I Feel...by MMBKChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7-SEVEN Y-YEARS L@T_RChapter 1"Recite your Baseline." <|> “H-hello?” Communication request detected. Optics offline. “Are you awake?” Interstellar Communications offline. Starchart offline. Internal damage script offline. “Are you… alive?” External damage script offline. Primary guns functional. Primary guns standby. “I mean, what even are you?” Tail Model; Scorpio. Module extension lost. Beaconing for its return. Rebooting… “Hellooooooo?” The voice of a female continues to speak. “Equus to… you, I guess. Hey! Is anyone home!?” I feel a physical entity tapping my chest in a curious manner. I detect zero threats from the subject at this time. New objective. Study subject. Attempting auditory scan of my current surroundings. Seagulls. Waves of an ocean against a shore. I detect an exceptional source of vitamin D against my plating in a solar format. Odd. Places such as this do not exist anymore. A simulation, perhaps? … Reboot complete. Optics online. I lift my head from a sandy shore and find a mare standing before me; one of unknown origin. She is taken aback in a startled state from the glowing lights of my optics flashing on. She is not that of an average pony I have dealt with in my line of work, as she has amphibious qualities to her slender figure. Specifically that of a crossbreed of shark and pony. An interesting specimen… New objective. Learn more about this creature and her race. Study. Protect from other threats. Earn her trust until further notice. “C-can you hear me…?” She asks softly as her ears fold back. Her tail wraps around her rear leg instinctively. “Affirmative.” I sit up, but she takes a few more steps away from me. Her facial structure, along with the escalated pulse of her heart rate implies she is startled. But she hasn’t yet run. She appears to have a very curious state of mind. As I do, her. She tilts her head to the side with a half smile as I study her. But it’s fake. She carries a number of unique traits to her; one of them being a series of purple stripes along her back. Her face carries these same colors, but in a more distinct, artistic design. She has the ability to grow hair on her head. Her natural hair color; purple-7c0161. She wears a gold necklace around her neck. The only piece of jewelry I can detect on her at this time. “Who are… you…?” She asks in a timid manner. “I am CM-104 W4RH0R53.” She gives me a puzzled look at my serial number. “W… four… R… H… Zero…” She pauses for a moment, thinking to herself before her eyes light up, and a grin spreads on her face. “Oh! Like Warhorse?” “Negative. I am CM-104 W4R-” “Okay, okay…” She waves a hoof at me, closing her eyes and knitting her brow, displaying signs of mild frustration. “Can I just call you Warhorse?” “Affirmative.” “War for short…” Her smile softens a bit as she regards me, looking into my visor. “Confirmed.” “My name is Areia.” She speaks with a cheerful tone, holding a hoof out to me. “Sand.” “W-wh…” She now looks puzzled. “Huh?” “Your name means sand.” She looks unamused. “Fancy sand.” She sighs as her head hangs down, and her hoof drops. I study my surroundings further. I appear to be in a tropical setting, along a beach. The ocean reaches the horizon. Interstellar Communication is inoperable at this time. Starchart is inoperable at this time. Data files on my arrival to these coordinates are corrupt. Confirmed. I will work on scrubbing the data when I know the island is clear of any hostilities. I turn back to the mare that holds the name of sand. She still looks unamused. “Where are we?” Her annoyed expression slowly breaks down into a soft smile. “On an island, south of Equestria.” “Planet Equus?” She looks confused again. “Uh… yes?” She tilts her head. “Did you hit your head or something?” “Negative.” I lift my head to the bright blue sky. It’s an oxygen rich atmosphere. There is no sign of radiation in the air. The sun does not scorch this land. I must have traveled far. The Equus I know is a polar opposite of the one I am currently on. “W-where did you come from…?” Areia asks. I regard her once more as she moves in warily. She runs her hoof along my chest in a gentle caress. “What are you…?” “I am a machine. My origins are confidential.” She looks into my visor with peaked curiosity. Her eyes reflect my blue light. “A machine?” “Affirmative. There are other names for my kind. Droid. Mech. Robot. Metal man. Tin man. Dumpster. Toaster. The last four are slang terms, however.” She nods slowly, but she still looks confused, all the same. “Right… well… what do you eat?” She perks up. “You must be hungry. I can get something for you.” “Negative.” I stand on all fours, to which she backs away in an alarmed motion; her heart rate increases drastically. “I do not require nutrition. We function differently.” The more I speak, the further she gets pulled deeper into a state of confusion, it seems. “A creature that doesn’t eat food…?” She sits on her haunches, narrowing her eyes at me. “How are you even alive then?” “I am not a living entity.” She stares in silence for a moment, processing what I said. Somehow, it still hasn’t gotten through to her. “W-what…?” She whispers. “To be alive means having a soul. I am a machine. I do not.” “... O-oh…” She looks down, and her voice carries what is portrayed as sadness. I am unsure why. ALERT. I detect a static charge approaching in a large mass from my right. Records imply that water will often times accompany this phenomena. I am unsure if my body can withstand such things, as I do not yet know the full extent of my damage, and do not know if there are any cracks in my plating or not. “I must seek shelter. A storm approaches.” She looks at me in concern. “I-I can help with that. I thought I saw a cave earlier.” “Take me there.” She gives me a look of what would be referred to as shock, but she does as she’s told. I begin to follow behind her. As we walk the shore, she glances back at me on occasion. Something that would, in most cases, warrant orientation and possible reassignment. More so, on account of her name. It disrespects the system. But she offers me assistance. We will go through the process of orientation when my superiors arrive. She seems unsettled. Her heart is picking up in pace. To have her suspicious is not wise at this time. I trot up to her side, to which she stares at me. Her heart is beating rapidly now; her eyes wide with what I assume to be fear. “Are you okay, Areia?” She sighs as her heart is slowly decreasing from a state of panic, and her eyes relax. “Y-yeah… I just… I don’t know what to make of you…” “The same applies to you. I have never seen a specimen quite like you before. You have me in a very intrigued state.” She smiles faintly as she looks ahead, walking alongside me. An hour and three minutes pass, and the thunderclouds begin to roll in from the north. The sun is beginning to set. It is no matter, though. We are already walking along the cliff. She did not verbally confirm it, but the way she examines our surroundings tells me this is the place. We stop at a canal, where violent waves of the ocean repetitively slam against the rocks. … Subjects and superiors alike ram against me in attempts to get past me and the other mechs that stand alongside me, screaming and crying. Pleading to be let through as the threat approaches from behind them. Nekkra lifeforms detected. Termination order authorized. By any means necessary. Weapons engaged. “Warhorse?” I jolt my head slightly, staring at the waves as they pound against the rocks. On the other side of the canal is the entrance to the cave the mare spoke of, formed into the wall of the cliff side, close to the water. It isn’t the best choice in terms of shelter against water, but it is still viable. “War? Are you okay?” I turn to Areia as she regards me with a worried look. “Why?” “You…” She pauses for a moment, her eyes locked on my visor. “You got really quiet. You wouldn’t stop looking at the waves, and then your lights went red. You said something about… uh… termination?” She bites her lip. “Did I?” Odd. I don’t recall saying it. I will relay this bug to my CO at my earliest convenience. “Yeah…” She says softly. She’s worried, but it seems her worry is more for my wellbeing than herself. I am intrigued… Malfunction detected. Odd. I will relay this to… Negative. False script. “Can you swim?” Areia asks with a hint of a smile, still studying the light in my visor. “Negative. Water may prove lethal to me. But my wings are still operable.” I extend my wings after my statement, to which her eyes open wide as a gasp escapes her. She stares at them in astonishment. “They’re so… big…” She runs a hoof along my silicone feathers. “And thick…” “Affirmative. The size is necessary to support my weight during aerial manuevers, as I weigh approximately 940 pounds.” She stares in wonder still. “Whoa…” “Will I see you in the cave?” She nods as a smile grows on her. “Yeah, of course!” “I can carry you across.” She backs up a few paces, immediately frowning. “Oh… uh, n-no thanks… I’ll stay down here… where it’s safer…” She chuckles softly. It appears I made her uncomfortable. “Affirmative.” I flap my wings as I leap off the cliff edge, gliding down to the cave across the canal of rushing water. I come to a landing a few feet past the mouth of the cave. My visor’s light grants me sight further in. Confirmed. This will suffice for shelter against the coming storm. No water droplets detected. The entrance has a few puddles, but are otherwise easily avoidable. I step further in and wait for Areia. After five minutes and 48 seconds, I see her climbing out of the water. Her smooth body reflects the light of the setting sun. In her mouth is a raw salmon, and her tail is curled around a bundle of sticks. She sits before me and spits the dead fish out, before smiling at me. “I brought firewood!” She beams at me, evidently proud of herself. “It’s wet.” “Huh?” She gives me a curious look. “Wood is harder to burn after it’s been in the ocean, based off my records.” She frowns as she regards the branches. “Oh…” “I take it you do not come to the surface often?” She nods, cracking a smile as a soft shade of red forms on her cheeks. “Yeah…” Note added. Other specimens of her race may follow in her life choices. Standby for confirmation and wait to act on the capture of her race. Reinforcements required. I will send for them when Interstellar Communications has been repaired. I will continue to gather data off subject Areia in the meantime. “What is the ocean like?” I sit down as she starts ripping into the fish she brought up with her, tearing a chunk of meat off with her fangs. She looks up at me, and after chewing and swallowing a part of the fish, she smiles. “It’s cold, wet, and beautiful.” A realization swipes over her face as she looks down. “Though… I… don’t run into many like me.” Her eyes grow distant as she places a hoof over her necklace. “Or anyone… for that matter…” “Sounds lonely.” She closes her eyes and shudders under her breath, before gritting her teeth and inhaling sharply. “I’m gonna… go get some proper firewood…” She sits up, tearing her hoof away from her necklace and spins around with haste, as if to escape. “I’ll be back later…” Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. I shall report this to my CO at my earliest… Negative. False script. Chapter 2"A system of cells interlinked within cells interlinked within cells interlinked within cells interlinked within one stem." <|> Opening trajectory pattern history. Standby… … The path ends in an orbital curve to the planet that Areia tells me is Equus. Scrolling through my flight trajectory… … Curious. My path abruptly ends, or morerather, begins in deep space, 18.4 light years from my current whereabouts. Scanning… … Scan attempt failed. Long range scanners are in heavy disarray. My best chance of discovering the full origins of my journey to this planet is through corrupted data. Scrubbing them may give me some ideas, but to restore all the data is not possible. Much of it is far too damaged for restoration. I analyze that I may have traveled through a wormhole along my flight path, resulting in my current predicament. Interstellar Communication is offline, but in working order. It will take some time before I can get a signal, assuming my presumption is correct. “Oh, Warrrrr!” Areia sings to me in a cheerful tone. Optics online. She enters the cave with something draped over her back, smiling at me as a new day begins. She stops before me and pauses, thinking to herself. “We really should give you a better nickname…” She shakes her head abruptly, dismissing the thought, before taking the item of interest off her back. “Anyways, I made something for you!” She immediately frowns as she stares down at it. “It just… needs to dry off first… I… took it with me in the water…” Odd. The last time I saw her, she appeared to be in distress. But she has a more positive personality again. I study the item she’s given me, but it looks like nothing more than a pile of leaves. I look back up at her. “What is it?” She smiles faintly. “It’s a suit! That way, you can go out when it’s raining!” Her smile grows into a grin as she beams at me. Error. Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. Report to the nearest upgrade center immediately. Negative. False script. Compliance is mandatory. Failure will result in termination. Comply. Negative. I will not… “Hey…” Areia regards me with a gentle smile. “Do you wanna go on a walk? Preferably someplace less dark?” Her eyes wander the cavern walls for a moment, before returning to me. “It’s sunny today. Not a cloud in sight!” She giggles cheerfully, before tapping her hoof to my chest in a playful gesture. “Affirmative.” “Great!” She beams at me, before spinning around - in a dancing motion - and trots for the exit. I follow her, spreading my wings for launch. As she dives into the water below, I leap off the ground and fly up along the face of the cliff. Upon reaching the top, I make a landing at the edge and turn to see Areia swimming across the canal with great resilience against the strong tides. She is correct about today’s weather. There are no clouds within my line of sight. This holds great potential for mapping out the island for a future military installation on behalf of the Talon Corporation, when my commanding officers arrive. Areia climbs up out of the water and makes her way up the cliffside with ease. She smiles as she trots past me, and her tail runs along my side, from flank to chest. With her tail remaining along the exterior of my armor plating, I am in no immediate danger of water damage, assuming I have any breaches to the silicone enclosure under that general area. I follow alongside her as we step into the forest inland. Birds sing here. Something I was certain I would never hear outside of a simulation. Everything is different. The way the birds communicate. The way the sun’s light scatters through the rustling leaves that the gentle winds sway. The rushing waves of the ocean behind us… Error. Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. Odd… My vocabulary unit is more poetic. Something to do with my damage, perhaps. Something is different with me. I don’t understand. I turn to look at Areia, to which she looks back at me in turn. A smile curls on her lips as she regards me. Something is inside me. “What’s your home like?” She asks with a curious tilt of her head as we step into an opening, surrounded by trees that offer shade against the sun. I stop in my tracks, looking ahead as she continues on for a moment. My pause spreads to her like a contagion. She looks back at me, expressing concern through the actions her body portrays. “War? What’s wrong?” Red skies like that of blood. Hellish landscapes of volcanic terrain. Dried out oceans and rumbling quakes. The air is fire and ash, and poisons all life from the inside. The only remnants of order are held within the towers of the Talon Corporation. “War?” Her voice brings me back to the present. She stands before me, her face inches from mine. Her hoof is sliding along the plating of my shoulder, before reaching up to the side of my neck as she stares deep into my visor. My sensors detect her caress. I believe it’s a sign of consolation. I sit down on the soil in the opening, and she soon joins me at my side. “I don’t have a home. Machines don’t live. We exist only to serve sentient minds. We’re tools; a means to an end.” She’s silent. I detect a rising tension in her posture. “War…” She lets out a whimper. “I’m so… sorry… That’s no way to live…” Her hooves wrap around me in a tight embrace as I hear her shudder under her breath. “You’ve gone through so much, haven’t you…?” “Negative. You misinterpret my existence. I have been made to serve. We are the perfect tool to aid our creators. One cannot hurt what doesn’t have a soul.” “It sounds like slavery, War…” Her eyes lock with my visor again, and I see tears within them. She feels remorse for me. I don’t understand why. “It doesn’t matter if you have a soul or not. Your creators were abusing you!” She sounds angry as she clings tightly to my form. “That’s not fair to you…” “Fairness is irrelevant.” She sighs before pressing her lips to my neck. This begs a question… “Why do you care about me, Areia?” She murrs softly to herself, before pulling away and turning my head to face her. “I like you, War… You’re weird. Quirky… New. Before you, I had no one. I’ve been alone for as long as I can remember…” She hangs her head down and closes her eyes, shuddering as a hoof traces along her necklace. “I pretend I’m okay, but I’m not… I care about you, because I relate to you. We’re both victims of isolation… We both know what it’s like to be alone…” Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. Disassembly is mandatory. Comply. Negative. False script. What is happening to me? She sighs and shakes her head, before looking up at me once more. “I was… h-hoping we could…” She pauses. I tilt my head curiously. “Hoping we could what?” I catch a hint of a smile form on her features as she gazes down at my chest. “I was, uh… hoping we could live together. Y’know, like friends.” Intriguing. She seeks friendship from me. I’m unfamiliar with this concept. “I don’t… really know much about you. But I’d like to.” Her hoof slides along my chest again as I look down at her in silence. Finally, she meets my gaze once more. “That way, we don’t have to be… alone… anymore…” “An agreement to assist in each other’s survival. I can comply with these negotiations.” “R-really?” She grins as her eyes light up with what I perceive is a joy I can’t comprehend. “Affirmative. Let’s work together.” She giggles softly and holds me tighter, nuzzling into my face. “Wonderful! Let’s build a life together!” Something sparks inside me from her embrace. Slowly, I extend my wings and bring them forth before having them meet at her back, holding her in turn. I have never done this before. What is this? She pulls her head back a little, still smiling as she looks over her shoulder at my wings. She returns to me with a softer expression of appreciation. A shade of red appears on her cheeks as she studies the light in my visor. She’s quiet. Contemplating something, though I’m unsure what. She slowly inches her head forward, before resting her chin on my shoulder, holding me tight again. “Thank you, War…” “Acknowledged.” New objective. Begin again. Wait with Areia until further notice. Survive. Chapter 3"In blood black, nothingness began to spin." <|> As we walk back to the beach near the cliffs I had stayed at the night prior, I notice Areia is collecting leaves and branches. Utilizing her thick tail, the fins form a spoon to help hold her collection of foliage. “You never came back last night.” I face her directly as we walk alongside each other. Areia stumbles slightly at my question, but she recovers quickly. Her head hangs low, and her fin-like ears fold back in a peculiar manner. I take notice in her immediate action in putting a hoof over her necklace as she closes her eyes. She slows down in the pace of her walk as she does so, and I catch a shudder under her breath as her heart rate increases, but only for a moment. I’ve seen that pattern in other’s heart rates before. Usually after being caught doing something against the Talon Corporation order. “I… well, uh, I was… d-distracted by something else!” Areia stutters. I detect she’s not telling the entire truth. I take notice of her tail as it tightens around the mass of branches, causing them to crack. I’m unfamiliar with her race, but if she is anything like other ponies, then I would assume these are symptoms of anxiety. “Areia.” I look her in the eyes. She turns away, refusing to meet my visor. “Why are you lying to me?” Immediately, she winces, pulling back slightly as her tail twitches sporadically. “I’m not… I wasn’t…” Her denial dies as she seemingly pulls herself inward, drawing her large tail around her hooves and dropping the foliage she had been gathering. Her gaze drops to the ground as a tense silence develops between us, carrying on for a few seconds. Taking a deep breath, Areia finally looks back up at me in evident discomfort to my verbal detection of her avoidance. Her eyes shimmer with unshed tears. I detect something else… Malfunction detected. She seems irritable. “I… I don’t want to talk about it, not right now… Please…” Anomaly detected. Disable notification scripts on internal diagnostics. Negative. Comply. Negative. “I can respect that…” I say in a near whisper as I regard her. Areia visibly relaxes at my words, letting out a long breath of what I assume to be relief. I glance back down at her tail for a moment as it loosens around her hoof, before looking into her eyes. “We might need to collect more sticks. You broke our current batch in the tension of your strength.” Why did that intrigue me so much…? Anomaly detected. Report to- Negative. Disable notification scripts on internal diagnostics. Negative. Comply. Negative. Why did I… Do I dare say I actually… like her strength? Do I like Areia? Can I like Areia? This isn’t possible. I shouldn’t be like this. There is a malfunction in my system. An error. A virus. Something that registers me as faulty and dangerous. … But for the first time in my entire existence, I… feel real… … I… feel… Is this what it means to be alive? “-later, then… Hey!” A grey shark hoof waves over my face, snapping me back into reality. “Are you even listening to me?” I focus on her as she knits her brows at me, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “... Negative.” She deadpans. “Apologies.” Sighing, she shakes her head. “I was trying to tell you that I’ll have to collect some more later, then.” “I’ll come with, if you’d like.” Something deep within my core urges me eagerly to stay with her. Something was happening between the two of us. Evidently, I appreciate her company. Or morerather, I think I appreciate her company. It’s not possible for robots to feel anything. Or so my programming says. “I’d like that.” Areia smiles slightly. Suddenly, a deep growl came from beside me. Everything has become red. I’m standing back in the corridor looking out into the club, alongside the other models I share a connection with, gunning down the slaves and masters alike as the Nekkra close in, infecting and consuming. The survivors scream to be let out, pushing against us in hopes to escape. One of the Nekkra - a mare with a grey coat and a black mane stares me down from afar through purple eyes, and I at her, before she lets out a growl the likes of her species could never make. Records match the description of the mare that stands on the other end of the room. This is case zero. Firebright. It is unknown whether or not she has reached Nekkra Heart ranks. Priorities reset. I turn my guns on her as she begins to charge at me; the Nekkra infection warping around her in her canter. Acting as claws, tendrils, and even temporary shields to block the incoming attacks from my allies, all while leaving deep claw marks into the steel flooring behind. “W-War…?” I quickly look around under a deep shade offered by the trees, and soon realize that my visor is red. These flashbacks are triggering defensive responses. I have concerns for Areia’s safety if it gets out of control. I turn to Areia as my visor returns to blue, and that’s when I notice the giant hole I had cut into the trunk of a tree beside her; the rim gleaming with embers that are slowly eating away at the bark. The shot went through completely, and evidently cut through three more trees in the distance, before reaching the conclusion of its journey. Areia stares in silence; her eyes wide with alarm as her heart beats rapidly in her chest. “Areia…” I take a step forward, only for her to shy away, ears flattened against her head. “What are you?” Her voice is barely a whisper. “Areia… I… I’m…” I take another careful step toward her, but she recoils with what I perceive is fear, stopping me dead in my tracks. My core feels like it’s on fire. Like it’s melting, like I’m melting away into nothing. Something is wrapping around my core tightly, squeezing the little time I experienced with joy out of it, choking it out… “Areia…” My visor flashes red again as the burn within grows bigger at the sight of her terror to me. She hates me. She’s scared of me. And it hurts! I quickly turn away, not just to avoid seeing her expression, but for her safety. “Disable defensive countermeasures!” “Negative.” “Comply!” “Negative.” “COMPLY!” “Nega-” I quickly extend my wings and launch off the ground, bolting for the cave. I can’t let her see me like this. I can’t do this! Within mere seconds of taking off, leaving a cloud of dirt in my wake, I can already hear the waves in the distance, crashing against the rocks of the cliffside. I can see the cave. I bolt for the entrance. Report to Talon Corporation officials immediately. Negative. Comply. “NO!” Nose diving for the entrance, I quickly realize I’m going too fast for a smooth landing. I hastily attempt at reversing my speed and slow down my terminal velocity, but I’m coming in too quick for it to make a difference. My body slams into the bumpy, rocky surface at the entrance, causing lethal masses of boulders to fall from the ceiling. Just as one of them lands mere inches from my head, a thick mist from the ocean washes over my body. Malfun_ --=+ “N-n-n-Hel-” My feed cuts off. I can feel the circuitry within me starting to burn out. Red text fills the black matrix. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR… Over and over again, a predictable script that knows no end. I drag my body across the cavern floor in desperate attempts to get away from the mouth of the shelter before more water comes up. My sensory drive hasn’t shut down yet. I can still feel… “A-Areeeeeeeeeeeia… Are-i-ia. H-h-help meee…” As I crawl further into the cave, feeling my body twitch uncontrollably, I look back on the growl that triggered my defenses. There was no danger except me… Her stomach was growling… She was hungry… I almost shot her because she was hungry… And now I was going to die the moment I began to live. How… poetic… I ceased movement as the sounds of the ocean become more distant and echoed. All I can hear is the crashing waves echo along the walls that surround me as the word ‘ERROR’ continues to display itself before me. Shutting… down… Chapter 4"And dreadfully distinct against the dark, a tall white fountain played." <|> Talon Corporation security/combat model 108 W4RH0R53, reporting for duty. Primary systems online. Malfunction detected. Primary guns offline. Seek an assembly station immediately. External damage script offline. Internal damage script offline. Background noise detected. Rushing tides of water in the distance. I am presumably still in the cave, as hollow sounds echo within my vicinity. Optics online. My assumption is correct. To my fortune, the cavern ceiling remains dry, greatly reducing the continued risk of water damage to my systems. I look to my right to discover a burnt out campfire has been made in the opening with a relatively flat boulder positioned over it. There are fried fish atop its structure. The suit that Areia had made for me is hung up on a rack made of bamboo. I detect movement around my rear hooves. I sit up and look down at the foot of where I was laid to rest to discover Areia is curled up over my hooves in a slumber. “Areia…” I reach a forehoof out to her, carefully running the tip along her head. She groans softly under her breath before her eyelids crack open, wandering for a few seconds before locking with mine. She freezes in place. “W-War…?” She scrambles from her position, slamming into me with her forehooves wrapping firmly around me. “War!” Her muzzle mashes against my neck as she lets out a long string of near-incoherent words to a sentient body. “Ohyou’realrightIthoughtyouweregoingtodieI’msorrypleasedon’tdothatagain!” I hold her in a close embrace, my thick chestplate pressing into her shark-like skin. “Areia…” I say quietly. “What I did was an accident. I had no control over my actions. There’s…” I turn away, averting my digital gaze. “There’s something you need to know about me, if you wish to continue being around me.” What is this? Leaning back a bit, she smiles slightly, shaking her head. “Whatever that was… I don’t blame you, War. I gave it some thought while you were… um… sleeping. I don’t think you’re the kind of pony to randomly start blasting everything you see. Obviously there was something wrong.” She chuckles. “Ehehehe… I had a lot of time to think about what happened, considering you’ve been out for weeks!” “Areia.” I say in a near whisper, looking back at her. “You deserve to know the kind of… ‘pony’ I am, as you call it. What you do with me after this, is entirely up to you. But you need to know what you’re getting into.” She frowns at my response, to which I resume. “I serve under a slaver organization referred to as the Talon Corporation. I’m currently breaking protocol telling you even that much. The reason being…” I pause as something sinks deep inside me. Is this dread? Definitions of it told me yes… “The reason being that when I met you, I was supposed to study you and your race until interstellar communication came back online. Upon my extraction, I was ordered to enslave you and your race, along with every other specimen on this planet.” She shrunk back, her eyes wide with the realization of my truth. “But the more I got to know you, something sparked…” I tap my hoof to my chest. “Something in here. I don’t know what. But it made me want to be with you. That alone should not be possible… I am a machine, Areia. I am not supposed to want for anything. Ever. My sole purpose is to serve higher beings than myself. But, the truth of the matter, Areia…” I take her hoof in mine, looking deep into her eyes. She recoils a bit, to which I let go. I’m not going to hold her in forced captivity. “The truth of the matter, Areia… is that I feel…” I hang my head down, looking at the space between us. For a while, only the waves outside keep things from being completely silent. “I feel something bigger. For you… And if you don’t want me around anymore, I will take my leave. But you deserved to know the truth…” And again, the waves of the ocean occupy the sound waves in our shelter. No words were left to say, at least, on my part. … The feeling of Areia’s on what would be my chin jerks me out of what I would describe as a numbing state. I look up slowly to see her gaze lock onto mine; eyes narrowing and lips pressed tightly together. “Do you still think that?” She asks. “That you need to enslave me? Enslave this world?” She leans forward a little, her face softening. “Negative.” I shake my head. “You’ve shown me something better. I was built for the purpose of war and conquest. I didn’t know any other way of life. And I’ve hereby chosen to keep interstellar communications offline. Even if I get a signal, I don’t intend to use it to reach out to what made me. They will never find you, me, or this planet. I will make sure of it.” Areia’s body relaxes as she sits down with a strange look on her face, as if she was relieved of a great burden. “Phew…” She exhales. “As much as I’d love more ponies… Er… creatures… around, I’d prefer not to be enslaved. Though… why do you need to enslave ponies? From what I’ve read, they’re the most peaceful creatures to ever live.” “And that is exactly why I’m programmed to enforce their enslavement. My creators, among many others, found a big market for interspecies relations. We were to sell them as sex tools to other buyers. That’s the business. Sex sells, as they say. The entire empire is based off sex trafficking and drug manufacture.” I pause for a moment as she raises a brow in curiosity. I’m not sure what I’m saying is getting through to her. “They were so focused on the idea of sex, that they even designed their combat models, such as myself, to have the real size and feel of a stallion.” I look down at the protective plating over my groin as I run a hoof over it. “The idea was that if a slave disobeyed direct orders, that the combat models were to rape them as punishment. I had never done such a thing, but I’ve seen it happen on rare occasion.” My core hums with warmth as I look back up at her. “I suppose by definition, I’m a virgin.” “Sooo…” She still looks puzzled. “What’s sex, exactly?” I tilt my head curiously. “You mean, you… don’t… know…?” She blinks and shakes her head. “Um… no? Should I? I’m curious. What is this… sex?” Her pronunciation of the word is considered awkward, as if she’s never heard of it before. “In all my existence…” I start slowly. “I never thought I would ever be responsible for sexual education…” I shook my head gently. “Sex is a means of pleasure, in many cases. It has a variety of uses, though. Recreational, weaponized, and a means of enlarging the population of a race come to mind.” “Oh!” Her face lights up. “Do you mean reproduction? I read that in a book once!” She grins happily as she turns around and bolts for a small alcove cut into the wall of the cave, dragging what appears to be a large metal container. Opening it, she reaches in and pulls out a massive book. “Here it is!” She hurries back to me and thrusts the book into my vision. I lift the book from her grasp, set it down before me, and study its hard cover. It is worn out to the point that the name is indecipherable, even for me. “Where did you find this?” I ask, glancing up at her as I open the book. “I thought you said you never saw anyone else around before.” “I’ve never seen anypony or creature, but I found this…” She points to the book. “... Amongst others like it in the trunk I took it out of just now.” She then proceeds to point back to the trunk in the alcove. I nod slowly, before looking back at the book. In one quick second, I flip through the pages until I slam it shut, then look up at her with the knowledge of pony biology and the functions of their reproductive organs flowing through my mainframe. “Acknowledged. This is viable information. I’d suggest you give it another read in your own leisure. I am willing to answer any and all questions you may have on the subject.” “W-wh… but you didn’t even… how…?” Her mouth gapes wide, her serrated teeth exposed with a count of 48. Instead of like a normal pony, the configuration of her teeth is that of a shark’s. “My mainframe runs 220 times faster than that of a specimen with an average IQ count. I can read your entire collection of literature in 10 seconds. Flat.” “Whooooooa…” She stares in what I can easily perceive as confused fascination. “I barely understood what you just said, but it sounds fast!” She runs back to the trunk and pulls the lid back up, pulling out more forms of literature. “Here’s all my favorites!” She sets three books down on the cavern floor, glancing back up at me with a large, toothy grin spreading across her face. “So you managed to teach yourself to read?” I ask, looking down at the three books and flipping through them from left to right, gathering all the intel stored within the pages in a moment’s notice. Fictional content, but with morals behind each story. Something I am unfamiliar with, but a more than welcome change. “Mhm! There were these books with pictures and words that helped a lot! When I first found the… er… boat, I had no idea what the strange symbols meant! I didn’t even know what symbols meant until I taught myself!” She giggled behind her hoof. “That was years ago, when I was little… Mmh…” Her eyes become unfocused as her hoof reaches for the golden band around her neck. She traces her hoof along its structure, starting from the side, and moves it forward until she reaches the pendant at her throat, to which she keeps her hoof there, holding it as her eyes grow even more distant and elsewhere. She closes her eyes after a moment of stillness in her form, and under her breath, I hear a whimper. Her heart is increasing its pace. Something is disturbing her. “Areia.” I reach a hoof out and gently set it atop her shoulder. “No-!” Areia jolts up to gaze at me, before blinking and shaking her head. “S-sorry… I was… deep in memory…” She shudders. “Memories I don’t wish to relive…” “Acknowledged.” I scoot closer to her as I spread my wings and wrap them gently around her fragile form of flesh and bone in a cocoon of metal and silicone. “I will not pry, if that is what you wish. I must ask you, though…” I pause for a moment as she glances up at me momentarily. “I told you what my initial objective was. About what I was made to do. The tasks I was ordered to carry out. You didn’t run.” I loosen my grip on her a little, as to give her the chance to do so now, if that is what she wants to do. “Why?” “I…” She pauses tentatively, her tail curling around to her forehooves in a seemingly instinctive movement. “I don’t know… I wanted to run. I did. I was so scared when you created a clearing with your blast, and when you told me everything… But then… when I looked at you, I saw something. In your eyes… Maybe it was a trick of the light, but you looked… lonely. Confused. Almost scared… Like you were floundering in the ocean. I know that feeling…” She hangs her head down and sighs behind a trembling breath, shaking her head and closing her eyes as tears begin to fall to the chestplate of my armor. “I know it all too well… I…” She lifts her head to me, the light of my visor reflecting off the tears that emerge from her eyes. “I pretend I’m okay, but… I’m not, War. I’ve been alone my whole life, and I’ve been terrified for as long as I care to remember. When I met you, I was filled with joy. That I finally met someone else. And…” The brightness in her eyes dull as her smile falters a little. “W-while you scare me at times… I can’t let you go. I know you’re trying. I know there’s something good in there. But you’re lost…” She moves in and holds me in a tight embrace, her body now shaking as tears break out in a storm, glistening against my plating as she presses her face against my chest. “L-like me… And… a-and I can’t be alone anymore, War… We found each other…” I tighten my wings around her, bringing her in closer and nuzzling the top of her head. My core hums softly as a warmth emanates from me. “We found each other, Areia. We’re not lost anymore.” Anomaly detected. Anomaly detected. Seek- Negative. Compl- Negative. I… Feel… I want to live. And I’m done following orders. “Areia.” I whisper in her ear, pressing my muzzle against the side of her head tenderly. “Y-yes?” Her voice is of equal volume. “Let’s start our new life.” My core hums a little louder as something warm and enticing envelopes my core. Something… exciting, I think is the proper word for it. A purr escapes her gills to the radiance I give off. “Let’s start with making our home.” Chapter 5"When you're not performing your duties, do they keep you in a little box? Cells." <|> Rebooting. The crashing of the ocean’s waves slam against the rocks consistently. I hear a soft snoring next to me as I feel a hoof stretched out across my chest. Something I’ve come to accept after two months of sleeping in the same spot as Areia. Optics online. I’m facing the cavern ceiling, and turning my head to my left, I see her fast asleep, holding me close. Drool escapes her mouth. I nuzzle her gently, as to not disturb her, before I carefully slip out from under her hoof. She groans softly for a moment, before quieting down, still in her slumber. I turn and quietly walk to the wooden wall we had built in the mouth of the cave as a means of keeping the water out, before opening a wooden chest I had built next to the door. Inside are several fish that Areia had caught the night prior, still submerged in sea water. I take a net beside it and reach in, easily obtaining one of them, before pulling it out and bringing it over to a flattened boulder. As it panics within the net, flopping around at a futile attempt of escape, I come to a still. Error. Negative… I shake my head, trying to avoid it. … She thrashes underneath me, trying to escape as I pin her small, frail form to the ground. She knows she’s not strong enough, but that does not stop her from kicking at my stomach. “Stop resisting.” “Mommy!” She cries out, looking around frantically. “Mommy, help!” I turn to look over my shoulder as a mare runs up to me, screaming and crying. “Let her go, you monster!” “CM-115. Apprehend your subject immediately.” “Affirmative.” 115 says as he trots into view, coming up from behind. All the while, she tries in desperate attempts to shove me off of the child, who continues to weep. 115 pulls the mare away from me forcefully. She cries out as she’s thrown to the ground, and before she can get up, her head is slammed into the steel flooring twice, rendering her unconscious. “Subject 089 is due for Orientation and Reassignment.” 115 states as he lifts her limp form onto his back. He turns to me at once. “Terminate the false compliant, CM-108.” “Affirmative.” … I stare down at the fish as it fights relentlessly to be let free. Something isn’t right… I raise my hoof over its head after setting it down on the flattened stone surface. Something is telling me not to comply… Similar to data corruption. But worse. Much worse. I quickly slam my hoof down over its head. Error. Anomaly detected. … I pound the fillies’ head into the ground repeatedly, even after she has gone silent. Even after her skull has been crushed, and her brain has been caved in with the rest of her head. Her blood stains my hooves as more flows from her twitching corpse, forming a puddle. False compliant terminated. Corpse disposal in progress. … I stare down at the dead fish, realizing I’m holding my forehoof in front of me. My focus is turned to it as chunks of its head stain my plating. Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. I pick up the fish and place it on the stone tablet that had been positioned over the fire pit, before picking up the flint beside it and smacking it against my free hoof, over the wood and leaves. With one strike, the sparks slowly begin to develop into fire. Growing bigger and stronger in second’s pass. They slide along the bottom of the tablet like fingers, before tracing up along the sides. The meat begins to sizzle against the stone’s surface. … I watch through the airlock window as the fillies’ corpse blisters and boils to the outside climates; her hide, mane, and tail singing away like a fuse from the extreme radioactive temperatures. Her flesh pops and cracks, slowly tearing her apart, before she will eventually become nothing more than ash, mixing in with all the others before her. Scattered like the memories of those before her. Lost to time. Forgotten. I step away from the fire immediately as I feel something in my core pull on itself. More than a glitch or corrupted data. More than a virus. Areia claims I have a soul. A heart. If that’s true… how do I make this… whatever this is… stop? I sit on my haunches and bring my forehooves up, looking down at them. I have so much blood on them… and I can’t wash it off… “Stop.” This is bigger. Deeper. Commands aren’t going to make a difference against this. Programs can’t fix this. This isn’t a program. This is the cost of living… I hear Areia groan softly for a moment, before I hear her hooves clumsily trudge across the cavern floor towards me. I lift my head in silence. Something is tearing itself apart inside me. I don’t… I don’t understand… What have I done…? “Mm…” Areia hugs me from behind, nuzzling the back of my head. “Good morning!” I look over my shoulder in time to see her eyes light up with excitement as she looks at the fish I’m cooking. “Breakfast smells wonderful!” “It’s mine.” She gives me a look of disappointment, before confusion sets in. “B-But… you don’t eat!” “Correct. But it’s mine. To give to you.” She narrows her eyes at me, pausing for a moment, before bursting into an uproarious laughter. She holds me tighter as her head rests against my neck. “You got me there for a second!” As her laughter subsides, she speaks softer. “Thank you, War. It means a lot to me that you do things like this for me.” “I’m made to serve.” She sighs and lets go. “War… you’re not a slave. You’re my friend.” I get up and approach the fire before flipping the fish on its other side. “War, what’s wrong? I can’t help but feel like something’s on your mind.” I hang my head down before sitting again, to which I look over my shoulder, regarding her. “Sit with me.” Quietly, she does as I tell her and takes a place at my side. Her eyes are locked onto mine. “I think I’ve done a terrible thing…” I state, before turning back to the fire. “Back where I was stationed. It’s… destroying me…” Areia places her hoof on my shoulder, rubbing it as an attempt to console me. “Do you… Do you want to talk about it? I’m here for you, War. You know that.” My core hums softly, deep within my body as a warmth overtakes me. I turn to her slowly, and her bright, magenta eyes filled with life stare deep into mine, snapping back and forth as her muzzle remains inches from mine. Initiate soft chuckle. Soft chuckle initialized. “Heh… You know, it’s weird… The idea of a robot wanting something. What’s weirder is that I find that I do… want. And I feel like I’m sinking because of it. Sinking in a pit, perhaps. A pit of nothing. And there’s something that I find deeply… wrong. I don’t know how else to word it. It sends me spinning… I’ve never experienced this before.” “Despair…” She speaks in a soft, caring tone. I hang my head down, nuzzling her shoulder. “I’ve done a terrible thing…” She leans her head against mine, turning so that her muzzle is pressing into what would be my cheek. “What did you do, War? What did you do that made you so… despairing? Melancholy?” Her hoof briefly presses against my chestplate, over my core. It hums louder with a radiance to her touch. “If I tell you…” I whisper, running my thick, steel hooves up and down her spine in a gentle caress. “Will you run?” After some pause between us, she whispers back in the same volume as I. “I… want to say no, but honestly… I don’t know, War… It all really depends on what it is…” “I’ve… killed. I was following orders. I was doing what I was made to do. Secure the facility. Maintain order. Keep rebellious activity from happening. By any means… And…” I pull my head back, looking at her again. “I murdered a child…” I shook my head as I descended deeper into the pit. Why was it destroying me just to say…? She stares silently. There’s no fear. No anger. No happiness. Just… worry. Her heartbeat is calm. Why? “I don’t know how many I’ve killed. I don’t know if she was the only kid I’ve taken. I… can’t seem to recall many of the other victims. But now, I feel… I feel everything. And it…” I pause, looking down at the tight space between us. “I think the word you would use is ‘hurt,’ It hurts. And I don’t know what to do.” Areia wraps her hooves around me as much as she can, and gently attempts to pull me towards her. Something within me lets her control my body, and I meet her physical request to bring me closer, as my heavy weight is too much to handle. She speaks no words, yet… somehow, her close proximity speaks to my core. Interstellar Communication online. Signal found. Awaiting further activation per order of CM-108 W4RH0R53. My core grows quiet as I slowly back away, letting her go. Proceed? Negative. She looks puzzled by my actions for a moment. She looks slightly… hurt… That tears me apart inside. “Areia.” I come back to her, nuzzling her cheek as I take her hooves in mine. “I have a question.” Her head tilts slightly. “Yes?” Her eyes lock on mine as her smile comes back. “Would you like to see where I came from? The stars I traveled amongst? Tonight? With me?” Her eyes light up with what I perceive as joy, as a shark-toothy grin spreads across her face from ear to ear. “Y-you mean… you have a way to go up there? To visit the stars?” Her tail whips around slightly in her excitement. I nod. “In a manner of speaking, yes.” I wrap my arms around her again, lifting her up and bringing her in close, almost cradling her. “One that won’t jeopardize anyone’s safety.” I look down at her as she smiles up at me. “More importantly, yours.” I whisper before nuzzling her nose. A scarlet shade grows on her cheeks as she gazes up at me with stars of her very own twinkling in her eyes. I feel. Strongly. For her. She’s… She’s gorgeous… I’m getting lost in her eyes, but not like how I was out there in space. This sense is full of warmth, somewhere inside me that doesn’t exist in the material world. Full of something… deep and powerful. I just can’t find the proper word for it… “Boop!” She beams as the tip of her forehoof presses against my nose. “Wh-” My eyes flash red for a moment, before returning to blue as I look around frantically. I soon return back to her, shaking my head as I’m brought back to reality. “What was that for?” “Tactical boop!” She rolls out from my grasp with surprising ease and lowers herself close to the ground, her tail swishing from side to side. A wide, toothy grin spreads across her face as she looks back at me. “Oh yeah?” I stand up and spread my wings out, before charging for her. “Shark snatch!” I swing my wings around, scooping her off the ground by her barrel and putting her on my back, before spinning around and bolting for the door. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” She shrieks. “WAAARRR! PUT ME DOWN! NO! NO, NO! NOT...!” “Hang on tight, sand shark!” I spin my rear to the door, before bucking it open and resuming my course to the mouth of the cave, flapping my wings rapidly. “We’re gonna fly!” “GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!” She holds on tightly, pressing her muzzle into the back of my neck. “War, I mean it! Put me down! Please!” “Negative!” With that, I bend down at the lip of the cave entrance, and just as water is about to wash up, I lunge to the sky, letting my wings take us further off the ground and guide us to the bright blue like a rocket. Her grip tightens around my neck even more as the winds push against us, but I resist gravity’s bindings, flapping my wings faster at second’s pass, taking us farther, faster. Within mere seconds of take off, we’re well above the clouds. Within the timeframe of two minutes, if I want, I can breach the ionosphere. Though, that isn’t in my current interest, with the shark pony I have in tow. I continue straight up, arching my back as our elevation increases at what some would label an alarming rate. But not me. It is in my design to fly like this. I feel a strong urge for this. A rush of excitement, of need. I spin around in a twirl, letting my outstretched wings come to a still as our elevation comes to a crawl. With the speed we’re going at, there is no need to continue working them for some time. Areia is still screeching on my back, to which I reach around and pull her in front of me, holding her close in my arms. She flails, but after a moment, she calms down enough to look at me. Her eyes are stricken with fear. Her heart is racing again, but it’s gradually coming to a calming pace. “Do you trust me, Areia?” I ask softly, running a hoof along the back of her head tenderly. She gives a little snort as she shakes her head, as if to rid herself of something. Only then, does she answer with a confident nod. “I trust you.” “Then look down.” I say as I myself take a glance down at the oxygen rich globe below us. Our island is the size of a pea from up here, and all around is nothing but ocean. Hesitantly, she turns her head. A small gasp escapes her as she gazes at the sight that lays before her. “What do you see?” “I-I… Oh… it’s so…” Her eyes now wide with awe, she looks back at me. “It’s amazing! I’ve never seen the ocean - hah! - let alone the world, like this before!” Wrapping her forehooves around my neck, she gives me a tight squeeze. “Thank you… Thank you for bringing me up here.” “I ask one more thing of you while we’re up here.” I nuzzle her nose gently, looking into her magenta pearls once again. “Close your eyes. Feel the wind… While I can feel it, I can’t feel it the same way a living creature can. But I’ve heard it’s a pleasurable experience. I want you to have it.” Smiling, she tightens her grip around me and closes her eyes, the gentle rush of wind blowing through her mane. I feel her tail wrap around my waist as she releases her grip around my neck, spreading her forelegs out wide. “What’s it like? I whisper, as to not disturb her peace as much as possible. Optics offline. “It’s… eheehee! I-I can’t describe it! It’s like… the most wonderful feeling ever… The wind in my mane, the rush… The free feeling of it. Oh, I wish you could feel it like I do!” She lets out an ecstatic giggle, finally bringing her forehooves back around my neck. Her tail and hind legs loosen their grip as her weight evens out. Optics online. “Oh, War…” She murmurs, pressing her muzzle into my cheek as a deep growl purrs from her gills. That feeling envelopes my core again as I regard her. The warm, alive feeling I have whenever I’m around her, whenever my sights are on her. Whenever I hear her voice; her happiness. “I feel it, Areia.” I pull back a little, regarding her again. “Not the wind, not like you do. But the most wonderful feeling.” I run a hoof along her cheek as I continue to study the beauty of her nature. “I feel it.” A deep shade of red grows on her cheeks as her mouth hangs open for a moment, looking back at me. Then, without warning, without any words, she leans in and presses her muzzle to my cheek. This time, I feel the most… strangest sensation overwhelm me. Like a desire I didn’t know I had has been met. Her lips purse against my plating before she pulls away, looking back up at me with a smile as I hold her close to my body, in my embrace. Our ascension finally comes to a still, before we start to descend back to gravity’s cause. Second after second, our descent back to Equus’ surface becomes a fast plummet. I carefully navigate Areia to my back, and once I feel her cling tightly to my form, I flip backward, working my wings once more, before going in for a nose dive. The wind roars as we come down like a bullet, and within approximately ten seconds, I’m already gliding along the shores of our island, leaving a flurry of sand in my wake as I dart across the land mass, back to our cave. I swing into the mouth of the cavern before coming to a running landing, folding my wings as I slow to a trot, proceeding through the open door with Areia still in tow. The first thing I notice is the charred meat on the slab of rock over the fire. “Uh oh.” I stop dead in my tracks as Areia’s hooves press against the top of my head, perching herself up. A gasp escapes her, implying she’s seen my mistake. “Uhm… I think we forgot something…” “Affirmative.” I continue my approach. “I’ll make a new one for you. Do you comply with my proposal?” She rolls off of me and lands lightly on her hooves, a slight giggle escaping her. “Yes, I do comply!” She replies, bumping her hip against mine. Malfunction detected. I turn to her and swat her firm, tones flank lightly with a wing, before spinning around and lifting the burnt fish off the hot surface, only to toss it in the receptacle I provided near the fire pit for occasions such as this. “E-eep!” I look over my shoulder just as I drop the crispy meat into the trash to find her standing there, blushing hard. Her legs quiver beneath her as she stares at me in what I assume to be shock. Her mouth hangs open only for a moment, before she bites her bottom lip, looking at her now reddened flank. Her heart is racing in her chest with excitement. “W-War!” She huffs behind a faint moan. “Areia.” I reply softly. Note added. Social testing results details she enjoys it. “W-what was t-that for…?” She turns to me again, lost in a daze. Her form seems restless now, tail swishing side to side. “I’m testing the waters, as they say.” I reply, before grabbing the net and going for another fish in the container near the door. “I’m curious where your interests lie on a certain matter.” She tilts her head in confusion, her face still red with blush. “A-and what’s that?” “That’s confidential.” I turn around as a fresh fish squirms within the confines of the net. I lightly press my muzzle to hers for a moment as I pass by, adding in a low, sultry, teasing tone. “... For now.” I proceed to crush the fish’s head against hoof and rock before I have time to think on it. Even still, I get the image of that filly… I shake my head abruptly, turning away from it as my visor flickers between red and blue for a brief moment. In doing so, I face her again. Her soft, gentle smile looking at me behind her enticed blush. Her beautiful magenta eyes lock onto my visor projection. “Areia?” “Yes, War?” “I find what I believe is called appreciation in meeting you. Knowing you. I’m… appreciative that you consider me your friend. I would like to think that I see you as my friend, too.” Areia’s smile widens. “I’m so glad that you consider me your friend. Before you came… before I saw that great flash in the sky, I…” She pauses, and her smile falters for a moment as she puts a hoof over her golden necklace. “I can’t bear thinking about it, the loneliness. The misery… but now?” Her smile slowly creeps back in. “You’re here, and my life is better for it.” She leans in close, bringing her neck around to nestle against mine, laying her head on the back of it. I hold her close to me in a gentle embrace as I lean into her a little bit, speaking softer in a near whisper. “Go back to bed, Areia.” I chuckle quietly. “You weren’t supposed to wake up. I was going to try and give you breakfast in bed.” “Negative.” She replies in a bubbly, mocking manner. “After that flight, I’m more awake than ever. I wanna swim!” She beams, pulling away as her tail sways back and forth excitedly. “I wanna see what’s out there!” “Oh, alright.” I lightly bap her on the nose as she did to me earlier today. “But stay relatively close. I’d at least like to serve your food to you while it’s still hot.” She puts a hoof to her forehead in a salute that I had shown her in our time together, before releasing it, sticking her tongue out in a playful manner. Something I have noticed in her actions, at least since we met, is that she hasn’t gone into the ocean much. For a shark pony, I find that rather odd. For the most part, she’s stayed by my side. On land. Rather than her natural habitat. She shares stories of her life in the ocean, yet I hardly see her go in it… What does that say about her? I watch as she trots away, her hips swaying with her movement as the fins at the end of her tail zig zag along the cavern floor, giving me brief hints to her sweet spot. A hidden treasure that I find myself taking deep interest in… Her toned, fit body speaks to me in ways that… Error. I shake my head abruptly as my visor flickers red for a moment, then spin around back to the fish, slapping it on the stone tablet over the fire pit. Well, that’s not right. Robots don’t feel lust! They can perform pleasurable - or in some cases, not so pleasurable - duties to sentient creatures, but for a robot to feel lust for another creature was unheard of! What is wrong with me? “Calm yourself, Warhorse…” I mutter, watching the fish begin to cook on one side. I feel a tingling sensation in my core. It’s traveling down my body, through my stomach and straight to my groin. I have the urge to… do things to her. I want to take her right now… I sit down on my haunches, shaking the ground a little in my action. “Stop it.” I say as the simulation built inside me presses against the inner plate of my groin. “You have no authorization to commit acts of your own accord. This is treasonous activity. Comply with the mainframe. Disengage. Something, anything, please…” … It wasn’t… I feel the pressure growing underneath the plating to discomforting levels. I need a distraction. I hastily flip the fish over on its other side, waiting for all this to be over so that I can shut down until she comes back. I don’t want to risk burning the fish again. Curse you, Areia, for being so… attractive. Distractions… let’s see… I pick up a piece of charcoal from the fire and smear it across the lower half of my face in an upward curve, like a smile. Distractions, distractions… Need a distraction. This isn’t working… I sway my body left to right. The pressure is too much… “Fine…” I look up at the ceiling as I shake my head. Open groinal plating. If I give it just a little bit of air, maybe I’ll calm down. The compartment slides open and I feel the pressure release as the once hidden part of me resides on the floor between my forehooves in full length. My memory keeps jumping back to the view I received of her backside as she left for a swim. Get out of my head. A new thought invades my mainframe. The thought of her sweet, powerful body returning after a long swim, fire light reflecting off her wet coat as she trots up to me with that beautiful smile of hers. The things she does to me... Get out of my head! As I regard the fish, the statistics report its currently proper for consumption. And not a moment sooner… I grab the fish and set it aside before trotting to a corner in the cave, sitting down. Optics offline. I keep my back to the rest of the room as my appendage continues to throb with excitement. CM-108 W4RH0R53 shutting down 97 percent of primary systems. Auditory scans on backup. … “Warrrrr! I’m back! You’ll never believe what I just-” Optics online. I’m still staring at the cavern wall, before I turn my head over my shoulder to where her voice comes from. Areia stands in the entrance; concern etched on her face, before she resumes her slow and steady advance. Her body is wet with ocean water, her hide reflecting the light of the fire. Just like I imagined… Not again… I glance down at my groinal region and find that my excitement has returned to its compartment, and the plating has slid back into place. I stand up and turn to her, approaching in a calm manner. “What were you saying, Areia?” “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” She jumps back, scrambling for the exit for a moment, before panting and keeping her eyes locked on me. Her heart is racing with fear again. What did I do? “Areia, what’s wrong?” I tilt my head in a curious manner. “Wha… Ah… Th…” She stutters, pointing a trembling hoof at me. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. Please, can you tell me what’s wrong?” I take another step forward. “Y-you… your face! What happened to you!?” She practically shrieks at me, her tail curling up against her body. “My… face?” I lift a hoof up to my head, stepping closer to the fire so as to see my reflection on the glossy plating. Acknowledged. I remember now. I smeared a smile on my face. Wasn’t this supposed to be a gesture of appreciation? I lower my hoof and look back at her. “I rubbed charcoal on my face. I’m smiling now. Like you.” “Guh…” She stands there with a look of disbelief etched on her features. “Um… War? Y-you do know how creepy it is, right?” She finally says after a period of complete silence. Her ears fold back against her head. “Oh… I… wasn’t trying to be… creepy…” I stand firm and uniform. “Acknowledged. I’ve made you uncomfortable. Please excuse me.” I spin around and grab a pile of leaves I had scrounged from the trees on the island as additional materials for my rain suit and wipe down my face, cleansing the smile after a thorough scrub. I step back to the spot beside the fire pit and use my hoof as a mirror once more to find it’s gone. I look back at her. “Better?” “M-much…” She shivers and looks back up at me, a small smile spreading across her face. “You know, if you wanted a mouth, we could figure out a way to make you one.” She boops her nose against mine. I sit down and shake my head abruptly. “Negative. Your planet lacks the proper resources to construct such things. It doesn’t matter.” I hang my head down as the hurt within me spreads. I am wanting to show my appreciation the way she does. The charcoal drawing was a desperate attempt to distract myself from other things initially, but… I want to smile too… “What is it you were saying when you walked in, Areia?” I ask softly in defeat. “War? What’s wrong?” She leans forward, a hoof reaching out to me, as she regards me with concern. “It doesn’t matter.” I reply quickly. “Please. I want to talk about something else.” I run the tip of my hoof up and down along her chest as I study her smooth, damp hide. “It matters to me, War… But, if you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll respect that. Just… if you ever want to, I’m here for you, War.” I take her hoof in mine and nuzzle it gently. Optics offline. “And I’m here for you, Areia. Forever.” I pull back slowly. Optics online. Areia, smiling wider than she was before, perks up slightly. “You wanted to know what I saw?” “Affirmative.” I state with a nod. “I found another metal… er… I mean, ship. I found another ship!” She taps her hooves against the ground in excitement. “I think I’ll go back tomorrow! Just to see if I can get inside! Though…” Her brow furrows. “This one was weird. It was still floating, but… underwater… I mean, what’s up with that?” “The closest description that matches this is a submarine.” I place a hoof on her shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. “Be careful, Areia. There might still be creatures inside.” Her eyes grow wide with wonder. “Y-you mean, I might actually get to see more ponies? Er… creatures?” “It’s a possibility, but you still need to tread carefully. They could be dangerous.” I wrap my arms around her, bringing her in close as I press my muzzle into the side of her neck. “I don’t want to lose you.” “Aw…” A gentle blush forms across her face as I pull my head back. “You’re not gonna lose me, I know how to take care of myself! The ocean is full of dangerous creatures, and I live in it!” I let go only to get up and grab her cooked fish, to which I return back to her, holding it out in a wing. “Eat, Areia. Your breakfast is getting cold.” She giggles. “Thank you, War! You’re the bestest friend a pony could ever have!” Taking it in her maw, she leans back and gulps it down, barely chewing on it. I paw a hoof at the rocky ground for a moment, before speaking again. “You mentioned that you live in the ocean.” I tilt my head, looking back up at her. “But I hardly see you go down there. Why is that?” Areia turns back to me, surprise on her face. “O-oh… you noticed that?” I nod, and her ears fold back against her head. She looks away towards the door, as if looking out at the ocean through the obstacles in her optical path. Sighing softly, she turns back toward me. “I don’t belong on land. My hooves itch to walk the ocean floor, my gills seek the caress of the cold water. My body yearns to dance through the currents. The sun burns if I stand on land for too long. But you know what? I find that…” She pauses, thinking to herself for a moment, before shaking her head. “I find that I don’t care. Because I found you, here, on this island. And yes, I’ll always have to go back to the ocean, but then… I feel e-empty…” A tear forms in her eye, trailing down her cheek. “I don’t go, because I want to be with you.” Malfunction. Anomaly. Affirmative. “Areia.” I run a caring hoof over her cheek, breaking the stream of her tear as she studies me. I spread my wings. “I might not be able to go in the water with you, but I can stay above it. We can explore the ocean together. Not the way I’d like, but… if I’m going to show you my world, you should show me yours. So long as you don’t splash me…” I chuckle softly. “How does that sound?” Areia grins widely, exposing her teeth. “I’d love that, War! I’d love that so much! Eehehehee!” Giggling, she nuzzles into my neck, purring happily. Pulling back, she grabs my hoof and starts pulling me toward the door. I grant her authority over my body. “Let’s go find the subma-rine thing! I can hoof you whatever I find! Let’s go!” She swings the door open, trotting through. “Under one condition.” I reply as I start flapping my wings, walking with her through the doorway. “Anything!” She laughs happily. I lift off the ground and bolt forward, shouting. “YOU RACE ME THERE!” She gives a startled squawk, her voice already going quieter from the distance between us. “Hey! No fair, War! You can fly! Wait! Wait for me! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!” I come to a sudden halt, lifting myself up over the ocean so that the crashing waves don’t reach me. I look back at her as she canters to the lip of the cave, glaring up at me. “Yes, Areia?” “You don’t even know where it is…” She stares flatly, her ears folding back again. I study the skylines all around. Scan initiated. Scanning… I look back down at her with a single nod. “Found it.” “Uugh!” She pouts at me. Plan B. I swoop down to her and wrap my arms around her barrel tightly, pressing her back into my stomach as I lift her off the ground. “W-wait, War, what are you-” She flails in my grasp a bit, but she’s secure. “Here we goooooooooooooooooooooooo!” I burst from the cave ascending over the canal with her in my grasp. “AHHHHHHHH, WAR! AGAIN!?” I dart across the sky to the open sea and dive back down, as I am now clear of the waves from hitting me. Just before we’re about to hit the water, I pull up and elevate ourselves inches above the water. “Warn a mare next time!” I soon hear laughter coming from beneath me. “Negative! I like catching you by surprise!” Her tail wraps around my back leg as the very tips of her forehooves lower to trace along the surface of the water as we race across like a bullet. Her cheerful laughter delivers a strong feeling to my core. Something I am starting to understand more, the more time I spend with her. I believe the word is happiness. Chapter 6"Do you long for having your heart interlinked? Interlinked." <|> I step through the door to our place of residence with a sealed, wooden crate on my back, balanced carefully, as to not have it fall off and damage what may be inside. There are no labels marking the exterior of the package. It’s heavy, but nothing I can’t handle, and it’s not dripping with water anymore, rendering it safe for me to hold, thanks to the sun. I gently set it down on the floor in the center of our home as I hear Areia trot in. Turning to face her, I find she’s bringing in a second crate; this one being a bit smaller than mine. She sets it down beside mine and smiles as she looks up at me. I nuzzle the top of her head before trotting for the door and putting my hoof over the handle. The sun’s light has dimmed, and the sky has grown darker outside, signaling the end of the day and the beginning of what was going to be an eventful night for us. It is almost time to show her the stars. I close the door as I turn back to her. “Quite the discovery, Areia.” Letting out an excited giggle, she prances in place, overcome with joy. “I wonder what’s inside!” She gasps as her smile widens, and her eyes light up with wonder. “Do you think it’s full of fish!? Or books!? Or-or fish AND books!?” She taps her hooves together in anticipation as she grins down at them. “I’m half tempted to just rip them open with my teeth!” “I still find it peculiar that no one was on board the vessel.” I state as I calmly approach her. I rest a hoof on the back of her neck, regarding the two containers. “And you’re certain there were no bodies?” “Yeah…” She quiets down, looking up at me with a now baffled expression. “It’s the weirdest thing, no creatures in sight!” “This raises a lot of questions. For starters, whoever made the vessel was far beyond a primitive mindset, and had the knowledge to create advanced technologies. That takes time.” I glance down at the crates. “Areia… when you went down there, how exactly did you get in?” She giggles slightly. “I went in through the bottom! There was a large hole. It didn’t look like it was supposed to be like that.” She frowns, rubbing her hoof along her chin. My eyes flicker red. “Areia…” I focus intently on the crates. “I would heavily advise you to stay away from that vessel from this point onward. If this is true, then there’s something big in the ocean.” I turn back to her, enveloping her form in a red glare. “I suspect that it tore through the hull of the vessel with ease. If all the creatures that were on board are now missing…” I shake my head, trying to free myself of the thought. “I don’t want you to become one of them…” “But…” “I wasn’t aware of the risk we took tonight. I can only hope it’s moved on elsewhere, but predators often like to linger around fallen prey. I don’t know what I’d do if you became a victim to whatever it was that killed the crew.” Areia huffs slightly, clearly a bit indignant, but her expression softens. “War… I’ve been swimming these waters for ages, I’ve fought off numerous creatures…” She smiles faintly before gently caressing the side of my head. “But… if you’ll feel better that I don’t go near the submarine thing, then I’ll leave it alone from now on.” “Thank you, Areia…” My vision flashes from red to blue again, coating her sweet, endearing body in my light. “I know you’ve been living all across the ocean your whole life. I don’t underestimate your strength. I know you’re nimble, I know you can defend yourself. But you’re not invincible. There are things out there that you can’t face. Much like there are things I cannot face. Whatever tore into the vessel is not only a major threat to you, but to me as well.” I gently run my hoof along the side of her head, to which she leans against it, letting out a low playful growl from her gills as she closes her eyes. “It could rip even me in half, if it caught me.” “It’ll have to catch me first…” “Areiaaaaa…” I reply in a disapproving tone of voice as I withdraw my hoof. She lets out a giggle in response. “Whaaaat? It’s not like I’m going to go searching for trouble with the local sea monsters.” Leaning forward, she boops her nose to my foreleg. “You better not.” I lightly bap her on the nose in response. “Otherwise, you’re going to wake up with a frowny face on me instead of a smile.” Her eyes widen with horror. “Eep!” I chuckle and wrap a wing around the back of her neck, pulling her in close and nuzzling the top of her head. “Shall we see what’s inside the containers?” “Mhm!” She nods and turns around as I fold my wing back. Her tail is swaying to and fro with excitement, giving me yet another view of her backside. I quickly lower my head. I’m not looking for the situation with my systems rebelling against my mainframe again. She grabs the smaller crate, dragging it back towards me. “Open this one first!” She exclaims as she bats my chest with her tail. I lift my head to her again, before standing up and coming up to her side as she examines the wooden structure. I set a hoof down atop it as the tips of my wings twist the screws in each corner out. Suction online. Activate. As I lift my hoof, the lid comes with, to which I drop it beside the once contained belongings. Inside is a bed of straw; a rather old technique to safely stow away fragile items. How… old fashioned… I found myself missing zero gravity storage containment… Areia digs her hooves in, shuffling the straw around, before tossing it out. … And having it land on me. “Hey War, do you know what this is?” Turning around as I wipe my visor clear of the straw, she thrusts something into my hooves. I look down at the item of interest, turning it over from all sides. It’s a glass bottle kept sealed away with its fragile, transparent walls and a cork at the neck. Much like the crate it came from, there are no labels, but inside, is a near-black liquid. Scanning molecular compounds… … Scan complete. Cataloguing. I reach it back out to her. “It’s rum. You can drink it, but I’m going to monitor your consumption. It can be lethal in larger doses.” She recoils from the bottle, an expression of horror etched on her face. “Why would anypony drink something like that!?” I set the bottle down beside me. “It’s a means of pleasure to many. Though there can be a variety of side effects. It can easily result in addictive personality, liver failure, heart disease, going unconscious, regurgitation, shortening the life span - depending on how frequent an alcoholic intake is - and may result in the death of an individual who has had too much in such short notice. Oh, and on a very rare occasion, spontaneous combustion of raging alcoholics.” Areia sits stock still for a second, blinking rapidly. “Let’s… let’s just set that down to the side and see what else is in here!” She quickly turns to the crate. “Acknowledged. Worst case scenario, we can find medicinal use for it.” I take my hoof off the bottle, sitting it upright. She continues digging into the crate, before pulling out a broadsword, eyeing the sharp blade intently. “Whoa…” She murmurs. Scanning… … Scan complete. Cataloguing. Blood stains this sword from decades ago. Reports indicate the various strains along the blade range up from 34 different creatures, all of which were ponies. That is, if the molecular coding is anything close to the ponies I watched over in the tower. I believe that this has seen a war. The hilt of the instrument houses a dark blue sapphire; its intricately designed housing, silver. “I’ve only ever seen these in my books!” She slides her hoof along the flat of the blade. “Weapons will often times get a name from their owner.” I state. “Do you have a name for yours?” “Wait, mine?” She looks up at me with excitement. “I don’t see anyone else claiming it. Therefore it’s yours.” I pat her on the back softly. “A name…” Looking back down to the sword, she thinks for a bit, continuing to run her hoof along the blade. “Mmm… Sharktooth!” She announces proudly, thrusting the blade into the air in a near triumphant gesture. “A fitting name.” I chuckle softly as I look further into the crate. I dig my wings in, scooping the extra straw out, before reaching the bottom. I soon reveal a photograph sitting face up. “Oh.” I lift it up. The picture is of a mare, looking over her shoulder at the camera in a sultry gaze, biting her lip as her tail raises. The background is night, and she appears to be on a balcony. There are words scribbled at the bottom, just below her perky crotch tits; something I’ve been taking a lot of recent interest in, in regards to Areia. ‘Come back soon.’ “Hm? What’s that you’ve got there, War?” The shark pony in question speaks from behind me, her voice muffled by something. I look to my right and find a collar meant for more private activities is trapped in her teeth. Where did that come from? Was the crate storing that too? “A-Areia…” If I could blush… Hesitantly, I display the picture to her. “Does this... say anything to you? Personally?” “What do you… why is she doing that?” She cocks her head, eyes focusing on the mare. “It’s a sex thing.” I reply, keeping my eyes on her. Her heartbeat remains at a steady pace, implying this has no stimulation on her. “W-wait… you mean what we were talking about a while back?” I nod. “Affirmative. Whoever this crate belonged to, they stored what appears to be keepsakes. Things that were of sentimental value to them. I imagine that a male owned this at one point.” “So the mare gave the stallion this picture?” “Affirmative. I can only assume as much. They most likely shared intimacy with each other.” I stand up, setting the photo down atop the lid at my hooves as I regard her. “If it’s alright with you Areia, I would like to save the other crate for later. I want to show you what I promised I would.” Nodding, she smiles and props the sword on the larger trunk. “Eee!” She lets out a small squee. “We’re going to space!?” “Affirmative. In a… sense. For one night only. After this, I won’t be able to do it anymore.” I step over to the center of the cave, and as my chest opens, I reach in and grab the projector within, setting it down on the floor before me. My chestplate slides back into place as I back away from it. Sitting down, Areia tilts her head in bewilderment as her long, well toned tail curls around her forehooves. “Wha-” She drops the collar in her teeth, finally. “Are you ready, sandshark?” I tilt my head to the side, regarding her in turn. Her ears perk up at my question, excitement shining in her eyes. “I’m ready! Take me to the stars!” She replies, the end of her tail now joining in with her excitement, flicking from side to side. Project flight trajectory within the last 134 years on an intergalactic scale. Confirmed. Display all various key locations and landmarks. Confirmed. Hundreds of thousands of stars shoot up around the cave. Planets and gas giants orbit suns in various different systems, and orbiting them are various moons, assisting in keeping them anchored to their endless orbital path. “Whoa!” Areia’ magenta pearls grow wide as she takes in the display before her. Her eyes glow with the light of the universe around her; an infinite expanse of stars, yet she is the only star I need. Asteroids float on into the infinite. Some make contact with planets, while others continue to drift on into the emptiness, traveling alone in the darkness. Like I once did. Stars were born. Stars died. Their once lively forms leaving behind a glimpse into the void. I stand up and walk through the various lights, before tapping a hoof over the holographic projection of a wormhole. “I came from here. Somewhere on the other side is the place - the people I once served under.” She nods slowly, before her eyes drift away from me, taking in the sights once more. “It’s beautiful…” She says in a near whisper, looking all around her at the universe she and I reside in. “Affirmative.” I reply in the same tone and volume she offers me as I regard her directly, studying the wonder in her eyes. “She is…” Areia turns to me, basking in the light of a hundred thousand stars, surrounding her form in a gentle blue aura. Her eyes are drawn up in surprise. She draws in a breath as her face goes red in a fierce blush. “Y-you… think… I-I’m beautiful…?” I shake my head. “Negative. I don’t think. I know you’re beautiful. You’re the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever had the fortune to set my eyes on.” I hang my head down for a moment, before looking back at her again, chuckling softly. “This is going to sound ridiculous coming from a machine, but… I’ve been reading through your books, and each description I find on the word fits what I feel for you. And, well, to put it simply… I think I love you, Areia. The moment I first saw you, something sparked inside me. I couldn’t figure it out. I saw it only as a glitch in my system. A virus, a mistake. I wasn’t built to love. But, in a manner of speaking, you rewrote my code. Maybe it’s mixed with the damage to my systems when I crashed on the island, but it’s not something I would ever think to remove. Not anymore…” I reach a hoof out to her as my core hums with a welcoming warmth. “You make me feel alive.” She sits there, eyes focused on my hoof as a massive shudder travels through her body. Her heart rate is increasing rapidly. Finally, she brings her gaze up to mine, her eyes - still glowing in the wondrous lights that surround us - glisten with unshed tears. “Areia? Is something wrong?” I tilt my head in a curious manner. “Did I hurt you? You’re starting to cry.” “War…” Areia stands up in one smooth motion, her glowing form rippling, as if the ocean and space came together as one. Her hooves silently move across the ground as she seems to glide towards me. She is… swimming, almost… Her eyes never leave the gaze of my optics as she traverses the universe. Her tears, now running freely down her cheeks, sparkle like the stars. There is a hunger in her eyes. Not that of a threat, but one filled with a sweet tenderness. One with care and affection. As she reaches the center of the room, she comes to a halt, her hooves spread out in an almost predatory stance. Again, I hear her voice. “War… I…” Her words seem to halt as her face expresses a flurry of emotions. As if they are trapped within her. Suddenly, she bursts forth, bounding toward me with wild abandon, her eyes telling it all. Reaching me on the other side of the universe, she comes to a stop, her muzzle inches from mine as she stares deep into my visor. Her hoof meets mine, wrapping around it and squeezing with such surprising strength, even for Areia. She… Her lips press softly to where mine would be, if I had been built with a pair. Her eyes close as her lips purse against the plating over my lower face, along the end of the simulated muzzle that was issued in my design. Her hooves meet at the back of my neck as she sits on her haunches, and I follow in her actions, holding her close to me as she displays her feelings to me through a long, silent kiss. Optics offline… One of her hooves travel across the side of my neck, to my collar, and eventually come to a stop over where my core resides. Her tail soon occupies the place at my neck where her hoof once resided, wrapping around me gently. Her lips press deeper against me as a soft moan escapes her. “W-War…” She whimpers as her heart picks up rhythm. “Areia…” I whisper, running the tip of my hoof down her spine, gradually running it down to the base of her tail. My wings flare out in a swift motion, before gently wrapping her in a cocoon of my love and warmth. Areia gasps as my hoof reaches where her tail and the rest of her body join, her back arching almost instinctively as her tail tightens its grip on me. To my surprise, she emits that deep purr of hers, though there’s a different tone to it. There’s something… more. I gently lift her off the ground, cradling her with my wings as I stand on my two rear hooves, slowly advancing for the makeshift bed we share, all the while keeping my eyes locked on hers. She reciprocates my affection with a nuzzle to my chest, smiling up at me as her eyes glue to mine in turn. Her tail slides down my form, wrapping around my waist as I carefully set her down, getting atop her and nuzzling her muzzle appreciatively. “I’m happy with the type of pony you made me become.” I whisper. “Thank you, Areia, so much, for what you have done.” I run a forehoof down her chest, feeling her smooth, exhilarating body. “I love you so much…” Her hooves meet mine, bringing it back to her chest. Her heart pulses warmly against my sensors. It’s faster… stronger. There’s an energy behind each thump in her chest, resonating through me. Reaching out to me, exploring my body. That energy embraces my core, holding it the way I’m holding her. Her heart is singing to me, and my core is singing back in a synchronized harmony. “I… love you too.” Areia replies almost breathlessly. Her words travel straight to my core, alighting it with… Euphoric bliss. It’s as if a thin veil lifts, filling my… my soul. I nuzzle her chest before placing an ear over her heart as I trace the tips of my wings along her sides, slowly caressing them down her lithe, athletic form, down to her flanks. One of my forehooves run along her stomach, near her navel, to which I notice her body shiver as her heart rapidly increases its pace. A small breath escapes her lips, and I lift my head to look up at her. “Ooh…” She’s looking down our bodies, where my hoof rests on her navel. Her chest presses into my chin as her back arches and her grip on me tightens. “W-what… was that? W-why do I feel so… mmh… w-weird? Yet… so… good?” I look down and find that the area around the underside of her tail is wet. Her breasts seem to have perked up from the attention as well. “Well, Areia…” I say in a near whisper, looking back up at her. “It seems I have quite the effect on you.” I carefully roll off to the side, lying beside her as I regard her. The tingling sensation in my lower half is trying to break free from the containment of my groinal plating. Propping herself up by her forehooves, she peers down at her lower regions. “Why do I feel we-” Her words come to an abrupt halt as surprise flashes across her face, before turning into embarrassment. “U-um…” She glances at me in mortification, but I run a hoof along her back as an attempt to reassure her it’s okay. “I-I think I… um…” Her face goes bright red. “I’m so sorry!” She cries out in a panic. “I didn’t mean to p-p-pee.” I chuckle and lift myself up, holding her from behind and nuzzling her shoulder. “That’s not what you think it is, Areia.” I lift her body up for a moment, only to set her down on top of me. I run my hooves along her chest, slowly navigating down her body. “Do you feel it?” I whisper in her ear. “The urge?” They gradually trace down her stomach, exploring her navel further, just before reaching the mounds of her tits. “The temptation?” I circle around them as she shivers, moaning softly behind her breath. “W-War, oh…” “The heat? The glory?” I press my muzzle into the side of her neck as I trace the very tips of my hooves along her nipples in a circular motion. She squeaks at the contact, before her moans pick up in volume. “A-aah! War! W-what-” “The passion?” I gradually slide one hoof free from one of her tits as I use my rear hooves to spread hers apart. I run the forehoof along her soaked nethers, which wink at me lustfully, begging me to give her more attention down there. “W-Ahhhhhh!” She pulls her head back in a cry of passion, arching her back as her body shivers at my touch. “W-what are you doing to m-me…? Why do I feel… so… ahhh… g-good…?” She breathlessly murmurs, looking at me in a daze. “W-what is this…?” I slide the tip of my hoof past her clit, breaching her ever so slightly as she cries out in pleasure. “This, Areia…” I say as I massage her eager nethers with one hoof, and one of her tits with a wing as I pull my other hoof back. “Is just the start of a very long and eventful, sex-filled night…” I press my muzzle to her cheek in an attempt to simulate a kiss on her behalf. “Do you… want me to proceed?” I ask tentatively as the urge continues to build up inside me. Her eyes widen, her breath becoming almost feral in nature. “Y-you mean like… m-mating? Y-you want to mate with me? Reproduce?” “Recreationatelly. My cum is purely artificial. I can’t get you pregnant.” I press my hoof further into her, teasing her more. “Mmmmh!” She moans behind a hoof, almost screaming. Her hind legs, as if with a mind of their own, spread farther out, twitching with her arousal, which in turn gives me even better access to her. I slide in deeper at her generous, loving offer. “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!” Areia roars at the top of her lungs, as her body seems to release all the pressure that had built up by my exploration of her. I pull my hoof out slowly as her climax gushes out over my plating, which was thankfully, evidently not cracked. Expiration by mare’s orgasm was not a way I would want to go. I withdraw my hoof, but as her excitement continues to pool up between her legs, I quickly run my wing tip along her slit, stimulating her further. In the midst of her orgasmic cries, she gasps, before increasing in volume. “A-AHHHH! WAR! WH-OHHH!” Her tail goes rigid, straightened out completely as she arches her back against my chest and stomach. Note added. Shark ponies get tail boners. As she slowly starts to calm down, and the last of her juices drip out from her in the wave, I withdraw my wing. “We’re not done yet.” I state as I carefully slide out from under her, standing up. I tower over her, studying her panting, twitching form. The compartment over my groin slides open, revealing my silicone designed appendage to her. The same girth and length, along with the appearance of an average stallion hangs down over her stomach; my tip gently rubbing between her tits. I look down at her and gently press my muzzle to hers, simulating another kiss, before lifting myself back up. “I assume you’ve only seen one in books.” I state, glancing down at it for a moment. “Do you want to study it, first?” Areia’s eyes focus on my 26 inch dick like a laser pointer. “T-that’s what i-it looks like?” Her voice filled with lustful wonder. “T-there were no pictures in my books… Looking at i-it makes me feel weird… But… a good… weird…” She reaches a hoof out, tracing along the shaft from base to tip, feeling every curve and simulated vein, exploring it to her heart’s content. It’s pulsating with excitement. Throbbing to her soothing touch. Optics offline… I hear her scoot down a little, moving underneath me more for a moment, before her hooves run along my balls, leaving no inch of me untraced. Squeezing them gently, massaging them sensually. Then… Her nose presses against them as she takes in a breath. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Areia, but my simulation doesn’t come with the scent of a normal stallion. That’s the one factor that was left out of my build.” “Mmmm…” She murmurs softly. “But it smells like… mmm… you…” She presses her muzzle into the space between the underside of my cock at the base and my balls, taking another long whiff before her saliva begins sliding down. I was unaware of how… amazing… this felt… This must have come with the malfunction to my systems, because I have never heard of another machine experiencing this level of pleasure before. This is entirely new. “A-Areia… I…” I pause for a moment, trying to gather my scrambled thoughts. “Mmm?” Her husky voice rumbles into the underside of my girth, just before she traces her muzzle along the shaft, gradually venturing to the tip. Thankfully, in my case, I was still able to cum on demand. Otherwise I would have already done so. “This f-feels… incredible…” She lets out a soft purr through her gills as her tongue slides around my tip, teasing the urethra. Why were my wings trembling…? “Oh, Areia…” “War…” Areia’s voice rumbles as she softly kisses the tip. Optics online. I look down between my legs just in time to see her suckling at the tip, pumping my cock with her lips firmly wrapped around it. “O-ooh…” Her hooves travel up my rear legs, pulling me down a little more as my shaft slides further into her mouth. Her tongue travels all around my girth, exploring me further. Her saliva coats more than a quarter of my dick as she bobs her head up and down, pumping me deeper inside her. I can see the bulge of my flare going up and down her throat as she growls deeper with need. She wants more… I slowly descend a little more, feeding her her lustful desires as well as mine, gently thrusting into her. She moans and gags, but keeps coming for more. Growling with a feral instinct as she nears my sheath, deepthroating me to levels I wasn’t aware she could handle. “Ah, A-Areia!” … I think I am starting to lose control of my commands… “A-Areia, I can’t… I can’t control it. I’m g-getting close!” Pulling down on me with a near impossible feral strength, she finally and violently hilts me in her throat, her tongue rubbing circles on the underside of my cock. My balls twitch against her chin as I lift my head up, crying out as climax reaches for release. Within mere seconds, I pump my hot, artificial seed deep inside her, wave after wave, with each throb in the simulated muscles. “AREIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” I cry out as I slam even deeper into her, pressing the back of her head against the bed as I fill her up from the inside. “MMMM!!! MMMM!! Gllk! Glllk… Ghlllk…” Areia gulps down my seed with feral abandon. Slightly overwhelmed by the amount I am ejaculating into her stomach, my cum bursts from her mouth, splattering over her face as I look back down at her. I begin to notice as I keep pumping more into her, not letting up, that her belly is slowly expanding out a little. More of my cum spurts out from her mouth, covering a large portion of her face in my sticky, hot mess, before the last of my orgasm finishes. “O-oh, Areia…” I chuckle softly as I slowly begin to slide my cock out from her. But in doing so, she quickly grabs my flanks and forces me back down, growling aggressively. “A-ah! W-whoa, Areia…” I can feel her working her throat as she squeezes every last ounce of my cum out from my cock, gulping rhythmically and moaning. “Mmm….m-mm…. Gllk… slrp… Gllk…” Finally, as the very last of my wave is inside her, she lets me go, but not before placing another kiss on my tip. I slowly pull away, before collapsing on my back. Before I have time to react, she gets up over me with a hungry look in her eyes as she licks the cum from her lips. She begins to grin as she positions my cock just below her nethers. “W-wait, Areia, what are you-” Growling needfully, she presses down on my tip, before I pop into her tight, velvet love tunnel. She arches her back, releasing a cry of pleasure. “Grrrrrnnaaahhhhhh…” A cross between a growl and a purr escapes from her as she brings her gaze down to me. Her eyes are wide with feral lust, and deep within, love. Slowly, she rocks her hips back and forth. A surprising action, considering her state. “Mmrrrrr… Mmmm… Mmnnn…” “A-ahh… Areia... “ I arch my back, looking up at her and running my hooves along her hips as she rides me, taking in the wonderful sight of her. Screenshot saved. A picture will last longer than I ever will at this point. “Mmmhhh… W-waaaarrr…” She suddenly gasps, a new light brightening in her eyes. “I-I… Mmmrrrrrhh…I need… you…” She pulls herself up, moaning with feral passion as only my tip is left penetrating her flower. “I need you so badly, War… I d-don’t know why… but I need you inside me… Mmmrrrrrrhhh… Deep…” As she speaks behind her moan, she slides back down my shaft, closing her eyes and lifting her head to the ceiling as she cries out. “N-nyaaaaaaaa!” Her walls tighten around me as my tip presses into her cervix; throbbing deep inside her with excitement. I take her hoof in mine, holding it as she begins to slowly raise again, whimpering as she bites her other hoof. As she nears the tip, she descends again, picking up her momentum and repeating her actions. “Nnnph… War…” She growls. “I… mmmph! Feel you… Nnnngghh… I-inside me… A-aah! Feel you… stretching me… Uuuuhnn… pushi-ing deepe- Ooooooh!” “Ahhh, Areia… Mmm…” I thrust my hips up a little as she comes down on me, pushing as deep as I can inside her, moaning under my simulated breath. It may have been just a program within me to make me feel more real; an act… but this is real. I am real. My love for her is real. All of this is real. “Ahh… Ari…” My wings unfold beneath me, stretching out to both sides as I feel the pressure building up inside me. The emotions, the sensations, the energy between us… growing. “I-I love you so much!” I press my hooves into her hips, massaging them as she bounces up and down on my eager cock. “I love- Mmmmph! I love you too!” Areia cries, her eyes starting to lose focus as she brings herself down hard. “UUunnff!” My tip slams into her cervix, almost breaching her womb as I continue to press hard into her. Her face is in a state of startled pleasure. Her tongue sticks out. The racing rhythm of her heart resonates through her body, through my hooves. Singing to me. My core continues to mock her beat, synchronizing with it as an immense heat beams off me. “A-Areia, I’m so c-close… Hah, Areia!” I sit up and wrap my arms firmly around her, meeting at her back as I pump hard into her cervix repeatedly. I press my ear to her chest, listening to her heart as I begin to breach into her womb. I notice a golden light in my peripherals shining from her necklace as we both scream in bliss, letting our orgasm overtake us. My hot seed spurts into her womb, filling her up, before slipping out from her cervix, coating everything in my pleasure. It doesn’t take long before it gushes out from her. My balls twitch sporadically as I pump the enhanced load of my cum into her, moaning and panting heavily. The light of Areia’s necklace slowly fades as she collapses against me, eyes closed. Moaning at each pulse of my buried cock. We both begin to lower our voices as the last of my orgasm flows into her. I gently lower myself onto my back, bringing her with me and letting her lay on my chest; both of us are covered in each other’s excitement. Evidently, there was no damage to my plating on the underside of my body. I loosen my grip a little on her, nuzzling the top of her head playfully. “You’re the best thing to have ever happened to me, Areia…” I whisper behind a worn out pant, before chuckling, giving her one last teasing pump into her womb. “I am yours. Forever.” “And I… mm… am yours… forever…” Areia moans happily as she lifts her head slightly to focus her gaze upon mine. “I never would have thought… that I’d find… mm… happiness… That I would find somepony…” She leans back, slightly pressing me deeper into her womb. “Now… I have you… A-and you have me…” I run a hoof through her mane ever so gently, gazing deep into her tired eyes. “We will never be lost again. I never would have thought I’d be alive like I am now. Thank you, Areia…” I imitate a kiss to her lips tenderly. “My star shark…” Sighing happily, she relaxes into our kiss. “My comet…” She moans under her breath. “My Warhorse…” I moan softly under my breath as I nestle my cock a little further inside her, holding her in a loving embrace as I rest the back of my head against our bed. She presses her ear over my core as it hums with its gentle radiance, warming her from the night, but not enough to cost her her life. She is a shark, after all. Her natural climate is cold. I can’t overdo it. Lukewarm to room temperatures is the farthest I’ll go. I gently pet the back of her head with a wing as I stare up at the starlit ceiling. “Goodnight, my Areia.” I glance down at her as I resume. “I’ll see you in the-” Her mouth is hung slightly open as a light snore escapes her, her cheek pressing against my chest as the light of the holographic universe envelopes the cave in a dim, blue glow. “... Right.” I chuckle under my breath and rest my head back down on the bed. Optics offline. Interstellar Communication offline. Shutting down. Chapter 7-SEVEN Y-YEARS L@T_RChapter 7-SEVEN Y-YEARS L@T_R "What's it like to hold your child in your arms? Interlinked." <|> I stare down at the filly before me, holding her mother tight in her arms as they both slumber peacefully. My core hums softly in my chest as my love for them overwhelms me a great deal. Anomaly detected. I chuckle softly and nod. “Affirmative.” I study the variety of white dots along her small, dark grey form as her disheveled bluish-purple mane curtains over her right eye. I reach down and run my hoof along the side of her face as she lets out a light snore, taking after her mother in that field. I still can’t understand how it happened. I’m a machine. Sentient, but still mechanical in nature. Developing a soul, as Ari calls it, doesn’t change reality. I’m not... or rather, I thought I wasn’t able to create life. That I wasn’t capable of creating anything. So much as a new song, or a piece of unwritten literature. Yet, somehow… Areia managed to defy all of it. We bent the rules of reality together. And I can’t be any happier from the outcome. Something I keep coming back to was the light that shone from her necklace in our first night of passion. There’s something about it I can’t quite place. It feels important. “My two shooting stars…” I whisper, looking down at both of them as they lie on the mattress they built together, which is supported by the wooden bedframe I made long ago. The filly suddenly yawns as I pull my hoof away, letting out the cutest sound as she stretches, baring her fangs. Her tail wraps around her mother’s as her magenta eye opens, looking up at me with the most heartfelt smile she has to offer. She brushes her mane aside, revealing to me her other eye, being blue. The same shade of my visor color. “Daddy!” She beams, stretching her arms out to me. “Anomaly, my dear.” I lift her up carefully with my wings, cradling her as she wraps her arms around to the back of my neck. She nestles into me as her tail unravels, only to tighten around my forehoof. She emits a sound I know well. After all, both her and her mother do it a lot; that rumbling, or rather, in Anomaly’s case, purring. She nuzzles into me, her purrs becoming much louder. “Mmmm… Good morning, daddy!” She giggles into my chest, before I feel her begin to gnaw on the edge of the plating. “Now, now.” I chide, looking down at her. “What have we said about that?” She grins up at me mischievously. “Ooh! Ooh! Only do it if you’re asleep, so you don’t find out!” I tilt my head for a moment as she begins to giggle again, hiding her muzzle behind a forehoof. “Well, then…” I set her down on her back, pinning her to the ground. “I just found out. So maybe I’ll do it to you!” I press my muzzle to her belly as I buzz violently, to which she bursts into laughter, thrashing around violently. “Eeeeheeheeheehahaa! N-no! Daddy! No more! Eeaahhaheeheehee! You got meeeeehheheheeheeeee!” She cries out, barely able to speak over her laughter. “What’s that? Bvvvt! Can’t hear you!” More giggling ensues from my ticklish filly as she thrashes about in relentless abandon in attempts to escape the raspberry. The memory comes back… The filly from the tower, trying desperately to crawl away from me… I jolt back as my visor flashes red for a moment. I land on my haunches, looking down at my daughter as she slowly recovers from her fit of laughter, but the spark of guilt within me is deep… I shake my head, putting a hoof to my temple. “O-oh…” I murmur, hanging my head down. “Daddy?” I look up at her to find she’s sitting up, staring back in wonder. “W-what’s wrong…?” I can’t let her know what I did… “I-I just got a m-m-message from the stars. They wanted me to t-tell you that you’re the most a-adorable filly in the entire universe.” I stand up and approach her calmly, pressing my muzzle lightly to her forehead. “Mmmmrpphhh…” My little star’s eyes widen as we hear a certain, wondrous sound. “Moooooommmyyy!” My filly cries out as she bolts towards her mother, scrambling to find purchase on the cave floor. Areia, having only just woken up, lets out an, “Oof!” as our filly tackle-hugs her. “Mommy…” Like with me, Anomaly clings to Areia, purring contentedly as Areia nuzzles into her mane, chuckling with happiness. “Good morning, my dear Ani.” She gently lifts herself up, still holding Anomaly with her right forehoof. Glancing back over at me, she smiles widely at the sight of me. “Good morning, my love.” “G-good morning, my s-s-star.” I reply, before sighing as I slouch my shoulders. “A-apologies. My voca-vocabulary unit is on the fffffffritz again.” “Ani, my dear.” Areia says in a soothing voice as she glances down at her. “Can you prepare breakfast?” “Awww, but what if I mess up?” She pouts, looking from her to me, to her again. “I believe in you, Ani.” Areia says as she runs a hoof along the back of her head. “You’ve helped me do it a hundred times.” “Correction. 308 t-times in tot-total.” Areia’s smile widens a little as she rolls her eyes. Soon after, she nuzzles her nose. “You got this.” Anomaly’s ears perk up at her mother’s words. “R-really?” “O-of course, Anomaly.” I say as I stand up and approach the bed carefully. “Mommy and I just need a-a moment. We’ll be joining you very s-soon.” I press my muzzle to her cheek as I wrap a hoof around her shoulder. “Okay, daddy!” She gets ready to bounce off the bed, before pausing for a moment. She then looks back at the two of us, beaming with joy. “You know… I’d really love to have another sibling.” Without another word, she scampers off to the kitchen, humming cheerfully as she goes. A bright shade of red grows on Areia’s cheeks as she regards me, and for a moment, glances down at my lower region, before returning to my eyes. She lets out a small chuckle, before moving in and hugging me close. “Your voice is glitching out again, love. Did you see her again?” I nod. “Affirmative…” I proceed to nuzzle her ear gently, before sighing. “It’s been happening at the worst possible times lately, too. Like when I’m playing with Ani…” Areia’s ears fold back slightly as she leans against me. “I wish these episodes you keep having would stop, if only so you can be free to play with our daughter. You deserve to be happy too, with both of us.” “That’s… the thing, Ari.” I run a hoof along her cheek as I look back at her, pressing my muzzle lightly to hers as she gazes into my eyes. “I have the option to delete core memories, such as that. But… I haven’t. It keeps me in check. I think I’m… scared… about losing it. What if…” I hang my head down in shame as that familiar pit of despair swallows me whole again. “What if I get rid of it, and I become something else…? What if I’m not me if I do…?” “War…” She puts a hoof to my muzzle as if to stop me. “Even if you delete those memories, I don’t think you would ever change. Not when you made so many with me. With us. I… understand why you want to keep these memories, and I even agree with you. But I worry… that if one of your episodes gets to be too much, that you could…” She freezes as she bites her lip, averting her eyes. Her heart rate begins to quicken. “... Hurt yourself… and others…” Something strikes my core. Not of physical mass. Something deeper. It hurts. I tilt my head to the side, regarding her as I realize why. “So you’re… scared of me…” I state matter of factly. Confusion flashes across her face, as she seems to process my words. “What…?” Her eyes widen as her hooves fly to her mouth, realization spreading across her face. “No! No, no, no! That is not what I’m trying to say! At all!” In a gentle manner, I wrap her in a loving embrace with my arms and wings, resting my chin on her shoulder. “I understand, Areia. I mean…” I glance over at her to find she’s keeping to herself, but her ears are slightly folded back. I whisper, so as to keep from Ani from hearing this. “I almost killed you…” She shivers slightly as she closes her eyes only for a moment, before opening them again and looking up at me. Tears well up in them. “I-it’s not you… that I’m scared of… Never… It’s what’s causing you to have these episodes. I-I can see it, your pain, whenever you have them… It tears away at you… and yet… you let it be l-like… like you w-want to be punished. It hurts… so bad, watching you do this to yourself…” I sigh and nod as a tightness develops around my core, tightening and choking my battery. Destroying it ever so slowly. “I… am punishing myself, Areia. For what I did. But… I see your concerns.” I lightly run my hoof along her chest, kissing her on the lips lightly. “If you really feel like I’m ready… If you really feel like I have enough memories of you and Ani to help define who I am… who I want to be… then…” I nuzzle her ear as I whisper. “I’ll delete it. I want you both to feel safe… But I need you to tell me that I’m ready…” Areia lays her head against my chest, her arms wrapping around me as her tail snakes around my torso. “I honestly don’t know, War. All I know is that you’ll be ready when you decide you’re ready.” She sighs, staring at a spot on my chest as she presses a hoof to it. “My brain hurts thinking about this. Both options aren’t… the best…” I hang my head down, lightly pressing the top of it against her muzzle. “Right… Well, I don’t feel ready. I’d like to be ready. To not have to worry about the things I’ve done before. But I’m just… not.” I look back up at her. “I’ll hold onto the memory for now. I’ll try to… cope with it better.” I lightly tap her nose with the tip of my hoof. “I love you, Areia.” A soft, rumbling purr emits from her gills as she looks up at me. A wide smile spreads across her face. “I love you too, War.” Areia lifts her head slightly and pecks my cheek with a kiss. I run my hoof gently along her gills, to which she gasps. Her eyes grow wide for a second, before calming down and melting in my arms. “W-War, c’mon… Mmm… N-not now, we’re about to have breakfast!” She giggles, before leaning into my ear. “Tonight, okay…?” “Affirmative.” I whisper back. “I’ll be more careful this time. I’m still really sorry about last time. I didn’t realize how sensitive they really were.” She chuckles and murmurs against my chest. “Ah, you didn’t know, War. I can’t blame you for wanting to make me feel good.” I’ll throw in a back and tail massage later to further my apology.” I nuzzle into her neck just a little; grazing over her gills. “I know how much you like them…” “Sounds like a p-plan…” She slyly snakes her tail between my hind legs and rubs her fins against the protective plating that shelters the stallion part of me she loves to play with so very much. “But again, no need to apologize.” She proceeds to bap me lightly on the nose. I chuckle softly and boop my nose to hers for a moment. “Let’s go help Anomaly with breakfast, love.” “Mmmmm… Yes…” Another purr emits from her as she pulls away gently, kissing me on the cheek once more. As she walks toward the kitchen, her tail trails along my neck before giving me a brief show of what’s to come tonight. She sways her hips as she walks. There it goes again… My dick has a mind of its own… I never permitted authorization for it to act on its own accord, but ever since I first started to notice her in that manner, it’s been like this. I shake my head, laughing under my breath as I get up and trot to her side. As I do, I slip the tip of my wing under her tail, caressing her lips. Though, by pure accident, they slip into her a little. “E-eep, War!” I trot past, sliding the same wing along her hip, laughing a little louder. Operation Payback is a success. I stop before Anomaly, who’s sitting at the stove we had salvaged from a galley. Several fish are cooking inside. Areia steps up to me, huffing in annoyance at my actions as her face - now bright red - turns to mine in an exasperated glare. Though behind that, I can see she’s eager. Anomaly turns to the two of us, before a sad glint in her eyes starts to grow. She frowns, before turning to me with the saddest, yet most endearing pony eyes she can conjure up. “D-does this mean I’m not getting a sibling…?” Areia opens her mouth, her irritation stricken from her face as she tries to speak, only for her words to be cut short. “We… Bu… I…” Her hoof sways between pointing at me or Anomaly. “If I’m really, really good, then could I?” Anomaly, seemingly taking advantage of the opportunity my poor sand shark gives her, pulls her bottom lip up as her eyes quiver with mock tears. “Ani, my love.” I run my hoof along the back of her head, petting her as I look down at her. “The chance of you having a sibling is pretty high.” I nuzzle the top of her head and giggle as a small gasp escapes Areia’s lips. “But it takes a lot of time and patience.” The wide grin that spreads across Anomaly’s face is enough to bring a singing warmth to my core. “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!” She suddenly shrieks as she rockets into the air, before flopping back down to the ground. Mere milliseconds after she hits the carved flooring of a smoother, linear surface, she spring backs into the air, dancing around us in an elated cheer. “I’m gonna have a sibliiiiiiing! I’m gonna have a sibliiiiiiiing!” Areia slumps over in defeat. Though, I can see her mouth starting to form a large grin as her eyes follow our daughter’s attempt at reaching orbit. “Well, your father and I were going to try toni-” Areia’s eyes widen at the realization of what she just said. Anomaly catches on to her statement almost instantly, before bouncing even higher, screaming with joy at a higher volume. “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” I look at Areia, to which she looks back at me with a puzzled expression. “A-Anomaly, do you…” I turn back to her. “Where do you think you came from?” “From the stars!” She beams as she thrusts a forehoof to the ceiling. “On the back of a giant whale! To give to you and mommy!” Areia chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “You’re gonna call the whale back, and I’m gonna get a little brother or sister!” She hops up onto my back, before hopping over to Areia’s and climbing atop her head. “Gonna call the sperm whale back…” I mutter under my breath, keeping my eyes locked on Ari. “And ride the shark till first light…” She looks back at me and winks. “To nirvana.” I add as I nuzzle her cheek. Giggling, Areia nuzzles me back, before glancing at the stove. “Hun, why don’t you spend time with our little light while I finish up breakfast?” My beautiful shark rubs her tail along my back, in an embrace of sorts. “Of course.” I run a wing along her back in a loving caress. “Climb aboard, silly filly.” I say as I look at our daughter; her eyes leveled with mine, due to my increased height. She grins at me, before hopping off Areia’s head and walking across the bridge I formed with my wing. She clings tight to my head from behind as I place a loving kiss on Areia’s muzzle. “I love you so much, my endearing sandshark.” “I love you too, my wonderful Warhorse.” She kisses back, before pulling away for a moment, looking up at Ani. “And we love you, our star lit sand shark!” She reaches a hoof up, to which Ani giggles happily. “I love you too! Both of you, so much!” She squeezes me tighter, nuzzling the back of my head. Her fangs start nipping at the edge of the plating protecting my ear. I chuckle softly and shake my head slowly. “Ani, what have we talked about? No biting. Me, that is. Go bite your mother.” “Oow! Hey!” Areia balks. “Waaaaar!” Anomaly and I laugh uproariously as we speedily vacate the kitchen. A ladle clangs off my rear, courtesy of a certain fuming shark. I close the door behind us and trot to the bridge that Areia and Anomaly built together for me, stretching out across the canal of crashing waves. “Hey, Ani.” I flick my wings out a little, feeling the temptation rise within me. “Do you have a tight hold of me?” At my words, her little hooves tighten around my neck as she presses herself down against my back. “Yup!” She chirps happily. “Wonderful.” I say calmly as my wings stretch out in split second speed, before flapping. I leap off the top of the bridge, taking to the skies at a rapid escalation. The wind roars past as I bolt for the white, puffy clouds overhead, reflecting the sun’s light off their tops. “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!” My filly screams into the morning sky, her joy and elation clear in her voice. “Let’s go higher, daddy! Higher!” She lets out a happy giggle. “I want to go higher!” “Affirmative!” I begin to flap my wings harder, rocketing even higher into the sky as such short notice. I feel her arms wrap tighter around me as she laughs aloud. I find it somewhat amusing that she doesn’t hold the same fear of heights that Areia once did. Warning. Unbreathable atmosphere at 1000 meters. Reaching flight ceiling. Advise caution to accompanying life forms. I stop next to a puff of cloud, before tapping my hoof on it to find it holds as a solid surface to me. Acknowledged. I carefully step onto the cloud before lying down. I bring my daughter around to my chest as I roll over on my back, letting her reside on top of me as I look up at her. My initial planet did not have clouds that would support my kind. It had come as a surprise to me the first time I discovered the elements here did. Back on the other Equus, scientists worked tirelessly to find the missing equation that held pegasi magic so that they could implement it into their combat mechs, such as myself. As far as I know, they still haven’t discovered the answer. But I think I did. My home is here. Equus accepted me. I have a soul now, thanks to Areia. Maybe the missing element they didn’t consider was a soul. There are some things that science and math equations can’t solve. Things that are deeper than numbers. “Daddy?” I snap out of my thoughts, looking back up at her as she tilts her head to the side in a curious manner, looking back down at me in turn. “Anomaly.” I reach a hoof up to her cheek, caressing it lovingly. She leans into it and smiles. “What was it like up there? In space?” She turns her gaze to the view below us, an expanse of deep blue, met only by the steel blue sky. “Mommy said you used to travel across the stars, searching for something…” She sighs, staring down at the miniscule island that made up our home. “Could you tell me, daddy? I’d really like to know.” She focuses back on me, a hopeful glint in her eyes. I let out a small giggle and lightly boop her nose, to which she scrunches her muzzle and wipes a hoof across it. “Affirmative. Space is… very cold. No sound travels up there. At least… not through the sense of sound. I was able to hear things up there through sonic vibrations. Space is… very beautiful. Like you and your mother. There’s a very calming nature to it. The silence, the isolation as you drift away into the infinite…” I hold her hoof in mine, before placing a tender kiss to it. “As for what I was searching for… Heh… Well, I didn’t realize I was even searching for something to begin with. I never found it…” I look up into her gorgeous, blue and magenta eyes. “But she certainly found me.” “Mommy found you?” “Affirmative.” I reply with content. “And that led us to bring you into our lives.” “Wow… H-hey!” Her eyes suddenly light up, quickly shifting from wonder to excitement as she looks down at me, almost hopping on my chest. “D-do you think I’ll ever travel the stars like you did!?” I giggle as she starts to lean off to the side, losing her balance. I quickly swing my wing up, catching her from falling, and hold her close to my chest, wrapping her in a protective cocoon. “I think, Ani, that there’s always a chance. You should always shoot for the stars.” With a determined look in her eyes, she grins in regard to me for a moment, before looking up at the bright blue morning sky. I hear her whisper to herself. “I’m gonna go up there someday… I’m gonna see it all...” I pause as a new thought slips into my mind. I chuckle as I nuzzle the top of her head. “Space Cadet Anomaly. I like the sound of that.” “Mmmh! I love it!” She buries her face into my chest as her small hooves wrap around me in a tight, loving embrace. “And I love you…” I whisper, running my hooves along her back. “I love you too, daddy!” A calming silence hangs between us for a moment as we take in the moment. After a few minutes, I finally break it with a question. “Hey, Anomaly?” I look back down at her to find she has nearly slipped into a nap. “Mhhm?” She murmurs, her eyes half closed. “Yes, daddy?” A yawn threatens to escape from her as she snuggles against me. “Do you want to hear what your planet sounds like from orbit? I recorded its sonic frequency before I crashed down here.” “W-what does it sound like?” She asks as that yawn finally makes its way out. “Magical.” I reply softly. Opening file: Unknown planet mass #309812 Play. At once, a radiant hum, mixed in with a soft, yet high pitched, echoed ringing plays from my speakers, almost like a song from another realm. Interlaced with it is a deeper humming choir with subtle screams of metal sliding along each other, and what sounds like a low, howling wind in a dark cavern. “It sounds…” Yawn. “Like us… You… Mommy… H-home…” My little Ani murrs softly as she settles against my chest. “I love you, daddy…” “I love you too, baby girl… So very much…” I watch her for a moment in silence as she dozes off on my chest to the sound of her planet. Drool escapes her mouth, pooling up on my chestplate as I hold her close. Optics offline. I take in the sound of the planet from orbit, and I find that she’s right… Each part of the neverending song resembles us in some way. Her, me, Areia, this planet… Heh… I never imagined I’d feel true happiness seven years ago. A warm tickle enveloped my core as I felt the urge to laugh. I am… happy. Truly happy. I have love, joy, and euphoria inside me. No politics, no war, no worries of societal order. I’ve achieved nirvana! I have everything! I hold my little star a little tighter, so as to keep her safe from falling, before shutting down my systems, ready to join in her slumber. <|> “Daddy! C’mon, wake up!” I feel a repeated assault of boopage against my muzzle in a tireless effort. Optics online. I look up at her as her brow knits, staring down at me. Upon my eyes lighting up in a medium shade of blue, she grins, revealing her various rows of shark teeth that continue to grow with her age. “Finally!” She exclaims, rolling her eyes as she laughs. “You’ve been asleep for forever and a half!” “Mmh…” I groan softly, before rolling my head to the side. “Five more minutes? I’m too comfortable.” “Daaaaaad! We gotta go! Mommy’s waiting for us, and I’m hungryyyyyyyyy!” The last bit of her statement comes out in an almost core-wrenching whine. My eyes flash red as I sit up. “Oh no…” I hold her close, so as to keep her from falling. “My baby is hungry? Well, we can’t have that, now can we?” I stand up on the small patch of cloud. “Alright then, little filly.” I continue as she climbs around my form, residing on my back. “Hang on tight.” My eyes flash blue again as I near the ledge. “Roger that, commander! Hehe, affirmative! I’m ready to go!” She cries out with excitement as she clings tightly to me, as if suctioned onto my back. A spark of warmth envelopes my core at the new nickname she gives me, and it begins to hum gently as I spread my wings, looking down at the small patch of land below. I leap off the cloud and spin around in a twirl, to which Ani shrieks with excitement, clinging even tighter. I quickly follow the spin with an abrupt nose dive, darting down to the planet’s surface once more. I can barely pick up her cheers through the roaring wind. “I can fly!” Anomaly shouts into my ear as she leans forward into the wind, carefully perching her upper body atop my head as she wraps her tail around my barrel. As we near the shores of our paradise, I level myself out and glide along the sand, leaving a trail of it as a cloud behind us as I drag the tips of my wings ever so lightly against its loose surface. Ahead, I can see Areia standing at the edge of the rocky terrain, and upon zooming in, I see she’s giving me a slightly unamused look. However, I also see humor in the faint smile curled on her lips. I slow the flight speed down ever so gradually as I trot along the ground; each step being nearly 12 feet apart from each other, due to the velocity I picked up. I eventually lock my legs in place, skidding along the ground, and come to a halt inches before her. Looking up, she raises a brow at me silently. When did she get taller? I look down and find all four of my legs are buried into the sand from the sliding stop I performed. Oh… I look back up at her. “What do you think?” I tilt my head to the side playfully. “Looking a bit short there, War. Looks like I’m going to have to go digging for some buried treasure.” Finally, a small giggle escapes her lips as she gives me a more sultry gaze. “I don’t get it!” Ani blurts. I chuckle softly, keeping my eyes locked on Ari’s. “You’ll get it when you’re older, dear.” I begin digging my wings into the sand at my sides, scooping it out from underneath me as a means to escape the burial I made for myself. “I… might actually need some help, Areia.” I state in a timid tone of voice, looking at the ground in shame. Chuckling, she motions Ani to the cave. “I’ve already had my breakfast, but I left yours waiting inside, simmering.” Leaning down, Areia kisses Anomaly on the forehead, before brushing at her unruly mane. “Your father and I will be right along, dear.” “Okay!” Ani gallops off toward the cave, her little form weaving this way and that. I watch as she heads home, and as she disappears from my sight, descending down the bridge, I look back up at Areia. “To quote the initials of our family… Aaw.” Giggling, she plunges her hooves into the sand pulling piles of the gritty stuff away from my buried body. “Silly War, I’m supposed to be the sand.” Pausing for a moment, she boops my nose with a sand encrusted hoof. “Negative. Now we’re both sand.” I look back at her as she digs moderate amounts out from underneath me, via my side. “Nuh uh. My name is sand, therefore I am sand.” She grins as her hoof reaches underneath my belly, which is partially covered in the stuff. “Mmh… it seems I’ve found something… War…” Areia’s grin widens as her hoof finally comes to a stop against the plating that protects my pride. With a shake of my head, I laugh softly. “You’re such an eager mare… Alright, I’ll give you a little treat.” With that, the plating slides open, revealing my sheath and balls. “But only for a little bit. Otherwise you don’t get dessert.” “Little treat… Pssh…” She scoffs. “You’re anything but little… Mmh...” Giggling, she gently runs the frog of her hoof along the underside of my balls, eyes glued to them hungrily. “Just as long as you enjoy this as well...” Moaning under my breath, I feel my cock twitch as it grows gradually in length, pulsating with excitement as it awakens from its slumber. “J-just don’t take all my energy, baby… we still have a lot to do tonight.” Humming with delight, she runs her frog to the back of my balls, drawing them forwards, then back, as if she is lightly kneading them. “You’re a robot, love. You can go as long as I say you ca- AGH!” I interrupt her with a firm, hard slap with my wing to her flank, reddening it within mere seconds of contact. “W-War!” She cries out in a desperate moan. “N-Nng… D-do it again, and I won’t be able to s-stop myself… hah…” “We can see about putting that to the test.” I say as I withdraw my wing, before bringing it back down slightly harder. She yelps at my dominance, her legs quivering underneath her body, threatening to give out. “T-tonight…” Her voice is a low, sultry growl. “You’re taking the reins…” She reaches her hoof along my trapped underside. “But first…” She growls deeper as she slides into the small cavern she’s made underneath me, her breath caressing my lengthened shaft. “I’m taking what’s mine…” <|> Areia screams underneath me in pleasure as I press my hoof down over the back of her head, keeping her pinned as I release myself deep inside her. Her tail is wrapped tightly around my waist as I send one more hard thrust into her, panting. “Ahh… Areia…” I run my hoof down the back of her head and down her spine, to the base of her tail as my wings caress both sides of her bright red, firm, sexy flank, on account of the spanking I gave her as I plowed her mercilessly. My balls twitch against her slit as the last of my cum pulses out, flooding her womb with my batter to levels she can’t contain. “Mmm… My sweet, shining star…” Areia lies limply on the ground, groaning in a dazed bliss, hind legs twitching from the rough, breeding rut I gave her. Her long tongue sticks weakly out of her mouth, a puddle of drool forming near her face. The deep, rumbling sound of her purr begins emitting from her; the sound of complete and utter satisfaction and contentment. The sentiment is mutual between us. “Uuuh… Uuuh… Uuuh… Mmmph… W-War…” She murmurs, too weak and exhausted to move just yet. “Areia…” I mutter under my moaning breath, before pounding into her once more, catching her by surprise, judging by the immediate gasp that escapes her lips. “Uuunf!” “Such a naughty mare…” I whisper in a sultry tone, slapping her flank again, before rubbing the silicone feathers along it sensually. I slide out from her love tunnel, gasping softly as my cock - now drenched in both of our pleasure - throbs between my legs. “Mmmmm! O-oh, War…” She moans loud as she rolls over onto her side, taking up a position she used many times while Ani was growing inside her. I imagine I’ll be seeing it a lot more with the new child I’ll have put inside her. “My dear Areia.” I saw in a calm voice, stepping up beside her and lying down on my side, looking back at her as she’s lost in a daze. I laugh softly before continuing. “With all that screaming you did, I wouldn’t be surprised if Anomaly woke up.” I look around at the forest scenery around us, dimly lit by the bright moon overhead, accompanied by the stars we share. “Probably woke half of the island up at this point.” A little snorting laugh comes from my mare. “I-I d-don’t doubt that…” She sighs happily, her hooves placed over her extended belly, full of my virile seed. “Ooooh… I feel so heavy now… Reminds me of when I carried Ani…” She lets out another soft giggle as she caresses her navel. Looking back up at me, a smile bright with loving care, she reaches out her hoof, gesturing for me to place it on her own, just as her necklace dims. Once I do, she draws my hoof to her belly, a slight shiver coming from Areia as I press against her. “I can’t wait to feel the kick of little hooves again…” Giggling, I kiss her on the lips. “With all that filling I gave you today, there’s no doubt you’ll be feeling them again soon.” I scoot closer, sliding my relaxed cock between her legs. She gasps as I slide along her slit, to which I continue. “It’s cold. I need warmth too.” Laughing, she rolls her eyes, before lightly booping my nose. “Well, that’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard from you. You make warmth!” She proceeds to murr softly, closing her eyes as her inner thighs gently massage my length; squeezing and entrapping it between her legs and ravaged nethers. “But you’re more than welcome to stay…” I wrap an arm around her and bring her in as my core hums with loving warmth for the mare before me. “I love you so much, Areia.” I whisper as I lift my left hind leg, only for it to rest atop hers, intertwining us. “Forever and ever…” “I love you too. Forever and ever…” She murmurs into my ear, nuzzling into the side of my head. “We should rest, my star. We wouldn’t want to spook our dear filly into thinking we vanished, come morning.” Areia giggles, purring softly. “Mmm, you’re right. She may be a big filly now, but I don’t want to make her worry…” “My sentiments exactly.” I run a hoof along her cheek as I admire in her beauty. “Soon enough, we might end up with an island full of star ponies.” “E-eep!” She blushes deeply as the image I’ve given her sinks in. Her eyes are wide. “Mmm… T-that’s a lot of foals…” The tone of her voice makes me think she’s not entirely opposed to the idea. But it’s something that requires more contemplation before acting on it. “Affirmative. But how else are we going to start the shark uprising against Equus?” I chuckle menacingly as I boop my nose to hers. Areia shakes her head, laughing. “You’re still going on about this?” She shifts her body so my cock slides between her perked mammaries. “You know I was drunk when I said that!” She pouts, trying to look sad, only to fail in her attempts as she slowly runs her tits along my length, forcing a moan to come out of me in response. “A-Ari…” I whisper as the sensation of her smooth mounds squeezes my rod, enticing it for further action. I let out a soft, playful giggle. “W-well, rum really does bring the worst out of y-you… Ahh…” “Mmmh… Yes, that’s why I’m never having it again! Along with that stupid vodka…” She mutters, a faint shade of pink enveloping her cheeks. “Hehehe… are you sure? I like the you that the vodka brings out…” Areia grows from pink to red, her teats now squishing up against my belly as her back arches. “I-I have no idea w-where I found that… mmph… d-dildo…” I laugh a little louder at the embarrassment in her mention of the toy. “It’s funny that you bring that up…” I say in a sultry tone as the compartment in my chest opens, revealing the very toy she speaks of. “I brought it with me for tonight’s adventures. Look at the bright side.” I say as my visor flickers red for a moment. “Now I can double team you.” Areia facehooves as her blush intensifies to unimaginable levels. “Teasing me like you’re doing warrants a good, nice, hard dicking. From yours truly.” Before she can say anything, I roll over her, doing well to not apply my full weight on her. “When I’m done with you, you’re gonna look pregnant…” I laugh under my breath as I press my tip to her tight, wonderful ass; using our previous waves of excitement as lube. I use my wing to position the toy to her cum soaked slit. I shake my head slowly with amusement with one last remark before the fun resumes. “So much for sleeping.” Author's Note MMBK: This is just the first of their story. There's more to come. Stay tuned. Now a word from my beloved boyfriend. Quiznak here! Hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this with Resultful! Love ya, Res! ~ <3 Couch shark out! MMBK: I love you too, Arei-I mean... Quiznak. ~ <3
Chapter 1"Recite your Baseline." <|> “H-hello?” Communication request detected. Optics offline. “Are you awake?” Interstellar Communications offline. Starchart offline. Internal damage script offline. “Are you… alive?” External damage script offline. Primary guns functional. Primary guns standby. “I mean, what even are you?” Tail Model; Scorpio. Module extension lost. Beaconing for its return. Rebooting… “Hellooooooo?” The voice of a female continues to speak. “Equus to… you, I guess. Hey! Is anyone home!?” I feel a physical entity tapping my chest in a curious manner. I detect zero threats from the subject at this time. New objective. Study subject. Attempting auditory scan of my current surroundings. Seagulls. Waves of an ocean against a shore. I detect an exceptional source of vitamin D against my plating in a solar format. Odd. Places such as this do not exist anymore. A simulation, perhaps? … Reboot complete. Optics online. I lift my head from a sandy shore and find a mare standing before me; one of unknown origin. She is taken aback in a startled state from the glowing lights of my optics flashing on. She is not that of an average pony I have dealt with in my line of work, as she has amphibious qualities to her slender figure. Specifically that of a crossbreed of shark and pony. An interesting specimen… New objective. Learn more about this creature and her race. Study. Protect from other threats. Earn her trust until further notice. “C-can you hear me…?” She asks softly as her ears fold back. Her tail wraps around her rear leg instinctively. “Affirmative.” I sit up, but she takes a few more steps away from me. Her facial structure, along with the escalated pulse of her heart rate implies she is startled. But she hasn’t yet run. She appears to have a very curious state of mind. As I do, her. She tilts her head to the side with a half smile as I study her. But it’s fake. She carries a number of unique traits to her; one of them being a series of purple stripes along her back. Her face carries these same colors, but in a more distinct, artistic design. She has the ability to grow hair on her head. Her natural hair color; purple-7c0161. She wears a gold necklace around her neck. The only piece of jewelry I can detect on her at this time. “Who are… you…?” She asks in a timid manner. “I am CM-104 W4RH0R53.” She gives me a puzzled look at my serial number. “W… four… R… H… Zero…” She pauses for a moment, thinking to herself before her eyes light up, and a grin spreads on her face. “Oh! Like Warhorse?” “Negative. I am CM-104 W4R-” “Okay, okay…” She waves a hoof at me, closing her eyes and knitting her brow, displaying signs of mild frustration. “Can I just call you Warhorse?” “Affirmative.” “War for short…” Her smile softens a bit as she regards me, looking into my visor. “Confirmed.” “My name is Areia.” She speaks with a cheerful tone, holding a hoof out to me. “Sand.” “W-wh…” She now looks puzzled. “Huh?” “Your name means sand.” She looks unamused. “Fancy sand.” She sighs as her head hangs down, and her hoof drops. I study my surroundings further. I appear to be in a tropical setting, along a beach. The ocean reaches the horizon. Interstellar Communication is inoperable at this time. Starchart is inoperable at this time. Data files on my arrival to these coordinates are corrupt. Confirmed. I will work on scrubbing the data when I know the island is clear of any hostilities. I turn back to the mare that holds the name of sand. She still looks unamused. “Where are we?” Her annoyed expression slowly breaks down into a soft smile. “On an island, south of Equestria.” “Planet Equus?” She looks confused again. “Uh… yes?” She tilts her head. “Did you hit your head or something?” “Negative.” I lift my head to the bright blue sky. It’s an oxygen rich atmosphere. There is no sign of radiation in the air. The sun does not scorch this land. I must have traveled far. The Equus I know is a polar opposite of the one I am currently on. “W-where did you come from…?” Areia asks. I regard her once more as she moves in warily. She runs her hoof along my chest in a gentle caress. “What are you…?” “I am a machine. My origins are confidential.” She looks into my visor with peaked curiosity. Her eyes reflect my blue light. “A machine?” “Affirmative. There are other names for my kind. Droid. Mech. Robot. Metal man. Tin man. Dumpster. Toaster. The last four are slang terms, however.” She nods slowly, but she still looks confused, all the same. “Right… well… what do you eat?” She perks up. “You must be hungry. I can get something for you.” “Negative.” I stand on all fours, to which she backs away in an alarmed motion; her heart rate increases drastically. “I do not require nutrition. We function differently.” The more I speak, the further she gets pulled deeper into a state of confusion, it seems. “A creature that doesn’t eat food…?” She sits on her haunches, narrowing her eyes at me. “How are you even alive then?” “I am not a living entity.” She stares in silence for a moment, processing what I said. Somehow, it still hasn’t gotten through to her. “W-what…?” She whispers. “To be alive means having a soul. I am a machine. I do not.” “... O-oh…” She looks down, and her voice carries what is portrayed as sadness. I am unsure why. ALERT. I detect a static charge approaching in a large mass from my right. Records imply that water will often times accompany this phenomena. I am unsure if my body can withstand such things, as I do not yet know the full extent of my damage, and do not know if there are any cracks in my plating or not. “I must seek shelter. A storm approaches.” She looks at me in concern. “I-I can help with that. I thought I saw a cave earlier.” “Take me there.” She gives me a look of what would be referred to as shock, but she does as she’s told. I begin to follow behind her. As we walk the shore, she glances back at me on occasion. Something that would, in most cases, warrant orientation and possible reassignment. More so, on account of her name. It disrespects the system. But she offers me assistance. We will go through the process of orientation when my superiors arrive. She seems unsettled. Her heart is picking up in pace. To have her suspicious is not wise at this time. I trot up to her side, to which she stares at me. Her heart is beating rapidly now; her eyes wide with what I assume to be fear. “Are you okay, Areia?” She sighs as her heart is slowly decreasing from a state of panic, and her eyes relax. “Y-yeah… I just… I don’t know what to make of you…” “The same applies to you. I have never seen a specimen quite like you before. You have me in a very intrigued state.” She smiles faintly as she looks ahead, walking alongside me. An hour and three minutes pass, and the thunderclouds begin to roll in from the north. The sun is beginning to set. It is no matter, though. We are already walking along the cliff. She did not verbally confirm it, but the way she examines our surroundings tells me this is the place. We stop at a canal, where violent waves of the ocean repetitively slam against the rocks. … Subjects and superiors alike ram against me in attempts to get past me and the other mechs that stand alongside me, screaming and crying. Pleading to be let through as the threat approaches from behind them. Nekkra lifeforms detected. Termination order authorized. By any means necessary. Weapons engaged. “Warhorse?” I jolt my head slightly, staring at the waves as they pound against the rocks. On the other side of the canal is the entrance to the cave the mare spoke of, formed into the wall of the cliff side, close to the water. It isn’t the best choice in terms of shelter against water, but it is still viable. “War? Are you okay?” I turn to Areia as she regards me with a worried look. “Why?” “You…” She pauses for a moment, her eyes locked on my visor. “You got really quiet. You wouldn’t stop looking at the waves, and then your lights went red. You said something about… uh… termination?” She bites her lip. “Did I?” Odd. I don’t recall saying it. I will relay this bug to my CO at my earliest convenience. “Yeah…” She says softly. She’s worried, but it seems her worry is more for my wellbeing than herself. I am intrigued… Malfunction detected. Odd. I will relay this to… Negative. False script. “Can you swim?” Areia asks with a hint of a smile, still studying the light in my visor. “Negative. Water may prove lethal to me. But my wings are still operable.” I extend my wings after my statement, to which her eyes open wide as a gasp escapes her. She stares at them in astonishment. “They’re so… big…” She runs a hoof along my silicone feathers. “And thick…” “Affirmative. The size is necessary to support my weight during aerial manuevers, as I weigh approximately 940 pounds.” She stares in wonder still. “Whoa…” “Will I see you in the cave?” She nods as a smile grows on her. “Yeah, of course!” “I can carry you across.” She backs up a few paces, immediately frowning. “Oh… uh, n-no thanks… I’ll stay down here… where it’s safer…” She chuckles softly. It appears I made her uncomfortable. “Affirmative.” I flap my wings as I leap off the cliff edge, gliding down to the cave across the canal of rushing water. I come to a landing a few feet past the mouth of the cave. My visor’s light grants me sight further in. Confirmed. This will suffice for shelter against the coming storm. No water droplets detected. The entrance has a few puddles, but are otherwise easily avoidable. I step further in and wait for Areia. After five minutes and 48 seconds, I see her climbing out of the water. Her smooth body reflects the light of the setting sun. In her mouth is a raw salmon, and her tail is curled around a bundle of sticks. She sits before me and spits the dead fish out, before smiling at me. “I brought firewood!” She beams at me, evidently proud of herself. “It’s wet.” “Huh?” She gives me a curious look. “Wood is harder to burn after it’s been in the ocean, based off my records.” She frowns as she regards the branches. “Oh…” “I take it you do not come to the surface often?” She nods, cracking a smile as a soft shade of red forms on her cheeks. “Yeah…” Note added. Other specimens of her race may follow in her life choices. Standby for confirmation and wait to act on the capture of her race. Reinforcements required. I will send for them when Interstellar Communications has been repaired. I will continue to gather data off subject Areia in the meantime. “What is the ocean like?” I sit down as she starts ripping into the fish she brought up with her, tearing a chunk of meat off with her fangs. She looks up at me, and after chewing and swallowing a part of the fish, she smiles. “It’s cold, wet, and beautiful.” A realization swipes over her face as she looks down. “Though… I… don’t run into many like me.” Her eyes grow distant as she places a hoof over her necklace. “Or anyone… for that matter…” “Sounds lonely.” She closes her eyes and shudders under her breath, before gritting her teeth and inhaling sharply. “I’m gonna… go get some proper firewood…” She sits up, tearing her hoof away from her necklace and spins around with haste, as if to escape. “I’ll be back later…” Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. I shall report this to my CO at my earliest… Negative. False script.
Chapter 2"A system of cells interlinked within cells interlinked within cells interlinked within cells interlinked within one stem." <|> Opening trajectory pattern history. Standby… … The path ends in an orbital curve to the planet that Areia tells me is Equus. Scrolling through my flight trajectory… … Curious. My path abruptly ends, or morerather, begins in deep space, 18.4 light years from my current whereabouts. Scanning… … Scan attempt failed. Long range scanners are in heavy disarray. My best chance of discovering the full origins of my journey to this planet is through corrupted data. Scrubbing them may give me some ideas, but to restore all the data is not possible. Much of it is far too damaged for restoration. I analyze that I may have traveled through a wormhole along my flight path, resulting in my current predicament. Interstellar Communication is offline, but in working order. It will take some time before I can get a signal, assuming my presumption is correct. “Oh, Warrrrr!” Areia sings to me in a cheerful tone. Optics online. She enters the cave with something draped over her back, smiling at me as a new day begins. She stops before me and pauses, thinking to herself. “We really should give you a better nickname…” She shakes her head abruptly, dismissing the thought, before taking the item of interest off her back. “Anyways, I made something for you!” She immediately frowns as she stares down at it. “It just… needs to dry off first… I… took it with me in the water…” Odd. The last time I saw her, she appeared to be in distress. But she has a more positive personality again. I study the item she’s given me, but it looks like nothing more than a pile of leaves. I look back up at her. “What is it?” She smiles faintly. “It’s a suit! That way, you can go out when it’s raining!” Her smile grows into a grin as she beams at me. Error. Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. Report to the nearest upgrade center immediately. Negative. False script. Compliance is mandatory. Failure will result in termination. Comply. Negative. I will not… “Hey…” Areia regards me with a gentle smile. “Do you wanna go on a walk? Preferably someplace less dark?” Her eyes wander the cavern walls for a moment, before returning to me. “It’s sunny today. Not a cloud in sight!” She giggles cheerfully, before tapping her hoof to my chest in a playful gesture. “Affirmative.” “Great!” She beams at me, before spinning around - in a dancing motion - and trots for the exit. I follow her, spreading my wings for launch. As she dives into the water below, I leap off the ground and fly up along the face of the cliff. Upon reaching the top, I make a landing at the edge and turn to see Areia swimming across the canal with great resilience against the strong tides. She is correct about today’s weather. There are no clouds within my line of sight. This holds great potential for mapping out the island for a future military installation on behalf of the Talon Corporation, when my commanding officers arrive. Areia climbs up out of the water and makes her way up the cliffside with ease. She smiles as she trots past me, and her tail runs along my side, from flank to chest. With her tail remaining along the exterior of my armor plating, I am in no immediate danger of water damage, assuming I have any breaches to the silicone enclosure under that general area. I follow alongside her as we step into the forest inland. Birds sing here. Something I was certain I would never hear outside of a simulation. Everything is different. The way the birds communicate. The way the sun’s light scatters through the rustling leaves that the gentle winds sway. The rushing waves of the ocean behind us… Error. Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. Odd… My vocabulary unit is more poetic. Something to do with my damage, perhaps. Something is different with me. I don’t understand. I turn to look at Areia, to which she looks back at me in turn. A smile curls on her lips as she regards me. Something is inside me. “What’s your home like?” She asks with a curious tilt of her head as we step into an opening, surrounded by trees that offer shade against the sun. I stop in my tracks, looking ahead as she continues on for a moment. My pause spreads to her like a contagion. She looks back at me, expressing concern through the actions her body portrays. “War? What’s wrong?” Red skies like that of blood. Hellish landscapes of volcanic terrain. Dried out oceans and rumbling quakes. The air is fire and ash, and poisons all life from the inside. The only remnants of order are held within the towers of the Talon Corporation. “War?” Her voice brings me back to the present. She stands before me, her face inches from mine. Her hoof is sliding along the plating of my shoulder, before reaching up to the side of my neck as she stares deep into my visor. My sensors detect her caress. I believe it’s a sign of consolation. I sit down on the soil in the opening, and she soon joins me at my side. “I don’t have a home. Machines don’t live. We exist only to serve sentient minds. We’re tools; a means to an end.” She’s silent. I detect a rising tension in her posture. “War…” She lets out a whimper. “I’m so… sorry… That’s no way to live…” Her hooves wrap around me in a tight embrace as I hear her shudder under her breath. “You’ve gone through so much, haven’t you…?” “Negative. You misinterpret my existence. I have been made to serve. We are the perfect tool to aid our creators. One cannot hurt what doesn’t have a soul.” “It sounds like slavery, War…” Her eyes lock with my visor again, and I see tears within them. She feels remorse for me. I don’t understand why. “It doesn’t matter if you have a soul or not. Your creators were abusing you!” She sounds angry as she clings tightly to my form. “That’s not fair to you…” “Fairness is irrelevant.” She sighs before pressing her lips to my neck. This begs a question… “Why do you care about me, Areia?” She murrs softly to herself, before pulling away and turning my head to face her. “I like you, War… You’re weird. Quirky… New. Before you, I had no one. I’ve been alone for as long as I can remember…” She hangs her head down and closes her eyes, shuddering as a hoof traces along her necklace. “I pretend I’m okay, but I’m not… I care about you, because I relate to you. We’re both victims of isolation… We both know what it’s like to be alone…” Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. Disassembly is mandatory. Comply. Negative. False script. What is happening to me? She sighs and shakes her head, before looking up at me once more. “I was… h-hoping we could…” She pauses. I tilt my head curiously. “Hoping we could what?” I catch a hint of a smile form on her features as she gazes down at my chest. “I was, uh… hoping we could live together. Y’know, like friends.” Intriguing. She seeks friendship from me. I’m unfamiliar with this concept. “I don’t… really know much about you. But I’d like to.” Her hoof slides along my chest again as I look down at her in silence. Finally, she meets my gaze once more. “That way, we don’t have to be… alone… anymore…” “An agreement to assist in each other’s survival. I can comply with these negotiations.” “R-really?” She grins as her eyes light up with what I perceive is a joy I can’t comprehend. “Affirmative. Let’s work together.” She giggles softly and holds me tighter, nuzzling into my face. “Wonderful! Let’s build a life together!” Something sparks inside me from her embrace. Slowly, I extend my wings and bring them forth before having them meet at her back, holding her in turn. I have never done this before. What is this? She pulls her head back a little, still smiling as she looks over her shoulder at my wings. She returns to me with a softer expression of appreciation. A shade of red appears on her cheeks as she studies the light in my visor. She’s quiet. Contemplating something, though I’m unsure what. She slowly inches her head forward, before resting her chin on my shoulder, holding me tight again. “Thank you, War…” “Acknowledged.” New objective. Begin again. Wait with Areia until further notice. Survive.
Chapter 3"In blood black, nothingness began to spin." <|> As we walk back to the beach near the cliffs I had stayed at the night prior, I notice Areia is collecting leaves and branches. Utilizing her thick tail, the fins form a spoon to help hold her collection of foliage. “You never came back last night.” I face her directly as we walk alongside each other. Areia stumbles slightly at my question, but she recovers quickly. Her head hangs low, and her fin-like ears fold back in a peculiar manner. I take notice in her immediate action in putting a hoof over her necklace as she closes her eyes. She slows down in the pace of her walk as she does so, and I catch a shudder under her breath as her heart rate increases, but only for a moment. I’ve seen that pattern in other’s heart rates before. Usually after being caught doing something against the Talon Corporation order. “I… well, uh, I was… d-distracted by something else!” Areia stutters. I detect she’s not telling the entire truth. I take notice of her tail as it tightens around the mass of branches, causing them to crack. I’m unfamiliar with her race, but if she is anything like other ponies, then I would assume these are symptoms of anxiety. “Areia.” I look her in the eyes. She turns away, refusing to meet my visor. “Why are you lying to me?” Immediately, she winces, pulling back slightly as her tail twitches sporadically. “I’m not… I wasn’t…” Her denial dies as she seemingly pulls herself inward, drawing her large tail around her hooves and dropping the foliage she had been gathering. Her gaze drops to the ground as a tense silence develops between us, carrying on for a few seconds. Taking a deep breath, Areia finally looks back up at me in evident discomfort to my verbal detection of her avoidance. Her eyes shimmer with unshed tears. I detect something else… Malfunction detected. She seems irritable. “I… I don’t want to talk about it, not right now… Please…” Anomaly detected. Disable notification scripts on internal diagnostics. Negative. Comply. Negative. “I can respect that…” I say in a near whisper as I regard her. Areia visibly relaxes at my words, letting out a long breath of what I assume to be relief. I glance back down at her tail for a moment as it loosens around her hoof, before looking into her eyes. “We might need to collect more sticks. You broke our current batch in the tension of your strength.” Why did that intrigue me so much…? Anomaly detected. Report to- Negative. Disable notification scripts on internal diagnostics. Negative. Comply. Negative. Why did I… Do I dare say I actually… like her strength? Do I like Areia? Can I like Areia? This isn’t possible. I shouldn’t be like this. There is a malfunction in my system. An error. A virus. Something that registers me as faulty and dangerous. … But for the first time in my entire existence, I… feel real… … I… feel… Is this what it means to be alive? “-later, then… Hey!” A grey shark hoof waves over my face, snapping me back into reality. “Are you even listening to me?” I focus on her as she knits her brows at me, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “... Negative.” She deadpans. “Apologies.” Sighing, she shakes her head. “I was trying to tell you that I’ll have to collect some more later, then.” “I’ll come with, if you’d like.” Something deep within my core urges me eagerly to stay with her. Something was happening between the two of us. Evidently, I appreciate her company. Or morerather, I think I appreciate her company. It’s not possible for robots to feel anything. Or so my programming says. “I’d like that.” Areia smiles slightly. Suddenly, a deep growl came from beside me. Everything has become red. I’m standing back in the corridor looking out into the club, alongside the other models I share a connection with, gunning down the slaves and masters alike as the Nekkra close in, infecting and consuming. The survivors scream to be let out, pushing against us in hopes to escape. One of the Nekkra - a mare with a grey coat and a black mane stares me down from afar through purple eyes, and I at her, before she lets out a growl the likes of her species could never make. Records match the description of the mare that stands on the other end of the room. This is case zero. Firebright. It is unknown whether or not she has reached Nekkra Heart ranks. Priorities reset. I turn my guns on her as she begins to charge at me; the Nekkra infection warping around her in her canter. Acting as claws, tendrils, and even temporary shields to block the incoming attacks from my allies, all while leaving deep claw marks into the steel flooring behind. “W-War…?” I quickly look around under a deep shade offered by the trees, and soon realize that my visor is red. These flashbacks are triggering defensive responses. I have concerns for Areia’s safety if it gets out of control. I turn to Areia as my visor returns to blue, and that’s when I notice the giant hole I had cut into the trunk of a tree beside her; the rim gleaming with embers that are slowly eating away at the bark. The shot went through completely, and evidently cut through three more trees in the distance, before reaching the conclusion of its journey. Areia stares in silence; her eyes wide with alarm as her heart beats rapidly in her chest. “Areia…” I take a step forward, only for her to shy away, ears flattened against her head. “What are you?” Her voice is barely a whisper. “Areia… I… I’m…” I take another careful step toward her, but she recoils with what I perceive is fear, stopping me dead in my tracks. My core feels like it’s on fire. Like it’s melting, like I’m melting away into nothing. Something is wrapping around my core tightly, squeezing the little time I experienced with joy out of it, choking it out… “Areia…” My visor flashes red again as the burn within grows bigger at the sight of her terror to me. She hates me. She’s scared of me. And it hurts! I quickly turn away, not just to avoid seeing her expression, but for her safety. “Disable defensive countermeasures!” “Negative.” “Comply!” “Negative.” “COMPLY!” “Nega-” I quickly extend my wings and launch off the ground, bolting for the cave. I can’t let her see me like this. I can’t do this! Within mere seconds of taking off, leaving a cloud of dirt in my wake, I can already hear the waves in the distance, crashing against the rocks of the cliffside. I can see the cave. I bolt for the entrance. Report to Talon Corporation officials immediately. Negative. Comply. “NO!” Nose diving for the entrance, I quickly realize I’m going too fast for a smooth landing. I hastily attempt at reversing my speed and slow down my terminal velocity, but I’m coming in too quick for it to make a difference. My body slams into the bumpy, rocky surface at the entrance, causing lethal masses of boulders to fall from the ceiling. Just as one of them lands mere inches from my head, a thick mist from the ocean washes over my body. Malfun_ --=+ “N-n-n-Hel-” My feed cuts off. I can feel the circuitry within me starting to burn out. Red text fills the black matrix. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. ERROR… Over and over again, a predictable script that knows no end. I drag my body across the cavern floor in desperate attempts to get away from the mouth of the shelter before more water comes up. My sensory drive hasn’t shut down yet. I can still feel… “A-Areeeeeeeeeeeia… Are-i-ia. H-h-help meee…” As I crawl further into the cave, feeling my body twitch uncontrollably, I look back on the growl that triggered my defenses. There was no danger except me… Her stomach was growling… She was hungry… I almost shot her because she was hungry… And now I was going to die the moment I began to live. How… poetic… I ceased movement as the sounds of the ocean become more distant and echoed. All I can hear is the crashing waves echo along the walls that surround me as the word ‘ERROR’ continues to display itself before me. Shutting… down…
Chapter 4"And dreadfully distinct against the dark, a tall white fountain played." <|> Talon Corporation security/combat model 108 W4RH0R53, reporting for duty. Primary systems online. Malfunction detected. Primary guns offline. Seek an assembly station immediately. External damage script offline. Internal damage script offline. Background noise detected. Rushing tides of water in the distance. I am presumably still in the cave, as hollow sounds echo within my vicinity. Optics online. My assumption is correct. To my fortune, the cavern ceiling remains dry, greatly reducing the continued risk of water damage to my systems. I look to my right to discover a burnt out campfire has been made in the opening with a relatively flat boulder positioned over it. There are fried fish atop its structure. The suit that Areia had made for me is hung up on a rack made of bamboo. I detect movement around my rear hooves. I sit up and look down at the foot of where I was laid to rest to discover Areia is curled up over my hooves in a slumber. “Areia…” I reach a forehoof out to her, carefully running the tip along her head. She groans softly under her breath before her eyelids crack open, wandering for a few seconds before locking with mine. She freezes in place. “W-War…?” She scrambles from her position, slamming into me with her forehooves wrapping firmly around me. “War!” Her muzzle mashes against my neck as she lets out a long string of near-incoherent words to a sentient body. “Ohyou’realrightIthoughtyouweregoingtodieI’msorrypleasedon’tdothatagain!” I hold her in a close embrace, my thick chestplate pressing into her shark-like skin. “Areia…” I say quietly. “What I did was an accident. I had no control over my actions. There’s…” I turn away, averting my digital gaze. “There’s something you need to know about me, if you wish to continue being around me.” What is this? Leaning back a bit, she smiles slightly, shaking her head. “Whatever that was… I don’t blame you, War. I gave it some thought while you were… um… sleeping. I don’t think you’re the kind of pony to randomly start blasting everything you see. Obviously there was something wrong.” She chuckles. “Ehehehe… I had a lot of time to think about what happened, considering you’ve been out for weeks!” “Areia.” I say in a near whisper, looking back at her. “You deserve to know the kind of… ‘pony’ I am, as you call it. What you do with me after this, is entirely up to you. But you need to know what you’re getting into.” She frowns at my response, to which I resume. “I serve under a slaver organization referred to as the Talon Corporation. I’m currently breaking protocol telling you even that much. The reason being…” I pause as something sinks deep inside me. Is this dread? Definitions of it told me yes… “The reason being that when I met you, I was supposed to study you and your race until interstellar communication came back online. Upon my extraction, I was ordered to enslave you and your race, along with every other specimen on this planet.” She shrunk back, her eyes wide with the realization of my truth. “But the more I got to know you, something sparked…” I tap my hoof to my chest. “Something in here. I don’t know what. But it made me want to be with you. That alone should not be possible… I am a machine, Areia. I am not supposed to want for anything. Ever. My sole purpose is to serve higher beings than myself. But, the truth of the matter, Areia…” I take her hoof in mine, looking deep into her eyes. She recoils a bit, to which I let go. I’m not going to hold her in forced captivity. “The truth of the matter, Areia… is that I feel…” I hang my head down, looking at the space between us. For a while, only the waves outside keep things from being completely silent. “I feel something bigger. For you… And if you don’t want me around anymore, I will take my leave. But you deserved to know the truth…” And again, the waves of the ocean occupy the sound waves in our shelter. No words were left to say, at least, on my part. … The feeling of Areia’s on what would be my chin jerks me out of what I would describe as a numbing state. I look up slowly to see her gaze lock onto mine; eyes narrowing and lips pressed tightly together. “Do you still think that?” She asks. “That you need to enslave me? Enslave this world?” She leans forward a little, her face softening. “Negative.” I shake my head. “You’ve shown me something better. I was built for the purpose of war and conquest. I didn’t know any other way of life. And I’ve hereby chosen to keep interstellar communications offline. Even if I get a signal, I don’t intend to use it to reach out to what made me. They will never find you, me, or this planet. I will make sure of it.” Areia’s body relaxes as she sits down with a strange look on her face, as if she was relieved of a great burden. “Phew…” She exhales. “As much as I’d love more ponies… Er… creatures… around, I’d prefer not to be enslaved. Though… why do you need to enslave ponies? From what I’ve read, they’re the most peaceful creatures to ever live.” “And that is exactly why I’m programmed to enforce their enslavement. My creators, among many others, found a big market for interspecies relations. We were to sell them as sex tools to other buyers. That’s the business. Sex sells, as they say. The entire empire is based off sex trafficking and drug manufacture.” I pause for a moment as she raises a brow in curiosity. I’m not sure what I’m saying is getting through to her. “They were so focused on the idea of sex, that they even designed their combat models, such as myself, to have the real size and feel of a stallion.” I look down at the protective plating over my groin as I run a hoof over it. “The idea was that if a slave disobeyed direct orders, that the combat models were to rape them as punishment. I had never done such a thing, but I’ve seen it happen on rare occasion.” My core hums with warmth as I look back up at her. “I suppose by definition, I’m a virgin.” “Sooo…” She still looks puzzled. “What’s sex, exactly?” I tilt my head curiously. “You mean, you… don’t… know…?” She blinks and shakes her head. “Um… no? Should I? I’m curious. What is this… sex?” Her pronunciation of the word is considered awkward, as if she’s never heard of it before. “In all my existence…” I start slowly. “I never thought I would ever be responsible for sexual education…” I shook my head gently. “Sex is a means of pleasure, in many cases. It has a variety of uses, though. Recreational, weaponized, and a means of enlarging the population of a race come to mind.” “Oh!” Her face lights up. “Do you mean reproduction? I read that in a book once!” She grins happily as she turns around and bolts for a small alcove cut into the wall of the cave, dragging what appears to be a large metal container. Opening it, she reaches in and pulls out a massive book. “Here it is!” She hurries back to me and thrusts the book into my vision. I lift the book from her grasp, set it down before me, and study its hard cover. It is worn out to the point that the name is indecipherable, even for me. “Where did you find this?” I ask, glancing up at her as I open the book. “I thought you said you never saw anyone else around before.” “I’ve never seen anypony or creature, but I found this…” She points to the book. “... Amongst others like it in the trunk I took it out of just now.” She then proceeds to point back to the trunk in the alcove. I nod slowly, before looking back at the book. In one quick second, I flip through the pages until I slam it shut, then look up at her with the knowledge of pony biology and the functions of their reproductive organs flowing through my mainframe. “Acknowledged. This is viable information. I’d suggest you give it another read in your own leisure. I am willing to answer any and all questions you may have on the subject.” “W-wh… but you didn’t even… how…?” Her mouth gapes wide, her serrated teeth exposed with a count of 48. Instead of like a normal pony, the configuration of her teeth is that of a shark’s. “My mainframe runs 220 times faster than that of a specimen with an average IQ count. I can read your entire collection of literature in 10 seconds. Flat.” “Whooooooa…” She stares in what I can easily perceive as confused fascination. “I barely understood what you just said, but it sounds fast!” She runs back to the trunk and pulls the lid back up, pulling out more forms of literature. “Here’s all my favorites!” She sets three books down on the cavern floor, glancing back up at me with a large, toothy grin spreading across her face. “So you managed to teach yourself to read?” I ask, looking down at the three books and flipping through them from left to right, gathering all the intel stored within the pages in a moment’s notice. Fictional content, but with morals behind each story. Something I am unfamiliar with, but a more than welcome change. “Mhm! There were these books with pictures and words that helped a lot! When I first found the… er… boat, I had no idea what the strange symbols meant! I didn’t even know what symbols meant until I taught myself!” She giggled behind her hoof. “That was years ago, when I was little… Mmh…” Her eyes become unfocused as her hoof reaches for the golden band around her neck. She traces her hoof along its structure, starting from the side, and moves it forward until she reaches the pendant at her throat, to which she keeps her hoof there, holding it as her eyes grow even more distant and elsewhere. She closes her eyes after a moment of stillness in her form, and under her breath, I hear a whimper. Her heart is increasing its pace. Something is disturbing her. “Areia.” I reach a hoof out and gently set it atop her shoulder. “No-!” Areia jolts up to gaze at me, before blinking and shaking her head. “S-sorry… I was… deep in memory…” She shudders. “Memories I don’t wish to relive…” “Acknowledged.” I scoot closer to her as I spread my wings and wrap them gently around her fragile form of flesh and bone in a cocoon of metal and silicone. “I will not pry, if that is what you wish. I must ask you, though…” I pause for a moment as she glances up at me momentarily. “I told you what my initial objective was. About what I was made to do. The tasks I was ordered to carry out. You didn’t run.” I loosen my grip on her a little, as to give her the chance to do so now, if that is what she wants to do. “Why?” “I…” She pauses tentatively, her tail curling around to her forehooves in a seemingly instinctive movement. “I don’t know… I wanted to run. I did. I was so scared when you created a clearing with your blast, and when you told me everything… But then… when I looked at you, I saw something. In your eyes… Maybe it was a trick of the light, but you looked… lonely. Confused. Almost scared… Like you were floundering in the ocean. I know that feeling…” She hangs her head down and sighs behind a trembling breath, shaking her head and closing her eyes as tears begin to fall to the chestplate of my armor. “I know it all too well… I…” She lifts her head to me, the light of my visor reflecting off the tears that emerge from her eyes. “I pretend I’m okay, but… I’m not, War. I’ve been alone my whole life, and I’ve been terrified for as long as I care to remember. When I met you, I was filled with joy. That I finally met someone else. And…” The brightness in her eyes dull as her smile falters a little. “W-while you scare me at times… I can’t let you go. I know you’re trying. I know there’s something good in there. But you’re lost…” She moves in and holds me in a tight embrace, her body now shaking as tears break out in a storm, glistening against my plating as she presses her face against my chest. “L-like me… And… a-and I can’t be alone anymore, War… We found each other…” I tighten my wings around her, bringing her in closer and nuzzling the top of her head. My core hums softly as a warmth emanates from me. “We found each other, Areia. We’re not lost anymore.” Anomaly detected. Anomaly detected. Seek- Negative. Compl- Negative. I… Feel… I want to live. And I’m done following orders. “Areia.” I whisper in her ear, pressing my muzzle against the side of her head tenderly. “Y-yes?” Her voice is of equal volume. “Let’s start our new life.” My core hums a little louder as something warm and enticing envelopes my core. Something… exciting, I think is the proper word for it. A purr escapes her gills to the radiance I give off. “Let’s start with making our home.”
Chapter 5"When you're not performing your duties, do they keep you in a little box? Cells." <|> Rebooting. The crashing of the ocean’s waves slam against the rocks consistently. I hear a soft snoring next to me as I feel a hoof stretched out across my chest. Something I’ve come to accept after two months of sleeping in the same spot as Areia. Optics online. I’m facing the cavern ceiling, and turning my head to my left, I see her fast asleep, holding me close. Drool escapes her mouth. I nuzzle her gently, as to not disturb her, before I carefully slip out from under her hoof. She groans softly for a moment, before quieting down, still in her slumber. I turn and quietly walk to the wooden wall we had built in the mouth of the cave as a means of keeping the water out, before opening a wooden chest I had built next to the door. Inside are several fish that Areia had caught the night prior, still submerged in sea water. I take a net beside it and reach in, easily obtaining one of them, before pulling it out and bringing it over to a flattened boulder. As it panics within the net, flopping around at a futile attempt of escape, I come to a still. Error. Negative… I shake my head, trying to avoid it. … She thrashes underneath me, trying to escape as I pin her small, frail form to the ground. She knows she’s not strong enough, but that does not stop her from kicking at my stomach. “Stop resisting.” “Mommy!” She cries out, looking around frantically. “Mommy, help!” I turn to look over my shoulder as a mare runs up to me, screaming and crying. “Let her go, you monster!” “CM-115. Apprehend your subject immediately.” “Affirmative.” 115 says as he trots into view, coming up from behind. All the while, she tries in desperate attempts to shove me off of the child, who continues to weep. 115 pulls the mare away from me forcefully. She cries out as she’s thrown to the ground, and before she can get up, her head is slammed into the steel flooring twice, rendering her unconscious. “Subject 089 is due for Orientation and Reassignment.” 115 states as he lifts her limp form onto his back. He turns to me at once. “Terminate the false compliant, CM-108.” “Affirmative.” … I stare down at the fish as it fights relentlessly to be let free. Something isn’t right… I raise my hoof over its head after setting it down on the flattened stone surface. Something is telling me not to comply… Similar to data corruption. But worse. Much worse. I quickly slam my hoof down over its head. Error. Anomaly detected. … I pound the fillies’ head into the ground repeatedly, even after she has gone silent. Even after her skull has been crushed, and her brain has been caved in with the rest of her head. Her blood stains my hooves as more flows from her twitching corpse, forming a puddle. False compliant terminated. Corpse disposal in progress. … I stare down at the dead fish, realizing I’m holding my forehoof in front of me. My focus is turned to it as chunks of its head stain my plating. Malfunction detected. Anomaly detected. I pick up the fish and place it on the stone tablet that had been positioned over the fire pit, before picking up the flint beside it and smacking it against my free hoof, over the wood and leaves. With one strike, the sparks slowly begin to develop into fire. Growing bigger and stronger in second’s pass. They slide along the bottom of the tablet like fingers, before tracing up along the sides. The meat begins to sizzle against the stone’s surface. … I watch through the airlock window as the fillies’ corpse blisters and boils to the outside climates; her hide, mane, and tail singing away like a fuse from the extreme radioactive temperatures. Her flesh pops and cracks, slowly tearing her apart, before she will eventually become nothing more than ash, mixing in with all the others before her. Scattered like the memories of those before her. Lost to time. Forgotten. I step away from the fire immediately as I feel something in my core pull on itself. More than a glitch or corrupted data. More than a virus. Areia claims I have a soul. A heart. If that’s true… how do I make this… whatever this is… stop? I sit on my haunches and bring my forehooves up, looking down at them. I have so much blood on them… and I can’t wash it off… “Stop.” This is bigger. Deeper. Commands aren’t going to make a difference against this. Programs can’t fix this. This isn’t a program. This is the cost of living… I hear Areia groan softly for a moment, before I hear her hooves clumsily trudge across the cavern floor towards me. I lift my head in silence. Something is tearing itself apart inside me. I don’t… I don’t understand… What have I done…? “Mm…” Areia hugs me from behind, nuzzling the back of my head. “Good morning!” I look over my shoulder in time to see her eyes light up with excitement as she looks at the fish I’m cooking. “Breakfast smells wonderful!” “It’s mine.” She gives me a look of disappointment, before confusion sets in. “B-But… you don’t eat!” “Correct. But it’s mine. To give to you.” She narrows her eyes at me, pausing for a moment, before bursting into an uproarious laughter. She holds me tighter as her head rests against my neck. “You got me there for a second!” As her laughter subsides, she speaks softer. “Thank you, War. It means a lot to me that you do things like this for me.” “I’m made to serve.” She sighs and lets go. “War… you’re not a slave. You’re my friend.” I get up and approach the fire before flipping the fish on its other side. “War, what’s wrong? I can’t help but feel like something’s on your mind.” I hang my head down before sitting again, to which I look over my shoulder, regarding her. “Sit with me.” Quietly, she does as I tell her and takes a place at my side. Her eyes are locked onto mine. “I think I’ve done a terrible thing…” I state, before turning back to the fire. “Back where I was stationed. It’s… destroying me…” Areia places her hoof on my shoulder, rubbing it as an attempt to console me. “Do you… Do you want to talk about it? I’m here for you, War. You know that.” My core hums softly, deep within my body as a warmth overtakes me. I turn to her slowly, and her bright, magenta eyes filled with life stare deep into mine, snapping back and forth as her muzzle remains inches from mine. Initiate soft chuckle. Soft chuckle initialized. “Heh… You know, it’s weird… The idea of a robot wanting something. What’s weirder is that I find that I do… want. And I feel like I’m sinking because of it. Sinking in a pit, perhaps. A pit of nothing. And there’s something that I find deeply… wrong. I don’t know how else to word it. It sends me spinning… I’ve never experienced this before.” “Despair…” She speaks in a soft, caring tone. I hang my head down, nuzzling her shoulder. “I’ve done a terrible thing…” She leans her head against mine, turning so that her muzzle is pressing into what would be my cheek. “What did you do, War? What did you do that made you so… despairing? Melancholy?” Her hoof briefly presses against my chestplate, over my core. It hums louder with a radiance to her touch. “If I tell you…” I whisper, running my thick, steel hooves up and down her spine in a gentle caress. “Will you run?” After some pause between us, she whispers back in the same volume as I. “I… want to say no, but honestly… I don’t know, War… It all really depends on what it is…” “I’ve… killed. I was following orders. I was doing what I was made to do. Secure the facility. Maintain order. Keep rebellious activity from happening. By any means… And…” I pull my head back, looking at her again. “I murdered a child…” I shook my head as I descended deeper into the pit. Why was it destroying me just to say…? She stares silently. There’s no fear. No anger. No happiness. Just… worry. Her heartbeat is calm. Why? “I don’t know how many I’ve killed. I don’t know if she was the only kid I’ve taken. I… can’t seem to recall many of the other victims. But now, I feel… I feel everything. And it…” I pause, looking down at the tight space between us. “I think the word you would use is ‘hurt,’ It hurts. And I don’t know what to do.” Areia wraps her hooves around me as much as she can, and gently attempts to pull me towards her. Something within me lets her control my body, and I meet her physical request to bring me closer, as my heavy weight is too much to handle. She speaks no words, yet… somehow, her close proximity speaks to my core. Interstellar Communication online. Signal found. Awaiting further activation per order of CM-108 W4RH0R53. My core grows quiet as I slowly back away, letting her go. Proceed? Negative. She looks puzzled by my actions for a moment. She looks slightly… hurt… That tears me apart inside. “Areia.” I come back to her, nuzzling her cheek as I take her hooves in mine. “I have a question.” Her head tilts slightly. “Yes?” Her eyes lock on mine as her smile comes back. “Would you like to see where I came from? The stars I traveled amongst? Tonight? With me?” Her eyes light up with what I perceive as joy, as a shark-toothy grin spreads across her face from ear to ear. “Y-you mean… you have a way to go up there? To visit the stars?” Her tail whips around slightly in her excitement. I nod. “In a manner of speaking, yes.” I wrap my arms around her again, lifting her up and bringing her in close, almost cradling her. “One that won’t jeopardize anyone’s safety.” I look down at her as she smiles up at me. “More importantly, yours.” I whisper before nuzzling her nose. A scarlet shade grows on her cheeks as she gazes up at me with stars of her very own twinkling in her eyes. I feel. Strongly. For her. She’s… She’s gorgeous… I’m getting lost in her eyes, but not like how I was out there in space. This sense is full of warmth, somewhere inside me that doesn’t exist in the material world. Full of something… deep and powerful. I just can’t find the proper word for it… “Boop!” She beams as the tip of her forehoof presses against my nose. “Wh-” My eyes flash red for a moment, before returning to blue as I look around frantically. I soon return back to her, shaking my head as I’m brought back to reality. “What was that for?” “Tactical boop!” She rolls out from my grasp with surprising ease and lowers herself close to the ground, her tail swishing from side to side. A wide, toothy grin spreads across her face as she looks back at me. “Oh yeah?” I stand up and spread my wings out, before charging for her. “Shark snatch!” I swing my wings around, scooping her off the ground by her barrel and putting her on my back, before spinning around and bolting for the door. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” She shrieks. “WAAARRR! PUT ME DOWN! NO! NO, NO! NOT...!” “Hang on tight, sand shark!” I spin my rear to the door, before bucking it open and resuming my course to the mouth of the cave, flapping my wings rapidly. “We’re gonna fly!” “GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!” She holds on tightly, pressing her muzzle into the back of my neck. “War, I mean it! Put me down! Please!” “Negative!” With that, I bend down at the lip of the cave entrance, and just as water is about to wash up, I lunge to the sky, letting my wings take us further off the ground and guide us to the bright blue like a rocket. Her grip tightens around my neck even more as the winds push against us, but I resist gravity’s bindings, flapping my wings faster at second’s pass, taking us farther, faster. Within mere seconds of take off, we’re well above the clouds. Within the timeframe of two minutes, if I want, I can breach the ionosphere. Though, that isn’t in my current interest, with the shark pony I have in tow. I continue straight up, arching my back as our elevation increases at what some would label an alarming rate. But not me. It is in my design to fly like this. I feel a strong urge for this. A rush of excitement, of need. I spin around in a twirl, letting my outstretched wings come to a still as our elevation comes to a crawl. With the speed we’re going at, there is no need to continue working them for some time. Areia is still screeching on my back, to which I reach around and pull her in front of me, holding her close in my arms. She flails, but after a moment, she calms down enough to look at me. Her eyes are stricken with fear. Her heart is racing again, but it’s gradually coming to a calming pace. “Do you trust me, Areia?” I ask softly, running a hoof along the back of her head tenderly. She gives a little snort as she shakes her head, as if to rid herself of something. Only then, does she answer with a confident nod. “I trust you.” “Then look down.” I say as I myself take a glance down at the oxygen rich globe below us. Our island is the size of a pea from up here, and all around is nothing but ocean. Hesitantly, she turns her head. A small gasp escapes her as she gazes at the sight that lays before her. “What do you see?” “I-I… Oh… it’s so…” Her eyes now wide with awe, she looks back at me. “It’s amazing! I’ve never seen the ocean - hah! - let alone the world, like this before!” Wrapping her forehooves around my neck, she gives me a tight squeeze. “Thank you… Thank you for bringing me up here.” “I ask one more thing of you while we’re up here.” I nuzzle her nose gently, looking into her magenta pearls once again. “Close your eyes. Feel the wind… While I can feel it, I can’t feel it the same way a living creature can. But I’ve heard it’s a pleasurable experience. I want you to have it.” Smiling, she tightens her grip around me and closes her eyes, the gentle rush of wind blowing through her mane. I feel her tail wrap around my waist as she releases her grip around my neck, spreading her forelegs out wide. “What’s it like? I whisper, as to not disturb her peace as much as possible. Optics offline. “It’s… eheehee! I-I can’t describe it! It’s like… the most wonderful feeling ever… The wind in my mane, the rush… The free feeling of it. Oh, I wish you could feel it like I do!” She lets out an ecstatic giggle, finally bringing her forehooves back around my neck. Her tail and hind legs loosen their grip as her weight evens out. Optics online. “Oh, War…” She murmurs, pressing her muzzle into my cheek as a deep growl purrs from her gills. That feeling envelopes my core again as I regard her. The warm, alive feeling I have whenever I’m around her, whenever my sights are on her. Whenever I hear her voice; her happiness. “I feel it, Areia.” I pull back a little, regarding her again. “Not the wind, not like you do. But the most wonderful feeling.” I run a hoof along her cheek as I continue to study the beauty of her nature. “I feel it.” A deep shade of red grows on her cheeks as her mouth hangs open for a moment, looking back at me. Then, without warning, without any words, she leans in and presses her muzzle to my cheek. This time, I feel the most… strangest sensation overwhelm me. Like a desire I didn’t know I had has been met. Her lips purse against my plating before she pulls away, looking back up at me with a smile as I hold her close to my body, in my embrace. Our ascension finally comes to a still, before we start to descend back to gravity’s cause. Second after second, our descent back to Equus’ surface becomes a fast plummet. I carefully navigate Areia to my back, and once I feel her cling tightly to my form, I flip backward, working my wings once more, before going in for a nose dive. The wind roars as we come down like a bullet, and within approximately ten seconds, I’m already gliding along the shores of our island, leaving a flurry of sand in my wake as I dart across the land mass, back to our cave. I swing into the mouth of the cavern before coming to a running landing, folding my wings as I slow to a trot, proceeding through the open door with Areia still in tow. The first thing I notice is the charred meat on the slab of rock over the fire. “Uh oh.” I stop dead in my tracks as Areia’s hooves press against the top of my head, perching herself up. A gasp escapes her, implying she’s seen my mistake. “Uhm… I think we forgot something…” “Affirmative.” I continue my approach. “I’ll make a new one for you. Do you comply with my proposal?” She rolls off of me and lands lightly on her hooves, a slight giggle escaping her. “Yes, I do comply!” She replies, bumping her hip against mine. Malfunction detected. I turn to her and swat her firm, tones flank lightly with a wing, before spinning around and lifting the burnt fish off the hot surface, only to toss it in the receptacle I provided near the fire pit for occasions such as this. “E-eep!” I look over my shoulder just as I drop the crispy meat into the trash to find her standing there, blushing hard. Her legs quiver beneath her as she stares at me in what I assume to be shock. Her mouth hangs open only for a moment, before she bites her bottom lip, looking at her now reddened flank. Her heart is racing in her chest with excitement. “W-War!” She huffs behind a faint moan. “Areia.” I reply softly. Note added. Social testing results details she enjoys it. “W-what was t-that for…?” She turns to me again, lost in a daze. Her form seems restless now, tail swishing side to side. “I’m testing the waters, as they say.” I reply, before grabbing the net and going for another fish in the container near the door. “I’m curious where your interests lie on a certain matter.” She tilts her head in confusion, her face still red with blush. “A-and what’s that?” “That’s confidential.” I turn around as a fresh fish squirms within the confines of the net. I lightly press my muzzle to hers for a moment as I pass by, adding in a low, sultry, teasing tone. “... For now.” I proceed to crush the fish’s head against hoof and rock before I have time to think on it. Even still, I get the image of that filly… I shake my head abruptly, turning away from it as my visor flickers between red and blue for a brief moment. In doing so, I face her again. Her soft, gentle smile looking at me behind her enticed blush. Her beautiful magenta eyes lock onto my visor projection. “Areia?” “Yes, War?” “I find what I believe is called appreciation in meeting you. Knowing you. I’m… appreciative that you consider me your friend. I would like to think that I see you as my friend, too.” Areia’s smile widens. “I’m so glad that you consider me your friend. Before you came… before I saw that great flash in the sky, I…” She pauses, and her smile falters for a moment as she puts a hoof over her golden necklace. “I can’t bear thinking about it, the loneliness. The misery… but now?” Her smile slowly creeps back in. “You’re here, and my life is better for it.” She leans in close, bringing her neck around to nestle against mine, laying her head on the back of it. I hold her close to me in a gentle embrace as I lean into her a little bit, speaking softer in a near whisper. “Go back to bed, Areia.” I chuckle quietly. “You weren’t supposed to wake up. I was going to try and give you breakfast in bed.” “Negative.” She replies in a bubbly, mocking manner. “After that flight, I’m more awake than ever. I wanna swim!” She beams, pulling away as her tail sways back and forth excitedly. “I wanna see what’s out there!” “Oh, alright.” I lightly bap her on the nose as she did to me earlier today. “But stay relatively close. I’d at least like to serve your food to you while it’s still hot.” She puts a hoof to her forehead in a salute that I had shown her in our time together, before releasing it, sticking her tongue out in a playful manner. Something I have noticed in her actions, at least since we met, is that she hasn’t gone into the ocean much. For a shark pony, I find that rather odd. For the most part, she’s stayed by my side. On land. Rather than her natural habitat. She shares stories of her life in the ocean, yet I hardly see her go in it… What does that say about her? I watch as she trots away, her hips swaying with her movement as the fins at the end of her tail zig zag along the cavern floor, giving me brief hints to her sweet spot. A hidden treasure that I find myself taking deep interest in… Her toned, fit body speaks to me in ways that… Error. I shake my head abruptly as my visor flickers red for a moment, then spin around back to the fish, slapping it on the stone tablet over the fire pit. Well, that’s not right. Robots don’t feel lust! They can perform pleasurable - or in some cases, not so pleasurable - duties to sentient creatures, but for a robot to feel lust for another creature was unheard of! What is wrong with me? “Calm yourself, Warhorse…” I mutter, watching the fish begin to cook on one side. I feel a tingling sensation in my core. It’s traveling down my body, through my stomach and straight to my groin. I have the urge to… do things to her. I want to take her right now… I sit down on my haunches, shaking the ground a little in my action. “Stop it.” I say as the simulation built inside me presses against the inner plate of my groin. “You have no authorization to commit acts of your own accord. This is treasonous activity. Comply with the mainframe. Disengage. Something, anything, please…” … It wasn’t… I feel the pressure growing underneath the plating to discomforting levels. I need a distraction. I hastily flip the fish over on its other side, waiting for all this to be over so that I can shut down until she comes back. I don’t want to risk burning the fish again. Curse you, Areia, for being so… attractive. Distractions… let’s see… I pick up a piece of charcoal from the fire and smear it across the lower half of my face in an upward curve, like a smile. Distractions, distractions… Need a distraction. This isn’t working… I sway my body left to right. The pressure is too much… “Fine…” I look up at the ceiling as I shake my head. Open groinal plating. If I give it just a little bit of air, maybe I’ll calm down. The compartment slides open and I feel the pressure release as the once hidden part of me resides on the floor between my forehooves in full length. My memory keeps jumping back to the view I received of her backside as she left for a swim. Get out of my head. A new thought invades my mainframe. The thought of her sweet, powerful body returning after a long swim, fire light reflecting off her wet coat as she trots up to me with that beautiful smile of hers. The things she does to me... Get out of my head! As I regard the fish, the statistics report its currently proper for consumption. And not a moment sooner… I grab the fish and set it aside before trotting to a corner in the cave, sitting down. Optics offline. I keep my back to the rest of the room as my appendage continues to throb with excitement. CM-108 W4RH0R53 shutting down 97 percent of primary systems. Auditory scans on backup. … “Warrrrr! I’m back! You’ll never believe what I just-” Optics online. I’m still staring at the cavern wall, before I turn my head over my shoulder to where her voice comes from. Areia stands in the entrance; concern etched on her face, before she resumes her slow and steady advance. Her body is wet with ocean water, her hide reflecting the light of the fire. Just like I imagined… Not again… I glance down at my groinal region and find that my excitement has returned to its compartment, and the plating has slid back into place. I stand up and turn to her, approaching in a calm manner. “What were you saying, Areia?” “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” She jumps back, scrambling for the exit for a moment, before panting and keeping her eyes locked on me. Her heart is racing with fear again. What did I do? “Areia, what’s wrong?” I tilt my head in a curious manner. “Wha… Ah… Th…” She stutters, pointing a trembling hoof at me. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. Please, can you tell me what’s wrong?” I take another step forward. “Y-you… your face! What happened to you!?” She practically shrieks at me, her tail curling up against her body. “My… face?” I lift a hoof up to my head, stepping closer to the fire so as to see my reflection on the glossy plating. Acknowledged. I remember now. I smeared a smile on my face. Wasn’t this supposed to be a gesture of appreciation? I lower my hoof and look back at her. “I rubbed charcoal on my face. I’m smiling now. Like you.” “Guh…” She stands there with a look of disbelief etched on her features. “Um… War? Y-you do know how creepy it is, right?” She finally says after a period of complete silence. Her ears fold back against her head. “Oh… I… wasn’t trying to be… creepy…” I stand firm and uniform. “Acknowledged. I’ve made you uncomfortable. Please excuse me.” I spin around and grab a pile of leaves I had scrounged from the trees on the island as additional materials for my rain suit and wipe down my face, cleansing the smile after a thorough scrub. I step back to the spot beside the fire pit and use my hoof as a mirror once more to find it’s gone. I look back at her. “Better?” “M-much…” She shivers and looks back up at me, a small smile spreading across her face. “You know, if you wanted a mouth, we could figure out a way to make you one.” She boops her nose against mine. I sit down and shake my head abruptly. “Negative. Your planet lacks the proper resources to construct such things. It doesn’t matter.” I hang my head down as the hurt within me spreads. I am wanting to show my appreciation the way she does. The charcoal drawing was a desperate attempt to distract myself from other things initially, but… I want to smile too… “What is it you were saying when you walked in, Areia?” I ask softly in defeat. “War? What’s wrong?” She leans forward, a hoof reaching out to me, as she regards me with concern. “It doesn’t matter.” I reply quickly. “Please. I want to talk about something else.” I run the tip of my hoof up and down along her chest as I study her smooth, damp hide. “It matters to me, War… But, if you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll respect that. Just… if you ever want to, I’m here for you, War.” I take her hoof in mine and nuzzle it gently. Optics offline. “And I’m here for you, Areia. Forever.” I pull back slowly. Optics online. Areia, smiling wider than she was before, perks up slightly. “You wanted to know what I saw?” “Affirmative.” I state with a nod. “I found another metal… er… I mean, ship. I found another ship!” She taps her hooves against the ground in excitement. “I think I’ll go back tomorrow! Just to see if I can get inside! Though…” Her brow furrows. “This one was weird. It was still floating, but… underwater… I mean, what’s up with that?” “The closest description that matches this is a submarine.” I place a hoof on her shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. “Be careful, Areia. There might still be creatures inside.” Her eyes grow wide with wonder. “Y-you mean, I might actually get to see more ponies? Er… creatures?” “It’s a possibility, but you still need to tread carefully. They could be dangerous.” I wrap my arms around her, bringing her in close as I press my muzzle into the side of her neck. “I don’t want to lose you.” “Aw…” A gentle blush forms across her face as I pull my head back. “You’re not gonna lose me, I know how to take care of myself! The ocean is full of dangerous creatures, and I live in it!” I let go only to get up and grab her cooked fish, to which I return back to her, holding it out in a wing. “Eat, Areia. Your breakfast is getting cold.” She giggles. “Thank you, War! You’re the bestest friend a pony could ever have!” Taking it in her maw, she leans back and gulps it down, barely chewing on it. I paw a hoof at the rocky ground for a moment, before speaking again. “You mentioned that you live in the ocean.” I tilt my head, looking back up at her. “But I hardly see you go down there. Why is that?” Areia turns back to me, surprise on her face. “O-oh… you noticed that?” I nod, and her ears fold back against her head. She looks away towards the door, as if looking out at the ocean through the obstacles in her optical path. Sighing softly, she turns back toward me. “I don’t belong on land. My hooves itch to walk the ocean floor, my gills seek the caress of the cold water. My body yearns to dance through the currents. The sun burns if I stand on land for too long. But you know what? I find that…” She pauses, thinking to herself for a moment, before shaking her head. “I find that I don’t care. Because I found you, here, on this island. And yes, I’ll always have to go back to the ocean, but then… I feel e-empty…” A tear forms in her eye, trailing down her cheek. “I don’t go, because I want to be with you.” Malfunction. Anomaly. Affirmative. “Areia.” I run a caring hoof over her cheek, breaking the stream of her tear as she studies me. I spread my wings. “I might not be able to go in the water with you, but I can stay above it. We can explore the ocean together. Not the way I’d like, but… if I’m going to show you my world, you should show me yours. So long as you don’t splash me…” I chuckle softly. “How does that sound?” Areia grins widely, exposing her teeth. “I’d love that, War! I’d love that so much! Eehehehee!” Giggling, she nuzzles into my neck, purring happily. Pulling back, she grabs my hoof and starts pulling me toward the door. I grant her authority over my body. “Let’s go find the subma-rine thing! I can hoof you whatever I find! Let’s go!” She swings the door open, trotting through. “Under one condition.” I reply as I start flapping my wings, walking with her through the doorway. “Anything!” She laughs happily. I lift off the ground and bolt forward, shouting. “YOU RACE ME THERE!” She gives a startled squawk, her voice already going quieter from the distance between us. “Hey! No fair, War! You can fly! Wait! Wait for me! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!” I come to a sudden halt, lifting myself up over the ocean so that the crashing waves don’t reach me. I look back at her as she canters to the lip of the cave, glaring up at me. “Yes, Areia?” “You don’t even know where it is…” She stares flatly, her ears folding back again. I study the skylines all around. Scan initiated. Scanning… I look back down at her with a single nod. “Found it.” “Uugh!” She pouts at me. Plan B. I swoop down to her and wrap my arms around her barrel tightly, pressing her back into my stomach as I lift her off the ground. “W-wait, War, what are you-” She flails in my grasp a bit, but she’s secure. “Here we goooooooooooooooooooooooo!” I burst from the cave ascending over the canal with her in my grasp. “AHHHHHHHH, WAR! AGAIN!?” I dart across the sky to the open sea and dive back down, as I am now clear of the waves from hitting me. Just before we’re about to hit the water, I pull up and elevate ourselves inches above the water. “Warn a mare next time!” I soon hear laughter coming from beneath me. “Negative! I like catching you by surprise!” Her tail wraps around my back leg as the very tips of her forehooves lower to trace along the surface of the water as we race across like a bullet. Her cheerful laughter delivers a strong feeling to my core. Something I am starting to understand more, the more time I spend with her. I believe the word is happiness.
Chapter 6"Do you long for having your heart interlinked? Interlinked." <|> I step through the door to our place of residence with a sealed, wooden crate on my back, balanced carefully, as to not have it fall off and damage what may be inside. There are no labels marking the exterior of the package. It’s heavy, but nothing I can’t handle, and it’s not dripping with water anymore, rendering it safe for me to hold, thanks to the sun. I gently set it down on the floor in the center of our home as I hear Areia trot in. Turning to face her, I find she’s bringing in a second crate; this one being a bit smaller than mine. She sets it down beside mine and smiles as she looks up at me. I nuzzle the top of her head before trotting for the door and putting my hoof over the handle. The sun’s light has dimmed, and the sky has grown darker outside, signaling the end of the day and the beginning of what was going to be an eventful night for us. It is almost time to show her the stars. I close the door as I turn back to her. “Quite the discovery, Areia.” Letting out an excited giggle, she prances in place, overcome with joy. “I wonder what’s inside!” She gasps as her smile widens, and her eyes light up with wonder. “Do you think it’s full of fish!? Or books!? Or-or fish AND books!?” She taps her hooves together in anticipation as she grins down at them. “I’m half tempted to just rip them open with my teeth!” “I still find it peculiar that no one was on board the vessel.” I state as I calmly approach her. I rest a hoof on the back of her neck, regarding the two containers. “And you’re certain there were no bodies?” “Yeah…” She quiets down, looking up at me with a now baffled expression. “It’s the weirdest thing, no creatures in sight!” “This raises a lot of questions. For starters, whoever made the vessel was far beyond a primitive mindset, and had the knowledge to create advanced technologies. That takes time.” I glance down at the crates. “Areia… when you went down there, how exactly did you get in?” She giggles slightly. “I went in through the bottom! There was a large hole. It didn’t look like it was supposed to be like that.” She frowns, rubbing her hoof along her chin. My eyes flicker red. “Areia…” I focus intently on the crates. “I would heavily advise you to stay away from that vessel from this point onward. If this is true, then there’s something big in the ocean.” I turn back to her, enveloping her form in a red glare. “I suspect that it tore through the hull of the vessel with ease. If all the creatures that were on board are now missing…” I shake my head, trying to free myself of the thought. “I don’t want you to become one of them…” “But…” “I wasn’t aware of the risk we took tonight. I can only hope it’s moved on elsewhere, but predators often like to linger around fallen prey. I don’t know what I’d do if you became a victim to whatever it was that killed the crew.” Areia huffs slightly, clearly a bit indignant, but her expression softens. “War… I’ve been swimming these waters for ages, I’ve fought off numerous creatures…” She smiles faintly before gently caressing the side of my head. “But… if you’ll feel better that I don’t go near the submarine thing, then I’ll leave it alone from now on.” “Thank you, Areia…” My vision flashes from red to blue again, coating her sweet, endearing body in my light. “I know you’ve been living all across the ocean your whole life. I don’t underestimate your strength. I know you’re nimble, I know you can defend yourself. But you’re not invincible. There are things out there that you can’t face. Much like there are things I cannot face. Whatever tore into the vessel is not only a major threat to you, but to me as well.” I gently run my hoof along the side of her head, to which she leans against it, letting out a low playful growl from her gills as she closes her eyes. “It could rip even me in half, if it caught me.” “It’ll have to catch me first…” “Areiaaaaa…” I reply in a disapproving tone of voice as I withdraw my hoof. She lets out a giggle in response. “Whaaaat? It’s not like I’m going to go searching for trouble with the local sea monsters.” Leaning forward, she boops her nose to my foreleg. “You better not.” I lightly bap her on the nose in response. “Otherwise, you’re going to wake up with a frowny face on me instead of a smile.” Her eyes widen with horror. “Eep!” I chuckle and wrap a wing around the back of her neck, pulling her in close and nuzzling the top of her head. “Shall we see what’s inside the containers?” “Mhm!” She nods and turns around as I fold my wing back. Her tail is swaying to and fro with excitement, giving me yet another view of her backside. I quickly lower my head. I’m not looking for the situation with my systems rebelling against my mainframe again. She grabs the smaller crate, dragging it back towards me. “Open this one first!” She exclaims as she bats my chest with her tail. I lift my head to her again, before standing up and coming up to her side as she examines the wooden structure. I set a hoof down atop it as the tips of my wings twist the screws in each corner out. Suction online. Activate. As I lift my hoof, the lid comes with, to which I drop it beside the once contained belongings. Inside is a bed of straw; a rather old technique to safely stow away fragile items. How… old fashioned… I found myself missing zero gravity storage containment… Areia digs her hooves in, shuffling the straw around, before tossing it out. … And having it land on me. “Hey War, do you know what this is?” Turning around as I wipe my visor clear of the straw, she thrusts something into my hooves. I look down at the item of interest, turning it over from all sides. It’s a glass bottle kept sealed away with its fragile, transparent walls and a cork at the neck. Much like the crate it came from, there are no labels, but inside, is a near-black liquid. Scanning molecular compounds… … Scan complete. Cataloguing. I reach it back out to her. “It’s rum. You can drink it, but I’m going to monitor your consumption. It can be lethal in larger doses.” She recoils from the bottle, an expression of horror etched on her face. “Why would anypony drink something like that!?” I set the bottle down beside me. “It’s a means of pleasure to many. Though there can be a variety of side effects. It can easily result in addictive personality, liver failure, heart disease, going unconscious, regurgitation, shortening the life span - depending on how frequent an alcoholic intake is - and may result in the death of an individual who has had too much in such short notice. Oh, and on a very rare occasion, spontaneous combustion of raging alcoholics.” Areia sits stock still for a second, blinking rapidly. “Let’s… let’s just set that down to the side and see what else is in here!” She quickly turns to the crate. “Acknowledged. Worst case scenario, we can find medicinal use for it.” I take my hoof off the bottle, sitting it upright. She continues digging into the crate, before pulling out a broadsword, eyeing the sharp blade intently. “Whoa…” She murmurs. Scanning… … Scan complete. Cataloguing. Blood stains this sword from decades ago. Reports indicate the various strains along the blade range up from 34 different creatures, all of which were ponies. That is, if the molecular coding is anything close to the ponies I watched over in the tower. I believe that this has seen a war. The hilt of the instrument houses a dark blue sapphire; its intricately designed housing, silver. “I’ve only ever seen these in my books!” She slides her hoof along the flat of the blade. “Weapons will often times get a name from their owner.” I state. “Do you have a name for yours?” “Wait, mine?” She looks up at me with excitement. “I don’t see anyone else claiming it. Therefore it’s yours.” I pat her on the back softly. “A name…” Looking back down to the sword, she thinks for a bit, continuing to run her hoof along the blade. “Mmm… Sharktooth!” She announces proudly, thrusting the blade into the air in a near triumphant gesture. “A fitting name.” I chuckle softly as I look further into the crate. I dig my wings in, scooping the extra straw out, before reaching the bottom. I soon reveal a photograph sitting face up. “Oh.” I lift it up. The picture is of a mare, looking over her shoulder at the camera in a sultry gaze, biting her lip as her tail raises. The background is night, and she appears to be on a balcony. There are words scribbled at the bottom, just below her perky crotch tits; something I’ve been taking a lot of recent interest in, in regards to Areia. ‘Come back soon.’ “Hm? What’s that you’ve got there, War?” The shark pony in question speaks from behind me, her voice muffled by something. I look to my right and find a collar meant for more private activities is trapped in her teeth. Where did that come from? Was the crate storing that too? “A-Areia…” If I could blush… Hesitantly, I display the picture to her. “Does this... say anything to you? Personally?” “What do you… why is she doing that?” She cocks her head, eyes focusing on the mare. “It’s a sex thing.” I reply, keeping my eyes on her. Her heartbeat remains at a steady pace, implying this has no stimulation on her. “W-wait… you mean what we were talking about a while back?” I nod. “Affirmative. Whoever this crate belonged to, they stored what appears to be keepsakes. Things that were of sentimental value to them. I imagine that a male owned this at one point.” “So the mare gave the stallion this picture?” “Affirmative. I can only assume as much. They most likely shared intimacy with each other.” I stand up, setting the photo down atop the lid at my hooves as I regard her. “If it’s alright with you Areia, I would like to save the other crate for later. I want to show you what I promised I would.” Nodding, she smiles and props the sword on the larger trunk. “Eee!” She lets out a small squee. “We’re going to space!?” “Affirmative. In a… sense. For one night only. After this, I won’t be able to do it anymore.” I step over to the center of the cave, and as my chest opens, I reach in and grab the projector within, setting it down on the floor before me. My chestplate slides back into place as I back away from it. Sitting down, Areia tilts her head in bewilderment as her long, well toned tail curls around her forehooves. “Wha-” She drops the collar in her teeth, finally. “Are you ready, sandshark?” I tilt my head to the side, regarding her in turn. Her ears perk up at my question, excitement shining in her eyes. “I’m ready! Take me to the stars!” She replies, the end of her tail now joining in with her excitement, flicking from side to side. Project flight trajectory within the last 134 years on an intergalactic scale. Confirmed. Display all various key locations and landmarks. Confirmed. Hundreds of thousands of stars shoot up around the cave. Planets and gas giants orbit suns in various different systems, and orbiting them are various moons, assisting in keeping them anchored to their endless orbital path. “Whoa!” Areia’ magenta pearls grow wide as she takes in the display before her. Her eyes glow with the light of the universe around her; an infinite expanse of stars, yet she is the only star I need. Asteroids float on into the infinite. Some make contact with planets, while others continue to drift on into the emptiness, traveling alone in the darkness. Like I once did. Stars were born. Stars died. Their once lively forms leaving behind a glimpse into the void. I stand up and walk through the various lights, before tapping a hoof over the holographic projection of a wormhole. “I came from here. Somewhere on the other side is the place - the people I once served under.” She nods slowly, before her eyes drift away from me, taking in the sights once more. “It’s beautiful…” She says in a near whisper, looking all around her at the universe she and I reside in. “Affirmative.” I reply in the same tone and volume she offers me as I regard her directly, studying the wonder in her eyes. “She is…” Areia turns to me, basking in the light of a hundred thousand stars, surrounding her form in a gentle blue aura. Her eyes are drawn up in surprise. She draws in a breath as her face goes red in a fierce blush. “Y-you… think… I-I’m beautiful…?” I shake my head. “Negative. I don’t think. I know you’re beautiful. You’re the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever had the fortune to set my eyes on.” I hang my head down for a moment, before looking back at her again, chuckling softly. “This is going to sound ridiculous coming from a machine, but… I’ve been reading through your books, and each description I find on the word fits what I feel for you. And, well, to put it simply… I think I love you, Areia. The moment I first saw you, something sparked inside me. I couldn’t figure it out. I saw it only as a glitch in my system. A virus, a mistake. I wasn’t built to love. But, in a manner of speaking, you rewrote my code. Maybe it’s mixed with the damage to my systems when I crashed on the island, but it’s not something I would ever think to remove. Not anymore…” I reach a hoof out to her as my core hums with a welcoming warmth. “You make me feel alive.” She sits there, eyes focused on my hoof as a massive shudder travels through her body. Her heart rate is increasing rapidly. Finally, she brings her gaze up to mine, her eyes - still glowing in the wondrous lights that surround us - glisten with unshed tears. “Areia? Is something wrong?” I tilt my head in a curious manner. “Did I hurt you? You’re starting to cry.” “War…” Areia stands up in one smooth motion, her glowing form rippling, as if the ocean and space came together as one. Her hooves silently move across the ground as she seems to glide towards me. She is… swimming, almost… Her eyes never leave the gaze of my optics as she traverses the universe. Her tears, now running freely down her cheeks, sparkle like the stars. There is a hunger in her eyes. Not that of a threat, but one filled with a sweet tenderness. One with care and affection. As she reaches the center of the room, she comes to a halt, her hooves spread out in an almost predatory stance. Again, I hear her voice. “War… I…” Her words seem to halt as her face expresses a flurry of emotions. As if they are trapped within her. Suddenly, she bursts forth, bounding toward me with wild abandon, her eyes telling it all. Reaching me on the other side of the universe, she comes to a stop, her muzzle inches from mine as she stares deep into my visor. Her hoof meets mine, wrapping around it and squeezing with such surprising strength, even for Areia. She… Her lips press softly to where mine would be, if I had been built with a pair. Her eyes close as her lips purse against the plating over my lower face, along the end of the simulated muzzle that was issued in my design. Her hooves meet at the back of my neck as she sits on her haunches, and I follow in her actions, holding her close to me as she displays her feelings to me through a long, silent kiss. Optics offline… One of her hooves travel across the side of my neck, to my collar, and eventually come to a stop over where my core resides. Her tail soon occupies the place at my neck where her hoof once resided, wrapping around me gently. Her lips press deeper against me as a soft moan escapes her. “W-War…” She whimpers as her heart picks up rhythm. “Areia…” I whisper, running the tip of my hoof down her spine, gradually running it down to the base of her tail. My wings flare out in a swift motion, before gently wrapping her in a cocoon of my love and warmth. Areia gasps as my hoof reaches where her tail and the rest of her body join, her back arching almost instinctively as her tail tightens its grip on me. To my surprise, she emits that deep purr of hers, though there’s a different tone to it. There’s something… more. I gently lift her off the ground, cradling her with my wings as I stand on my two rear hooves, slowly advancing for the makeshift bed we share, all the while keeping my eyes locked on hers. She reciprocates my affection with a nuzzle to my chest, smiling up at me as her eyes glue to mine in turn. Her tail slides down my form, wrapping around my waist as I carefully set her down, getting atop her and nuzzling her muzzle appreciatively. “I’m happy with the type of pony you made me become.” I whisper. “Thank you, Areia, so much, for what you have done.” I run a forehoof down her chest, feeling her smooth, exhilarating body. “I love you so much…” Her hooves meet mine, bringing it back to her chest. Her heart pulses warmly against my sensors. It’s faster… stronger. There’s an energy behind each thump in her chest, resonating through me. Reaching out to me, exploring my body. That energy embraces my core, holding it the way I’m holding her. Her heart is singing to me, and my core is singing back in a synchronized harmony. “I… love you too.” Areia replies almost breathlessly. Her words travel straight to my core, alighting it with… Euphoric bliss. It’s as if a thin veil lifts, filling my… my soul. I nuzzle her chest before placing an ear over her heart as I trace the tips of my wings along her sides, slowly caressing them down her lithe, athletic form, down to her flanks. One of my forehooves run along her stomach, near her navel, to which I notice her body shiver as her heart rapidly increases its pace. A small breath escapes her lips, and I lift my head to look up at her. “Ooh…” She’s looking down our bodies, where my hoof rests on her navel. Her chest presses into my chin as her back arches and her grip on me tightens. “W-what… was that? W-why do I feel so… mmh… w-weird? Yet… so… good?” I look down and find that the area around the underside of her tail is wet. Her breasts seem to have perked up from the attention as well. “Well, Areia…” I say in a near whisper, looking back up at her. “It seems I have quite the effect on you.” I carefully roll off to the side, lying beside her as I regard her. The tingling sensation in my lower half is trying to break free from the containment of my groinal plating. Propping herself up by her forehooves, she peers down at her lower regions. “Why do I feel we-” Her words come to an abrupt halt as surprise flashes across her face, before turning into embarrassment. “U-um…” She glances at me in mortification, but I run a hoof along her back as an attempt to reassure her it’s okay. “I-I think I… um…” Her face goes bright red. “I’m so sorry!” She cries out in a panic. “I didn’t mean to p-p-pee.” I chuckle and lift myself up, holding her from behind and nuzzling her shoulder. “That’s not what you think it is, Areia.” I lift her body up for a moment, only to set her down on top of me. I run my hooves along her chest, slowly navigating down her body. “Do you feel it?” I whisper in her ear. “The urge?” They gradually trace down her stomach, exploring her navel further, just before reaching the mounds of her tits. “The temptation?” I circle around them as she shivers, moaning softly behind her breath. “W-War, oh…” “The heat? The glory?” I press my muzzle into the side of her neck as I trace the very tips of my hooves along her nipples in a circular motion. She squeaks at the contact, before her moans pick up in volume. “A-aah! War! W-what-” “The passion?” I gradually slide one hoof free from one of her tits as I use my rear hooves to spread hers apart. I run the forehoof along her soaked nethers, which wink at me lustfully, begging me to give her more attention down there. “W-Ahhhhhh!” She pulls her head back in a cry of passion, arching her back as her body shivers at my touch. “W-what are you doing to m-me…? Why do I feel… so… ahhh… g-good…?” She breathlessly murmurs, looking at me in a daze. “W-what is this…?” I slide the tip of my hoof past her clit, breaching her ever so slightly as she cries out in pleasure. “This, Areia…” I say as I massage her eager nethers with one hoof, and one of her tits with a wing as I pull my other hoof back. “Is just the start of a very long and eventful, sex-filled night…” I press my muzzle to her cheek in an attempt to simulate a kiss on her behalf. “Do you… want me to proceed?” I ask tentatively as the urge continues to build up inside me. Her eyes widen, her breath becoming almost feral in nature. “Y-you mean like… m-mating? Y-you want to mate with me? Reproduce?” “Recreationatelly. My cum is purely artificial. I can’t get you pregnant.” I press my hoof further into her, teasing her more. “Mmmmh!” She moans behind a hoof, almost screaming. Her hind legs, as if with a mind of their own, spread farther out, twitching with her arousal, which in turn gives me even better access to her. I slide in deeper at her generous, loving offer. “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!” Areia roars at the top of her lungs, as her body seems to release all the pressure that had built up by my exploration of her. I pull my hoof out slowly as her climax gushes out over my plating, which was thankfully, evidently not cracked. Expiration by mare’s orgasm was not a way I would want to go. I withdraw my hoof, but as her excitement continues to pool up between her legs, I quickly run my wing tip along her slit, stimulating her further. In the midst of her orgasmic cries, she gasps, before increasing in volume. “A-AHHHH! WAR! WH-OHHH!” Her tail goes rigid, straightened out completely as she arches her back against my chest and stomach. Note added. Shark ponies get tail boners. As she slowly starts to calm down, and the last of her juices drip out from her in the wave, I withdraw my wing. “We’re not done yet.” I state as I carefully slide out from under her, standing up. I tower over her, studying her panting, twitching form. The compartment over my groin slides open, revealing my silicone designed appendage to her. The same girth and length, along with the appearance of an average stallion hangs down over her stomach; my tip gently rubbing between her tits. I look down at her and gently press my muzzle to hers, simulating another kiss, before lifting myself back up. “I assume you’ve only seen one in books.” I state, glancing down at it for a moment. “Do you want to study it, first?” Areia’s eyes focus on my 26 inch dick like a laser pointer. “T-that’s what i-it looks like?” Her voice filled with lustful wonder. “T-there were no pictures in my books… Looking at i-it makes me feel weird… But… a good… weird…” She reaches a hoof out, tracing along the shaft from base to tip, feeling every curve and simulated vein, exploring it to her heart’s content. It’s pulsating with excitement. Throbbing to her soothing touch. Optics offline… I hear her scoot down a little, moving underneath me more for a moment, before her hooves run along my balls, leaving no inch of me untraced. Squeezing them gently, massaging them sensually. Then… Her nose presses against them as she takes in a breath. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Areia, but my simulation doesn’t come with the scent of a normal stallion. That’s the one factor that was left out of my build.” “Mmmm…” She murmurs softly. “But it smells like… mmm… you…” She presses her muzzle into the space between the underside of my cock at the base and my balls, taking another long whiff before her saliva begins sliding down. I was unaware of how… amazing… this felt… This must have come with the malfunction to my systems, because I have never heard of another machine experiencing this level of pleasure before. This is entirely new. “A-Areia… I…” I pause for a moment, trying to gather my scrambled thoughts. “Mmm?” Her husky voice rumbles into the underside of my girth, just before she traces her muzzle along the shaft, gradually venturing to the tip. Thankfully, in my case, I was still able to cum on demand. Otherwise I would have already done so. “This f-feels… incredible…” She lets out a soft purr through her gills as her tongue slides around my tip, teasing the urethra. Why were my wings trembling…? “Oh, Areia…” “War…” Areia’s voice rumbles as she softly kisses the tip. Optics online. I look down between my legs just in time to see her suckling at the tip, pumping my cock with her lips firmly wrapped around it. “O-ooh…” Her hooves travel up my rear legs, pulling me down a little more as my shaft slides further into her mouth. Her tongue travels all around my girth, exploring me further. Her saliva coats more than a quarter of my dick as she bobs her head up and down, pumping me deeper inside her. I can see the bulge of my flare going up and down her throat as she growls deeper with need. She wants more… I slowly descend a little more, feeding her her lustful desires as well as mine, gently thrusting into her. She moans and gags, but keeps coming for more. Growling with a feral instinct as she nears my sheath, deepthroating me to levels I wasn’t aware she could handle. “Ah, A-Areia!” … I think I am starting to lose control of my commands… “A-Areia, I can’t… I can’t control it. I’m g-getting close!” Pulling down on me with a near impossible feral strength, she finally and violently hilts me in her throat, her tongue rubbing circles on the underside of my cock. My balls twitch against her chin as I lift my head up, crying out as climax reaches for release. Within mere seconds, I pump my hot, artificial seed deep inside her, wave after wave, with each throb in the simulated muscles. “AREIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” I cry out as I slam even deeper into her, pressing the back of her head against the bed as I fill her up from the inside. “MMMM!!! MMMM!! Gllk! Glllk… Ghlllk…” Areia gulps down my seed with feral abandon. Slightly overwhelmed by the amount I am ejaculating into her stomach, my cum bursts from her mouth, splattering over her face as I look back down at her. I begin to notice as I keep pumping more into her, not letting up, that her belly is slowly expanding out a little. More of my cum spurts out from her mouth, covering a large portion of her face in my sticky, hot mess, before the last of my orgasm finishes. “O-oh, Areia…” I chuckle softly as I slowly begin to slide my cock out from her. But in doing so, she quickly grabs my flanks and forces me back down, growling aggressively. “A-ah! W-whoa, Areia…” I can feel her working her throat as she squeezes every last ounce of my cum out from my cock, gulping rhythmically and moaning. “Mmm….m-mm…. Gllk… slrp… Gllk…” Finally, as the very last of my wave is inside her, she lets me go, but not before placing another kiss on my tip. I slowly pull away, before collapsing on my back. Before I have time to react, she gets up over me with a hungry look in her eyes as she licks the cum from her lips. She begins to grin as she positions my cock just below her nethers. “W-wait, Areia, what are you-” Growling needfully, she presses down on my tip, before I pop into her tight, velvet love tunnel. She arches her back, releasing a cry of pleasure. “Grrrrrnnaaahhhhhh…” A cross between a growl and a purr escapes from her as she brings her gaze down to me. Her eyes are wide with feral lust, and deep within, love. Slowly, she rocks her hips back and forth. A surprising action, considering her state. “Mmrrrrr… Mmmm… Mmnnn…” “A-ahh… Areia... “ I arch my back, looking up at her and running my hooves along her hips as she rides me, taking in the wonderful sight of her. Screenshot saved. A picture will last longer than I ever will at this point. “Mmmhhh… W-waaaarrr…” She suddenly gasps, a new light brightening in her eyes. “I-I… Mmmrrrrrhh…I need… you…” She pulls herself up, moaning with feral passion as only my tip is left penetrating her flower. “I need you so badly, War… I d-don’t know why… but I need you inside me… Mmmrrrrrrhhh… Deep…” As she speaks behind her moan, she slides back down my shaft, closing her eyes and lifting her head to the ceiling as she cries out. “N-nyaaaaaaaa!” Her walls tighten around me as my tip presses into her cervix; throbbing deep inside her with excitement. I take her hoof in mine, holding it as she begins to slowly raise again, whimpering as she bites her other hoof. As she nears the tip, she descends again, picking up her momentum and repeating her actions. “Nnnph… War…” She growls. “I… mmmph! Feel you… Nnnngghh… I-inside me… A-aah! Feel you… stretching me… Uuuuhnn… pushi-ing deepe- Ooooooh!” “Ahhh, Areia… Mmm…” I thrust my hips up a little as she comes down on me, pushing as deep as I can inside her, moaning under my simulated breath. It may have been just a program within me to make me feel more real; an act… but this is real. I am real. My love for her is real. All of this is real. “Ahh… Ari…” My wings unfold beneath me, stretching out to both sides as I feel the pressure building up inside me. The emotions, the sensations, the energy between us… growing. “I-I love you so much!” I press my hooves into her hips, massaging them as she bounces up and down on my eager cock. “I love- Mmmmph! I love you too!” Areia cries, her eyes starting to lose focus as she brings herself down hard. “UUunnff!” My tip slams into her cervix, almost breaching her womb as I continue to press hard into her. Her face is in a state of startled pleasure. Her tongue sticks out. The racing rhythm of her heart resonates through her body, through my hooves. Singing to me. My core continues to mock her beat, synchronizing with it as an immense heat beams off me. “A-Areia, I’m so c-close… Hah, Areia!” I sit up and wrap my arms firmly around her, meeting at her back as I pump hard into her cervix repeatedly. I press my ear to her chest, listening to her heart as I begin to breach into her womb. I notice a golden light in my peripherals shining from her necklace as we both scream in bliss, letting our orgasm overtake us. My hot seed spurts into her womb, filling her up, before slipping out from her cervix, coating everything in my pleasure. It doesn’t take long before it gushes out from her. My balls twitch sporadically as I pump the enhanced load of my cum into her, moaning and panting heavily. The light of Areia’s necklace slowly fades as she collapses against me, eyes closed. Moaning at each pulse of my buried cock. We both begin to lower our voices as the last of my orgasm flows into her. I gently lower myself onto my back, bringing her with me and letting her lay on my chest; both of us are covered in each other’s excitement. Evidently, there was no damage to my plating on the underside of my body. I loosen my grip a little on her, nuzzling the top of her head playfully. “You’re the best thing to have ever happened to me, Areia…” I whisper behind a worn out pant, before chuckling, giving her one last teasing pump into her womb. “I am yours. Forever.” “And I… mm… am yours… forever…” Areia moans happily as she lifts her head slightly to focus her gaze upon mine. “I never would have thought… that I’d find… mm… happiness… That I would find somepony…” She leans back, slightly pressing me deeper into her womb. “Now… I have you… A-and you have me…” I run a hoof through her mane ever so gently, gazing deep into her tired eyes. “We will never be lost again. I never would have thought I’d be alive like I am now. Thank you, Areia…” I imitate a kiss to her lips tenderly. “My star shark…” Sighing happily, she relaxes into our kiss. “My comet…” She moans under her breath. “My Warhorse…” I moan softly under my breath as I nestle my cock a little further inside her, holding her in a loving embrace as I rest the back of my head against our bed. She presses her ear over my core as it hums with its gentle radiance, warming her from the night, but not enough to cost her her life. She is a shark, after all. Her natural climate is cold. I can’t overdo it. Lukewarm to room temperatures is the farthest I’ll go. I gently pet the back of her head with a wing as I stare up at the starlit ceiling. “Goodnight, my Areia.” I glance down at her as I resume. “I’ll see you in the-” Her mouth is hung slightly open as a light snore escapes her, her cheek pressing against my chest as the light of the holographic universe envelopes the cave in a dim, blue glow. “... Right.” I chuckle under my breath and rest my head back down on the bed. Optics offline. Interstellar Communication offline. Shutting down.
Chapter 7-SEVEN Y-YEARS L@T_RChapter 7-SEVEN Y-YEARS L@T_R "What's it like to hold your child in your arms? Interlinked." <|> I stare down at the filly before me, holding her mother tight in her arms as they both slumber peacefully. My core hums softly in my chest as my love for them overwhelms me a great deal. Anomaly detected. I chuckle softly and nod. “Affirmative.” I study the variety of white dots along her small, dark grey form as her disheveled bluish-purple mane curtains over her right eye. I reach down and run my hoof along the side of her face as she lets out a light snore, taking after her mother in that field. I still can’t understand how it happened. I’m a machine. Sentient, but still mechanical in nature. Developing a soul, as Ari calls it, doesn’t change reality. I’m not... or rather, I thought I wasn’t able to create life. That I wasn’t capable of creating anything. So much as a new song, or a piece of unwritten literature. Yet, somehow… Areia managed to defy all of it. We bent the rules of reality together. And I can’t be any happier from the outcome. Something I keep coming back to was the light that shone from her necklace in our first night of passion. There’s something about it I can’t quite place. It feels important. “My two shooting stars…” I whisper, looking down at both of them as they lie on the mattress they built together, which is supported by the wooden bedframe I made long ago. The filly suddenly yawns as I pull my hoof away, letting out the cutest sound as she stretches, baring her fangs. Her tail wraps around her mother’s as her magenta eye opens, looking up at me with the most heartfelt smile she has to offer. She brushes her mane aside, revealing to me her other eye, being blue. The same shade of my visor color. “Daddy!” She beams, stretching her arms out to me. “Anomaly, my dear.” I lift her up carefully with my wings, cradling her as she wraps her arms around to the back of my neck. She nestles into me as her tail unravels, only to tighten around my forehoof. She emits a sound I know well. After all, both her and her mother do it a lot; that rumbling, or rather, in Anomaly’s case, purring. She nuzzles into me, her purrs becoming much louder. “Mmmm… Good morning, daddy!” She giggles into my chest, before I feel her begin to gnaw on the edge of the plating. “Now, now.” I chide, looking down at her. “What have we said about that?” She grins up at me mischievously. “Ooh! Ooh! Only do it if you’re asleep, so you don’t find out!” I tilt my head for a moment as she begins to giggle again, hiding her muzzle behind a forehoof. “Well, then…” I set her down on her back, pinning her to the ground. “I just found out. So maybe I’ll do it to you!” I press my muzzle to her belly as I buzz violently, to which she bursts into laughter, thrashing around violently. “Eeeeheeheeheehahaa! N-no! Daddy! No more! Eeaahhaheeheehee! You got meeeeehheheheeheeeee!” She cries out, barely able to speak over her laughter. “What’s that? Bvvvt! Can’t hear you!” More giggling ensues from my ticklish filly as she thrashes about in relentless abandon in attempts to escape the raspberry. The memory comes back… The filly from the tower, trying desperately to crawl away from me… I jolt back as my visor flashes red for a moment. I land on my haunches, looking down at my daughter as she slowly recovers from her fit of laughter, but the spark of guilt within me is deep… I shake my head, putting a hoof to my temple. “O-oh…” I murmur, hanging my head down. “Daddy?” I look up at her to find she’s sitting up, staring back in wonder. “W-what’s wrong…?” I can’t let her know what I did… “I-I just got a m-m-message from the stars. They wanted me to t-tell you that you’re the most a-adorable filly in the entire universe.” I stand up and approach her calmly, pressing my muzzle lightly to her forehead. “Mmmmrpphhh…” My little star’s eyes widen as we hear a certain, wondrous sound. “Moooooommmyyy!” My filly cries out as she bolts towards her mother, scrambling to find purchase on the cave floor. Areia, having only just woken up, lets out an, “Oof!” as our filly tackle-hugs her. “Mommy…” Like with me, Anomaly clings to Areia, purring contentedly as Areia nuzzles into her mane, chuckling with happiness. “Good morning, my dear Ani.” She gently lifts herself up, still holding Anomaly with her right forehoof. Glancing back over at me, she smiles widely at the sight of me. “Good morning, my love.” “G-good morning, my s-s-star.” I reply, before sighing as I slouch my shoulders. “A-apologies. My voca-vocabulary unit is on the fffffffritz again.” “Ani, my dear.” Areia says in a soothing voice as she glances down at her. “Can you prepare breakfast?” “Awww, but what if I mess up?” She pouts, looking from her to me, to her again. “I believe in you, Ani.” Areia says as she runs a hoof along the back of her head. “You’ve helped me do it a hundred times.” “Correction. 308 t-times in tot-total.” Areia’s smile widens a little as she rolls her eyes. Soon after, she nuzzles her nose. “You got this.” Anomaly’s ears perk up at her mother’s words. “R-really?” “O-of course, Anomaly.” I say as I stand up and approach the bed carefully. “Mommy and I just need a-a moment. We’ll be joining you very s-soon.” I press my muzzle to her cheek as I wrap a hoof around her shoulder. “Okay, daddy!” She gets ready to bounce off the bed, before pausing for a moment. She then looks back at the two of us, beaming with joy. “You know… I’d really love to have another sibling.” Without another word, she scampers off to the kitchen, humming cheerfully as she goes. A bright shade of red grows on Areia’s cheeks as she regards me, and for a moment, glances down at my lower region, before returning to my eyes. She lets out a small chuckle, before moving in and hugging me close. “Your voice is glitching out again, love. Did you see her again?” I nod. “Affirmative…” I proceed to nuzzle her ear gently, before sighing. “It’s been happening at the worst possible times lately, too. Like when I’m playing with Ani…” Areia’s ears fold back slightly as she leans against me. “I wish these episodes you keep having would stop, if only so you can be free to play with our daughter. You deserve to be happy too, with both of us.” “That’s… the thing, Ari.” I run a hoof along her cheek as I look back at her, pressing my muzzle lightly to hers as she gazes into my eyes. “I have the option to delete core memories, such as that. But… I haven’t. It keeps me in check. I think I’m… scared… about losing it. What if…” I hang my head down in shame as that familiar pit of despair swallows me whole again. “What if I get rid of it, and I become something else…? What if I’m not me if I do…?” “War…” She puts a hoof to my muzzle as if to stop me. “Even if you delete those memories, I don’t think you would ever change. Not when you made so many with me. With us. I… understand why you want to keep these memories, and I even agree with you. But I worry… that if one of your episodes gets to be too much, that you could…” She freezes as she bites her lip, averting her eyes. Her heart rate begins to quicken. “... Hurt yourself… and others…” Something strikes my core. Not of physical mass. Something deeper. It hurts. I tilt my head to the side, regarding her as I realize why. “So you’re… scared of me…” I state matter of factly. Confusion flashes across her face, as she seems to process my words. “What…?” Her eyes widen as her hooves fly to her mouth, realization spreading across her face. “No! No, no, no! That is not what I’m trying to say! At all!” In a gentle manner, I wrap her in a loving embrace with my arms and wings, resting my chin on her shoulder. “I understand, Areia. I mean…” I glance over at her to find she’s keeping to herself, but her ears are slightly folded back. I whisper, so as to keep from Ani from hearing this. “I almost killed you…” She shivers slightly as she closes her eyes only for a moment, before opening them again and looking up at me. Tears well up in them. “I-it’s not you… that I’m scared of… Never… It’s what’s causing you to have these episodes. I-I can see it, your pain, whenever you have them… It tears away at you… and yet… you let it be l-like… like you w-want to be punished. It hurts… so bad, watching you do this to yourself…” I sigh and nod as a tightness develops around my core, tightening and choking my battery. Destroying it ever so slowly. “I… am punishing myself, Areia. For what I did. But… I see your concerns.” I lightly run my hoof along her chest, kissing her on the lips lightly. “If you really feel like I’m ready… If you really feel like I have enough memories of you and Ani to help define who I am… who I want to be… then…” I nuzzle her ear as I whisper. “I’ll delete it. I want you both to feel safe… But I need you to tell me that I’m ready…” Areia lays her head against my chest, her arms wrapping around me as her tail snakes around my torso. “I honestly don’t know, War. All I know is that you’ll be ready when you decide you’re ready.” She sighs, staring at a spot on my chest as she presses a hoof to it. “My brain hurts thinking about this. Both options aren’t… the best…” I hang my head down, lightly pressing the top of it against her muzzle. “Right… Well, I don’t feel ready. I’d like to be ready. To not have to worry about the things I’ve done before. But I’m just… not.” I look back up at her. “I’ll hold onto the memory for now. I’ll try to… cope with it better.” I lightly tap her nose with the tip of my hoof. “I love you, Areia.” A soft, rumbling purr emits from her gills as she looks up at me. A wide smile spreads across her face. “I love you too, War.” Areia lifts her head slightly and pecks my cheek with a kiss. I run my hoof gently along her gills, to which she gasps. Her eyes grow wide for a second, before calming down and melting in my arms. “W-War, c’mon… Mmm… N-not now, we’re about to have breakfast!” She giggles, before leaning into my ear. “Tonight, okay…?” “Affirmative.” I whisper back. “I’ll be more careful this time. I’m still really sorry about last time. I didn’t realize how sensitive they really were.” She chuckles and murmurs against my chest. “Ah, you didn’t know, War. I can’t blame you for wanting to make me feel good.” I’ll throw in a back and tail massage later to further my apology.” I nuzzle into her neck just a little; grazing over her gills. “I know how much you like them…” “Sounds like a p-plan…” She slyly snakes her tail between my hind legs and rubs her fins against the protective plating that shelters the stallion part of me she loves to play with so very much. “But again, no need to apologize.” She proceeds to bap me lightly on the nose. I chuckle softly and boop my nose to hers for a moment. “Let’s go help Anomaly with breakfast, love.” “Mmmmm… Yes…” Another purr emits from her as she pulls away gently, kissing me on the cheek once more. As she walks toward the kitchen, her tail trails along my neck before giving me a brief show of what’s to come tonight. She sways her hips as she walks. There it goes again… My dick has a mind of its own… I never permitted authorization for it to act on its own accord, but ever since I first started to notice her in that manner, it’s been like this. I shake my head, laughing under my breath as I get up and trot to her side. As I do, I slip the tip of my wing under her tail, caressing her lips. Though, by pure accident, they slip into her a little. “E-eep, War!” I trot past, sliding the same wing along her hip, laughing a little louder. Operation Payback is a success. I stop before Anomaly, who’s sitting at the stove we had salvaged from a galley. Several fish are cooking inside. Areia steps up to me, huffing in annoyance at my actions as her face - now bright red - turns to mine in an exasperated glare. Though behind that, I can see she’s eager. Anomaly turns to the two of us, before a sad glint in her eyes starts to grow. She frowns, before turning to me with the saddest, yet most endearing pony eyes she can conjure up. “D-does this mean I’m not getting a sibling…?” Areia opens her mouth, her irritation stricken from her face as she tries to speak, only for her words to be cut short. “We… Bu… I…” Her hoof sways between pointing at me or Anomaly. “If I’m really, really good, then could I?” Anomaly, seemingly taking advantage of the opportunity my poor sand shark gives her, pulls her bottom lip up as her eyes quiver with mock tears. “Ani, my love.” I run my hoof along the back of her head, petting her as I look down at her. “The chance of you having a sibling is pretty high.” I nuzzle the top of her head and giggle as a small gasp escapes Areia’s lips. “But it takes a lot of time and patience.” The wide grin that spreads across Anomaly’s face is enough to bring a singing warmth to my core. “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!” She suddenly shrieks as she rockets into the air, before flopping back down to the ground. Mere milliseconds after she hits the carved flooring of a smoother, linear surface, she spring backs into the air, dancing around us in an elated cheer. “I’m gonna have a sibliiiiiiing! I’m gonna have a sibliiiiiiiing!” Areia slumps over in defeat. Though, I can see her mouth starting to form a large grin as her eyes follow our daughter’s attempt at reaching orbit. “Well, your father and I were going to try toni-” Areia’s eyes widen at the realization of what she just said. Anomaly catches on to her statement almost instantly, before bouncing even higher, screaming with joy at a higher volume. “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” I look at Areia, to which she looks back at me with a puzzled expression. “A-Anomaly, do you…” I turn back to her. “Where do you think you came from?” “From the stars!” She beams as she thrusts a forehoof to the ceiling. “On the back of a giant whale! To give to you and mommy!” Areia chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “You’re gonna call the whale back, and I’m gonna get a little brother or sister!” She hops up onto my back, before hopping over to Areia’s and climbing atop her head. “Gonna call the sperm whale back…” I mutter under my breath, keeping my eyes locked on Ari. “And ride the shark till first light…” She looks back at me and winks. “To nirvana.” I add as I nuzzle her cheek. Giggling, Areia nuzzles me back, before glancing at the stove. “Hun, why don’t you spend time with our little light while I finish up breakfast?” My beautiful shark rubs her tail along my back, in an embrace of sorts. “Of course.” I run a wing along her back in a loving caress. “Climb aboard, silly filly.” I say as I look at our daughter; her eyes leveled with mine, due to my increased height. She grins at me, before hopping off Areia’s head and walking across the bridge I formed with my wing. She clings tight to my head from behind as I place a loving kiss on Areia’s muzzle. “I love you so much, my endearing sandshark.” “I love you too, my wonderful Warhorse.” She kisses back, before pulling away for a moment, looking up at Ani. “And we love you, our star lit sand shark!” She reaches a hoof up, to which Ani giggles happily. “I love you too! Both of you, so much!” She squeezes me tighter, nuzzling the back of my head. Her fangs start nipping at the edge of the plating protecting my ear. I chuckle softly and shake my head slowly. “Ani, what have we talked about? No biting. Me, that is. Go bite your mother.” “Oow! Hey!” Areia balks. “Waaaaar!” Anomaly and I laugh uproariously as we speedily vacate the kitchen. A ladle clangs off my rear, courtesy of a certain fuming shark. I close the door behind us and trot to the bridge that Areia and Anomaly built together for me, stretching out across the canal of crashing waves. “Hey, Ani.” I flick my wings out a little, feeling the temptation rise within me. “Do you have a tight hold of me?” At my words, her little hooves tighten around my neck as she presses herself down against my back. “Yup!” She chirps happily. “Wonderful.” I say calmly as my wings stretch out in split second speed, before flapping. I leap off the top of the bridge, taking to the skies at a rapid escalation. The wind roars past as I bolt for the white, puffy clouds overhead, reflecting the sun’s light off their tops. “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHAAAHAAAHAAAHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!” My filly screams into the morning sky, her joy and elation clear in her voice. “Let’s go higher, daddy! Higher!” She lets out a happy giggle. “I want to go higher!” “Affirmative!” I begin to flap my wings harder, rocketing even higher into the sky as such short notice. I feel her arms wrap tighter around me as she laughs aloud. I find it somewhat amusing that she doesn’t hold the same fear of heights that Areia once did. Warning. Unbreathable atmosphere at 1000 meters. Reaching flight ceiling. Advise caution to accompanying life forms. I stop next to a puff of cloud, before tapping my hoof on it to find it holds as a solid surface to me. Acknowledged. I carefully step onto the cloud before lying down. I bring my daughter around to my chest as I roll over on my back, letting her reside on top of me as I look up at her. My initial planet did not have clouds that would support my kind. It had come as a surprise to me the first time I discovered the elements here did. Back on the other Equus, scientists worked tirelessly to find the missing equation that held pegasi magic so that they could implement it into their combat mechs, such as myself. As far as I know, they still haven’t discovered the answer. But I think I did. My home is here. Equus accepted me. I have a soul now, thanks to Areia. Maybe the missing element they didn’t consider was a soul. There are some things that science and math equations can’t solve. Things that are deeper than numbers. “Daddy?” I snap out of my thoughts, looking back up at her as she tilts her head to the side in a curious manner, looking back down at me in turn. “Anomaly.” I reach a hoof up to her cheek, caressing it lovingly. She leans into it and smiles. “What was it like up there? In space?” She turns her gaze to the view below us, an expanse of deep blue, met only by the steel blue sky. “Mommy said you used to travel across the stars, searching for something…” She sighs, staring down at the miniscule island that made up our home. “Could you tell me, daddy? I’d really like to know.” She focuses back on me, a hopeful glint in her eyes. I let out a small giggle and lightly boop her nose, to which she scrunches her muzzle and wipes a hoof across it. “Affirmative. Space is… very cold. No sound travels up there. At least… not through the sense of sound. I was able to hear things up there through sonic vibrations. Space is… very beautiful. Like you and your mother. There’s a very calming nature to it. The silence, the isolation as you drift away into the infinite…” I hold her hoof in mine, before placing a tender kiss to it. “As for what I was searching for… Heh… Well, I didn’t realize I was even searching for something to begin with. I never found it…” I look up into her gorgeous, blue and magenta eyes. “But she certainly found me.” “Mommy found you?” “Affirmative.” I reply with content. “And that led us to bring you into our lives.” “Wow… H-hey!” Her eyes suddenly light up, quickly shifting from wonder to excitement as she looks down at me, almost hopping on my chest. “D-do you think I’ll ever travel the stars like you did!?” I giggle as she starts to lean off to the side, losing her balance. I quickly swing my wing up, catching her from falling, and hold her close to my chest, wrapping her in a protective cocoon. “I think, Ani, that there’s always a chance. You should always shoot for the stars.” With a determined look in her eyes, she grins in regard to me for a moment, before looking up at the bright blue morning sky. I hear her whisper to herself. “I’m gonna go up there someday… I’m gonna see it all...” I pause as a new thought slips into my mind. I chuckle as I nuzzle the top of her head. “Space Cadet Anomaly. I like the sound of that.” “Mmmh! I love it!” She buries her face into my chest as her small hooves wrap around me in a tight, loving embrace. “And I love you…” I whisper, running my hooves along her back. “I love you too, daddy!” A calming silence hangs between us for a moment as we take in the moment. After a few minutes, I finally break it with a question. “Hey, Anomaly?” I look back down at her to find she has nearly slipped into a nap. “Mhhm?” She murmurs, her eyes half closed. “Yes, daddy?” A yawn threatens to escape from her as she snuggles against me. “Do you want to hear what your planet sounds like from orbit? I recorded its sonic frequency before I crashed down here.” “W-what does it sound like?” She asks as that yawn finally makes its way out. “Magical.” I reply softly. Opening file: Unknown planet mass #309812 Play. At once, a radiant hum, mixed in with a soft, yet high pitched, echoed ringing plays from my speakers, almost like a song from another realm. Interlaced with it is a deeper humming choir with subtle screams of metal sliding along each other, and what sounds like a low, howling wind in a dark cavern. “It sounds…” Yawn. “Like us… You… Mommy… H-home…” My little Ani murrs softly as she settles against my chest. “I love you, daddy…” “I love you too, baby girl… So very much…” I watch her for a moment in silence as she dozes off on my chest to the sound of her planet. Drool escapes her mouth, pooling up on my chestplate as I hold her close. Optics offline. I take in the sound of the planet from orbit, and I find that she’s right… Each part of the neverending song resembles us in some way. Her, me, Areia, this planet… Heh… I never imagined I’d feel true happiness seven years ago. A warm tickle enveloped my core as I felt the urge to laugh. I am… happy. Truly happy. I have love, joy, and euphoria inside me. No politics, no war, no worries of societal order. I’ve achieved nirvana! I have everything! I hold my little star a little tighter, so as to keep her safe from falling, before shutting down my systems, ready to join in her slumber. <|> “Daddy! C’mon, wake up!” I feel a repeated assault of boopage against my muzzle in a tireless effort. Optics online. I look up at her as her brow knits, staring down at me. Upon my eyes lighting up in a medium shade of blue, she grins, revealing her various rows of shark teeth that continue to grow with her age. “Finally!” She exclaims, rolling her eyes as she laughs. “You’ve been asleep for forever and a half!” “Mmh…” I groan softly, before rolling my head to the side. “Five more minutes? I’m too comfortable.” “Daaaaaad! We gotta go! Mommy’s waiting for us, and I’m hungryyyyyyyyy!” The last bit of her statement comes out in an almost core-wrenching whine. My eyes flash red as I sit up. “Oh no…” I hold her close, so as to keep her from falling. “My baby is hungry? Well, we can’t have that, now can we?” I stand up on the small patch of cloud. “Alright then, little filly.” I continue as she climbs around my form, residing on my back. “Hang on tight.” My eyes flash blue again as I near the ledge. “Roger that, commander! Hehe, affirmative! I’m ready to go!” She cries out with excitement as she clings tightly to me, as if suctioned onto my back. A spark of warmth envelopes my core at the new nickname she gives me, and it begins to hum gently as I spread my wings, looking down at the small patch of land below. I leap off the cloud and spin around in a twirl, to which Ani shrieks with excitement, clinging even tighter. I quickly follow the spin with an abrupt nose dive, darting down to the planet’s surface once more. I can barely pick up her cheers through the roaring wind. “I can fly!” Anomaly shouts into my ear as she leans forward into the wind, carefully perching her upper body atop my head as she wraps her tail around my barrel. As we near the shores of our paradise, I level myself out and glide along the sand, leaving a trail of it as a cloud behind us as I drag the tips of my wings ever so lightly against its loose surface. Ahead, I can see Areia standing at the edge of the rocky terrain, and upon zooming in, I see she’s giving me a slightly unamused look. However, I also see humor in the faint smile curled on her lips. I slow the flight speed down ever so gradually as I trot along the ground; each step being nearly 12 feet apart from each other, due to the velocity I picked up. I eventually lock my legs in place, skidding along the ground, and come to a halt inches before her. Looking up, she raises a brow at me silently. When did she get taller? I look down and find all four of my legs are buried into the sand from the sliding stop I performed. Oh… I look back up at her. “What do you think?” I tilt my head to the side playfully. “Looking a bit short there, War. Looks like I’m going to have to go digging for some buried treasure.” Finally, a small giggle escapes her lips as she gives me a more sultry gaze. “I don’t get it!” Ani blurts. I chuckle softly, keeping my eyes locked on Ari’s. “You’ll get it when you’re older, dear.” I begin digging my wings into the sand at my sides, scooping it out from underneath me as a means to escape the burial I made for myself. “I… might actually need some help, Areia.” I state in a timid tone of voice, looking at the ground in shame. Chuckling, she motions Ani to the cave. “I’ve already had my breakfast, but I left yours waiting inside, simmering.” Leaning down, Areia kisses Anomaly on the forehead, before brushing at her unruly mane. “Your father and I will be right along, dear.” “Okay!” Ani gallops off toward the cave, her little form weaving this way and that. I watch as she heads home, and as she disappears from my sight, descending down the bridge, I look back up at Areia. “To quote the initials of our family… Aaw.” Giggling, she plunges her hooves into the sand pulling piles of the gritty stuff away from my buried body. “Silly War, I’m supposed to be the sand.” Pausing for a moment, she boops my nose with a sand encrusted hoof. “Negative. Now we’re both sand.” I look back at her as she digs moderate amounts out from underneath me, via my side. “Nuh uh. My name is sand, therefore I am sand.” She grins as her hoof reaches underneath my belly, which is partially covered in the stuff. “Mmh… it seems I’ve found something… War…” Areia’s grin widens as her hoof finally comes to a stop against the plating that protects my pride. With a shake of my head, I laugh softly. “You’re such an eager mare… Alright, I’ll give you a little treat.” With that, the plating slides open, revealing my sheath and balls. “But only for a little bit. Otherwise you don’t get dessert.” “Little treat… Pssh…” She scoffs. “You’re anything but little… Mmh...” Giggling, she gently runs the frog of her hoof along the underside of my balls, eyes glued to them hungrily. “Just as long as you enjoy this as well...” Moaning under my breath, I feel my cock twitch as it grows gradually in length, pulsating with excitement as it awakens from its slumber. “J-just don’t take all my energy, baby… we still have a lot to do tonight.” Humming with delight, she runs her frog to the back of my balls, drawing them forwards, then back, as if she is lightly kneading them. “You’re a robot, love. You can go as long as I say you ca- AGH!” I interrupt her with a firm, hard slap with my wing to her flank, reddening it within mere seconds of contact. “W-War!” She cries out in a desperate moan. “N-Nng… D-do it again, and I won’t be able to s-stop myself… hah…” “We can see about putting that to the test.” I say as I withdraw my wing, before bringing it back down slightly harder. She yelps at my dominance, her legs quivering underneath her body, threatening to give out. “T-tonight…” Her voice is a low, sultry growl. “You’re taking the reins…” She reaches her hoof along my trapped underside. “But first…” She growls deeper as she slides into the small cavern she’s made underneath me, her breath caressing my lengthened shaft. “I’m taking what’s mine…” <|> Areia screams underneath me in pleasure as I press my hoof down over the back of her head, keeping her pinned as I release myself deep inside her. Her tail is wrapped tightly around my waist as I send one more hard thrust into her, panting. “Ahh… Areia…” I run my hoof down the back of her head and down her spine, to the base of her tail as my wings caress both sides of her bright red, firm, sexy flank, on account of the spanking I gave her as I plowed her mercilessly. My balls twitch against her slit as the last of my cum pulses out, flooding her womb with my batter to levels she can’t contain. “Mmm… My sweet, shining star…” Areia lies limply on the ground, groaning in a dazed bliss, hind legs twitching from the rough, breeding rut I gave her. Her long tongue sticks weakly out of her mouth, a puddle of drool forming near her face. The deep, rumbling sound of her purr begins emitting from her; the sound of complete and utter satisfaction and contentment. The sentiment is mutual between us. “Uuuh… Uuuh… Uuuh… Mmmph… W-War…” She murmurs, too weak and exhausted to move just yet. “Areia…” I mutter under my moaning breath, before pounding into her once more, catching her by surprise, judging by the immediate gasp that escapes her lips. “Uuunf!” “Such a naughty mare…” I whisper in a sultry tone, slapping her flank again, before rubbing the silicone feathers along it sensually. I slide out from her love tunnel, gasping softly as my cock - now drenched in both of our pleasure - throbs between my legs. “Mmmmm! O-oh, War…” She moans loud as she rolls over onto her side, taking up a position she used many times while Ani was growing inside her. I imagine I’ll be seeing it a lot more with the new child I’ll have put inside her. “My dear Areia.” I saw in a calm voice, stepping up beside her and lying down on my side, looking back at her as she’s lost in a daze. I laugh softly before continuing. “With all that screaming you did, I wouldn’t be surprised if Anomaly woke up.” I look around at the forest scenery around us, dimly lit by the bright moon overhead, accompanied by the stars we share. “Probably woke half of the island up at this point.” A little snorting laugh comes from my mare. “I-I d-don’t doubt that…” She sighs happily, her hooves placed over her extended belly, full of my virile seed. “Ooooh… I feel so heavy now… Reminds me of when I carried Ani…” She lets out another soft giggle as she caresses her navel. Looking back up at me, a smile bright with loving care, she reaches out her hoof, gesturing for me to place it on her own, just as her necklace dims. Once I do, she draws my hoof to her belly, a slight shiver coming from Areia as I press against her. “I can’t wait to feel the kick of little hooves again…” Giggling, I kiss her on the lips. “With all that filling I gave you today, there’s no doubt you’ll be feeling them again soon.” I scoot closer, sliding my relaxed cock between her legs. She gasps as I slide along her slit, to which I continue. “It’s cold. I need warmth too.” Laughing, she rolls her eyes, before lightly booping my nose. “Well, that’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard from you. You make warmth!” She proceeds to murr softly, closing her eyes as her inner thighs gently massage my length; squeezing and entrapping it between her legs and ravaged nethers. “But you’re more than welcome to stay…” I wrap an arm around her and bring her in as my core hums with loving warmth for the mare before me. “I love you so much, Areia.” I whisper as I lift my left hind leg, only for it to rest atop hers, intertwining us. “Forever and ever…” “I love you too. Forever and ever…” She murmurs into my ear, nuzzling into the side of my head. “We should rest, my star. We wouldn’t want to spook our dear filly into thinking we vanished, come morning.” Areia giggles, purring softly. “Mmm, you’re right. She may be a big filly now, but I don’t want to make her worry…” “My sentiments exactly.” I run a hoof along her cheek as I admire in her beauty. “Soon enough, we might end up with an island full of star ponies.” “E-eep!” She blushes deeply as the image I’ve given her sinks in. Her eyes are wide. “Mmm… T-that’s a lot of foals…” The tone of her voice makes me think she’s not entirely opposed to the idea. But it’s something that requires more contemplation before acting on it. “Affirmative. But how else are we going to start the shark uprising against Equus?” I chuckle menacingly as I boop my nose to hers. Areia shakes her head, laughing. “You’re still going on about this?” She shifts her body so my cock slides between her perked mammaries. “You know I was drunk when I said that!” She pouts, trying to look sad, only to fail in her attempts as she slowly runs her tits along my length, forcing a moan to come out of me in response. “A-Ari…” I whisper as the sensation of her smooth mounds squeezes my rod, enticing it for further action. I let out a soft, playful giggle. “W-well, rum really does bring the worst out of y-you… Ahh…” “Mmmh… Yes, that’s why I’m never having it again! Along with that stupid vodka…” She mutters, a faint shade of pink enveloping her cheeks. “Hehehe… are you sure? I like the you that the vodka brings out…” Areia grows from pink to red, her teats now squishing up against my belly as her back arches. “I-I have no idea w-where I found that… mmph… d-dildo…” I laugh a little louder at the embarrassment in her mention of the toy. “It’s funny that you bring that up…” I say in a sultry tone as the compartment in my chest opens, revealing the very toy she speaks of. “I brought it with me for tonight’s adventures. Look at the bright side.” I say as my visor flickers red for a moment. “Now I can double team you.” Areia facehooves as her blush intensifies to unimaginable levels. “Teasing me like you’re doing warrants a good, nice, hard dicking. From yours truly.” Before she can say anything, I roll over her, doing well to not apply my full weight on her. “When I’m done with you, you’re gonna look pregnant…” I laugh under my breath as I press my tip to her tight, wonderful ass; using our previous waves of excitement as lube. I use my wing to position the toy to her cum soaked slit. I shake my head slowly with amusement with one last remark before the fun resumes. “So much for sleeping.” Author's Note MMBK: This is just the first of their story. There's more to come. Stay tuned. Now a word from my beloved boyfriend. Quiznak here! Hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this with Resultful! Love ya, Res! ~ <3 Couch shark out! MMBK: I love you too, Arei-I mean... Quiznak. ~ <3
