Crate in the Castle
If there was one thing that Sunburst absolutely loved, it was reading on the subject of curiosities. He especially loved the kind of books which held records of unusual things, such as constructing a tower out of milk cartons or the pair of twins who were connected by the hip. Other times he would read about the forgotten machines of the past that were designed, but never built, or the ones that were made, but could never really take off. He would glaze over at the illustrations of the famous mechanical Saddle Arabian chess player that was able to beat Neighpoleon in a game. Really, anything unusual and he would be more then happy to pick up a book, or several, and spend hours reading about it.
Sunburst sat at his chair currently reading a book about the wondrous achievements of a forgotten civilisation in the east. His mind absorbing the information ready to take more in. The light of a candle was splashing a dim but manageable light over the pages. It mattered little that in the morning he would have to wake up and get ready for work, nor did it phase him that it was far past the time almost any other pony would be getting ready for bed.
His sense of tranquility was interrupted by a series of knocks on his front door. Annoyed, he got up from his desk and made it over to the source when he opened it. He was surprised to be greeted by a squire of the Spectral Knights, “Crystaller Sunburst? My apologies, sir, but you are needed at the palace.”
“At this hour? Really? There’s no way that can be true,” he hissed.
“I understand sir,” the squire replied, “but I assure you this summons is true; a crate without any return address, nor name, has come to the palace. And apparently, it’s addressed to you.”
“And none of the staff, nor royalty, nor guards could have thought to bring this to my attention in the morning?” Sunburst snarked as he made to close the door and return to his soft bed.
“Sir! Let me finish! Please, sir, Her Majesty ordered it be opened, reasoning that it might be some sort of a trap… only…” he rubbed the back of his neck. He looked away from Sunburst, “This is going to be hard to explain, sir, but inside the box… we’ve found a copy of you inside. Only not exactly,” He briefly looked at Sunburst.
Sunburst raised his eyebrows, “That is very vague… and disturbing, I will come, but I’m still not happy about being dragged out of bed at this hour,” he finished popping back inside to fetch his cape and glasses from the dining room table, which wasn’t used as one due to the stacks of books he kept on it, “Alright, let’s go and see this… copy, but not-actually-a-copy.”
And so, the Crystaller and the squire began their way towards the very heart of the Empire. He remained quiet until they reached the front doors of the palace. Waiting for him there, not only were more guards and Knights, but also the Royal Couple. They were all standing around a wooden crate that was as taller than Sunburst, reaching to Princess Cadence’s chin, its sides were long enough that Sunburst could have stretched out and not touch them. “Please pardon me, Your Highnesses-” Sunburst bowed, “-but I really hope you have a good reason to have me here this at time of night?”
“Oh we do, Crystaller Sunburst, this has been a strange night for all of us. We would have never pulled you from bed at such a late hour unless it was absolutely necessary, but we really do feel that you should see this as soon as possible,” Princess Cadence replied. Her horn glowed, giving one of the sides of the crate a light blue glow as the wood was moved aside to reveal the inside.
“What in sanity’s name…?” the scholar took a few cautious steps towards it. Inside the box on a bed of straw, was… himself. It was laying down on its stomach and completely limp. Even more strange was that it appeared to be made out of pieces of porcelain, painted in the colours of his coat. He leaned forward, the paint was incredibly detailed, it must have been painstakingly applied, even with the use of magic as an aid. The frazzled mane and tail appeared to have been carefully stitched together on its skull, like a doll. The face itself was made up of several other pieces, but to Sunburst it looked like they could move around. Perhaps more disturbing than the eerily detailed similarity to him, was the small key sticking straight out behind the back of its neck, as if it was a toy, ready to be wound up.
Sunburst circled the thing, every detail flawlessly representing the bewildered pony in front of it. He looked over to the royal couple trying to make sense of the situation. “This has to be some kind of joke, there-” he trailed off, “There is no way that… what?” he asked. Question upon question began to fill his mind as the machine looked onwards in the same position it had been in since it’s uncovering. Not pony, but eerily similar.
“We’re just as confused as you,” Shining Armor began, “In fact… we still have no idea what it is, what it does, where it came from or who made it. All we know, that it looks like you… and it might do something.”
Sunburst looked back at the machine, peering closely at it’s closed eyes. The lifeless form showing no such response to the curious pony analysing it closely. Sunburst gently placed a hoof on the exterior of the body. His body, but not his body. It felt cold and hard to the touch. He felt his hoof along it all the way up to the back of the neck. There, firmly planted on the neck, the key, ready in his hooves. “Should I?” he asked looking back at the couple watching closely.
The Royal couple looked at one another for an uneasy moment. “Make sure you’re all ready,” Shining commanded his guards. “If this thing attacks, destroy it. Otherwise, let’s approach with caution.” He turned to the scholar, lighting up his horn, “Go ahead, we’re ready when you are.”
The Crystaller took several steps back, then slowly turned the tiny key using his magic. One turn… nothing happened, a slow mechanical noise filled the room, not loud or angry. Slow and purposefully. Like it was meant to happen. A slow ticking noise followed as Sunburst readied for a second turn.
As Sunburst tuned the key it made a small ‘click’ every eighth of a turn, he struggled to keep his breathing even as he waited for something to happen.
Nothing happened as he continued to turn the key. If the guards made any noise Sunburst didn’t notice, only the sound of his breathing and the machine ticking...
In.
Click.
Out.
In.
Click.
Out.
In.
Click
Out.
The pattern continued until the key had made an entire revolution.
In.
Click.
Out.
Again and again Sunburst counted each rotation, waiting for something to happen, “... Twelve turns… then thirteen… then fourteen… then fifteen…” still, nothing happened. Twenty turns, then thirty, then forty, then... the machine opened its eyes.
Sunburst leapt back to the curtains and tried to wrap them around himself as the machine came to life. It’ slowly crept into a standing position. It scanned the area as it slowly turned its head. The machine turned it’s head and looking directly into the eyes of all who were present. Once it had made a full rotation, it slowly sunk back to the ground and bowed to Princess Cadence, then stood, turned and bowed to Prince Armour, before returning to it’s original position. Sunburst furtively snuck out from behind the curtains.
But it went further and did something even more curious. its head turned downward at its hooves. It lifted one of them as if it was trying to get a good look at it. Turning it this way and that, it’s face morphed into a perplexed expression, as if it didn’t know, or didn’t understand what it was seeing.
Sunburst slowly moved in front of the mysterious machine, gently placing a shaking hoof on it’s chin. Immediately, the machine looked up.
“Gah!” Sunburst pulled his leg away and scrambled back, it was like it could feel his hoof. When he had recovered the pony and automaton looked into each other’s eyes. The robotic Sunburst’s head slowly moved to the side, but didn’t stop gazing into the eyes of the pony who he was made to represent. The machine came back to life. Rising to its hooves the two continued to stare at each other. However, as soon as it was standing the machine completely mimicked Sunburst’s bewildered stance.
“What are you?” Sunburst demanded.
His replica, instead of answering the question, asked him the same question, at the same time, in much the same voice, albeit a mechanical mockery of his.
“Why are you here?”
Again, it mimicked him in that same mechanical voice at the same time.
“What do you want?” the Crystaller stepped back, the machine did the same as it once again made the same inquiry.
Sunburst took a small step forward. At the same time the machine copied. He slowly raised his hoof, and the machine placed its own hoof against the real Sunburst’s. At the exact same time the two Sunbursts whispered to Cadence and Shining, “This is impossible.” This startled the real Sunburst, sending him into the air and backwards a few steps, and just like clockwork, the fake Sunburst did the same.
Shining Armor looked between the two as one mirrored the other, even by the expression on their faces, “It’s like it’s trying to copy everything that you do. But why?” Just then, the Prince got an idea, “Hey Sunburst, try casting a spell and see what happens.”
Sunburst nodded, causing the replica to follow suite. He closed his eyes and gently cast a spell on a small clump of hay from the box. Sure as day the replica put the same clump under it’s own magical grasp. Sunburst sent the hay around the room, the machine did not put any extra force on it, but instead only helped guide it where the real Sunburst directed it
“This has to be a dream, or a joke… or it’s part of something larger” A guard called out as the hay moved about the room held by the two magical grasps.
It got to a point where the real Sunburst let go of his magic, and the machine echoed it. He shook his head in disbelief, as the copy reflected his expression, “This’s gotta be some sort of a nightmare. Isn’t it? What… what is this thing?”
Everyone looked around, just as confused as the poor pony the machine was taking after. “Look. This has been very well entertaining, but I do have to work tomorrow in this palace. Can we put a hold on this and discover the secrets to this other-me another time?” Sunburst asked, just to have the robot ask the same question.
“You really think that we’ve made this?” Cadance questioned, “Sunburst, we just got this in the mail. We have no idea why it's here or what its purpose is. I mean, even if it was a practical joke, we would’ve had to call it off by now… in fact… how come it’s not slowing down?”
“I don’t know!” Sunburst squeaked, “All I know is that I’m tired and this can wait until the morning.” Sunburst began to trot out of the castle “Goodnight everypony, I will see you tomorrow, a lot later than I had planned.” He said before attempting to walk out the palace. However, as he began to make his leave the machine followed him step-by-step.
“Goodnight everypony, I will see you tomorrow, a lot later than I had planned.” The fake-Sunburst echoed.
It was then that the real Sunburst stopped and turned with a gaze that burned holes at his mechanical reflection. “Go away,” he said sternly, “I’ll come back tomorrow.” Only for the automaton to repeat what he said.
Sunburst grumbled, using his magic he flung the cape of the imposter Sunburst over his eyes, preventing him from any further mimicking. However, as one last action before the machine slowly laid down, it used it’s own magic to fling the cape of the real Sunburst over his eyes. The palace guards chuckled at their posts. Even Shining and Cadence couldn’t help but smile at the display. Sunburst flipped his cape the correct way and stormed off home.
Just as he walked out of the front steps of the palace, there was a commotion behind him as he heard the sounds of winding gears and guards trying to stop the machine from following him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the Spectral Knights and their squires were doing everything they could to hold him back, from using spears to restraining him with their magic.
“Get out of sight!” he heard one of the guards call through a strained gasp of air.
The unicorn immediately took the advice and dashed off.
...
Sunburst trudged to work, a coffee from his favorite coffee shop in his aura and bags underneath his eyes. It was tragically early in the morning, and with the amount of sleep that the Crystaller had had, it was going to be a rough day. Not only did he have his duties with the sweet Flurry Heart, but he had to also deal with that... thing. He trudged along the road until he finally got the front of the castle, where guards were already awaiting his presence.
“Morning,” Sunburst muttered as the guards saluted him. “I think I might already know the answer to this question but, is that… thing still here? I really hope it didn’t try to follow me home last night.”
“Yes, it is, Crystaller Sunburst, we managed to hold it in the palace prison. It is just there… looking… almost upset, I think, I don’t really know how to describe it. Anyway, you’ll find out what I mean, I guess.” The guard rambled not noticing the distant look on the stallion’s face. Sunburst nodded slowly, drained his coffee and started walking into the castle.
‘Let’s see,’ Sunburst thought as he headed towards the Royal Couple’s offices, ‘Should I take care of Flurry this morning or… it? Knowing them, I bet we’re gonna have to deal with the latter,’ he listened the echo of his hoofsteps as he marched further down the sparkling hall. ‘Though… I guess I would be lying to myself if I said that I’m not the least bit curious. Where did it come from anyway? Who made it… and more importantly, how did they get it so detailed?’
Thoughts bounced around his mind as he made his way into Prince Armour’s office to get the day’s briefing. One of the four Knights knocked on the door and waited for Shining to call out. Once he did the Knight opened the door and introduced him, “The Distinguished Crystaller and Valiant Defender against Winter, Sunburst of the Crystal Empire,” so the Crystaller walked into the room, bowed, and sat at the chair.
“Now that everypony is here,” Princess Cadance, at the head of the table next to her husband nodded to him. “I think it’s about time we address the mechanical elephant in the room. For those of you who don’t know all of the details, a quick recap; just after midnight, a crate was delivered to the palace doorsteps with no return address, marker, or name in which the package was sent by. I ordered it to be opened. Inside the crate, is what can be only described as an automaton. Interestingly, it is in the likeness of our Distinguished Crystaller here. So, we had Sunburst come to investigate. Not long after, the decision was made to wind it up, in a curious turn of events ever since it started to move, it has copied every move that Sunburst made, down to his facial expression and speech. It also showed that it is capable of performing magic. The machine tried to follow our Crystaller home, but our knights and guards detained it and have held it in the prison below the palace since last night. I should also inform you all is that this automaton is still moving, even after being wound up several hours ago. Now the issue bring brought to the table is what should we do about this machine? Any thoughts?”
“Your Majesty,” one of her advisors spoke up. “I think that perhaps we should get Princess Celestia involved. After all, we don’t know what this thing does, for all we know, it could be a weapon of some kind.”
“How do we know?” Shining questioned. “Let’s face it, we shouldn’t bother Celestia unless we know with certainty that it’s a threat. We’re a sovereign nation and should be capable of dealing with this ourselves, she doesn’t need to be bothered with it if it isn’t serious. Now, if it does become a threat, I have no problem getting the Princesses involved, but for now… I think we should deal with it ourselves. So far, it hasn’t harmed anypony, so maybe, it shouldn’t be up to us to decide what to do with it. After all,” he gestured over to the Cyrstaller, “it was addressed to Sunburst, maybe we should just let him decide. It’s technology far beyond our understanding but when it comes down to it. Sunburst is the owner.” Everyone looked at Sunburst trying to hide in his chair. All eyes on him the Crystaller gulped and began to speak.
“I… I think it would be wise to…” he cleared his throat. “You know what? To be blatantly honest, I don’t really know what to think. This is something that I’ve only read in fairy-tales or in science fiction, only it’s, well… real. A robot that looks like me is in the dungeons right now.” He put a hoof to his chin in thought. “For one, I think it would be smart to find out as much as we can about this machine. Prince Armour is right, this is the most advanced thing that I’ve ever seen, putting even the most complicated clocks to shame. As much as I don’t want to…” he gulped, “I want to study this thing because I’m curious about it. But to be on the safe side, we should keep this under a watchful eye by the guard, you know, just in case.”
Cadence cleared her throat loudly, “An excellent idea Sunburst, we will support you in your study of this machine, as we are just as interested and invested in this machine as you are. Fittingly enough, it seems our dear Flurry has come down with a cold so your services are not required as her tutor today anyway. Speaking of which, I should really get back to her. Please excuse me, Shining can finalise the details.” The Princess of Love quickly exited the office and left Shining, Sunburst, some senior guards and Their Majesties’ advisors.
Sunburst looked over to the Prince, “Your highness, so does this mean that you want me to… go down to see it? Now?”
Shining shrugged, “We can go whenever you’re ready. I must admit I’m more than a little curious, but I’m also… a little nervous about this whole thing.”
Sunburst nodded, “I’d… like to go now then.”
Only ten minutes later Sunburst, escorted by two guards, entered the Crystal Palace’s dungeons.
At the far wall, the machine sat completely still, it almost looked upset; hunched over while it sat, head hung low, like a dog as it waited for it’s owner to come along. It must have heard the slam of the door because it’s head immediately rose and scanned the faces entering the room. Sure enough, as soon as Sunburst entered the room the machine moved forward, clanking into the metal bars trying to get to it’s original. Sunburst took a couple of steps back, then once the machine had calmed, slowly inched closer to the caged replica that was trying so desperately to be in the outside world.
“Uh… hello there?” Sunburst began and the machine repeated.
“Uh… hello there?” it echoed him.
“No, who are you?”
Much to his annoyance, the machine repeated him perfectly, word for word.
The scholar raised an eyebrow, “Cabbages underneath the window seal above the chilly moon on a hot summer’s day.”
Sure enough, it spoke back to him the same nonsensical thing that he said.
Sunburst sat in front of the cell and thought for a moment. “Why are you copying me?”
“Why are you copying me?” the machine asked right back.
“Perhaps it is trying to learn about you,” a guard thought out loud. He bit his lip, then stepped up to the bars, closer than Sunburst was, “Where do you live?” the guard asked the machine.
“22 Canter Cresent, Crystal Empire,” The robot answered. All the ponies in the room suddenly expanded their eyes to the size of dinner plates, including the robot’s. Sunburst couldn’t believe it. He rubbed his eyes, trying to process how the mechanical replica could have possibly known that.
Another guard provided another question, “What is your favorite food?”
The automaton remained silent.
Sunburst also said nothing, his mouth shut tight.
Instead, it looked deep into Sunburst’s eyes, picking every detail of those deep blue eyes. Suddenly it stopped copying Sunburst. It shook its head and stood up. “Ugh, where am I? I could have sworn I was just home,” the replica mumbled rubbing it’s head, its voice had lost any of the robotic distortion and now sounded exactly like Sunburst.
It then looked around the cell, confused, “Wait… why am I here?” the machine looked at the guards, grabbing the bars it asked, “What’s going on here? Why am I…?” its glass eyes widened when it saw the real Sunburst. “W-Who are you?” it asked, fear seeping into his voice.
“I’m Sunburst! And you are a machine, sent to me by Celestia knows who. You wouldn’t stop copying me, so we put you in the cell.” Sunburst cried out looking on in bewilderment. Faux-Sunburst put a hoof to its forehead and leant against the wall of the cell, sliding down the wall until it came to a sitting position. He shook his head trying to process what could possibly be happening. The real Sunburst looked on, almost in tears at his copy’s confusion.
“But…” the Automaton began, “but... that’s not possible, I’m Sunburst. I know I’m Sunburst,” he looked at the guards, his face changed to a pleading expression. “Please… You’ve got to believe me. I’m Sunburst! Uh… ask me anything!”
“How old are you? And where were you born?” A guard asked.
“Easy, I’ll be turning twenty-three in a couple of months. And I’m from Canterlot… well, I was born in a village called Mountain Ridge, that’s just south of here, but after I got my cutie mark I moved to Canterlot.”
“Who was your first crush?” A guard smirked looking across at the real Sunburst who was beginning to sweat a bit.
Oddly enough, the machine reflected the real Sunburst, “M-My first crush…?”
“Yeah! If you really want to prove who you are, this is something only the real Sunburst could possibly know,” another guard jeered.
The replica gulped, “I-It’s…” he looked around at the smirking guards and even at the tense scholar, “I mean, a filly called Starlight was… well up there… but that was when I was a colt.”
The guards all chucked as both Sunbursts blushed. “How do you know all this?” Sunburst asked.
“I’m trying to tell you, I’m Sunburst!”
“I am Sunburst! I am telling you: You. Are. A. Machine!” Sunburst fought back.
The automaton laughed in disbelief, putting its hooves against his head, “I can’t believe it! My copy has convinced everypony that he’s real and I’m not. I mean, how can any of you be buying this? A machine? What machine could think and feel like a real pony? I mean look!” its horn glowed and it levitated the glasses it was wearing, “I can perform magic like any unicorn. What machine could do that?”
Sunburst used his magic to open the jail door with a sombre look on his face, “Look, I think you should see at something… uhhh… Sunburst… ?”
The guards surrounded them as the two Sunbursts ascended into the main castle. When they arrived at their destination after what felt like thousands of stairs, Sunburst was met by four of Their Majesties’ loyal knights. Their leader rapped on the door with an armoured hoof, then announced their presence, “Your Majesty, The Distinguished Crystaller and Valiant Defender against Winter, Sunburst of the Crystal Empire seeks entry.”
A moment later Shining responded in the affirmative and the two Sunbursts were permitted to enter the office. The two guards that had escorted them took up positions alongside the four that were already there. Once the two Sunbursts had cleared the entrance to the room the guard who had knocked pulled the door shut. Sunburst walked the machine to a corner of the room where the Prince kept a floor-to-ceiling mirror. Sunburst took the machine’s hoof and pulled him in front of the mirror.
The automaton looked long and hard at its reflection, “Yes, I can see that’s me… only…” he glanced between itself and the real pony next to him. “Something’s off. Call me crazy but, I don’t exactly look quite like myself. What happened to my coat? Why do I look like a… like a doll?”
“Uh… Sunburst, I’m so sorry, but… You aren’t the real Sunburst. I can more than guess that you have my mind, my memories, but you… you cannot have my life. I’m sorry, but I can give you a new one.” The real Sunburst soothed giving the fake Sunburst a hug.
“I don’t want another one! This isn’t real! I want to be Sunburst! This is my life, it’s… all I know,” the other Sunburst cried out. If it was able to cry, it likely would have done so. The machine still went through the motions, producing the sounds of crying as Sunburst hugged the him, the Prince also rushed over and held the automaton tight.
Eventually the two stallions managed to calm him down. The other Sunburst opened his mouth to speak, but what came out was soft and broken, “If I am a machine, then how can I feel, how can I feel you two comforting me, how can I feel sadness, anger, fear?” he didn’t expect an answer, just somepony to tell him that everything would be alright.
The automaton looked in the mirror once again, “Oh what am I saying?” the machine questioned, “What does this prove anyway? So what that I’m made out of porcelain for some reason? I still have my mind, don't I?”
The scholar could easily see that his copy was going into denial, but he let it continue.
“I mean, what was it that Reneigh Haycartes said? Cogito ergo Sum - I think therefor I am. Just because I look differently doesn't make me some wound up toy,” even the automaton didn’t seem convinced. Its head dropped and the glassy eyes stared at the details on the ceramic plates.
“Look,” Shining spoke up, “I don’t know how else to tell you this but, we saw you arrived in a crate last night. We saw you being wound up. As much as you're trying to convince yourself, the fact is that you're just that, a mechanical robot.”
The automaton got up and stepped backwards, away from them. “No! Prince Armour, it's really me! We’ve been working together for a couple of years, you know me,” the Prince didn’t react. Slowly, getting more desperate by the second faux-Sunburst looked around the room, ”I can prove it's me, just… wh- where’s the Princess? Maybe she can help.” With that, the replica threw open the door and sprinted past the guards, into the hall.
“Wait!” called out Sunburst, but he was too late. Two of the knights took off in pursuit of the faux-Sunburst while two more checked the Prince and Sunburst for injuries.
“Just get him,” Shining called as he stood and rushed out of the room, Sunburst following immediately after.
By the time they caught up to the fake Sunburst, it was already at the Apartments. They slowed to a stop when they noticed that the door had already been opened by a very tired Princess Cadence, “What’s the crisis now, Shinny?”
She opened her eyes and stared for a moment before they grew to the size of dinner places. The faux-Sunburst was at her hooves, clearly in distress.
“Princess Cadence, tell me it isn’t true! Please, I’m not a machine. Tell me I’m not a machine, just a hard shell of a pony. I can’t be.” he sobbed. Cadence sunk down to his level and hugged the porcelain pony.
“Hey, hey, don’t cry, it’s alright,” she whispered in a soothing voice "Now, I am so sorry to say this, but..." she sighed. "I'm afraid that they're telling the truth." Faux-Sunburst began to sob a lot more loudly into Cadence’s hug, burying his face into her fur, somehow managing to feel the warmth emanating from her.
“No! Celestia, no! This can’t be happ... I- I can’t! I can’t be replaced by… that- that thing!” It looked back at Sunburst, then to Shining and the guards, “How can you not believe me?”
“I’m really sorry,” she brushed his fake mane and nodded slightly to Shining who raised a hoof to signal his guards to stop moving forward, “but we all saw you arrive. I know it’s something hard to accept, but you’re not who you think you are.” At this, the automaton pushed away from the Princess.
“I don’t believe you! There’s gotta be somepony out there that’s has to…” he trailed off. “Of course,” he whispered, “There is one that would listen.”
“Move,” Shining whispered the command to his guard. Without another word, as a team -a testament to their training- they slowly pushed forward as silently as they could.
Cadence made eye contact with them for only a second before she looked back to the faux-Sunburst. She tried to keep him contained and with his eyes on her so that he wouldn’t notice the approaching team, “Hey there, I know this is upsetting. But you have to realise. You are not Sunburst... we’ll get this sorted out. You may not be Sunburst, but we can all see that you are most certainly alive,” The princess said calmly.
“But.. but.. What do I do? No, I can’t, there is no way, but. My reflection… I didn’t see me. It’s impossible. I don’t want to be a robot, I’m not a robot. I am Sunburst.” The sobs got louder and louder as the faux-Sunburst continued to refuse to accept who he was.
“Hey, easy there...” a familiar voice called from down the hallway. The replica looked up to see Prince Shining and… him slowly approaching him along with a half-dozen guards. They were here to kill him, to replace him with… that, the fake Sunburst… and Princess Cadence was in on it too.
He had to get out of the Palace, find somepony who could keep him safe until he could get to the bottom of the whole mess, “If you’re not going to listen to me,” the fake said as he turned to Candence, his horn lighting up, “then I’ll have to go to the one pony that will!” and with that, faux-Sunburst disappeared in a flash of light.
The group of approaching ponies halted. There was a brief moment of confusion, before Shining took charge, “Alert the palace guards, and get somepony out to the border and another to the train station, seal off all the exits, nothing in or out, it is not to escape. You,” Shining pointed to one of the guards who had escorted Sunburst, “get me a platoon of guards and a dozen knights at the base of the palace ready to move into the city at my command. If it’s in the palace we’ve got ‘em trapped, if it’s in the city… “ Shining sighed, “I don’t want to scare the citizens, keep the response internal and keep it quiet, no bells and no talking, at least for now. If he’s in the city we’ll have to find him the slow way, with the border and train locked down he won’t be able to get out easily. Find him, now! Before he gets too far away! I want this wrapped up before dark. Let’s move,” Shining ordered. “Where did he go?” he whispered to himself, “He has to have gone somewhere, he couldn't have just disappeared,”
Sunburst eye’s widened, having already figured out where his copy had gone, “Oh dear Celestia… I think I know.”
...
“Ristretto! Ristretto!” the barista heard a shout outside. The slowly churning barista machine was quickly shut off as Ristretto stepped out to see what the commotion was. He saw Sunburst running into the shop, except, the Sunburst running into the shop wasn’t quite Sunburst. It was like he had been replaced by pottery.
“Sunburst? Is that you? What on earth happened to you? You look like a doll!” Ristretto exclaimed.
“Thank Celestia, I found you!” the automaton said as it slowed down, “Ristretto, you gotta help me, I’ve nopony else to turn to.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I… I don’t know. I woke up in a cell not to long ago looking like… this. And I’ve found out that I’ve been replaced by an impostor and they’re all in on it; the guards, the Prince and Princess… and they have this… thing that’s masquerading as me. Please Ristretto,” he knelt down. “I’m begging you, tell them that I’m real. No one is listening and I’m getting really desperate here!”
“But… Sunburst, you’re completely made of… what? Pottery? What- what happened to you? This… isn’t you? Surely? Sunburst, I- I have to admit, I am confused.” A shocked look came over the faux-Sunburst as he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Only to add to the confusion, the real Sunburst, Prince Armour and about ten knights burst into the coffee shop, with two more outside. They were followed by several guards who helped them to close down the street from any onlookers.
“Sunburst? And…. Sunburst? What in Equestria is going on here?” Ristretto yelped.
“Ristretto,” the real Sunburst told him as he galloped over to him, “Whatever you’ve heard, whatever he’s told you, it’s not real. That robot thinks he’s me and he won’t listen to any of-”
“Stay back,” his replica stood up in a defensive stance with its hooves spread apart and its horn glowing, “I had it up to here about your lies! I’m not going to let you replace me and get away with it!”
“No!” Ristretto cried pushing the automaton away from Sunburst. The machine hit the ground hard and a cracking sound echoed out around the room. When he got up everything felt strange coming from the left hoof. When he raised it to inspect the damage, he noticed that a small piece had broken off his hoof, creating a little hole in his hoof. Inside he could see millions of tiny cogs and gadgets working inside of him. His ears fell and his heart sank as the robot wept loudly on the floor of the coffee shop.
Shining and Sunburst came up to the weeping robot on the floor and sat next to him. “We don’t know how this has happened. We are just as confused as you are,” the real Sunburst said softly. “All we know is that you have feelings, and emotions, and… well you are me. Just like any pony, you deserve happiness. I don’t know how, but I will make sure that you get it!” Sunburst continued raising in spirit.
The crying automaton slowly lifted his head and looked into Sunburst’s eyes. “Really?” he asked cautiously.
“Of course,” the scholar told him. “As strange and frightening as this is all is to you, I want to help you in anyway I can. I promise you that I am not here to replace you, I just want to understand why you’re here and what you can do to benefit everypony. I mean, you’re technically me after all.” He rested a comforting hoof on his copy’s shoulder, “So, do you want help?”
His replica looked down at his shattered hoof, back up to the original Sunburst and over to everyone else. It nodded, “Please… help me.”
Sunburst helped faux-Sunburst to his hooves, then hugged him tightly. “Alright, first things first, let’s get that hoof fixed up,” Sunburst said, holding the automaton as he limped from the coffee shop. Half of the dozen or so guards scanned the scene, then followed Prince Armour out. The guards and the Prince ran to catch up to the two, they met up with the other half of the guards who had responded to the coffee shop and formed a square around the two Sunbursts and the Prince.
One of the knights entered the shop and stared at Ristretto, “Not a word of this ever gets out. State secrets. Got it?”
Ristretto nodded.
“Good,” the knight turned and left. Rainbow armour or not the two hundred or so Spectral Knights were an intimidating force.
After they left Ristretto quickly brewed the biggest shot of coffee he could muster without burning the bean, pouring it into the cup, he reached under the counter and poured a generous swig of whiskey into the cup. Blowing on it quickly the flabbergasted barista downed the lot.
…
Even several hours after smashing his hoof, the other Sunburst still stared at his hoof. The ponies managed to put the pieces back together and made look good as new, but, no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t shake off his discomfort at what was under his porcelain hide. He was sitting in the guest room that the Princess had given him when he returned, but he still hadn’t moved from the bed. All he could do was sit and wait, his reality turned inside out.
The stillness was interrupted by a tapping on the door, “It’s open,” he called out.
Sunburst shuffled in with writing supplies, Princess Cadence followed the Crystaller into the room, the both stood in front of the other Sunburst getting excited as they were ready to present their idea. Sunburst spoke first, “Hey, how are you holding up?” He asked.
“Well… not exactly amazing, but I am hanging in there,” he sighed.
Cadence was the next one to speak up. “Well, we’ve done some thinking, and…” she sighed, “Look, I think we all know you can’t be Sunburst, but, with the legal authority of both Shining and I, you can become your own pony. We’ll help you pick a name, an identity. We can make you look unmistakingly like a real pony and we can give you everything to get started off. It may not be a hundred percent like being a real pony, but we will make it as close as possible for you.”
The automaton sat there on the bed for a solid minute not saying a word, “A new identity?” he smirked, “I mean, for this whole day I honestly thought I was… well, you,” he waved a hoof over at Sunburst, “but now, I know that I’m a machine, I’m a blank slate now. That’s exciting, I mean, for a machine to take on a different purpose, without my… maker meaning for me to. I’m defying somepony’s will, the pony that made me… well, what could be more exciting than that?”
Sunburst nodded along, “Not too much I suppose, you just became an oddity.”
The other Sunburst smiled, then looked down, “I… I just don’t know what to become.”
“I’m not sure about that,” Sunburst approached him, “After all, if you’re anything like me, then tell me, when I was a colt, what did I wanted to be when I grew up?”
The other Sunburst tilted his head, “I wanted to be teacher, since I was so good at it with Starlight,” his eyes widened, “But, now that I’ve been given a blank slate, would it be possible for me to become a professor or- or some sort of teacher?”
“That is up to you, I think that we should work out a new name first, if only so that we know what to call you. What would you like?” Cadence asked. Sunburst got his ink and quill ready.
The automaton pondered this for a while. “Such a big decision, hmm... I think I like… Time Piece!” he all but shouted.
Sunburst chuckled, “Time Piece? Really?”
“Well, why not? I’m practically one anyway,” the automaton smirked, “do you remember when you were a colt that you wanted to be successful in Canterlot? Right after I- sorry, you, got your cutie mark you dreamed of becoming a teacher at the most mystical place in all of Equestria, it was all you dreamed of for months, years maybe. Only…” he trailed off, “things didn’t work out so well.”
Sunburst frowned, “Yeah, I know… but maybe with all those books that I’ve been reading, I could only guess that there must be a subject out there that you can teach.”
“History! I- we- I love history! I could study it, maybe go to a teaching school. Oh what a dream that would be, teaching Equestrian history.”
“That sounds like a fabulous idea, Time Piece.” Princess Cadence exclaimed warmly. “Now, we also need to decide on your appearance. We can make a coat of any colour, change your mane. Any colour, it is yours.”
The automaton thought about it for a moment before it chuckled in reply, “You know what would be funny? Is if I looked something like Starswirl the Bearded, just to give my students double takes when they come in the classroom.”
Sunburst shrugged, “You can have the coat colour,” he leaned forward and growled, “but you get a beard like that and you are dead to me. Understand? Dead. To. Me.”
“Oh Sunburst, of course I wouldn’t get rid of the beard. I would be merely extending it.”
“We’ll just have to sort out the legal and bureaucratic paperwork, the documentation, somewhere for you to stay while you get on your hooves. Some government assistance seeing as you have nothing. I’ll write a letter and arrange for you to get into the Canterlot University's School for Education. Once we have everything set up and your new look in place. You’ll have a life of your very own. For now, we’ll let you get your rest.” Princess Cadence concluded ensuring that Sunburst had everything written down.
“Just a moment, Your Majesty,” the replica said, “I do have one last request.” He turned to Sunburst, “Would it be possible that I speak with you and Ristretto before I go?”
“If you’re thinking what I think what you are thinking, then no. Not a chance in Tartarus,” Sunburst said, “And if you even think of trying, I will grind you up, incinerate you and spread the ashes around the moon.”
The automaton frowned, “Not even for your own good?” he sighed, “Besides, for the most part I do at least want to apologize to the both of you after all the chaos that I’ve caused.”
Sunburst let out a frustrated sigh, “Fine, but don’t tell him anything, please. I don’t want to and I don’t even know if I...” he looked over to where Cadance was who was raising an eyebrow, “ya’ know.”
He replica thought for a moment, “Fair enough. After what you’re trying to do, at least I’ll give you that.”
“Alright, in the morning I’m going to go get my husband and we’ll sort out all the red tape. I’ll find a painter and we’ll get your new coat ready. But, for now it’s been a very long day for all of us and I think it is past time we all get some sleep. Goodnight, Time Piece,” Princess Cadence concluded.
Both pony and automaton bowed as the alicorn left the room. When she had left Sunburst was the first to return to an upright position, “I’m off to do the same,” Sunburst said. “Still, between now and when you go, I still want to learn how you work. Which would mean...”
“Which would mean that I would need to be x-rayed. I get it, you’re curious how I tick, so to speak. Frankly, I would like to know how I work too, I’ve never heard of any automatons that could do what I’m doing right now. Be able to talk, walk around, respond to other ponies, think, feel emotions; essentially everything that you can do.” He lifted a hoof, his head looked down to look at it, “I wonder who could make something like me? Why would they?” Just then, his eyebrows suddenly shot up, and Sunburst already knew what that meant, “I’m gonna need to visit the palace library.”
“Now hold on,” Sunburst spoke up. “If you’re going to do what I think you’re going to do, then I must ask, aren’t you the least bit tired?”
His copy shook his head, “That’s just it, I’m not. Especially when I can do this,” he turned around to show the scholar the key that stood out of his neck, the robot’s magical aura glowed around it and with a smirk on his face the automaton turned it. “Now, if you would excuse me,” the replica said as he began to exit the room. “I have some research to do. But can I trust you that we will go to speak with Ristretto for coffee in the morning?”
“Yes, yes we’ll do all of that in the morning, but unlike you, I do need sleep. Goodnight, Time Piece.” Sunburst yawned, holding out a hoof.
“Goodnight… uh, Sunburst, sorry this is all still very weird for me.” He admitted. Time Piece took Sunburst’s hoof, shaking it slowly, thinking about everything, until he raised his head and smiled, finishing the shake a bit more firmly. Suddenly the porcelain pony hugged Sunburst tight. “This has been a weird and very emotional day, not ten hours ago I was a regular pony, just, making my way in life. I was you… I think… But, I just want to say thank you for everything.”
“Just another day at the office,” Sunburst smirked before gave out a yawn, “In all seriousness, I really need to get home.”
“Okay,” the machine turned towards the door and into the hallway, “If you need me, I’ll be trying to read twenty books at once.” This got a laugh out of Sunburst as he exited the room.
…
Ristretto, Sunburst, and Time Piece, equipped with his new appearance sat in a coffee booth. Looking across at each other the awkward silence that filled the table stained the air. Ristretto, in a desperate attempt to try to fill the room with anything else other than the most uncomfortable gathering ever started conversation.
“So... uhhhh, I like your new… look, Time Piece, was it?”
Time Piece was a bit too quick to respond. “Yeah, yeah, it is, yeah, thanks... yeah.” After the silence held for a whole ten seconds Ristretto thought it best to cut to the chase.
“So, can someone explain what this is about?” he asked.
“Well, to begin with,” Sunburst began. “I don’t know how, but you’re looking at, well, what might be the world’s first artificial intelligence and somehow, somepony has made a perfect copy of me.”
“You know,” Time Piece spoke up, “I’ve spent some time last night at the library to find some clues as to what I am. Like for starters, how I was able to recall memories and such. Do you see these eyes?” He pointed at his blue glass eyes, “I think these are made out of something called Nostalgic stones, in which the longer you look into them, the more it absorbs a pony’s memories, dreams and nightmares. I guess whoever made me used them so that I could believe that I was really Sunburst. Whoever thought of that must be pretty clever.”
“So in other words,” Ristretto pointed a hoof a him, “You’re a robot?”
“In a nutshell,” Time Piece nodded, “a robot that has a copy of Sunburst’s mind.”
“So, now that you… unno, aren’t Sunburst, you’re Time Piece, what are you going to do now with your life?” Ristretto asked.
“Well seeing as I can be totally something else, I am thinking about studying at Canterlot to become a teacher. Do something really meaningful.” Time Piece replied.
“But what about a social life? Or relationships and stuff? Are you just gonna casually glance by the fact that you are totally made of metal and synthetic fur?” Ristretto being his bluntest continued.
“Well… heh, I mean, I have a conscience, and... hopes and dreams, desires. Just like anypony. I still have... well... drive… and whoever made me was very detailed in pony anatomy. In fact it isn’t half bad in size, if you know what I mean,” Time winked, simultaneously making Sunburst bury his head in his hooves and Ristretto’s cheeks turn crimson.
“Still,” Time Piece shifted in his seat, “the fact that I could do that is something that’s very unique. I mean, a machine that can choose who he wants to have a relationship with, of what his job will be, or even change how he looks. That alone tells me that I maybe the very first true automaton that not only can behave like a pony accurately, but I’m also the first to have free will. So who knows what I may end up doing in the future, but I know what I do want to do now.” The machine leaned forward towards Ristretto, “I do want to give you an apology. Considering what I know about you, I must have really shaken you up of seeing a… mechanical Sunburst come running over asking for help… then a dozen guards and the real Sunburst breaking in.”
“Yeah…” Ristretto nodded, rubbing his foreleg with a hoof, “It really was… weird. Not as bad as when we have pumpkin spice though.”
“I don’t blame you. Yesterday, I thought I was Sunburst who was convinced that he was getting replaced by, well, him. There was nopony around that was believing me, so… I thought, if there was anyone who I… er, Sunburst, could trust to help me when no one else would, that pony would be you. In my moment of desperation to get someone to tell the world that I’m real, you came to mind. But I guess that in the process I really frightened you, didn’t I?”
“Well, I was a little more frightened at the fact that there was two Sunbursts and no explanation as to why. It was a sight I can tell you that.” Ristretto explained. “But all is forgiven. In those circumstances I can certainly understand your obvious need for someone who you trust. Besides, it means a lot that you think you can come to me.”
“I trust you a lot Ristretto, honestly, you are a special kind of friend,” both stallion and machine replied simultaneously. Ristretto had to hide his face behind his coffee cup to avoid the blush growing on his face.
“Alright, I know our brains are one and the same, but we have seriously got to stop doing that,” Sunburst stated.
Time Piece nodded his head, “Agreed.” he replied.
“So,” Ristretto spoke up, trying to change the conversation the direction of the conversation, “Mr. Time Piece, are you only here just to give me an apology?”
The Automaton thought for a moment, looking over to Sunburst like how a chess master would think of his next move. “That was one major reason, yes. But there’s also another. Now for the sake of the real Sunburst, I did promise I won’t give any spoilers. But if there’s anything that I would like to say on behalf of him, it’s simply this: Thank you.”
Ristretto blinked, glancing over to Sunburst for a moment, then back at Time Piece, “For what?”
The machine smiled, “Everything,” he then stood up from the booth, “I think I need to return to the palace, Princess Cadance did say that she still wants me to go over some further details about my new life. So, Mr. Sunburst, Mr. Ristretto, if either of you need me, I’ll be at the palace. Good morning you two.” With that, The Automaton began walking out of the coffee shop.
Sunburst blinked, stared straight at Ristretto. Ristretto blinked back. They stared at each other for more than an uncomfortable amount of time. Suddenly, Sunburst got up from his chair.
“Yeah, I gotta go too, it’s a work day, bye!” With that, Sunburst dashed out of the shop without another word.
Ristretto put his head on his hoof and drew circles on the table with his other hoof, the largest sigh possible managing to escape his muzzle as he mentally kicked himself to the moon and back.
…
Time Piece looked back at his first lesson plan. Even though he had passed the exam with flying colours, even though he easily memorized the ethics of being not just a teacher, but a professor as well, there was a part of his mechanical mind that was quite nervous of his ultimate test. The test; to teach for the first time.
In front of him was the door to the classroom, one that had his name over the door, ‘Professor Time Piece’. It was amusing to him that he was able to get the title a good deal quicker than his fellow teachers, just looking at the title was nearly enough to distract his nervousness and replace it with pride. “Come now,” he said to himself as his horn glowed on the doorknob, “you can do this.”
Dr. Piece pushed the door to the amphitheatre open. His students were making small talk to each other or looking through their textbooks before they noticed him. Time marched forward towards the desk in the centre of the room. “Good day,” he began, “Welcome to Equestrian History 1801, my name is Professor Time Piece, and I will be your teacher for this semester.”