Friendship Befits Firepower

by MistOverMoon

Chapter Four- Maintenance

Marble woke up in a cold sweat and with a pounding head.

She was laying in her bed, having woken up in the middle of the night from a fitful sleep. With a groan Marble rolled over.

That was when she saw who was in the room with her. Crystal was snoring in one of the beds, deaf to the world. Limestone was much the same. In sleep however, the permeant scowl on her face was relaxed. It was a rare sight.

The events of the previous day hit Marble full force. The mechanical beast, the storm, Crystal, they all came flooding back. She closed her eyes at the thought. For a moment she laid in bed. She didn't feel great and the weight of almost dying sat heavily on her, but she was alive and that was what mattered.

When they got back to the farmhouse they decided to sleep first before doing anything else. It was a decision based on exhaustion. She had left her mech outside though, and she needed to make sure it was ok.

Marble forced herself to her hooves. Silently as possible, as to not wake the sleeping, she made her way downstairs.

The entire farmhouse was still trashed. Splinters and strewn about bowls covered the floor. The central table was thrown to the side, and there were holes in the walls. The window was smashed inward which had coated the floor in sharp glass. And the door... there was no door.

Marble could feel that ember of rage smoldering inside her again. This was her home, and it had been effectively destroyed. It could be repaired, but it would take some time and resources.

To calm herself, Marble skirted the devastation and stepped outside.

The moon was out tonight, and the rain had stopped. It was bright and clear, like a polished pearl. It looked a little too clear for some reason, but the thought of why didn't cross her mind. There were thousands of tiny stars in the sky, each one glittering. A cold wind blew, and silence reigned.

Just outside, her mech stood solemnly. The sight of it calmed her. Nopony had stolen it during the night. It was not damaged too badly either. There were scars in its hull from where the beast had dug its claws in, but it was superficial damage at best. MARBLE had endured well. The damage made her fume, but at the very least her mech wasn't a pile of scrap.

Now that she knew her mech was safe and she wasn't running or fighting for her life, Marble could finally think.

What was that thing? That beast of a machine. Machines didn't just come out of nowhere, they had to be created. They had to be loved and nurtured into existence. Something or somepony had created that and designed it to kill ponies. They had skill too, skill beyond her. To create a fully functioning self-driving machine was something Marble couldn't even begin to imagine how to do.

Who made that thing?

There was nothing to go off of. To throw guesses at the void was not a path she wanted to take. If she wanted to know who made it, she would have to start at the source. The machine itself. The urge to rip what was left of it apart and examine it was already causing her hooves to itch with anticipation.

Marble glanced back at the farmhouse. It would probably freak Limestone out if she wasn't there when she woke up, so maybe she would hold off on going back to the machine's body for now.

To her surprise, there was a pony standing in the doorway.

"Hey." Crystal Courage was standing in the doorway. "It's the middle of the night you know."

"Mm..." Marble hummed, turning her head.

An awkward silence passed between the two. The presence of the mech behind Marble was suddenly very noticeable. It was obvious that she was the owner of the mech.

"You saved me. I wanted to thank you." Crystal stepped forward then pointed towards the mech. "I have to ask though... what is that?"

Marble didn't know what to say. She couldn't say anything, the words died in her throat.

"I know you can speak, Marble. Why won't you talk to me?" Crystal came closer, towering over her. "Speak to me, please."

"Sorry..." Marble said in a soft voice. She didn't know why she was apologizing.

"What are you apologizing for?"

Marble whimpered, her chest squeezing. Why was she so pathetic?

"Hey Marble." Crystal smiled. "Let's be friends, okay? You can be comfortable around me."

With no other option available, Marble hesitantly nodded.

"Awesome!" Crystal beamed. "Now, you have to tell me about that thing you have. What is it? Where did you get it?"

"...I made it." Marble forced the words out. The secret that she had it was out anyways.

"Made it? How?"

"Steel. Magic gems." Marble said.

"So, you built it from scratch? I've never seen anything like it before in my life." Crystal said. "So, what was that beast then? Did you make that too?"

"No!" Marble shook her head. "I don't know what that thing was. It's not mine."

"So, an unexpected threat then?" Crystal said. "Three new adventurers, a device of great power, and an evil rising up that they must face..."

Marble didn't know what she was talking about.

"You know what that means, my friend?" Crystal asked.

Marble shook her head. "N-No."

"We have to investigate. We have to find out what is going on and solve it!" Crystal said. "It's a tale as old as time. Three new heroes. Three new friends. Three-"

A stomp stopped Crystal mid-sentence. Standing in the doorway was Limestone, her face scrunched up into a scowl.

"Nopony is going near that thing." Limestone looked terrible, her voice was scratchy and there were dark bags beneath her eyes. "Especially not when the farmhouse needs to be put back together."

"We should do something about that beast!" Crystal said.

"It's dead. There isn't much more to it." Limestone huffed. "Are you okay, did you get hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine." Crystal said.

"Marble?"

"I'm okay." Marble said.

"At least we have that." Limestone sighed. "Before anything, this place needs to be picked up. This farmhouse is my responsibility, and I can't have it trashed like this."

"But the beast!" Crystal said.

"Crystal, maybe you should just go home. You helped us, and I..." Limestone struggled to find the words. "...thank you... but your brother is probably worried. Best head home and let him know you're alright."

"Leave?" Crystal said. "But I can help pick up around here! And it's the middle of the night!"

"Somepony should tell the town what happened." Limestone said.

"Only five ponies live in Rockville!"

"Fine. But you're helping around here then. I was trying to give you a way to take a break, but if you don't want it..." Limestone shook her head with a sigh. "Start by picking up the kitchen. Thats where the most damage is."

"You can count on me!" Crystal cheered right back up. "Come morning, right?"

"Come morning." Limestone snorted.

Marble wasn't sure if that pony was real. How could she have so much energy? She nearly died and now she was already running around like nothing had happened. Marble felt like she would fall over any second.

"Thank you." Marble whispered.

"For what?" Crystal asked.

"You saved me as well. You're the one who charged out into the rain." Marble said. "I know Limestone is grateful as well, even if she doesn't show it."

"As long as we save each other, I say that we break even." Crystal winked. "Now, let's get back to bed before Limestone starts working us through the night."

Marble tried to hide the small smile that crawled its way onto her face. She wasn't sure she was successful though based on the widening grin of Crystal.

"Wait a minute. Why am I awake?" Limestone suddenly spoke up.

"What do you mean?"

"I never wake up unless its morning. Six in the morning sharp every day, a Pie tradition." Limestone said. "I never wake up a minute later or earlier."

Marble suddenly realized she felt very awake as well. It was still the middle of the night, and she should have felt tired after such a long and exhausting day. Instead, she felt just fine.

"I feel pretty awake as well." Crystal said. "Feels like its early morning actually."

The three stood, looking at each other awkwardly.

Marble looked back up towards the moon. It was hanging in the sky, brighter than ever. Now that her mind had cleared a little, she realized something about the moon. There was no mare in it. The ever-present mare in the moon, a silhouette formed by craters of an ancient mare, was just gone. It was as if it had been wiped clean.

The mare in the moon had been there for as long as the Pie family could remember. And that meant a long, long time. Marble had thought it was a natural phenomenon. Now though, now there was not a single crater on the moon. It was flawless. Pure, untouched.

"Moon." Marble pointed with her hoof.

"That... that can't be good." Crystal said.

"No. It can't." Limestone's frown somehow grew deeper.

"The old legend." Crystal said. "The stars will aid in her escape... it all makes sense now."

"...Stars?" Marble asked.

"I read about it in my fairy tale collection. I never thought that it would be true. It goes as follows." Crystal cleared her throat. "On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape... and she will bring about eternal night."

"Who's escape?" Limestone snapped. "I don't like this one bit."

"Nightmare Moon."

The words hung heavily in the empty air. Everypony had heard the tale of Nightmare Moon. She was a wicked mare who appeared once every night to gobble up ponies. If you didn't wear a disguise and offer up some candy, she would find you. It was a foal's tale. But Marble knew that she was looking at the proof right now.

"I'm getting tired of this." Limestone said. "What do you even do about that? Lay down and die?"

"Adventure." Crystal's eyes sparkled. "You adventure. You set out, go on a journey, and then defeat the bad guy at the end of it."

"That sounds like a quick way to an early grave."

Marble couldn't help but agree. Nothing good ever came out of leaving the farm. Well, nothing good that lasted anyways. There was one thing that was on the farm though. One thing that maybe could provide some answers.

"The machine." Marble said. "I can look at it."

"You two really want to look at that thing?" Limestone said. "Fine, if you're not going to stop asking about it, let's go look at it. Can't clean up this mess in the dark anyways."

"Yes! Let's go!" Crystal Courage clapped her hooves together. "Adventure awaits!"

Marbled turned to her mech. There was no way she was leaving without it. Her legs were also tired. Why walk when you could ride? With that in mind Marble climbed up into it, popping the hatch then slipping inside. The cushion inside was a blessing to her.

"They never had giant machines in the fairy tales." Crystal said.

"They didn't get attacked by killer machines either." Limestone said. "There could be more of those out there. I say better safe than sorry."

"Mm-hmm!" Marble's hum was enveloped in a hiss as the hatch closed shut behind her. The systems of her mech booted up again.

"Booting up, running system diagnosis. Main core charge- 33%. Right blaster charge- 77%. Left jolt thrower charge- 75%. System integrity- 97%. MARBLE-01, All systems fully operational."

The main core charge was getting low, Marble would have to do something about that soon. More magic gems would have to be dug up, one big enough to power the mech. That was a problem for another day though.

"I guess in most fairy tales the heroes were given an artifact of great power." Crystal said.

"Let's be quick then. No longer than we have to." Limestone grumbled. "If we can't find anything out, then I guess we will have to deal with eternal night. If the tale is really true. Which I doubt."

The three began to walk. Marble excluded of course. She drove her mech forward, sheltered from the cold winds that blew. Each step pressed heavily on the hard earth, leaving flat-footed prints. The frontal floodlights lit the way.

Marble was surprised that Limestone had agreed to check out the machine. She wasn't one that usually cared for such things. Maybe it was the moon in the sky. Such evidence could not be easily ignored unless somepony was truly ignorant.

Eternal night. That would be unfortunate to say the least. It would allow her to drive her mech around more without it being noticed though. That didn't sound too bad. Marble shook her head. Her thoughts were getting a little loopy. Maybe it was the exhaustion taking its toll.

Tolls. When was the next tax season for the farm? Why did she care? What was she even thinking about again?

Oh right. The machine.

The old windmill came into view ahead. It was dimly lit by the soothing moonlight. Standing tall in the night, it looked like the bones of some ancient creature. Next to it, half crushed and in pieces, was the machine. It lay in parts; the magic bolts having ripped it to shreds. Its jaws were open wide, fangs bared in a frozen howl. Its lower half was completely crushed, and half of its body had exploded from the jolt of lightning.

"So now what?" Limestone asked.

"Now we investigate." Crystal approached the fallen machine. She poked around it, scanning over the parts. "How does something like this come to exist? To be honest, I don't even know what I'm looking at."

"Sis?" Limestone said. "Want to take a look at this? I'm not looking forward to eternal night if that's really what is going to happen. That would make farming rocks a pain."

Marble climbed out of her mech. She hesitantly approached, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes boring into her. Then, she arrived at the foot of the warped metal beast. Looking at it now, she felt a little guilty for the damage. It was absolutely ravaged.

She peered into one of the holes in the machine. Circuitry and cogs within could be seen. Curious, she tugged on a metal plate. With a wrench she ripped the plate free, revealing a complex system of mechanics beneath. It was dazzling to Marble. Never did she think she would see somepony else's creation that looked so much like her own.

"See anything?" Crystal asked.

"Give her a moment." Limestone said.

Marble could see something lightly glowing red in the center of the machine. She looked towards the head of the beast, just to make sure it was really dead, then she reached towards it. Pulling aside wires and plates, she got further into the machine. However, she couldn't pull it free. There was simply too much metalwork inside.

"I need my tools." Marble said. "We should bring this back to my cave."

"Bring it back to your cave?" Crystal asked. "What cave?"

Marble winced as she realized she had just revealed the existence of the cave. Well, there was no use hiding it now. Besides, Crystal already knew about her mech. "It's my workshop."

"You have a workshop? I have to see it!" Crystal grinned. "Do you have another one of those things?"

"No." Marble said. "MARBLE-01, is unique."

"How do we take it back there? Can't exactly carry it." Limestone said.

Marble climbed back in her mech. She aimed the prong at the machine, then speared it. The hoof-biting sound of metal on metal filled the air. The prong shifted to point upward, now having the beast impaled on it. Then, she started to drag it along the dirt floor. Her mech whirred with each step.

"I guess that's one way."

The journey to the cave felt longer than usual. Marble couldn't help but keep looking towards the moon, even as she was dragging the beast. Just as it was before, it remained bare of any mare. Something was off in the world, something was wrong. What that was she didn't know, but Marble could feel it in the air. Based on the vigilant glances of Limestone, she felt the same way. As for Crystal...

"This is so exciting! It reminds me of the tale of Starswirl the Bearded! Did you know he-"

"I don't care." Limestone had a face on that would make a foal cry.

"Well then maybe you want to hear about-"

Marble Pie tuned her out, focusing on driving her mech. She didn't know what that pony did in foal hood in order to get such an obsession with fairy tales.

They approached the cave in time. Crystal talked the entire way about some obscure fairy tale. Limestone eventually gave up and put on her best 'I'm going to kill somepony' face.

"Arrived." Marble drove her mech into the cave. The overhead lights came on as she strode down the path.

"Amazing..." Crystal glanced towards the overhead lights. "Are those made of gems?"

"Magic gems." Marble said with pride. That quickly flickered away. She didn't want any outsider inside her workshop.

"Then there are magic gems beneath the ground here..." Crystal murmured. "Have you ever felt strong feelings of love in this area? Maybe seen a heart-shaped blue magic gem?"

"What? No! Why would I be feeling any longing for love?!" Limestone growled, her cheeks glowing red.

"So, you have then!" Crystal said.

"I said I didn't."

"You did."

"Shut your trap."

"Ok." Crystal frowned. "But you have to let me know if you see a gem like that."

Marble couldn't help but wonder what that was all about. Was Limestone in love with somepony? That was impossible.

She couldn't stop her eyes from darting over to Crystal. This was too much. An outsider in her workshop? Yet, she did say they were friends...

"Crystal. Can you... can you stay outside?" Marble asked.

"What, why?"

"I just need space to work." It was the first thing she could think of.

"But I-" Crystal bit her lip. "Okay. Only because we are friends, alright?"

"Mm-hmm."

Crystal reluctantly backed away, though she did try and peek further down the tunnel.

"I'll watch her." Limestone said. "You do your work sis, nopony is going to see."

"Thank you." Marble said.

A wave of relief left her, and she let out a shaky sigh. Even though Crystal seemed like a good pony, she couldn't help but get nervous with an outsider so close to her workshop. It had been hidden for so long, and even though the secret was out it felt wrong to invite another pony inside.

She dumped the machine into the center of her workshop. It fell onto the metal floor with a clank. Once she had it in position, she powered down her mech and climbed out the back. Even though her eyes and hooves were screaming at her to get some rest, her mind was alive. She felt giddy looking at the machine now. She wanted to tear it apart, to learn its secrets firsthoof.

It was time to get to work.

Rummaging through the metal desks, Marble collected her black visor and hairpin. She tied back her hair and slipped on the goggles. They blurred the edges of her vision, letting her see only what was directly in front of her. All other distractions became smears.

From a cabinet she collected a strange contraption. It consisted of a long metal rod with a tube at the end. The tube was attached to a box. Inside that box was a magic gem. A magic gem with a particularly high concentration of fire magic. Marble liked to call this invention a magic torch. She turned a dial on the box, and it started to hum with power.

With a squeeze of the trigger on the torch, it ignited. The end started to burn with a low, blue, superheated flame. Carefully, Marble aimed it at a stubborn piece of metal and pressed the flame against it. It hissed as the flame scorched a path through the metal. The heat from it blasted her, but she continued, nonetheless.

Completely entranced by her work, the world around Marble faded to a blur.

She cut careful lines, some short, some long. These components were important, so she tried to preserve as many of them as possible. Cogs came free with a little motivation, as did plates and wires. What couldn't be saved she cut away entirely and threw into an ever-growing pile. That could be melted down and used to create something new.

The faintly glowing core of the beast started to reveal itself. Marble cut a few more stubborn bands of metal, then tugged it free.

Now that she was holding it in her hooves, it wasn't exactly what she was expecting. It was a magic gem core, that was clear, but it wasn't like any she had used. It was entirely red. It emanated a sinister crimson red glow. The entire gem structure was encased in a network of metal bracings. Like veins they wrapped around the gem. Wires were still attached from the gem to the machine, pumping magic energy that had nowhere to go. It thrummed in her hooves like a heart.

It was a curious item. It was clearly the core that powered the beast, but there was something off about it. Unlike the magic gems Marble used, this one felt... wrong somehow. Touching it made the magic in her body waver, and a feeling of nausea overcame her.

She set the gem down, and the feeling slowly disappeared. Marble collected herself, resisting the urge to throw up. That gem core... was not right.

The speakers on the beast started to crackle. The eyes of the machine began to glow once more with a sinister red. Marble jumped back, a jolt of shock running through her body. Was it still alive? Every tired muscle in her body prepared her to run.

Then, it started to spit out numbers in a low, snarling tone.

"01001000 01101111 01101100 01100100 01100101 01110010 00111111"

After the beast finished the string of numbers, the glow in its eyes faded once more.

Marble poked it with the torch, then burned a line through its metal skull. Hopefully it wouldn't get any ideas about getting back up now.

Those numbers... she had seen them before. The memory was faded now, but she could still see them in her mind. She knew what they were. It was a forgotten language. Binary.

The last and only place she had seen those numbers was in the dragon's lair beneath the farm. Marble turned her gaze to the corner of the room where there was a forgotten metal panel. Behind it, she knew that the cave continued. The ground past it grew unstable and treacherous, but it led to the ancient dragon's lair.

Marble stared at the panel. She wanted to figure out what that message meant. The numbers had already escaped her mind, there were too many to remember. Maybe she could get the message to play again? Either way, the path to more information lay beyond that panel.

Maybe it was time to crack it open once more.