Tales of a robot

I've said it multiple times now. My life is a tragedy. I know I sound more over-dramatic than Rarity when I say things like that but it's true. You may be thinking, "Sweetie Bot, you found your friends and you're having the time of your life out here. How could your life be a tragedy?" I can tell you right now.

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"S-Sweetie Belle?"

The words rang through my head. At first I thought it was Button Mash. He was the only pony I ever knew who would call me by my real name after my exposition. But when I saw the yellow and orange mares in front of me, I was shocked. Saying I was shocked would honestly be an understatement.

I wasn't sure what to feel. I had always expected them to come and look for me. In fact, I wondered why they hadn't already found me. All I could do was nod.

I gestured for them to come towards me. Apple Bloom did but Scootaloo stayed back hesitantly. I put my hoof up in the air. Apple Bloom did the same. It was the salute of the cutie mark crusaders. I looked over to Scootaloo and then back to Apple Bloom. "What's up with her?"

Apple Bloom sighed. She whispered her next words in a way that Scootaloo wouldn't hear them. "I think she's afraid of you."

I turned to scootaloo. "Is that true?" I asked. I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. "Are you afraid of me?"

Scootaloo looked at me with sad eyes and slowly nodded. I don't know why, but I felt some sort of anger because of this. We had known each other for years! And now she was afraid of me? In fact, ever since I was revealed as a robot, Scootaloo had seemed to keep a small distance away from me at all times. Apple Bloom wouldn't have minded hugging me or shaking hooves but Scootaloo would barely have done so much as keep direct eye contact.

She's never been comfortable around me. Not since I became a robot. The guns and stuff probably didn't help matters. It probably just fanned the flame of her fear.

I decided to ignore her and walked back to Apple Bloom. It's great to see you both. You know, Rarity gave me a few more upgrades before I left. Wanna see?"

Apple Bloom held a hoof up. "Hold on Sweetie Bot!" Back to the robot name. "You haven't shown us around your place yet!"

"Oh Right!" I yell jumping up. I gesture for them to follow me and Apple Bloom does. Scootaloo follows about eight feet behind us all. "After I left town, I wandered in the Everfree until I found this cave. It's actually super nice and spacious."

"Yeah! I can see!" Apple Bloom said enthusiastically.

"I created that door with my own two hooves to keep the rain out. Rarity packed me a bunch of stuff including my joyboy! I've basically just sat there playing that for most of my time."

"Wow. That must get boring."

"It's not as bad as it seems. Wanna see my stuff?"

"Sure!"

We began to walk over to my saddlebags until Apple Bloom stopped. She pointed to the corner where the six empty bottles of cider lay. "Sweetie Bot? What's that?"

I look back and gasp a little. "Nothing! Those were here when I got here!" Even then, I realized that my tone was way too defensive.

Apple Bloom looked at me, unamused. "You've always been a horrible liar. I bet Rarity programmed you like that on purpose." She laughed at her joke and continued, "But seriously, have you been drinking underage?"

I sigh. "Yes. I first had the cider when I was 160 as Rarity was telling me everything. I really liked it and she decided to let me have some more of it when I left."

"How often did you drink?"

"Not often! But, technically I was under the influence when I killed Diamond Tiara."

"That...explains a lot."

She examined the bottles. "These bottles are really big Sweetie! There's no way that you would be able to fit all of them in one saddlebag given all of the clothes and other stuff you were packing. How did you get the rest of it?"

I tapped one hoof to the other nervously. "I don't think I should answer that."

Apple Bloom gasped. "Have you been in contact with Rarity! I know you've been gone for a while but now, anypony who even comes in contact with the forest is banned from Ponyville! I know it's a stupid trick for Mayor Mare to keep her office but if Rarity's contacting you, then..."

I hold up a hoof. "I get it AB. It won't happen again."

"I still don't understand. It's not even the cider season." She tapped a bottle with a hoof. A few small drops of liquid rolled around in the bottle. "These bottles are most definitely recent. Or at least, recently opened." She shook the drops out onto her hoof and licked them. "No. These are definitely old. I'd say, about...hmmm...120 moons old."

My eyes widen. "How the Buck did you know?"

"Language Sweetie! When you live on an apple farm, you learn a thing or two about apples. While our specialty cider doesn't have any expiration dates, it is very easy for me to tell how old it is."

My eyes stay as wide as dinner plates when I finally hear Scootaloo's voice coming from over near my saddle bags. "Uh Apple Bloom? You may want to take a look at this."

I don't even need to look to know exactly what she's looking at. My cover is two seconds away from being blown. Apple Bloom walks over and sees the bag full of JBA games and the console itself. "S-Sweetie Bot! How did you get this? It came out 120 moons ago! Way after you left town. You were banned from all major cities! Where in Equestria did you find this. And all these games!"

I nervously tapped a hoof again. "I found somepony had dropped it in the woods?"

"Bullshit!" Scootaloo yelled. Her fear suddenly seemed to have disappeared. "Even if you had found this on the ground, there's no way that you would happen to have the best games for it! Most ponies don't even have this much gaming stuff in their house. Except of course for Button Mash. With these games and the cider that couldn't have possibly fit into your bag, I don't think you're in contact with Rarity, I think that you snuck into town and stole everything."

Apple Bloom gasped. "Sweetie! Is this true?"

I sighed deeply and nodded. I was angry. Unspeakably angry. Scootaloo was afraid of me. And yet she thinks she has the right to go through my stuff? Scootaloo continued, "Even then, the game store owner would have noticed such a drop in his funds. Assuming you stole every single one of these things. Yet I haven't heard of anypony getting robbed as of late. Did somepony buy these for you?"

I sighed and nodded. "Yes."

"Who was it!"

I shake my head. "No!"

Scootaloo begins walking. Almost as if she is circling me. "Sweetie Bot, we were given authorization to kill you should we come in contact with you. So i would recommend for your own safety that you tell us who you contacted!"

Apple Bloom stopped Scootaloo. "Calm down Scoots! None of this is her fault."

I shake my head. Almost violently. "No Apple Bloom! If she wants to know, then I guess she can know." I turn to Scootaloo. "If you must know, On my 160th birthday, I snuck into Ponyville after dark. I took some apple cider from the Apple Family Barn. I went into the gamestore and somepony bought me a few games. It was a birthday present and nothing else."

Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin. "hmmm. Sweetie, after you left, Apple Bloom and I both became private investigators. We are also the main detectives for the Mayor. I can already tell the only two people that could have possibly bought you those games. First of all, Rarity owns three stores among Ponyville, Canterlot, and Manehattan. She is an incredibly wealthy pony and also your sister. She could've easily bought you those games. Or, the one pony who gets a 90% discount on every single game he buys. Button Mash. So tell us which of the two it is, or we will tell the mayor that both of them hae come into contact with you and they will both be banished. So who was it!"

I look at Scootaloo with wide eyes. I never thought it was possible for her to be so cruel. "W-What happened to you?"

Scootaloo looked taken aback. "What?"

"Your eyes."

"What about them?"

"They used to glow."

"Shut up! You're confusing me."

I turned away from Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. "It was Button Mash."

"Good that's exactly what we wanted to hear. Now tell me, did you fire off your guns yesterday?"

I nod slowly, still not looking back at Scootaloo. "I did."

"Perfect! Then you're our target. So I'm sorry, but we have to kill you now."

I tun around. "What! No! Get out!"

"It's too late for that Sweetie."

I couldn't believe how cruel Scootaloo had suddenly become. There was only one option left. Run: "Threat"

My guns popped from my sides. Using the toolkit that Rarity had given me, I had used a luminescent red mushroom to make a lens. Actually, I had made a lot of lenses. And right now, they all pointed a red light at Scootaloo.

Scootaloo fumbled around in her saddlebag. She pulled out a gun and quickly shot at me.

Wanna know what happens next? Yeah! So do I.