EQUESTRIAKILL

C1 passed through the doors, his eye blinded by a white light. When his lenses finally adjusted, he saw an idyllic scene: a small stream flowed down a hill, the sky was clear and spotless. The doors stood behind him but shut the moment he stepped onto the grass… the grass. Something felt off. C1 crouched and scanned it. The analysis revealed something strange, the grass was plastic, without a single flower or insect in sight.

Standing up, C1 approached the river, the water was salty, there were no fish, no algae of any kind. Birds were singing, but something was wrong with their chirping it was repetitive, robotic. C1 circled a tree and found a speaker playing the bird sounds, the trunk itself was made of cement, its leaves of rubber.

Walking across the fake grass, C1 saw a town in the distance. It looked like Ponyville, he galloped towards it and arrived quickly. There wasn’t a single pony in sight, and the only sound was the artificial birdsong from the hidden speakers. C1 approached Sugarcube Corner and opened the door showing there was no interior, the entire building was just a wooden and cardboard facade, made to give a false sense of familiarity to an oppressive and lifeless environment.

C1 stepped away from Sugarcube Corner when he heard a beep, then another, and another. He turned and saw nothing, suddenly, energy shots struck him from behind, dealing light damage to his casing. Four flying machines hovered behind him, moving erratically, emitting high-pitched beeps. They had small insect-like wings and a purple plastic shell, firing small energy projectiles. C1 shot the leading drone, which began to smoke and then lunged at him, exploding on impact. He examined the remains while taking cover from the others’ fire.

Dronesprite

Class: Lesser Machine

Dronesprites were originally designed as security robots. When they were marketed for colts and fillies, their design was altered as the original was too artificial and intimidating. Manufacturers decided to model them after the adorable insect, the Parasprite. The redesign was so successful that it became the standard, used in all currently existing units. Their speed makes them relentless enemies, but their purple plastic casing leaves them vulnerable to damage. Initially, they carried non-lethal ammunition, but after the disappearance of ponies, they were modified for greater efficiency in blood collection. In some cases, when severely damaged, they will throw themselves at their target, activating self-destruction in a desperate attempt to eliminate the threat.

Evaluation: Low threat. Their explosions can be used as an advantage.

The dronesprites appeared over C1’s cover, firing in unison. C1 galloped out of the line of fire and shot at them. One took a direct hit and crashed to the ground. The other two emitted warning beeps and dived at C1, detonating on impact.

C1’s systems went haywire. Severe damage across the body, wings destroyed, legs immobilized.

C1’s eye stopped glowing.

Initiating hibernation. Awaiting assistance.

Status Analysis

Legs: 90%

Wings: 85%

Video: 100%

Audio: 95%

Magic: 70%

Fuel: 19%

Evaluation: Obtain blood. Estimated time before shutdown… 3 hours.

C1 got to his hooves. He had been lying on a wooden table inside a house. The windows were boarded up, a sword rested against a table, and his weapons were placed beside him. C1 retrieved them, leaving the sword behind, such a primitive weapon would be useless.
His audio sensors picked up a humming sound coming from upstairs. C1 drew his shotgun and began ascending the stairs, stepping as lightly as possible. He peeked through a gap.

A mint-green pony was sitting at a desk, writing somethin. C1’s scanners did not detect her as a machine or a demon. However, his database did pull up an entry from the Ponyville resident records:

Lyra Heartstrings

Species: Unicorn

Occupation: Various part-time jobs

Status: Deceased

Cutie Mark: A golden lyre, for melodies that touch the hearts of those who hear them.

C1 readied his shotgun, creeping closer to the mare, who was completely absorbed in her writing, she was composing a song. He pressed the barrel to her head, ready to fire.

"Hello, machine” she said.

C1 was about to pull the trigger but hesitated.

"You don’t seem familiar. Is Twilight still making more metal monsters? Never mind… I see the repairs were successful, I’m Lyra Heartstrings, you can lower the shotgun."

It was a risky maneuver, there was a 50% chance of deception, but C1 held the advantage of being armed and prepared. He lowered the weapon.

"I see you’re not much of a talker… Those dronesprites did a number on you. Your legs were completely detached from your body. You should be grateful I had the tools."

C1 noticed some mechanical tools on the table beside the scattered sheet music.

"What’s your mission, machine?"

C1 placed a hoof on his chest, indicating his serial number.

"C1… Is that what you want me to call you? Alright, C1. I saw how you fought—those dronesprites caught you off guard."

C1 remained still, replaying the moment when the security drones had self-destructed against him.

"Limbo looks beautiful, but it’s full of traps, tricks, and deceptions. I’ve seen ponies lose their minds in this place. Music is the only thing keeping me sane… I’m not a fighter, but I know Limbo like the back of my hoof. You, on the other hand, are a fighter, but you’re clearly out of your element… Help me help you… please."

C1 processed the information. His objective was to reach the depths of Tartarus. Lyra knew the landscape. Having her as a companion would make navigating the terrain significantly easier.

He nodded.

Lyra smiled, her horn glowing as she pulled something from a shelf.

"I think you’ll like this."

She placed an old Braeburn.Co Gatling gun on the table. It no longer used its original bullets, instead, it had been modified to fire nails, a lightweight and easily obtainable form of ammunition.

"I know it’s not much, but it’ll help."

C1 ran a hoof over the weapon’s metal frame before using telekinesis to stow it away.

"Now, let’s get out of here."

Lyra packed away her sheet music along with a few other belongings before heading downstairs. She peeked through a hole in the door, opening it once she confirmed there was no immediate danger.

"Follow me."

C1 stepped outside, following Lyra as she cautiously checked every corner. She abruptly stopped in the town square.

A door with blue ornaments stood before them, attached to an apocryphal version of Twilight’s castle.

"See that pedestal?" Lyra pointed to the blue pedestal in front of the door.

"We need a key, it’s a blue skull. It shouldn’t be too far. I always left it here, but Limbo keeps shifting things around. Wouldn’t surprise me if it’s hidden somewhere now…"

C1 ignored Lyra and moved straight to the door, pushing against it. It did not react.

The sound of glass shattering rang through the air, dronesprites broke out of a nearby building, opening fire.

Lyra dove for cover as C1 drew his new weapon. The nails tore through the dronesprites’ purple plastic casing.

"The magnet! Use the magnet!" Lyra shouted.

C1 examined the weapon and noticed a small chamber with a secondary trigger. He activated it.

A magnetic spike fired forward, immediately, the nails embedded in the dronesprites pulled together, dragging the machines with them. The dronesprites crashed, struggling against the magnetic force as they were clumped together in a tangled mess of plastic and metal.

C1 switched to his shotgun and fired an explosive shot, shredding them into pieces.

A spray of blood-like machine fluid splattered across the walls and the artificial grass.

C1 took advantage of the blood rain to refuel and repair damage.

Fuel: 85%

Lyra emerged from cover, eyes wide with excitement.

"That… was… AMAZING!"

C1 scanned his surroundings. A door leading into a house stood nearby, seemingly unsecured. He pushed it open and froze.

The environment had completely changed.

They were no longer in Ponyville.

C1 now stood in the halls of Canterlot Palace.

Lyra, however, was unfazed, she seemed more interested in the action than in the sudden shift in location.

"Watch your step. I doubt Tartarus is going to make this easy for us."

C1 ignored her warning and galloped forward, revolver loaded and ready.

Lyra sighed, muttering something under her breath before running after him.

C1 slowed its pace upon entering the throne room. In Equestria, the two princesses would have been seated in their respective places, but in the Limbo, there were only two portraits of them. On Celestia’s throne sat a blue unicorn skull, glowing intensely, and the energy contained within it sent C1’s sensors into a frenzy before recalibrating.

Lyra appeared at the doorway, breathing heavily after struggling to keep up with C1’s swift pace.

"Don’t... forget... about me..."

C1 approached the skull, and upon taking it, the throne room doors slammed shut, leaving Lyra outside. A malicious face, accompanied by a pair of strays, emerged from a flash of light and immediately attacked C1. Some filth-ridden creatures shattered the windows, spilling into the room in a wave.

C1 fired a magnet onto the floor, followed by a burst of nails that clung to it, forming a metallic sphere. A single shot from its revolver was all it took for the ball to explode, scattering nails across the room. The sharp spikes pierced the flesh of the husks, wiping out the wave of filth and taking down some of the strays. Now, C1 had to finish off the malicious face.

It leaped onto the wall, using it as a springboard to propel itself over the head of one of the remaining strays, which were still trying to hit it with projectiles. The skinless ponies ended up striking the malicious face instead, which turned on the remaining strays, unleashing a flurry of energy blasts upon them.

When the husks were no more, the malicious face searched for C1, but it was no longer where it had been moments ago. The faint hum of a charging revolver made the demon glance upward. C1 was clinging to the ceiling using its hooves, aiming directly at it.

The shot cracked the infernal stone armor, but the malicious face still didn’t fall. C1 released its grip and launched itself downward, slamming into the creature with all four hooves. The stone fractured and exploded under the weight of the machine.

C1 landed among the demon’s remains. It scanned the area and saw the door opening.

Lyra was locked in combat with a schism, which was pinning her against the wall using it’s extra limb its horn had pierced through Lyra’s hoof, and she struggled to either strike it or use magic to break free.

C1 aimed its revolver and fired, blasting off the extra limb holding Lyra against the wall. She was able to use her telekinesis to pull the horn out of her hoof and galloped away, escaping from the chasm, which appeared disoriented after losing its appendage.

Wasting no time, C1 launched itself at the chasm, pressing its shotgun to its head and pulling the trigger.

C1 turned to Lyra, who was trying to stop the bleeding. Approaching her, C1 scanned the wound.

Infection probability: High

C1 used its own telekinesis to tear a piece of carpet from the floor and wrapped it around Lyra’s wound as a tourniquet to halt the bleeding. Then, its mechanical horn opened up, releasing a stream of water to clean the wound.

Infection probability: Reduced

Lyra looked at C1 as it cleaned her wound. C1’s logic was simple: Lyra was important, and losing her would hinder progress in Limbo. Once C1 left Limbo, Lyra would no longer be relevant and could either be abandoned or used as fuel.

Unaware of this, Lyra smiled and thanked C1 for the treatment. Then, she noticed that C1 was also holding the glowing red skull with its magic.

"You got it! Awesome! We can open the door now! Beyond it is Everfree, last time I was there, it was easy to cross. We’ll be fine!"

The two walked through the palace corridors. As they retraced their steps, they found that the door they had previously opened was now shut once again. Lyra wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Do you smell that?"

C1 didn’t respond, its sensors were detecting high concentrations of CO2 in the next room.

"Right… you can’t smell."

C1 approached the door, and upon opening it, the landscape had changed. The sky had turned orange, and the wooden facades were on fire.

Scanning the surroundings, C1 saw plastic structures melting in the heat. Lyra took in the scene, her face stricken with fear.

"But… what happened here?"

C1 picked up the sound of heavy breathing. Soon, metallic footsteps made it turn its head.

A machine, resembling an earth pony, stood before them. Its paint was rusted, and gas tanks were affixed to its back. On its side, a cannon-like device was mounted.

As C1 reached for its revolver, the machine fired a burst of flames. The scorching blast hit C1 directly, but it managed to return fire before the pony machine could sustain its attack.

Once the flames died down, C1 scanned the machine’s remains.

Streetstreetcleaner

Class: Inferior Machine

Streetstreetcleaners were machines designed to purify city air after the ecological crisis that struck Equestria during the Days Without Friendship. When the Era of Harmony arrived, streetstreetcleaners became obsolete—until the discovery of Deep Tartarus. Being both replaceable and outdated, they were deployed in the first expeditions to gather information.

However, due to their initial programming and lack of maintenance, the streetstreetcleaners eventually lost control over their instincts, resorting to burning all organic matter indiscriminately. Their combat experience grants them rapid reaction speeds, but their compulsive urge to incinerate everything often causes them to charge head-on without strategy.

Threat Level: Medium. Their fuel tanks may explode.

"Wow, that scared me..."

Lyra approached the streetcleaner's body and gave it a small kick.

"These are new... I’d never seen them before... dying."

She looked down at the floor, falling silent before sighing.

"You know... before I died, I was going to…"

She turned to look at C1, only to see it placing the blue skull on the pedestal. The door lit up and slowly opened.

On the other side was a recreation of the Everfree Forest (despite being inside Twilight's castle). Two streetstreetcleaners were chasing after some filths, attempting to burn them. Upon spotting C1, the streetstreetcleaners halted their attack and lunged at it, joined by the filth. It was strange,they were prioritizing C1, and the husks seemed to follow the same logic, even though, seconds earlier, the streetstreetcleaners had been trying to burn them.

C1 flipped a bit into the air and shot it, the bullet ricocheted and struck the fuel tank of one of the streetcleaners. The machine exploded, taking several filths with it. However, the second streetcleaner managed to avoid the blast and continued charging at C1, which had been momentarily distracted by the filth attempting to bite it.

Realizing the danger, Lyra threw herself at the streetcleaner. Her horn lit up as she grabbed a large rock from the ground. Galloping toward the machine, she leaped onto it, pinning it to the ground before slamming the rock against its head. Blow after blow, the machine began to spill the blood it contained until, with one final, forceful strike, its head burst open.

C1 had just finished shooting the last of the filth when it turned to see Lyra, now covered in blood, sitting atop the remains of the streetcleaner.

C1 approached her, scanning for injuries, none detected. However, her adrenaline levels were dangerously high, not optimal.

Recommended treatment: Warm water to relax muscles.

C1’s horn heated up and sprayed a stream of warm water onto Lyra. At first, she flinched in surprise, but the soothing warmth quickly relaxed her, bringing her adrenaline levels down.

Evaluation: Treatment applied. Resume mission.

Lyra watched as C1 continued walking through the bodies. She managed to compose herself and caught up to the machine, walking beside it.

"Hey... thanks."

C1 glanced at her briefly before continuing forward.

The Everfree Forest was also different here. The grass was still plastic, the flowers were made of paper, and the mushrooms were rubber. The Everfree roots, which were a major issue in Equestria, were nothing more than painted cardboard cutouts.

There didn’t seem to be much activity around, so Lyra took a moment to stop.

"Hey, I know you don’t need sleep or anything, but my hooves are killing me from all this walking."

C1 stopped and scanned her, no signs of muscle damage. As a soul in Tartarus, she didn’t require food or water. Rest would be nothing more than a luxury.

C1 kept walking. Stopping would be an unnecessary waste of time.

"Please... C1..."

C1 stopped again. Its logic dictated that they should maintain their pace, but something else, something deeper, urged it to pause.

C1 came to a complete stop and sat down, signaling to Lyra that they were "resting."

"Thank you..."

Lyra sat against the trunk of a tree and stretched before looking at C1.

"Hey... do you know anything about a mare named Bon Bon?"

She cleared her throat.

"She and I were going to... we were going to get married. But... I... I couldn’t..."

Lyra lowered her gaze to the ground before looking into C1’s glowing eye, searching for some kind of comfort. All she found were the cold, analytical lenses of a machine.

C1 searched its database for any information on a mare named Bon Bon. There was a small entry:

Name: Bon Bon

Species: Earth Pony

Occupation: Various part-time jobs.

Status: Deceased

Cutie Mark: Three blue candies, representing her skill in making incredible sweets.

C1 looked at Lyra. Bon Bon was dead, but unlike Lyra, she was not in Limbo. That could mean many things, perhaps her soul wasn’t strong enough to form a proper vessel, meaning she had become a lesser husk, one of the many scattered across Tartarus. She could have ascended to Sparkle’s Realm of Light or ended up in another layer of Tartarus.

Regardless of the outcome, none were optimal.

C1 continued to observe Lyra.

"If you’re wondering... I know she’s dead. No pony could have lived this long... I just wanted to know if you had seen her or... anything."

C1 looked at her, then shook its head. Lyra seemed surprised by the machine’s response.

"Oh... well... at least I know you can hear me."

Lyra looked down, pulling a lyre and a sheet of music from her backpack.

"Before I died, I had started composing a song for Bon Bon. I was just finishing it when you arrived... I want you to hear it, C1."

C1 adjusted its audio receptors. A waste of energy, according to its system. But once again, something within it refused to comply with pure logic.

Lyra began to play.

The melody was precise, following a perfect rhythmic pattern. The instrument’s tones were tuned flawlessly. In simple pony terms: it was beautiful. The song remained steady, clearly showing the dedication Lyra had poured into it.

C1’s sensors suddenly detected a surge of energy coming from the instrument. Lyra, eyes closed, was deeply focused on the sound. The energy C1 was picking up was pure love, the love Lyra had infused into the song for her wife.

A burst of blue light shot out from the instrument, striking C1 and sending it crashing to the ground. All of its systems went insane.

"What the?!"

Lyra dropped the instrument and rushed over as C1 began recalibrating its systems.

Warning: Pure love energy overload detected. Instruments recalibrated for dosage.

Caution: Excessive doses too quickly will cause short circuits and eventual system failure.

Evaluation: Avoid similar overloads.

C1 rebooted. Its fuel levels were astonishing.

Fuel: 200%

The surge was so great that C1 had to recalibrate its energy intake to prevent an explosion. Due to its limited fuel tanks and the nature of the absorbed love energy, the extra power could neither be stored nor recovered.

"Are you okay?"

C1 stood up and looked at Lyra, giving a brief nod. Small sparks of energy flickered across its body before fading back inside.

After the incident, Lyra packed away her instrument and sheet music. With her scare over, she now felt more energized and ready to move forward.

In the distance, smoke billowed into the sky, probably more streetstreetcleaners burning the area.

As Lyra walked alongside C1, it searched its database, looking for something.

Out of nowhere, light classical music began playing from C1’s speakers.

Lyra turned to it, confused, before bursting into laughter.

C1 let out a single beep and abruptly shut off the music.

Suddenly, from the bushes, a group of filths emerged. Their sharp teeth gleamed, ready to tear through both flesh and metal.

C1 drew its shotgun, firing and blasting one of the creatures into pieces. The others managed to get closer, sinking their teeth into C1’s frame.

But the excess energy repelled the attack.

C1 took no damage, though a small amount of extra energy was lost. The creature recoiled from the impact, giving C1 an opening to switch to its nail gun and unleash a hail of metal. Blood splattered as the creatures were torn apart. Suddenly C1 heard a beeping from his gun.

The nail gun stopped shooting, its screen displaying: Ammunition depleted. Generating nails.

Below, a number slowly ticked upward, C1 glanced at Lyra. She widened her eyes and shrugged, even though she had built the weapon herself.

C1 holstered the nail gun and pulled out its revolver, throwing a coin into the air before shooting it. The bullet ricocheted, piercing straight through one creature’s skull. The last tried attacking too but a precise shot to the legs sent it crashing to the ground, unable to move. C1 galloped toward it and, with a swift stomp, crushed its head beneath its hoof.

Lyra smiled as C1 reloaded and stored its weapon.

"I could really use a weapon myself."

C1 turned to look at her but kept walking. Allowing her to play music was one thing but handing her weapons was another.

They traveled in silence for a while until the surroundings began to change. Stone towers and broken pathways appeared along their route.

As the path opened up, they found themselves standing before what had once been the Castle of the Two Sisters, now completely ruined. The banners of the sun and moon were nearly unrecognizable, worn away by time... or rather, by Limbo’s twisted version of time. Once again, the castle was a poor recreation. The stone blocks were hollow, and the doors lacked handles. C1 approached the grand entrance and found a pair of pedestals, one red, one blue. The door was connected to both.

Lyra stepped forward, inspecting the setup.

"I remember this... A red skull goes on the left, and a blue one on the right. We only need one, but just in case, let's each go after one. I'll take the blue, you get the red. If one of us doesn’t find theirs, we’ll have a backup."

C1 analyzed the plan, then turned left toward where the red skull should be. Lyra went to the right in search of the blue. As they disappeared into opposite paths, a shadowy figure stepped forward from the darkness. Metal hooves clanked against the ground as it levitated both a red and blue skull in its magical grip. The figure placed them onto the pedestals, the doors creaked open. Without hesitation, the figure stepped inside.

C1 was searching for the red skull, finding the red pedestal, but it was empty, then, a hum filled the air.

Flashes of light appeared, As group of streetstreetcleaners and a Cerberus emerged from the glow, immediately launching an attack.

The streetstreetcleaners charged forward as the Cerberus hurled an energy orb at C1. It leapt, narrowly avoiding the blast, but as it landed, the four streetstreetcleaners opened fire, the flames engulfing his body.

The extra energy shield repelled the attacks, for now. But it wouldn’t last forever. Soon, the damage would become lethal.

C1 pulled out its shotgun, loading an explosive round before firing at the ground. One streetcleaner managed to escape, the others? Obliterated.

The explosion launched C1 skyward. The last of its excess energy drained, shielding it from the blast. Now, only one streetcleaner and the Cerberus remained. C1 dove straight for the Cerberus, dodging as the beast swung a massive hoof. The machine jumped over its enemy, just as the remaining streetcleaner closed in. C1 landed directly on top of it kicking it into the Cerberus’ leg.

C1 pulled its revolver. A single shot, aimed at the gas tank strapped to the streetcleaner’s back. Boom.

The explosion tore through the Cerberus' leg, blasting it into pieces. The demon collapsed, losing focus on its energy orb. The sphere struck the ground detonating on impact, the Cerberus was no more.

C1 holstered its weapon and turned back toward the empty pedestal.

Hopefully, Lyra had better luck.

Returning to the entrance, C1 spotted Lyra approaching from her side, frustrated.

"Did you find anything?"

Before either of them could say more, they both turned to look at the door. It was open, The two skulls were already in place.

"Who did this?"

Lyra shook her head, waving off the thought. It didn’t matter. The way forward was clear, they entered.

Inside, blood and guts were strewn across the castle’s halls. C1 approached a doorway and kicked it open, beyond was a courtyardat its center, the remains of a malicious face. Lyra let out a small laugh then froze, as the flesh and demonic remains began to move.

An invisible force drew the parts toward the broken face. Chunks of meat melted together, forming a viscous mass. The stone of the demons snapped into place, shielding parts of the abomination, Lyra started gagging.

"That is... disgusting."

C1 scanned the growing monstrosity. Data received.

Hideous Mass

Class: Greater Demon

An anomaly difficult to categorize. These entities are the result of extreme infernal energy coalescing in a single point. Due to insufficient raw material, a forming Hideous Mass will absorb surrounding organic matter to complete its body. Their forms vary wildly, some are harmless, others highly aggressive.

Evaluation: HIGH THREAT. UNPREDICTABLE.

The mass took shape, a grotesque alicorn monster. Two extra legs jutted from its neck, each ending in gnashing mouths, its bloated, pulsing body crushed its own eight lower legs, pinning itself in place. Then it screamed, its chest splitting open, revealing a massive gaping maw inside, a grotesque beating heart. From the mouths on its extra legs, two hellfire blasts shot toward C1.

C1 leapt, twisting mid-air to deflect the projectiles sending them back toward the mass. The impact barely fazed it as it shrieked again and started vomiting a torrent of acid. C1 grabbed Lyra with its magic, throwing her onto a nearby pillar, out of harm’s way. The acid splashed across C1’s frame.

Minor corrosion detected.

Without hesitation, C1 charged its revolver and fired directly at the heart, the damage was minimal. The beast shuddered, sealing its chest-mouth shut cutting off its acid flow. It rose on its extra legs and slammed its massive bulk onto the floor causing it to crack, C1’s scanners detected something: A pit going down the bottom wasn’t even detected by it’s sensors, C1 could make the mass drop. C1 opened fire, unloading a barrage of nails after his gun had reloaded, some buried into the exposed flesh, others bounced off its armored plating. The mass attacked again, launching another round of energy blasts that C1 dodged, galloping in a wide circle. The mass reared up again preparing another slam, C1 sprinted towards the wall, loading an explosive shot from his shotgun. The moment the mass slammed the floor again, the cracks deepened and C1 fired.

BOOM.

The floor collapsed beneath the beast, it plummeted into the abyss, screeching and spewing acid all the way down. C1 approached the edge, revolver floating next to him, looking down and shooting the revolver to the bottom

Then, silence.

Lyra was struggling to climb down from the pillar, she lost her balance, falling to the ground.

Something was wrong. C1 turned, analyzing her posture, her backpack was missing. When C1 had thrown her to safety, her bag had fallen spilling its contents several meters away. The lyre was intact fortunately… but the notebook was burnt by the hideous mass acid. Lyra’s breath quickened.

The notebook the one containing the song she wrote for Bon Bon, was destroyed. Lyra covered her face with her hooves and sobbed as C1 picked up the ruined notebook.

Scanning…

Ink traces detected. Partial recovery possible.

Analysis:

Lyra’s unstable condition will hinder mission progress. Delaying advancement through Limbo is inefficient. Leaving her behind is NOT an option, her knowledge of the area is critical.

Conclusion: Restore partiture.

C1 picked up a rock and continued scanning the traces of ink and using them to draw the partiture on a wall, Lyra turned to look at what C1 was writing.

She recognized the notes, fragments of the song she had thought lost, a weak smile forming on her face, then, with no hesitation, she threw herself against C1, wrapping her hooves around the machine in a trembling embrace. She sobbed, whispering between breaths.

“Thank you…”

C1 did not react, no emotions shown, only waited until she let go. The mission had to continue.

***

Beyond the Hideous Mass, a door stood open, C1 and Lyra stepped through, ending up in what seemed to be the Canterlot Gardens it was dark starless night.

C1 scanned the area.

"Hey..."

Lyra’s voice was still nervous with some sobs in it, she wiped her face, inhaling deeply, steadying herself.

"This courtyard... This is as far as I ever got."

She pointed ahead.

"There’s a skull door leading to the observatory, but I never found the skulls."

C1 watched as she wandered toward a bench and slumped onto it looking down to the floor.

C1 took out his revolver and started raising it slowly. The soft glow of golden magic surrounded the weapon, lifting it into place, and pointing to the unexpecting unicorn.

She was no longer necessary.

Her presence was now a liability.

The logical course of action was elimination and collection.

C1 held his aim steady.

Lyra lifted her head, and heard the gunfire.

Blood splattered across the false leaves of the garden.

Lyra's eyes snapped open, C1 lowered the smoking barrel of its revolver. A corpse slumped to the ground behind her, a Stray, now with a bullet perfectly placed in its skull. C1 saved his weapon.

Elimination was required.

Her presence would only slow the mission.

And yet…

Something deep in his system stopped him from attacking her...

Lyra turned to face C1.

"Thank you..."

She got up and moved to stand beside him, gazing toward a glow in the distance. As they approached, a door came into view with no pedestals, no skulls, only a series of inscriptions and buttons, it had to be a test.

Lyra pressed one button, it lit up, then she pressed another one both went dark. She read the inscriptions before looking at C1.

"I’ll stay here and figure this out. Maybe it’s another way out."

She stepped back towards the puzzle.

"Can you look for the skulls?"

C1 nodded before galloping toward a greenhouse.

**
Inside, a bed and a book greeted the machine. C1 picked up the book, scanning the text it was in Zebrican language translated it said:

"The fields remain unchanged. The doors remain unchanged. The water remains unchanged. Those damned loudspeakers never stop. What have I done to deserve this fate? Monotony. Endless solitude. The only choice is to go deeper. Every time I see those wretched skulls, the temptation grows stronger. I hid them so they would speak to me no longer. Oh, Celestia, why have you forsaken me..."

The rest of the text was irrelevant. C1 tossed the book away. Then, he noticed something.

A zebra skeleton… hanging from a rope, a fallen chair lying beneath the body.

C1’s scanners detected some dragging marks leading to a bookshelf. C1 reared onto its hind legs and shoved the bookshelf aside, a faint blue glow flickered in the darkness.

A blue skull.

C1 took it and stored it away. The others couldn’t be too far.

Leaving the greenhouse, C1 continued searching the garden. Pushing some bushes aside he found a stained-glass window. The image depicted a pegasi with a rainbow mane, her face hidden behind a white-and-gold mask which held Sparkle’s symbol in the middle. Her golden wings extended, shining like the sun itself. The rest of her armor gleamed, in a majestic and incredible scene, below the figure, a message was written in blood: TRAITOR.

C1 scanned the artwork.

More data was acquired.

Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty.

A member of the Elements of Harmony. Recognized for her speed and ego. After Twilight’s noticed Celestia’s insurrection in Tartarus, she was granted the power to destroy the alicorn. This stained-glass commemorates her ascension to the Realm of Light after Celestia’s defeat.

C1 stored the information and moved on approaching the stained-glass window and noticing a faint glow. A single strike shattered the glass into a thousand pieces, revealing yet another skull hidden behind, C1 picked the skull and stored it, then began to turn back when a red figure dashed past at high speed.

C1 stood motionless, unable to comprehend what had just passed. The machine drew its revolver, preparing for any attack, it continued its exploration before pausing before the tree trunk, unlike the other trees in the Limbo, this one had a section made of wood. C1 struck it with his hoof and found the final skull hidden inside it. C1 galloped quickly toward the sealed door, placing each skull on their pedestals. As the door began to open, C1 found itself in a small room, decorated with fake plants, leading to a stone door, similar to the one used to enter Tartarus. C1 started to turn back, intending to check on Lyra and see if she had found anything of use.

Suddenly, one of the windows shattered, the red figure crashing through, striking the floor with its front hoof and sending a shockwave through the room.

C1 began scanning the figure it resembled C1 but with a bulkier build.

C2

Class: Supreme Machine

The Changeling models, or C models, were created during the final days of the friendshipless days. Model C1 could absorb blood on contact, eliminating the need for more complicated charging methods. Model C2 was designed for guard duties—a simple method to handle disturbances, especially after the reprogramming of abandoned machines following the war. Its front hoof was engineered for powerful, direct attacks, capable of breaking through metal and concrete with ease. This feature was called the “Hoofblaster”. Due to the high cost of development and the lack of demand for combat robots, only two prototypes of the C2 model were created.

Evaluation: Extreme Threat. Neutralize.

C1 attempted to retreat to an open area when C2 fired at one of the skulls on a pedestal. The skull fell down of its pedestal, and the door slammed shut.

C2, holding a revolver with its magic, spoke.

"C1."

Unlike the C1 model, the C2 had been developed up to having a voice modulator.

"I regret having to attack you. Together, we would make a great team. However, my calculations indicate your presence, no matter the mode, would result in a 15% loss in success probability. That is not optimal. I regret the aggression."

C2 assumed a combat stance and began charging to one side, firing a nail gun, C1 leaped to avoid the barrage, returning fire with its own shotgun, the projectiles missed, C2 sliding on the floor to avoid them. C2 drew its own shotgun and fired at C1, landing a direct hit and knocking C1 off balance. As C1 regained its footing, it saw C2 charging toward it with the Hoofblaster ready for a charge attack.

C1 collided with its own hoof, the two meeting in midair, causing an explosion on impact, during the confusion, C1 fired two revolver shots into C2, the bullets drawing blood, then C1 lunged at C2, leaping through the air and landing on its clone's back. The impact sent C2 crashing to the ground, C2 aimed its shotgun at the floor and charged an explosive shot, sending both machines flying.

C1 had lost his balance and plummeted, while C2 landed on its hooves, steady and perfectly fine. As C1 hit the ground, C2 fired a nail gun magnet at it, pinning C1 to the floor.

C2 approached, preparing its shotgun.

"Recording… Victory probability: 95%."

C2 aimed the shotgun at C1, who could not move, forced to watch the barrel. C1 began recording to its black box when, suddenly, a shot rang out, a bullet struck the back of C2, loosening the Hoofblaster and causing C2 to emit a low beeping sound, Lyra appeared in the entrance, holding a powerful-looking revolver, she fired again, hitting C2 once more.

C2 began recalculating.

"Retreat necessary. Severe damage."

With that, C2 leapt through the same window it had broken, soaring into the air, its Hoofblaster falling to the ground.

C1 approached and used its magic to retrieve the Hoofblaster, pulling it toward its forelimb servos.

The machine began welding and modifying the hoof, Lyra approached, curious about what C1 was doing. It would take some time to complete the process, but while that happened, C1 moved toward the stone door.

Pushing it open, the door revealed a room with an elevator at the far end, Lyra looked at the room, confused and slightly angry.

"Is this what I was looking for? An elevator?"

She walked toward it and kicked the elevator’s base causing some lights to flicker on, and the screen displayed the word:

LUST.

The elevator would take them deeper, exactly where C1 needed to go.