Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings

Metal in Equestria: Chapter Nine
"Alright this one's gonna be heavy," said Packie. "Guys, let's do Rainbow Fire." Jiggs looked at him in disgust. "You sure about that?" he asked. "Yeah why not?" Packie said. Jiggs shrugged his shoulders. "Fine."
"Thrash it!" Packie Yelled. There was no buildup, it all started at once.
JUM*..JIH*JOH*JUM* JIH*JOH*JUM*…JUH*JUH*JIHJUH!*
CLASH*CLASH*CLASH*CLASH*CLASH* Thump*..Thumpathump* thump*…thumpa*thumpthump*
Packie was nearly screaming, "INSIDE YOU IS THE RAINBOW FIRE, BEAUTIFUL YET BINDING LIKE COP-PER WIRE!"
Both guitars were perfectly in sync. The drums continued to drive. Rainbow Dash started to nod her head to the beat.
"AND SCREAMING TO LET… THE COLORS FADE, YOU KNOW YOUR HEART BURNS IN DIFFERENT SHADES!" Packie took a breath. "OF BLACK!"
There was a heavy groove with the bass and guitar that his words seemed to float on top of.
JUM.. JIH*. JOH-JUM*/..JIH*.JOH-JUM*/ JUM*JUM*.. JOH*.JIH-JOH*
“LET IT OUT!”
CRASH*CRASH*CRASH*
"RIP A HEART OUT OF ANOTHER'S CHEST, YOU'LL TRY TO HIDE, GIVE IT YOUR DAMN BEST!" He took another breath. "AND FALL!"
Another wave of heavy strumming and crashing of cymbals repeats.
JIHJIH*… JOH-JUM* ! This part was especially loud.
And then silence.
Packie was out of breath. Huff* "Man I'm out of shape *inhale*… but it's just been awhile since we've done that one."
"I guess it was alright." Rainbow Dash said.
Fluttershy exhaled, tipped over, and fainted. "Well she seems to think differently." Said Wallace.
Pinkie Pie shrieked quite loudly. "THAT WAS SOSOSOSOSO COOL! DO IT AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN! She hopped around the room excitedly. Twilight made a force field around her and pulled her to the floor. "No Pinkie, not right now." Twilight said.
"Fine." Said Pinkie, who was admittedly disappointed.
"Oh Fluttershy, are you alright?" Rainbow Dash ran to the aid of her friend. "C'mon Fluttershy, you're tougher than that. It was just some loud noise." Fluttershy regained consciousness and looked up at Rainbow. "Yeah you're right, it wasn't all that bad." She said in her soothing voice. She struggled trying to speak.
"It's all a matter of taste isn't it?" said Packie
Rainbow got in Packie's face. She did not like his remarks one bit. "Look here, Jackass! You better not dare make fun of my friends!" Packie didn't budge from where he stood. For some reason the weightless guitar felt heavier on his neck, but that feeling gradually went away.
"Fine, you're right. Sorry." Packie managed.
"Not to me!" Rainbow blurted, "To her!" she pointed to Fluttershy, who got up off the floor at this point.
Packie made his way slowly over to her, his arm rested on the body of the guitar. He stuck out his left hand. Fluttershy looked down at it, but it seemed strange and unfamiliar to her. "Oh sorry, are you left-handed, or left-hooved? I guess that's it, man I'm confused." He looked down at his hand feeling humiliated.
She put her small left hoof in his hand. "I am actually." She said. Packie was startled that she would actually touch him, much less give him a handshake… or hoof-handshake as it would be.
"The name's Patrick, and I'm sorry that I disrespected you. Mostly everyone I know like's our music and I'm not used to rejection." He tried to sound as confident as possible. “I’ll try to change that for the future.”
"It's really okay." She turned her head slightly and blushed.
" Oh but I know some music you might like!" Packie stammered out. "Oh really?" she said, "Listening to new music can be so exciting!" "Yeah." said Packie.
They continued to talk for a while as Celestia decided to meet with Jiggs and Wallace.
"Can you believe that pussy?" Jiggs said to Wallace. They both started to belly laugh.
Kerhem*
Celestia cleared her throat audibly, catching the attention of the laughing fools. "Oh hey Princess." Wallace said under his breath. "We're guessing you didn't like that one, but its okay we can do better."
"On the contrary, it was quite pleasant." She said in her sugar-coated voice. "Maybe a little more primal like old human music, but definitely more modernized."
Jiggs ran his fingers through his black hair again. "Really? You ponies never cease to amaze me with your tolerance." Celestia half-smiled. "Yeah we're like that all the time. Just some of my ponies don't have as strong a heart, like Fluttershy over there. She is a fragile one. Be gentle around ponies like her."
"Don't worry she'll warm up to us." Jiggs said. "So how do we get back?"
"I'm sorry but I really don't know. The door will open when you are no longer needed here." Celestia tried her best to sound reassuring, which was proving to be actually quite difficult.
"Can we have a place to crash?" said Wallace. "Excuse me?" Celestia was confused.
"Oops, I meant a place to stay for the night or week… or for however long." He stammered.
"Oh yes of course, I'm sure my pupil will have a place for you to stay. She currently lives at the Ponyville Library." Jiggs gripped his bass harder. "Can we take these too?" he asked.
"Of course." Celestia looked over her right shoulder at Twilight and back. "So I'm going to let you choose between three magical abilities. You can't have all three at once. The reason being that there may be dangers in Equestria that you haven't seen before in your world, and I can't have you put in danger should something unexpected happen. Depending on the power you are imbued with, certain ‘precautions’ might have to be taken so as to ensure you do not hurt those who are innocent."
"Fuckin' sweet! Like superpowers?" Wallace seemed unusually enticed by her words.
Even Packie broke his attention from Fluttershy for a moment. "I'm sorry Shy, gimme a moment with the guys."
"Oh okay." Fluttershy said lightly. She blushed because no one had ever called her just Shy. Talking to him was much easier after he apologized. Packie walked over to Celestia and the guys. He folded his arms ready to listen.
"So I will give you each one of three abilities." No one made a comment, intent on her next words. "These abilities will drain your life force if you overuse them, take this as a warning. These powers will be like a muscle, it will feel like a muscle. Like a muscle you can strain it and break it. It will drain your willpower all the same. You have the choice of increased strength, limited shapeshifting, or to utilize telekinesis. I can NOT give you all the same ability, so you must choose amongst yourselves."
"Hmm, let's talk about this guys." Jiggs said. His leadership abilities took over.
They argued for a little while amongst themselves.
"Princess?" Twilight caught the attention of Celestia. "Why are doing this for them? They are just strangers and could seriously abuse their powers should you give it to them. And what dangers could they possibly run in to in Equestria?" She looked as curious and perplexed as the rest of her friends, perhaps even a little worried.
"Don't you worry my faithful student. I have read their minds and they acknowledged my warning. They aren't unintelligent, just a little misguided perhaps. But like all beings in Equestria, they will find their place of harmony." Her words softened Twilight's soul and extinguished her worries.
"You're right Princess, I'm sorry I doubted you." Twilight was happy and confident now.
"Don't forget Twilight, they'll need a place to stay too." Celestia chimed in.
"Oh no!" Twilight's smile faded into a frown. Worry creeped up on her again.
"Alright! We've decided your highness!" Said Jiggs who had suddenly become the leader. "So since this apparently isn't a dream and we have to stay here for a while, we might as well accept your offer." He stepped forward. "I'll take the super strength!" For reasons of his own he had bargained with his friends for this particular ability.
Celestia's horn exploded into a flash of light as it enveloped itself in her yellow aura. The paintings on the wall shook. A blast of lightning struck him in the chest and Jiggs fell backward to the floor. He coughed and stood up. "Holy shit! Warn me next time before you shoot a fucking lightning cannon at me!"
Huff* Pant* Celestia struggled to catch her breath.
"Damn that really took it out of you didn't it? My bad." Jiggs felt embarrassed by his earlier words. Celestia quickly regained her composure. She hardened her gaze so as not to show any weakness. "These are powerful spells at work here and it takes just as much energy out of me as it will for you." It struck Twilight that Celestia's recovery was remarkably fast. "Who is next?" she said calmly.
"I'll go." said Wallace. "Let's try the brain power thing. I've always thought of myself as an intellectual person anyways."
Celestia's horned flared and shot Wally in the chest. He fell backwards in a similar fashion as Jiggs and grasped his head.
"Ow! That's the second skull fuck today!"
Celestia did not seem as tired from conjuring the second spell as the first. "That one was a little easier than the other, but no less potent. The headache should subside in an hour."
Wallace slowly got up to his feet.
"Guess I'm last then." Said Packie. "I’ll take the shapeshifting I suppose."
“I hope you are prepared.” Said Celestia.
He received the same blast as the other two, with similar results. However, as he got up off the floor he noticed some extra weight on his back. He turned to find two massive white wings attached to his upper back.
He struggled to move them but they would not budge. "This would be totally badass, except for the fact that I can't move these wings. And I thought you said I could shapeshift?"
"You can shapeshift, but your form is tied to your inner spirit. You may act negatively around others, but even I can see you are pure of heart. This form you take now is your latent spirit form, without your direct influence. Changing your form directly will come with time." Celestia assured him.
"Aww shit! I thought I got the coolest power!" said Jiggs "But I got jipped again. Damn it."
Wallace eyed up Packie's wings, with some envy in his features. "I gotta agree."
Fluttershy could not take her eyes off of Packie's wings. On a male Pegasus they would be considered giant by comparison. Rainbow contemplated how fast he could actually fly, since they almost seemed disproportionate to his body. However, with his wings folded down they perfectly conformed to the shape of his body.
Celestia was worried that Jiggs and Wallace were dissatisfied. "Now now, none of your abilities will actually be developed until tomorrow. You need sleep and mental preparation." She smiled at them.
Packie grunted and contorted his face, struggling all he could to lift one feather of his wings. He gasped for breath and fell to the floor. His arms were barely holding him up.
"Please don't force it." Said Celestia. "You could seriously damage your wings by forcing them to move. I suggest you take my advice to heart Patrick."
"Fine." Said Packie almost angrily. He was still grateful to Celestia and all she had done. "I'll just get over it until tomorrow. Thank you for your hospitality."
“You are quite welcome.” The princess responded.
"We should probably go now." Said Jiggs.
"Yes Princess, we should be going." Chimed in Twilight.
"Very well." The monarch turned to face the whole group. "Patrick, Anthony, and Wallace… please behave while staying in Ponyville. My faithful student Twilight will gladly give you accommodations. And Twilight, please don't hesitate to ask me for anything that these boys might need. Send me a letter and I'll have whatever you need delivered straight to you."
"Alright peace!" the band walked out past the large doors to breath the glorious Equestria air.
Jiggs lit up a cigarette and gave a slight cough. Wallace sat down and drank the rest of his jug of coffee, occasionally sharing with Pinkie Pie who followed them outside. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked out as well while waving goodbye to the princess.
Celestia was left dumbfounded that everyone was ready to leave already. "Well Twilight… you'll just have to tell me if everything goes alright with them."
"I will do princess." They gave each other the equivalent of a hug and Twilight ran out the door with a smile on her face. The large doors she used her magic to open closed behind them. The instruments were left behind and the magic keeping them together dissipated.
They definitely had a different sound. I hope I didn't make the wrong choice. Celestia thought to herself.
"Hey sis!" Luna plopped down by her sister, surprising her. "So Twilight did do the right thing?"
"Of course she did, Luna." Celestia pondered the validity of her own words.
“And you told them of the dragons?”
"No, I think they’ve had enough excitement for one day.” Honestly it had slipped her mind at the time.
”But I think it's time for bed now." The two royal sisters walked up the stairs and split at the divided staircase for their own rooms, followed by the royal guards.
Another chariot arrived promptly to pick up Twilight and the rest of her unusual group. Packie and Jiggs were ready for some rest, even though Wallace wanted to stay up longer to contemplate how they were going to leave, or rather if they even wanted to leave.
The chariot took the lot back to Ponyville without incident and landed in front of Twilight's tree house.
"Well I hope you guys are nice and tired." Said Twilight. "We'll get you some food in the morning, the best you've ever had. I promise that."
"Sleep first please. We'll forget about the van until tomorrow." Said Jiggs.
Fluttershy gave Packie a hug and flew off with Rainbow Dash. They waved goodbye as they disappeared over the horizon. Pinkie Pie took Wally's jug and felt that it was empty. "Don't worry Wally. I'll make the best coffee ever! Just for you! Tomorrow though because I'm tired and Gummy needs a hot water bath to rinse off the mud from his mud bath! So I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Pinkie hopped off gleefully towards SugarCube Corner.
"These ponies are fuckin' crazy." Said Wallace, "So I guess we'll fit in just nicely here." He shrugged his shoulders and stretched out his arms.
They all simultaneously yawned, even Twilight.
"Well come on in, I'll show you around." She said casually. The door creaked quietly as she opened it with her magic.
They were all impressed with the sheer volume of books. "Nice digs." Said Jiggs.
Twilight pulled three sleeping bags out of a nearby closet using her magic. "Do you do everything using magic?" asked Wallace. He was now aware of what his abilities could be capable of handling. "Yes," said Twilight, "And let me tell you, it never gets old." She tried to make it sound like Wallace got the better deal out of the three, though perhaps she was a little biased.
Packie tried to take his place in a sleeping bag but his wings made it difficult to lie on his back so he tried lying sideways. "Damn wings. They don't even work and now they won't let me sleep." He fumbled around until he found a slightly comfortable position. "Jeez, finally…" he mumbled.
Wallace found a chair by a window and looked outside at Ponyville. How long are we going to be here? he thought. The idea of staying in Equestria forever slowly burrowed its way into his mind. It's not like I have anything to go back to. Fuck the Earth. "yeah," he mumbled. "Just need coffee… and women…" he analyzed his own words. "Fuck! There's no chicks here!"
Twilight was alarmed at his sudden outburst. "Chicks?" she said. “And cool it with the yelling.”
"Yeah, no girls…" mumbled Packie. “ ’least no human ones.”
Jiggs came out of the bathroom. "Hey Miss Highlight, I wasn't really sure how to use your shitter in there."
"Oh… great." Said Twilight.