>"Anonymous?"

>You look up from the breadboard in front of you, putting down a capacitor

>Oh, it's Luna

>You haven't seen her for a while

"Hey."

>You slide your chair out from under the desk and dust off your jeans

"What's up?"

>Luna fidgets nervously

>"It's-- I have a problem I can't solve myself."

>Hm

>That's strange

>She'd only needed routine maintenance before

>Her sister was generally more than able to do any actual repair work

"What's the matter?"

>"Well, for one thing, I can't tell temperatures anymore-"

>She holds up a hoof

>Or, well, what's left of one

>It's a melted mess of plastic and latex

>"Or feel pain. Obviously, or else this thing would be causing me immense agony."

"Yeah, no kidding."

>You lift the hoof up into the light

>Goddamn, she really did a number on it

>That's going to need replacement

>"Everything's hard to control. My servos don't seem to be working right, and I can't really determine how much force I'm putting on something. I've broke three teapots already."

>Cogs turn in your head

>Definitely a wiring problem

>A serious one at that

>"It goes beyond that, though... My battery can't keep a charge of more than a few hours, my digestion system is working at about fifty percent efficiency... I'm a bit frightened."

"Well, it does sound serious. Here. Before we start, let's do a backup, okay?"

>Luna nods, biting her lip

>You stand up and stroll to a nearby terminal. You press the power button and it springs to life

>You pull off the fiber-optic cable, and turn to her

"All ready to go!"

>She turns around, her ruined hoof scratching along the floor

>You brush her main aside and feel around for the backup port

>Cold metal touches your skin, and you can feel Luna shiver underneath you

"You can feel that?"

>"Y-Yes."

>Oh thank god

>It wasn't a brain problem

>You can probably fix it without outright rebuilding her

>Celestia probably wouldn't appreciate her sister being essentially dead for six months while you gathered parts

"That's good. Very good. Now, this is probably going to feel weird..."

>You hold up the cable and slide it into her port

>She gasps as it makes contact, and her system properly twists it into place

>You shuffle over to the terminal and type some commands

>A progress bar appears momentarily

>Luna closes her eyes, facing ahead

>"This is always strange to me."

"Well, I'm storing you on a hard drive. That has to feel odd."

>"Makes one wonder..."

>The terminal next to you makes a loud *ding* and you pull the cable out

"Wonder what?"

>"Nothing."

"Fair enough. Now, let's get to fixing yah. Lay down on that bench over there."

>You point to one end of the room

>Luna clambers onto the metal surface, laying on her belly. You rotate a finger and she gets the point, her body following the motion

"Okay. I'm gonna just hook you up to some diagnostics..."

>You pull another fiber-optic cable out of a different terminal and slot it in

>Displays flicker to life on the wall in front of you

"Okay. I'm going to turn off the pain sensors now, so I can open the chest."

>"Can't you just shut me off?"

"Nope. Need to make sure that what I'm doing isn't making the problem worse. Besides, I think that 'shutting you off' would be a bit... traumatic, no?"

>Luna looks away from you, avoiding your gaze

>"I dislike opening my chest panels in front of others."

>You look back up at the screens

>A lot of your pony-turned-automatons felt the same way

>There was something deeply invasive about it, that went beyond surgery

"I understand. Well, as much as a pure-organic can, at least. But there isn't any other way."

>Luna opens her mouth, exhaling slightly

>"It's fine. Go ahead."

>You tap a button underneath the table

>With a hiss, her chest depressurizes, and the panels slide open

>She lays as still as she possibly can

>You look over the surface

>No obvious defects

>Except-

"Oh, Jesus."

>Luna's eyes go wide

>"What? What is it?"

>You grab a power chord and press another button

>Instantly, a panel on her flank slides open

>You pull the cable near it, and it magnetizes into place

>Thank you Jony Ive for that idea

>"Anon? What are you-"

>"I'm getting this battery out. Now."

>You press another button, and the battery slides out of her chest compartment

>You look down at the small screen on the table

>Let's see...

>Accessories, safety, gloves, acid-proof

>Instantly, a service bot scurries to life, bringing you what you need

>You gingery put on the gloves, then look back down at the screen

>Containers, disposal--

>"Anonymous? Why have you removed my battery?"

>You glace up at the Princess

>Oh, shit, you're an idiot

>She can't see anything you're doing

>Her open panels are in the way

>You glance back and hit the final button in the tree, "For batteries"

>A robot springs to life as you talk to Luna

"Your battery is damaged. Severely. Probably the source of your problems."

>"H-How severe?"

"Well... If you came in here tomorrow, I'm pretty sure that you'd have came in completely non-functional. I'd have had to replace the lot."

>Luna sits silent, motionless

"But you're here now. And the damage is probably fixable. I'm going to have to take out... Well, about 90% of your machinery, though."

>Luna doesn't respond

"Would you be more or less comfortable if you can see it happen?"

>"More."

"Okay. Here..."

>Accessories, patient, comfort, mirror

>A few bots align themselves into place, and Luna soon has a view of her chest cavity

>She gasps in horror

>Where her battery used to be, there is now a hole

>Underneath it is a decayed, rotting mess

>While the tightly-fitted chest panel prevented any damage to the front-facing components, the back-facing ones weren't so lucky

>It's almost entirely wiring, but what's there is totally destroyed

>"How didn't I feel that?"

>Well... We're going to find that out. So. Ready to proceed?"

>Your patient nods, and you reach and dispose of her ruined battery

>Now the tricky part...

>There's a large metal casing covering her biological parts

>Those extend up to her neck, but there's a seem where her esophagus starts and her mouth ends

>You press another few buttons, and the tubing containing her stomach (which is really nothing like her old stomach -- Twilight engineered it for you, and it produces electricity instead of normal biological energy) and reproductive systems (well, up to her actual vagina, which you custom-build yourself) pop out

>You set them aside

>"Strange, how easy it is for you to disassemble me."

"Hey, I designed this. Don't worry."

>You press another few buttons

>Diagnostic systems, motors, and servos pop out of their sockets

>Soon, Luna's chest cavity is entirely empty, save for the wiring that runs flush with the side

>You survey her parts, using your computer system to select the ones that need replacement

>All her shoulder servos

>Her hoof, obviously

>Probably the entire leg, just to be safe...

>You hear your 3D printer whizzing to life, making a new leg that fits her old textures

>Her eyes drift to it

>"What are you replacing?"

>"That hoof you burnt off. Well, the whole leg, actually. Speaking of which..."

>You press another button, and her leg pops clean off

>That finished, you turn your attention to her wiring

>...God dammit, it's totally fucked

>Completely and utterly useless

>You might as well just replace her entire fucking-

>Actually, that's a good idea

"Yo, Luna. How you feel about a new abdomen?"

>"A-What?"

"It's... Look, it's broken. I could fix it, but I think replacing it would be easier."

>LEDs beneath the "skin" on Luna's face turn red

>"If-- You must."

>"Cool."

>You plug another, smaller power cord into the back of her head

>She grimaces

>"Now... Let's see..."

>You press another few buttons and hit the confirmation dialogue

>Her head and hind-end separate from her torso

>You slide out her old chest and put it aside

>The printer behind you finished up the leg and starts on the much more complicated chest cavity

"Well, at least your biological stuff is working fine. Those would take a week or so to regrow."

>"Yes. I am fortunate."

>You really should find talking to just a neck and head more odd than you do

"So, while that's printing. Do you have any idea how you ruptured the battery?"

>"Not a clue."

"Hm. I'll look over your diagnostic logs. See what happened."

>"Let me know when you do, to avoid the event in the future."

"Of course."

>The printer finishes with a *ding*, and a robot brings you over the new chest

>Now...

>You slide it into place and start connecting it to the wires in her neck

"So, the reason you didn't feel anything is that the acid damaged your central nerve interfaces. Or what was your spinal column, before, well, you know."

>Luna rolls her eyes

>"Before you put me in this body so I wouldn't die when that asteroid destroyed my moon?"

"Yeah. Seems like such a long time ago, doesn't it?"

>"Of course. It was over two hundred years."

"Shit, been that long already?"

>"Indeed."

"And I didn't replace your battery once. Holy shit, I'm a fucking idiot."

>Luna chuckles

>"I think 'forgetful genius' is a better description. You've done as much for robotics as Twilight has done for biology, and she managed to stop aging."

"Eh. Robotics isn't nearly as impressive."

>"Quite the contrary. Twilight stops people from getting old. You stop them from dying."

>Huh

>You never really thought about it that way

>You finish with the last wire, then look at your box of parts

>Shit

>This is going to take a while...

>You chat with Luna on palace life as you replace most of her body

>Earth-Equestrian relations are going extremely well

>Speaking of which, you need to fix the President's arm tomorrow

>You totally forgot about that

>He crushed it while white-water rafting. Which was, somewhat ironically, exactly how he lost his original

>After two hours of re-attaching motors and legs, you're ready to move onto the bigger stuff

>Luna's "breathing" (really just a sound that automatically played through a speaker in her throat) as you re-attach her digestive and reproductive systems

"You okay?"

>"Yes. It-- Well, it's an odd sensation, having one's stomach re-attached"

"It would have hurt like hell coming off, but I disconnected the nerves first. Sadly, can't really stop you feeling them getting re-attached."

>"It's not unpleasant. Feels... sort of like meeting an old friend."

>You shrug, going back to your work

>You finish up the biology in a few minutes, then screw the new battery into place

>You press some more buttons, and her chest closes with another hiss

>You prod her in various places on her chest and observe her reactions

>Occasionally, you ask if she feels what you do

>She always responds in the affirmative

>For some reason, though, you notice her body temperature rise slightly on the monitors

>Of course, she stays normal

>No way you were going to let her brain control that kind of machinery

>But her mind was still trying to release hormones that would cause her to get slightly hotter

"You feeling alright? You seem to be getting hotter."

>"It's--- Stuffy in here."

"Hm. You sure? That could be your temperature sensors screwing up again. I don't feel hot."

>You press another few buttons to get more diagnostic information

>The computer processes for half a second, then displays a bunch of data in front of you

"Hm. No, temperature sensors are working fine. Maybe your brain is just getting used to the new stuff."

>Luna nods

>"Yes. It's probably that. Are we almost finished?"

"Almost. Let me just keep looking over this..."

>Her stats are mostly normal

>Slight fever (well, her brain was trying for a slight fever, but your machinery was ignoring the values)...

>For some reason, vaginal lubrication production is up

>Probably her brain reacting to what it perceives as a near-death experience. "I survived, better reproduce!"

>Fucking biology

>After insuring the rest of her stats are okay, you press another button

>Instantly, all of the cables plugged into her release

>You smile down at the Princess

"You're all set. Here, let's make sure you can walk on that new leg."

>You help Luna off the platform, gingerly supporting her under her flank

>She shakily stands

>"I... Think this can work."

"Good to hear it!"

>You pat her on the neck

"No, let's get you backed up again, okay?"

>Luna nods and you both go over to the backup terminal

>You quickly find her plug and insert the cable

>She closes her eyes as her mind is stored on a disk

>With a ding, it finishes, and the cable pops out

"All done. You're free to go."

>Luna nods, curtly

>"Thank you, Anonymous. You work efficiently."

"Thanks! If you need anything else, come by anytime."

>"Of course."

>Luna trots away from you, happily using her new leg

>You, meanwhile, get back to your breadboard

>Now, if you remember correctly, you need a capacitor...

----

>Two weeks later, you get a knock on the door

>You sigh and put down the soldering iron

"Who is it?"

>"Luna again."

"Oh, Princess. Come in, come in."

>You press a button on your wall, and the door slides open

>Luna trots inside, her hooves sending light noises into the air every time they make contact with the floor

"What's up?"

>"It's my horn, I'm afraid."

>Shit

>The artificial horn was, by far, the most complicated part of Luna's physiology

>Well, except for her brain, of course

>That was a network of nanobots, each of which simulated a single neuron

>You'd done the switch from grey matter to bare metal while she was still conscious, to ease her fears that she'd die and be replaced by a robot version of herself

>Being conscious throughout the process obviously relieved this fear

>She was becoming the robot, not being replaced by one

>Still, engineering that fucking horn

>You had Twilight do most of it, but you did some of the magical routing and shit yourself

>It took almost a whole year to work out all the kinks, and you didn't have another on hand

>You had a whole drawer of Unicorn ones, of course, but Alicorn magic was significantly more complicated

>You brace yourself for the worst

"What's wrong with it?"

>"It's not glowing."

>Oh, FUCK

>The whole thing's dead?

>Well, that's a whole six months of no-magic for her

>God fucking dammit, Anonymous, you're an-

>Wait

>She said "not lighting up," not "not working"

>Better clarify

"Can you still do magic?"

>Two wrenches and your soldering iron lift off your desk

>Well

>That answers that question

>"Everything magical works fine, but try as I might, I can't get it to glow. Or make noise. No indication to others that I'm performing a spell."

"Hm. Well, let's take a look. First, of course, we need to do a backup--"

>"I already did one, before I came."

"Oh. Perfect. Let's get to it, then..."

>You stand above her and run a finger down the outer coating of her horn

>She stands like a complete statue beneath you

>Hm. You'd have expected her to move more

>You grasp her horn and feel for a hole

>You find one, hidden underneath one curve of it

"There we go. Now..."

>You look down to the console on your table and press a few buttons

>The proper cable drops from the ceiling, and you put it in the slot

>Instantly, the other casing of her horn pops open, revealing the carefully laid out wiring beneath

"Let's see..."

>You press the "LED Test" button on the console

>The screen fills up with errors

>Well, shit

>Thank god the thing was coded to just shut down the visual subsystems before touching the actual magic

>Otherwise, this would be a lot more complicated

"Okay. So. You're software's fucked."

>"Fucked?"

"Technical term. It means that it's broken. Not to worry, though -- I based this shit off Erlang's design. You can hotswap code out."

>"Hotswap?"

"It's, uh-- Nevermind. Let me just flash some software, okay?"

>You press the "Open Terminal" button on the console, and a keyboard flips out of your table

>You start typing on it

>After navigating a few folders, you have the cosmetic controls for the horn re-compiled

>You start the transfer, and Luna goes tense

>"Ah- That-"

>The process finishes with a *ding*

>Really, almost everything in your place finishes with that sound effect

>You were too lazy to customize them

>At the same time as your stock-sound-effect plays, Luna jerks upright

>"That's... Strange."

"Try it out."

>Her horn lights up instantly

>Thank god

"Hey, it works!"

>"I-- Suppose so."

"Yeah. Here."

>You pull out the cable, and the horn clamps shut

>Luna jerks upright again

>"Th-Thanks, Anonymous."

"Anytime!"

>"My horn... It feels slightly odd. Do you, uh, do you think you could just... massage it a bit?"

>Massage?

>That's...

>You shrug and grasp her horn, lightly rubbing it

>Her eyelids drop down, and her whole posture relaxes

>You pull back

"Better?"

>"Better..."

>Luna suddenly jerks upright.

>"Thank you Anonymous. Will that be all?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

>"Wonderful. It was a pleasure as always."

>She trots to your door, opens it, and exits

>Well, fuck. She left in a hurry

>You wonder why...

>You get a letter from her a week later

>Not an email

>An actual, honest-to-god, hand-written letter

>Or, well, horn-written

>Since she doesn't have hands-

>Whatever. That's not important

>What is important is the contents of that letter

>"Anonymous: I would very much like to have tea with you. Perhaps tomorrow, at noon. I have already rescheduled your appointments. My guards will pick you up."

>There was more, but it was in flowery cursive

>Which you couldn't read at all

>You're used to monospace fonts, for Celestia's sake

>Not that kinda shit

>You guessed it was her signature, though

>On 11:30 on Wednesday morning, you're buttoning up your shirt

>You have your suit on

>You actually clean up pretty good, for an old hacker

>Well, you're only technically old

>Physically, you look about twenty-eight

>But that's beside the point

>You're having tea with royalty

>Not something that you get to do every day

>You finish dressing yourself a few minutes later

>As if on cue, there's a knock at your door

>Two night guards stand in the entrance

>You recognize one

"Hey, Silver Shade! How's the wing treating ya?"

>"Satisfactory."

>The guard flutters his polymer appendage at you

"Good to hear it. So. Tea?"

>"Right this way."

>The guards lead you through the palace, up an elevator, and down a hall

>You actually recognize this place

>Pony Joe's brother runs it

>You had a cup of espresso here once, at 2:50 AM

>It was fucking expensive

>You apparently chose the right dress

>You and the guards go through the dining area, and they stop at a door, standing on either side

>It's marked "Do not enter"

>"You may enter"

>Ha! Fuck you, sign!

>The door opens easily as you stride on through

>"Hello, Anonymous."

"Hey, Lunnnaaa..."

>Oh my fucking god you're an idiot

>You misread that letter so fucking hard

>This isn't "tea with royalty"

>"Tea with Royalty" doesn't happen in a dimly-lit, candle-filled room

>This is...

>Jesus Christ, you're on a date

>A date with Royalty

>...Hell yeah!

>You do your best to remain aloof as you sit down opposite her

"Has my work been up to your standards?"

>"Surpassed them. Not a single issue since the fix."

>You smile

"Glad to hear it. So. What shall we be drinking this afternoon?"

>"I was thinking a standard black, with some sides. You know, the usual style."

"Of course."

>"Well. That should be out momentarily."

"Fantastic."

>You lean back slightly

"So. You sure I didn't cross some wires I shouldn't have?"

>"Wh-What do you mean?"

"Well, unless I'm totally missing the mark, you're currently a Princess on a date with a mechanic."

>The corner of Luna's mouth curls up into a smile

>"I wouldn't say just a mechanic."

"No?"

>"Not at all. Most mechanics don't fix people."

"Or ponies."

>"Indeed."

>You both sit in silence for a second as a door to your left opens

>A mare in a dress walks out, teapot and cups in tow

>She leaves it on the table and backs up, exiting as quickly as she entered

>Luna lifts a cup with magic, floating it over to you

>She puts it own in front of you and starts to fill it

>"I must admit. I'm a bit surprised you came."

"Why?"

>"Well. Very few humans get romantically involved with ponies. Especially ponies that are mostly robotic."

"Really? I can't see why. So far I'm having a good time."

>"It's lasted five minutes."

"Five awesome minutes."

>Luna giggles

>"Flattery. Not your typical mode of operation, is it?"

"It isn't flattery if it's the truth."

>"Hm. Funny that your definition of 'awesome' is mild flirting."

"More than I normally get, right?"

>Luna snorts

>"I doubt that."

"Eh. I work a lot."

>"Oh?"

"Yeah. Don't date much. Never did."

>"Hm. Surprising."

>Luna sips her tea, coyly

>"I would have thought that people would be all over you."

"Yeah. Not really how it went."

>You grab a sugar cube and stir it in, slowly

"I spend most of my time tinkering, not dating."

>"Hm. You seem awfully confident for an introvert tinkerer."

"Eh. There's two types of hacker: Those who spill spaghetti all over the place, and those who just like to screw with tech. I like to think I'm the latter."

>"Spew spaghetti?"

"Old Earth term for 'embarrassing yourself.' Which, honestly, I'm surprised I'm not doing now."

>You actually were holding down the torrent of pasta

>Desperately, with all your will

>You learned a long time ago that it's easy to fake your way through social situations by pretending you're confident

>With the fact that you were on a date with fucking royalty, you only had to half-pretend

>And it was working beautifully

>As far as you can tell, anyway

>"Hm. I suppose one is more confident when they've seen me as a talking head."

"I don't remember you singing 'Once in a Lifetime.'"

>"What?"

"There's a band called 'Talking Heads.' Had some pretty awesome albums. So when you said 'talking head...'"

>You shrug, holding up both hands

"Silly reference."

>"Hm. Still, the point stands. Most of my former romantic endeavors ended rather quickly when, well, the partner I sought was either intimidated or flat-out afraid of me. I suppose it's hard to be intimidated by something you built."

"I dunno. To be honest, every time I code drunk, I wake up to some rather frighting stuff."

>"I... Don't follow"

>GOD DAMMIT ANONYMOUS

>STOP IT WITH THE SHITTY REFERENCES SHE ISN'T GOING TO GET

"Nevermind. Inside joke."

>You take a sip of the tea to give yourself time to recover

"So. What piqued your interest in me?"

>"Previous interactions. You were interesting."

"Interesting?"

>"On many levels."

>Luna sips her tea

>"I figured that it couldn't hurt to get to know you better."

"Hm. Hopefully you continue to think that after this."

>You take another sip

"Date humans often?"

>"You're my first."

"You're my first, as well."

>Luna smirks

>"Fantastic tripe entendre there."

>Shit, you didn't even do that on purpose

>The sexual reference was intentional

>The third reference, though, wasn't

>Luna was the first robo-pony you ever made

>Model No. 1

>She doesn't know it, but that's actually engraved in microprint on all the original hardware she has left in her

>You sip your tea again

"So. Enjoying the new torso?"

>"Hm. Such a strange question, really."

>She sips her tea, averting her eyes from you

>"I sort of expected to live in the body I was born in until I died."

"I think all of us did. Nobody really expected how fast things would accelerate when we made contact."

>Luna nods

>"From a mild energy crisis on both worlds to farming asteroids and cold fusion in ten years."

"Exactly."

>"Still. A lot has changed. So much so that I sometimes feel as if I've been gone for a thousand years again."

>Tread carefully here...

"Nostalgic?"

>"Oh, god no. If things hadn't changed, I would be very dead."

>She has a point

>"Still. It is strange. I'm certainly handling it better than my sister."

>Fuck fuck fuck you are in danger territory

>"But nevermind that. This is supposed to be tea, yes?"

"I think so."

>"Well. Let's have tea, then. And, as you know, it is traditional to only make smalltalk during tea."

"Hm. So. Weather's been weird lately."

>True to form, you both talk about nothing for the next hour, before she takes her leave

>Something about a meeting to go to

>Just before she exits through the door, though, she turns back to you and smiles

>"Oh, Anonymous. You'll be happy to know that we're having dinner this Friday at six."

>You straighten your bow tie again, trying to contain your breathing

>Second date

>So the first one obviously went better than you expected

>Still, you could blow it here

>There's a knock at your door, and you answer

>Same two guards as before

>The route is different this time

>You actually leave the castle, and head through Canterlot

>It's not a long walk to the restaurant, but it's certainly not where you expected

>You've never been to this place before

>The architecture outside is heavily influenced by brutalism, and looks almost like a warehouse

>Inside, it's dimly lit, and you can hear French-Style house lightly playing in the background

>You catch a glimpse of the menu on the way in

>The ponies inside, mostly of the bat variety, stop eating to stare at you as you pass

>Almost all of them have artificial limbs or other obvious modifications

>You recognize a few models

>Hell, you had a hand in designing one or two

>They're all top-of-the-line, extremely expensive biotech

>You're lead, again, to a private back room

>Luna isn't waiting for you this time

>You exhale and lean back in the chair, looking up at the ceiling

>The light in the room is provided with a post-modern fixture

>Pretty much just a bulb at an angle on a chord

>It gives a pretty cool effect, really

>Almost looks like it's floating in the air

>The music keeps playing, even though you can't see any speakers

>You're able to sit still for about two seconds before getting up to determine the source of the noise

>You pull a miniature flashlight out of your pocket and shine it up at the vaulted ceiling

>Ah, there we go

>Speakers in each corner, same color as the wood

>They blend in pretty well

>"Examining something?"

>You almost fall out of your seat

>Jesus

>Luna can be really quiet when she wants to be

"Yeah. I heard music, but saw no speakers. So I went looking for them."

>Luna smirks

>"I see you've found them."

"Yeah. There's a reason I always carry this. Something has to help me settle my compulsions."

>You wiggle the flashlight in front of you, then turn it off and put it away

"So. Kind of far removed from the teahouse, isn't it?"

>"Yes. It's only someplace I've started visiting in recent years."

"Very neo-cyberpunk feel to it. One of the Pegasi out there had a RSVE/ARE-13+ for an eye out there. That's top-of-the line as far as augs go."

>"Although not as top-of-the-line as full cyborg status."

"Of course. Not that many of those exist."

>"No. Although the ones that do visit this place fairly often."

"Including you, then?"

>"Of course."

>You lean back in the chair, relaxing again

"So. What prompted you to start visiting?"

>"Tip from my sister, actually. Said it would help me accommodate to my new status easier."

"Has it?"

>"Somewhat. Back when I had intense mental anguish about the change, coming here was rather frightening. Seeing so many ponies willingly getting robotic parts... Well, the world seemed to have gone mad. As I interacted with the patrons, though, I do believe I began to accept everything that was happening. Embracing it, even."

"Of course."

>You didn't really know much about how Luna reacted to her cyborg status

>She always kept away from you, even when she was a full-pony lifeform and you were just a researcher with Twilight

>You always sensed that you made her uncomfortable

>So her sister suddenly commanding you to make her a new body from scratch was a huge surprise

>The 2-year time limit was an even larger one

>Thankfully, you and Twilight pulled it off

>But, after that, Luna sort of disappeared from your life for a while

>You didn't see her a single time for a few years after the surgery, as if she was avoiding you

>Maybe she was, since she evidently struggled with being a cyborg

>You chose your next words carefully

"From what I understand, those who are forced into mechanical modification generally have some degree of stress about it. I can't imagine how you felt."

>"It was rather unpleasant, yes. But I quickly realized that it wasn't entirely a bad thing. Really, as different as I am, I am the same person."

"Exactly."

>"Oh. There's dinner."

>You didn't even notice the waiter trot in, holding two plates

>He levitates one down in front of you

>Tenderloin steak, mashed potatoes, asparagus

>And a glass of expensive wine

>Hm. Normally, in places like this, they have you taste it first

>As far as you know, at least

>Maybe Luna already did that for you

>She was taking an awful lot of control over these dates so far

"Hm. Not many steak houses in Equestria."

>"No. Most ponies can't digest meat, after all."

>She can

>You built that feature in

>You cut off the steak and take a bite

"Mmmm. Tender and perfect."

>"It always is here. They use very sensitive instruments to cook it, and the finest meat you can grow."

"I can tell."

>You take another bite, chewing it slowly

>It really is good

>Luna sips her wine, slowly

"I noticed a lot of people staring as I walked in."

>"Not surprising."

>Luna chews another bite

>"You're very famous. Especially in this crowd."

>Makes sense. You are sort of the foremost researcher in the area of mechanical-biological interfaces. That's probably a big deal among people who spend copious amounts of cash on getting their body parts replaced

>"They're no doubt talking about you right now. Spreading rumors."

"I'm used to those."

>"Not to mention wondering why you don't have any robot parts yourself. You'd think you'd take advantage of your own inventions."

>She takes a sip of wine, but looks expectantly at you

>You take a second to ponder your response

"I would have augments. A lot of them, actually. There's just one problem."

>"Hm?"

"If I'm getting metal put in me, I want only the best throughout the process. Design to instillation."

>"Well, with your salary, you can certainly afford it."

"Ah, it's not a money problem, though."

>You hold the fork loosely in your hand, pointing the end at yourself

"I can design everything for myself, easily, but installing it is another matter."

>Luna laughs

>Not guffaws, but enough to fill the room

>"And I called you humble."

"Eh. Sometimes arrogance is good."

>"Really, though. Why don't you have mechanical parts?"

"Nothing. I might actually get some."

>You shrug

"I just never got around to it."

>"Surprising, for one who spends his days inventing new ways to fuse the living and the mechanical."

"I know. Maybe I'll replace an eye eventually, or something."

>She winks at you

>"We could be twins."

"Exactly."

>You eat a little more of your steak

>Luna does the same

>Eventually, she looks up

>"Of course, there's another question the patrons are asking."

"Hm?"

>"Yes. They are, no doubt, currently whispering about why the great mechanic is in a private room with his greatest creation. Conspiracies of brain altering are no doubt being formed as we speak."

>You grunt with laughter

"Yeah. Like that's something I would do."

>"Oh, I know you wouldn't. Although it's normally my domain, Celestia likes to check up on your dreams from time to time. Making sure you haven't done anything to me."

"Hm. Lack of trust, much?"

>"Anonymous, you have fifteen cameras installed in your workshop, none of which you told us about."

>She's half-right. You actually have 35.

>You trusted Celestia and the palace staff, but insurance never hurt anybody.

"I know. I understand that she'd want to keep a close watch on me. I also sort of understand the rumors."

>"Could you do it, though?"

"Do what?"

>"Force me to take an interest in you."

>You only have a split second to make a decision

>When in doubt, go with the truth

>In this case, at least

>You lean forward and open your palm holding the fork lightly between two fingers

"I really should say 'no' here, but you'd just catch me in a lie. Yes. It would be very easy to program you to release some hormones at the sight of me. But that would be a huge invasion of your will, which is against everything I stand for."

>Luna examines you for a moment, then relaxes

>You still can't read her expression.

>"Hm. Are you done eating?"

>You look down at your plate

>It's clean, and you're full

"Yes."

>"Hm. Well. I'm afraid I have matters to attend to."

>Shit, Anonymous

>Ya blew it

>Fuckin' moron

>Luna gets up in silence and walks towards the door

>She opens it, then turns back to you

>"Oh, I forgot to mention. We have another date tomorrow, for breakfast. My guards will be around at 8:00."

>Or... Not.

>Huh.

>You knew how her body worked, down to every last join and artificial nerve ending

>You programmed the firmware for her "muscles" yourself

>But her mind?

>Man, you can't figure it out

>It's like somebody else's perl code ha ha jokes nobody gets

>You thought you were screwed for sure, but she's still giving you a chance

>Or maybe you were never screwed

>Maybe you gave the right answer...

>She leaves the room and leaves you sitting there, wondering what the hell is going on

>By 9:30 the next morning, you're sitting at a table in the palace kitchen

>Luna sent you a note at 7:00 telling you to dress casually, so you were rockin' the jeans and sneakers

>Luna doesn't take too long to arrive

>This time, she has the food

>Two bowls, two spoons, a jug of milk, and a few boxes of cereal

>All of it's cereal you like, actually

>You briefly wonder if she snooped in your pantry

>"Good morning, Anonymous."

"Morning, Luna."

>"You'll be pleased to know that I have no appointments for the rest of today. I shall not have to leave you so abruptly this time."

>You smile

"Pleased to know indeed."

>"I thought we'd keep it more casual this time."

>Her voice trails off

>She's expecting you to say something

"I'm fine with that. I'm a big cereal fan."

>Luna smiles and nods, placing the bowl in front of you

>You don't hesitate to grab a box of cereal and pour yourself a bowl. In front of you, she does the same.

>You take a spoonful

>Delicious as ever

>You eat in total silence for five minutes

>She keeps looking at you, as if you're supposed to talk

>Alright

>Enough of this shit

"So. Luna."

>She looks up at you, expectantly

"I don't get it."

>"Hm?"

"Every one of your moves seems like it's been planned. Every date, every question. It feels scripted."

>She avoids your gaze as she eats another bite, the corn flakes crunching around in her mouth

"What exactly is going on here? Because, even with the script, I've liked our time together. And I really wanna think that this isn't... Fake."

>She stops eating

>"Do I seem fake to you?"

"No, not at all. You're real. You're just... Acting strange."

>Luna is silent for a bit

>"And why do you think that is?"

"I... I have no idea. But I know that I like this. I really, really like this. And I hate the thought that you've just been... screwing with me, or something. I just want to know what's happening."

>Luna looks up at you, her ears drooping backwards

>"I have my reasons."

"What reasons? I mean..."

>You gesture into the air

"I-- I like this. I really do. I just need to know if you do, as well."

>She looks into your eyes for a moment

>You can see the tiny wires behind her pupils, glistening slightly

>"...I do, Anonymous. I'm just afraid that you won't."

"What do you mean?"

>"Dating... It's been hard, since I became- became this."

>She gestures down at herself

>"Ponies... They start out with it, and then stop, and... I needed to vet you out, first. I wasn't even going to ask but my sister, uh, kinda made me."

>She sees your expression, then quickly corrects herself

>"No, I always wanted to ask! I'm just-- I was too scared."

"Scared?"

>"That you wouldn't, uh... You wouldn't want to date one of your creations."

"One of my creations? Luna, I created your body. But you- You aren't something I made."

>She considers it for a moment, then smiles

>"I know. And I like that."

"So... This is genuine, now? Not vetting me?"

>"Yes. I-- I was genuine before, just-- Cautious?"

>She shrugs

>"I don't really know how to describe it. But I'm done with that. Completely."

"I'm glad."

>You both sit in silence for a moment

>Luna eventually speaks

>"So. Since we've resolved that... Do you want to go get donuts?"

"Donuts?"

>"Yeah. Donuts. Cereal is great, but... this breakfast is boring, and I know a great donut place."

"...Yeah. Yeah, I'll get donuts."

>Two weeks (and six dates) later, you're out at dinner again

>The same place as last time

>Your meal is just finishing up

>You got the exact same thing

>With extra asparagus

>You love you some asparagus

>"So I'm just standing there, in the corner with my sister, Cadence, and Twilight as this comic gives the absolute funniest rant about how he realized that he would have sex with Celestia, and how strange it was for him, as a human."

"Oh my god."

>You can barely contain the laughter

>"Very dry stuff, really. Questioning if she really counted as a horse, and all."

"And he had no idea she was in the audience?"

>"Oh, heavens no."

>You hit the table, erupting into laughter again

>"This was two weeks after first contact, as part of the UN's cultural exchange program. Our escort's face, man..."

>She mocks a horrified expression, and you go into fits of laughter again

"Wait, two weeks? Don't tell me it was Rich Evans doing the show, in New York."

>"It was!"

"Holy shit, I was there!"

>"You were?"

"Yeah! I just moved to New York as part of that first research team, and me and my friends all went to see the show! That's so weird..."

>Memories flood back

>You actually remember that bit

"Oh my fucking god, when he started talking about how he wondered if she would whinny when she came-"

>Luna explodes into another fit of laughter

>"Yes, yes! And, at the end, Celestia turns to the escort-- and she-- she says--"

>Luna takes a second to catch her breath

>"She says that Twilight's the one who whinnies!"

>You almost fall out of your chair

"In front of her?"

>"Yes!"

"Oh my god... Oh my god..."

>You both try to contain your laughter

>"Then-- Then, when the delegate was apologizing--"

"Gimmie a minute, will ya?"

>You take time to catch your breath. She uses the opportunity as well

>"After- After the delegate starts to apologize, Celestia asks to see the comic. And- And they bring us backstage, and-- and he sees my sister. And he's absolutely in a panic."

"I can see why."

>"And Celestia, she- she turns to him, and she goes on this big monologue about how he almost caused an inter-universal incident, and how he should be more careful. And he's sweating, right? But the entire time, she doesn't say WHY he almost caused the incident. So, at the end, she says-- Oh my god, she says 'In the future, be sure to not insinuate that there's anything wrong with wanting to have sex with me. It's a natural reaction to one so beautiful.' And-- And--"

>Luna barely manages to get the last sentence out

>"And she winks at him!" Her eye, perverts.

>You're dying

>You are literally dying

>The image of Rich Evans' face after Celestia says that to him is killing you

>You're going to bust a lung

>Luna break into equally intense laughter

"Ohhh... Oh my god. That's perfect."

>"Yeah. It was one of her finest moments."

"I can't even believe that..."

>Suddenly, the music that normally flows through the room stops

>You look around, confused

"Did-"

>"The music stopped."

"Yeah. Any idea why?"

>"Well, I suppose... What time is it?"

>Luna's not talking to you

>She's talking to herself

>You can see the moment when the clock pops up in her vision

>Her wings actually flare out slightly in shock

>"Dear Lord, it's one am. They've closed."

>Holy shit, you and her have been swapping stories for five hours

"They coulda told us they were closing!"

>"Oh, I don't think they wanted to halt such a wonderful evening."

"Yeah. It's been great, but..."

>On cue, you yawn

"I really need to be getting to bed."

>"Uh, before you do-- All that laughter has me feeling a bit frazeled. It's actually hard to talk. Maybe we could... Go back to your place and fix that?"

>OH SHIT

>SHE PAUSED

>HER VOICE LOWERED IN VOLUME AND GOT MORE BREATHY

>THAT-

>OH MY GOD SHE WANTS TO FUCK YOU

>PLAY IT COOL ANONYMOUS

"I'd-- I'd really like that."

>Luna snorts in laughter

>"You could try to be subtle, Anonymous."

>Wow

>You literally blew that in two seconds

"I-- I'm sorry, I-"

>Luna holds up a hoof

>"Let's go and 'fix my voice box', yes?"

"Y-Yes."

>You nervously fiddle with your keys, trying to find the right one

>Shit, shit, shit--

>You eventually find the right USB stick and put it in the slot

>If verifies your identity immediately, and the door slides open

>The lights flicker on automatically

>"Welcome back, Anonymous."

>Luna looks around, confused

>"What was that?"

"Bash script I wrote to welcome me back. I thought it made everything more sci-fi."

>Luna shrugs and nods

"Now, uh... Let's check out that voice box."

>"Yes. Let's. Then again, if you play your cards right, I'm just going to wear it out again anyway..."

>You actually feel your arm twitch in excitement

>God dammit, man. You haven't gotten laid in a while

>50-year dry spell

>Of course, you're a huge pervert, so you whipped yourself up some fuckin' awesome artificial vaginas

>And mouths

>And assholes

>And... Other orifices

>And dildos in all shapes and sizes

>Really, your sex toy collection is depressingly large

>Those were safely locked away, though. Now it's game time

"Why don't you, uh, sit down on that table over there. I'll check you over."

>"Okay."

>Luna giggles, then does as you say

>She opens her mouth wide, eyes half-lidded

>"Aaaahhhhhh"

>If you were an anime character, your nose would be fucking bleeding

>Dear god

>You glance down her throat

"Oh, it looks a little red."

>You lean forward, as if to get a better look

"Yeah, Definitely a bit red."

>Luna leans into you, so she's a few inches away from your face

>You can feel her hot breath on your face

>Which was entirely a comfort feature

>She doesn't need oxygen anymore

>"I know it's not red. It doesn't get red."

"Sure it does."

>"Really?"

>She leans in closer, pressing her forehead against your face

>"Sounds like a design flaw."

"I don't do design flaws."

>You take the opportunity to pull her into a real, actual kiss

>Her grown-in-a-lab tongue feels all natural against yours

>She pulls back after a couple of seconds

>"Hm. A bold move."

>And then you're in the air

>Luna's magic surrounds you as she places you on the table, rolling on top of you

>Her body is warm against your skin

>"Let's be bolder."

>And then she's kissing you again

>Much harder this time, driving her tongue into your mouth

>Without skipping a beat, she unbuttons your shirt with magic, then wiggles it off

>Then she unbuttons your pants, breaking the kiss

>She scoots backwards, then pulls them off with her teeth

>You're already hard, and there's an impressive tent in your boxers

>Luna grins up at you

>"Somebody's eager."

"You're the one who lifted me up here."

>"Indeed."

>Before you can even tell what's happening, your underwear are off

>Her hot breath assaults your dick as she leans in close

>Oh my fucking go-

>Her tongue makes contact, teasing at the tip of your head

>Your mind goes blank

>This is... actually happening

>You're sleeping with royalty

>Luna swirls her tongue around your head for a bit, then takes you inside her

>You can hear her ragged breathing through her noise as she works on you

>She pulls off after about five minutes, smirking up at you

>"For a robot, I think I do pretty well."

"Holy shit, you do."

>You sit up

"Time for me to return the favor, right?"

>She smirks, spinning her body around

>She's now lying on her back, legs spread, facing you

>Thank god this table is so inexplicably huge

>You pull her forward, closer to you, smirking

"Ah, such a vanilla idea. You forget, Luna."

>"What?"

"I designed this body."

>You sick a finger between her inner flank and her pelvis, right where the tip of the moon on her cutie mark ends

>She gasps in pleasure, suprise growing on her face

"I know what it likes."

>You continue to rub that spot as you move your other hand across her body, just to the left of where her heart is

>You built this stuff in with the intention of it being a fun surprise for her to discover with somebody else

>You never imagined that you'd be taking advantage of it yourself

>A shock goes through Luna's body at your touch

>It's a bit awkward, but you manage to position your head in front of her pussy

>You stick your tongue out and lick smoothly along her folds, swirling your tongue on her clit when you reach it

>She spasms in pleasure as you move your pinkie on your right hand downwards half an inch

>Man, if she liked that, this is going to be nuts

>You tap it downwards on her fur, and a subroutine you programmed long ago fires off

>She orgasms instantly, screaming and spewing artificial lubricant all over your face

>You grin up at her

"So glad I put in that feature."

>"A-Anonymous..."

>Luna's chest rises and falls rapidly, still coming down off the orgasm

"Yeah. I'm pretty awesome."

>You lean up and kiss her again, your body falling on top of hers

>She pulls you in with her hooves, embracing you

"You're so beautiful."

>"How full of yourself."

"What?"

>She smirks

>"You designed the body, didn't you?"

"I-- Yeah, but-"

>She shuts you up with another kiss

>"It's okay."

>You brush her mane out of her face

"You are, though. Every part of you."

>"Well, you did-"

"Not your body. *You.*"

>Her cheeks tinge red, LEDs lighting up underneath fake skin

>"I love you."

"I love you."

>Her head dips slightly, nodding

>You reach your hand downwards and grasp your dick, aligning it with her entrance

>You slide in smoothly

>You try to push your knowledge of what happens next out of your brain

>Luna's "vagina" is currently sending information (specifically: temperature, dimensions, and a map of the surface texture) about the penetration to a computer located just above her cervix

>That's getting translated to an intermediate language which represents nerve impulses, which is then sent up her "spinal column" and to a computer located in her neck

>That computer translates the intermediate language to actual neural signals, which, in turn, are sent to her brain

>The reaction is immediate

>She inhales sharply, then moans

>You stare into her eyes

>You can see the circuitry just below the surface

>And, in a way, it's beautiful

>That this person in front of you is alive, despite what happened to her original body

>That you can be with her against all odds

>She leans up and kisses you again, and her mouth feels natural

>"You ever been with a cyborg before?"

>Her voice is whispering, seductive

"No, actually."

>"Hm. I don't think I'll be able to surprise you, since-- You actually designed what you're currently inside, right? Or was that Twilight?"

"Twilight had the cervix and up. Rest is me."

>"Hm. So this feature won't be surprising."

>A mild buzzing noise fills the air

>Ah, vibrating vaginas

>A classic

>You start to thrust in earnest, each one drawing excited moans from the mare below you

>"A-Anonymous-"

>Wait, what the fuck?

>Did she just cu-

>Oh my fucking god you totally forgot to compensate for the vibration in your code

>You are an idiot

>Not that your mistake had negative effects

>No, instead, it just turned normal sex into almost guaranteed multiple orgasms from her

>Her breath increases in pace, and her hooves pull you in tight

>You kiss her again, increasing the pace of your thrusting

>You can hear wet noises as you pound her soaking pussy

>She orgasms again a few minutes later

>Right afterwards, you feel magic on you again

>She rolls you over, onto your back

>You exit her, and your dick feels cold against the air

>Not for long, though

>Luna straightens her body, grasping some overhead bars for support

>Those are meant to be for large machinery, but they're more than enough to keep the Alicorn princess upright as she positions herself over your cock

>With a gasp, she slams downwards, taking you within her

>You grit your teeth

>Holy shit

>You stare up at her panting face as she bounces up and down on your dick

>"A-Anonymous!"

>She cums again, spewing a puddle of lube onto your table

>Not that you care

>That's two orgasms

>Which are mostly from a coding error, but still

>You feel some pride in lil' Anonymous

>Still, though, he can't last forever

>In fact, you're already holding yourself back

>Luna notices you biting your lip

>"G-Go ahead."

"Wh-W-"

>"Cum inside me, dammit!"

>Well, shit

>No way you're going to survive that

>You explode inside her, and she cums again

>Her walls tighten around you as you pump your seed deep inside

>She leans over and kisses you, as you're still spurting inside her, then collapses, falling on top of you

>You go soft and pull out, and you can feel your cum dripping down her and onto you

>"That... Was amazing."

"H-Hell yeah it was."

>"Can I use your shower?"

"Yeah. You staying the night?"

>"If you'll have me."

"Of course!"

>"Do you, uh, have a spare charger I could borrow?"

"Of course. You can top off while I take my shower. You go first, though-- Second door on the right, down the hall."

>She nods and rolls off you, shakily getting to her feet

>You watch her leave, your semen still dripping out of her

>God dammit, man

>It's early on, but this mare...

>You feel like you could spend the rest of eternity with her

>You wake up the next morning with an arm wrapped around her

>You quickly sneak out of bed and get to making breakfast

>Which involves pressing two buttons, but whatever

>Your Auto-Chef 10USC starts to run your custom "Eggs and Bacon" script, synthesizing the various proteins and sugars

>You tweaked the texture of the finished product a bit

>You always thought the default seemed a bit overcooked, and you liked your bacon just a little crispier than the normal setting, but not as crispy as the "crispy" setting

>Hopefully Luna feels the same way

>After the machine finishes printing your breakfast, you start on hers

>It's halfway through its cycle when you hear a yawn behind her

>"Oh, good, I didn't just dream last night."

>You smile

"Far from it."

>"Yeah."

>Luna yawns again

>"So. What's for breakfast?"

"Eggs and bacon. And coffee."

>"Wonderful."

>You make smalltalk over breakfast, staring into each others' eyes

>Eventually, though, real life takes its toll

>Luna stands up

>"Anonymous, I'd love to stay, but I have a meeting to attend to today."

>You nod

"I understand. Have fun at the meeting."

>She rolls her eyes

>"Unlikely, but I appreciate the thought."

>With that, she's gone, out your door

>You go back to finishing up your eggs-

>"ANONYMOUS!"

>With a slam, your door opens again

>You fall backwards in your chair, hitting the floor hard

>Jesus Christ, that is going to leave a mark

>You don't get time to recover as you get a face full of Princess

>Not the one you're dating

>Her alabaster sister

>"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

>You blink

"Meaning of what?"

>"You-- You and my sister-- You have mated!"

>You grimace in confusion

"Yeah, so?"

>"This is unacceptable! How dare you take advantage-"

"Take advantage?"

>You roll out from under her and quickly get to your feet

>Now you're the one looking down at her

>Human height advantage, hell yeah

"In case you didn't notice, she was the one who initiated contact."

>"Oh, yes. Because she wouldn't feel any pressure to sleep with you."

>You want to drown Celestia with the sarcasm that's dripping off her voice

>Who the fuck does she think she is?

"I didn't 'pressure' her at all! We've been dating for a while and I haven't even mentioned it a single time!"

>"You know her biology better than anyone. You could pressure her in far more subtle ways."

>She gives you a death glare

>"And do think I trusted you."

"Oh, yeah, you trusted me. Never mind all the fucking dream invasion you've been doing!"

>"What dream-"

"Don't give me that shit. Luna told me what's going on."

>Celestia rolls her eyes

>"Of course. She can't keep secrets to one in her mind."

>What the fuck

>Seriously

>What is she doing

"What-- What are you even implying? That I'm forcing her to do this?"

>Celestia remains silent, glowering at you

"I didn't force anything. You fucking know that. So why do you come in here, accusing me of-"

>"How else do you explain it?"

"Explain what?"

>"Why Luna is suddenly dating after so long? Why-- Why she feels comfortable enough to fuck you?"

"Why wouldn't she feel comfortable enough?"

>Celestia rolls her eyes

>"Well, for as long as she spent behind a veil to hide her 'hideousness', it's a bit odd she's comfortable enough to use her body in that way so suddenly."

>A veil?

>Hideousness?

>You feel your posture soften

>Okay, so she wasn't just flinging accusations. This is genuine concern.

"Look. I'm pretty sure this got off on the wrong foot, okay? So-"

>You sit back in your chair, using your leg to kick the one opposite you out from under the table

"How about you and me take a seat and discuss this like adults?"

>Celestia rolls her eyes, then sits down

>You lean backwards, trying to relax

"Look. Luna doesn't talk much about her life right after the transition, okay? She never wants to. It seems painful to her."

>Celestia remains silent for a moment, looking away from you and at your workbench

>"It was."

"So I don't know about any of that. I just know that she asked me out, and we dated, and then... well, made love."

>Celestia turns to you

>"And is it love, Anonymous?"

"Yes."

>"No reservations."

>"Yes."

>Fuck.

>That last one isn't convincing, and she knows it.

>"Oh, really?"

"Well... A few, okay?"

>"Hm. Maybe you should have told her before you-"

"They're not about her, okay? There my problems."

>"Problems?"

"God dammit, can't you just go back to telling me that I'm some kind of perverted puppet master?"

>Celestia shrugs

>"I was simply angry, Anonymous. I was unreasonable."

"You got over that fast."

>"Because you started talking. Which, really, is what I wanted all along. So tell me."

>She leans forward, resting her hooves on the table

>"What reservations do you have?"

"I'm... It's a weird relationship, okay? Because I love your sister. I really do. She's... Wonderful. Talking to her is a joy. Being near her is just great, y'know?"

>God dammit, this isn't your area of expertise

"I just- I made her body, right? So I wonder if maybe there's some weird-- weird psychological reason for her to be dating me. But she doesn't seem to think so, but in the back of my mind..."

>You sigh

"I worry."

>"Natural. What else?"

"I-- Okay, this is going to get really personal, alright?"

>"Of course."

"Making love to her was wonderful, but... weird."

>"Hm?"

"I-- I couldn't stop thinking about the process. The process I went through, all those years ago, to-- to make it possible for her to have sex."

>She raises an eyebrow

>"Hm?"

"All the designing. The reworks, the coding, the prototypes, the surgeries. All of the work that went into it. And it was... Distracting, I guess? I mean, fuck, I found a bug while doing it."

>"A bug?"

"Software issues. The interface in her, uh, vagina-- Look, it has a vibrate mode, and I didn't compensate for that. So whens he turns it on, she also feels all the vibrations, increasing stimulation and such. Which is good, but not intended."

>Celestia shudders

>"Maybe I shouldn't have asked so many questions."

"No, but-- That's really part of the core of my inhibitions about this. I know so much about her, and some part of me keeps thinking in terms of design and testing. Even though I don't want to. Because-- I love her, and- my stupid brain won't-"

>You groan

"God, this is frustrating. I can't articulate myself here."

>"I think I understand what you are saying."

>Celestia stands up, knocking your chair to the side

>"You seem to legitimately like her, and I do not think I can rob her of such a relationship. Lord knows I'm happy to see her coming out of her shell."

"I am too."

>"Good to hear. So. I shall let you two date."

"That's kinda between me and her, isn't it?"

>Celestia rolls her eyes and keep stalking, not bothering to respond to you

>"However, I am going to keep an eye on you. If I see any malicious intent, there will be consequences. Understand?"

"I guess."

>"Good."

>Celestia turns and strides to your door, opening it

>She doesn't look back as she exits, slamming the door shut

>Two years later, you're back at the teahouse where you had your first date

>You actually set this up

>And holy shit, are you nervous

>You can feel sweat move down your forehead as you put on your bowtie

>It's actually happening

>You're-

>Oh my fucking god she's going to say no

>You know it

>It's happening

>There's no way she will-

>DAMMIT ANONYMOUS, GET IT TOGETHER

>You move away from the mirror and go to a workbench

>You hover your arm over the sockets on the edge, and cables fly outwards from your new elbow and connect.

>You think a few commands, and the walls in front of you open

>Really, why the fuck didn't you lop off this arm sooner

>So much more convenient

>Not to mention awesome-looking

>You went with a see-through-skin model, with all sorts of fun new features

>That was about six months ago

>Twilight installed the thing

>Twilight had also picked out the ring in the case in front of you

>Titanium band with a large diamond center

>One of her friends made it

>Holy shit, you're actually doing this

>You're proposing to her

>You grasp the ring in your artificial hand, examining it

>You're making the right choice

>You know it

>Now, though, it's going to be up to her...

>Tea goes smoothly

>Well, as smoothly as you can make it go

>You're sweating the entire time

>Eventually, you finish up

>You stare into your empty glass, strengthening your resolve

>C'mon, Anonymous

>You can do this

>You look up at the mare of your dreams

"Luna?"

>"Yes?"

>She responds casually, still sipping her tea

"I, uh-- I have something to ask you."

>You pull the ring case from your breast pocket

>Luna's eyes snap to it, widening in shock

>You see tears (which, for her, are made of a silicone-based lubricant) start to form in her eyes

>"Y-Yes?"

"You are... The best thing that has ever happened to me. Every time I think about my life before you entered it, it feels wrong. Like-- like somebody else's life."

>You stand up and get to one knee, holding one of her hooves

"I love you more than I love anything else in the entire world, more than myself. Being near you is--"

>Oh, fuck this

"Luna, you know I'm terrible at these kind of speeches, so I'm just going to cut to the chase. You make me happier than anything else, and I want to keep that feeling, forever. I want to be with you, forever. So..."

>You open the box, showing the ring

"Will you marry me?"

>Luna closes her eyes, tears streaming down her face

>She's perfect, in that dress

>And she nods

>"Yes. Yes, of course."

>You look down at the ring, then up at her

>Oh...

>Oh shit, you are an idiot

"Uh- Where do I-"

>"My horn."

"Right."

>You stand up and slip the ring on, then lift her upwards

>She blushes as you kiss her, leaning forward

>Holy shit, she said yes

>She said yes

>You are going to marry this mare

>You feel as if you could explode with happiness

_ _ _

>A year and change later, you're at your afterparty

>You hold it in the Steakhouse she took you to on your second date, which converted nicely into a dance club

>The ceremony was small, but wonderful

>Some part of it doesn't seem real

>The mare next to you is your wife

>She's- She's-

>Luna kisses you on the cheek, calming you down

>"Honey. I think we're supposed to dance."

"Oh, god. Let me have another two drinks first, please."

>You take another sip of your Rum & Coke

>The music hasn't started yet

>Thank god

>Per tradition, you and Luna have the first dance

>She looks fantastic in her dress, but you're really not into dancing

>You're really bad at it, actually

>"C'mon. Follow my lead. The DJs already have the pyramid set up."

>You swallow and nod

>Luna set up the afterparty for you

>Since it's for the wedding of a Princess and one of the world's most famous scientists, you managed to snag some awesome acts

>Maybe too awesome

>Maybe it was all too much, and-

>Luna drags you onto the floor by grabbing your hand with magic

>You both stand there, awkwardly, as the music starts to play

>You can't dance, but... This is your favorite song

>And you have the love of your life in front of you

>...You just start moving

>Not that you can really dance, but it works

>You spend the next few hours dancing, then exit the floor

>Luna follows you

>"You held up pretty well."

>You flag down a waiter and start drinking another cocktail

"Yeah, I held up like a New Orleans levy made of swiss cheese."

>"Oh, hush. Your dancing wasn't that bad."

>She leans into you, turning to watch the floor

>Her sister and Twilight are slowly twirling around each other, enjoying the quiet moment

>You had no idea what their relationship was like, but they seemed pretty close

>Next to them, some of your old college buddies dance with their girlfriends

>A few people from the initial Earth-Equestria research project are nearby, with their various significant others

>Some of Luna's friends are further down the hall

>Everybody you love, in one place, for you

>You lean your head against her, closing your eyes

>This is perfect

>Absolutely

>Perfect

>You and Luna leave around 11:00 PM

>Your honeymoon starts tomorrow at 5:00PM, but, for now, you go home

>You originally planned to sleep in her bedroom, but she insisted that you stay in your residences

>You put an artificial finger into the slot next to the door, and it slides open

>Your other arm is on Luna, who is currently biting your ear

>You're both a bit frisky due to the alcohol

>Not to mention the fact that you're fucking married now

>Holy shit, you're married

>You can't get over that fact

>You both stumble inside, giggling

>"So, wedding night."

"Wedding night."

>Luna hops up on a workbench

>The same workbench you first made love on

>"I have a little surprise for you."

"Surprise?"

>"Yes. If-- Uh, if you're into it."

"Into what?"

>"Well, I-- I've been visiting your dreams. And, uh, giving you some other dreams."

>Holy shit, really?

>You thought some of those were too vivid

>Normally you'd be annoyed at the invasion of privacy, but, well, it's kind of her job

>And you've been having some pretty awesome dreams lately

"I knew something was up."

>"I, uh-- I wanted to spice things up a bit, for our wedding night. So I kinda... did a survey of which dreams you liked."

"Oh?"

>"And, uh... There was one in particular."

>Your heart stops for a second

>No way. Not that dream

>There's no way it was-

>"And I know you designed me to be modular."

>Oh- Oh my god.

>She-

>"So. You don't happen to have any... male attachments, do you?"

"S-Seriously?"

>Luna licks her lips

>"Hubby, I'd love to fill you up."

>You can feel your breath increasing in pace

"Y-Yeah. Let me- Let me grab one-"

>"Be sure to get the biggest you can take."

>You race to the other end of the room, plugging your hand into a panel

>You rotate through the carousel of parts

>Arms, legs, hooves...

>Here we go

>Dicks and Vags

>You select a moderately-sized one

>Eight inches, with a pretty good girth

>You grasp it in your hands and bring it over to her

"Will, uh- Will this work?"

>She looks along it, smiling up at you

>"Of course."

"Uh- Just lay down and I'll install it."

>Luna compiles, stretching out on the table

>You hold your forearm perpendicular to the ground, pointing your elbow at an input just below her navel

>A cord shoots out and makes contact

>You go over the commands in your head, removing pain sensors and opening the panels on her pelvis

>You look over it

>Luna giggles as you grasp the container for her vagina and pull it out

>You place it aside and grab the dick, looking at the sticker

>Super-stamina features, built-in artificial semen production with variable-sized ejaculations, vibration function, flare capabilities, built-in lube dispensor...

>Yeah, you made a good choice

>You socket it in and withdraw your elbow cable

>Luna smirks up at you

>"Well, this is a new feeling."

"Y-Yeah. I'd expect it to be."

>"Hm. Oh, wow, this is strange. I think-"

>Luna's dick starts to rise to attention

>"Oh, wow. So that's what getting an erection feels like."

>Luna rubs her length appreciatively, coaxing it along

>You can feel yourself salivating

>My god, being married to a cyborg is amazing

>"Hm. You're even more eager than me to try this, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Just-- Just a bit."

>Luna hops off the table

>"Well. Let's get your cute ass out of that suit."

>With a flash of light, your tux disappears

"That was a rental!"

>"I'll pay for it. Now. Bend over."

"Right- Right here?"

>You feel blood rush to your face as you blush

>"Of course."

"On the floo-"

>"I tire of waiting."

>The look in Luna's eyes can only be describe as hungry

>You obey her demands, getting on your hands and knees

>She jumps on top of you, resting her forelegs on your shoulders

>You shudder as you feel her already-lubed cock between your asscheeks, splitting them apart

>"Have you ever slept with a stallion before? Or do I get the pleasure of taking your virginity on our wedding night?"

"I-- I haven't."

>"Oh, I shall enjoy this."

>Luna uses magic to guide the head of her cock to your eager hole

>She presses up against you, hard. She already knows how to use the auto-lubrication feature

>Shit, she must have been planning this for a while

>You feel the slippery liquid pour into your ass, automatically dispensed form her cock-head

>It's warm

>You can feel Luna's hot breath in your ear

>"Ready, my love?"

"As- Much as I'll ever- Ahh!"

>You make a very un-manly noise as she jerks her hips forward, popping her head inside you

>Oh god, why did you chose such a huge dick?

>This hurts so bad

>But, at the same time, the feeling of being stretched is... Well, pleasurable

>Luna continues to move forward, gliding her entire length inside you

>You feel your insides stretch around her massive girth

>Luna grunts as she finally hilts in you

>You can barely comprehend how this feels

>You're just--

>So goddamn full

>You can feel her against your prostate, sending waves of pleasure throughout your body

>She starts to pull back, and you moan

>Luna playfully bites your ear

>"Enjoying it, I see-"

"F-f-fuck yes-"

>You can barely keep upright

>The pain is fucking destroying you inside, but goddamn, the pleasure overpowers it

>Luna starts to thrust slowly into you again

>Your rock-hard cock trembles below you as she finally hilts

>This is fantastic, but...

>You keep wanting more

"H-Harder."

>"What?"

"Harder!"

>In response, Luna pulls back her entire length in a fraction of a second, then slames it home

"Aaah!"

>You arch your back, gasping to the air

>Your wife grunts and pulls back again

>Something so huge inside you--

>You can't even describe the feeling

>You're being stretched, explored, violated in ways you never thought possible

>Luna finds her rhythm quickly. She doesn't give your virgin ass a break as she pounds you, grunting with each thrust

>You bite your lip and hang on

>Her dick occasionally spews more lube inside you, making sure that you are nice and slippery for her to better fuck you

>Jesus, she's not letting up

>That "Super stamina" label isn't kidding

>You consider trying to jerk yourself off, but there's no way you won't collapse if you don't use both hands to stay upright

>You can barely keep up with the constant pleasure waves heading through your body as it is

>Time loses all meaning

>The only thing that's real in the world is her dick, inside you

>You give up trying to contain the moans and pleasure noises

"Yes! Fuck me! Fuck me harder! Make me yours!"

>Luna grunts and, impossibly, picks up the pace

>You feel a new sensation as her dick begins to vibrate

>Impossibly, it now feels even better

>Soon you feel something new inside you

>A great crescendo of pleasure, slowly building to a head

>Over the course of an hour it grows. Each of her thrusts feeds it.

>The feeling is, above all else, a desire

>A need

>A primal urge to release pent-up energy, as if your very body might explode

>Luna's cock pounds at your prostate as you lose control

>The pleasure builds and builds until, finally, you can no longer take it

>You collapse on the floor as you orgasm, only barely managing to keep your lower half upright

>You feel your dick spurting semen recklessly all over the place, but you can't focus on that

>Not when there's a great explosion of pleasure throughout your entire body

>You can't think

>All there is in the world is her cock

>Which you can feel flaring up

>Your wife, with a great roar, cums inside you

>You can feel her massive load striking your inner walls, impossibly adding more pleasure

>Luna pulls out, and you can feel a great flood of her fluid pour from you

>You don't care

>You're too busy trying to remember how to breath again

>You feel a hoof roll you onto your back, and your wife pounces on top of you, kissing you deeply

>You try to respond in kind, but you're too weak

>You're still recovering from what has been, by far, the most mind-blowing orgasm you have ever had

>Luna smiles down at you

>"How was it, my dear virgin groom?"

"It-- It was-- Holy fuck--"

>You're still panting as hard as you possibly can

>Luna smiles down at you, lifting you with magic.

>"C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up. The night isn't done yet."

>You shower alone, cleaning yourself off as quickly as possible

>Every part of you (except the artificial arm) is soaked with sweat, and the cool water feels amazing on your skin

>You don't bother to put clothes on, exiting the room naked. Your new wife is waiting just outside the door, sitting on a stool

>"Ready for more?"

"I really don't know if I can do that again. I might pass out."

>"To be honest, I sort of feel like having you inside me, not being inside you. Care to replace my normal parts?"

"Sure. You know the drill."

>You wrap your arm around Luna's neck as you both walk to your workshop. She lays down on the table again, smiling up at you

>You make a fist and the cables fly from your elbow, socketing into ports on the table

>You take full control of the system, guiding the proper cables to the port below Luna's navel. The panels on her pelvis slide open.

>Her penis pops off, and you move it aside with your other hand

>You drop her vagina into place, and motors whirl as it settles into place

>With a beep, it finishes.

>Now you just need to close the panels...

>You use your mind to scroll through the options available for her, trying to find the "close panel" button

>One option, however, catches your eye

>"Sensual Test"

>Holy shit, that has potential

>You look down at your new wife

"Hey. Can I try something?"

>"Uh... What do you mean?"

"Something unconventional and sexual."

>"I- I guess?"

"Safe word is 'banana.'"

>"G-gotcha."

>Luna's face is red, and her whole body is tense

>Her ears are even dropped slightly back

>Dear god, hopefully this isn't a mistake...

>You twist your arm, and more cables fly out and make contact

>Wires run from her neck, chest, back arms, sides, and wherever else there's a port, disappearing into the mess of wires in the ceiling above

>Luna's breathing is shallow, almost frightened, as she lifts into the air, supported by the weight of the dozens of cables

>"H-Honey? What are you doing?"

>In response, you navigate the controls to "Senses Test->Pleasure"

>Luna's head throws itself backwards as her mouth opens

>No noise comes out

>She probably doesn't have the mental strength to talk right now

>Her whole body trembles as wave after wave of pleasure travels through it, overloading her senses

>You twist your arm and her body lowers, coming down to pelvis-height

"You like this?"

>Her mouths desperately form the word "yes", but she still can't make noise

>A pity. She'd probably be doing some pretty intense moaning right now.

"Is it okay if I add some... Additional stimulation?"

>You hold your dick between two fingers, indicating what you mean

>She manages to get off a shallow nod

>That's all you need

>You slip inside her gushing pussy

>Her hardware can't even keep up with the number of orgasms she's constantly having, and it sputters out fluid occasionally

>You aren't really going to add much physically, but hopefully the emotional connection of having her husband inside her will do some good

>Besides, you're enjoying how she trembles and clenches around your dick

>You thrust as hard as you want, her body swinging from the cables

>It's kind of strange, but oh-so good

>You lean on her for support, increasing your pace

>It isn't long before you feel a pressure build up in yourself

>Although it pales in comparison to your previous orgasm, this one is still fantastic, and your load is still a decent size as you deposit it inside her

>You pant, then pull back, standing upright again

>She's still being pleasured by your software

>You check the clock

>It's pretty late...

>You have a flight tomorrow

>You twist your arm slightly, canceling the program

>She pants as you lower her to the table

>"That... Was awesome."

>You wake up the next day at noon

>You're surprised that you managed to get up so early

>You and Luna have been fucking pretty much non-stop since you got married

>First in real life, then in dreams

>And man, was the dream-sex kinky

>You actually got the opportunity to do that one deep, dark fetish you have

>The one you could never tell anybody about

>Luna also go to do hers

>You didn't really like it much, but she was really into it

>Now, though, you have to finish getting ready

>Your bags are already packed

>One of Luna's servants already carried them down to the cab

>You finish shaving and step out of the bathroom

>Your wife is waiting for you

>"Ready to go on our honeymoon?"

"Of course. When's the transport leave, again?"

>"Five."

"Good. Then the flight's at 8:00, right?"

>"Yes."

>You check the display on your wrist

"Shit. We'd better get going."

>You kiss her and start towards the door

>She keeps a wing wrapped around you as you exit your room and head to the transport wing of the palace

>A cab picks you up, cruising smoothly along the the pavement

>She keeps her wing wrapped around you in the cab, and you lean into the warmth of her chest

>The cab ride is only about half an hour

>You arrive at the transport station, and the door opens

>You're greeted with the flash of cameras

>Fucking Paparazzi, man

>You and Luna getting married had been front-page news ever since the engagement

>The tabloids had a lot of weird fucking rumors about you. Apparently, both you and your wife were cheating with Celestia, you had an artificial penile implant due to your inability to pleasure her, and you were actually a robotic version of yourself that Luna had built after she accidentally killed the real you

>It was actually pretty interesting

>You enjoyed reading the articles about you

>The cameras, however, you didn't enjoy

>You had no doubt that your entire vacation was going to be filled with them

>Not really something you can avoid

>Even though the majority of your vacation is going to be on Earth, you won't escape the public eye

>If anything, the world-famous engineer extraordinaire marrying the princess of a foreign world was bigger news over there

>Pony-human marriages were still mildly controversial, after all, and lots of people on Earth had serious reservations about the entire "ruler-for-eternity" thing.

>Thankfully, you were going to a pretty secluded spot, so hopefully you could stay mostly hidden

>You and Luna make it inside the transport depot, the guards keeping the Paparazzi at bay outside

>You check the tickets on your wrist-display

>Gate B

>The arrow below the letter is pointing forward

>You head off in that direction, descend an elevator, and arrive at your destination

>IUHT Gate B, Canterlot Disctrict

>Service to Florida

>You and Luna try to ignore the stares as you wait in the seats

>You buy her a cinnamon roll, which she eats with gusto

>Eventually, it's your departure time

>You and about six hundred other people and ponies go through the on-ramp and to your seats

>You hold Luna's hoof as the transport charges up, readying itself to make the universe-jump

>You have about an hour, so you talk with her

>You both agree that the wedding was perfect

>Fantastic cake (which Celestia ate at least half of), great music, a great service, awesome dancing

>Like something out of a dream

>Hopefully your honeymoon can live up to it

>Eventually, you feel the familiar pressure of the jump

>You squeeze her hoof and brace yourself

>The familiar rush of the jump pours over you

>It doesn't last long

>Luna kisses you softly on the cheek

>"Scared?"

"Just... Yeah. I don't like Universe travel."

>Luna giggles as she unbuckles from the seat and stands up

>You and Luna get off the transport and into the terminal

>You check your wrist-display again

>Your flight is private, so you can just go to the tarmac near terminal B in the air transport district

>You check the directional indicator

>Take the A train, go to the next terminal, get off, walk north

>Not too hard

>You hold Luna's wing as you walk, savoring her touch

>Holy shit, this is your honeymoon

>You can't get over that

>The plane waiting for you is a very small jet

>A private one, actually

>Celestia owns it

>Not that you really needed to borrow hers

>Your net worth is absolutely insane. You didn't really dip into it much, though.

>A buddy of yours from college runs the business end, and you have a very good accountant and broker

>You rarely touch all your cash

>You and Luna cuddle silently on the train, hoping for a peaceful ride

>You don't get it

>"Hey, mate!"

>You groan and look up at the intruder, bracing yourself for a crazed rant about how you were destroying the purity of the human race

>So you're quite surprised when the guy has a very obvious robotic arm

>You give him a once-over

>There's mechanical support on his neck, and his legs are in braces.

>"You're that guy, ain'tcha?"

"What guy?"

>"The big robot-man! Y'know, Anonymous?"

"Yeah."

>"And you're Princess Luna, of course."

>He gives a respectful nod

>Most humans (including yourself) don't bow to pony royalty

>The strange man sits down opposite you, extending his hand

>You shake it

>"Just wanted to thank ya, mate. Witout cha stuff, I'd be dead."

>You nod, slightly surprised

"Yeah. It's my job."

>"And, uh, Princess?"

>"Hm?"

>Your new wife turns to him, intrigued

>"Look, uh-- I don't want to bring up sensitive subjects or what have ya, but you were the first full mechanoid, right?"

>Luna nods, raising an eyebrow

>"That's correct."

>"What's, uh-- What's it like?"

>Luna blinks at him, and he quickly clarifies

>"This ol' body of mine isn't gonna hold out for much longah. Health issues n'all."

>Luna shrugs

>"It's a bit scary at first, but you get over it fast. Be sure to go in for regular maintenance. Oh, and don't be afraid of hot-swapping body parts. That's weird at first, but quite useful."

>You nod

"Yeah. Also, be sure to charge yourself to full every night. Nothing's worse than a low-power indicator at noon."

>The train jerks to a stop, arriving at the air-travel depot

>You and Luna stand up in unison

>The man remains sitting

>"Thanks, mates. Enjoy the honeymoon, yeah?"

>How'd he-

>Right, national news

>You and Luna arrive at the terminal and quickly head to the northern end

>It's only 6:30, and your flight leaves at 8:00

>So you have time

>"Want to get a drink at the royal club?"

>You shrug

"Sure, yeah."

>You and Luna both walk to a secluded, "members only" area of the terminal

>They let you in without even checking the list

>The inside is dimly lit and smokey

>You and Luna head to the bar

>She gets a martini

>You get a rum&coke

>You both sip your drinks, talking about the next few weeks

>Beach, then a tour of Europe

>All would be great normally, but getting to do it with her?