The Machine

by ADRNEL

Chapter XXXV~The Journey~

"I don't know Celestia, I'm just really worry for him," explained a worried Twilight as she drank some of the coffee her mentor served her. "he actually means a lot to me, and then the whole Fluttershy and Starlight Glimmer thing happened and it just made things even more complicated."

Celestia had her attention focused on the coffee her student drank. "Why do you like this human so much?" she asked, she accidentally let slip a small incredulous tone in her voice, but Twilight did not seem to have noticed.

"He's smart, he's kind, he tries to be the perfect gentlecolt, does not like to make a fuss, always there when you need him, and extremely loy-" Twilight had to stop herself when she felt the room start to spin.

"And a member of a species that finds new ways to destroy their environment and each other, and worst of all, enslave ponies like us." completed Celestia.

"What...?" Twilight was confused by what she said, but she suddenly collapsed to the floor. Her coffee cup shattered on the floor.

The princess sighed. "I'm sorry Twilight, but I had to drug you, it was the only way you would agree to serve as bait for me." she got up and levitated her student on to her back. "I feel like putting you in danger is the only way I can convince that human to leave." just as she was about to teleport herself and Twilight away, a letter suddenly materialized in front of her. Celestia opened the letter only for her face to fall in shock. "I better make this quick then, it seems I have a bug problem to deal with as well." she quickly teleported out of the library.

---

At Canterlot castle, Luna was leading the palace guards in preparing the castle for battle against the Changelings. "Okay, make sure you fortify everything, I'll go set up the shield." ordered Luna as she began her journey to the highest tower of the castle where she can activate the shield spell.

"Princess Luna!" yelled a guard. "Wait up!"

"What is it Gleaming?" asked Luna who was in a hurry.

"Princess Celestia is not here, nor the elements of harmony, we need to wait until they are safe in here before you can activate the shield." explained the guard.

The blue princess knew the guard was right. "Then go send an urgent message to the elements, the Changelings should arrive here just before dawn, get to it soldier!" she ordered as she galloped away to check on the others.

The guard just smirked evilly as his eyes briefly flashed green. "Whatever you say your highness." he hissed.

---

Chapter XXXV
The Journey (Part Three)

---

"So how can I help you?" asked Watson again to a stunned Adam and Ember.

"H-how did you manage to survive for so long?" asked the human with disbelief. This machine managed to survive 1.6 million years virtually intact and still fully operational.

"Oh that's easy," smirked Watson. "my creator had the foresight to build me to last since I would serve as the conduit of all human records and knowledge." he explained. "Also, I am powered by a thorium powered nuclear reactor that contains enough fuel to keep me going for 14.05 billion years if continuously run non-stop." he explained while a schematic of the reactor showed up next to him.

"But 1.6 million years is such a long time." continued Adam. "How did you deal with such a long wait?!"

"Well, the fact that I was asleep for like 99% of that time period helped, but even when I am in 'sleep-mode', I travel through my files reading and studying...and remembering." Watson stated with a brief chuckle as a song began to play from the monolith speakers. "That's the thing about being an A.I., you remember everything, and I mean EVERYTHING." he began to pace around, transferring between glass monoliths. Both the human and dragon followed him.

"Everything?" asked Adam.

"Everything." he smirked. "I remember the first book I ever searched for, 'Green Eggs And Ham' by Dr. Seuss, for an 8-year-old girl on a school trip." he explained. "I remember every question ever asked of me, I even remember the last book I recommended, just before the bombs dropped and wiped out civilization...the 'Book of Common Prayer' specifically the section titled 'Ministration at the Time of Death'," Watson's face fell. "It was the last thing I ever read to a human."

"I'm so sorry to hear..." Adam felt bad for the hologram.

Watson looked up at him. "I even remember you as well...Mr. Gray." smirked the hologram. "Time travel?"

Adam was stunned. "Yes, yes, that was me."

Watson just chuckled with disbelief. "Tell me Mr. Gray, from your perspective, how long has it been since we last spoke to each other?"

"Around a year." he answered.

"You just keep on surprising me." Watson then resumed his pacing around the room.

Adam followed him. "I want to know what happened since we last spoke Watson, I fear that something is about to happen and I need to know what happened so I can better understand what is happening." he pleaded the hologram.

"Well, apart from the total extinction of the human race, or at least near-total considering that you are the first human I have spoken too in nearly two million years, nothing much happened, until a dragon by the name of Fundor discovered me."

Ember's eyes lit up. "You knew Fundor? The mythical first Dragon Lord?" she asked.

"Knew him?" Watson responded with surprise. "The bastard owes 20 pieces of gemstone from a bet we made." he turned back to Adam. "Anyways, as I was saying, Fundor and his subsequent successors would always come to me to preserve dragon history and culture, luckily I still have 90% of memory space left so I allowed it." he continued. "So after about a few millennia, things went by okay until the brief dragon-pony war happened and I was captured by Equestrian soldiers."

"A dragon-pony war?"

Ember stepped in. "It was an unprovoked war that ponies declared on us because we were seen as threats and because we were inhabiting land that was 'destined' to be settled by them." she said with slight disgust. "We lost the badlands, but we managed to stop them going any further, but that's when Celestia came in and stole this place from us, her last laugh."

"After that, I was visited often by Celestia or one of her representatives, I assumed without none of her subjects knowing about this." explained Watson. "With me, she found an outlet to share things that she did not want her subjects to ever know, and in return, I told her everything about humans, especially the bad parts of humanity, she seemed to have been exclusively focused on the bad parts." the hologram recalled.

"She's purposely hiding knowledge? Like what?" asked Adam.

"Alternative forms of government, technology that would make magic obsolete, scientific knowledge that would make magic obsolete, etc, etc, stuff like that."

"She's secretly making sure that her subjects remain dependent on her..." Adam realized. "She doesn't want to let go..."

"Change just plain scares her is what I can say." observed Watson.

"Any other secrets that she told you to keep? Anything important?" wondered Adam, curious to what extent she confided in the hologram.

"Well, she did tell me about the origins of the seven elements of harmony-"

"Seven?!" the human interrupted. "There are SEVEN elements of harmony?!"

"Of course," answered Watson without a second thought. "Magic, Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, Laughter and Wisdom." he listed. "Obviously, the one Celestia feared the most and the most powerful of the seven was wisdom, because as Schoolhouse Rock once said, 'knowledge is power!'." he chuckled a little from the pop culture reference. "Shall we turn to the Thought Bubble where I can explain further?"

"And the Brotherhood of the Fourth Sphere?" asked Adam.

"Oh, just a secret society of elite unicorns tasked with keeping the existence of humans completely hidden, and killing any pony who stumbles upon the secret." he explained nonchalantly.

"The citizens of Equestria need to know about everything Celestia is doing behind their backs." Adam said in response. "But unless I have proof, they won't believe me and-" he suddenly stumbled up an idea. He turned back to Watson. "Do you know where the Element of Wisdom is located?" he asked.

"Know it?" Watson smirked. "It is the only item in physical storage I have that hasn't turned into dust." he snapped his fingers and a nearby hatch opened up in the wall. Out of the hatch slid down a large wooden box.

Adam walked up to the box and slowly opened it to check its contents. Inside he saw the element itself, it looked identical to the others only in the center was a white gem shaped into a form of a two gears grinding. Along with the element was a sword and a vile of liquid. "What are these other two objects?"

"The sword is THE sword used by the great King Galactic himself, the father of Luna and Celestia. While the vile is filled with the tears of a phoenix." explained the Watson.

"Phoenix tears?"

"They have the power to heal wounds and revive the dead." explained Ember who walked in. "It is extremely rare for a phoenix to cry, so those things are hard to come by." continued the dragon lord. "How did Celestia managed to get herself a vial?"

"Because Celestia keeps one as a pet." Adam muttered as he closed the box. If the phoenix tears can be used to revive the dead, then maybe he can use it to revive Fluttershy. He just sighed from the moral implications of such thing, fearing the potential abuse of playing God. He quickly closed the box and carried it with him. "Come on Ember, I need to get back to Equestria and tell my friends about this, I need to make Celestia answer for the deceptions she has carried against her subjects."

"Sounds like a plan." nodded Ember in agreement as they both ran out of the cave.

"Don't worry Watson, I'll return these back someday, checking them out!" said Adam as they ran out.

Watson just shook his head in disbelief, but chuckled a little. "I WANT THOSE BACK IN TWO WEEKS!" yelled Watson back. "MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!" he said before the library powered down.

---

Outside the cave, both Adam and Ember ran out. "Can you provide me with a ride Ember?" asked Adam as they stopped.

"Already ahead of you." smirked the dragon as she put her fingers in her mouth and loudly whistled.

Adam looked around, but nothing appeared to have happened for a few seconds, until all of the sudden, a giant phoenix flew in and landed in front of the pair. The human was taken aback by the size of the bird, three times his size. "That'll do..."

"Are you sure you don't want the scepter? It sounds like you need as much backup as you can." asked Ember with some concern.

"This is something I must do on my own Ember." the human explained.

The dragon nodded in agreement. "In that case, just remember that we dragons will always have your back whenever you need it." she then jumped on the human, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around her neck, where she kissed him on the lips again. Adam kept his eyes wide open in complete shock. She then broke the kiss. "And that I'll always submit to you." she smirked before she let the human go and flew away. "Good luck my fly boy!" was all she said as she disappeared into the night sky, leaving Adam alone.

The human just rolled his eyes in disbelief before he climbed on to the phoenix. Sure Ember is a nice dragon and a good partner, but she's just too...headstrong and rambunctious for his tastes, plus the fact they are of two different biological classes does not help matters either. "At least she'll be hard to forget." he mused before he signaled the phoenix to take off. "To Equestria!" he order the large bird as they flew into the night sky.

---

Celestia arrived at her throne room in a flash of light, Twilight still on her back asleep, she can feel her slowly start to stir awake. The princess quickly placed Twilight into one corner of the room. "Ugh...my head..." groaned her student as she awoke. Twilight quickly looked around to see that she was no longer in her library. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure my faithful student, but it needs to be done." Celestia said with slightly remorse as she shot a spell at the young unicorn.

Twilight screamed loudly as she felt her body petrify. "What are you doing?!" she yelled out in fear.

"Saving Equestria from a world of violence and slavery." she explained. She saw that every part of her student's body, except her face, were now encased in stone. Her horn was covered in stone as well, making it impossible for Twilight to use her magic to break free.

"What are you talking about?!" exclaimed a stunned Twilight as she tried to move.

"I will not allow you to be turned into a SLAVE BY THAT DAMN HUMAN!" her voice yelled out in anger. "ALL HUMANS ARE GOOD AT IS VIOLENCE AND SLAVERY!"

"But Adam wouldn't do such a thing Celestia, I can assure you, just please calm down!" she pleaded to her mentor. "This isn't like you!"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!" yelled Celestia in response as her mane slowly turned yellowish, like a flame. She was desperate to get rid of the human once and for all, that she no longer cared what emotions she showed.

"Sister?" said a new voice. Celestia looked and saw Luna slowly walk into the room. "What are you doing to Twilight?"

"That is none of your concern Lulu." growled the sun princess as her horn glowed bright white and Adam's machine suddenly materialized in the middle of the room. "This is between me and the human you foolishly shower nothing but praise at."

"But there's a changeling swarm coming towards us and-"

"SCREW THE CHANGELINGS! I HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH!" yelled Celestia as her mane turned into flames.

"Celly please." urged Luna. "You're letting your hatred for the human lead you down the dark path that I once tread before you banished me." she explained with concern. "Just please give the human a chance sister, he's actually pretty nice when you actually get to know him..."

"ARE YOU WITH ME OR AGAINST ME LUNA?!" boomed Celestia as her mane glowed as bright as the sun she raises.

Luna was taken aback by the question. "I'm sorry sis, I love you, but I cannot sacrifice my morals and support you in this futile endeavor, least I end up going down that dark path again...I just can't...never again." she stood firm in her decision. She did not want to become Nightmare Moon again.

"THEN YOU ARE AGAINST ME!" was all the sun princess responded as she fired a beam of magic at her sister, immediately turning her into stone.

"NO!" screamed out Twilight in complete shock.

"Yes my student, scream out, I want your human lover to answer that call, I want him here, the sooner the better." she smirked, mindlessly focused on her one mission; force Adam to leave or kill him if he refuses. "Come on Adam, show me what you have planned..."

---

At a hill overlooking Ponyville, Adam directed the phoenix to land next to a large tree on top of the hill. Under the tree was a grave marker signifying where Fluttershy was buried. This was always her favorite spot to get away from the outside world, to relax without worry. It was also the place where he and the mare would cuddle against each other as they either kissed or watched the town move on with its day down below.

Adam disembarked off the phoenix and the large bird quickly flew away back to the Dragon Lands from which it came. The human walked up to the grave, it was the first time he visited it, apart from the sounds of nature in a summer night, everything else was quiet. He gently rubbed his hand across the marble tombstone that had her name chiseled on it. "Do I have the right?" he mumbled to himself as he took out the vile of phoenix tears from his pocket. "Do I have the right to decide who lives and who dies?"

He began to remember the time they discussed their future together underneath this very tree.

"Well, I was hoping we can live together in my cottage, completely rebuilt of course to fit your height better, I can be a stay-at-home wife, I always wanted to be one, it's very soothing and peaceful." she explained with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"What about kids?" asked the human as he wrapped his arms around the mare, holding her close against him.

"You mean foals?" she asked. "Well, maybe have as many as possible," she blushed. "kind of fantasize living in a home overrunning with them."

Adam just chuckled as he brushed her mane. "But what if we can't have foals?" he asked, considering they were two different species, there was a high possibility of that.

"Then we can always adopt." she nuzzled up against his chest. "Maybe take the whole orphanage with us." she joked.

Both human and mare laughed at the thought. "Let's see how one foal goes then we'll talk about getting more." he stated. "But I have a feeling you'll be an amazing wife and mother." he whispered in her ear.

"I do hope so." responded the mare.

Adam missed those moments greatly. He just wished she didn't propose starting a herd with Twilight behind his back, but that did not matter to him anymore, he just wanted to hold her in his arms again. In a fit of spontaneous thought, the human opened the vile and poured it all over the grass in front of the tombstone. "No, no," he mumbled. "I want you Shy, I want you and only you!" he confessed to the grave. "Sure Twilight may be an intellectual match and Mary incarnate, but she is not YOU!" he pleaded. "You're the only one I loved for all the right reasons damn it!" he exclaimed as fell to his knees in sadness. "Just please come back..."

Nothing seemed to have worked, it was still the same as it was before, the grave undisturbed. Adam knew the phoenix tears were a long shot, but at least he tried. He just got up and walked back down to town, making his way to the library to talk to Twilight to talk about what he just discovered, and maybe tell her that he's ready to start a relationship with her.

But just as he left, the ground at the grave began to ever so slightly move.

---

After Adam knocked on the front door to the library three times, he decided to let himself in since she always answered the door and she usually stays up late to catch up on her reading. He opened the door to see that it was left unlocked, highly unusual for Twilight at night. "Twi?" yelled the human as he cautiously walked inside.

Inside, all her saw was two cold cups of coffee along with a note on the floor. Twilight would never leave those things laying about, that was not right. He walked over to the note and picked it up to read it.

Dear Adam Gray

I, Princess Celestia, am holding Twilight captive right now in my castle, I was hoping to not go this far, but you have left me with no other options. Your time machine is also being held at the castle, you have until sunrise to show up because failure to do so will result in grave consequences for the mare you love. The only way to save her is to show up by the previously mentioned deadline and leave, leave this entire time period and go back to where you belong, you have long overstayed your welcome Mr. Gray and you have been an unwanted influence on my subjects, I hope for everyone's sake you will show up.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

P.S. Spike is tied up in the basement.

An angry Adam just crumpled up the note in his hand, if he was going to leave, he was going to do it fighting. "Don't worry Twi, we're coming for you." he said determinedly.

To be continued...

Author's Note:

Only four more chapters to go. See how this all ends, coming soon.