Rise of the Bronze Ageby Colonel-MajoraChaptersI: RISEII: FALLIII: A NEW AGE BEGINS (Vector images at chapter end)I: RISEFactory Sense was a greatly gifted earth pony from Baltimare. She loved to learn, and would always get excited for going on to higher levels of education. Interestingly, she never stayed in one school grade for long, as she was too smart to need an education past reading all the yearly material. She didn't make many friends because of this. Throughout her younger years, she quietly worked towards mechanical engineering, and on building innovative new mechanisms in her spare time, earning her cutie mark, a piston, after completing her first steam powered machine at age 7. The young, uncommonly bronze-coated mare graduated from university at only 17 years old, earning her school’s highest average that year with her reports on incredibly advanced theories in chemistry, engineering and magic; her knowledge of the latter was extraordinary for an earth pony. Very shortly after, Princess Celestia visited Factory, offering a place on the royally funded science team working in Canterlot. Needless to say, she was elated. She accepted immediately, and moved her “lab” to the castle, where she could put together something to actually call a proper lab. For two years, Factory Sense made great strides in mechanical advancements, crossing the values of steam power, hydraulics, and imbued magic. She was making heavy progress in developing what somepony finally referred to as a “Faux Pony”, a fully moving, incredibly strong, mechanized pony shell to be usable for anything from shows to displays to clothes modeling. She thought of the obvious standard model based on an average earth pony, but ideas for other models with optimized movement and abilities, and interesting designs, came to her; an earth pony with two front legs and a single large back wheel, an air-propelled pegasus with retractable legs and size-variable wings, and a unicorn, with a fully functioning horn sustained by imbued magic and powered by electrically charged crystals embedded in a tempered glass horn. She was revered among the team of scientists, who knew that all she work on was not for recognition or gain, but because she just wanted to have fun learning and to help others learn with her. Those ponies, on friendly terms, had taken to calling her “Bronze”, simply named after her rather unique coat color. Factory was truly happy with her good friends and colleagues. The higher authorities in her workplace even thought for a while to make her recurring nickname an esteemed title, and to dedicate a wing of the Canterlot Archives to her, honors given only to great minds such as Starswirl the Bearded, who Factory greatly respected. Princess Celestia also called upon her at times to have tea, and to discuss the more entertaining parts of both of their recent endeavors. Factory even heard of a lucky young unicorn, who was, at that time, in a position of personal education under the princess, which Factory was honestly a bit jealous of. One day, things changed heavily. Factory lost her foreleg in an accident while experimenting with new machine parts. Her accident, surprisingly, did not stop her scientific ambition. In fact, her wish to conquer her new hindrance consumed her. She worked for almost nine months on a publicly hidden project with only eating and sleeping interrupting her. Finally, with the help of a select few ponies, she created Equestria’s first ever fully functioning synthetic limb to replace her lost leg, which she called the Gantry. With steam-based parts sustained by circulating chemicals and magically imbued gems powering its circuits, she walked perfectly as she did once before. Late in the period of working on the Gantry, Princess Celestia caught word of Factory’s project. Already knowing of some of her recurring theories, the princess wondered of what may come next for the unendingly brilliant mare. She knew that nothing could phase her. Nothing could stop her. To her guilt, that worried her. It almost scared her. She would be nothing but proud of the young scientist, but unfortunately, she knew of the areas of recurring focus in Factory's studies. One theory that consistently came up in her notes was what she called “Synthetic Cognition”. She believed that, with the right power sources, and the proper enchantments, one could create a sustainable “mind” without a real brain. Many thought this to be a wondrous idea, however difficult to reach. The idea of false ponies going about in daily life, working and even playing, was unprecedented. The potential was certainly high. Though, some thought the project to be mad; creating objects that would think only how their creator wanted them to. Something going wrong could end badly, as there would be a lot of trust put into the machines to behave, and preparation for possible violence would be difficult, and frightening for the public. This, along with the obvious progress of the Faux Pony project, displayed by Factory’s completion of the Gantry, caused some to get scared. Celestia was one of the frightened few. Were the two projects ever intertwined, things could get even too advanced for her to handle. The sun princess finally made the decision to confront Factory Sense. She decided put an end to Factory’s work on what the earth pony was now calling “Artificial Intelligence”. After hearing that name, Celestia was even more put off. “Intelligent, incredibly strong machines, following any order given,” she thought. That was the last straw. She broke the news to Factory, and the obvious protests came out. Factory had not worked on much more than theories and notes on the subject, but she knew how far she wished to take the project. She did not want it to only be an idea anymore. In fact, neither did several of the other scientists, who saw Factory’s work as nothing short of miraculous. Besides, the Faux Pony project would soon go into production stages, and she would need something new to continue theorizing about. Unfortunately, Celestia would not be swayed, hard as it was to deny the eager bronze mare. She explained her reasoning behind her decision, and said it was over. Factory, in Celestia’s opinion, took the news rather well, considering. Though she obviously fought quite hard to change Celestia's mind - as did several other scientists that thought the endeavor was a great leap forward - she gave in, and continued working to optimize the Faux Pony models. Factory began thinking about what she would work on next, whether it was something new or an idea she noted and put off in the past in favor of her A.I. theory. She was rather agitated about Celestia's choice, but she had to move on to other work. In the end, though, she would not have to worry about what to think of next. The bad news had only just begun. Author's Note This is certainly outside of my comfort zone. I have never actually written fanfiction before. I certainly hope that this little biography, or whatever you would call it, will turn out okay. Either way, I've been working quite hard on these chapters, and I hope you guys like what you read. I actually am only writing this because, at the back of my mind, for quite awhile, I had kept thinking of new happenings with this little OC I'd thought of called "Bench Mark". I don't know why that was the character that came into my head; a mare with a mechanical leg that slowly becomes... well, I won't spoil anything, but nontheless, as I wrote, Bench Mark became Factory Sence, the innocent young genius that Celestia comes to call her friend. In the end, though, her "friend" will do great things. Things too great for our dear ol' Sun Butt to handle. The next chapter will be revealed soon! Lemme know what you guys think along the way! Also, look out for a visual of Factory in the future. II: FALLThere was always a lingering wish at the back of Factory’s head – one that honestly distracted her on more than a few occasions. She wanted a family. Her many years of few friends, and the loss of her father – a single parent – at a rather young age, left her wanting a chance at making a decent, proper family of her own someday. Again, a passing thought, but something that grew over the years, to the point of discussion with the princess at one of their now less frequent spots of tea. Interestingly, she thought of having the perfect family, but was never interested in marriage. She only thought of having foals of her own. Foals that she, herself, would bring into the world. She even thought of what she might name her children should the day ever come along. She never did fully realize how frequently the subject completely shifted her focus from her work. And then, the day came around; the last day anypony saw her smile. She was to regularly have check-ups ever since she finished attaching her synthetic leg, what with the chemicals and possible contaminants involved. As it turns out, it was just those that were effecting her, but it was not her personal health that was technically the worry. The nurses broke the news to her after a check into her reproductive condition. The materials that sustained the hydraulics in the Gantry had degraded and nullified her reproductive glands, destroying any and all chances for her to have children of her own. Even if she were to remove the Gantry now, the damage would already be done. Nothing. She had nothing. Nothing to say, nothing to think. The constant ideas and back-of-mind thinking she would have running through her brain about her work disappeared. “This can’t happen”, she thought. “I can’t have done this; done it to myself. No.” Factory proceeded to run, full pelt, back to her lab. She did not leave the testing floor for hours. She needed to vent, and to weep. Her happiest of dreams was gone. If ever there were a time of pure irony in Factory’s life, it would be the next few weeks. The downward spiral had begun. What distracted her from her work for so long, now fueled her obsession to stay at her station day in and day out. She did not talk to anypony, and ponies began to wonder what she was up to. She turned away anypony that tried to disturb her work, but then the one pony that she could not refuse came about. The tall, white alicorn princess that was once so happy to see the mare's eager work ethic, now feared for her physical – and honestly, her psychological – well-being. No breaks for food or sleep for days on end does not tend to leave ponies in the best of health or state-of-mind. The princess entered to see Factory working on the very last thing she could have hoped for: she had been advancing her projections for the Artificial Intelligence project. Immediately, Celestia told her to cease her work, with a warning. She would not tell her again, otherwise there would be consequences. Naturally, the currently groggy and slightly manic Factory Sense fought for her right to work. She had gone down the worst possible path of grief after learning of her reproductive condition. She knew that she could not make life naturally, so she decided to make it unnaturally. Coincidentally, that was just was Celestia called it. Unnatural. She didn't care, of course. She wanted ponies to call her own. To love and cherish that which she gave life to. She saw A.I. as the most obvious way to do this, and with the Faux Pony project basically ready for production – “No,” Celestia thought. Realizing that these thoughts were on her young friend’s mind, without Factory having to say any of it outright, Celestia withdraws from her previous stern tone. She tries reasoning with Factory, and tells her she should take time off, since she did not do so after the unfortunate news. “I’ll think about it…” she responds, in a tone that gave the alicorn a mighty chill. It was so… neutral. She had hoped that she would console the earth pony with her offer to rest up from work, unlikely as it was. Even an angry response would have been an expected reply, but this was just discomforting. Why was she so calm now, of all times? Was she giving up on A.I. and actually listening to her, or did she take away the only thing that was keeping Factory from giving up on everything around her? Either way, the princess could not read minds, so she left Factory to her privacy. “Now,” The scientist, now alone, thought out load, “back to work.” Factory would obviously not stop on the word of an obviously scared princess that underestimated her abilities. She would continue her work, but for now, she had to tell the princess what she wanted to hear, at least getting her out of her lab for the time being. To make her project go faster, she needed something to accelerated the process. A very strong power source that was easy to get on short notice. After all, Celestia would check back in at some point in the near future, and the A.I. project was too vast to hide. So she needed to get something quickly and quietly. And she had just the thing. Celestia did return in another 9 days, not hearing word of Factory's condition. She went back to the lab, and realized that the mare's project had taken a horrifyingly great leap. As it turns out, she had not listened to a word the alicorn said, and had actually begun working with Siphonite crystals, powerful artifacts charged with magic once stolen from unicorns. She had taken them from the Canterlot Archives’ vault, without having to be checked after being given special access for her past research. These stones were incredibly powerful, and could, depending on their size, drain the magic from the most powerful of unicorns, and even alicorns. Unfortunately, the draining spell they were used for was only reversible by the original caster, and the ancient stones were notoriously difficult to completely destroy. Nopony alive knew how, not even the immortals of Equestria. Fortunately for Factory's experiments, they could be broken apart and utilized for their stored power in smaller units, and just like when it was still in a unicorn’s horn, the power inside would regenerate on its own, allowing her to create self-sustaining power sources. Celestia came to the realization that Factory had been using the forbidden stones after seeing the diagrams of the wheeled Faux Pony model with a Siphonite shard apparently embedded in its cranium. She got angry, and scolded Factory from across the room for her insolence. Factory, who was facing the other way and working on something under a dim lamp, did not even respond. There were subtle metallic sounds coming from her workspace. She must have been building something. Either way, Celestia did not like being blatantly ignored, and had had enough. She marched over to the mare, ready to give her the lecture of a lifetime, and stopped. She saw that Factory was sitting a couple of feet in front of a seemingly complete Faux Pony sprawled on the floor the look on her face was the last sort of face she expected to see on the mare: a happy one. Celestia wondered, “Does she even realize what is going on? What is she thinking? Does she even know that I am here next to her?” She reached out to touch the mare’s shoulder, and heard it. The shifting of metal that she previously thought was Factory’s tools. She turned. “S-Sweet mother of Equestria…” That was actually the first time in decades – maybe centuries – that Celestia had frozen out of fear. It was moving. The unnatural, wheeled "pony" on the floor was moving. Its legs were geared and steaming. Its wheel was sputtering. Its eyes – heavens above, its eyes – they were glowing and flickering like lamps. It slowly began to stand, and Celestia still did not know how to react. “His first steps.” Celestia turned to the scientist as she spoke, still softly smiling. “Look at him. He’s trying to stand up and walk to me.” The princess would have thought her completely delusional, but it seemed as though she was right. The machine was actually trying to reach Factory specifically. The earth pony stood, and walked the extra few inches to the Faux Pony, and helped it to its hooves. And wheel. It was as tall as her, and it did not seem to hold any harsh nature towards her. In fact, it merely stood, calmly, as she wrapped her forelegs around it. “You are so beautiful. My dear boy… My dear living boy.” This was just too… What was it exactly? What would be the word? Creepy? Disturbing? Wrong? Celestia had a hard time thinking of it. But she still knew something that it really was. Unacceptable. The alicorn pulled herself out of her fearful trance, and outright said it. “What is this?! What did I tell you, Bronze?” She had never raised her voice to the girl like this before. It honestly did not catch her off guard. She knew Celestia would react like this, but she did not care. She only cared about the machine – no. Child – standing in front of her. Celestia, though, was terrified. This clearly disturbed pony had actually succeeded in every ambition she had aimed for throughout the years, and it had all come to this terrifying result. The princess was right so long ago. Nothing could stop Factory. Early graduation, acceptance onto the science team, the Gantry, the Faux Pony, Artificial Intelligence – she had done it all, and now Celestia wondered what could happen if she continued. After that, everything went by like a blur. Celestia called for the guards, and sent for more to come with them. She told them to detain the Faux Pony. After their initial shock at seeing the creature, the guards did as they were ordered. They grabbed the metal thing and began pulling it to the dungeon. Of course, Factory tried going after them, but Celestia held her back. She would not let her grow any more attached to the thing. Unfortunately, it was too late for that. The moment the machine began moving on its own, Factory saw it as her own – practically her own flesh and blood – and she was now desperately trying to save it, bucking and screaming. “Let go! YOU CAN’T KEEP ME FROM MY BABY!” Celestia was speechless. She never thought that this eager young genius would end up so manic. What made it even worse was that the Faux Pony almost seemed to look back at the mare with a look of longing. By the end of the ordeal, Celestia had put Factory down, and as bad as she felt for the crazed “mother” in front of her, she knew what had to be done. Factory was to be removed from the team of scientists. She was not to be allowed any further royal funding. Most importantly, her research relating to the Artificial Intelligence project, along with the Faux Pony that was now being locked up, were to all be destroyed. Factory was already in tears, and was now getting worse. Her cries of protest were almost getting too frantic to understand. Celestia was taking away everything, and they both knew it. Little Bronze was so angry at, in the mare's eyes, this monster of a princess for ruining the only remaining thing she wished for. But that princess, along with many others that thought the project to be mad, knew that it had to be done, and she was certainly not letting the mare off without punishment for disobeying orders so frequently and irresponsibly. She would later gather Factory’s supplies for her, and have her out of the castle. There were plenty more issues with Factory’s enraged state as she was forced to leave the castle, but Celestia took it as an expected outcome. For the time being, it was over with. Things would go back to the way they were before Factory’s work started escalating those few years ago. Once the residual Siphonite and the mare’s research were collected and disposed of, the A.I. Issue would no longer be a worry. The next day, Celestia woke to the usual moon shining in the sky. For a moment, she thought it would be a decent day, and then the memory of the morning prior came rushing back. She felt sad for losing such a great mind, and once such a good friend, all in one fell swoop. Nevertheless, she rose from her bed, and readied herself to raise the sun, when guards came knocking at the door, frantically. They were calling for her, as many had in the past when disaster had struck. She immediately rushed to the door, to see a few royal knights with terrified expressions. When she asked what had happened, they told her things she honestly never expected. Several guards had been found unconscious leading from one of the castle gates to the research wing, as well as towards around the Canterlot Archives. Apparently, one of unicorn guards remembered seeing a pony with a strange crystal come up behind him, just before the feeling the energy from his body and horn slip away in a matter of seconds. Celestia was stunned, but asked the obvious question of what the pony looked like. The description, thankfully, did not match the young bronze girl she was thinking of at all. Though, she was confused, as the description did match another scientist that, she recalled, worked with Factory a lot. She also felt a sinking feeling as she remembered that he was one of the ponies that greatly protested along with Factory when Celestia first ended the A.I. project. Further insight into what had happened only brought Celestia more turmoil. The Archives’ vault and castle testing floor had been robbed. Research notes and materials, along with Siphonite from the lab and the vault, had been stolen. Celestia immediately wished that she had had them all disposed of earlier. Throughout the day, an investigation ensued. More and more troubling news. The dungeon had been hit, freeing the Faux Pony. A number of scientists had disappeared, along with their personal effects. Most importantly, everything Factory Sense had progressed towards was gone, and so was she. She had swiftly planned a rather straightforward raid on the castle to collect everything she needed to continue towards her goals, and then vanished without a trace. Some ponies thought that she had taken out the scientists that had disappeared, but Celestia thought it much more likely that they all helped her. There was no way she could have done it all on her own. And with one last sweep of the Canterlot Archives, it was done with. Celestia knew that Factory would not let herself be seen. She knew how smart she was. For the foreseeable future, ponies around Equestria would be shown the face of a wanted criminal, to be on the lookout for a Pony with no name. That was the rule. No name. Those that knew her were ordered not to let anypony know of who she really was, as ponies could not know what she was working towards for reasons of safety. She would likely move around a fair amount to stay hidden, while likely still working on making more “children”, as it were. She had all that she needed, and with the Siphonite crystals, she posed a threat, even though few of them were actually still usable with the draining spell. All of this went through Celestia’s mind at one point or another, but mostly, she was still reeling. This pony – this sweet young mare with a kind heart and a dream of learning all she could – had completely lost it, and she blamed herself. She offered her every opportunity, and when she realized that she offered too much, and it got out of hand, she took it all away. The stress it must have caused the poor girl would not leave the alicorn’s thoughts. In the end, though, she did not think that the mare was going to hurt anypony else. She had the guards taken down that were in the way. No more. She did not even drain them of all their magic, only enough to knock them out, so that it would regenerate again over time. Perhaps it was just blind hope, but Celestia felt that Bronze still had a conscience enough to hide away and work, without doing any damage. She hoped for the best, for her subjects, and for the unfortunate scientist. Author's Note I really went into every detail that I could to show how bad things were about to get for Celestia and Factory. I know that some points in this may not be perfect, but as long as I am thinking of them, I'll write 'em down. I hope you are enjoying this little story so far. More to come soon. :) III: A NEW AGE BEGINS (Vector images at chapter end)9 years later… ~~~~~~~~~~~ Incident Report To the desks of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria By word of Lieut. Spear Head Appaloosa Oversight Squad May 13th Your Esteemed Highnesses: Last night, our team was making nightly rounds in Appaloosa, as well as in the surrounding area. I was finishing the last round of my shift when I heard very odd noises around the northern edge of town – like gas. Almost like a pipe suddenly releasing air. I took the time to look around the area, but there was very little to be seen. After all, we are in a rather barren desert. I thought I saw a pony out of the corner of my eye, but upon a quick scout, I determined there was nothing to be seen. Besides that, it was honestly too dark to search any further. I brought to issue to my S.O., and since we were off duty this morning, and he thought the noises I described were quite strange for the desert wilderness, he had some troops and I survey the area further. Many of the guys were skeptical, saying I was being paranoid, but we later came across a cave a few hundred yards from the very edge of town with what looked like a previously occupied base inside of it. There were only a pair tables, and some leftover papers and such with nothing of importance among them. It looked as though whoever was there left in a hurry, and if what I saw last night was actually the ones occupying the cave, then they must be quite efficient to have packed up and left so fast. I only bring the issue to you, Your Majesties, as I have heard of the recent reports from other towns and bases. We all know that reports of strange looking – and oddly, strange sounding – cloaked ponies having been seen here or there, and then being gone immediately after. And of course, our squad quickly caught word of the reported sighting a few months ago of the unidentified armoured vehicle near Manehatten. Some of the stallions here say it was just an exaggerated claim by the one pony that saw it, and that no vehicle is as advanced as was described, but I believe it, and that it may be involved with all of these odd reports from our fellow soldiers’ bases. I am not sure what you think of this, my princesses, but I thought it best to inform you nonetheless. Thank you for your time. With respect and regards, Lieut. Spear Head ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dearest Luna, Another report has come in. A soldier and his squad stationed in the town of Appaloosa have found another abandoned base. This is beginning to get rather troubling. If all of these sightings and reports are talking about the same thing – if we are dealing with a widespread group of ponies that are able to hide from everypony in the kingdom – I fear for what may be coming next. As always, I hope that these letters find you in good health. I look forward to hearing back from you sister. Do let me know how the Saddle Arabian delegates are faring. Your loving sister, Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My dear Luna, You made a good point in your letter. These reports certainly have been coming in for quite a while. They could certainly be sightings of common thieves, or even of select criminal groups. You know as well as I do it would not be the first time that small groups of dangerous characters have come together to cause trouble for us. Though, this time seems different. The reported sightings all seem too similar in description. And that report of the large vehicle near Manehatten is one that I am ready to believe. Perhaps I am overreacting, yes. On the other hoof, the times when I think that I am overreacting, undermining an issue, and am mistaken, are often the times I fear the most. You know more than most how badly that can end. Either way, I hear good things from Saddle Arabia, so I assume the better for you on your trip. Twilight sends her regards. Love, Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Luna, I have had a long chat with Twilight and our advisers. They do not know what to make of this either. Twilight is certainly puzzled. She says that somepony would need a great deal of assets and support to have associates in all of the places we have gotten reports from. She has sent some of her friends to examine a few of those locations, and advised the citizens of Ponyville to be on high alert for any suspicious figures. Honestly, she is handling the situation quite well. We should both be proud of our youngest royal. Let the ponies there know that they have my thanks for taking good care of my little sister, and know that I look forward to seeing you home again soon, for good company, and to discuss these pressing matters. All the best, Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Luna, I received your letter, and I share your worries. When I received the notice from Shining Armour and Cadence that a group of ponies saw what they saw, I immediately got a sinking feeling. Glowing orange eyes; I have heard of only one thing like that, but it is unlikely. Once you get back, sister, I will call on a meeting for all the royals. You and I, Cadence and Shining Armour, Twilight and the other Elements will all need to talk about this. There is clearly something serious going on, and knowing that this new threat has individuals at several corners of the kingdom, we need to prepare ourselves for, well, whatever it is they may be planning. Please send off a letter the moment you receive this, Lulu. I only ask for swift replies out of concern. Deepest regards, Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sister, I have not heard back from you in days. Please let me know that you are alright. If these reports are correct, and the same sightings of strange ponies with metallic clothes are coming all the way from Saddle Arabia, I fear that things will change for the worst soon. I have discussed this with the the others and they feel the same way. Spike actually brought up something that has become a very concerning issue. He said that we should perhaps bring in all of the ponies that saw something and speak with them face to face, to get all of the details we can, but days after I had Spike help me send out letters to all of them immediately, I still have not gotten any replies. Also, Twilight has mapped out the locations of the sightings, and, barring a few outliers, the latest locations seem to be getting closer and closer to here, in Canterlot. I am legitimately getting worried, sister. Please reply soon, the public is beginning to get more word of the reports, and soon, they will get scared. They would certainly not be the only ones. I need you here, with me, Luna. Please reply soon. Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celestia walked tensely down the hall to her bedroom. The nearby guards had all moved to the main hall for new stationing orders. Some were to stay there at the castle, while other were to be sent to various surrounding areas. Even Luna's nighttime guard of bat ponies, and the majority of the Wonderbolt squadrons, were there being reassigned. Things were quiet for the last few days, but Celestia did not know whether to feel better or worse about that. Today was the day to send out the troops and protect the castle, and Celestia would make sure that it was done right. Unfortunately, she was still greatly distracted. Luna had still not replied, and while she had sent her last letter only a day and a half ago, she felt it best to press the issue. She decided to send notices of her sister's lack of response to the ponies immediately around her in Saddle Arabia. She reached her bedroom, and proceeded to her letterhead, not bothering to open any curtains or light any torches, as she left a lantern lit near her desk the last time she left. She flexed her horn and levitated a feather pen to the writing surface and stopped. She was momentarily confused, and in only a few moments, she read, then pondered, then went wide-eyed. "NO". There, on the stack of papers, it was scrawled in unmistakable writing. I TOLD YOU. YOU CAN'T KEEP ME FROM THEM. She was there. Where? She spun, and standing there, rage in her eyes, large Siphonite crystal in hoof, the familiar bronze scientist with the familiar metallic leg was trotting forward, ready to seize the princess where she was. "I think it's time to take away everything that you love," She raised the stone, and Celestia began to feel herself weaken. "...wouldn't you say?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Factory Sense (Age: 19) (Also available HERE) Factory Sense (Age: 29) Author's Note Well, there you have it. The prologue to the story I may or may not or probably will never write. The fact is, I am not a writer. Never have been. I just wrote this down because I wanted to make an OC, I thought it should have a bit of a backstory, and I kept thinking of things like what you just read. I tried to give it some flavor with the incident report, and the letters, so please lemme know what you think, and I will hopefully release the picture of Factory soon. Hope you guys have enjoyed! P.S. - If you wanna make your own fanfiction of this, be my guest. Just lemme know, and we can talk. :)
I: RISEFactory Sense was a greatly gifted earth pony from Baltimare. She loved to learn, and would always get excited for going on to higher levels of education. Interestingly, she never stayed in one school grade for long, as she was too smart to need an education past reading all the yearly material. She didn't make many friends because of this. Throughout her younger years, she quietly worked towards mechanical engineering, and on building innovative new mechanisms in her spare time, earning her cutie mark, a piston, after completing her first steam powered machine at age 7. The young, uncommonly bronze-coated mare graduated from university at only 17 years old, earning her school’s highest average that year with her reports on incredibly advanced theories in chemistry, engineering and magic; her knowledge of the latter was extraordinary for an earth pony. Very shortly after, Princess Celestia visited Factory, offering a place on the royally funded science team working in Canterlot. Needless to say, she was elated. She accepted immediately, and moved her “lab” to the castle, where she could put together something to actually call a proper lab. For two years, Factory Sense made great strides in mechanical advancements, crossing the values of steam power, hydraulics, and imbued magic. She was making heavy progress in developing what somepony finally referred to as a “Faux Pony”, a fully moving, incredibly strong, mechanized pony shell to be usable for anything from shows to displays to clothes modeling. She thought of the obvious standard model based on an average earth pony, but ideas for other models with optimized movement and abilities, and interesting designs, came to her; an earth pony with two front legs and a single large back wheel, an air-propelled pegasus with retractable legs and size-variable wings, and a unicorn, with a fully functioning horn sustained by imbued magic and powered by electrically charged crystals embedded in a tempered glass horn. She was revered among the team of scientists, who knew that all she work on was not for recognition or gain, but because she just wanted to have fun learning and to help others learn with her. Those ponies, on friendly terms, had taken to calling her “Bronze”, simply named after her rather unique coat color. Factory was truly happy with her good friends and colleagues. The higher authorities in her workplace even thought for a while to make her recurring nickname an esteemed title, and to dedicate a wing of the Canterlot Archives to her, honors given only to great minds such as Starswirl the Bearded, who Factory greatly respected. Princess Celestia also called upon her at times to have tea, and to discuss the more entertaining parts of both of their recent endeavors. Factory even heard of a lucky young unicorn, who was, at that time, in a position of personal education under the princess, which Factory was honestly a bit jealous of. One day, things changed heavily. Factory lost her foreleg in an accident while experimenting with new machine parts. Her accident, surprisingly, did not stop her scientific ambition. In fact, her wish to conquer her new hindrance consumed her. She worked for almost nine months on a publicly hidden project with only eating and sleeping interrupting her. Finally, with the help of a select few ponies, she created Equestria’s first ever fully functioning synthetic limb to replace her lost leg, which she called the Gantry. With steam-based parts sustained by circulating chemicals and magically imbued gems powering its circuits, she walked perfectly as she did once before. Late in the period of working on the Gantry, Princess Celestia caught word of Factory’s project. Already knowing of some of her recurring theories, the princess wondered of what may come next for the unendingly brilliant mare. She knew that nothing could phase her. Nothing could stop her. To her guilt, that worried her. It almost scared her. She would be nothing but proud of the young scientist, but unfortunately, she knew of the areas of recurring focus in Factory's studies. One theory that consistently came up in her notes was what she called “Synthetic Cognition”. She believed that, with the right power sources, and the proper enchantments, one could create a sustainable “mind” without a real brain. Many thought this to be a wondrous idea, however difficult to reach. The idea of false ponies going about in daily life, working and even playing, was unprecedented. The potential was certainly high. Though, some thought the project to be mad; creating objects that would think only how their creator wanted them to. Something going wrong could end badly, as there would be a lot of trust put into the machines to behave, and preparation for possible violence would be difficult, and frightening for the public. This, along with the obvious progress of the Faux Pony project, displayed by Factory’s completion of the Gantry, caused some to get scared. Celestia was one of the frightened few. Were the two projects ever intertwined, things could get even too advanced for her to handle. The sun princess finally made the decision to confront Factory Sense. She decided put an end to Factory’s work on what the earth pony was now calling “Artificial Intelligence”. After hearing that name, Celestia was even more put off. “Intelligent, incredibly strong machines, following any order given,” she thought. That was the last straw. She broke the news to Factory, and the obvious protests came out. Factory had not worked on much more than theories and notes on the subject, but she knew how far she wished to take the project. She did not want it to only be an idea anymore. In fact, neither did several of the other scientists, who saw Factory’s work as nothing short of miraculous. Besides, the Faux Pony project would soon go into production stages, and she would need something new to continue theorizing about. Unfortunately, Celestia would not be swayed, hard as it was to deny the eager bronze mare. She explained her reasoning behind her decision, and said it was over. Factory, in Celestia’s opinion, took the news rather well, considering. Though she obviously fought quite hard to change Celestia's mind - as did several other scientists that thought the endeavor was a great leap forward - she gave in, and continued working to optimize the Faux Pony models. Factory began thinking about what she would work on next, whether it was something new or an idea she noted and put off in the past in favor of her A.I. theory. She was rather agitated about Celestia's choice, but she had to move on to other work. In the end, though, she would not have to worry about what to think of next. The bad news had only just begun. Author's Note This is certainly outside of my comfort zone. I have never actually written fanfiction before. I certainly hope that this little biography, or whatever you would call it, will turn out okay. Either way, I've been working quite hard on these chapters, and I hope you guys like what you read. I actually am only writing this because, at the back of my mind, for quite awhile, I had kept thinking of new happenings with this little OC I'd thought of called "Bench Mark". I don't know why that was the character that came into my head; a mare with a mechanical leg that slowly becomes... well, I won't spoil anything, but nontheless, as I wrote, Bench Mark became Factory Sence, the innocent young genius that Celestia comes to call her friend. In the end, though, her "friend" will do great things. Things too great for our dear ol' Sun Butt to handle. The next chapter will be revealed soon! Lemme know what you guys think along the way! Also, look out for a visual of Factory in the future.
II: FALLThere was always a lingering wish at the back of Factory’s head – one that honestly distracted her on more than a few occasions. She wanted a family. Her many years of few friends, and the loss of her father – a single parent – at a rather young age, left her wanting a chance at making a decent, proper family of her own someday. Again, a passing thought, but something that grew over the years, to the point of discussion with the princess at one of their now less frequent spots of tea. Interestingly, she thought of having the perfect family, but was never interested in marriage. She only thought of having foals of her own. Foals that she, herself, would bring into the world. She even thought of what she might name her children should the day ever come along. She never did fully realize how frequently the subject completely shifted her focus from her work. And then, the day came around; the last day anypony saw her smile. She was to regularly have check-ups ever since she finished attaching her synthetic leg, what with the chemicals and possible contaminants involved. As it turns out, it was just those that were effecting her, but it was not her personal health that was technically the worry. The nurses broke the news to her after a check into her reproductive condition. The materials that sustained the hydraulics in the Gantry had degraded and nullified her reproductive glands, destroying any and all chances for her to have children of her own. Even if she were to remove the Gantry now, the damage would already be done. Nothing. She had nothing. Nothing to say, nothing to think. The constant ideas and back-of-mind thinking she would have running through her brain about her work disappeared. “This can’t happen”, she thought. “I can’t have done this; done it to myself. No.” Factory proceeded to run, full pelt, back to her lab. She did not leave the testing floor for hours. She needed to vent, and to weep. Her happiest of dreams was gone. If ever there were a time of pure irony in Factory’s life, it would be the next few weeks. The downward spiral had begun. What distracted her from her work for so long, now fueled her obsession to stay at her station day in and day out. She did not talk to anypony, and ponies began to wonder what she was up to. She turned away anypony that tried to disturb her work, but then the one pony that she could not refuse came about. The tall, white alicorn princess that was once so happy to see the mare's eager work ethic, now feared for her physical – and honestly, her psychological – well-being. No breaks for food or sleep for days on end does not tend to leave ponies in the best of health or state-of-mind. The princess entered to see Factory working on the very last thing she could have hoped for: she had been advancing her projections for the Artificial Intelligence project. Immediately, Celestia told her to cease her work, with a warning. She would not tell her again, otherwise there would be consequences. Naturally, the currently groggy and slightly manic Factory Sense fought for her right to work. She had gone down the worst possible path of grief after learning of her reproductive condition. She knew that she could not make life naturally, so she decided to make it unnaturally. Coincidentally, that was just was Celestia called it. Unnatural. She didn't care, of course. She wanted ponies to call her own. To love and cherish that which she gave life to. She saw A.I. as the most obvious way to do this, and with the Faux Pony project basically ready for production – “No,” Celestia thought. Realizing that these thoughts were on her young friend’s mind, without Factory having to say any of it outright, Celestia withdraws from her previous stern tone. She tries reasoning with Factory, and tells her she should take time off, since she did not do so after the unfortunate news. “I’ll think about it…” she responds, in a tone that gave the alicorn a mighty chill. It was so… neutral. She had hoped that she would console the earth pony with her offer to rest up from work, unlikely as it was. Even an angry response would have been an expected reply, but this was just discomforting. Why was she so calm now, of all times? Was she giving up on A.I. and actually listening to her, or did she take away the only thing that was keeping Factory from giving up on everything around her? Either way, the princess could not read minds, so she left Factory to her privacy. “Now,” The scientist, now alone, thought out load, “back to work.” Factory would obviously not stop on the word of an obviously scared princess that underestimated her abilities. She would continue her work, but for now, she had to tell the princess what she wanted to hear, at least getting her out of her lab for the time being. To make her project go faster, she needed something to accelerated the process. A very strong power source that was easy to get on short notice. After all, Celestia would check back in at some point in the near future, and the A.I. project was too vast to hide. So she needed to get something quickly and quietly. And she had just the thing. Celestia did return in another 9 days, not hearing word of Factory's condition. She went back to the lab, and realized that the mare's project had taken a horrifyingly great leap. As it turns out, she had not listened to a word the alicorn said, and had actually begun working with Siphonite crystals, powerful artifacts charged with magic once stolen from unicorns. She had taken them from the Canterlot Archives’ vault, without having to be checked after being given special access for her past research. These stones were incredibly powerful, and could, depending on their size, drain the magic from the most powerful of unicorns, and even alicorns. Unfortunately, the draining spell they were used for was only reversible by the original caster, and the ancient stones were notoriously difficult to completely destroy. Nopony alive knew how, not even the immortals of Equestria. Fortunately for Factory's experiments, they could be broken apart and utilized for their stored power in smaller units, and just like when it was still in a unicorn’s horn, the power inside would regenerate on its own, allowing her to create self-sustaining power sources. Celestia came to the realization that Factory had been using the forbidden stones after seeing the diagrams of the wheeled Faux Pony model with a Siphonite shard apparently embedded in its cranium. She got angry, and scolded Factory from across the room for her insolence. Factory, who was facing the other way and working on something under a dim lamp, did not even respond. There were subtle metallic sounds coming from her workspace. She must have been building something. Either way, Celestia did not like being blatantly ignored, and had had enough. She marched over to the mare, ready to give her the lecture of a lifetime, and stopped. She saw that Factory was sitting a couple of feet in front of a seemingly complete Faux Pony sprawled on the floor the look on her face was the last sort of face she expected to see on the mare: a happy one. Celestia wondered, “Does she even realize what is going on? What is she thinking? Does she even know that I am here next to her?” She reached out to touch the mare’s shoulder, and heard it. The shifting of metal that she previously thought was Factory’s tools. She turned. “S-Sweet mother of Equestria…” That was actually the first time in decades – maybe centuries – that Celestia had frozen out of fear. It was moving. The unnatural, wheeled "pony" on the floor was moving. Its legs were geared and steaming. Its wheel was sputtering. Its eyes – heavens above, its eyes – they were glowing and flickering like lamps. It slowly began to stand, and Celestia still did not know how to react. “His first steps.” Celestia turned to the scientist as she spoke, still softly smiling. “Look at him. He’s trying to stand up and walk to me.” The princess would have thought her completely delusional, but it seemed as though she was right. The machine was actually trying to reach Factory specifically. The earth pony stood, and walked the extra few inches to the Faux Pony, and helped it to its hooves. And wheel. It was as tall as her, and it did not seem to hold any harsh nature towards her. In fact, it merely stood, calmly, as she wrapped her forelegs around it. “You are so beautiful. My dear boy… My dear living boy.” This was just too… What was it exactly? What would be the word? Creepy? Disturbing? Wrong? Celestia had a hard time thinking of it. But she still knew something that it really was. Unacceptable. The alicorn pulled herself out of her fearful trance, and outright said it. “What is this?! What did I tell you, Bronze?” She had never raised her voice to the girl like this before. It honestly did not catch her off guard. She knew Celestia would react like this, but she did not care. She only cared about the machine – no. Child – standing in front of her. Celestia, though, was terrified. This clearly disturbed pony had actually succeeded in every ambition she had aimed for throughout the years, and it had all come to this terrifying result. The princess was right so long ago. Nothing could stop Factory. Early graduation, acceptance onto the science team, the Gantry, the Faux Pony, Artificial Intelligence – she had done it all, and now Celestia wondered what could happen if she continued. After that, everything went by like a blur. Celestia called for the guards, and sent for more to come with them. She told them to detain the Faux Pony. After their initial shock at seeing the creature, the guards did as they were ordered. They grabbed the metal thing and began pulling it to the dungeon. Of course, Factory tried going after them, but Celestia held her back. She would not let her grow any more attached to the thing. Unfortunately, it was too late for that. The moment the machine began moving on its own, Factory saw it as her own – practically her own flesh and blood – and she was now desperately trying to save it, bucking and screaming. “Let go! YOU CAN’T KEEP ME FROM MY BABY!” Celestia was speechless. She never thought that this eager young genius would end up so manic. What made it even worse was that the Faux Pony almost seemed to look back at the mare with a look of longing. By the end of the ordeal, Celestia had put Factory down, and as bad as she felt for the crazed “mother” in front of her, she knew what had to be done. Factory was to be removed from the team of scientists. She was not to be allowed any further royal funding. Most importantly, her research relating to the Artificial Intelligence project, along with the Faux Pony that was now being locked up, were to all be destroyed. Factory was already in tears, and was now getting worse. Her cries of protest were almost getting too frantic to understand. Celestia was taking away everything, and they both knew it. Little Bronze was so angry at, in the mare's eyes, this monster of a princess for ruining the only remaining thing she wished for. But that princess, along with many others that thought the project to be mad, knew that it had to be done, and she was certainly not letting the mare off without punishment for disobeying orders so frequently and irresponsibly. She would later gather Factory’s supplies for her, and have her out of the castle. There were plenty more issues with Factory’s enraged state as she was forced to leave the castle, but Celestia took it as an expected outcome. For the time being, it was over with. Things would go back to the way they were before Factory’s work started escalating those few years ago. Once the residual Siphonite and the mare’s research were collected and disposed of, the A.I. Issue would no longer be a worry. The next day, Celestia woke to the usual moon shining in the sky. For a moment, she thought it would be a decent day, and then the memory of the morning prior came rushing back. She felt sad for losing such a great mind, and once such a good friend, all in one fell swoop. Nevertheless, she rose from her bed, and readied herself to raise the sun, when guards came knocking at the door, frantically. They were calling for her, as many had in the past when disaster had struck. She immediately rushed to the door, to see a few royal knights with terrified expressions. When she asked what had happened, they told her things she honestly never expected. Several guards had been found unconscious leading from one of the castle gates to the research wing, as well as towards around the Canterlot Archives. Apparently, one of unicorn guards remembered seeing a pony with a strange crystal come up behind him, just before the feeling the energy from his body and horn slip away in a matter of seconds. Celestia was stunned, but asked the obvious question of what the pony looked like. The description, thankfully, did not match the young bronze girl she was thinking of at all. Though, she was confused, as the description did match another scientist that, she recalled, worked with Factory a lot. She also felt a sinking feeling as she remembered that he was one of the ponies that greatly protested along with Factory when Celestia first ended the A.I. project. Further insight into what had happened only brought Celestia more turmoil. The Archives’ vault and castle testing floor had been robbed. Research notes and materials, along with Siphonite from the lab and the vault, had been stolen. Celestia immediately wished that she had had them all disposed of earlier. Throughout the day, an investigation ensued. More and more troubling news. The dungeon had been hit, freeing the Faux Pony. A number of scientists had disappeared, along with their personal effects. Most importantly, everything Factory Sense had progressed towards was gone, and so was she. She had swiftly planned a rather straightforward raid on the castle to collect everything she needed to continue towards her goals, and then vanished without a trace. Some ponies thought that she had taken out the scientists that had disappeared, but Celestia thought it much more likely that they all helped her. There was no way she could have done it all on her own. And with one last sweep of the Canterlot Archives, it was done with. Celestia knew that Factory would not let herself be seen. She knew how smart she was. For the foreseeable future, ponies around Equestria would be shown the face of a wanted criminal, to be on the lookout for a Pony with no name. That was the rule. No name. Those that knew her were ordered not to let anypony know of who she really was, as ponies could not know what she was working towards for reasons of safety. She would likely move around a fair amount to stay hidden, while likely still working on making more “children”, as it were. She had all that she needed, and with the Siphonite crystals, she posed a threat, even though few of them were actually still usable with the draining spell. All of this went through Celestia’s mind at one point or another, but mostly, she was still reeling. This pony – this sweet young mare with a kind heart and a dream of learning all she could – had completely lost it, and she blamed herself. She offered her every opportunity, and when she realized that she offered too much, and it got out of hand, she took it all away. The stress it must have caused the poor girl would not leave the alicorn’s thoughts. In the end, though, she did not think that the mare was going to hurt anypony else. She had the guards taken down that were in the way. No more. She did not even drain them of all their magic, only enough to knock them out, so that it would regenerate again over time. Perhaps it was just blind hope, but Celestia felt that Bronze still had a conscience enough to hide away and work, without doing any damage. She hoped for the best, for her subjects, and for the unfortunate scientist. Author's Note I really went into every detail that I could to show how bad things were about to get for Celestia and Factory. I know that some points in this may not be perfect, but as long as I am thinking of them, I'll write 'em down. I hope you are enjoying this little story so far. More to come soon. :)
III: A NEW AGE BEGINS (Vector images at chapter end)9 years later… ~~~~~~~~~~~ Incident Report To the desks of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of Equestria By word of Lieut. Spear Head Appaloosa Oversight Squad May 13th Your Esteemed Highnesses: Last night, our team was making nightly rounds in Appaloosa, as well as in the surrounding area. I was finishing the last round of my shift when I heard very odd noises around the northern edge of town – like gas. Almost like a pipe suddenly releasing air. I took the time to look around the area, but there was very little to be seen. After all, we are in a rather barren desert. I thought I saw a pony out of the corner of my eye, but upon a quick scout, I determined there was nothing to be seen. Besides that, it was honestly too dark to search any further. I brought to issue to my S.O., and since we were off duty this morning, and he thought the noises I described were quite strange for the desert wilderness, he had some troops and I survey the area further. Many of the guys were skeptical, saying I was being paranoid, but we later came across a cave a few hundred yards from the very edge of town with what looked like a previously occupied base inside of it. There were only a pair tables, and some leftover papers and such with nothing of importance among them. It looked as though whoever was there left in a hurry, and if what I saw last night was actually the ones occupying the cave, then they must be quite efficient to have packed up and left so fast. I only bring the issue to you, Your Majesties, as I have heard of the recent reports from other towns and bases. We all know that reports of strange looking – and oddly, strange sounding – cloaked ponies having been seen here or there, and then being gone immediately after. And of course, our squad quickly caught word of the reported sighting a few months ago of the unidentified armoured vehicle near Manehatten. Some of the stallions here say it was just an exaggerated claim by the one pony that saw it, and that no vehicle is as advanced as was described, but I believe it, and that it may be involved with all of these odd reports from our fellow soldiers’ bases. I am not sure what you think of this, my princesses, but I thought it best to inform you nonetheless. Thank you for your time. With respect and regards, Lieut. Spear Head ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dearest Luna, Another report has come in. A soldier and his squad stationed in the town of Appaloosa have found another abandoned base. This is beginning to get rather troubling. If all of these sightings and reports are talking about the same thing – if we are dealing with a widespread group of ponies that are able to hide from everypony in the kingdom – I fear for what may be coming next. As always, I hope that these letters find you in good health. I look forward to hearing back from you sister. Do let me know how the Saddle Arabian delegates are faring. Your loving sister, Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My dear Luna, You made a good point in your letter. These reports certainly have been coming in for quite a while. They could certainly be sightings of common thieves, or even of select criminal groups. You know as well as I do it would not be the first time that small groups of dangerous characters have come together to cause trouble for us. Though, this time seems different. The reported sightings all seem too similar in description. And that report of the large vehicle near Manehatten is one that I am ready to believe. Perhaps I am overreacting, yes. On the other hoof, the times when I think that I am overreacting, undermining an issue, and am mistaken, are often the times I fear the most. You know more than most how badly that can end. Either way, I hear good things from Saddle Arabia, so I assume the better for you on your trip. Twilight sends her regards. Love, Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Luna, I have had a long chat with Twilight and our advisers. They do not know what to make of this either. Twilight is certainly puzzled. She says that somepony would need a great deal of assets and support to have associates in all of the places we have gotten reports from. She has sent some of her friends to examine a few of those locations, and advised the citizens of Ponyville to be on high alert for any suspicious figures. Honestly, she is handling the situation quite well. We should both be proud of our youngest royal. Let the ponies there know that they have my thanks for taking good care of my little sister, and know that I look forward to seeing you home again soon, for good company, and to discuss these pressing matters. All the best, Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Luna, I received your letter, and I share your worries. When I received the notice from Shining Armour and Cadence that a group of ponies saw what they saw, I immediately got a sinking feeling. Glowing orange eyes; I have heard of only one thing like that, but it is unlikely. Once you get back, sister, I will call on a meeting for all the royals. You and I, Cadence and Shining Armour, Twilight and the other Elements will all need to talk about this. There is clearly something serious going on, and knowing that this new threat has individuals at several corners of the kingdom, we need to prepare ourselves for, well, whatever it is they may be planning. Please send off a letter the moment you receive this, Lulu. I only ask for swift replies out of concern. Deepest regards, Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sister, I have not heard back from you in days. Please let me know that you are alright. If these reports are correct, and the same sightings of strange ponies with metallic clothes are coming all the way from Saddle Arabia, I fear that things will change for the worst soon. I have discussed this with the the others and they feel the same way. Spike actually brought up something that has become a very concerning issue. He said that we should perhaps bring in all of the ponies that saw something and speak with them face to face, to get all of the details we can, but days after I had Spike help me send out letters to all of them immediately, I still have not gotten any replies. Also, Twilight has mapped out the locations of the sightings, and, barring a few outliers, the latest locations seem to be getting closer and closer to here, in Canterlot. I am legitimately getting worried, sister. Please reply soon, the public is beginning to get more word of the reports, and soon, they will get scared. They would certainly not be the only ones. I need you here, with me, Luna. Please reply soon. Celestia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celestia walked tensely down the hall to her bedroom. The nearby guards had all moved to the main hall for new stationing orders. Some were to stay there at the castle, while other were to be sent to various surrounding areas. Even Luna's nighttime guard of bat ponies, and the majority of the Wonderbolt squadrons, were there being reassigned. Things were quiet for the last few days, but Celestia did not know whether to feel better or worse about that. Today was the day to send out the troops and protect the castle, and Celestia would make sure that it was done right. Unfortunately, she was still greatly distracted. Luna had still not replied, and while she had sent her last letter only a day and a half ago, she felt it best to press the issue. She decided to send notices of her sister's lack of response to the ponies immediately around her in Saddle Arabia. She reached her bedroom, and proceeded to her letterhead, not bothering to open any curtains or light any torches, as she left a lantern lit near her desk the last time she left. She flexed her horn and levitated a feather pen to the writing surface and stopped. She was momentarily confused, and in only a few moments, she read, then pondered, then went wide-eyed. "NO". There, on the stack of papers, it was scrawled in unmistakable writing. I TOLD YOU. YOU CAN'T KEEP ME FROM THEM. She was there. Where? She spun, and standing there, rage in her eyes, large Siphonite crystal in hoof, the familiar bronze scientist with the familiar metallic leg was trotting forward, ready to seize the princess where she was. "I think it's time to take away everything that you love," She raised the stone, and Celestia began to feel herself weaken. "...wouldn't you say?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Factory Sense (Age: 19) (Also available HERE) Factory Sense (Age: 29) Author's Note Well, there you have it. The prologue to the story I may or may not or probably will never write. The fact is, I am not a writer. Never have been. I just wrote this down because I wanted to make an OC, I thought it should have a bit of a backstory, and I kept thinking of things like what you just read. I tried to give it some flavor with the incident report, and the letters, so please lemme know what you think, and I will hopefully release the picture of Factory soon. Hope you guys have enjoyed! P.S. - If you wanna make your own fanfiction of this, be my guest. Just lemme know, and we can talk. :)
