Steel Hearts

Crystal stood up from her spot against the tree, having caught her breath. She didn't know what those things were, and quite honestly, she didn't want to find out. All she wanted to do was get to the train station, get home, and never come back to a forest again.

Crystal looked down the path. "Oh no..." she said. She couldn't recognize the path she was taking. Had she gone the wrong way, and ran deeper into the forest? The policemare ventured a few metres into to dense foliage to search for her old path, but in vain. She was completely, hopelessly lost.

Crystal leaned her back against a tree and slid down. "No no no..." she muttered. "Now not only did I just get attacked by... something... but I'm lost as well!"

She sighed. This was not going well. Maybe when she got home she would quit? This job obviously wasn't for her. She had always wanted to open a restaurant, and this was her perfect excuse...

A rustling in the bushes snapped her out of her daydreaming, and she jumped up in shock. Twirling around to face the bushes, she watched as something stepped out. It was the metal creature from before, the one with the purple eyes. Crystal got into a fighting stance, but the wobbling of her legs gave away her fear. She didn't know where the other one was, but she assumed it was waiting somewhere, preparing to ambush her.

Instead of attacking, however, the machine just sat down. She was even more surprised when the thing spoke to her. "Please," it said in a tinny voice, as though the speaker were standing behind a metal door. "Don't run away. I need you help."

Crystal was at a loss for words. Now the metal thing could talk?! Silence hung in the air for a long moment.

"Uh, you okay?" The machine asked. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"What do you care?! You're the one who attacked me in the first place!" Crystal snapped.

"Woah, hold up there, you've got it all wrong!" the machine cried. "It was the other guy who attacked you! I helped you! If anything, you should be thanking me. I totally saved your life." The machine laid down on its back, resting its head on its hooves. Crystal noticed just how pony-shaped the machine was.

"So... what are you?" she asked, innocently. The machine seemed to take offence, however.

"What am I? That's a little insensitive, don't you think? I mean, just because I'm hard and metal on the inside doesn't make me any less a person than you are!" The machine pointed an accusing hoof at Crystal. "Do you know what I think you are? I think you're a racist."

Crystal's jaw dropped. She had just met some sort of... thing... and the first thing it did as call her a racist. "What? But, I'm not-"

"Racist!"

"But I'm not a-"

"Racist!"

"Stop interrupting me-"

"Racist!"

Crystal stopped trying to speak, and the forest fell silent for a few moments. The only sound that could be heard was the chirping of the birds in the trees. Crystal awkwardly pawed the ground with her hoof. "Sorry..." she muttered.

"Eh, don't worry about it," the machine said, nonchalantly. "So anyway, I'm kind of in a sticky situation. There are some people who want to hurt me, and I kind of need your help. I figured that since you're a cop, you'd have to help me. It's like, your job, right?"

"I... might be able to help you. But you have to answer a few questions first." Crystal said, taking out her notepad.

"Oh, are we playing twenty questions? Okay, I'm thinking of an object. Ask away."

"Do you know anything about the disappearing ponies?" Crystal asked, preparing to write down the answer in her notepad.

"Silly pony, that's not how you play twenty questions!"

Crystal glared at the machine, who just shook its head. "No, no, I don't know anything about that." it said.

Crystal looked skeptical. "Really? I meet a talking robot alien thing, but it doesn't know anything about the mysterious disappearances? I find that hard to believe."

"He."

"Pardon?"

"I'm a he, not an it. You are just so insensitive... How would you like it if I went around and called you an it? 'Cause you know, to me, you're the strange one. I mean, come on, how do you live with all those squishy bits?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Crystal apologized. "I just met a metal pony, cut me some slack here."

"Eh, it's okay. Anyway, while I don't know anything about that, I may know someone who does. Interested?" he asked. Crystal's ears perked up. Could he really know somepony who could help?

"Who is this pony, and how would they know about the disappearances?" Crystal asked, suspicious. "And what do you want from me in return?"

"Oh, not much," the robot answered. "Just your soul." Upon Crystals shocked look, he waved his hooves. "Joking! That was a joke, don't freak out! Seriously though, I do need your help. There are some people who want me gone, and you're a cop, so... yeah. I figured you could help me out here."

Crystal raised her hoof to her chin. "I feel like you're neglecting to tell me something..." she said. "I won't help you until you tell me everything."

The machine sighed. "Fine. They may or may not be other robots like me."

Crystal stared blankly at the robot. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up. "I'm not helping you. Those things will kill me! Not to mention the fact that-"

"My name is Gizmo, by the way."

Crystal stared blankly at him for a moment. "You have no social skills. Are you broken? I think you may have a screw loose in that metal skull of yours."

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes, I'm broken. Why else do you think they would want me gone?"

Crystal sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Tell me everything," she said as she sat down.

"Everything? We're going to be here a while."