage devices thereof?

Back on topic, one of those ponies working the registers had been watching the confrontation out the window. I can think of no other logical explanation for why he'd started laughing when I'd walked into the door. On the plus side, they're not going to see me as a threat if I keep doing things like that. On the other hand, I'd feel much better if I wasn't turning myself into a source of mockery and humiliation.

So to summarize what we'd been doing, the pegasus I'd spoken to in that alley showed me how to open the door, and the four of us entered the store... sopping wet. In my case it was no big deal, but the other three were getting water all over the floor and making a mess (the pegasus looked like she was about to shake, but the others stopped her in time). The store manager quickly pointed us to a back room where we wouldn't get in anyone's way and cause a disturbance, and the ponies were allowed to dry off and warm up.

There were some customers in the store, primarily young-to-middle-aged adults, and they were wary of me almost immediately. Strangely, when they saw who was escorting me, they gave the pegasus a respectful look and left us alone as we walked towards the back. It's mostly due to mild curiosity since she seemed more quirky than authoritative, but I have to wonder if she's in any position of power in this city and I just got her on her day off.

Assuming they have days off here. Keeping humanity safe from Mavericks was a full-time job for me.

Current Power Output: 35% of capacity. Will not reach higher than 35% in current state.

Motor Control: 68%. Water-saturated debris in system are effecting speed, agility, and full range of movement. Please remove promptly.

Energen Levels: 20%. Danger: estimate five hours before shutdown.

While the ponies were getting dried off, I did a quick scan of my systems to see how the lightning strike had effected them. As expected, it had been far more beneficial than harmful: power is flowing through my body more efficiently now, though until my generators are fully repaired they won't be able to operate at their maximum. It's starting to look more and more like I'm going to have to rely on my auto-repair systems to keep myself going, given what I've seen of the ponies' tech base from this shop alone.

As expected, the rain that seeped past my damaged frame sank into the grime within, adding a little extra weight... not much, but enough to throw off my timing to an extent. I have an idea as to how to deal with this, but it's going to have to wait until I'm positive that I have the ponies' approval. As much as I hate hate hate having that stuff stuck inside me, removing it isn't something that I can do without help.

My Energen levels are much more worrying. The warning I received told me that I have less time to resolve this issue than I'd first estimated. There's an object of interest that my HUD's been trying to point out to me since before the lightning, so I might---and I can't emphasize that word enough---be able to lengthen my operational lifespan, but again that's contingent on getting the ponies' approval. If it's something that's sold right here at the store, then I'm going to have to hope that they're willing to buy it for me.

'Sally' and the third pony, the latter not possessing wings or a horn, were satisfied with the state of their coats and discarded the towels they were using, sitting up straight. The pegasus decided instead to rest on her stomach, wrapped up in a towel a size too large for her with only her muzzle and face visible. There's a subroutine somewhere that's trying to get me to squeal about how cute that is, requiring me to squash it with all the force it deserves. "Well, then," I say, bringing myself down to eye level with them and sitting on the floor cross-legged. "If we're going to officially introduce ourselves, let's get it out of the way now. I don't have much time."

The three of them are looking at each other, trying to will each other into speaking up first. The male of the group is the first to fold, and he speaks up with a sigh and a shrug. "Name's Turkey Bowl. I make my living as a member of the Equestria Bowling League. I... guess it's nice to meet you, in light of the circumstances."

...And he just said all of that with a completely straight face. I'll take that at face value for now, but still... 'Turkey Bowl'? "How about you?" I inquire of the crazy unicorn.

"The masses call me Flaming Salamandra! Head of horror, master of marionettes, and president of peril!" she declares bombastically, almost blowing out my hearing. Thankfully she retains enough sense to dial it down for the rest of her introduction. "But you can call me Drama Heart. No hard feelings?"

"Gray Ghost," the pegasus greets me with a humble smile. "Just a housewife and proud mother of four."

You showed up out of nowhere, scared me half to death, and your speed would impress Harpuia. If you're just a housewife, then I'm just a factory model. "I see... and 'Equestria'?" I ask Turkey Bowl.

"You don't even know what Equestria is?" the pony asks, incredulous.

"I'm an outsider. Assume I've never heard the term before," I tell him, "because I haven't."

"Just how 'outside' are we talking here?" Drama Heart asks. "Griffonstone? Yakyakistan? Saddle Arabia? Abyssinia?"

"Ditto for those places, wherever they are."

The ponies are starting to look disconcerted. "How long have you been alive," Gray wonders, "that you don't know things that most ponies would find incredibly basic?"

"In its defense, I've never heard of Abyssinia either," Turkey Bowl states. "Sounds made-up."

"I can assure you, Abyssinia is very much real," Drama Heart corrects him. "Take a housecat, make it talk and stand on two legs, and have it taller than the average pony. That's what an Abyssinian looks like. Mind you, I only know this because I've seen artists' renderings of them, but all the same their homeland exists."

I decide to cut in before the discussion spirals out of control. "But to answer the sneaky cat's question, I've been in operation at least thirty years. I can't give you the exact date I was activated. My memories of that day are spotty at best, and when you're doing effectively the same things day after day for years, time passes quickly."

"And those things would be...?" Gray asks as the other two frown.

"Helping to clean the world's waters, making land devastated by years of war liveable again, and---eventually---protecting those that live on it from the depredations of criminals and terrorists," I tell them bluntly.

I don't need perfect vision to tell that this is confusing them. "Wh... why would you need to do those things?" Turkey Bowl wonders, concerned. "If the rest of the world were that bad, shouldn't we have heard at least something about it?"

I take a quick second to think of a reply before turning my lips into a chilling smile. "Nice choice of words there. 'The world'. That implies that yours is the only one out there."

Credit to these ponies: they're not idiots. Drama Heart's expression in particular is especially gobsmacked. "You... you're an alien?"

I consider the question for a bit before shrugging and giving them the abridged version of my journey here. "You're not too far off the mark. I was trying to protect an..." I frown as I consider the right word to describe Zero. No, not the term 'murder-crush', I don't care how accurate that is. More like... there we go. "...an ally from a violent explosion. Everything I saw and knew turned white." My eyes flick towards Gray. "When I'd gotten all my senses about me, I was on a rooftop next to yours."

"...Tartarus," Gray whispers, eyes wide. A curse of some kind, I'm guessing. "You're no mannequin or doll. Just who or what are you?"

I sigh, or at least do a good job of effecting it. "People will do anything to distract themselves from their problems. In an age where the situation could be both a hundred times worse and a thousand times better, there are still stories floating around. You probably know the type: someone gets snatched from his/her home and dropped in a land far away, and they have to either shape up or ship out before it's too late."

Both Gray and Heart nod at this, though I don't acknowledge them out loud. "That's effectively what has happened to me. This land of Equestria is as completely alien to me as I am to any of you. If I can't find some way to return home then I'll have to adapt to its environs for the long haul, but... my time and options are running out as I speak. The pick-me-up I got from that lightning strike isn't going to last forever, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm getting desperate."

I shift positions so that I'm kneeling instead of sitting, my head bowed towards the floor with my eyes closed. It's a bit condescending, but I don't care right now: this needs appropriate gravitas. "Permit me the dignity of an introduction, little ponies. I am a Reploid, a living machine of metal and coolant instead of flesh and blood. My name is Fairy Leviathan, one of Neo Arcadia's Four Guardians and commander of the Deep Sea Squadron, and I will gladly accept your help if you have any to offer."

Total silence. "...Though I will answer to just 'Fairy' if you think 'Leviathan' is too off-putting," I quip, opening one eye to scan the ponies' expressions.

The room's quiet for a bit longer. "...I woke up this morning to prepare for a bowling tournament," Turkey Bowl utters, stunned. "I did not expect this."

"I was going to brainstorm new ideas, maybe do some upkeep on my stage," Drama Heart added in the same tone.

"I was just going to sleep," Gray says happily. I'm not getting why she looks cheerful so quickly after she'd wondered who I was. I know, she said she doesn't scare easily, but still.

The others ignore her pleased proclamation, with Turkey Bowl being the one to speak what was on his mind. "So... you said something about a squadron. You're in your military?"

I shrug. "Essentially, but my rank's not going to mean anything here, so don't concern yourself with it. Far as I know, I'm the only one of us here."

"Whew. Good." His voice is filled with relief. "I was worried that there were more of you here, running around and making trouble for everypony. The last thing we need around here is a little chaos."

'Everypony'? I choose to stay quiet at that. My own questions can wait.

Drama Heart's recovered and getting up close again. I flinch when she does, because I seriously don't like the idea of her nuzzling me again. She stops shy of touching me, though, seeming more intent on my wounds. "These look completely messed up. I thought this was blood when I first saw it, but you said this was... coolant?" I nod as she continues talking. "These gashes and dents along your side here... what in Equestria caused them? ... Well, not Equestria but that Neo place, any... ugh." She throws up her hooves, exasparated. "You know what I mean!"

I wave off her blunder, readjusting from kneeling to sitting. "I hope you're settled in, because this might be hard to digest. A few weeks ago, my fellow Guardians and I were investigating a spaceship that crashed far outside the city limits..."

Twelve minutes after I started, the ponies are looking as if they were told the story of a lifetime. I'd explained everything that happened from my perspective, barring unneeded details: the first encounter with Omega and subsequent thrashing, being left alone with Fefnir in some room without either of us receiving any repairs, the unexpected meeting with Phantom and the true X while on the edge of unconsciousness, reuniting with Harpuia, and the explosion that enveloped us at the abandoned laboratory. I topped it off with my brief experience at what Gray called the Hyacinth Apartments.

"...so the unicorn screamed 'Mannequin' right in my face, threw her stuff at me, and took off for home." I nod in satisfaction and fold my arms. "Everything since, you already know."

The silence this time was deafening. And I mean that seriously. You're not supposed to hear silence, since it's the lack of noise by definition. It was so quiet that things I would normally tune out, such as the extraordinarily soft humming of my CPU, my auto-repair function and the circulation of coolant throughout my body, were registering as several decibels to my metaphorical ears. It's the first time that I've ever experienced this phenomenon to its fullest extent.

Gray finally breaks the silence with an awkward smile and just as ungainly words. "Heh... now I don't feel so bad about not buying the latest issue of 'Power Ponies' for Ebony. Your story more than makes up for it."

"You believe me, then?" I ask, hiding my hopefulness.

Gray and Drama Heart both nod slowly, probably because they're still having trouble swallowing this but haven't seen anything that would call things into question. "There's still one thing, Fairy," Turkey Bowl says, on the other hand. "You never explained what you meant when you said you were dying."

Finally hitting the more important topics. Good. "There's a specific crystal type back home called 'Energen'," I tell him, deciding to keep quiet about its role in Neo Arcadia's energy crisis. "It's basically food for Reploids. Just a handful of it completely refills my internal stores plus extra, keeping me going for close to a month before I'd need to eat more. On the flip side, if I go too long without having any, then there's nothing to keep my power generators or auto-repair system working. Everything would shut down, and..." My hand tightens a little. "...Unless someone was willing and able to jump-start my systems by placing the crystals manually, I'd be just as subject to the ravages of time as everything else. No better than scrap."

All three ponies' ears droop as one, which didn't strike me as a good sign even before any of them spoke. "I've never heard of anything called that," Drama Heart sadly confirms.

Gray's pity was palpable. "You can't eat anything else?"

"Don't get me wrong. I can safely eat and process foods that most would consider 'normal'," I hastily clarify. "They wouldn't do me any good, though. We don't have the means of gaining nutrients and energy from food like you can." A slight head shake. "And I was built without a sense of taste anyway, so I wouldn't be able to enjoy them even if I could benefit from them."

The implications of this would have brought down the mood in most situations. Happily, Gray's next words provide a bit of levity. "You really have no idea what you're missing."

I chuckle in response. "No doubt. There's still something a bit promising, though. My HUD... acronym, short for Heads-Up Display," I elaborate just to preempt any confusion, "has been telling me that there's something of note in the store that might serve as a temporary fix. I realize I'm asking a lot, but if it's something that can be purchased, would I be able to talk one of you into buying it for me?"

The two females look a bit pensive. I didn't know what Drama Heart's story was, but I imagine Gray probably wouldn't be too eager to spend money. If that was a low-rent apartment she lived in, she probably didn't earn a whole lot as it was. In contrast, Turkey Bowl was much less hesitant. "I got a nice prize from today's tournament, so I have some bits to spare. If it's not too expensive, sure."

I give the... stallion, I want to say?... a closer look. I've been preoccupied enough with my thoughts and explanations that I haven't paid much attention to his appearance. His tail is short and red, and his mane is next to nonexistent; I'm guessing that it was transplanted to his chin, judging by that beard he is sporting. His coat is a light brown, and I belatedly recall that he'd had a gray jacket over it, but it was soaked through by the rain and consequently left to dry next to a vent. "You're sure?" I tell him. "It doesn't look you were carrying anything on you. None of you do."

"I was in a hurry, and I'd forgotten my saddlebags," Gray grumbles good-naturedly. "Sue me."

"Left mine back at the theater," Drama Heart added. She's smirking now, and I don't like that look. "I was going after what I thought was a prize, and I don't mean the monetary kind."

"I always keep a few bits close by in case I need to buy a snack after a game," Turkey Bowl said, turning away to get his jacket. Now that I had a proper viewing angle, I could tell that like the others, he had a branding of his own: some sort of navy blue and turquoise sphere with a bird's head superimposed over it. What's with those things? "Not completely dry yet, but it'll have to do. Ready to look for this temporary fix of yours, Fairy?"

I get to my feet, which is all the answer they need.

When we returned to the store proper, there were still ponies going about their business. A few of those I saw when we entered were still busy shopping, and upon acknowledging us decided to ignore my presence. Briefly I wondered how long it would take for them to trust me enough for me to forego any escort, but I dismissed that thought. Getting home is my highest priority; being considered trustworthy would be nice, but I don't see the need to put in serious effort towards that end. It's not like I'll be seeing them again once I return home.

A glance out the windows tells me that it's still raining. I'm not hearing any thunder, so I guess the lightning decided to call it a day. For their sake, I won't argue.

As things stand, I'm 'zeroing' in on where my HUD pointed out the item of interest was located. Each aisle is clearly labeled as to its contents, but it's moot due to me not understanding a single thing written. Just because these Equestrians share a spoken language with some of those in Neo Arcadia, that doesn't mean that the written one matches up.

Gray's rattling off what's in each aisle as we walk through the store. "...Aisle Ten, pet supplies. Aisle Nine, toiletries and mane care products. Aisle Eight, basic office supplies. Aisle Seven, bread, hay and baked goods. Aisle Six, juices and soft drinks. Aisle Five, candy---"

"Hold it," I interrupt, stopping in my tracks at Aisle Five. "What I'm looking for is in this aisle."

Drama Heart snorts quietly. "You're sure you're not just a foal crafting an elaborate excuse to munch on something sugary?"

"I think I'd know if I was a quadruped," I retort in jest as I start down the aisle, the others following me. "And I've never had a gram of sugar in my life."

"Again," Gray states. I don't get how they're able to make their smiles audible. Just how many physical impossibilities are these ponies made of? "You have no idea what you're missing."

I scan the shelves to narrow down where the item I'm looking for is located. "Is sugar a major part of a pony's diet?"

"It's right up there alongside fruits and vegetables," Turkey Bowl explains. "We can safely eat meat too, but that tends to be more of an acquired taste, it doesn't have much nutritional value for us, and it has little flavor. Definitely not our first choice, so what little meat sold here is usually bought by griffons."

I might not know much about equines back home, but what little I do know points to them needing to be herbivores for the sake of their health. I was under the impression they couldn't eat meat at all. Not all things stay true between universes, apparently. And griffons...? Something to put a peg on for later.

Back to business: the item I'm searching for has been found. It's a bright yellow and orange bag with its text printed in an... explosive font, and is the only one of its kind on the shelf. In sharp contrast, every other product in this aisle numbers anywhere from five to fourteen. Quietly frustrated that I can't read it, I pick it up and show it to the ponies. "Mind telling me what this is supposed to be, please?"

Drama Heart's eyes are nearly the size of her entire head, which is saying something in light of how big they were before. "It's the holy grail of sugarholics everywhere," she breathes. "This is your 'fix'?"

Gray isn't as enthused as she reads what's on the front of the bag. "'Heartbreakers' fruit candy. An explosion of flavor in your mouth!' Fah. There are five servings in this bag, and each one alone contains twice the recommended daily dose of sugar. I feel sick just thinking about having one of these."

"You're sure this is what you're looking for?" Turkey Bowl asks doubtfully. "The way you were describing that 'Energen' stuff, it sounded like you were talking about some kind of mineral ore. That's the sort of thing you'd probably find at a jeweler's or other specialty shop, not a bog-standard grocery store."

"I can't claim to understand it either, you three," I said, no less unsure, "but my HUD's not lying and I can't afford to be picky right now. If this works out, I should be out of the danger zone. If not..." I close my eyes for a few seconds, miming an exhale before I start towards the checkouts. "Let's just get this paid for. I'm starting to feel tired."

The clerk who accepts Turkey Bowl's money is the same one who was laughing when I smacked my face on the doors. When he sees me towering over him he almost stumbles over himself trying to apologize, thinking I would be upset at him for it, but I wave off his attempts and let my new compatriots get down to the business of consumerism.

The 'business' of consumerism? Nice choice of words there, Leviathan.

After being given the candy shortly thereafter, I tear open the bag, withdraw one of the 'Heartbreakers' and raise it up towards my eyes for a closer look. It doesn't look anything like Energen, never mind the compressed E-Crystals I was used to: it's spherical, a bright green in color, and actually made a light clacking sound when I tapped it with a fingertip. As I'm being fed information on its makeup, I actually wonder if my scanners are actively misleading me. Why is this candy being singled out? Yes, it's too sugary even by these ponies' apparent standards, but that can hardly be the only reason. There's something strange about this. What is it about this package that makes my systems recognize it as a possible source of Energen?

Well, no choice but to take the plunge. I toss the Heartbreaker into my mouth as my associates--plus a cautious customer who was about to leave but became curious--look on. The candy resists for a split second before it's crushed between my teeth. I'm feeling a slight twinge telling me never do that again before it---

...

...

Strange. Why am I on eye level with the ponies again? I'm positive that I was standing... "Wha... what just happened?"

"Fairy, are you alright?" a frantic Drama Heart exclaims, her face rushing forward to occupy my vision. "You went cross-eyed and just fell over!"

Huh... that would explain the slight ache in my lower back. "...I did?" I think I surprised myself with the genuine astonishment in my voice. I look at the bag held tightly in my hand, feeling a little bit dazzled at what just one of the candies did. A quick scan tells me that there are another forty of them contained within, give or take.

"Did it work?" Gray, who is just as anxious as the theater owner, wants to know. Turkey Bowl doesn't say anything, but his visage is asking the same thing as they are.

I know I've probably met my quota for using this word today, but this makes absolutely zero sense. In the space of just a few hours, my personal universe has been overturned. Everything I know doesn't fit the standard mold anymore. This world is an enigma wrapped in a mystery at the core of a puzzle garnishing a quandary.

But no matter how ridiculous it is, neither the energy surge I'm feeling nor the meter flashing in the corner of my HUD are lying. As I'm escorted to a bench next to the exit to get my bearings, I'm forced to acknowledge that my systems haven't misled me after all.

I sit down on the bench and flash a relieved--and thankful--smile at those watching. "It worked."

Energen Levels: 18% --> 22%

Author's Note:

The MMZ timeline is a bit iffy as to how long the Guardians were in operation. All I can really figure out is that they were created well after the Elf Wars ended, but prior to Ciel creating Copy X. For Leviathan's age, I just made a wild guess and let in-universe monotony do the rest.

That sandwich in "A Bird in the Hoof" has always bugged me.

The "Heartbreakers" candy seen in this chapter is meant to be the in-universe equivalent of Gobstoppers dialed up to eleven.

If any of you can figure out what the chapter's title is a reference to, I'll be very surprised.

Estimated Chapter Deadline: October 4th, 2021

Comments

[Twilight_Shimmer]

You have my attention!

Maybe when I get home, I can set one of these up to prank Harpuia. I respect him for his combat prowess and commitment towards keeping Neo Arcadia's humans safe, but the pretty boy really needs to develop a sense of humor. There's nothing wrong with smiling and laughing now and then, is there?

Pinkie Pie would approve!

[Zoshe]

So is this gonna be a thing now?
She's popping candy every scene?

[Curtis Wildcat]

10985058
Nah, not every scene. Even I'm not that nuts. Not to say that the topic won't come up again, though. Time will tell.

[Dark Feather]

I´m guesing that it is something in the processing or a specific ingridient that makes it work as a stopgap.

[BigBossAlmighty]

In response to your author's note:

The Guardians were created from fragments of X's DNA Soul when X chose to seal the Dark Elf within his body. Those fragments were fashioned into proper DNA Souls that developed into the Guardians we see.

You might think of the Guardians as X's children.

[Curtis Wildcat]

11089554
Okay, that was one thing I hadn't figured out. For the sake of the chapter I'm working on now, I was operating under the assumption that they were in operation before X sealed himself away. This clears things up quite nicely, so thanks for pointing this out.

[fanreader999999]

I haven’t played the Zero series in over a decade and I know the games have an uneven translation, but this is way too much isekai and too little Leviathan.

[Curtis Wildcat]

11122737
To each their own. (shrug)

[tsaukpaetra]

Analysis: she can eat love? 😘

[A Soul In Limbo]

I know I've probably met my quota for using this word today, but this makes absolutely zero sense. In the space of just a few hours, my personal universe has been overturned. Everything I know doesn't fit the standard mold anymore. This world is an enigma wrapped in a mystery at the core of a puzzle garnishing a quandary.

That last line is fantastically poetic.

[Velvet-Fresh]

4 percent for every jawbreaker she crunched. And that 4 percent is just from ONE?

[Poparakelis]

Energen Levels: 18% --> 22%

Equestrian food is grown with magic, it is reasonable to think they have more energy inside than Earth food

[SilverDiamond]

11670288
I would think that sugar candy is not grown with magic, but is packked with lots of "chemicals", so to speak. Sugar, some fruits, and lots of magic, to make it a literal health hazard. If it is close to the energon or whatever - you can guess what it does to organics.

[Direct Access]

idk maybe there are jem dust or something.
Anyway, meta knowledge always does those stories a disservice.