Fluttershy stared at the technicolor sky for a little longer, watching the random patterns of magic run through the varied shapes of the arcane barrier.

It had been days since she had been forcibly moved out of Ponyville in the wake of the endless march of drones. How many of her friends had been reduced to mindless, sexy, rubber mares? Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity. Those were at least the ones she was really aware of, the ones she had not seen or heard of since she left town. That meant both a Princess and two other Elements of Harmony were completely enslaved to some unknowable will, walking like zombies while infecting all others. The endless creaking noises, the loud snaps of rubber, those were still stuck in her head from the hasty escape.

Even just imagining the sound sent a shiver down the mare's spine, feeling like cold water dripping on her back.

"Is that what it feels like?" She whispered, closing her eyes in one more attempt to sleep. The fifth one tonight, and the last, since she finally fell into what she expected to be a fitful, restless slumber.

Pink haze covered the peripherals of her vision as she fell into the world of dreams.

Something about this magically bound realm seemed off; was this not the world of Princess Luna? Shouldn't she be there, guiding her citizens through this trying time while they slept? This new magical color that suffused her inner world felt so different than anything she'd ever dreamed of, like a mist of pink diamonds that hung in the air. She wished to look around, to investigate this calmingly saccharine world, but she couldn't bring her eyes to move. It was as if the world itself refused to be torn away, a shroud that hid everything yet nothing. A gravitational pull that locked her eyes towards a singular, undefined, point.

The same endless force suddenly pulled at her arm, raising it slowly.

The movements were not slow due to resistance, but rather the deliberate motions of someone who had no rush. A mechanical pace that was proper and timed, not going with haste or laziness. It came with the sound of creaking rubber, snapping and sliding against itself every inch of the way. Those same feelings ran down the moving mare's spine, tingling her nerves even as she joined the chorus of latex. A glimpse of the black rubber glove as it slipped into view should have brought a gasp, a cry of fear, anything. Any reaction to her perfect salute, mirroring those she had seen in Ponyville a million times over.

No words, no speaking. Just watching the mist reveal her friends; Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle herself. The trio of all powerful rubber drones, the bodies and not minds of her whole world.

"Drone F-710 reporting." Fluttershy was terrified as she heard her own voice, so distant and emotionless, speak the words. A drone designation? Numbers? What could be happening in this dream?

Her mind struggled with the ideas as she slowly slipped down to her knees, rubber creaking and snapping. More noises, more fear. But it now felt far away, like a wall was being formed between herself and her body. A tiny little box she was being placed in, locking her away like a doll on a shelf. Even thinking about this hazy dream was so difficult as to be impossible. The world was becoming small, still, and...

"Awaken." The mindless Element of Magic spoke once more, her immeasurable magic breaking through the veil of dreams once more and putting those worthless thoughts away.

Drone F-710 rose from her bed, eyes glowing. The butter yellow mare walked through the night, unseen by all, towards the barrier of Ponyville. The unit had to report and become proper. The final upgrade awaited.

Story by zylogaroh
Art by Syberfab (FA)