My Little Xeno 2 - Equinox Knights

It had been a few days since Gentle Breeze had gotten to know the Ultramarines. During that time, she had been visited by the apothecarius, Ambrosius, and the magos, Gearhart, on several occasions. They had examined her so often, they probably knew every cell of her body by name now.

Well, it was a good thing that they did, for today was the big day - she would be… repaired?
However you wanted to call it, soon there would be more to life than lying around in darkness again.
If everything worked out, that was.

She heard the door open.

“Hello, Gentle Breeze,” Antonius said,
“are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” she answered nervously.

“Don’t worry,” another voice - that of Aleksa - said,
“I’ve also undergone surgery that was not too dissimilar from what’s waiting for you, and I can’t complain.”

Gentle Breeze felt that her bed started moving.

“We’re on our way,” Antonius said.

“Will you stay with me?” Gently Breeze asked.

“Yes. All told, Ambrosius, Gearhart, Rapid Cure, Aleksa and me will be present the whole time. The princesses send their regards, but they can’t be here since we want to keep the number of ponies and humans in the surgery to a minimum… in fact, even I wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for moral support.”

“I’m happy that you’re here. Thank you.”

Gentle Breeze suddenly started smelling disinfectants.

“Next stop: life support measures and augmetics. Please remain lying until your body has been renewed. Thank you for traveling with us.”

Gentle Breeze smiled at that, then she felt that she was lifted and placed onto something cold.

“Shall we start?” a voice that belonged to Ambroius asked her.

She was so nervous that she could barely nod, then she felt a prick, and a moment later, she felt like falling asleep.

It was cold and dark.
That was the first thing Gentle Breeze noticed as she came back to consciousness… if she had come back to consciousness…
What was going on? Where was she? Why was it so dark and cold?
Yeah, she was sorta used to darkness by now, but the cold…
Had something gone wrong?
Was she… dead?
She really hoped that this wasn’t the Great Beyond. It was not even remotely comfortable.

Suddenly, it got warmer, until it was quite cozy. So, something was going on.

“Gentle Breeze?” she heard Antonius ask.

“Antonius!” she answered, but her voice was… wrong. Somehow… metallic.

“Adjusting the vox system,” Gearhart said,
“please try again.”

“What?” Gentle Breeze asked in confusion, but this time, her voice actually sounded like her,
“I can’t see… or move… has something gone wrong?”

“No,” Ambrosius told her,
“the procedure was a success. Your life sign are stable.”

“Just stay calm,” Antonius said,
“we are going to activate, respectively unlock the systems of your new body one by one, so that your brain can adapt to the new input… I mean… sensations.”

“Oh… okay?” Gentle Breeze replied.

Well, it was a relief. She would not die, or spend the rest of her life in darkness.

“Ocular systems,” Gearhart declared and the black around her became grey.

Then, her vision was divided into tiles. Their number grew just as their size dwindled, and some started becoming colorful. Just a few moments later, she could see again, just like before she had been blinded this felt eternity ago.

“See me?” Antonius asked with a grin.

“Yes,” she answered,
“it’s great.”

“Neck,” Gearhart said,
“please move your head.”

Gentle Breeze slowly shook her head, then she nodded.

“Front legs,” Gearhart continued.

She raised her hooves and took a look at them. She was able to do so. She had hooves again!
They were white, just as her coat had been, but there was no fur. It rather looked like… porcelain? Painted metal?
She gently touched one hoof with the other one.

“I can feel that!” she exclaimed.

“Of course,” Ambrosius told her,
“the leg reports the touch to your brain, just like your old, biological one did. Now, tell me where you feel a nudge.”

Gentle Breeze did so about a dozen times, and everyone seemed to be content with her accuracy.

“Hind legs,” Gearhart said, and her hind legs worked.
“Spine,” he proceeded, and she was able to move again like before her injuries.

She was so happy that she didn’t even realize how much of her body had obviously been replaced.

“How do you feel?” Aleksa asked.

“Great,” Gentle Breeze answered and wanted to get up.

“Stay put until the procedure is finished,” Gearhart told her in his usual matter-of-fact tone, and she complied.

It took a few more minutes, then the magos said:

“All systems operational. Aleksa, disconnect her.”

What?

Aleksa walked up to her, gently raised her head and grabbed something at the back of it. A little jolt, and she had a plug in her hand. Gentle Breeze stared at the thing in disbelieve as she slowly started to realized what really had happened to her.

“Do you have… a mirror?” she asked.

“Yes,” Antonius told her and picked her up.

She could feel every touch, just like with her old body… but this was a new body.
Antonius put her down on her hooves, and a strand of hair became visible.

“Hair? A new mane?” she inquired.

“A mane, but not made of hair. Mane and tail are made of a metallic fiber. More durable.”

“The mirror?”

“Over there.”

It was a large mirror, big enough for the pony to see all of her new body, and she stared at it. It felt like her body, it really did, but somehow… it wasn’t.

“What…” she started, trying to keep calm,
“what’s left of my old body?”

Rapid Cure answered her question:

“Your brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. They are now embedded in a life support system that is beyond anything I ever dared to imagine. It’s a miracle.”

“A wonder of the Omnissiah,” Gearhart added.

Gentle Breeze still stared at the ‘miracle’ in the mirror. That was her now.
The head… the body… the hooves… the wings on her back…
She felt her heart pound.

“Telemetry shows a rising pulse rate,” Gearhart noted.

“It’s probably a little much to take in…” Aleksa suggested,
“she’s overwhelmed… and probably afraid.”

“Information is the best way to counter irrational fears. I will activate her HUD, so that she can surveil the status of her new body.”

“Umm…” Antonius said.

While information usually was a good way to counter irrational fears, he seriously doubted that a HUD would help Gentle Breeze right now.
He was proven correct when the poor mare made a frightened sound and started running a moment later. She smashed through the door and was gone.

“You knew that would happen,” Ambrosius said.

“‘Knew’ is a bit much,” Antonius replied,
“but I figured as much. As Aleksa said, it was a bit overwhelming for her.”

He took his PDA and voxed:

“Contingency plan ‘P’”.

“Acknowledged,” a distorted voice answered.

Gentle Breeze kept running through the hospital. It was… just too much. She had to get out of here.

Her new body worked perfectly. In fact, she was a bit faster than ever before, and this weird HUD-thing was pointing out obstacles and provided her with routes to evade them.
Seriously, it was too much.

She shot past the reception desk and through the main doors. Outside, however, she skidded to a stop. Her way was blocked by a… blue house? On legs?
She just wanted to run away when it spoke:

“Hello, Gentle Breeze! You will probably be glad to hear that we have something in common!”

The mare screamed, started running, slipped, and landed on her back.

“Easy, little one,” the house said and picked her up with a giant, four-fingered hand.

Gentle Breeze screamed.

“Your vox system obviously works,” the thing continued,
“but the volume might be a tad too high.”

“Who are you?” the pony asked, still in fear,
“what are you? What do you want?”

“Brother Parvus. A Dreadnought. Talk to you.”

“Dreadnought?”

“Yes. That’s why we have something in common.”

Gentle Breeze looked at Parvus, and she honestly had no idea what they might have had in common. Sure, they both were made of metal…

“You mean,” she asked cautiously,
“you also got wounded… and now, you’ve got a new body?”

“You are quick witted, little pony,” Parvus told her,
“that is indeed the case. I once was a Space Marine just like my brothers, but after sustaining life threatening injuries, what was left of me was put inside this sarcophagus, and now I control this impressive machine of war.
Neat, hm?”

He used his free hand to point at the huge rectangle in his center.

Confused and surprised, Gentle Breeze needed a few seconds until she said:

“So, your old body is inside this machine, which is your new body now?”

“Exactly!”

“Then… I guess we have something in common… could you put me down?”

“Of course.”

Parvus did as he had said and continued talking to her:

“You seem to have calmed down again.”

“A little… I must admit, as I saw my new body, and realized what had happened to me, I sort of… freaked out. I guess you think I’m silly, since my body still basically looks the same while you had to get used to a completely new shape…
Tell me, was it hard to get used to it?”

“The fist few days were pretty confusing, but once I got the knack of it, it started feeling ‘normal’. Shall we walk a bit and talk about our experiences?”

“Yes,” Gentle Breeze answered,
“I think that’s a good idea.”

So they started walking through the grassy plains around the hospital. It was a nice day and the sun was shining. Gentle Breeze closed her eyes for a second and enjoyed the warm feeling on her skin… or metal?

“I can feel the sun,” she said.

“Yes,” Parvus answered,
“Antonius gave me your data. Your body should provide you with every sensory input your biological one did - and a few new ones, too. Tell me, do you feel the grass beneath your hooves?”

“Yes… do you?”

“I get the information that this terrain is suitable for me, although it’s almost a little soft for my weight.”

“Should we see to it that we get onto a road?”

“Not necessary. I think the grass should feel nice beneath you hooves. Can you feel it?”

“Yes… but I already told you.”

“Really?” Parvus asked in surprise,
“well, important is that it feels nice. But perhaps you would prefer to fly?”

Now it was Gentle Breeze’s turn to be surprised:.

“I can fly?” she asked.

“Have you not noticed the wings on your back?”

“I have… but I thought they were just… decoration.”

Parvus stopped and turned to her:

“Open you wings.”

Gentle Breeze did as she had been told. Her wings were just as artificial as the rest of her body, and instead of feathers, there were flat, metallic rods that looked a little like small swords.

“Now, fly,” he said.

“But how?” she wanted to know.

“Just fly.”

Well, that was not too helpful, but she had the feeling that Parvus really wanted to help her, so she prepared to fly as she had always done and flapped her wings.

Much to her surprise, she got airborne, and this weird HUD-thingy also changed. A glance at her wings told her that the rims of those new ‘feathers’ were glowing now.

“What?” she exclaimed, stopped flapping and started falling.

She didn’t hit the ground, though, she was caught by Parvus first.

“I can fly,” she stammered.

“And fall,” Parvus commented.

“How is that possible?”

“This planet has a gravity field. It pulls you towards its center of mass.”

“I meant the flying, Parvus, not the falling.”

“Oh, there are anti-grav systems in your wings. They are configured in a way that makes your wings work similar to your old ones.”

“Wow,” the pony marveled, opened her wings a gain and took off.

It was almost like it always had been. The wind was rushing through her mane and she felt as free as a… pegasus.
Some things were different, though. This weird HUD-thingy showed her an artificial horizon, as well as her speed and altitude. The only thing missing, she thought jokingly, was a map. At that moment, a map plopped up in the corner of her vision, her position marked by a small arrow. It was kinda neat and convenient - but utterly unfamiliar.

Remembering that Parvus was waiting for her, she turned around and landed in front of him. The HUD changed again, just the small map remained.

“And? How was the flight?” her new friend asked.

“Incredible,” Gentle Breeze answered,
“I thought I’d never fly again after… well, now I can. It’s wonderful. I wish you could share this feeling of freedom.”

“Well, you’d have to equip me with me with a considerable number of jump packs to get me airborne, and it would look much less graceful than your flying. All told, I prefer to stay on the ground.”

“Might be better,” she smiled, looking at the hulking mass of metal that Parvus was.

“Do you want to return to the hospital now?”

“Yes… I think I haven’t given Ambrosius, Gearhart, Aleksa, Antonius and Rapid Cure my thanks for restoring me yet.”

A few minutes later, they were back at the hospital, in front of which they were already expected by the humans and pony. Gentle Breeze expressed her thanks, and Ambrosius replied:

“No problem. It was a pleasure helping a victim and enemy of the Ruinous Powers.”

“And a convenient opportunity to get more familiar with the technology of the Golden Age,” Gearhart added,
“the augmetics we used to create your new body are considerably superior to the ones my adeptus usually uses. Once we re-introduce them to mankind, it will be a quantum leap forward.”

Well, Gentle Breeze might not have known Gearhart too well, but even to her it was obvious that he was quite excited about the new old technology. He turned to his aide and continued:

“Aleksa, we should consider replacing your bionics, too. It would rid you of the calibration processes.”

“Oh…” she answered,
“I have to admit that that would be great… I mean advantageous… and if I can help gather data about the technology of the Golden Age that way, all the better.”

“Then we will talk to Al about the augmetics. But first, we have to explore the black mountain on the local moon.”

After saying goodbye, Rapid Cure returned to the hospital while the others went to Twilight’s castle.

In the castle, Twilight and her friends were already expecting Gentle Breeze and the others. She had already inculcated everypony to behave normal when seeing the rebuilt mare, since she probably had enough problems adapting to the change already.

Now, as Twilight saw her, she had to remind herself of her own words. The pony that walked up to her looked like a pony-shaped machine with Gentle Breeze’s color pattern. So much of her obviously had to be replaced… it was a miracle that she was still alive.

“Gentle Breeze!” the young princess greeted,
“I’m happy that you’re up and about again! How do you feel?”

“Well,” Gentle Breeze replied,
“surprisingly good. I can see, I can walk and I can fly again. I really feel good.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash remarked,
“flying is pretty important for a pegasus. What about a little air race? Show me what those nifty wings of yours got!”

“Oh… perhaps later, Rainbow. For the time being, I still need a little time to get used to my new body.”
She grinned and added:
“Mustn’t make it too easy for you.”

“A wise decision,” Gearhart stated,
“we have more urgent concerns, anyway. Our mission to the moon has been postponed long enough.”

“I’m sorry if I caused any inconvenience,” Gentle Breeze apologized.

“Nonsense,” Antonius told her,
“your life takes priority. Whatever is up there won’t run away.”

“Tempting fate, Antonius?” Applejack grinned.

“Nah, I said nothing about giant hungry space worm monsters,” Antonius joked back.

“Is that a thing?” Fluttershy asked, paling.

“Theoretically, yes,” Ambrosius answered,
“there are species you could describe in such a way, but our chances of encountering one are minimal.”

“Tempting fate, again,” Applejack deadpanned.

“Don’t worry, dear,” Rarity tried to cheer up Fluttershy,
“if there is one, I’m sure you will be able to get along with it.”

“I’m not that confident,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Hey, it was just a joke,” Antonius said,
“we won’t run into any kind of space worm.”

“Tempting fate, the third,” Applejack remarked flatly.

“Afraid?” Rainbow teased.

“No! I’m sure we can deal with anything, even giant, hungry space worms.”

“There won’t be any space worms!” Antonius insisted.

“Does that mean I prepared my ‘welcome space worm’ party supplies for naught?” Pinkie asked disappointedly.

“You have… why do I even ask, of course you have those supplies. And no, you won’t need them. Now, let’s meet Lord Calgar and the others.”

They all went to the throne room. Inside, the Ultramarines had set up a device that projected an image of the moon over the map table. They were all present, as well as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

“Ah, there you are,” Calgar greeted them, standing next to her throne (and making it look like a piece of furniture designed for a filly),
“the procedure was successful, I assume?”

“Yes, Lord Calgar,” Ambrosius replied,
“the pony is as good as new, and we have gathered experience with the technology of the Dark Age. I have yet to file a detailed report, though.”

Twilight glanced at Gentle Breeze.
‘As good as new’… well, most of her body was literally new now.

“Make it so,” Calgar told him,
“this knowledge will probably be valuable in the future. But now, let’s get to the topic at hand.”

The floating image over the map changed now, and showed a mountain on the moon.

“Mount Obsidian,” Calgar explained,
“the destination of our journey. It is an artificial structure of unknown origin, just like the installation we found recently, and shaped like a volcano. The hatch that covers the caldera, however, was definitely built by humans, that much our CATs were able to ascertain.”

“Wait a second,” Rarity inquired,
“you use cats to collect information?”

“Of course. That’s what they are made for.”

“Oh no,” Fluttershy said, somewhat shocked by those words,
“they may have a lot of abilities, but they are primarily hunters of small prey, from insects up to rodents.”

Calgar stared at her for a few seconds, obviously just as confused as Twilight was, then he sighed and told her:

“I’m not talking about the fluffy little creatures with the sharp claws, I’m talking about CATs, Cyber-Alterd Task units. They are simple drones that gather information.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy whispered.

“Perhaps you should give us a list with those fancy abbreviations of yours,” Applejack grinned.

“That might be a good idea,” Calgar deadpanned, then he continued:
“But back to the topic at hand: We have discovered a gravimetric anomaly directly over the hatch. While the rest of the moon has about standard Terra gravity - which is unusual on its own - there is a zone of zero gravity that forms a tunnel from the mountain to open space. This leads to the assumption that the gravity field of the moon is entirely artificial.”

“Great,” Rainbow grumbled,
“is anything we know not artificial for a change?”

“This planet’s gravity field seems to be a natural phenomenon,” Gearhart answered,
“measurements of the planet’s mass and the corresponding calculations lead to a gravity field as intense as the one we experience.”

“Umm… good?”

“However, since the planet itself is artificial, you could consider that gravity field to be artificial, too. In fact, since this planet is basically a machine, you could even claim that the gravity field is created by a machine.”

Well, Twilight knew that Gearhart was a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and that humans like him were… not that fond of emotions. Otherwise, she could have thought that Gearhart was deliberately teasing Rainbow Dash a little.

“We all are aware that the planet, as well as everypony on it, has quite unusual origins,” Celestia said,
“but that of course does not decrease its value.”

“Seriously,” Seneca remarked,
“with all of the secrets, information and artifacts on this planet, it might be the second most valuable and important planet next to Holy Terra itself.”

“I sincerely hope Macragge and the planets of the Realm of Ultramar come in third place,” Calgar commented drily.

“Of course they do… maybe there’s a tie for the second place?”

“No, you are right, Seneca. As weird as it may sound, at the moment this planet is more important to the Imperium - and the whole galaxy - than even our beloved homeworld. That’s why we have to keep it safe. And that’s why we have to find out what’s waiting for us inside that mountain. I would like Princess Luna to accompany us, since she is the one who is most familiar with the moon.”

“Not entirely of my own volition,” Luna said,
“but nevertheless correct.”

“May my friends and I accompany you?” Twilight asked,
“we have been to the moon, too, and we would really like to help you reveal the secret of Mount Obsidian.”

“I suggest that Gentle Breeze should join us, too,” Gearhart interjected,
“that way, we will be able to assess her performance when in action.”

“Granted,” Calgar said,
“first, we will visit the Sword of Iax to pick up our Terminators, then we’ll head to the moon. We will start in an hour. Pack everything you need for a prolonged mission.”