Drone Pony 3: SPLASH!

A strong knock on your front door echoes in the otherwise silent home as you read a newspaper, making you jump slightly. PQ-1 rises from beside you, something inside whirring as she tilts her head inquisitively in your direction.

"Commander, were you expecting company? Shall I greet them?"

"No. No that's alright I'll get it," you reply, quickly getting up as you hastily set the newspaper on the table. You weren't expecting company and ponies hardly visit you out here on the edge of town unless they need something. And even that had stopped after your acquisition of PQ-1. The townsfolk who were...less magically inclined, seemed to have a reluctance to be anywhere near her. You could empathize: If you saw a human sized golem thing marching around and showing it had feelings you'd be a little put off too.
Perhaps it was your inquisitive nature about the way magic worked in this manner that kept you from feeling freaked out by PQ-1 in the first place.
Shelving the thoughts for the time being, you walk to the front door and slowly open the door. A cold gust of air blows through as you do so, the air smelling of leaves and impending rain.

Opening the door reveals the one pony who regularly sees you: The mailpony.

"Howdy sir!" He says cheerfully from under his bright yellow raincoat, beige muzzle sporting a smile despite the gloomy weather, "Just have a few letters for you today. How've things been, by the way? Haven't had the pleasure of coming out here for a week or so."

It was a polite way of saying nobody sent you anything during the last week. Not that he had to pretend to hide it, you never expected more than bills in the mail these days.

"Things are alright, Percy," you reply with a grin of your own, "Just keeping to myself while I research some stuff Twilight mentioned at our last meeting. How're you and the kids?"

Percy, or Parcel as his real name is, hands you a plastic bag with some letters inside as his grin grows. Not many ask the mail pony how his day is, and fewer seem to remember his family in their questions like you.

"I wouldn't mind some sunshine today, but you know the mail motto. The kids are great! They're still talking about your gift from Hearths Warming," he leans in to whisper, "And the tips you gave me for the misses worked like a charm. You saved my butt on that one, I owe you."

You wave him off as you take your mail. He'd just needed a few tips for bringing romance back into the home life, and being the bleeding heart you were it had been easy to give him exaggerated examples. Who had known he'd really try one, or that it would work? And you'd just gotten his kids a couple toys that were safe for foals their age. Nothing big. The fact they remembered you fondly was a small miracle.

"You say that now," Percy continues, recognizing your trying to say he doesn't owe you anything, "But one day you'll need something and I'll be there to get it for ya. Mark my words!"

"Just don't go making trouble just so you can fix it," you reply, the two of you laughing together before another rainy gust nearly knocks the plastic bag from your hand.

"I best get going. Weather is only going to get worse today, or so they say."

Percy salutes with a hoof, before heading off back toward town. Your house was supposed to be his last stop, but he frequently went out of his way to deliver your mail early. He's a nice guy, and a good friend to you.

You wave before shutting the door and turning around, finding PQ-1 poking her head around the door frame from the kitchen, looking at you and the door.

"Eavesdropping?" you grin, making PQ-1 duck her head behind the wall with a loud whirring noise that must be her chassis heating up again. You laugh at her sheepishness, wandering into the kitchen to sit at the table while you open your mail.

Nothing but bills this time. Bummer.

You shrug as you sort the mail from the envelopes, placing them in neat piles before standing again as PQ-1 watches you silently. She's weird like that, sometimes. Just observing. One second she'll be watching silently, the next she'll be trying to brief you on anything and everything. Luckily, you'd remembered to adjust her Core statistics, so now she only bothered you with things that had a greater chance of happening. Could be useful in the future.

There's a sudden knock on your door again, and like before, you go to answer it yourself while PQ-1 watches from the kitchen.

You open the door as another gust blows inside. You're starting to get chilly.

There's nobody there.

You stick your head out and look around, trying to figure out if maybe the knock was something getting blown against your door. After not spotting anything, you shrug and shut the door. Weird.

You're three steps away when another knock sounds. You turn around and open it quickly. But once again, nobody is there.

You're starting to get annoyed now, and shut the door forcefully. When another knock sounds you whip the door open, nearly slamming it into the wall.

Nobody is there.

Growling, you slam the door shut, and turn to see PQ-1 in the door frame again.

You get an idea.

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"Do you understand your mission?" you ask PQ-1, staring intently at the drone pony who sits on your couch as you instruct her on what you want her to do.

"I believe so," she responds quickly, "Commander wishes me to observe the doorway from the roof for any trespassers, and confront them should they show themselves?"

"Correct," you reply happily, "Take position quietly if you can. If we're lucky, they won't come back today. But-"

A loud knock sounds from the front door, making you jump. You motion frantically for PQ-1 to move, and she takes to the air and flies to the kitchen with a gentle buzz.

Giving her a few moments to get into position, you wait for another knock. It doesn't take long for another rapping to sound, and you put on a calm facade as you walk to the door and open it smoothly.

As you open the door, you hear a pony cry out, high pitched voice yelling in surprise before a blue Pegasus with a blonde-ish colored mane goes streaking off toward town. You squint your eyes as she flees, noting she seems to be covered in water or something. You step outside and look up. It takes you a moment to spot PQ-1, who hovers some distance up in the sky, grey-white chassis blending in with the overcast sky.

"Return to base!" you yell, giving the code for her to return to the living room.

She turns in the air almost lazily before beginning her descent, and you head back inside to meet her. You shut the door behind you and wait patiently until you hear that familiar buzzing sound from the kitchen. There's a soft thud as PQ-1 touches down, before she walks calmly into the living room and takes an upright sitting position on the couch.

"Good work," you say with a smile, "Can you tell me exactly what happened? Why was she wet looking when she ran?"

PQ-1 gives you a sheepish grin before starting. "Well, Commander, you stated you wanted trespassers confronted. But this unit has no armaments, and we don't believe we're...intimidating enough to drive away enemies. So we may have acquired a balloon from your armory and filled it with water, utilizing it as a non-lethal method of attack."

"You drove her off with a water balloon?"

"If that is what you call a balloon filled with liquids. Then yes, Commander."

You can't help but laugh, putting your face in your hand for a moment as you picture her dropping a water balloon on the prankster.

"I am glad the Commander is happy!" she says with a grin, front hooves pressed together in front of her as she smiles, "Does that mean the mission was successful?"

"Across the board success," you say as you finish your laughter, smiling at your pony before walking over and sitting beside her. You place your arm around her shoulders, or what approximate as her shoulders, and give her a tiny squeeze, "Again, good work. I think you've earned a treat of some sort. We'll have to figure something out for that."

The whirring inside her quickens. "That isn't necessary, Commander! I am happy to perform my tasks."

"Nonsense. We just need to figure out what you like in the near future so we can get you something."

"Well...I like the Commander," she says bluntly, looking up at you, "And being close like this with you is...enjoyable." She gently raises a hoof and pulls your arm on her shoulder, bringing it more around her, "Fraternization is not normally allowed for this one, but...if I could ask for one thing, I would ask for more of this."

You look down at her, slightly shocked. Fraternization? What?
You note the part of her face that would qualify as her cheeks are slightly red, and you lean in closer, squinting your eyes. She can blush?

"C-Commander?"

You shake your head, then bring your other arm up to poke her in the cheek gently. It's warm, too.

"How are you doing that?" you ask quietly, perplexed.

"I-I don't know what you're asking about, Commander!"

"Your cheeks. Or..yeah, let's just go with that. Your cheeks are red and warm, like how a pony or person's would be if they were embarrassed. It's called blushing."

"I detect heat and a magically induced light source in each "cheek" sector, Commander. That must be what's going on. Should I shut down those processes?"

"No!" you nearly shout, before lowering your voice as your cheeks begin to heat up themselves, "No, I mean. I was just curious. I didn't know you could do that. It's...kind of cute, honestly."

Her whirring reaches a frantic pitch, though she doesn't say anything and instead rests her head against your side.

You're unsure what to say, so you just stay quiet. Until a light beeping noise comes from PQ-1, anyway. You look down at her as she begins to sit upright, turning her head to face you as she states: "Commander! This one requires refueling."

Refueling? Wasn't she magic based? You stare at her blankly, blinking a few times before thinking: How do you refuel a drone pony?

...Where the hell is that manual?