Taking Care of Robot Ponies is a Disaster!by Researcher_HaroldChaptersWho is Sweetie Bot?Sweetie Bot might not be so bad.A weird new addition.A sticky situation.Who is Sweetie Bot?I was lounging on my couch in my living room, as all people do on their day off. My TV was on, playing the live news while I was invested in a video I was watching on my phone. The news was talking about stuff I didn't care about anyway. The weather didn't matter much to me. Sunny, cloudy, rainy, whatever, I wasn't going outside today anyway. "-the leading robotics company, R&S Premier Robotics, made more investments into AI Robotics today. The designs for robot humans have been streamlined considerably, now being less bulky and less expensive to manufacture. According to R&S, the first AI robots will be on sale in as soon as 2 months. If you're interested in pre-ordering the factory model, go to-" I pressed the power button on my remote, shutting the TV off with a click. I placed the remote back onto the coffee table and sighed. "Robots, robots, robots..." I mutter to myself, groaning as I roll off my couch and onto the floor. I stand up and dust myself off. "What happened to war and conflicts or whatever was happening a couple of years ago? That was more interesting than creepy robots." I walk into my kitchen, open my fridge, and dig inside it. I search around for a few seconds before I grab a large Tupperware full of last night's leftovers. I grab a spoon and bowl, open up the container, scoop out a reasonable portion of mac and cheese, and throw the bowl into the microwave, setting the time for an amount that probably wouldn't burn it. As I was putting the Tupperware back into the fridge, I heard a heavy knock on my door. It honestly made me flinch with how unexpected it was. I toss the container into the fridge and shut it, peering out of my kitchen and at the front door. "Who is it?" I call out, expecting an answer. After all, it might be a friend or family member. But, there was no response. "Am I being pranked? This would be a first if that's the case." I look back at my microwave before walking toward the front door. I looked through my peephole to see if anybody was at the door, but I saw nothing. "Damn, I really did get pranked," I say as I unlatch my door and let it swing open. However, what I wasn't expecting to see was a pony. I admit, I let out a pretty girly shriek at the sight of this creature. "W-What is this? A... a mutated dog or something?" "I am not modeled after a dog. I am modeled after Sweetie Belle, a unicorn filly from the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Your assessment is incorrect." The pony said in an irritating high-pitched voice with an undertone of static. So, not a dog, but a pony. A robot pony, I correct, as a living creature wouldn't call themselves 'modeled'. it's also got a toothpick or something on its head. A real thick one. "So... you're called Sweetie Belle?" I ask, very tempted to close the door due to my aversion to AI technology. "Correct." The robot nods, its green eyes scanning me. "But I am often called Sweetie Bot in a joking way." That's quite a joke, I think to myself. "And, why are you here at my house?" I rightfully ask. No matter how cute this robot is, I'm tempted to not let it in. Even if it was a cute robot kitten. Well... maybe not. "I want to stay here." Sweetie Bot announces. "Please let me stay." "No." I immediately answer. "But why? I can do a lot of things! I can cook food, do the dishes, model for dresses, and even-" I cut her off there, afraid of what she would say next. "The answer is still no. I don't want a robot inside my house." I clarify, beginning to close the door. "But, you must! If the people find me, I'll be dismantled!" Sweetie Bot placed a hoof between my door and the door frame, managing a clanging noise when I tried to close it harder. "Please, let me stay." "Well, what if I'm one of the people who want to dismantle you?" I say, a frown playing on my lips. "Then you would've invited me in without hesitation to lure me into a trap with a false sense of security." Sweetie Bot answers, a smile on her face. The frown fully forms now. She got me there. "I..." I trail off, debating. I really, really don't want to house a robot. The very thought of a metal creature with fake emotions makes me shiver. But, looking at Sweetie Bot with her wide, pleading eyes and adorable face, I find that I can't say no, especially with the threat of being dismantled looming over her shoulders. I eventually fold and open the door again, sighing. "Fine, but only for-" "YAY!" She exclaims, darting into my house and wrapping her legs around my leg. "Thank you so much! I'll never forget this! We are going to become the bestest of friends during my stay!" "Wait, hold on-" Sweetie Bot zooms off deeper into my house. "Hey, wait up! Don't snoop around!" "Your house is dirty. Filthy levels are reading 90%." Sweetie Bot says as I enter my bedroom, seeing her stand on a mountain of dirty clothes. "First off, rude. Secondly, can you please-" I watch as Sweetie Bot runs out of my bedroom, slipping in between my legs as she rushes around my house. I chase her as best as I can, but she's too fast. Eventually, I collapse on my couch, breathing heavily as Sweetie Bot paces in front of the couch. "New landlord, your residence is in horrible condition. Clothes lay around dirty and unorganized, trash lay near the trash can, which is overfilled and needs to be taken out, and food sits burnt in the microwave." I had forgotten about my mac and cheese. "This is unacceptable. If Rarity was real, she would have sent you to hygiene prison with a life sentence to boot." I had no clue who Rarity was and I was also starting to regret my decision of letting Sweetie Bot stay, and it's only been 5 minutes. But, one thing is certain. I have to proclaim myself as owner of this house and I won't let her boldness slide. "Sweetie Bot, you listen here-" A small, cold white hoof covers my mouth. "Dearest landlord, I am thinking. Please remain quiet." When her hoof is removed, I feel my temper flare. "Now, there are multiple ways to improve your living conditions. One such way is to move the furniture in your living room around. As it is now, it feels cramped and uninviting, barely a space of warmth and hospitality that one would expect from a living room. If you move the couch from here to over by the wall and move the table and TV over there, then that would..." I find myself spacing out as Sweetie Bot rambles on and on about changing the living room. I honestly have no clue what she's on about. It's not like I'm hosting a party or I have a family to take care of. Nobody cares... except for her. "...and adding some decorations to the walls will make the living room feel safer, warmer, and overall, more inviting." Sweetie Bot finishes off. "But first, we have to deal with the uncleanliness of your house. Landlord-" "It's Thomas," I mutter. "Thomas, let's begin with your room. We'll start with moving all of your dirty clothing into your washing room, and from there, we'll put them into the washing machine to begin washing them. Understood?" Sweetie Bot turned toward me, staring at me with an inquisitive gaze. "Since when did you become the boss of me?" I groan, rubbing my face. "I've hardly known you for 10 minutes and you're already ordering me around like I'm your slave!" "This isn't for me, it's for you. You'll feel much better once you have more space to live in. After all, your house reflects your state of mind, and right now, I'm seeing a lot of clutter and disorganization. Once we clean up, you'll feel like a better human. After we're done, then we start doing stuff for me." Sweetie Bot trots out of the living room, her heavy metal clip-clops trailing off as she supposedly enters my bedroom. Would cleaning my house really make that much of a difference? I mean, I've been living here like this just fine for the past... however long it's been since I've moved out from my parent's house. But, I have been feeling disorganized lately and work has been a bumpy path for me recently. Maybe, I'll give it a shot. But I'm still unhappy that my day off has been ruined in such a short amount of time by this bossy, but admittedly helpful cute robot pony. "I have separated trash from articles of clothing, putting them in their own separate piles." Sweetie Bot announced from on top of a big pile of dirty clothes. Just next to it, a smaller pile of plastic, paper, and cans sat, occasionally shifting and making a noise. "Luckily, there have been no signs of pests like cockroaches or bedbugs, so count yourself lucky, Thomas." "Yay, so lucky," I say with no cheerfulness in my voice. But, standing at the door to my bedroom, I was actually shocked at how large the piles were. Sure, they weren't human-sized, but they were still much larger than what they should've been. "Now, I want you to stay here and put the trash into the trash bags I have gathered from your utility room." She pointed to my bed, where three trashbags lay, still closed. "I will take your clothes to the washing room and put them into the washing machine." "Yeah, how exactly are you going to carry all of that?" I say snarkily. "It's larger than your whole body..." I quickly quiet down as I see the whole pile of clothes float into the air, surrounded by a bubble of sparkling green... well, the only way to describe it is magic. "How?" I ask, pointing at the magic. "To simplify it for you, it's artificial magic, recreated from the show My Little-" I stop her there, causing Sweetie Bot to freeze mid-sentence. "Yes, I know where it's from. You don't have to repeat that show's name for the seventeenth time." I say, annoyed. "I've only said it four times." Sweetie Bot said lightly. "That's not the point!" I sigh and grab a trash bag, opening it up and starting to fill it with trash. "Just go put the clothes away or whatever." "Understood." The floating ball of clothes squeezed through my doorframe and entered the hall, Sweetie Bot following just behind it with her small horn glowing a shimmering green color. I rubbed my forehead once she was gone. "Magic? First, she comes to my door, yelling about how she's going to be dismantled, crying and everything, and now she's using magic to do chores in my house like it's nothing." I mutter to myself, chuckling at how surreal that was. "A magical robot pony named Sweetie Belle who likes to be called Sweetie Bot. It's like a comedy show." As I pick up the trash from my floor, placing it into the bag in my hands, I find myself thinking this. Taking care of a robot pony is going to be a disaster. Sweetie Bot might not be so bad."Thomas, the clothes have entered the washing machine and will be ready to be put into the drying machine in the next hour." Sweetie Bot announced as she walked back into the bedroom, where I was lying on my bed, watching a video. On the floor were three full trash bags, each tied. "Cool. I put the trash in the bags or something." I reply from the bed, looking up at Sweetie Bot as she stood in the door. "The trash isn't meant to stay in the house. It's supposed to be in a trash bin by the end of your driveway so the garbage truck can come to take it away." Sweetie Bot said, frowning as she walked into the room, stopping by the trash bags. "Surely you aren't that lazy, Thomas." "No, I'm not that lazy! It's my day off and I want it to feel like it. I don't want to spend my day off working." I say, frustration building in my voice. "Doing this will help your room feel larger and more inviting-" Sweetie Belle stops herself as I jump off the bed and grab the garbage bags, hauling them out of the bedroom. "Fine, if I must, then I will. Just to get you to stop yapping about it." I grumble, opening the front door and walking out to the end of the driveway, carrying the three garbage bags. When I reach the end of the driveway, I open my trash bin and toss the three bags in, slamming the lid shut. I walk back to the front door, seeing Sweetie Bot watch me from there. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Sweetie Bot asked as I walked past her. I remained silent. "Thomas, now that your room is clean, doesn't it feel better? Don't you feel safer in it?" I walk back to my bedroom and look into it, my frustration ebbing when I saw how much better it looked. Sure, the carpeted floor needed to be vacuumed, but it already looked much, much better. Without clothes and trash flooding the floor, it felt like a completely different room. Now I didn't have to recreate playing Minesweeper trying to enter and exit my room. "As much as I hate to admit it..." I mumble, crossing my arms. Sweetie Bot smiled as she did a little circle. "Your words please me. If you have a vacuum cleaner, please inform me of its location so I may use it in your room." She looked up at me, her eyes curious. "Utility closet. That's also where my window cleaner, bug spray, and bleach is if you ever need it." I walk out of my bedroom, walking down the hallway into the living room. "Noted." Sweetie Bot idly says as she enters the utility closet, followed by a bunch of loud noises. As I enter the living room, I take a brief glance back into the hallway. "She better not break anything..." I mutter to myself, then I look toward my kitchen. I'm still hungry, I haven't eaten anything and the mac and cheese I was supposed to eat is apparently burnt. I walk into the kitchen, open the microwave, and sigh. The bowl of mac and cheese is completely ruined, with some of the noodles having black char on them. I take out the bowl and go to the trash can to dump it out, only to be reminded that it was completely full and even overflowing. I grumble in annoyance and take the trash bag out of the can. Elsewhere in the house, I can hear a vacuum cleaner come to life, the high-pitched whirring loud even from all the way in my bedroom. I tie the trash bag and walk out of the house, tossing it in the trash bin at the end of the driveway like I did with the others. When I reenter the house, I am about to go into the kitchen again to prepare more mac and cheese for myself, but I slow to a stop, turning my gaze down the hallway to my still-open bedroom door. I groan and turn down the hallway, walking to my bedroom door where I peek in. There, I see Sweetie Bot controlling the vacuum cleaner with her green magic, moving the machine back and forth with ease. Judging from the way the carpet looked, she was already halfway done. "Hey, Sweetie Bot?" I call out over the hum of the vacuum. Her ear twitches and she looks toward the door of the room. She unplugged the vacuum cleaner. "Yes?" She asks, tilting her head very slightly. "Do you, uh... eat food?" I ask dumbly. I guess I'm just trying to be nice, but it seemed stupid to ask a robot if it could eat. "I have the ability to taste food and store it in a stomach-like chamber within my body. I can manually expel the material once I have adequately digested it in my stomach by regurgitating it." Sweetie Bot explained. I'll just take that as a yes. "So... do you want some mac and cheese?" "I'll partake in the meal after I am done cleaning your room." Sweetie Bot turned away and plugged the vacuum cleaner back in, the loud, irritating sound coming back. I nod and walk back down the hallway into the kitchen, where I open my fridge and retrieve the Tupperware with the mac and cheese. Looking into it, I deduce that there is enough food in there for a human and a small robot pony. So, I walk over to the microwave, toss the Tupperware in, and set a time that I know won't burn it. It might even be a little underheated. Well, I'm not taking chances. So, while that is reheated, I will put a new trash bag back into the trashcan. Then, I'll have my first meal with Sweetie Bot. I was putting the hot mac and cheese into bowls when I heard the vacuum cleaner shut off. I quickened my pace and put two spoons into the bowls. From there, I carried both of the bowls in my hands into the living room just in time to see Sweetie Bot walk out of the hallway. "Thomas, I have completed the task of cleaning your room." She announced proudly, then sniffed the air. "I smell cheese." "Yeah, I reheated some mac and cheese so that we could both eat it, especially since you said that you're able to eat." I placed the bowls onto the coffee table and got on the sofa, sighing. I picked up the remote and turned the TV on. "That's nice of you to do, Thomas. I do not eat much since it isn't needed, but it is nice to taste food every few weeks." Sweetie Bot trotted into the living room, jumped onto the sofa, and sat at least a foot away from me. She then used her magic to pick up her mac and cheese, taking a bite. "This is good." "I may not be the best cook, but I'm good at making simple mac and cheese," I say, bragging only a little. I pick up my own bowl and take a bite as I look up at the TV, seeing the live news again. "-highs will be in the upper 50s for tomorrow along with scattered showers well into the evening. Tomorrow is also the start of spring, so get ready to see some beautiful flowers blooming, people of Boulder, Colorado." A female newscaster said. "That's right Jane, but on other news, we have some breaking news. According to the continued investigation of the break-in of the R&S warehouse here in Boulder, there have been three AI robots declared to have been stolen. These robots are very valuable and expensive one-of-a-kind models, so if you see them, please call the number on the screen." A male newscaster said and a screen in the background displayed three images, one that contained Sweetie Bot, and the two others were blank with white question marks. Underneath Sweetie Bot's picture, it said 'SBV2'. Under the remaining images, it said 'SPV2' and 'LPV3'. "While we may not have much publicly shared information on the other two models, we have an image for this 'Sweetie Belle' model. Recreated with the image of show character Sweetie Belle in mind, this robot is a valuable prototype and anyone who locates and returns SBV2 to R&S will receive a $5,000 dollar prize." The female newscaster said again. The picture of Sweetie Bot zoomed in, clearly showing her every detail. "As for the other two models, R&S is currently looking into the matter themselves, but if you see any 'pony-like' robots hiding around Boulder, call the number on the screen and report this information to the person on the line." I turn to look at Sweetie Bot, who paused mid-bite with the spoon still in her mouth. "I really do have to keep you here for a while, huh?" I sigh, switching the channel to one with a comedy show. "I'm afraid so." Sweetie Bot pulled the spoon out of her mouth, looking back toward the TV. I was starting to think that Sweetie Bot might've been okay company, especially since she certainly means well, but now, it feels like I'm sheltering a fugitive. But, as long as I keep her hidden and quiet, everything should be fine. In fact, I'm confident in my skills of hiding a robot pony. Nothing can go wrong. A weird new addition."So, this is my spare bedroom," I say, letting Sweetie Bot walk into the dusty, mostly empty bedroom. The mattress on the bed frame lay bare with no bedsheets in sight. There was a carpet on the otherwise hardwood floor next to the bed. There was also a small wooden desk that had nothing on it. "I don't use it, as you can tell." "Do you at least have spare linens for the mattress, Thomas?" Sweetie Bot asked, looking back at me from next to the bed. I rubbed my chin and shook my head. "Nope. I've been using the same bedsheets for a while now, just washing them every so often." "I would prefer to have bedsheets on the bed." Sweetie Bot frowned and sat next to the bed. I crossed my arms. "Why does it matter to you? You shouldn't even be able to feel comfort." I point out, narrowing my eyes. "I can too. Pressure sensors beneath my skin allow me to feel a limited sense of touch like you humans can, and when pressed in an awkward or painful manner, I can feel uncomfortable." Sweetie Bot explains. "Adding bedsheets doesn't even make that much of a difference." I groan, shaking my head. Sweetie Bot jumps onto the bed, making a loud whirring sound. "Maybe not, but it'd make the room look more-" "Inviting? Warm? Yeah, I get it. I don't have the best idea of fashion and decoration, but that doesn't mean that you have to change everything on day one." I say with a frustrated tone. "Be happy that I even let you in. I don't even like robots." Sweetie Bot sits on the bed, her green eyes focusing on me. "I see. I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused you, Thomas. I will go to extreme lengths to make sure I do not upset you anymore." "Wait, that's not-" I am cut off. "I do not wish to be thrown out onto the streets again, forced to lie and wait for my inevitable fate of being deconstructed and used in a future robotics project. So, I will be on my bestest behavior for the remainder of my stay." Sweetie Bot finally finished, her ear flicking as she stared at me. I stared back, unimpressed. "It's not like I was going to kick you out or anything," I say, making Sweetie Bot grin nervously. "The point still applies. I do not want to make you hate me, so I will make you love me so that you never want me to leave." Sweetie Bot curls up on the bed and lies down, closing her eyes. "I will initiate sleep mode. Good night, Thomas." "It's only 6, but whatever. Good night." I stand there for a second longer before I turn out of the room and shut the door with a soft click. I trudge back into my living room where I flop down onto the couch. There, I let out a long, heavy sigh. "How much does a robot charger cost...?" I mutter to myself, running my hands through my hair. "I've got to go to work tomorrow, I've got to buy more food, I've got to pay the bills, and now I've got to worry about the well-being of a robot. How could this day get any worse...?" I sit in the living room for an unknown amount of time, but when I eventually look back up, it's dark outside and the clock now reads 7:35 PM. "I'm thinking too hard on this. Maybe this won't be so bad after all." I try cheering myself up as I stand. "It looks like she can take care of herself. Maybe she even has a built-in charger. God, I hope so." I walk out of the living room and into the kitchen where I invade my fridge for the third time today. I kneel down and open one of the drawers, revealing my collection of soda. I grab a Coke and shut the drawer and fridge. I stand back up and crack open the can, going to take a sip and... I freeze when I see a glowing pair of eyes staring into my kitchen from outside. I scream (in a very manly way) and reflexively throw something at the window, that something being my freshly opened can of Coke. The eyes disappear as soon as the can collides with my window, bouncing off it with a heavy thud. The can spins around on my counter, pouring out all of its contents onto it. I scurry over to the can and stand it up so it no longer spills and I take a shaky deep breath. "Who... the hell... was that?" I ask myself, looking back outside the window at the darkness outside. It wasn't all dark as I could see that one of my motion-activated security lights had turned on. Thankfully, I saw nobody snooping around outside, so I turned away and grabbed a towel, pressing it onto the counter. I wipe down the counter, my hands trembling violently as I try and calm down from the sight. Glowing eyes aren't natural, I realize. Am I being stalked by a demon!? "No, that's crazy talk..." I assure myself. "Demons don't stalk poor, innocent men like me... well, I'm not innocent..." I look back up at the window, noticing that the security light had turned off. I quickly look back down, knowing that I'd feel better not looking outside. I quickly scrubbed the remaining soda off the counter, tossed the towel into the sink subconsciously, and ran out of the kitchen, finally entering the safety of my well-lit bedroom. I closed the door and walked forward, collapsing onto my bed with a sigh. "I hope it's not a demon..." I say to myself, my voice muffled by my bed. I roll over, staring at the ceiling with a contemplative gaze. I look over at my window, which is covered by curtains and blinds. I take a deep breath and steel my nerves. "If it's a demon, then I have to not be scared. Being scared only serves to strengthen the demon. Don't be afraid... don't be afraid..." I hyped myself up and stood up off my bed, walking over to my window. I stand in front of it, many thoughts running through my head all at once. But, I grab the curtains, pulled them apart, and peered through the blinds... ...meeting the glowing magenta eyes right on the other side of the window. Now, I had hyped myself up so I wouldn't be afraid. However, this moment will do down in my own personal history book as one of the scariest moments in my life. I stare into the eyes, my entire body stiff from fear and shock. The eyes stare back, unblinking. Yeah, I've seen enough for today. The last thing I remember is collapsing to the ground, now taking a nice nap on my freshly cleaned carpeted floor. "Hey, are you alright, sir?" The unfamiliar voice slowly brought me out of my accidental slumber. I groan and roll over, now lying on my stomach on the floor. The voice was feminine but still unfamiliar. It wasn't Sweetie Bot. I'll remember that grating voice for as long as I live. "Urgh... five more minutes," I reply to the voice, pressing my face into the carpet. "Do I need to take you to the hospital?" The voice asked again and I heard footsteps approaching. That's an odd amount of footsteps for a person... unless... It really was a demon. Instantly, I bolted to my feet, my eyes snapping open. "You won't take me alive!" I waved a hand around, yelling as loud as I could. I heard a clatter and a crash from behind me, so I turned to look. Lying on the floor upside down next to a fallen metal trash can was a... another mutated dog? This one was a bit bigger. No, it was a lot bigger. No, that's right, not a mutated dog. Pony? This one also had a toothpick, horn, I corrected, on its head. A really long one. It seemed quite sharp. Its coat was a brilliant white that seemed to shimmer in the white light of my room. It had long, straight pink hair that was splayed out on the floor since it was lying upside down. Its tail was also pretty long, the same long pink straight hair being seen there as well. However, a strange addition to this pony's body was its wings. Yep, definitely its wings. They were large and unfurled, taking up a large portion of the floor as it lay there. It stared up at me with its magenta eyes. I stared down at it. "Um..." It spoke, trailing off immediately. It was the source of the feminine voice. "You a robot too?" I asked, my fear ebbing, replaced by annoyance as I crossed my arms. The pony smiled nervously. "Please don't tell R&S?" She asked quietly. That answers that. I groan and shake my head. "I got scared for nothing. This isn't a demon, just another robot pony..." I watch as the pony stands up, realizing that she's a lot taller than I first thought. She stood nearly an inch taller than me and her horn gave her extra height! "An oversized one... Yeah, whatever, I won't tell R&S." "Oh, thank you kindly, sir! But, now I have something else more, uh... important to ask." The pony averted her gaze, shuffling her hooves. "Lemme guess. You want to stay?" I crossed my arms again, giving her a knowing stare. She blinked and sheepishly nodded. "I've already got one nuisance in the house, I don't need a second one." "Oh, but please! R&S is out for me and I have no clue what they'll do to me once they get their hands on me!" The pony started begging, looking very nervous. The extent of their nervousness, paired with Sweetie Belle's similar anxiety, makes me wonder what kind of people work at R&S. "Please, please please please!" "Can you handle cooking?" I asked, making the pony tilt her head. I didn't say anything else, so she quickly nodded. "Yes, I can cook. I'm not the best, but I know a lot of recipes." She explained. "Can you do chores?" I asked again, to which she nodded. "Do you make messes?" She shook her head. "Alright, last question. Do you and the other robot ponies have your own chargers?" "Yes, we do. We can open a panel on our sides when needed." The pony nodded and a panel swung open on her side, revealing a coiled-up wire alongside a pulsing plastic tube. I stared for longer than I should have before the panel closed. "Does that mean I can stay?" "Yeah, I guess so... but, you'll have to promise me something." I raised a finger, making the pony stand straight up. "Whatever it is, I'll do it." She said in a straight, ready voice. "When I go to work... please make sure that Sweetie Bot doesn't snoop around." I sigh. The pony seemed stunned at the supposedly simple task. "No worries, you can rely on me!" The pony beamed and nodded her head. But as soon as she said that, the door to the bedroom opened, revealing Sweetie Bot standing at the door, her face the same as ever. "Thomas, people from R&S wish to speak to you." Sweetie Bot said before walking away from the bedroom. Me and the pony both felt our jaw drop as we exchanged a glance. This day, that had already been bad enough since 2 robot ponies dumped themselves onto me, just got even worse. A sticky situation.I stand in front of the closed front door, flinching when I hear another knock. "Mr. Ledger? We know you're home, open the door." A male voice, muffled by the door, is heard on the other side. I take a deep breath, my hands shaking as I reach to unlock the door. I had told both the new pony and Sweetie Bot to hide in my bedroom and to jump out through the window in case anything happened. With much hesitation, I unlock the front door and open it. Standing just beyond the door were three men. Two large men, obviously guards of some kind, and one smaller, yet somehow still as intimidating fancy man. He wore a suit and tie despite the late hour. "Thomas Ledger." The man held out his hand, which I reluctantly shook. "I am Howey Redford of R&S, and we were just passing through the neighborhood to ask you all some questions." "Questions? What for?" I ask, trying to keep my voice level. "If you haven't watched the news recently, then I understand. You see, we've recently lost 3 very important robots and they've been on the loose for about a day now. We fear that someone may have stolen them, so, naturally, we've started questioning others." Redford put his hands together. "Have you seen any odd robots walking around or possibly being carried by a person or vehicle?" "Well, I've been home all day, so... can't say I have," I say casually, rubbing the back of my head. "Today was my day off, you know what I mean? Just want to laze around and do nothing..." "Yes, yes, I understand. Days like this are ones that you want to spend all to yourself." Redford nodded, a smile on his face. "But have you heard any weird noises? Noises like clattering, knocks on the windows, or maybe even mechanical whirring?" I grin nervously and shake my head. "I can't say I have. I've just been so engrossed in my videos all day... gotta stay focused on something." "Hm, I see." Redford nodded. "Well, call me if you see or hear anything suspicious." He pulled out a thin white card and passed it to me. I take it, seeing a phone number written on it in a fancy font. "I apologize for wasting your time. Return to your lazing, Thomas." I nod and watch as Redford and his guards walk away from the door toward a large black SUV. I shut the door, but can't help myself from looking through the peephole. Redford and his guards step into the SUV, but it doesn't leave for the next 15 minutes. I wait patiently, growing more anxious by the second. Eventually, the SUV leaves and I feel my body relax. I slump down onto the floor in front of my front door, the anxiety still in my system. "They finally left..." I look up and see the tall new pony, her white coat glimmering in the light from my living room. "I knew they'd be trailing me, but it seems that I finally got away from them..." "You're lucky..." I say shakily from the floor. "I'm not a good actor. That's the best acting you're going to get out of me ever, and I wasted it protecting you two." I specifically say that as Sweetie Bot walks out next to the new pony. "We are thankful for that, Thomas. Even though you repeatedly state that you dislike robots, you keep going out of your way to express kindness to us." Sweetie Bot walks over to you. "You let me in, fed me mac and cheese, watched a comedy show with me, and gave me a room to sleep in." "You haven't done much for me yet... but just letting me stay and protecting us from R&S already shows me that you're a kind human." The new pony smiles, dipping her head. "Thank you..." "Uh..." I rub the back of my neck, looking at both Sweetie Bot and the new pony with an unreadable expression. "Sure. Yeah, you're welcome." I stand up, shaking my body to release the rest of the anxiety. "Now, I believe it's time we introduce ourselves." The new pony nods. "Right! I apologize." "Well, you don't need to. I was quite busy doing something else." I pointed a thumb at the door, making the new pony chuckle slightly. "Yes, you were, haha." The new pony held her front right hoof out. "Anyway, I am SPV2, also known as Celestia. It's nice to meet you, mister...?" "I'm Thomas Ledger. Once we get to know each other better, Tom would be just fine." I grab her hoof and shake it politely. But, then I remembered the news from earlier. "So, you're one of the other missing robot ponies. I remembered it was Sweetie Bot, then you, but there's one last one. I think it was... LPV3?" "Yes, LPV3." Celestia nodded. "She's basically my sister with how close we were in the warehouse. After we escaped, we got separated, and now I'm here. I do hope we can meet again, but I have my doubts. R&S have probably already gotten her." I shake my head and shrug. "Maybe not. It's always possible that LPV3 is still out there." "Yeah..." Celestia looks at the ground. There was an awkward silence before I intervened with a sigh. "I do hope that you can pull your own weight because I'm hardly going to be around to protect you and babysit you." "All I need is a place to stay," Celestia says, smiling. "And I got that, so I need nothing else." "Great." I yawn, rubbing my eyes. "That means I can finally go to bed. It's late, and I really need to get to sleep as early as I can." Celestia watched as I walked down the hallway. Sweetie Bot followed next to me, her small hooves clopping against the hardwood floor. "Thomas, where will Celestia sleep? She is too big to sleep with either me or you." "Isn't it obvious? She'll sleep in the living room. The couch should be big enough." I reply, entering my bedroom. From the living room, Celestia's ear twitched and she crawled onto the couch. "Noted. Good night again, Thomas. We will meet again in the morning." Sweetie Bot said from the door to my bedroom, waving. "That's if you wake up early enough to watch me leave for work." Sweetie Bot shut the door to my bedroom, leaving me alone in the well-lit room. I shut off the overhead light, leaving the lamp on my bedside table on as I crawl into bed and shuffle underneath the covers. Not only did I lie to a member of a wealthy robotics company, but I have to go to work the very next day. Now that I'm housing 2 robot ponies, I have a feeling that it's only going to get worse from here. It's only been 1 whole day, but taking care of robot ponies is a disaster!
Who is Sweetie Bot?I was lounging on my couch in my living room, as all people do on their day off. My TV was on, playing the live news while I was invested in a video I was watching on my phone. The news was talking about stuff I didn't care about anyway. The weather didn't matter much to me. Sunny, cloudy, rainy, whatever, I wasn't going outside today anyway. "-the leading robotics company, R&S Premier Robotics, made more investments into AI Robotics today. The designs for robot humans have been streamlined considerably, now being less bulky and less expensive to manufacture. According to R&S, the first AI robots will be on sale in as soon as 2 months. If you're interested in pre-ordering the factory model, go to-" I pressed the power button on my remote, shutting the TV off with a click. I placed the remote back onto the coffee table and sighed. "Robots, robots, robots..." I mutter to myself, groaning as I roll off my couch and onto the floor. I stand up and dust myself off. "What happened to war and conflicts or whatever was happening a couple of years ago? That was more interesting than creepy robots." I walk into my kitchen, open my fridge, and dig inside it. I search around for a few seconds before I grab a large Tupperware full of last night's leftovers. I grab a spoon and bowl, open up the container, scoop out a reasonable portion of mac and cheese, and throw the bowl into the microwave, setting the time for an amount that probably wouldn't burn it. As I was putting the Tupperware back into the fridge, I heard a heavy knock on my door. It honestly made me flinch with how unexpected it was. I toss the container into the fridge and shut it, peering out of my kitchen and at the front door. "Who is it?" I call out, expecting an answer. After all, it might be a friend or family member. But, there was no response. "Am I being pranked? This would be a first if that's the case." I look back at my microwave before walking toward the front door. I looked through my peephole to see if anybody was at the door, but I saw nothing. "Damn, I really did get pranked," I say as I unlatch my door and let it swing open. However, what I wasn't expecting to see was a pony. I admit, I let out a pretty girly shriek at the sight of this creature. "W-What is this? A... a mutated dog or something?" "I am not modeled after a dog. I am modeled after Sweetie Belle, a unicorn filly from the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Your assessment is incorrect." The pony said in an irritating high-pitched voice with an undertone of static. So, not a dog, but a pony. A robot pony, I correct, as a living creature wouldn't call themselves 'modeled'. it's also got a toothpick or something on its head. A real thick one. "So... you're called Sweetie Belle?" I ask, very tempted to close the door due to my aversion to AI technology. "Correct." The robot nods, its green eyes scanning me. "But I am often called Sweetie Bot in a joking way." That's quite a joke, I think to myself. "And, why are you here at my house?" I rightfully ask. No matter how cute this robot is, I'm tempted to not let it in. Even if it was a cute robot kitten. Well... maybe not. "I want to stay here." Sweetie Bot announces. "Please let me stay." "No." I immediately answer. "But why? I can do a lot of things! I can cook food, do the dishes, model for dresses, and even-" I cut her off there, afraid of what she would say next. "The answer is still no. I don't want a robot inside my house." I clarify, beginning to close the door. "But, you must! If the people find me, I'll be dismantled!" Sweetie Bot placed a hoof between my door and the door frame, managing a clanging noise when I tried to close it harder. "Please, let me stay." "Well, what if I'm one of the people who want to dismantle you?" I say, a frown playing on my lips. "Then you would've invited me in without hesitation to lure me into a trap with a false sense of security." Sweetie Bot answers, a smile on her face. The frown fully forms now. She got me there. "I..." I trail off, debating. I really, really don't want to house a robot. The very thought of a metal creature with fake emotions makes me shiver. But, looking at Sweetie Bot with her wide, pleading eyes and adorable face, I find that I can't say no, especially with the threat of being dismantled looming over her shoulders. I eventually fold and open the door again, sighing. "Fine, but only for-" "YAY!" She exclaims, darting into my house and wrapping her legs around my leg. "Thank you so much! I'll never forget this! We are going to become the bestest of friends during my stay!" "Wait, hold on-" Sweetie Bot zooms off deeper into my house. "Hey, wait up! Don't snoop around!" "Your house is dirty. Filthy levels are reading 90%." Sweetie Bot says as I enter my bedroom, seeing her stand on a mountain of dirty clothes. "First off, rude. Secondly, can you please-" I watch as Sweetie Bot runs out of my bedroom, slipping in between my legs as she rushes around my house. I chase her as best as I can, but she's too fast. Eventually, I collapse on my couch, breathing heavily as Sweetie Bot paces in front of the couch. "New landlord, your residence is in horrible condition. Clothes lay around dirty and unorganized, trash lay near the trash can, which is overfilled and needs to be taken out, and food sits burnt in the microwave." I had forgotten about my mac and cheese. "This is unacceptable. If Rarity was real, she would have sent you to hygiene prison with a life sentence to boot." I had no clue who Rarity was and I was also starting to regret my decision of letting Sweetie Bot stay, and it's only been 5 minutes. But, one thing is certain. I have to proclaim myself as owner of this house and I won't let her boldness slide. "Sweetie Bot, you listen here-" A small, cold white hoof covers my mouth. "Dearest landlord, I am thinking. Please remain quiet." When her hoof is removed, I feel my temper flare. "Now, there are multiple ways to improve your living conditions. One such way is to move the furniture in your living room around. As it is now, it feels cramped and uninviting, barely a space of warmth and hospitality that one would expect from a living room. If you move the couch from here to over by the wall and move the table and TV over there, then that would..." I find myself spacing out as Sweetie Bot rambles on and on about changing the living room. I honestly have no clue what she's on about. It's not like I'm hosting a party or I have a family to take care of. Nobody cares... except for her. "...and adding some decorations to the walls will make the living room feel safer, warmer, and overall, more inviting." Sweetie Bot finishes off. "But first, we have to deal with the uncleanliness of your house. Landlord-" "It's Thomas," I mutter. "Thomas, let's begin with your room. We'll start with moving all of your dirty clothing into your washing room, and from there, we'll put them into the washing machine to begin washing them. Understood?" Sweetie Bot turned toward me, staring at me with an inquisitive gaze. "Since when did you become the boss of me?" I groan, rubbing my face. "I've hardly known you for 10 minutes and you're already ordering me around like I'm your slave!" "This isn't for me, it's for you. You'll feel much better once you have more space to live in. After all, your house reflects your state of mind, and right now, I'm seeing a lot of clutter and disorganization. Once we clean up, you'll feel like a better human. After we're done, then we start doing stuff for me." Sweetie Bot trots out of the living room, her heavy metal clip-clops trailing off as she supposedly enters my bedroom. Would cleaning my house really make that much of a difference? I mean, I've been living here like this just fine for the past... however long it's been since I've moved out from my parent's house. But, I have been feeling disorganized lately and work has been a bumpy path for me recently. Maybe, I'll give it a shot. But I'm still unhappy that my day off has been ruined in such a short amount of time by this bossy, but admittedly helpful cute robot pony. "I have separated trash from articles of clothing, putting them in their own separate piles." Sweetie Bot announced from on top of a big pile of dirty clothes. Just next to it, a smaller pile of plastic, paper, and cans sat, occasionally shifting and making a noise. "Luckily, there have been no signs of pests like cockroaches or bedbugs, so count yourself lucky, Thomas." "Yay, so lucky," I say with no cheerfulness in my voice. But, standing at the door to my bedroom, I was actually shocked at how large the piles were. Sure, they weren't human-sized, but they were still much larger than what they should've been. "Now, I want you to stay here and put the trash into the trash bags I have gathered from your utility room." She pointed to my bed, where three trashbags lay, still closed. "I will take your clothes to the washing room and put them into the washing machine." "Yeah, how exactly are you going to carry all of that?" I say snarkily. "It's larger than your whole body..." I quickly quiet down as I see the whole pile of clothes float into the air, surrounded by a bubble of sparkling green... well, the only way to describe it is magic. "How?" I ask, pointing at the magic. "To simplify it for you, it's artificial magic, recreated from the show My Little-" I stop her there, causing Sweetie Bot to freeze mid-sentence. "Yes, I know where it's from. You don't have to repeat that show's name for the seventeenth time." I say, annoyed. "I've only said it four times." Sweetie Bot said lightly. "That's not the point!" I sigh and grab a trash bag, opening it up and starting to fill it with trash. "Just go put the clothes away or whatever." "Understood." The floating ball of clothes squeezed through my doorframe and entered the hall, Sweetie Bot following just behind it with her small horn glowing a shimmering green color. I rubbed my forehead once she was gone. "Magic? First, she comes to my door, yelling about how she's going to be dismantled, crying and everything, and now she's using magic to do chores in my house like it's nothing." I mutter to myself, chuckling at how surreal that was. "A magical robot pony named Sweetie Belle who likes to be called Sweetie Bot. It's like a comedy show." As I pick up the trash from my floor, placing it into the bag in my hands, I find myself thinking this. Taking care of a robot pony is going to be a disaster.
Sweetie Bot might not be so bad."Thomas, the clothes have entered the washing machine and will be ready to be put into the drying machine in the next hour." Sweetie Bot announced as she walked back into the bedroom, where I was lying on my bed, watching a video. On the floor were three full trash bags, each tied. "Cool. I put the trash in the bags or something." I reply from the bed, looking up at Sweetie Bot as she stood in the door. "The trash isn't meant to stay in the house. It's supposed to be in a trash bin by the end of your driveway so the garbage truck can come to take it away." Sweetie Bot said, frowning as she walked into the room, stopping by the trash bags. "Surely you aren't that lazy, Thomas." "No, I'm not that lazy! It's my day off and I want it to feel like it. I don't want to spend my day off working." I say, frustration building in my voice. "Doing this will help your room feel larger and more inviting-" Sweetie Belle stops herself as I jump off the bed and grab the garbage bags, hauling them out of the bedroom. "Fine, if I must, then I will. Just to get you to stop yapping about it." I grumble, opening the front door and walking out to the end of the driveway, carrying the three garbage bags. When I reach the end of the driveway, I open my trash bin and toss the three bags in, slamming the lid shut. I walk back to the front door, seeing Sweetie Bot watch me from there. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Sweetie Bot asked as I walked past her. I remained silent. "Thomas, now that your room is clean, doesn't it feel better? Don't you feel safer in it?" I walk back to my bedroom and look into it, my frustration ebbing when I saw how much better it looked. Sure, the carpeted floor needed to be vacuumed, but it already looked much, much better. Without clothes and trash flooding the floor, it felt like a completely different room. Now I didn't have to recreate playing Minesweeper trying to enter and exit my room. "As much as I hate to admit it..." I mumble, crossing my arms. Sweetie Bot smiled as she did a little circle. "Your words please me. If you have a vacuum cleaner, please inform me of its location so I may use it in your room." She looked up at me, her eyes curious. "Utility closet. That's also where my window cleaner, bug spray, and bleach is if you ever need it." I walk out of my bedroom, walking down the hallway into the living room. "Noted." Sweetie Bot idly says as she enters the utility closet, followed by a bunch of loud noises. As I enter the living room, I take a brief glance back into the hallway. "She better not break anything..." I mutter to myself, then I look toward my kitchen. I'm still hungry, I haven't eaten anything and the mac and cheese I was supposed to eat is apparently burnt. I walk into the kitchen, open the microwave, and sigh. The bowl of mac and cheese is completely ruined, with some of the noodles having black char on them. I take out the bowl and go to the trash can to dump it out, only to be reminded that it was completely full and even overflowing. I grumble in annoyance and take the trash bag out of the can. Elsewhere in the house, I can hear a vacuum cleaner come to life, the high-pitched whirring loud even from all the way in my bedroom. I tie the trash bag and walk out of the house, tossing it in the trash bin at the end of the driveway like I did with the others. When I reenter the house, I am about to go into the kitchen again to prepare more mac and cheese for myself, but I slow to a stop, turning my gaze down the hallway to my still-open bedroom door. I groan and turn down the hallway, walking to my bedroom door where I peek in. There, I see Sweetie Bot controlling the vacuum cleaner with her green magic, moving the machine back and forth with ease. Judging from the way the carpet looked, she was already halfway done. "Hey, Sweetie Bot?" I call out over the hum of the vacuum. Her ear twitches and she looks toward the door of the room. She unplugged the vacuum cleaner. "Yes?" She asks, tilting her head very slightly. "Do you, uh... eat food?" I ask dumbly. I guess I'm just trying to be nice, but it seemed stupid to ask a robot if it could eat. "I have the ability to taste food and store it in a stomach-like chamber within my body. I can manually expel the material once I have adequately digested it in my stomach by regurgitating it." Sweetie Bot explained. I'll just take that as a yes. "So... do you want some mac and cheese?" "I'll partake in the meal after I am done cleaning your room." Sweetie Bot turned away and plugged the vacuum cleaner back in, the loud, irritating sound coming back. I nod and walk back down the hallway into the kitchen, where I open my fridge and retrieve the Tupperware with the mac and cheese. Looking into it, I deduce that there is enough food in there for a human and a small robot pony. So, I walk over to the microwave, toss the Tupperware in, and set a time that I know won't burn it. It might even be a little underheated. Well, I'm not taking chances. So, while that is reheated, I will put a new trash bag back into the trashcan. Then, I'll have my first meal with Sweetie Bot. I was putting the hot mac and cheese into bowls when I heard the vacuum cleaner shut off. I quickened my pace and put two spoons into the bowls. From there, I carried both of the bowls in my hands into the living room just in time to see Sweetie Bot walk out of the hallway. "Thomas, I have completed the task of cleaning your room." She announced proudly, then sniffed the air. "I smell cheese." "Yeah, I reheated some mac and cheese so that we could both eat it, especially since you said that you're able to eat." I placed the bowls onto the coffee table and got on the sofa, sighing. I picked up the remote and turned the TV on. "That's nice of you to do, Thomas. I do not eat much since it isn't needed, but it is nice to taste food every few weeks." Sweetie Bot trotted into the living room, jumped onto the sofa, and sat at least a foot away from me. She then used her magic to pick up her mac and cheese, taking a bite. "This is good." "I may not be the best cook, but I'm good at making simple mac and cheese," I say, bragging only a little. I pick up my own bowl and take a bite as I look up at the TV, seeing the live news again. "-highs will be in the upper 50s for tomorrow along with scattered showers well into the evening. Tomorrow is also the start of spring, so get ready to see some beautiful flowers blooming, people of Boulder, Colorado." A female newscaster said. "That's right Jane, but on other news, we have some breaking news. According to the continued investigation of the break-in of the R&S warehouse here in Boulder, there have been three AI robots declared to have been stolen. These robots are very valuable and expensive one-of-a-kind models, so if you see them, please call the number on the screen." A male newscaster said and a screen in the background displayed three images, one that contained Sweetie Bot, and the two others were blank with white question marks. Underneath Sweetie Bot's picture, it said 'SBV2'. Under the remaining images, it said 'SPV2' and 'LPV3'. "While we may not have much publicly shared information on the other two models, we have an image for this 'Sweetie Belle' model. Recreated with the image of show character Sweetie Belle in mind, this robot is a valuable prototype and anyone who locates and returns SBV2 to R&S will receive a $5,000 dollar prize." The female newscaster said again. The picture of Sweetie Bot zoomed in, clearly showing her every detail. "As for the other two models, R&S is currently looking into the matter themselves, but if you see any 'pony-like' robots hiding around Boulder, call the number on the screen and report this information to the person on the line." I turn to look at Sweetie Bot, who paused mid-bite with the spoon still in her mouth. "I really do have to keep you here for a while, huh?" I sigh, switching the channel to one with a comedy show. "I'm afraid so." Sweetie Bot pulled the spoon out of her mouth, looking back toward the TV. I was starting to think that Sweetie Bot might've been okay company, especially since she certainly means well, but now, it feels like I'm sheltering a fugitive. But, as long as I keep her hidden and quiet, everything should be fine. In fact, I'm confident in my skills of hiding a robot pony. Nothing can go wrong.
A weird new addition."So, this is my spare bedroom," I say, letting Sweetie Bot walk into the dusty, mostly empty bedroom. The mattress on the bed frame lay bare with no bedsheets in sight. There was a carpet on the otherwise hardwood floor next to the bed. There was also a small wooden desk that had nothing on it. "I don't use it, as you can tell." "Do you at least have spare linens for the mattress, Thomas?" Sweetie Bot asked, looking back at me from next to the bed. I rubbed my chin and shook my head. "Nope. I've been using the same bedsheets for a while now, just washing them every so often." "I would prefer to have bedsheets on the bed." Sweetie Bot frowned and sat next to the bed. I crossed my arms. "Why does it matter to you? You shouldn't even be able to feel comfort." I point out, narrowing my eyes. "I can too. Pressure sensors beneath my skin allow me to feel a limited sense of touch like you humans can, and when pressed in an awkward or painful manner, I can feel uncomfortable." Sweetie Bot explains. "Adding bedsheets doesn't even make that much of a difference." I groan, shaking my head. Sweetie Bot jumps onto the bed, making a loud whirring sound. "Maybe not, but it'd make the room look more-" "Inviting? Warm? Yeah, I get it. I don't have the best idea of fashion and decoration, but that doesn't mean that you have to change everything on day one." I say with a frustrated tone. "Be happy that I even let you in. I don't even like robots." Sweetie Bot sits on the bed, her green eyes focusing on me. "I see. I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused you, Thomas. I will go to extreme lengths to make sure I do not upset you anymore." "Wait, that's not-" I am cut off. "I do not wish to be thrown out onto the streets again, forced to lie and wait for my inevitable fate of being deconstructed and used in a future robotics project. So, I will be on my bestest behavior for the remainder of my stay." Sweetie Bot finally finished, her ear flicking as she stared at me. I stared back, unimpressed. "It's not like I was going to kick you out or anything," I say, making Sweetie Bot grin nervously. "The point still applies. I do not want to make you hate me, so I will make you love me so that you never want me to leave." Sweetie Bot curls up on the bed and lies down, closing her eyes. "I will initiate sleep mode. Good night, Thomas." "It's only 6, but whatever. Good night." I stand there for a second longer before I turn out of the room and shut the door with a soft click. I trudge back into my living room where I flop down onto the couch. There, I let out a long, heavy sigh. "How much does a robot charger cost...?" I mutter to myself, running my hands through my hair. "I've got to go to work tomorrow, I've got to buy more food, I've got to pay the bills, and now I've got to worry about the well-being of a robot. How could this day get any worse...?" I sit in the living room for an unknown amount of time, but when I eventually look back up, it's dark outside and the clock now reads 7:35 PM. "I'm thinking too hard on this. Maybe this won't be so bad after all." I try cheering myself up as I stand. "It looks like she can take care of herself. Maybe she even has a built-in charger. God, I hope so." I walk out of the living room and into the kitchen where I invade my fridge for the third time today. I kneel down and open one of the drawers, revealing my collection of soda. I grab a Coke and shut the drawer and fridge. I stand back up and crack open the can, going to take a sip and... I freeze when I see a glowing pair of eyes staring into my kitchen from outside. I scream (in a very manly way) and reflexively throw something at the window, that something being my freshly opened can of Coke. The eyes disappear as soon as the can collides with my window, bouncing off it with a heavy thud. The can spins around on my counter, pouring out all of its contents onto it. I scurry over to the can and stand it up so it no longer spills and I take a shaky deep breath. "Who... the hell... was that?" I ask myself, looking back outside the window at the darkness outside. It wasn't all dark as I could see that one of my motion-activated security lights had turned on. Thankfully, I saw nobody snooping around outside, so I turned away and grabbed a towel, pressing it onto the counter. I wipe down the counter, my hands trembling violently as I try and calm down from the sight. Glowing eyes aren't natural, I realize. Am I being stalked by a demon!? "No, that's crazy talk..." I assure myself. "Demons don't stalk poor, innocent men like me... well, I'm not innocent..." I look back up at the window, noticing that the security light had turned off. I quickly look back down, knowing that I'd feel better not looking outside. I quickly scrubbed the remaining soda off the counter, tossed the towel into the sink subconsciously, and ran out of the kitchen, finally entering the safety of my well-lit bedroom. I closed the door and walked forward, collapsing onto my bed with a sigh. "I hope it's not a demon..." I say to myself, my voice muffled by my bed. I roll over, staring at the ceiling with a contemplative gaze. I look over at my window, which is covered by curtains and blinds. I take a deep breath and steel my nerves. "If it's a demon, then I have to not be scared. Being scared only serves to strengthen the demon. Don't be afraid... don't be afraid..." I hyped myself up and stood up off my bed, walking over to my window. I stand in front of it, many thoughts running through my head all at once. But, I grab the curtains, pulled them apart, and peered through the blinds... ...meeting the glowing magenta eyes right on the other side of the window. Now, I had hyped myself up so I wouldn't be afraid. However, this moment will do down in my own personal history book as one of the scariest moments in my life. I stare into the eyes, my entire body stiff from fear and shock. The eyes stare back, unblinking. Yeah, I've seen enough for today. The last thing I remember is collapsing to the ground, now taking a nice nap on my freshly cleaned carpeted floor. "Hey, are you alright, sir?" The unfamiliar voice slowly brought me out of my accidental slumber. I groan and roll over, now lying on my stomach on the floor. The voice was feminine but still unfamiliar. It wasn't Sweetie Bot. I'll remember that grating voice for as long as I live. "Urgh... five more minutes," I reply to the voice, pressing my face into the carpet. "Do I need to take you to the hospital?" The voice asked again and I heard footsteps approaching. That's an odd amount of footsteps for a person... unless... It really was a demon. Instantly, I bolted to my feet, my eyes snapping open. "You won't take me alive!" I waved a hand around, yelling as loud as I could. I heard a clatter and a crash from behind me, so I turned to look. Lying on the floor upside down next to a fallen metal trash can was a... another mutated dog? This one was a bit bigger. No, it was a lot bigger. No, that's right, not a mutated dog. Pony? This one also had a toothpick, horn, I corrected, on its head. A really long one. It seemed quite sharp. Its coat was a brilliant white that seemed to shimmer in the white light of my room. It had long, straight pink hair that was splayed out on the floor since it was lying upside down. Its tail was also pretty long, the same long pink straight hair being seen there as well. However, a strange addition to this pony's body was its wings. Yep, definitely its wings. They were large and unfurled, taking up a large portion of the floor as it lay there. It stared up at me with its magenta eyes. I stared down at it. "Um..." It spoke, trailing off immediately. It was the source of the feminine voice. "You a robot too?" I asked, my fear ebbing, replaced by annoyance as I crossed my arms. The pony smiled nervously. "Please don't tell R&S?" She asked quietly. That answers that. I groan and shake my head. "I got scared for nothing. This isn't a demon, just another robot pony..." I watch as the pony stands up, realizing that she's a lot taller than I first thought. She stood nearly an inch taller than me and her horn gave her extra height! "An oversized one... Yeah, whatever, I won't tell R&S." "Oh, thank you kindly, sir! But, now I have something else more, uh... important to ask." The pony averted her gaze, shuffling her hooves. "Lemme guess. You want to stay?" I crossed my arms again, giving her a knowing stare. She blinked and sheepishly nodded. "I've already got one nuisance in the house, I don't need a second one." "Oh, but please! R&S is out for me and I have no clue what they'll do to me once they get their hands on me!" The pony started begging, looking very nervous. The extent of their nervousness, paired with Sweetie Belle's similar anxiety, makes me wonder what kind of people work at R&S. "Please, please please please!" "Can you handle cooking?" I asked, making the pony tilt her head. I didn't say anything else, so she quickly nodded. "Yes, I can cook. I'm not the best, but I know a lot of recipes." She explained. "Can you do chores?" I asked again, to which she nodded. "Do you make messes?" She shook her head. "Alright, last question. Do you and the other robot ponies have your own chargers?" "Yes, we do. We can open a panel on our sides when needed." The pony nodded and a panel swung open on her side, revealing a coiled-up wire alongside a pulsing plastic tube. I stared for longer than I should have before the panel closed. "Does that mean I can stay?" "Yeah, I guess so... but, you'll have to promise me something." I raised a finger, making the pony stand straight up. "Whatever it is, I'll do it." She said in a straight, ready voice. "When I go to work... please make sure that Sweetie Bot doesn't snoop around." I sigh. The pony seemed stunned at the supposedly simple task. "No worries, you can rely on me!" The pony beamed and nodded her head. But as soon as she said that, the door to the bedroom opened, revealing Sweetie Bot standing at the door, her face the same as ever. "Thomas, people from R&S wish to speak to you." Sweetie Bot said before walking away from the bedroom. Me and the pony both felt our jaw drop as we exchanged a glance. This day, that had already been bad enough since 2 robot ponies dumped themselves onto me, just got even worse.
A sticky situation.I stand in front of the closed front door, flinching when I hear another knock. "Mr. Ledger? We know you're home, open the door." A male voice, muffled by the door, is heard on the other side. I take a deep breath, my hands shaking as I reach to unlock the door. I had told both the new pony and Sweetie Bot to hide in my bedroom and to jump out through the window in case anything happened. With much hesitation, I unlock the front door and open it. Standing just beyond the door were three men. Two large men, obviously guards of some kind, and one smaller, yet somehow still as intimidating fancy man. He wore a suit and tie despite the late hour. "Thomas Ledger." The man held out his hand, which I reluctantly shook. "I am Howey Redford of R&S, and we were just passing through the neighborhood to ask you all some questions." "Questions? What for?" I ask, trying to keep my voice level. "If you haven't watched the news recently, then I understand. You see, we've recently lost 3 very important robots and they've been on the loose for about a day now. We fear that someone may have stolen them, so, naturally, we've started questioning others." Redford put his hands together. "Have you seen any odd robots walking around or possibly being carried by a person or vehicle?" "Well, I've been home all day, so... can't say I have," I say casually, rubbing the back of my head. "Today was my day off, you know what I mean? Just want to laze around and do nothing..." "Yes, yes, I understand. Days like this are ones that you want to spend all to yourself." Redford nodded, a smile on his face. "But have you heard any weird noises? Noises like clattering, knocks on the windows, or maybe even mechanical whirring?" I grin nervously and shake my head. "I can't say I have. I've just been so engrossed in my videos all day... gotta stay focused on something." "Hm, I see." Redford nodded. "Well, call me if you see or hear anything suspicious." He pulled out a thin white card and passed it to me. I take it, seeing a phone number written on it in a fancy font. "I apologize for wasting your time. Return to your lazing, Thomas." I nod and watch as Redford and his guards walk away from the door toward a large black SUV. I shut the door, but can't help myself from looking through the peephole. Redford and his guards step into the SUV, but it doesn't leave for the next 15 minutes. I wait patiently, growing more anxious by the second. Eventually, the SUV leaves and I feel my body relax. I slump down onto the floor in front of my front door, the anxiety still in my system. "They finally left..." I look up and see the tall new pony, her white coat glimmering in the light from my living room. "I knew they'd be trailing me, but it seems that I finally got away from them..." "You're lucky..." I say shakily from the floor. "I'm not a good actor. That's the best acting you're going to get out of me ever, and I wasted it protecting you two." I specifically say that as Sweetie Bot walks out next to the new pony. "We are thankful for that, Thomas. Even though you repeatedly state that you dislike robots, you keep going out of your way to express kindness to us." Sweetie Bot walks over to you. "You let me in, fed me mac and cheese, watched a comedy show with me, and gave me a room to sleep in." "You haven't done much for me yet... but just letting me stay and protecting us from R&S already shows me that you're a kind human." The new pony smiles, dipping her head. "Thank you..." "Uh..." I rub the back of my neck, looking at both Sweetie Bot and the new pony with an unreadable expression. "Sure. Yeah, you're welcome." I stand up, shaking my body to release the rest of the anxiety. "Now, I believe it's time we introduce ourselves." The new pony nods. "Right! I apologize." "Well, you don't need to. I was quite busy doing something else." I pointed a thumb at the door, making the new pony chuckle slightly. "Yes, you were, haha." The new pony held her front right hoof out. "Anyway, I am SPV2, also known as Celestia. It's nice to meet you, mister...?" "I'm Thomas Ledger. Once we get to know each other better, Tom would be just fine." I grab her hoof and shake it politely. But, then I remembered the news from earlier. "So, you're one of the other missing robot ponies. I remembered it was Sweetie Bot, then you, but there's one last one. I think it was... LPV3?" "Yes, LPV3." Celestia nodded. "She's basically my sister with how close we were in the warehouse. After we escaped, we got separated, and now I'm here. I do hope we can meet again, but I have my doubts. R&S have probably already gotten her." I shake my head and shrug. "Maybe not. It's always possible that LPV3 is still out there." "Yeah..." Celestia looks at the ground. There was an awkward silence before I intervened with a sigh. "I do hope that you can pull your own weight because I'm hardly going to be around to protect you and babysit you." "All I need is a place to stay," Celestia says, smiling. "And I got that, so I need nothing else." "Great." I yawn, rubbing my eyes. "That means I can finally go to bed. It's late, and I really need to get to sleep as early as I can." Celestia watched as I walked down the hallway. Sweetie Bot followed next to me, her small hooves clopping against the hardwood floor. "Thomas, where will Celestia sleep? She is too big to sleep with either me or you." "Isn't it obvious? She'll sleep in the living room. The couch should be big enough." I reply, entering my bedroom. From the living room, Celestia's ear twitched and she crawled onto the couch. "Noted. Good night again, Thomas. We will meet again in the morning." Sweetie Bot said from the door to my bedroom, waving. "That's if you wake up early enough to watch me leave for work." Sweetie Bot shut the door to my bedroom, leaving me alone in the well-lit room. I shut off the overhead light, leaving the lamp on my bedside table on as I crawl into bed and shuffle underneath the covers. Not only did I lie to a member of a wealthy robotics company, but I have to go to work the very next day. Now that I'm housing 2 robot ponies, I have a feeling that it's only going to get worse from here. It's only been 1 whole day, but taking care of robot ponies is a disaster!
