Something random I decided to put out for the hell of it. It's part of an idea that I had a while ago that I never uploaded, but if you're curious about this expanding I might. All you need to know is:
X = Fluttershy
Zero = Applejack
Lambda = Celestia
The rest will sort of explain itself. Think of this as a sneak preview, and no this is NOT the story I advertised in my blog.
The year was 21xx, and they had re-dubbed the city "Neo-Canterlot". This city, from what my creator told me, was the center of all activity in Equestria. Most current day machines were created here first. They were all based off of the findings of an ancient Equestrian Princess named Twilight Sparkle, who is known as the "mother of robotics".
The world changed when my creator "Cain" found a capsule on an archaeological dig. Exploring the old laboratory of Twilight Sparkle, he discovered a machine unlike any other machine. It looked like a pony, and it was called "X". X was, different than any robot my creator had ever seen. She was actually more like a living pony than a robot. It was through examining her, Cain was able to replicate her design.
Thus he created me.
I was the first ever "reploid", or replica android. Cain designed me to roughly look like the late Princess Celestia, who was the co-ruler of Equestria along with another powerful pony named Princess Luna. Both of them died of unknown causes, becoming one with the sun and moon, whatever that meant. I never understood what organic ponies meant when they said stuff like that, but whoever this "Princess Celestia" was she must have been special, because most organic ponies looked at me with awe whenever I walked by them.
Besides my overall appearance looking like "Celestia", I was built with green body armor and sharp shoulder pads. My lower body and hind legs were covered with brown and black armor, and a long light green skirt flowed over them coming from my waist. My mane and tail were both rainbow colored and really full. I loved my mane, especially how it fell to the sides of my face. My creator said something about making my mane move as if flowing in the wind, but he was unable to do that. I don't know why that was a big deal. I like my mane just the way it is.
On my head was a silver head piece shaped to look like a crown, and it complimented my long white horn perfectly. Finally on my back were a pair of white feathered wings that were much larger and had more detail than normal pegasi ponies. My creator told me that I am what's called an "alicorn". So many silly names for so many things. I'm a reploid, a machine made to look like some pony who's dead.
Oh well, at least I'm pretty.
Sometime after my creation, my creator shared my design with other scientists. Soon everyone was making reploids, to the point that many normal machines were replaced with reploid workers. It was a new era, and I was proud too be a part of it, but a few things bugged me.
For one thing, I didn't understand the difference between me and X. Fundamentally we were the same, yet I could always tell we were different. There was something about her that separated her from the other machines.
Was I obsessed? Maybe a little. But I hated things I didn't understand. It was so small, but it kept me up at night. I was also confused as to why I needed sleep. I was a machine, yet there were so many things that I needed to do that were pony related. I could eat, I could sleep, I could dream, and although I was able to perform much more efficiently than organic ponies, I felt fatigue if I worked myself too hard.
I was limited, yet still stronger than ponies. Why was I made like this? What is my purpose? What am I, really?
My creator, X, and I saw some disturbing news. Apparently three reploids went haywire and turned against their pony creators. A large number of ponies were hurt, and some were killed. The news reporter looked really upset as she gave the report. I looked at both my creator and X, the latter of the two looking like she was getting ready to cry.
"How awful," my creator said.
"Why is this happening?" X asked, tears of sadness streaming from her face.
"I don't know," my creator said with a sigh before turning to me, "Lambda, are you feeling any programming errors?"
"No," I said shaking my head, "I feel fine."
I looked at X, about to ask her the same question, but somehow I didn't feel like I needed to. She looked so upset. Something told me that she was fine, despite being emotionally distraught.
"I need to be alone," X said getting up and galloping away from the living room. I trotted over to my creator and sat down next to him.
"Creator, it isn't your fault," I said wrapping my wing around my creator, who was horribly distraught.
"Perhaps there is an error in my findings," he said, "Maybe if I look over-"
"Creator, every reploid you made is perfectly fine," I said, "I'm not suffering from any errors, and those three reploids weren't ones you made. I assure you, the problem is something the scientists who made them will look into."
"I hope you're right, Lambda," my creator said looking at me with the saddest smile, "Thank you, Lambda. Could you check on X for me?"
"Certainly, Creator," I said getting up. I trotted to X's room where I heard her sobbing loudly. I was upset too, hearing about the Maverick attacks, but she was downright distraught. It was as if she knew the ponies who died.
I knocked on her door, "X, it's Lambda. Can I come in?"
"Y-yes..." X sobbed. I opened the door and trotted in, immediately feeling her sadness as if it were my own.
"My creator is worried about you, X, and so am I?" I said trotted over to her, "Why are you so upset?"
She looked at me in surprise, "Ponies died, Lambda! Doesn't that affect you at all?"
"It does, yes. I'm not happy about that, but there isn't anything you nor I can do about it. Ponies are fragile creatures who can't be repaired if they're damaged, and those who died can't be rebuilt like us."
"We're not that different from them!" X cried, "If you're completely destroyed, that's it! Cain can't bring you back to life even if he makes another Lambda!"
It then hit me. I was mortal as well, just like the ponies who died were. I could be destroyed too. I didn't show it on my face, but suddenly I think I understood X's fear, as it became my fear as well. Death... I could... die?
"And what if we could have done something?!" X continued looking down, "Ponies put a stop to fights among other ponies, so why couldn't robots stop other robots?"
She brought up a good point actually. Reploid against reploid. Ponies were fragile, yes, but reploids were stronger. They could fight the reploids, and no one would have to die.
I wouldn't have to die...
"You're right," I said trotting over to X and hugging her, "Somebody needs to take action. You've given me a great idea."
With that I ran out. I had to put this plan together before I gave it to my creator. This was a great idea.
When I gave the idea to my creator, he was greatly surprised, but even he said that it was a splendid idea. My idea was something called a "Maverick Hunter". Ponies made reploids that could handle many tasks, but very few reploids were made solely for combat. We could carefully make combat reploids designed to take down Maverick reploids, and even outfit civilian reploids to help them fight, assuming they wanted to fight.
He left to give the idea to the governing officials. X and I waited for him to return, but I couldn't sit still. My heart was racing (or at least I felt a fast paced sensation in my chest), and I felt like I needed to keep moving. I paced back and forth in the living room, praying and hoping that they liked my idea. What if they didn't take it because it came from a reploid?
I heard the door open, "Girls, I'm home," he said with a sigh.
"Cain!" X called out running over to him. As I trotted to him, I couldn't help but feel worried about the outcome. Why did he sound so worried?
"Is everything okay?" I asked, getting another sigh from my creator.
"Yes and no..." he said. My ears lowered in sadness.
"They didn't like the idea, did they...?" I asked looking down.
"Oh, they loved the idea. They're planning the team right now," my creator said.
"Then why do you look so sad?" X asked.
"Well, when I told them that the idea came from my personal reploid, Lambda, they were so impressed with her logical reasoning that they requested..." he looked at me sadly, "that she be the leader."
That racing sensation of my chest came back, only it was worse now. They wanted... me to fight?
"Won't that be dangerous?" X asked, getting a grave nod from my creator.
"Very. I'd have to outfit Lambda with weapons, as she'd be expected to fight as well," my creator said. I was trembling so much now, I could barely stand. I felt like I was going to be sick.
"You talk like you're going to send her out!" X exclaimed.
"Well, the Duke said that he'd only fund this project if Lambda was the leader," my creator said, "I'm afraid my hooves are tied. Lambda, are you okay with this?"
"Yes!" I said quickly, "I'll do it..."
Both my creator and X looked at me really shocked. I suppose it was painfully obvious that I was terrified, as I was just as bad at holding in my emotions as X, only I actually tried sometimes.
"You came to that really quickly," my creator said, "Are you sure-"
"Someone has to do something," I said, "If I don't do this, then they won't fund the Maverick Hunter plan. I'll do it."
I trotted off as fast as I could before they could question if I was okay. If any of them asked me I might have told them the truth, and they'd convince me not to do it. If I didn't do it, then other ponies would get hurt or die.
But I didn't want to die either. If I fought, would I die?
I stopped in my room and fell onto my bed, doing something I rarely did. I cried, almost as hard as X did when she saw the first Maverick attack.
"I don't want to die..." I sobbed, "I don't want to die..."
The next few months were very eventful. I demanded that my creator upload me with the best virus protection and battle capabilities. I told him that it was so I could be an inspiration to the other Maverick Hunters, but the truth was I wanted to make sure I could beat any Maverick before they could kill me.
I developed a truly ruthless fighting style over the first month. My weapon of choice was a beam saber, which I wielded with my magic system, which allowed me to replicate unicorn magic. With my wings I could now fly, which added to my speed. The mindset I lived by concerning the Mavericks was that I had to kill them before they killed me.
The other Hunters saw me as an inspiration. If only they knew the truth...
The most important fight of my life came around my third month in the Maverick Hunters. There was a particular Maverick reported in an old warehouse in the outskirts of Neo-Canterlot. It was built with a female frame, and had red and white armor. She took the form of an orange pony with a blond mane and tail coming out of the back of her helmet. I saw the report on the Maverick, and instantly I was taken over with fear. Every squad that went to face her had been destroyed instantly.
The government was afraid that if the Maverick wasn't taken care of, she would leave the warehouse and start attacking Neo-Canterlot. There was no getting around it. There was only one Hunter capable of fighting this Maverick.
That was me.
The 6th unit was sent out to keep watch of the warehouse. When they heard my hoof steps approach them they turned around in shock.
"Commander Lambda?" the leader asked.
"The Red Maverick is still inside, right?" I asked, getting a nod from the reploid leader.
"Yes, ma'am. She hasn't moved yet."
I looked down and closed my eyes, "When I go inside, close the door behind me. Don't let anyone in or out until you hear me knock on the door three times, then two."
They looked at me like I was crazy as I walked toward the warehouse, and one of the younger Hunters ran in front of me.
"Ma'am, you're going to fight alone? It's too dangerous!"
"Too many reploids have been sacrificed already," I said seriously, "Those are lives that will never come back. I will not send anymore of my men to their deaths."
I lightly pushed him aside, and continued toward the warehouse. While I walked, I closed my eyes and stilled my heart as best as I could. X taught me a breathing technique I could use when I was afraid. She had no idea how much use that technique got from me.
Moments like right now. I don't want to die...
When I entered the warehouse, I was greeted by darkness. Ahead I saw the Maverick sitting by herself. She was about as big as X, if not a little bigger, and her mane was tied in a ponytail. I slowly trotted over to her, but when she turned to face me I stopped.
The look in her eyes was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was the eyes of a demon.
She screamed in anger and charged at me. Immediately I flew to the side dodging her fore hoof punch, appearing behind her. She then tried a buck kick, but once again I moved to the side, making her kick a wall.
The Red Maverick screamed and charged over to me, throwing punch after punch, all of which I frantically dodged. I jumped above her, fliping in the air and kicked her flank knocking her back. I didn't pull out my saber yet, as I was trying to size her up still. I never used my saber until I was ready to finish off my opponent.
The Red Maverick slammed her hooves on the ground in anger and frustration, and then turned around to me and continued her assault. She was wild, and unfocused, so I was able to find an opening easily and grab her foreleg with my forelegs and flip her over my shoulder.
I galloped over to her and grabbed her foreleg again and threw her straight into the air. Her head was lodged in the ceiling. I wasn't thinking that it was over, but I knew that she would have to be damaged after that.
She pulled her head free, and she smiled at me like a crazy pony. She wasn't...
She kicked off the ceiling and threw a pipe down toward me. I swatted it away with my forehoof but had to block as she jumped on top of me, knocking my to the ground. She then began punching me continuously with her forehooves, but I kept my guard up as to not take too much damage.
I kicked her off of me, and stood up. She wasted no time rushing over to me again and continued to wildly attack me, only now there were a few more close calls. It was like her power was growing. She was holding back on me. But if she was a Maverick, she wouldn't be in so much control. She couldn't have been...
I jumped away from her and pulled out my beam saber. I had to take this Red Maverick a little more seriously. In response to me pulling out my sword, she grabbed another led pipe with her mouth and smirked at me. Wasn't she wild before?
We charged toward each other and clashed weapons. How was she blocking my beam saber with a led pipe?! Something like that would require strength unlike any other! How strong was this Red Maverick?!
I needed a little more leverage, so using my magic I moved my saber into my mouth to fight her on a more even level. Normally this would have given me an edge, but all that changed was that I could feel just how strong the Red Maverick was. She applied so much pressure in her blows, and that pressure was growing!
I jumped away, immediately regretting my decision to fight this Red Maverick alone. Was this it? Would this Red Maverick be my downfall? Was I going to die here? No! I couldn't die here! I didn't want to die!
When I looked into her eyes again, it hit me. This reploid wasn't a Maverick by normal standards. She wasn't suffering from a programming error. She was just evil. Pure evil...
I grabbed the hilt of my blade as hard as I could, and charged over to the Red Maverick. She did the same, only she kept that same arrogant smirk that was becoming more and more insane. Was she enjoying this? When we dashed past each other and slashed, I knew I had missed my mark, but I felt a sharp pain in my side. I looked to my side and had to stiffle a scream.
My right wing had been torn off. She did that with a pipe!
I turned around and she kicked me hard in the face, knocking me to the ground. The kick was so hard that I saw static. She trotted over to me and I heard the most terrifying sound. Laughter. The Red Maverick was laughing, and it was the most terrifying laughter I had ever heard.
I tried to stand up, but she kicked me again and slammed her hooved into my left foreleg, crushing it. This time I couldn't hold my scream in. She then kicked me in the stomach hard, knocking me into the wall, all the while still laughing.
She wasn't even trying to kill me yet! She was just torturing me!
The Red Maverick galloped over to me and grabbed my right foreleg in some sort of sumbission hold, threatening to pull it out with her bare hooves. I tried to be strong, but by now I couldn't hold in my screams or my tears. At that sound, the Red Maverick's laughter became louder, to the point that it was euphoric. She relished in my pain, and I knew then that she didn't just want to kill me. She was going to destroy me.
I don't want to die...
Why wasn't I stronger?! Why didn't I listen to X when she said not to fight?! Why didn't my creator try harder to stop me, or come up with another plan?!
I don't want to die!
Why did I have to fight?! Yes, I was a reploid, a machine, but I was alive too! I wasn't expendable! I couldn't be replaced! I wasn't fair!
I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!!!
All of a sudden her laughter stopped, and she let go of my foreleg. I heard her gasp, and then groan in pain. When I turned around to look at her, I saw her hunched over on the ground, holding her head in pain. The blue diamond on her forehead had a fancy letter S glowing in it. What was happening to her?
She stood on her hind legs, holding her head with her forehooves, and screamed loudly. Whatever was going on was causing her intense pain.
I knew I would be a fool to not take this chance. Standing up as best as I could, I punched the crystal as hard as I could, shattering it. She fell back, meaning that I hit her control chip most likely. As she flew from the punch I felt something fly into me. I saw images, memories flowing into me. It was too much and I found myself screaming in agony as the images forced themselves into my CPU, downloading against my will.
"No! NO!!!" I screamed, knowing what was happening, "I don't want this! I don't want to become a Maverick!!! STOP!!!!!"
As the changes took hold, I staggered over to the door, still trying to resist the changes. I was the Maverick Hunter's commanding officer. I couldn't fall. I couldn't become a Maverick! If I did, who would protect Neo-Canterlot? Who would protect X and my creator? What would my creator think?
I knocked three times on the door. After a few beats, I knocked twice. Immediately the doors swung open and the 6th unit ran in, some running to the Red Maverick but some running to me.
"Commander Lambda! Are you okay?!" the leader asked.
"Help me..." I sobbed, "I don't want to become a Maverick... I don't want to die..."
"C-Commander?" he asked, obviously confused by what I meant. I couldn't elaborate anymore, and instead I resumed my sobs, the same thought running through my head over and over.
I don't want to become a Maverick...
I don't want to die...
The next few days were a blur. The Maverick Hunters immediately got to work with my repairs. By the first day my body was completely repaired. I wish I could say the same for my mind. Most days I stayed in bed crying, reliving the nightmare over and over.
Every night I dreamed about the same group of ponies. Sometimes the group consisted of two pegasi, two earth ponies like my creator, and two unicorns. However, sometimes the one purple unicorn was an alicorn. I could walk through these memories, watching everything as if it were a three dimensional movie.
As I examined the group of ponies, and I realized I could recognize a few faces. Two in fact. There was an orange Earth Pony called "Applejack" I think, and she looked just like the Red Maverick. Odd, as she seemed so much nicer, and was clearly the leader of her friends, or the oldest. One of the two.
The other pony I recognized almost gave me a heart attack. She was a cream colored pegasus with a pink mane and tail, as timid as they come. That wasn't all though. I saw her everyday. In fact, she was like a sister to me.
Her name in the dream was Fluttershy, but I knew her as X.
During one dream I actually saw a glowing figure approach the main six ponies I kept seeing. When this figure reached them, all of the ponies bowed to her. I walked over to her to get a better look. It was me!
No, it wasn't. I knew who this was. This was Princess Celestia.
"Why did you die?" I asked her in my dream, face to face with her even though she couldn't see me, "You were powerful. A ruler, supposed to be immortal, yet you're dead," my emotions picked up and I gritted my teeth a bit, "My creator based my design off of you?! You make me sick! How could you die?! You're supposed to be all powerful, but you're weak! I hate you, and I hate that I look just like you!"
Everything became dark, and the only thing I saw was Princess Celestia. It was just the two of us, but she was frozen in place, smiling sweetly.
"I wonder if I would have been forced to fight if I didn't look just like you!" I said circling Princess Celestia, "Or if I had been a real pony like you, and not some machine! I'm not expendable! I'm alive too, and no one has the right to treat me otherwise!"
I walked over to her and glared at her, mere inches from our faces.
"I hate you..." I said softly before stepping back and exploding with rage and sadness, "I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I pulled out my beam saber, which seemed to join me in my dream state, and slashed at Celestia continuously. Her ghostly form felt nothing as it fazed around my energy blade, but I kept going until I was too tired to slash anymore. I fell to the floor and cried, not in sadness, but in anger. I realized the difference between me and Celestia. She was worshiped and loved, while I was merely used. She was a ruler, but all I could ever hope to be was a tool. The mere fact that I looked like her showed that.
I was nothing but a symbol, the exact opposite of Princess Celestia.
"Everyone treats me like I'm a symbol of hope," I sobbed, "Not paying any mind to how I feel or think. They use the fact that I'm based off of you to rally troops and inspire other reploids to give their lives and die for the weak and helpless ponies," I suddenly had a thought and stood up to face her again, "Yet you're dead. I'm alive right now, while you're dead," that thought made me laugh, "So when I look at it another way, I'm better. If I get hurt, I can be repaired, but you died, and you're going to stay dead."
The more I thought about it, the funnier it got. Here I was hating what I was, thinking that I was just a tool, and I was superior. I wasn't a robot designed to look like Princess Celestia, I was Princess Celestia 2.0!
"Ponies worshiped you, but they treat me like an expendable tool," I said darkly, "But they'll learn, soon... I'll be worshiped next."
I trotted away from the now fading image of Princess Celestia. When I woke up, I'd begin preparing for my next move. This would be the last time anypony treated me like I was expendable. I was their new queen, and they would bow before me!
"Ya wanted ta see me?" the robot who we know knew to be Zero asked walking into my office. She now wore a brown stetson on top of her helmet much like the pony she was based off of wore.
"Yes Zero," I said looking out my window, my flank turned to her, "How goes X's training?"
"Pretty good," Zero said, "Ah reckon she'll be ready fer a field test soon."
"Good," I said, still not turning to Zero, "Have her take part in the next mission."
"Roger that, Commander Lambda," Zero said. Through the reflected mirror I noticed she looked down in shame.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked.
"Ah... still don't know about ya makin me a Hunter, Commander. Ah heard what happened ta ya because of me. Ah'm more than willin ta work with ya ta make it up, but-"
"Do you pledge absolute loyalty to me?" I asked, clearly catching her off guard.
"Course!" Zero said as if it were obvious, "Ah always repay mah depts, an' Ah owe ya big time, takin me in like ya did."
"Then think nothing else of it," I said finally looking to at her with a smile, "You are my special subordinate, Zero."
Zero smiled brightly, "Thank ya, Commander Lambda. Ah promise, Ah won't let ya down!"
Zero galloped away, leaving me to my thoughts. After the dream when I saw Princess Celestia, I felt different, calmer. No longer was I afraid of becoming a Maverick, not so long as I had my new power. Looking out the window, I focused on a construction mechaniloid in the distance. Using the new magic I acquired, I altered it's programming making it stop what it was doing and attack the other workers.
"CODE RED!!!! CODE RED!!!! MAVERICK ACTIVITY DETECTED AROUND HIGHWAY 76!!!! ALL AVAILABLE HUNTERS TO THEIR BATTLE STATIONS!!!!"
Right on cue, I thought smiling. I was still getting the hang of my powers, and I needed to get access to the President's office, but once I had those two things I could make my move.
And put an end to ponykind...
"Never again," I said to myself, letting my new hatred for ponies fill me before I put on my professional expression. I galloped out of my office and to the command room, ready to lead my troops to destroy the Maverick I created.
The countdown the the Day of Λ started now.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed this random story. There is more to this. I have an entire genre fashioned off of this world, but I wasn't sure how well received it would be. Read it and tell me what you think, please.
