The Ballad of Midnight Edge

The elevator stopped, opening it's doors to a large, dim lit, underground room. The place looked like some sort of hangar. As the ponies left the elevator several lights turned on, showing the outline of a large object.

An enraged scream came from the machine. "AAAH! LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW!" The object released a volley of warning shots toward the group.

After it's threatening introduction the machine began to play a tune, the music sounded as that of a pipe organ, designed to intimidate enemies. The large object approached revealing it's complete form. The machine had four insect like legs connected to a central area, from the central area emerged a thick framed torso. Two arms were on it's sides as if it was a biped, one carried a large rotary cannon designed to fire non lethal rounds, the other had an enormous clawed hand designed to grab objects and hold opponents. From the lower central part of its torso grew two smaller arms with more complex hands used for delicate manipulation of objects. The upper part of its torso ended in an illuminated cockpit resembling a head. The creature was made almost entirely of metal and properly shielded. It was meant to last no matter what. A name was engraved on it's sides “Fomorian”

"Where is that music coming from?" Applejack asked in surprise looking at the enormous machine.

"It's coming from the robot. I guess my sister feels like making this battle one to be remembered! I can see you! Get off that thing now!" Midnight Edge looked at his sister, sitting in the cockpit ready to attack.

"Go away!" The voice echoed through the machine as she fired at her brother, expecting to incapacitate him.

"Take cover! I will handle her! Alright sister, time to knock some sense into your head." Midnight Edge released his sword, ready to attack the armored monster.

"It's your fault! It's all your fault! He's broken! Broken! Broken! BROKEN!" The enraged voice came from the machine as it rushed forward, trying to grab any of her targets with its clawed hand. It failed to hold anything in it's hand, crashing against a wall.

Babs Seed and Applejack hid inside the elevator which was protected by a steel cage, keeping it safe from the dangerous battle outside, Midnight Edge ran behind the machine and tried to slash it with his sword. The blade hit the armored back of the Fomorian without much effect, only gaining the attention of it's furious pilot.

"Is this the future you want? A future of war and destruction!" The stallion challenged his sister, casting a fireball spell toward her creation.

"It is the only future you deserve!" The machine released another volley of rounds, impacting Midnight Edge on a hoof. The non lethal round released an electric discharge into his body, causing pain and almost paralyzing him.

The stallion charged against the combat machine, which deflected the attack with it's large mechanical leg. Midnight Edge blocked the impact with his sword, avoiding all harm and carefully landing on the metallic surface. The stallion released a large ice needle from his horn, making the machine tumble backwards.

The Fomorian recovered quickly from the impact and fired again, landing three hits on Midnight Edge. The stallion was losing, Midnight Gears created a weapon without comparison. Babs Seed and Applejack witnessed the battle from the elevator, they wanted to interfere, but they knew it was too dangerous. Midnight Edge was barely recovering from the attack, he was wounded and could barely continue. The stallion recovered himself from the wounds using a healing spell, however his morale could not recover, the clockwork giant had no weaknesses.

Midnight Edge resisted the attacks of the combat machine, but he could not find an opening to attack. His words were ignored and there seemed to be no way out of that battle other than defeat. Babs Seed witnessed the battle, realizing Midnight Edge was on the verge of accepting defeat. She was not able to help him, but she could at leas try to make him react. "You can't give up! We traveled all the way to this place so we could help your sister! There's no way you can leave her like that!"

Midnight Edge snapped out of his despair, bent on giving his best no matter the results. He spoke to his sister one more time, attempting to reason with her. "This is wrong! Why did you build that thing?" He was responded by the Fomorian's clawed hand grabbing him and pinning his body against a wall.

"I made it to get rid of any obstacle! I can't believe my own blood would be one!" Midnight Gears was ready to end his brother's life, before she could land the final blow she heard his voice.

"Do you think that would please Celestia?" The question made the mare and her machine freeze, creating an opening. Midnight Edge found several exposed areas in the Fomorian's hand. Using his sword he slashed through the large clawed hand, making it fall apart and releasing himself.

Midnight Edge's success alerted his sister, her mind was clouded by anger, but there was doubt in her heart. Her creation could be an abomination before Celestia. She could approve the innovation in combat technology, but not its use on ponies. Her design had exactly that flaw, it was built expecting to use it on the very same beings it was meant to protect. Without somepony to guide her, Midnight Gears was capable of creating great things, but also cruel abominations of twisted steel. Even her Efreet guards felt as a mistake now. "Celestia's will. I no longer hear it. But I know she could not reject innovation!"

The mare pressed a switch, changing the electric ordnance of her rotary cannon to a magic energy beam designed for more resilient enemies. The machine fired the beam toward Midnight Edge, who swiftly avoided it. Unlike the shock pellets normally used by the Fomorian, it's magic weapon required time to charge again. The maddened mare tried to make time using the sturdy cannon as a battering ram, charging against her brother.

Midnight Edge found a new opening, using the momentum he could make the giant fall. Midnight Edge placed a small ice block in it's way, the clockwork abomination placed it's clawed leg on the block, slipping with it and falling to the ground. The impact left a crack on the cockpit window. The Fomorian struggled to stand again, it's small lower arms pushing to get back on it's feet.

Midnight Edge approached the struggling Fomorian and released an ice needle inside two of the barrels of it's cannon. The Princess of Artifice did not notice her brother's sabotage and continued charging her weapon. Once her eyes saw the gauge indicating full charge, she activated the firing mechanism. The energy fired from the barrels was meant to converge into a single beam, but with two blocked barrels the remaining three energy beams began to turn into disorderly bursts of energy.

The weapon was overloading, the blocked energy from the two obstructed barrels returned into the mechanism, overloading the machine and causing internal damage to most of it's structure. A chain reaction was unleashed, the energy waves made the shock rounds unstable, causing them to explode inside their containment tank.

The cannon arm exploded, leaving exposed gears which fell from the gigantic frame. The Fomorian could no longer sustain itself, it's tune began to fade signaling it's end. It's pilot had no control over the machine anymore, causing her to panic. Midnight Edge broke the cockpit window, holding his sister and quickly pulling her out of the machine as it crumbled into a pile of junk.

"Are you done? It's time to go home."

"I shouldn't be allowed to build weapons." Midnight Gears responded in a mildly humorous tone. She was no longer enraged. "I made a big mess out of my test room again."

Applejack and Babs Seed left the elevator, expecting there would be no more battles. "Are we going home or what?" Applejack spoke, she didn't feel comfortable in that place.

"More like or what if I am allowed to voice my opinion." The false alicorn answered Applejack's question. "I must get everything ready before we leave. Once I am done we will go to Canterlot. I must face Celestia's judgment now."

"What about Bernardt?" Babs Seed asked, worried about the fate of their new friend. "Is he...?"

"His core is intact. I can repair him. In no time he will be back to his sassy self. I wouldn't just leave him behind. He will come with me to Canterlot. The other sentients will handle the city."

"And what is going to be of it next?" Midnight Edge asked his sister, wondering why she insisted on creating a city of machines. It reminded him of a place he dreamed of, a place he feared, full of living machines with glistening oil for blood. "Gears, tell me you will dismantle the city."

"I can't. This place must exist. I could turn it into some sort of resort or something. I will command the factory to reduce its operations. There is no need to expand the city or large amounts of machines. Things are just fine the way they are."

...

The group stayed for a little longer in the city, resting in facilities designed for visitors. The place was not bad, but it didn't feel like home. Midnight Gears repaired Bernardt, most of the damaged parts were fixed with gilded brass plates and brass gears. His silvery body was now decorated with golden parts. It was repaired this way intentionally, to make his repairs more notable, he had no objection.

Midnight Gears commanded her security machines to look for Bon Bon and capture her if she was ever found inside the city. She wanted her to atone for her attack on Bernardt. The city was no longer as busy as it used to be, there were less resource and observation drones and new machines became scarce. Alan Second of Twenty was appointed as Bernardt's replacement in his absence, Midnight Gears was still the leader of those machines, making sure no one could command them to act against her will. The group was ready to leave Mechania.

...

The four ponies and the sentient rode on a mechanical air ship toward Canterlot. Midnight Edge was reluctant of going there, but he had no other choice. Her sister had no other place to go, and now they had to face Princess Celestia and explain the past events as well as Midnight Gears' mutation.

"Why don't you want to go back to Canterlot? It can't be that bad." Babs Seed asked her coltfriend, wondering why he refused to go there.

"There is nothing left for me there. Jacques moved a long time ago. Our parents moved after the changeling attack. And there is not even a good place to eat since Zesty Gourmand became famous. It is just a boring, pretentious, fancy city full of arrogant unicorns."

"Rarity said something about that. I think she changed things a bit." Applejack stated, hoping that would cheer the stallion up.

"Based on the drone reports I could even find a nice place for you to eat." Bernardt added with pride. "You just need to ask."

"Is there a place with something spicy, full of flavor, dunno, something exotic?" Midnight Edge asked, hoping the sentient machine could find a place fitting of his tastes.

"Currently many places could match that description based on the data provided by our drones, but I assume The Tasty Treat might be the place you are looking for."

"Well then! On our way to The Tasty Treat!" The stallion felt enthusiastic about the idea of a decent restaurant in Canterlot.

"Our meeting with Princess Celestia is our priority. We are free to stuff our faces with food once we are done with that." Midnight Gears reminded her brother of their priority.

...