Steel Hearts

Gizmo tapped his hooves on the ground, nervously. "I... don't actually know where to start, really..." he said. "Okay... what do you know about the universe?" he asked.

Crystal scratched her head. "How is this related?" she asked. When Gizmo didn't answer, she sighed. "The universe is like, everything, right?"

"Wrong! The universe is just one of the everythings! There are an infinite amount of everythings, all stacked on top of each other like an onion! Do you get what I'm saying? An onion? Do you get it?"

Crystal quickly back up, away from the robot. "No, I don't get it! What are you talking about, you hunk of metal?"

"An onion! I don't know how I can make this clearer..." Gizmo scratched his head, which Crystal thought was pretty superfluous. Robots couldn't get itchy, could they?

"I've got it!" Gizmo cried out after a few moment's thought. "Think of the universe as round, okay. If it were round, what would be outside of it?"

"Uh... nothing? If the universe is everything, there's nothing left to go there."

"No! It's filled with everything, just someone else's everything!" Gizmo shouted, enthusiastic. "Once you pierce the barrier, everything you knew ceases to exist, yet it exists at the same time! Are you with me? No? That's okay! You see, there are different universes, which means that there are different layers! Each of those layers is another layer of skin on the onion! The closer you get to the centre, the better it tastes! The worlds are happier, and richer, and healthier! The farther you get, the sadder and more desolate! It's the onion hierarchy! I come from the world under this one, the one that's just a little higher on the happy scale!"

Crystal stared blankly at Gizmo. "O...kay. Let's pretend like I understood that. If you come from a happier and better place, why are there people who want to hurt you?"

"Just because it's happier overall doesn't mean it's happier for everyone. So, anyway, my people created a way to pierce the veil that separated each of universes, and became able to travel from one to the next."

"...Okay. Let me get this straight. You're an alien?"

"Correct."

"An alien from another dimension?"

"Yes."

"Okay then... Now get to the part about the other robots who want to hurt you, and why I should risk my life to help you."

"Oh, yeah. You see, as I said before, I'm broken. But instead of fixing me, they just want me gone so that I can't cause any trouble! But I don't think that's fair, because I have just as much a right to function as they do! ...Right?"

Crystal slowly shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that. You just saved my life so that you could guilt me in to helping you. That's not something good ponies... er... people do."

In a flash, Gizmo jumped at Crystal and latched on to her forelegs. "Please please please help me! They want to get to me and then tear me apart for scrap metal and I'm so scared you have to help me!" he exclaimed, hugging her legs.

Crystal looked down at the poor machine. "...Fine. But if I do this, you'll lead me to the person who knows about the kidnappings?" she asked.

Gizmo nodded. "Yes, yes, of course! Oh, thank you! You don't know how much this means to me! We're going to have so much fun together!"

Crystal looked to the ground, already regretting her decision.

"Yeah... fun..."