My Little Cyborg

by Ignimbrite

Symbiotic

Shadowpiercer spread the contents of his saddlebags across the table. There was plenty of material to work with: a radio, a couple blenders, an alarm clock, and a few other odds and ends. The bag on other side held a few screwdrivers, a soldering set, some pliers, and a couple bracelets designed to make it easier for earth ponies to manipulate very small objects.

The bracelets were simple enough, just a loop of metal with an arm on it. At the end of the arm was a spring clamp with a string, and the string had a strap that went around the upper leg so that flexing the leg would open and close the clamp.

Supposedly, it was better than trying to use tweezers for everything. That's what the ad said, at least.

He checked the clock on the wall. He'd have to save the tinkering for later. It was time to head to his shift.

---

Summit Creek flipped through the book before him, mumbling to himself the entire time.

"Integrating the vector fields of the magic flow should give..."

His stomach growled. He really needed to start paying better attention to the time of day. Evidently, he'd skipped lunch again.

He shook his head and scratched out a couple equations on the slate beside him, then compared the results to those in the book.

"Hmm... I'm going to need more zirconium."

He thought about sneaking into the town to see if he could buy some, but the odds that anypony would even know for sure what it was, much less have it, were slim at best.

He was halfway through rewriting the equations to find a substitute material, when a thought struck him.

He facehooved in embarrassment, then adjusted the portal and pulled out a supply crate full of the stuff. While he was at it, he picked up some other useful materials.

A bit of silver for conducting magic flow better, some emeralds for storing excess mana, the latest Setting Star album because why-in-Tartarus not?- all were imported from a realm much like his own. He should have thought of this idea ages ago.

He went back to his slate and scratched out a shopping list.

He then used the portal to pick up a sandwich.

---

Later that day, half the items on the table were in pieces, and Shadowpiercer himself was thoroughly confused. There were electronics in there, like he'd expected, but there was a number of enchanted crystals and stones wired into the circuitry as well.

Oh right, world of magic. I guess I should be more surprised that there are any electronics at all.

Evidently, he would have to do some research regarding this.

---

Sierra Springs stepped into the lab, catching a faint whiff of electrified ozone and... cheese.

As he approached, his brother was sitting in the ground with three calculators, a whiteboard, a chalkboard, and a small pile of papers.

"Oh, hi Sierra. Just finishing up these calculations. I think I'm onto something."

"Good to hear," he nodded, "but if the calculations aren't done yet, why do you have the portal open?"

"Oh that?" Summit Creek looked behind him at the glowing orb hovering above the ring. "I just got a bit hungry."

With that, he pulled a slice of pizza out of the portal. "Want some?"

Sierra Springs opened his mouth, but no sound came out. It took a few tries, but he finally found his voice again.

"You're using the portal to steal food?"

Summit Creek merely shrugged. "Might as well." He took a bite. "You really should try this, by the way. It's fresh from Manehatten."

"The other end of the portal is in Manehatten?!"

"Oh relax. It's not our Manehatten."

Sierra Springs looked on for a moment, then walked away shaking his head.

---

Shadowpiercer approached the library, only to see his self-appointed arch nemesis heading out with an adventure book.

She glared at him.

"You!"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to check out a book on appliance repair. What about you?"

"That's none of your business."

"I was just curious."

"What's going on out there?" Twilight approached, trying to figure out what exactly the source of the argument was.

"He keeps acting suspicious, and I've been trying to get to the bottom of it."

"It's old habits, okay." Shadowpiercer could see that he wouldn't get any relief at all until this was cleared up. "I know you think I'm an assassin. I'm not, but I was designed and trained to be a spy. Okay?"

"So you're what, a former spy or something?"

"I KNEW IT!!!" Pinkie appeared out of the bushes.

Shadowpiercer jumped straight up in the air and turned around.

He most certainly did not scream like a little filly in the process.

"How do you keep doing that?" He stared at the pink mare.

"Doing what?"

"Appearing behind things... and in things... and in things too small to fit into and teleporting at least twice and... and... how?!?"

Pinkie was about to answer when Twilight placed a hoof over the party planner's mouth. "Don't ask," she said with a face that looked like she was remembering something particularly unpleasant. "Trust me."

As Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement, Twilight continued, "so, what were you here for?"

"I needed a book on electronics repair, specifically how the circuitry interacts with enchanted crystals."

"I think I might have a book on that; I'll go check." She disappeared back into the tree.

"So," Rainbow asked, "designed?"

"It's a long story."

"Uh-huh..." She took off, still casting suspicious glances backwards. Pinkie, meanwhile, pronked off into the distance while Twilight came out with the book.

"Found it." She noticed he was still watching Pinkie. "I was serious. Don't question how or why she does what she does."

"B... ... ... but her head came out of a flower pot the other day."

"Her head came out of my mouth once. Seriously, you'll only hurt yourself trying to figure out how she works."

And with that, the librarian went back into her domain while the former spy stood still.

He remained frozen for at least a minute. By the time he could move or speak again, there was no one to answer.

"What?"

Comments

[Haver]

More good

[Khanathara]

"Her head came out of my mouth once. Seriously, you'll only hurt yourself trying to figure out how she works."

Well that's kinda horrifying to picture. But yeah, it's Pinkie Pie, don't question it.

[ZurkonTDS]

"Found it." She noticed he was still watching Pinkie. "I was serious. Don't question how or why she does what she does."

[tsaukpaetra]

"now I'm imagining what other things she could "come out of" and I'm horrified that I'm getting turned on."