Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings

Metal in Equestria:

Chapter 20

As Twilight, Fluttershy, and Packie walked back to the library she gave them the whole story so far. She relayed Wallace's 'incident' from the night prior, how Princess Celestia would be coming to visit, and worst of all about the dragons. While it was true Celestia didn't explicitly mention the dragons in her letter, Twilight had a creeping suspicion that something was wrong. Why else would the princess come to Ponyville personally? The town meeting the other day was obviously just a guise to keep anyone in town from knowing the truth, and Twilight was sure of it.

"Well we were coming to let you know what we saw." Said Packie.

"Yes Twilight," said Fluttershy, "It was the strangest orange glow coming from the top of the mountains. The clouds themselves were turning orange."

"That is something you'll definitely have to tell the princess." Said Twilight.

"For some reason, I don't think she'll be too thrilled to hear that." Packie noted. He started to unwrap one of the bandages on his left wing to allow Twilight a peak. "Also I think I'm gonna need some help with this."

Fluttershy turned to her friend. "Oh it was just awful Twilight. I tried teaching Patrick how to fly but I must be the worst teacher ever. I never taught him how to land and he crashed."

"Whoa hey," said Packie. "No one here is a terrible teacher. I accomplished more yesterday than I ever thought I would and it's all thanks to you." He rested a hand on her shoulder to show his sincerity. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"But you got hurt so badly…" she protested.

"Eh, it wasn't anything really. I'm gonna get fixed up today anyway, right Twilight?" He tried to casually change the subject.

Twilight took note and played along. "Oh sure! I bet I got something that can fix you right up. Or better yet, the princess is coming so we could just ask her for help."

"Um, do you think she'll be mad?" Packie asked.

"Well it was an accident, right?" Twilight said.

"Definitely." Packie and Fluttershy responded simultaneously.

"Then I'm sure she'll help you. She's very forgiving like that."

After walking for some time they come upon Twilight's treehouse. When they walked inside they saw Jiggs, who was now clean shaven, Wallace, and Spike sitting in a semi-circle. Spike was just finishing telling about the time he turned into a colossal beast because of his extreme greed. The boys hadn't yet noticed the others enter.

"So you become huge if you steal things?" Jiggs asked.

"Yeah, but it's not really supposed to happen that way. I kinda forced myself to grow up." Spike admitted.

Wallace scratched his head in confusion. "You're saying there's two ways for you to grow up?"

"Yes. The most common way is, well, I grow up like any other dragon over the course of many years. And the other way being I collect things that aren't mine."

"There's a catch though." Jiggs pointed out.

"Yes," Spike said, "I don't really keep any memories. I don't remember who I am or who my friends are."

"Yikes." Said Wallace, "That's certainly a big catch little man."

"Yeah you said it. Hey Twilight!" Spike suddenly stood up when he noticed her standing behind them, along with Fluttershy and Packie.

"Hey Packie!" said Jiggs.

"Sup!" said Wallace. He gave an acknowledging wave to the newcomers.

"Spike," said Twilight," why did you come back here? I told you to search around town for Patrick."

"Well I couldn't find him, but it certainly seems like you did." He retorted.

"Oh… yeah I guess I did heheh…" Twilight nervously admitted.

"How you guys been holding up?" Packie asked his friends.

"Fine man, just fine." Said Jiggs.

Everything from the day prior was relayed between them. Packie told his bandmates about his injuries which they remarked as "bitchin." After they told Packie about how they got the van back to the treehouse and Wallace's incident. This continued for a few moments until Twilight got the group to focus again.

"Alright," she said, "there's something we need to talk about. The princess is coming soon and we need to make sure we are ready. She'll probably have a full fleet of guards with her and I need you all on your best behavior."

Wallace scoffed. "Well we went to her castle already and we behaved there. I think we'll manage Highlight."

"I agree Twilight." Said Fluttershy. "They seem much more prepared than two days ago. I'm sure Princess Celestia will be pleased with how much progress they've made."

"I hope you're right, Fluttershy." Lamented Twilight.

The guys had returned to sitting in a semi-circle with Spike, leaving Fluttershy and Twilight to themselves. Twilight knew the Princess would arrive any second, as her letter had said and she was now getting anxious.

"Hey Fluttershy, we should probably wait outside." She said.

"Whatever for?" she asked.

"For one, let's leave the boys alone. And two, we should probably be the ones to greet the Princess when she arrives." Twilight nudged Fluttershy's shoulder. "If you catch my drift."

It took Fluttershy a second but she understood. "Oh… OHH. I got you." She smiled at Twilight. "You're right let's go."

They calmly walked outside, not disturbing the bandmates and Spike. Everyone in town seemed to be carrying on with daily business.

"Where's Pinkie Pie?" asked Fluttershy. "I thought you said she was with you?"

"She was…" said Twilight, "but I told her to check everywhere, so she is probably checking EVERYWHERE. I'm just glad I found you guys first. Who knows what Celestia would've done if she knew I lost one of the boys."

"I'm sure it wouldn't have been as bad as you thought." Fluttershy said.

"Speaking of them, what happened to Patrick exactly?"

"He crashed, honestly. So I took him back to my cottage and I tried my best to mend his wings."

"That's all? His wings looked really messed up." Said Twilight.

"He… he smashed them together, to stop."

"Now that you mention it…" Twilight was thinking, pulling memories, "we heard a loud bang yesterday, probably about that time too."

"It was that loud?!" exclaimed Fluttershy.

"To be quite honest, yes." Said Twilight.

Fluttershy just dangled her head limply in disbelief. Images of yesterday's events came back to her. She didn't know the true severity of the impact, its loudness and effect on the area around them.

"Hey what's the matter?" Twilight asked.

"I hate myself for seeing him hurt like that." She continued to droop her head.

"You know Fluttershy, you take things way too hard on yourself just like Packie said. He doesn't hate you for it. In fact I think he likes you even more now, for everything you've shown him. Besides it's nothing the Princess can't help with."

"I… I guess you're right." She relented.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Many miles away...

Fletch's wings continued to raise him up with each flap. Each wing had a transparent membranous layer, held together by three appendages composed of loose cartilage, perfect for rapid ascent and speed. At the tips of each wing was a long protruding grey spike, most likely not for hunting but for aesthetic purposes. As he breached the cloud layer he could feel warmth from the sun at his back, which his silvery, metallic scales quickly absorbed. The longer he stayed in the heat the longer he could remain airborne. As far as flying beasts went, he was at the head of their evolution.

The king's instructions were clear. He was to head directly north and find the nearest pony civilization, making sure not to go near the royal city embedded in the mountainside. He was to look for any pony of significance, any one that they could use as leverage. Because of his blue underbelly, he would be the ideal scout in areas of zero cloud-cover. But until then he would have to remain above the clouds as long as possible.

In between pockets of clouds he could see he was passing over a forest with a large lake at its center. His vision was obscured yet again by another large, low-lying cloud. He didn't mind as he knew that the nearest settlement would take about an hour to reach. There was no reason to rush and tire himself out, for he preferred to glide slowly and take his time. Though for what he considered a leisurely pace, any other flying creature would consider a full aerial sprint.

"Rise and fall." He told himself through rows of sharp teeth. "Slow and steady wins the race… most of the time." He let out a small devious chuckle. Taking his own advice he would fall and let his wings gather air and then push it past, gaining more altitude and maintaining speed. He past another break in the clouds and saw the forest beneath still jutting out far into the distance but the terrain becoming more flat and uniform.

It should just be a matter of time now. He thought. I should be there in a matter of minutes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Celestia's chariot was approaching Ponyville and she could feel the anticipation in her chest rising. The last thing she wanted to cause was mass panic and there would obviously be questions about the circumstances of her visit. She would have to take great care to let only Twilight's circle of friends aware of the danger, at least for the time being. If the problem should arise sooner than later, she would have to spill the beans to everyone.

"Making final descent, Princess." One of the Pegasus guards said.

Celestia could see Ponyville's library rapidly approaching, and something even better, Twilight was waiting for her. A few ponies who were going about their daily business stopped to view the spectacle before them. The princess's chariot was slowly brought lower until the guards' hooves made contact with the dirt road, coming to a smooth landing and transition. They came to a sudden stop before Twilight and Fluttershy, who were waiting with gleeful expressions.

"Princess Celestia, welcome!" said Twilight with a smile.

"Hello Twilight, how are you today?" she replied.

The Pegasus guards started to remove their harnesses as Nova and Celestia filed out of the chariot. The royal guards positioned themselves somewhat defensively around Celestia. They were not given strict orders, as it was more a force of habit.

"I'm just fine as usual, but I have been better." Said Twilight.

Fluttershy greeted Celestia with a smile as well. "What brings you here, Princess?"

"I wish it were for a more joyful occasion, Fluttershy." Celestia replied solemnly. She swiftly turned to Nova, standing just beside her. "Nova I want you to keep the guards out here. No one enters the treehouse unless instructed to do so."

"Of course, your majesty." Nova said.

"Twilight, are our guests here?" the princess asked.

"Y-yes. Just as you asked!" she nervously replied. "And I swear that they've done nothing wrong!"

Celestia placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "It's alright Twilight, I just need to talk to them."

"U-um… okay. Should we go in?" she asked.

"Let's." was all Celestia said.

The three guards positioned themselves strategically around the entrance with Nova at the center, as Twilight led Fluttershy and Celestia back into her home. Spike was telling another tall tale to the three enticed humans, but when the Princess made her presence known all conversation ceased.

"Ey, princess!" yelled Wallace as he waved his right hand, "how's it hangin?"

"It is hanging good… I believe." She replied.

All the guys except for Spike gave a slight chuckle under their breath.

"That's awesome." Said Jiggs.

"Not as awesome as you'd think." Celestia retorted. "I need to speak with everyone individually." She made eye contact with each of them, making sure they were paying close attention. Then she pointed a hoof at Wallace, though not in an offensive way. "And I think I'm going to start with you."

Wallace felt his heart sink a little. "Oh shit."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Twilight had allowed Celestia the courtesy of an upstairs guest room for private conversations. The room had basic amenities. There was a rectangular wooden table that had two chairs placed opposing each other. On one side there was a bookshelf lined with dusty literature and on the other wall a large window overlooking the eastern portion of Ponyville. The sun was high enough now to where they weren't blinded by incoming light.

Wallace took a seat and placed his back against the padded chair. His chestnut hair was still messy as he had not yet begun his morning hygiene routine, and his black shirt still showed sign of coming into contact with grass and dirt the day prior.

Celestia took her time getting to her seat, preferring to stand a little longer. Everyone else remained downstairs, continuing to converse about yesterday's events. Celestia silenced the drone of chatter by shutting the door using her magic.

"So Wallace, what happened last night?" she sounded genuinely concerned. "I could see the commotion all the way from Canterlot."

"Oh uh… that." He hung his head slightly in shame, struggling to come up with a good answer.

"It's okay. Just tell me what happened. I can see that Ponyville wasn't destroyed so it can't have been all bad."

Wallace took a deep breath. "Well, I guess… I sort of lost it, last night I mean."

"How so?" Celestia asked.

"My power just got too big for a second, I suppose." His voice sounded young and boyish.

"Do you know what triggered it?"

"Maybe." He replied. "You see… Cupcake, or Pinkie Pie," he paused briefly, "she reminded me of a close friend I once had, back when I was a kid. She… she died the week before my birthday, a long time ago."

"That's… awful." Said Celestia. She silently took a seat across from him.

"Yeah, it just wasn't her time." Wallace stared blankly at the table's surface, hoping to hold back any grief he had buried inside.

"I had sensed sadness in you, when I gave you my power."

He lazily raised a finger at her. "Hold on a sec, you gave me your power?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it my power, maybe some of my 'ability' is a better way of putting it. What you showed yesterday was more than a mere extension of power."

"You know I'm sorry about last night, right? I didn't mean to blow up like that."

Celestia was quick to reassure him. "It's okay, it's in the past now. What I'm really here for is to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Wallace picked up his head. "So you've come to take away my power? That's alright I guess. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone else."

"Of course I'm not taking away your ability. That would be extremely foolish with an eminent threat to Equestria."

"Really? Was it what Highlight said? Are there really dragons?"

Celestia stood up and walked over toward the window. "I'm afraid so. Which is why I'm not taking your ability. I didn't want to place this burden on you but you are now an asset to Equestria's security."

Wallace slumped in his seat, letting the news sink in. His eyes dropped to the surface of the table again. "Whaaatt thaaa fuuuck…" he mumbled under his breath.

"However," said Celestia, "while you are in Equestria I can't let you have any more 'episodes.' You need to better understand your power before you unleash its full potential, so I'm going to give you something."

Wallace watched as the Princess unlatched the brilliantly colored gold necklace that had been dangling around her neck. Using her magic she held up the amulet in front of her. The golden links sloped into a V-formation with a bright violet colored stone placed at the bottom apex. She began to meticulously change the shape of the necklace, making some parts longer and some parts shorter. Some of the links became fixed and others smelted together to create one long unbroken loop. The necklace was now much smaller, though it no longer retained its former shape. It now resembled a large ring that one side still had the purple stone at the bottom of a 'V' shape.

It took Wallace a second to realize it but the princess had transformed her necklace into a golden headband.

Celestia took her seat again across from Wallace, still holding the golden item in her magical grasp. "I don't really have a use for this old thing anymore. Will you please hold still?"

"Uh…" he wasn't quite sure how to respond to her request, "sure I guess."

Wallace nervously sat upright, and remained perfectly still just as the princess had requested. He took greater periods between breaths, holding each one for as long as possible. Celestia delicately moved the band up to his face and stopped. The back unlatched just as her necklace did, and she opened the band enough to place it around the circumference of his head. His brown hair concealed the band on the sides. The V-shape of the front contoured neatly to the shape of his forehead as the violet colored stone was placed two inches above his eyebrows, dead-center.

He could feel the metallic surface press against his skin. Fortunately it was still warm, most likely from when the princess was still wearing it not more than a minute ago. He could feel her magic aura clasp the two ends on the back together with an audible 'click'. The headband was now permanently affixed.

"This is called a diadem." She finally announced. "It is usually meant for royalty but it serves a double purpose. This particular headdress was created to restrict the flow of your power."

Wallace felt the band with his hands, prodding it to see if it would budge anywhere. It was comfortably placed and he would most likely forget it was there within a day.

"Why were you wearing it, if it restricts power?" he asked.

"Once you master your abilities, it will release its hold giving you full access to your power. As a precaution it can only be taken off with a certain phrase."

"And which phrase would that be?" he inquired.

"I am not giving it to you. I am giving it to Pinkie Pie."

"Cupcake? But why?"

"I see that out of my ponies, she is the one you are closest with. I will tell her of the diadem's influence and give her the phrase, and she will determine when it is time to remove it."

Wallace scratched his stubble under his chin in thought. "But didn't you just say the effects wear off over time?"

"That depends on you, whichever comes first. But I will not take your power away because I will need you."

"Whatever you say. I'll help." He said.

"I'm glad."

"So can I go now?"

Celestia smiled. "Hmm… yes. Will you please fetch Anthony next? I have something for him as well."

"Oh yeah you got it. I'll send him up." Wallace got up from the table and opened the door.

"And one more thing…" Celestia said.

Wallace stopped in his tracks and turned his head slightly.

"…the diadem acts as a valve, letting energy pass from your psyche to the material world. My only warning to you is this, don't force the valve open. Otherwise what happened last night could happen again, except this time it could be worse."

"Um right… gotcha." He gave her a thumbs up and walked down the nearby staircase. He came to the group of friends who were conversing quietly when Packie spoke up.

"What the hell's that thing on your head?" he asked.

"No time. Bathroom. And Jiggs, you're up." Wallace frantically ran across the room and opened another door to Twilight's restroom.

"Why am I not surprised?" said Twilight.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jiggs had made his way up to room where Celestia was waiting and now sat opposite to her. She instructed him to take off his black hoodie so she could inspect the transformation he went through the prior day. He flexed his frame to give a brief demonstration but otherwise tried to remain humble and not showoff too much.

"What do think of my work?" Celestia asked.

"Not bad princess. I rather enjoy my body now. It doesn't disgust me anymore." He admitted.

"Have you noticed any other changes?" she asked seriously.

Jiggs leaned across the table and checked over his shoulder to see if anyone was peeking in. "You mean like… my dick?" he whispered.

Celestia was about to let out a laugh but held it back through clenched lips. Then she suddenly erupted into laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHA… Haha…oh my… no. That's not what I meant. Nice try though. Heheh…" She took a few moments to calm down. "No, what I meant was, how has your strength improved?"

"Oh…" Jiggs hung his head in embarrassment for a second and then re-positioned himself. "Well you saw our van outside right? I picked it up by myself! Sure it was heavy as shit, but I managed."

"You thought it was heavy?" Celestia asked.

"Well yeah, it's a fucking van. It should be heavy right?" he said defensively.

"Hmm… I don't think you've reached your full potential yet."

"No way."

"Oh I'm quite serious." Said Celestia. "If my spell worked properly, you should be able to lift almost anything with utmost ease."

"Well it wasn't that easy. What do you have in mind? Like a weight program or something?"

"I'm glad you mentioned that!" she exclaimed. "That's exactly what we're going to do."

"And how exactly?" Jiggs asked.

Celestia said nothing as white particles of light started to spontaneously materialize. Her horn enveloped itself in her yellow aura for a second time.

"Oh shit. Please don't blast me again." He tried to remain calm.

"No, not this time. I have something special in mind." She said.

The white particles start to spin clockwise and coalesce. Their shape was becoming smaller and denser until the particles formed a neat halo. The halo expanded and contracted rhythmically before stretching itself out. Celestia required quiet and extreme concentration. The halo extended itself so far that it broke into two pieces which remained spinning in place. The twin loops of white light gradually contracted into smaller and smaller circles until their circumference was no larger than a baseball's. The white light started to dim and dissipate leaving a metallic silvery surface. Celestia had crafted the two pieces to be perfectly uniform and circular.

"Here's your weight program." She noted.

"But what are they?" he asked.

Just as she had with Wallace, she carefully maneuvered the halo shaped items over to Jiggs.

"Please hold out your arms." She instructed.

He did as he was told.

The silver objects were split down the center and reconstructed themselves around his wrists. "They're bangles." Jiggs deduced.

"Exactly." She said. "Now… are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" he said.

The princess released her magical grip on the bangles. All at once Jiggs' arms dropped in a split second straight onto the table, and the table not being able to support the tremendous weight cracked under the pressure immediately. Jiggs fell through the table and felt his clenched fists slam into the floor leaving a sizable crater. He clumsily laid across the pile of broken wood, unable to move his arms. The princess only looked down at him in shock, still remaining in her seat.

"Maybe I should have warned you about that." She said.

Jiggs struggled to sit upright, but the force of gravity pulling down on his arms made it impossible. "Yeah you probably should've told me these things weigh a metric shit-ton." He pulled his legs up behind him and tried to stand over top of the crumbled wood table. Slowly but surely he picked up one arm at a time. "Good god, what are these things made of?" He struggled to maintain normal standing posture and could feel his legs start to notice the pressure as well.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea that would happen." She admitted. "They are made from the densest material in Equestria."

Jiggs cocked an eyebrow. "Lemme guess. Unicornium?" he chuckled.

Celestia dropped her jaw, flabbergasted. "H-how did you know?"

"You're kidding right?" He raised one cheek in disapproval. "There's no way that can be right."

"I-I assure you it is. These bangles are made from unicornium." She said.

Jiggs walked away from the wreckage of the table and re-positioned himself in a more comfortable stance with his arms crossed.

"So how do they come off?" he asked.

"The same way as Wallace's diadem, with a secret phrase. But please leave them on."

"Why?!" he yelled, "They're really fucking heavy!"

"But I need you stronger than you are now. There is a great threat to Equestria that is coming and I need you prepared."

Jiggs could hear the sadness in her voice. It almost sounded like desperation. "Whoa hold on. What are you talking about?" he said.

"There are dragons coming. I'm sure of it this time."

"Hey, why didn't you tell us about this the other day?"

"I thought you might be frightened, seeing as it was your first day in Equestria. I thought if I shared some of my power with you and let you stay here in Ponyville that you'd be more willing to help me…" Her words were turning from serious to somber. "…to help me save my ponies. They are so precious to me. I always try so hard to be a good princess but I'm afraid this time, afraid that this time somepony might get hurt, and I'll fail them."

Jiggs tried to absorb the shock of her admittance. He'd never seen her so obviously preoccupied. "Hey, will help ya. That's no problem." He readjusted his posture again. "Plus it's not my first time helping out those who've needed it most. Those two losers downstairs were lost without me and I brought us all together to make the band."

There was silence for a few moments as Celestia and Jiggs remained in eye contact, both in quiet agreement.

"I know you'll help me." She smiled. "So will you please leave on the bangles for now?"

"I guess I don't really have a choice, if there's a password or something."

"Tell me, which of Twilight's friends do get along with best?"

Jiggs didn't need much time to think. "Well Jersey of course… err Applejack, I mean."

"I thought you might get along with her. Very well. I'm going to give her the phrase to release the bangles. When she feels you are ready she'll decide when to set you free."

"Got it." He said.

"Now lastly I need to have a word with Patrick. I see from his wings he wasn't doing too well."

"He could be better." Jiggs turned to the door and struggled to raise his right arm. These bracelets would force him to make subtle movements all the time, to ensure he didn't break anything else. With a slight over exaggeration his arm turned the knob and he flung the door open.

"I'll send him right up." He assured Celestia.

She gave him a thankful nod of approval and he made his way downstairs.