Chapters Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 1
It was about one in the morning at an unnamed night club in Chicago, near the heart of the city. It was still lit brilliantly even into the early morning hours.
"…and then she tells me 'oh Napoleon Dynamite was the greatest fucking movie ever!' Then I told her 'look, it's not like it cured cancer or some shit like that! It ain't that great!'" yelled Jiggs.
The air in the backstage lounge was dense with cigarette smoke and the paint was peeling off the walls.
On one sofa sat Packie, the guitarist. His blonde hair matted over his left eye to perturb anyone from seeing his facial expressions. His slight but athletic frame took little space on the couch, which he lazily stretched his body across. Opposing him on the other couch was Wallace, the drummer, who was half-drunk and more asleep. His coconut-brown colored brown hair came down to his shoulders and covered both of his equally brown eyes. Wallace scratched his five o clock shadow underneath his chin as he heard Packie make the next comment.
"Ya man, I hate it when my little brother says some stupid-ass shit like that. I'm glad I don't have to deal with that little turd anymore." Packie said. He had since moved out of his home to live with his new bandmates, who gladly let him live in their apartment after they heard his technical prowess on guitar.
Wallace sat up, his blue jeans looked somewhat moist. He flicked his head to move his hair out of his line of sight. "Cool story bro." He said rather nonchalantly.
"Shut the hell up Wally!" Packie yelled in retaliation. They rarely got along when they were partially drunk. Only the phase in between sobriety and being hammered was unpleasant.
"Well when does this show start? My fingers are twitching" Wallace said.
"Like in 10 minutes or something… I figured we'd have been out there by now." Packie replied "Hey Jiggs, quit smoking that shit, it smells like your mom's scrotum in here."
Jiggs was pretty pissed now. "Well I bet her scrotum was bigger than yours, blondie!"
Packie put his hand on his head and ran down the length of his hair. “I’m not really sure how to respond to that.” He chuckled.
“Of course you don’t, because what I said was perfect.” Jiggs defended himself.
Packie started to reach for his guitar case to get in some last minute practice when an olive-skinned woman with sleek, black hair walked in. The bandmates could tell she was part of the club’s staff by the microphone headpiece hanging over her head. She held her finger to the button on the side of her ear. “You guys are on in five, and the crowd is a bit… rowdy tonight. We have the PA ready and you guys should have no problems, as far as theatrics go. You guys are ready to go on, aren’t you?”
She paused for a moment to let them speak.
The bandmates all nodded their heads silently in agreement. Wallace flicked his hair to the side again. “Honey, you have no idea.”
As the crew was about to perform their show, unbeknownst to them, a parallel universe had its own events unfolding.
Twilight Sparkle was reading one of the many books in her library. This was nothing out of the ordinary for her as she hadn't had any adventures with her other friends recently. She looked gloomily at the book, reading rather slowly. Her tree house library was pretty quiet and she thought that Fluttershy must have taken the birds out somewhere, for there were no singing birds today outside her window.
"Hey Twilight!" called Spike.
The purple dragon stood but two feet in stature, and Twilight barely noticed him standing right next to her. "Yes, Spike? I've almost got that spell." she said somewhat irritated.
Spike looked up at her, slightly afraid he broke her concentration. "…well, I thought you might want to see what I found." he said.
"Sure!" she exclaimed, "Hit me with it."
Spike started, "So, I found this in one of the upper levels, it was kinda torn up, but I know we've had pretty good luck with those kinds of books before…" he kept on "… but this particular one is dated almost 2,500 years ago."
She looked at him astonished. That was the oldest book she had ever seen, and it was in fairly good condition considering its age. She also realized that this book was written before the time of Princess Celestia.
"What's the title?" was all she could say.
"I'm not sure…" he said "…the letters are faded… and…” he had difficulty coming up with the right words. “I just don't know, can you take a look?" He scanned the outside of the book, flipping it over in his claws.
She levitated the book out of his grip in front of her. She could hardly make out the letters of the title, worn by centuries of age. DI M N SIO AL- S EL S.
Spike replied quickly, "Which means… what exactly?"
Twilight walked across the room. She knew quite well the seriousness of the power which she possessed and also the spells which the book might hold. Pacing back and forth around the room she contemplated not even opening the book, but then it struck her that the Princess herself probably didn't even know about this. It was tantalizing the idea of knowing something the princess did not.
She couldn’t help herself any longer and threw open the book quickly and started reading. She skimmed pages at first, rapidly.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" said Spike.
"Not really, but it's a book of magic and there aren't too many of those left in the library. Plus I've never seen a book quite like this one in Canterlot."
"Do you think the princess would like to know? I mean… that book's older than she is after all. She probably has never seen something like that." Spike chimed in.
"I know, but…I've never seen it before either, and why would it be sitting in Ponyville's library? I'll tell her after I read some of it for myself." said Twilight, unwilling to relinquish this newfound knowledge.
Spike ran up to her and closed the book with a loud CLAP! She looked at him angrily. "I think you should tell her. It's only polite and she could help you possibly." He said defensively.
"I know, I know… but I saw a spell in the book about Earth." She felt compelled to directly mention this because up until that point in history, Earth was considered only a scientific theory.
Possibly it was Equestria in another dimension or universe as some pony scientists speculated. But then again, what point was there to science in a world where magic existed. Science in Equestria was a dying profession, since every pony was perfectly happy there using only magic.
Spike walked around the room and shook his head.
Twilight started "well from what I've studied, Earth is entirely plausible. The science was there and there is no other explanation for all of the non-magical ponies. They could've come here maybe using one of these spells from Earth. It's been speculated even that there are ponies there if it exists."
Spike stopped and raised a cheek skeptically. "Yeah but there is barely any proof to support that. Almost no pony uses science anymore anyway."
"I know…" she said "… but doesn't it sound like it's worth a try? We could maybe find a dragon for you, though…" she thought for a moment, searching her memory, "… though I haven't heard of any existing there."
Spike liked the idea, but reality set in for him. "And how could you possibly guess that? There probably isn't even an Earth."
Twilight looked out her window. "We won't know till we try."
Back on Earth, In Chicago's underbelly, the city was a buzz and lively.
Jiggs and Packie were setting up equipment on stage. There were blue curtains that hung from the ceiling separating them from the crowd. Wallace brought out the instrument cases, black and white stickers covering them. The drumset had been assembled a while ago so now all he had to do was help his bandmates get ready with their equipment.
His black shirt had the two letters "SK" emblazoned on it and they were coated with molten lava as the band’s custom graphic design. It was Packie's idea for the design and the other guys weren't feeling too creative on that particular day.
"Hey asshole, where's the amps?" Packie yelled. The crowd was becoming restless and loud.
The band just finished setting up their pedal boards with their various effects. A few loose wires here and there were quickly connected and now all they needed to do was plug in.
"They're under those blankets" Jiggs said. He was essentially the team captain, but only because he could afford the good stuff. Wallace took off the blankets, revealing two, five foot high amp half stacks.
“No full stacks?” complained Packie.
“You wont need em my friend.” Said Jiggs, “There’s enough wattage to blow the roof off the place. You got yourself a nice Peavey right there.”
It wasn’t what Packie was used to, but it would certainly do. “Oh hell yeah!” He plugged in the Peavey to a nearby outlet and flipped the primary switch to get the tubes heated up, then adjusted a few knobs to suit his taste.
"Yeah they set me back about 3 g's each, but if this show plays good we'll make that back tonight!"
Jiggs walked over to Wallace and his bass amp. His thick black hair reached to his shoulders on each side, long and straight with a part down the center. He took out a comb tucked underneath his head amp and went over each side of his scalp once. He had a bit of a beer belly and almost always had a cigarette in hand. He wore a black shirt with the words "And they walked" on it. These were the lyrics for one of their songs they would play later, a crowd favorite.
“Whats a Yorkville?” asked Wallace.
“The only amp ill ever play.” Jiggs quickly responded. “Your drumkit’s ready right?”
Wallace scratched the side of his face and looked over at his empty seat. “Yeah should be ready to go, I think some dick took my cowbell.”
Jiggs shooed away the thought. “Don’t worry about it, ill get it replaced. Just give it a good show.”
Packie finished setting up the microphone and connecting it to the PA. Even though Jiggs had the money and brains to run the group, it was Packie who had the talent. Six years of relentless practicing and learning the secrets of master guitarists had turned him into a youthful protégé.
He walked over to his guitar case. Hand written in red spray paint on the side of it said "If man saw all colors at once, then he could relinquish his prejudices." It sounded deep and thoughtful or something like that according to Packie. The case also had a large black sticker with yellow letters reading "LET IT FLY."
He opened the case and took out his ESP-1000 LTD guitar. He spent a year trying to pay it off month by month. Admittedly it was his backup guitar, as his primary was a yellow Gibson SG. He kept his SG in a secret place where no one would steal it.
The ESP was jet black and he wouldn't have it any other way. While it wasn’t his favorite guitar, he still loved all of them like children. He started running his hand down the neck, sort of losing himself in the moment. He could barely hear anything over the crowd anyway.
"Hey dream boy!"Packie snapped out of it, staring blankly at his guitar. Wallace continued "… dude wake up! We're on in like 2 minutes or something!" He was setting up his last cymbals in a hurry. Clumsily he adjusted his seat and sat down, feet on the bass pedals. His legs were going to hurt in the morning.
Jiggs shut his case, half-holding his custom made Gibson Grabber II bass guitar. At the same time both Packie and Jiggs jacked into their amps and started playing a few notes and running scales. The two turned around and faced the direction of the crowd, though the curtain was still between them.
"You guys ready?" shouted the club owner."You guys are the last act so make it glorious, you get me?" he said even louder.
He was standing just off stage and the guys could just barely hear him. Wallace looked at the backs of Jiggs and Pack, both wearing black shirts.
We need more color. he thought to himself.
Packie raised the height of the microphone for himself, he was the only vocalist.
"Yeah yeah, we know, we'll sound like heaven opened up or something!"Jiggs said, catching his breath. "It'll be good, get me?"
The curtains started to pull to the side. Packie's blond hair shimmered in the bright light as he nervously clutched the guitar's neck even tighter. The stage was open and Packie moved closer to the mic. He put one hand on it and kept one on the neck. The crowd got quiet and he spoke into it.
"so… we… are a band…" He stopped for a second.
The sound of wine glasses made tinkling noises as they hit tables, the crowd's interest on Packie. "…and we are here… to make sure you all enjoy yourselves."
He stopped again and looked back. Wallace gave him a nod.
Jiggs looked to Packie and said "Let it fly, fucker."
Packie leaned in closer to the mic. He spoke calmly at first and then became more guttural in tone.
"I play guitar, he plays bass, and he plays drums…" his voice gradually became grittier "If you came here expecting Frank Sinatra prepare to be disappointed because we are gonna play some songs and if you don't like em then FUCK YOU! WE ARE SUPERKILL!"
He put both hands on his guitar to form the first chord and Jiggs did the same. Wallace brought up his sticks and clacked them together. "ONE,TWO,THREE!" Wallace shouted angrily.
The club flooded with sound.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria: Chapter 2
Wallace yelled "ONE..TWO..THREE..FOUR!" as he clacked his sticks.
In a parallel universe, on a world that occupied the same space as Earth…
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
METAL IN EQUESTRIA : CHAPTER THREE
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
METAL IN EQUESTRIA : CHAPTER FOUR
"Ain't that strange. This is a pretty weird dream and I don't even remember getting home last night. I still need to smoke though." He proceeded to light up a cigarette and toked it a few times, and then took a long drag. “I don’t remember smoking in a dream feeling so realistic.”
"What are they?" Rainbow Dash asked openly.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria: Chapter 5
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal In Equestria : Chapter 8
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria: Chapter Nine
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria: Chapter 10 Breakfast
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal In Equestria: Chapter 12
Ponyville continued its light hum of activity as the day spurred on. Most carried on with daily business.
Belch* "Ha! Good one man!" Wallace had out-done himself again and Jiggs gave his approval.
"That's well… gross." Twilight groaned. "Why do you have no manners?"
"Well," began Jiggs, "we actually do have manners, but sometimes we forget about them around friends. Who wants to hang out with people that won't let them be themselves?"
"Hmm… I see." she mumbled.
Wallace looked over his left shoulder. "What about you miss Highlight? Got a special dude you dig?" He cracked a short laugh.
She blushed and looked away out of embarrassment. Finding the right words took some time. "Um, no not really. I used to like this guy because he seemed charming at first, but it turned out he was a jerk later on."
"I feel ya." Jiggs lamented, "Fuck posers."
Twilight wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but she could at least tell he was on her side. "Yeah, pretty much." she quietly concurred with Jiggs.
The dirt beneath their feet crumbled with every step. The weather still pleasant; the sun still shining.
"How much further?" Wallace moaned, "We still have to get lunch too."
"But we just had breakfast." Twilight retorted.
"Doesn't matter. Maybe a sandwich?" Wallace tried in vain to defend himself, "Humans get hungry fast Miss Highlight."
"Calm down dude." Jiggs asserted. "She's just trying to help. Quit giving' her your shit about your problems."
"Alright, fine." Wallace's tone hadn't changed a bit.
Twilight waited for him to cool off. "To answer your earlier question, we are about 10 minutes away. There isn't much farther to go."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it!" Twilight chimed. "Hey what happened to Patrick?" she had finally realized he was no longer following. "Oh no! He could get in trouble! Or worse, I COULD GET IN TROUBLE!"
"Chill out Highlight." Jiggs put a hand on her shoulder, to prevent her from hurting herself. "Packie's a stupid fucker, but he's not that stupid. He'll be fine."
Twilight pulled herself together with his help. "Yeah… you're right I suppose. I just hope he's okay..."
"Yeah don't sweat it." Wallace picked up the pace of the group. "Besides what's the worst he can do with two useless wings?"
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Fluttershy's cottage was a comparatively short distance from Sugarcube Corner. Packie had walked with her there, despite the wandering eyes of the town's residents. It was a fairly odd sight to see a Pegasus walking, even odder with a human companion. They passed over a wooden bridge and walked along a slow-flowing stream. The constant hum of activity slowly dissipated behind them. This stream took them deep into a nearby forest. The trees were tall like Redwoods but let plenty of sunshine seep through the canopy above them. Spots of sunlight pocketed the landscape. They came to a large car-sized rock overlooking the stream which Fluttershy perched herself on.
"Come on up!" she exclaimed. Packie was somewhat shocked at her sudden outburst. "Oh… I mean if you want to… you can come up here with me." She took note of his surprise and changed her behavior to better suit the situation. "So I'm going to show you how to fly, at least as best as I can." she said lightly.
"That's all I want! No seriously I can't get it out of my head." Packie was visibly excited. At the same time he held a little fear out of the back of his mind.
What if I fail? He asked himself. I'll look like an idiot.
"Don't worry. I'm not the fastest flier, but I am quite nimble if I do say so myself." Fluttershy was anything but a gloater, but she still wanted him to trust in her abilities. She might have had to stretch the truth a little bit. "Well first you need to actually move your wings."
"Yeah you're telling me." Packie hung his head and sighed.
"Can you please take off your shirt?" She paused awkwardly, "... for flight purposes only! I swear!"
"It's really okay. Don't sweat it." After much fumbling with the black cloth it slid off his head and down the back of his wings, coming to rest on the rock.
"I think I know what to do! But, um… you can't fidget at all when I do this. It might hurt a little tiny bit."
"Go right ahead. I'm ready for anything." He said.
"Okay let's do it." Fluttershy began to move behind him. She caught a glimpse of his subtle abdominal muscles. His arms were toned as well; his blond hair glistening in the small patch of sunlight encasing them both. She placed her hooves around the joint attaching his left wing to his upper back. "This might hurt. I'm sorry please don't be mad." Fluttershy tugged on the joint and there was an audible cracking sound.
SNAP*
"AHHH!" he clenched his left shoulder with his right hand and fell to his knees. "DAMN IT!" His voice echoed through the silent forest.
She immediately let go and felt tears welling up behind her eyes. Hurting him hurt her as well, but in a different way.
Packie took a few deep breaths and collected himself, getting up off his knees.
After a few moments the sound of running water from the nearby stream was the only background noise. Fluttershy watched his back muscles flex and his left wing start to extend outward. His wing dropped back down and conformed to his body once more.
"Y-you… almost had it." She assured him.
"I know." He mumbled. "Please would you do the other one?"
"I don't want to hurt you though." Her voice was soft and soothing.
"Just do it please, Shy. I'll be okay."
"Alright… I will." She reached up and placed her hooves around his right wing this time. This time there was no warning, but Packie was ready.
SNAP*
He did not yell or scream, but simply let out a small grunt though clenched teeth. "I ain't no pussy, dad." He mumbled.
Fluttershy made her way around him and met his gaze. Their blue eyes greeted each other again. "Are you alright?" she asked silently.
"Yeah… now I am." he said slowly. A tear rolled down his right cheek.
He forcefully contracted the muscles in his back and his pearly white wings burst forth, making a loud SWOOSH noise. Some loose foliage on the ground was blown away by their sheer power.
"I'm definitely alright." He assured her.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal In Equestria: Chapter 13
His bones creaked and his muscles ached, not because of fatigue, but because they had never been used. The wings took some getting used to, but the warm air and flowing wind made them feel as real as his hands and feet.
Patrick had never understood how that bird felt; that bird he had caught in his mother's tree when he was younger.
"Alright!" said Fluttershy, "Now we can really begin. Let's see what you've got." She gave him a confident smile.
Packie of modern day now focused on the task at hand. Just like she said, this has to be perfect, he thought; give it all you got!
He jumped off the rock and forced his wings to flap. Packie was struggling to follow Fluttershy's example. Her instructions were clear. All he had to do was stay airborne for as long as he could. There was no complex maneuver or acrobatics. The only thing on his mind was to stay off the ground.
His white wings flapped once… and twice, but he could only manage to make it over the stream before landing on the opposite side. He had covered some distance without the use of legs, a small victory in itself. Any distance now was leaps and bounds ahead of where he was just a few moments ago.
"HELL YEAH!" Packie yelled. His inexperience with flying made him feel slightly insecure, which he tried to make up for by yelling. It was all he could do to keep up the illusion that he wasn't in fact terrified.
Silence again.
She came to land beside him. "That was pretty good. Want to try some actual flying?" she giggled innocently, as if trying to benignly offend him. Fluttershy never wanted to actually hurt his feelings, and Packie would never admit that she did. His pride was the most important thing to him.
"Sure, let's go." he said.
"You might want to get a running start."
"Yeah yeah, you go first though."
"Oh…" she wanted to follow him, "…alright I suppose. I won't go too fast." she giggled quietly to herself again.
Fluttershy jumped off the ground and started flapping her wings, making her way off further into the distance. To Packie this was an exercise in how far he could go, not how long.
Jumping off into a sprint he unfurled his wings. The wind resistance became immediately apparent and he could feel himself getting lighter as he ran faster. When he was about to lose his footing he jumped forward, pushing all of his weight onto his legs. The wind took him up and he began to lose speed, like a paper airplane flying up and stalling.
How do I keep my momentum going forwards? He asked himself.
"Flap your wings!" he heard Fluttershy yell. She was already about half of a football field ahead of him.
"Oh…" he said, "duh… why couldn't I figure that one out?" He flexed hard and his wings responded, pushing air underneath him and backward. He pulled his arms in close to his body. With less wind resistance Packie quickly gained speed. With his wings flapping he was able to stabilize. His blond hair progressed down his forehead and blew lazily in the wind, right in front of his eyes. After a quick brush away with his hand he could see he was catching up finally.
This is just like running, he thought, except my legs are on my back. Boy that's a weird thought.
Packie zoomed past Fluttershy, leaving her in the dust. She quickly responded and picked up speed as well. "Oh no you don't! I'm the teacher here, Mr. Bossy Pants!"
"Ha-ha! That's the worst comeback I've ever heard!" he chortled.
They flew for a few minutes, weaving in and out of trees. Every flap felt like his heartbeat and kept pace with his soaring emotions. This felt like true freedom.
Why would I ever want to change from this? I want to stay like this forever. Screw that shape-shifting crap.
Each tree seemed to be part of an obstacle course and Packie was more than willing to slalom and weave in and out of the way. This newfound control was so liberating. Now he could go anywhere with ease and truly test his limits.
Packie was having too much fun and Fluttershy was honestly just glad he hadn't crashed yet.
"Yet…" she mumbled. Doubt crept up on her. They started to climb up and up. They went above the trees and had a clear view of the entire forest. Each beat of his wing propelled him faster and he didn't want to stop.
"Patrick! Umm…we really should go down now!" she yelled.
"Already? But I was just starting to have fun!" he retorted.
"Please!" Fluttershy pleaded with him.
"Oh alright!"
Packie thought his landing would be routine. He thought that he would bring his legs out and come to a slow landing like parachutists do after a sky dive, but as he started to lower his head and fly downwards; he began to realize that he didn't know how to stop.
Much to Fluttershy's horror, he started to nosedive.
"FUCK!" he yelled. "HOW DO I STOP?"
He did the first thing that came to mind.
Push the air the opposite direction! He yelled in his head.
Packie put all of his effort into pushing air down, rather than behind him.
FLAP*
His speed decreased a little but the ground was still fast approaching.
FLAP*FLAP*
His speed decreased more, but impact with the ground was still eminent. He didn't expect the brush to be so thick on the way down. His wing clipped a branch and sent him spiraling out of control.
Got to think of something fast! He thought.
"PATRICK!" Fluttershy screamed with all her might.
"FUCK IT!" Patrick yelled.
He gave it every bit of strength he had.
SMASH!*
Packie's wings collided together with such force that he immediately stopped, only feet off the ground. There was an audible popping sound as some of the cartilage keeping his wings together snapped in half. A short blast of wind blew back the surrounding leaves and grass beneath. The sound could be heard from miles away.
"FUUUCK! GAHH!"
The pain was unbearable as he turned and fell the short distance to the ground, landing on his cracked wings. He winced in pain and held back a muffled scream, while slowly positioning himself on his side to relieve pressure on his wings.
Fluttershy landed quickly and came to comfort him. She laid her soft head on his neck as he lay on his side. At this point laying on his side was all he could do to lessen the pain, other than clenching his teeth.
"Huff*…well… that fuckin' sucked…wheeze*…heheh…. right Shy?" he leaned his head on hers.
Tears flowed freely from Fluttershy's milky blue eyes. "You'll be… sniff*… okay… I promise…" There were only more tears. "I'm sorry…" she barely mustered.
They stayed in that position for over an hour, her head resting on top of his.
Meanwhile, In Ponyville…
"So dude… you were totally pulling a Hulk earlier." Wallace laughed.
"I couldn't help it! Jiggs blasted back, "I didn't turn huge and start destroying everything." Twilight had lost track of their conversation a while ago. The trek back to their van was proving to be more time consuming than first thought. Jiggs and Wallace often asked why certain buildings were shaped a certain way or why it was so hard to find a bathroom. Nonetheless, Twilight put up with it because she had no choice.
"Finally!" Wallace yelled, "The van!" He picked up his pace again and ran towards the vehicle with joy. He barely noticed the dirt around him being shifted and the grass being blown around by his unconscious use of telekinesis. Wallace's abilities were still very raw and unrefined.
He rushed to open the double doors in the back.
"Look all of our shit!" he yelled with glee.
"It's mostly my shit." said Jiggs.
"Don't be such a killjoy. We have most of our clothes in here too. Oh! Shoes as well! Although they're not really super clean." Wallace fumbled around inside the back, moving the amps and instrument cases. "Found my Nike's!" He moved a large brown duffel bag out of the way. "Found the coffee maker too! Hot damn!"
"Don't you mean hot coffee?" asked Twilight.
"Human expression." Jiggs explained.
"Oh gotcha'. Why are you so surprised to find all of your stuff in here?" she asked.
Jiggs cocked an eyebrow. "Because Genius over here never packs and always relies on me to do it for him."
"Seems typical." Said Twilight. Watching Wallace rummage through the van only confirmed what Jiggs said.
"Hey Jiggs, I think it's low on gas." Wallace noticed this when they first came through the portal.
"Well why didn't you tell me earlier?" he said.
"It didn't really matter at the time cuz we all passed out. Remember?"
"Yeah I guess I do. I don't even know where the damn keys went anyway."
Wallace grabbed his drumsticks and hopped out, letting his shoes kick up dirt. A small plume of brownish fumes came from under his feet.
"Hey look!" he pulled out a CD case. On the front was a Siamese cat with pure blue eyes. "I found Cheshire Cat under my seat. I've been looking for that for forever."
"Did you find the keys?"
Wallace shrugged his shoulders. "Nah man, sorry."
Twilight determined this would be a good chance to test them. "Well why don't you move the van yourselves?"
Jiggs took off his black shirt to reveal his new, toned body. "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this." He rolled his arms around and stretched out his back. "But I know what you're tryin' to say. We need to pick it the fuck up and carry it."
"Well…. Yeah I suppose. Not really the way I intended but go for it anyways." she admitted.
"Easy! Stand the fuck back! Both of ya'll!" Jiggs yelled.
"You sound just like Applejack sometimes." Twilight noted.
Jiggs placed his hands under the back bumper and prepared to lift.
Suddenly a loud noise ripped across the land that was heavy and percussive.
SNAP!*
The sound was eerily similar to a gunshot. It echoed for a short time and died away.
"What the hell was that? Was that you man?" asked Wallace.
"Nah I haven't even lifted anything yet." Jiggs divulged.
Twilight lowered her head to listen more closely. Her ears perked up. "It sounded like Rainbow Dash just hit the Sonic Rainboom again."
"Sonic Rapeballoon? Hahah." asked Wallace.
"No. Rainboom, oh smart one." she sarcastically scoffed. Once the noise died down she raised her head. "I don't see a rainbow though. What was that noise?" a feeling of dread consumed her. "I hope everything's alright…" she mumbled.
"Fuck it!" I'm picking up the van!" Jiggs hugged the back bumper and squeezed hard. With a short thrust from his legs the entire van was lifted from the dirt road. The tires dangled freely. "It's like carrying a bag of flour! HAHA!"
He started to walk while holding the van. Every step his feet dug deep into the dirt path, leaving sizable footprints. Wallace carried his shirt and directed him where to go. To Jiggs and Wallace everything seemed completely normal.
Twilight followed close behind. "What was that noise…" she mumbled quietly to herself.
Needless to say the residents of Ponyville weren't nonchalant about seeing a human carry a 2-ton van down their city streets.
This has been an odd day so far, Twilight thought.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal In Equestria: Chapter 14
The Rising
Fluttershy couldn't help but feel sorry for Packie. After all, she never really instructed him to come to a proper landing. However he had no ill feelings towards her. The shade created by the overhanging trees kept them cool. Lying together in the grass was taking his mind away from the pain and away from thoughts of his parents. Packie was learning to take in the moment. The constant trickle of the stream provided light background noise, along with their syncopated breathing. As the sun shifted, so too did the patches of shade covering the forest floor. Some pinecones littered the landscape though pine needles had not yet fallen.
"This reminds me of those trees," Packie said, "the ones in California. They were huge."
Fluttershy adjusted her head on his to allow him easier time breathing. "Bigger than these trees?" she calmly asked.
"Yeah, though these are still pretty big."
"Can you hear the birds?"
Packie laughed at the idea. "Totally. This is still all so weird to me."
She shifted her head so that her chin came to rest on his arm. "I'm sorry. I thought you'd be happier."
"Oh I am. Don't get me wrong cuz this place is amazing. It will just take some getting used to." His words helped her, maybe even lessened her pain inside. "And I want to be the fastest flier around, why even bother with shape shifting? Flying is definitely something I could be great at."
"Oh definitely!" she heartily agreed. "But you might not be able to beat Rainbow Dash. She can go faster than the speed of sound." Packie laughed in disbelief.
"But I still think you could do it." she assured him.
"Just need to work on the landing." He laughed quietly again and Fluttershy joined him.
Afterwards she rested her head on his again. They listened to each other inhale and exhale slowly. The forest floor was to starting to lose sunlight as shade took over. Nightfall was fast approaching.
"We need to go soon." Fluttershy lifted her head to look over their surroundings.
"Yep… you're right… grunt*" Packie pushed off the ground with his left arm and caught himself with his right. As he stood up he could feel the weight of his wings attempt to keep him down. Now that they were partially broken they felt much heavier. Fluttershy assisted by getting under him and pushing him upright. His legs caught the full weight of his frame.
SNAP*
Another piece of cartilage had cracked.
He didn't even flinch.
"Alright Shy, I ain't a pussy so let's get going." He started walking.
"What, are you okay to walk? Let me help you!" she protested. She forcibly moved his left arm out of the way so he could lean some of his weight on her shoulders. His left wing moved across her back, resting on top.
Packie gripped his left shoulder with his right hand. He could feel his skin stretch and pull around the joints connecting his lateral muscles and wings. Each step seemed to pull them apart more. They would need to be bandaged to prevent further breakage.
"Good thing we didn't go that far." he said.
"Yeah…" she agreed, "maybe it was. I'll fix you up though. I'll make it all better."
"I'm sure you will."
After twenty minutes of labored walking they approached the edge of the woods. The red sun had almost vanished over the horizon. Fluttershy's cottage came into view.
"Almost there." she said. They turned their heads so that their eyes met with varying shades of blue. Packie was quite happy, not like he had been on Earth.
"I could definitely get used to this."
"I'm glad." she said.
Earlier in Ponyville…
THOMP* THOMP*
Jiggs took another step.
THOMP*
The weight of the van proved to be truly taxing of his energy. At first it seemed easy, but the longer it went on, the longer his patience and muscles wore thin.
"Grph… hoahh… mmff… how much further?" Gritting his teeth helped him regain control… or so he thought. His struggling seemed to be in vain. Nonetheless he was making progress.
"Not much further, man." Wallace assured.
"Y'know Anthony," Twilight began, "I don't think Princess Celestia realized the full extent of the power she bestowed on you."
"You mean me too?" asked Wallace.
"No not quite. You haven't really learned to control your abilities yet… beyond moving a few plates."
"Hmpf…" he said, "…well you haven't seen anything yet."
"Grmpf… oh yeah?" Jiggs spat out.
"Mhmm… I've got something in mind."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Are you going to make coffee spontaneously appear out of nowhere?"
"No, but that's not a bad idea." Wallace admitted.
THOMP*… THOMP*…THOMP*…
"Damn… huff*… when did it get so heavy?...huff*"
THOMP*…THOMP*…
There was a slight pause, and then…
KABOOSH!*
All four tires collided with the ground and sunk into the dirt. It was simply amazing that the frame of the van hadn't cracked. Everything inside had been violently stirred around by the sudden impact.
Jiggs released his grip and took a deep breath. He placed his hand on his chest and applied pressure to ease the pain. Through labored breathing he looked up at the tree house. The orange sun was nearly an hour from setting. Sweat trickled down his head onto his pectorals, and further still down his abdominals. His black hair was completely a mess because of constant contact with the back end of the van.
He patted dirt out of his hair and then again on his pants. Plumes of brown haze enveloped the air around him. It's been a hard day's work, he thought to himself. Wallace had gone inside the tree house to use Twilight's restroom and Twilight herself went in to clean up the main room to empty out the van.
As Jiggs was catching his breath, he turned around to meet a set of familiar emerald eyes.
"Sup Jersey." he said.
Applejack was still somewhat shocked from the initial sound of the van impacting. "Oh hey there… big fella. You carry loads like that often?" She laughed nervously, partially out of fear.
"Nah, not really. This is the biggest thing I've ever hauled." He nodded to the van. "Don't worry, I won't hurt ya." he added.
She was visibly unsettled from his sudden display of strength. Jiggs could not decide if this was a good or bad thing.
"Well ahm glad to see you're not smokin' now." she said. "I heard you were having problems earlier with… um… breathing." she quickly noted.
"Who said that? It wasn't anything like that, I promise." he defended.
"Well then what in tarnation was it?" she asked.
"It was…THIS!"
CRUNCH*
Jiggs flexed his muscles with all of his might and struck a pose. His pecs bulged out and his shoulders broadened. Three layers of abdominal muscles became clearly visible, accented by the orange glow of the setting sun. Some sweat still trickled down over his chest.
He held this pose for a few seconds before he deflated.
After exhaling, his skin still stretched taut over his near perfect bodily frame. His muscles lost some of their mass, but his Olympian physique was nonetheless impressive.
"It's better like that." she said.
"Like what?" he was afraid to ask.
"Not so bulgy. It's better without the bulge… if ya get what ahm sayin'"
Jiggs examined his toned body. It was more aesthetically pleasing without his bulging pecs and biceps.
"Yeah you're right."
"I know ahm right. I always am." she said, "Don't be afraid to show it off though. You'd be surprised how much a little show of force can keep you out of trouble. Not that you should go lookin' for trouble."
Jiggs nervously reached for his shirt. It had been conveniently placed on the tail end of the van. Putting on his shirt seemed to take minutes, maybe hours to him. Why am I so nervous? He asked himself, she's just a pony, but why do I care about her opinion of me?
Applejack realized she might have come off a tad too strong for him. "Oh! Ahm sorry, I didn't mean anything silly by that. Please just forget I said anything."
Jiggs calmed down. "Umm… alright I guess."
There was a brief silence between them, which was interrupted by Twilight.
"Hey AJ! What brings around this part of town? Most of the shops are closed. Did you come to say 'hey'?"
"Well kinda Twi'… y'see I saw a plume of smoke coming over the southern mountains… and well frankly it's been buggin' me for a while now." Applejack shifted her footing southward. "You can barely see it from here, but's it there…sure as sugar."
"Oh wow," Twilight took a deep breath of worry, "that doesn't seem like a good thing. No of course! It must have been what the princess wanted to tell us earlier. We got so caught up in the moment at the palace that she never told us about any dragon-related threats."
"What about that story?" Jiggs asked. "The one she told us about the Spartans?"
"Exactly! I must send her a letter right away!" Twilight ran inside the tree house to fetch her sleeping dragon assistant.
"Seems kinda ironic. Don't ya think, Jersey?" Jiggs awaited her approval.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well," Jiggs started, "she's got dragon problems and she needs a dragon's help to fix em'."
"I s'pose… but that's not what I mean. What is Jersey and where did that mess come from?"
"Oh sorry… heh it's kind of a long story. I used to live in a state called New Jersey for about a year… as a bartender."
"And…" she impatiently added.
"And we had this hard apple cider, mostly everyone called it Jersey Lightning… but it was officially called a different name." he cheekily snuck in the last part.
"Applejack?" she asked him.
"Bingo!" Jiggs yelled. "Sorry I didn't clear that up earlier."
"It's really okay Sugarcube. I normally don't get flustered over that sort of thing, and that wasn't really a long story."
"No, I guess it wasn't. So… you ever need help around the farm?" Jiggs asked nonchalantly.
"Sorry, what?" was all Applejack could manage before they were interrupted.
Twilight came bolting out of her home. "It's done. The letter has been sent AJ!"
"Thanks Twi. I feel a might better now, and I think it's bout' time I headed home."
"Oh okay AJ, tell me if you need help with anything else." Twilight quickly added.
"Yeah," Jiggs laughed, "See ya Freckles."
"Well what is it? Jersey or Freckles?" Applejack glared back at him.
"It's Jersey… but as for the freckles, don't be afraid to show em' off."
Applejack smiled as she realized what he was referencing. "The same goes for you."
Jiggs half-smiled in return.
"Well I should be going. Stop by again sometime." She broke from his gaze and turned down the dirt road, bound for the ranch.
"Take it easy Jersey, and I will!" He watched her slowly fade into the distance.
What Applejack didn't show him was her face turning red when he called her Jersey again.
"Did I miss something?" asked Twilight.
"Nope," Jiggs lied. He quickly ran into the tree house, dodging obstacles. "But I gotta use the shitter! NOW!"
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal In Equestria: Chapter 15
"AHH! TOO HOT!" Packie yelled. Searing hot water drenched his back.
Fluttershy's tub was a bit basic, essentially a giant bucket. She waited for the liquid to cool down some before dousing his back again. Luke warm water cascaded down his shoulders and wings. "So much better." he commented.
"Don't worry Patrick. These things happen all the time." she calmly said.
"Oh really?" he asked.
"Well…" she giggled, "no actually. This doesn't happen quite that often, but that's just alright with me. I really lo-…" she realized what she almost said. "I mean, I really like to help you out."
"Thanks Shy, you're the nicest pony or person for that matter, that I've ever met."
"Do you really mean that?" she blushed.
"Well sure. Ain't nothin' but bitches where I come from."
"What does that mean?" she inquired.
"Oh um, nothing at all." He quickly changed the subject. "Man, this bath is working wonders. I can barely feel the pain in my wings anymore." He stretched out his arms and swung them backwards until his back cracked.
POP*
"Oh yeah. So much better." He sighed with relief.
"We should really get you bandaged up after your bath." she lightly suggested.
Packie grabbed the bowl she was using to pour water. He scooped some up and showered it over his blond hair. Dirt that had rooted itself earlier in the day fell out and his hair went through a noticeable transformation. His golden locks fell to the side of his face, drenched by water. He had to move it out of his eyes so he could look around.
"Does it bother you that I'm naked?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Oh!" She turned her head in embarrassment, her face flushed with red. "Well, I don't know why. I just wasn't thinking about it, but maybe… now that you mention it."
"Yeah sorry! I'm actually not naked! I got underwear on!" he belly laughed and stood up revealing his soaked boxer-briefs.
"Wow, you really got me." She quietly laughed to herself. Something changed about her when she was with Patrick. She could genuinely laugh around him.
"NOT NAKED!" he yelled. "Bet you wish I was though." he whispered in her ear.
"Ha don't kid yourself! You big meanie!" she splashed water in his face.
He splashed water onto her in retaliation. They laughed in each other's company without worry.
In his moment of triumph Packie lost his footing and fell back into the tub, splashing water onto all of Fluttershy's furniture. His left wing made an audible noise.
CRACK*
"AHHHH!" he yelled in pain.
"Oh no! I'm so, so sorry Patrick. Please be okay…" She helped him up out of the water. He staggered to his feet and stepped out of the tub. Water fell all around him.
He took a second to catch his breath. "Grr… it's really not that bad now. I just… need some time to relax." he assured her.
"Are you sure? We need to bandage that now." she protested.
"Fine fine, let's get it over with." he unwillingly relented.
She helped him over to a small, green, crescent- shaped sofa. It was situated in the corner of the room by a window so he could look out at the stars of the night. It was about nine in the evening.
"Sit right here, and I'll be right back." She was off in a flash.
Her angelic voice soothed his pain and he turned his attention outside. The stars speckled the sky and he took note of the large moon. It seemed to swallow up the sky, and yet kept it bright at the same time.
"This seems too perfect…" he quietly muttered.
Meanwhile…
BOOM*
Wallace had been sitting in a corner of Twilight's library for over an hour, trying to concentrate his raw energy into a sphere. This yellow shifting mass of electrical energy consumed every bit of his focus. Wallace was getting visibly tired from making this intangible object. As a result, the ball in his hands became very unstable, shifting, turning, and changing in size constantly. Lightning danced across his palms and a yellowish haze twirled around his fingers. However, every time he would get close to materializing a solid shape it always resulted in the sphere disintegrating.
BOOM*
The shock waves shook Twilight's tree house and she could no longer ignore him "practicing."
"Hey, Wallace?" She tapped his back with her hoof.
"What's up Highlight? We got dragons yet?" He built up another telekinetic charge in his palms without looking at her.
"Um no…not exactly. Hey, do you think you could possibly do that outside?" she politely asked.
Wallace looked over his shoulder at Twilight and then back at his hands. There were books thrown off of shelves all around him. He had made a real mess in her home.
"Yeah yeah Highlight. Sorry about that. Is there any place around here I could do this without messing up anyone's stuff?" he asked in return.
Twilight was quite surprised at his dramatic improvement in behavior. "Oh sure… I mean yes of course! There's a field behind the tree house that I think has plenty of space for you! And can I be the first to say that you are making tremendous progress!"
"Thanks Highlight. Maybe you could help me out later?"
"Yeah I'll definitely help you! I just need to send the princess another letter and I'll be right out there. So give me about 10 minutes and I'll show you everything you'll ever need to know!"
"Alright, see you out there in a little bit." Wallace put on his black shoes and made his way outside. Standing by the door of the tree house was Jiggs, who was smoking.
"Where are you goin' in such a rush?" he asked.
"Just gonna fuck around with some magic. That's all. Highlight's gonna help me become SUPER badass."
"Hold that thought," said Jiggs, "Whatever happened to Packie?"
"He ran off, didn't he?"
"We never figured that out, and then we heard that gunshot noise when I was moving the van."
"Do you think that was him?" Wallace inquired.
"Well there's no way to tell, but maybe we should ask around town."
"Alright, but after I practice a little bit." Wallace said stubbornly.
"Fine, but we need to find him soon. That fucker always needs our help." Jiggs stomped out his cigarette. "Did she say anything about dragons?" he asked.
"She doesn't know anything yet, but if you ask me we should all be prepared for any kind of crazy shit. Maybe you should be working out. "
"Smartest thing you've said all day. Cough*" Jiggs admitted.
They bumped fists and Wallace started walking out towards the field Twilight had mentioned.
He quietly sat down in the grass and held his hands together, his palms facing skyward. Alright, no more dicking around, he thought to himself. Just focus your damn mind.
Particles of yellow and green light started to trickle out of his fingertips. His telekinetic energy flowed towards the center of his hands as if it was funneling into an invisible bowl he was holding in each hand. The yellow lights reminded him of the sun while the greens reminded him of a lush rainforest. The colors and lights had a strobe-like effect as they casted spinning shadows on the landscape around him. The scene was similar to flashing lights on a fire engine or police car. Greens and yellows complimented each other perfectly and the fields of grass were illuminated for miles around. Minutes had passed by and every second he struggled to contain his energy.
His great plight was ignored by his lack of focus. "Wow this is just like a light show at a concert." Wallace commented to himself. He couldn't take his eyes off of the orb of energy he had created.
A small sun was contained neatly in his hands.
"HEY WALLYYYYYY!" yelled Pinkie Pie.
BOOM*
His sphere of energy disintegrated yet again. He was shielded from the blast by his own residual power-field. The small space of grass encircling him was completely flattened.
He became visibly agitated.
"DAMN IT!" he screamed.
Pinkie had simply seen the flashing lights from the other side of town and came to investigate. She never meant to break his concentration.
"Shit…" he mumbled. Wallace threw his right fist onto the ground and created a small crater. He had somehow managed to push his telekinetic energy directly through the soil.
THUMP*
"SHIT!" he yelled louder.
Pinkie Pie was left unsettled and emotionally stirred. She began to slowly approach Wallace so as not to startle him a second time. Rather than shouting again, she opted for a quiet whisper.
"Hey Wally… I just meant to…"
"To what?" he snapped at her.
"Oh, um…nothing. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. That's all. I hope we can still be friends." Pinkie Pie was standing but three feet behind him and hung her head in disappointment. She wasn't used to his aggressive side.
Grief overtook him as he gauged the harshness in his words. He needed to apologize to her. She was one of his few friends. "No…I'm sorry." he said. Wallace looked over his shoulder as she made her way over to where he sat.
His steely green eyes met her soft blues.
He came to a sudden realization and his eyes flickered in terror. Memories from long ago flooded his mind. It was something about her hair, her eyes, or maybe her facial expression. For some inexplicable reason… it horrified him.
Wallace turned away his face and grabbed his forehead, as if he was afflicted with a sudden headache. Something started to stir, the face of a long lost friend and this power. This power that could keep him from losing any other friends ever again, but then he saw her face. This power started eating at his mind.
"Ah! You look just like her!" He shut his eyes and sealed himself inside his head.
"Like who, Wally? Like who?" she placed a hoof on his back. Pinkie Pie was genuinely worried and couldn't bear to see him upset.
The ground started to shift and turn from his sudden outburst of energy. The power kept pouring out excess from his fingertips and shoving the image of the girl further and deeper into his thoughts. Why can't I get her out of my head?! GO AWAY! He thought furiously. The power kept pushing and shoving, deeper and deeper. It was simply too much to handle.
"Please calm down Wally!" she yelled, "Please tell me what's wrong!" Pinkie wrapped her forelegs around his neck to keep from flying away.
The light breeze of the night became a blazing hurricane. Grass was uprooted around them into a cyclone of raw power.
Twilight's tree house began to shift on its foundation of roots. Clouds from miles away started to spin high above them, preparing for a storm.
"Grunt*... you're just like her… huff*…" He clenched his teeth because of the pain in his skull, because of her memory and the power. It was poking and prodding and would not release its grip. The power was using his mind, or was he still in control and losing sight of it? Even he didn't know anymore.
Pinkie Pie somehow managed to plant her feet. She grabbed his face and brought it close to hers. She forced him to look at her. "Snap out of it Wally! SNAP OUT OF IT!" she screamed. Her voice was being blocked out by the storm around them.
The sudden maelstrom lasted for what seemed like a few terrifying minutes, before it all began to collapse.
"I'm sorry…" he muttered quietly. Just let it go. He thought. It's not your fault. She wouldn't want you to go crazy like this.
The storm started to subside as the cyclone around Pinkie Pie and Wallace slowed its pace.
Twilight's tree house settled down and the earth gradually stopped churning beneath them. Finally the loose piles of grass fell back to the ground and the clouds high above started to dissipate, revealing once again the beautiful night sky.
The gust of wind flailing around them gradually came to a sudden halt, as their eyes met for the second time.
He shook his head as if there was a bug in his hair and released his hands' grip on his forehead. Everything became quiet again as Wallace settled into Pinkie's hooves.
"I'm sorry Cupcake… I was bein' a stupid fucker again." he weakly smiled. His energy had obviously been spent trying to conjure the purely accidental storm and he was beginning to drift off.
Pinkie laid his head down into the grass. "I hope you're okay Wally." she said.
He was comforted by her presence as unconsciousness slowly began to take him away.
"I'm sorry, Maria… it almost got me there." he muttered.
A few yellowish sparks flickered behind his eyelids as he fell asleep due to exhaustion.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 16:
His Only Friend
Little Wallace strolled on his way down the small sidewalk. His neighborhood was quiet, though all of his neighbors were in walking distance. Each house had its own short driveway and finely cut grass. Some yards had sprinklers which kept the grass and the driveways wet all day.
It was a pleasant day. The sun was out and keeping his arms warm. Maria's house was just down the street from his and was about a three minute walk. They had just gotten out of school on the last bus of the day. He contemplated how he would go about doing his "difficult" multiplication homework.
"I hate homework…" he mumbled.
He came up to a yard where the sprinkler was aiming towards the street. Wallace timed his jump perfectly and made it over the fountain of water. He ruffled his brown locks of hair that drooped to his shoulders. The ends curled up perfectly which gave his hair the appearance that it floated in mid-air.
TROMP*TROMP*
He picked up his feet even faster as her blue house came into sight. She lived right at the corner of Fine Colors Way and Winguardia Street. The grass was cut even shorter than usual as small tufts were spread out over the driveway. Some grass stuck to the bottom of his wet shoes as he walked up to the front door. He ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head free of any knots. Then he reached up his hand and pressed the bell.
Ding*Dong*
I hope she can still play today, he thought.
The brown door opened to reveal a tall brown-haired man. "Oh hey Wally. Are you here to see Maria?"
"Why yes I am, SIR!" he shouted with glee.
"Heh, well okay. She's out back. The gate should be unlocked." The imposing man said. His voice was deep and commanding.
"Thanks Mr. Crestfield!"
He ran out to the back where the huge fenced gate towered over him. After struggling with the latch the large door finally opened and there sat the cutest little girl ever. Well… Wally thought she was the cutest, anyways.
"Hey Maria!" he shouted.
"Wally! I have something to show you!" the little girl yelled back.
The little boy ran over to her with joy in his heart. Surprises were the best.
"Alright you have to sit down and close your eyes." she told him.
"Yeah okay!" he did as she said. He sat in the grass which stained the bottom of his jeans. Wallace could feel her tie something around his wrist, but he couldn't tell what it was.
"Alright open your eyes!" she said.
As he looked around a few strings attached to his arm caught his attention and he looked up. The strands connected to three balloons, two were blue and one was yellow.
"Happy early birthday!" she yelled.
"Yes! I love balloons!" he yelled back. "Thanks for remembering too! No one ever does, since I have a summer birthday and all."
"Yeah I know…" she said glumly. Maria gave him a hug.
"Hey I like your dress today." he commented.
"Oh thanks, but I really only wear it because my mom makes me."
Maria had one of her pink dresses on that almost reached the floor and put a yellow bow up in her long brunette hair. In all honesty she found it kind of uncomfortable.
"Are you having a party?" she asked.
"Haha no… it's not like anyone would come anyways."
"Are you sure? It is your tenth birthday after all."
"Yeah I'm sure," he looked at his green shoes, "I don't really have any friends so it doesn't really matter."
"Oh come on Wally…" her gaze turned somber, "it's really not that bad! You just need to learn how to have fun." she assured.
"But I only have fun when you're around." he said gloomily.
"Hey look at me." she grabbed his chin lightly and turned his head toward hers, "you need to have fun and learn to be yourself, whether or not I'm with you." he stared glumly into her aqua-blue eyes.
"It's still really hard to have fun, because well I'm really bad at making friends. I don't know how."
"I'm sorry Wally but it's not really something I can show you, it's just something you have to learn by yourself. I'm sure you'll get it someday. I'll try to help you as best I can."
"Got any good stories today?" he asked, trying to change the subject. Wallace's favorite thing about Maria was her incredible love of reading. He always enjoyed hearing about a story she had recently read.
"Of course I do!" she said. "So this is about something called an Omega."
"What's an Omega?" he asked.
"It's a person or animal that can travel around the world after it dies." She had captured his attention.
"Can it leave space?" he asked inquisitively.
"Well…um maybe. I'm not sure! Maybe it can leave earth and space or even the universe!"
"What is the universe really?" he asked again.
"Are you gonna' let me finish the story?" she frowned.
"Oh OH! Yes of course! I'm listening Maria, honest." He calmed his own mouth and waited for her to start.
"Very Well…" she started, "There once lived an old man, who had no idea he was an Omega I might add! He had lived a long happy life with wife and children."
"One day his wife passed away and the old man was stricken with grief. His nights were spent with his children because they were the only things that could keep him happy."
Wallace listened intently. This story was not exactly what he was expecting.
"But as time went on the old man became sick and his children feared for his health. They had become successful living alongside him and he wished his wife could have seen them grow up. The days went by and eventually the old man was too tired to wake up one morning. He passed away in his sleep and astonishingly sat up in his own bed. He looked around with great surprise and walked throughout his house. Only until he walked back into his room and saw his body lying there did he know he had passed. He went to each of his children's rooms and quietly kissed each of their heads before he walked outside. He flew away, as a spirit. The old man was no longer bound by earthly laws."
Wallace never interrupted.
"The old man flew to all of the places he had visited with his wife over his lifetime. Once he was tired of this he flew as high as he could, to the top of the tallest mountains. Much to his surprise there was his wife, at the top of the world. He was so happy and they stood there for hours, happily hugging each other.
'Why did you come here?' asked the old man.
'Because it was most quiet here and I could watch over you' she responded.
'All of those years? You waited for me?' he asked again.
'Yes beloved husband. I'm glad to see that our children were raised well. I know they'll have perfect families of their own.'
'Please wife… can we visit them once more, together? It's all I've ever wanted since you left.' The old man pleaded.
'Of course husband, let us be off.'
The old man and his wife flew off into the distance, accompanied by a beautiful sunrise. They would watch over their children for many years to come, together just as the old man had always wanted. They were truly tied to the earth… and that's the end."
"Yes YES! That story was great Maria!" Wallace yelled.
"Heh I'm glad you liked it. Just remember to enjoy your life Wally, and don't be afraid to laugh every now and then."
"Thanks Maria. I can't wait to make new friends tomorrow!" Wallace found a new hope rising up inside of him. He stood up and wiped the dirt off of his pants
"Hey Wally, maybe I can throw a party for you!"
"That'd be awesome Maria!"
"Yeah I could ask my mom to help, and I could make more balloons and… cough*…" she cleared her throat. "…plates of cupcakes and candy and…COUGH*…cough*"
"Hey Maria are you alright?" Wally asked. She fell to the floor and started hacking and coughing all over the ground.
"Maria what's wrong!" Wallace yelled.
"wheeze*… get my dad… hurry Wally… COUGH*!" She struggled to make out her words and hold back more coughs.
Wallace tore off and pushed through the gate. He had never run so fast in his whole life. He stepped onto the porch and opened the door himself.
"MR. CRESTFIELD! MR. CRESTFIIIIIELD! MARIA NEEDS HELP!" He had never screamed so loud before either and his voice was cracking.
"I'M GOING!" he yelled. The old man went bounding out the back door to find his daughter barely breathing. He scooped her up in his arms and ran out to his car. He gently laid her in the back seat. Her breathing was faint. Wallace ran out the front to see them pull away.
The car drove off into the distance, leaving Wallace chasing behind the car. He knew where they were going and he ran after them. They were going to the hospital.
Wallace ran and ran, and then ran even more. He ignored the pain in his chest. He needed to see her, now.
What was normally a five minute drive he ran in just ten.
He stepped foot inside of the hospital and collapsed as his lungs gave out. Running at a full sprint for so long had taken its toll.
He could hear the doctor's frantically running in the background.
A woman in blue scrubs noticed Wallace lying on the floor. She ran over to his aide. "Oh my god! Are you alright, little boy?" she helped prop him up so he could look around. He was out of breath and could barely speak.
"Don't… huff*… help me…"
He weakly raised his left hand and pointed at the doctors surrounding a girl on a stretcher. She was being hurriedly rushed away with her father in tow.
"Please… help her."
He began to lose consciousness in the arms of the nurse. Exhaustion set in as he passed out cold.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria: 17
"GAHH!"
Wallace threw himself awake. He leaned forward in his sleeping bag. Only his legs were covered and he focused solely on breathing. That dream was too real. He pictured Maria falling down again. It replayed in his mind over and over.
He clenched his head, digging his fingers into his skull, and one solemn tear fell from his cheek onto the bag. He could feel the dirt in his chestnut hair from where his head hit the ground earlier.
It was obviously night time, as Twilight's library was nearly pitch black. Wallace looked out a window and could see the stars and bright bluish moon.
He slammed a fist onto his leg. "Damn it Maria!" he inhaled deeply, " It should've been me… damn it…"
"Hey Wally." A light voice called out to him in his time of need. He picked up his head and realized Pinkie Pie lying down next to him.
"Please tell me… who she is." She rested her head on his leg.
They made eye contact as another tear rolled his cheek.
"She was a damn good friend, Cupcake…" he looked down at the floor. "…a damn good friend…" he repeated.
"Well," she whispered, "I know I could never replace a friend like that, but I can promise I'll always be a good one." She reached out and hugged him lightly.
To Wallace she felt almost exactly like Maria. He hugged her back even tighter.
"I'm glad you're like her… she was like… my only real friend, ever." He searched for the words to say. "I'm just glad I found someone like her here. It's like I got back a piece of me that died with her."
"You're a funny guy Wally. It's just been buried by a bunch of toughy tough guy stuff… and you gotta let it out."
"Yeah you're right."
They released each other's embrace and sat in quiet before going back to sleep.
Meanwhile…
Packie had found it difficult to sleep. Every which way he turned his wings seemed to writhe in pain. They creaked and ached, and seemed more like a curse than what at first seemed like a gift. The bandages that Fluttershy had spent time wrapping around them were starting to unravel. Packie just hoped that the bandages would stay put until morning. A lantern was kept by the sofa, offering a dim night light.
He quietly watched the stars out the window, with only his thoughts to keep him company. Why am I even here? I mean this is a nice place and all… but why me and the other guys? We're supposed to be here for a reason, aren't we?
His constant thinking kept him awake for easily over an hour. This place is perfect, isn't it? And what about her? She is just perfect… and it just isn't fair. Why couldn't she be a human? But why would I make her change? That wouldn't be fair. What if I could chan- no that's stupid. Why am I even thinking like that? But she's so nice to me. Not even my mom or dad were that kind. I owe her something. Could I even change? What a stupid idea…
"Hey." a small voice said.
He flipped over to see her there, standing close by his side.
"Um… are you feeling any better?" she asked.
"Yeah, actually I am." He gave her a warm smile. His voice was slightly deeper than earlier, since he hadn't spoken in a while.
"That's just wonderful! Err… I mean… that's good." She was struggling inside not to show any weakness around him. She thought he simply wouldn't approve; but why wouldn't he?
"Don't look so nervous. I'm guessing you can't sleep either?" The question had been building in his mind for a while.
"Well… I was just having some trouble falling asleep, yes. But I mostly wanted to check up on you. How are they?" She delicately unwrapped a few bandages, revealing bruised skin and feathers underneath.
"They feel the same. How does it look from your angle?"
"Actually it looks better. The swelling has gone down dramatically. Do you normally heal this fast?" Further inspection showed her that some of the cracked cartilage was starting to mend.
"I guess so, my dad always told me to 'rub dirt in it' when I hurt anything. I used to be a sprinter on my school's track team and was always getting injured." He twitched as he felt her ruffle some feathers.
"Oh I'm sorry… so what's a sprinter?" She continued to poke and prod at his wings.
"Basically it's a contest of who can run the fastest, over short distances that is."
"Oh yeah... Were you good at it?"
"I wasn't bad, I would've won my first race if I knew where the finish line was, but I stopped before I even got close."
"Oh no! What happened? Did you get second?"
"Third actually… the other five passed me up before I realized the race wasn't over. I could hear them laughing at me as they ran by. I was determined not to finish last because of a stupid mistake. I gained on all of them and passed up three, but I couldn't get past the other two. It was kinda embarrassing."
"I know what you mean. That's still pretty impressive though." Fluttershy wrapped up his bandages tightly as he leaned up to listen.
"No kidding? How?" Eagerness filled his voice.
"Well, believe it or not I used to be on a track team at summer flight camp."
"No shit, are you serious?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Oh yes, but I wasn't a very fast flyer at all. I didn't like to perform the short bursts of speed like Rainbow Dash so I was actually on the long-distance team."
"No way! Were you good?" Packie leaned in closer to give her even more attention.
"Sometimes, I won a race once… but I wasn't in that many to begin with. After I learned to enjoy flying I felt as though I could do it all day, just listening to the birds and creatures of the woods." She smiled as the memories came back to her.
"Wow. That's one more race than I ever won, so as far as I'm concerned you're a better athlete than me." He batted away a tuft of blond hair dangling in his face.
"Oh please, really, I'm not all that great. I just enjoy flying that's all. Maybe when you heal in two days we can go for a longer flight."
"Two days? That's it?" Utter excitement took over him.
"Actually with Twilight's help we might be able to fix it by tomorrow. But your wings still need to heal on their own. I remember the last time Rainbow Dash hurt her wings, Twilight was able to speed up the healing process… with some of my help of course." she giggled.
Packie yawned deeply.
"That sounds awesome, Shy." he said. "We have to go there and get me fixed up."
"Alright, but you still need some sleep Patrick." She made her way over to a closet on the other side of the room. She pulled from it a large green blanket. "Maybe this'll help you sleep." Fluttershy returned to his side and handed it to him.
Patrick unfurled it and saw that it would easily cover his whole body, despite it being smaller than most blankets. "Thanks, Shy. You're easily the nicest pon—err… person I've ever met. I think I might have said that already."
"No thank you Patrick. You've been equally kind…" she whipped her hair out of the way, "and you're a really great guy too."
Something in Fluttershy stirred up and she reached out to give him a hug.
At first he was a bit shocked, but returned her gesture. They remained in each other's embrace for a few moments before Fluttershy broke away to return to bed.
"I'll see you in the morning." She warmly smiled at him.
"G'night." He waved to her as she went upstairs and slowly began to fall asleep under the green blanket.
What he couldn't see was the single tear she had shed while she thought to herself.
Why couldn't he be a pony? Maybe I could be like him…no that's silly.
Back at the tree house, in the library…
Jiggs' loud, constant snoring was giving Twilight trouble sleeping. Even worse was his sleep talking.
"snore*…
hey baby how you doin'?...
snore* …
me big American man…
snore*…
oh shit, Jersey… didn't see you there…
snore*…
wait, come back… Jersey
snore*…"
Twilight let out a little giggle. "Oh brother. That is pathetic."
She pulled the pillow over her head, desperately trying to block out the noise.
Meanwhile, miles and miles away…
A gargantuan, red reptile spewed forth a storm of fire. His yellow eyes cut through the night, accenting the burning landscape and twisting flames. The forest before him had been decimated by searing heat and sheer force. The claws of the beast dug into the earth beneath the ashes. It was clear he was looking for something. Five equally large monsters assisted in the destruction, making their way north. The leader, covered in ruby red scales, demanded them to halt.
"Stop brethren. Listen to me." His voice was deep and booming, the voice of a commander. His voice shook the very earth beneath him. "What we are looking for is not here. We must make our way past the mountains."
A blue, smaller, but equally deadly looking dragon spoke. "But master, that is territory strictly belonging to that of ponies. Do you wish to incur the wrath of the princess? She is most cunning…" The indigo lizard's voice hissed and cracked. A large battle scar was etched into the left side of his face.
"The queen will relinquish what is rightfully ours."
A purple beast stuck out his head. "Are you do not fear her, my king?"
"Not in the slightest. We will be prepared, so as long as my plan is followed to the letter. First we must search this mountain range."
With one fell swoop of his massive wing the flames of the forest were extinguished. The leader did not see the point in letting the fire rage in gem-barren lands. It was a waste of life. The ponies are the ones who truly deserved punishment.
The band of six beasts continues their trek up the snowy glaciers. Fumes from burning trees marked their eminent arrival.
"We are coming, queen. You will pay." The red beast bellowed.
At Fluttershy's cottage…
Patrick had begun to settle under the blanket and sink into the sofa. His head felt heavy upon the cloth. It was noticeably more difficult to make out the stars of the night. Something was outshining them. The moon couldn't possibly have been bright enough to do this.
Even though it was late into the night, Patrick could see the faint orange glow rising over the snowcapped mountains to the south.
"Well fuck…" his eyes fixed upon the light, "that does not look good. And it definitely ain't no sunrise." He turned over and fell off the sofa.
CRACK*
"Shit, just gotta ignore the pain… gotta tell Shy."
He slowly stumbled over to the staircase leading up to her room.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria- Chapter 18
The Falling Out
Celestia was pacing around her private study at an unusually upbeat tempo. After receiving Twilight's letter about the "smoke" coming from the southern mountains she had begun to worry that her prediction was coming true.
"But why is this happening now? It shouldn't be. There's no reason for it. It has to be the dragons, but of all times… why now?"
She exuded an attitude of anxiety, possibly even fear. This was quite odd considering her normally calm and collected demeanor.
"This should be an easy fix… Plus with the new 'arrivals' I should be even more prepared."
She found her progress around her study suddenly stop when she passed by her window. It was after nightfall but she could clearly see Ponyville in the distance, and something quite peculiar.
"There should be no light that bright in Ponyville, especially at this time of night. Although it seems too small to be caused by any dragon."
She gasped. "No! It must be Wallace." Clouds over Ponyville seemed to be drawn inwards to the light, as if pulled in by some gravitational force.
She watched for a few minutes as the light gradually flickered off and on until finally fading into nothing.
After waiting to make sure the light was fully gone she went back to her anxious inner monologue.
"That's it. I'm going to Ponyville in the morning. I have to put my royal duties on hold. There are bigger things at risk here. Twilight should be able to handle those boys until then."
Celestia found it hard to take her eyes off Ponyville but continued her somewhat frantic pacing. "I'll have to let Twilight know I'm coming. Luna will have to be in charge while I'm gone."
But I hope I won't be gone for long . She thought.
Without thinking about it, Celestia used her magic to conjure a piece of parchment and a pen.
I'll have to word this carefully .
"Dearest Twilight,
We have much to discuss. There is more than I can put in just a simple letter. I admit I let some things slip my mind when we last met but I wished to keep the mood upbeat. To save you any trouble of traveling to Canterlot, I want to say that I will be coming to Ponyville myself, on the morrow. I don't wish to intrude, but I will come directly to your residence. I also ask that you have our guests readily available as well. I will need to speak to them all individually. Thank you for being ready on such short notice.
Yours truly,
Princess Celestia"
With a flash of her horn's magic the letter disappeared in a wisp of yellow flame.
Time for other business , she thought.
Hurriedly she made her way through the doors of her study and to the main hall of the castle. Royal unicorn guards were placed arbitrarily at key points. The guards weren't aware of anything being out of place or any eminent threat, but they could tell something was amiss.
Celestia made her way down the hall to Princess Luna's main chambers.
The moon is already in place. She should be available to speak at this hour.
"I need to speak with Princess Luna." She said to the posted guards.
"Of course, your majesty." One of them responded. The guards started to head towards another post to allow the princesses some privacy.
Celestia opened the doors easily with her magic and made her way inside Luna's chambers. Closing the door behind her and locking it, she made her way up a spiral staircase to Luna's personal lookout. Assuming she was on duty this was the one logical place she would be, as her royal bedroom was vacant. As Celestia reached the top of the staircase she opened a second set of doors. She noticed Luna looking out towards Ponyville with extreme intent.
Something troubled her also.
"Hello sister." Luna announced. "I thought you might come and visit me here."
"There are some important matters that need to be tended to." Celestia responded.
"Yes there are. What troubles you, sister? Are you alright this evening?"
Celestia looked aside trying to hide any telltale facial expression. "Well Luna, first things first. I'm leaving in the morning."
Luna never glanced back at her, instead keeping watch over the vastness of the countryside, including Ponyville.
"Whatever for?" Luna replied.
"I'm going to help the boys that came here. I want them to be prepared. I didn't say everything I needed to the first time."
"Is that the only thing that worries you, sister?" Luna finally cocked an eye back to Celestia.
"No Luna. In fact, starting tomorrow… I am making you the sole monarch of Equestria. I'm leaving everything to you."
Luna gasped. "What?!... What do you mean? For what reason, sister?"
"I… had a premonition a few days ago, a dream… or a nightmare as it was." Celestia's voice was eerily calm, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders by handing the entire country to Luna.
Luna turned to give her sister full attention.
"I see all dreams sister. Of which one do you speak?" Luna honestly had no recollection of such a nightmare.
"You can't always peer into my dreams." Celestia admitted. "You see, in my dream… I lost my power, my magic, to some unseen force. It was stolen from me… and Equestria was suffering… sniff*"
Celestia drooped her head as a few tears started to curtail around her eyelids. "The humans, these boys, they saved Equestria… in my premonition. But there was such loss…" It was plainly obvious she was trying in vain to hold back her overwhelming grief.
Luna placed a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier sister?"
"I couldn't let anyone know. The humans would've been terrified. But now I see no choice, I have to show them everything I can before time runs out."
"And those charms you gave them? Those spells were extremely potent, even I could see that."
Celestia wiped away a tear with her foreleg. "I knew I would lose my power soon, so I saw no point in holding back. Those boys aren't bad at heart, they are just… misguided. I knew once I planted the seeds that Twilight and her friends help them grow."
She made her way to the edge of Luna's overlook, gazing out into the wide expanse that was Equestria.
"But sister," Luna interrupted, "Twilight Sparkle and her friends have the Elements of Harmony. Surely they can stop whatever this threat may be." Luna jumped off the ground and slowly hovered over to her sister's side.
"I don't think it will be that simple this time, Luna." Celestia replied. "They will use their elements, but in different ways than they usually do."
"I see." Was all Luna could muster.
"Which is why I'm giving you complete control, sister." Celestia gave a slight turn of her head to Luna. "Because I don't know if I'm coming back this time."
"No, please. We will succeed together, just as we have before." Her words cut into Luna like daggers, hearing her sound so unsure of herself. It started to fill her with fear and anxiety as well, and all she could do at this point was use hopeful words.
"I have a feeling we will succeed also…I am just not sure that I will be the one to do it. Those humans however," she let out a long sigh, "they'll be the ones to save us. I felt it in my premonition and when I met them. They are very much different from any humans I have ever had contact with, and they are our only hope at this point… which is why I gave them so much."
"What do you see in them sister?" Luna inquired.
"Confusion, loneliness, angst, doubt…" Celestia began to crack a smile, "but this is something that Twilight and her friends have seen before, and they always seem to fix the problem accordingly. That is why I knew it would be better for them to stay in Ponyville."
"And that incident just a while ago? It was the brown haired one, wasn't it?" Luna asked.
"Probably. I will have to place a limiting talisman on him, if it was."
"The spell you cast on him was the most potent, was it not?"
"Indeed. I sensed the greatest turmoil in him, the moment my magic made contact. But I saw that Twilight's friend, Pinkie Pie, had started to form a bond with the boy. I know she will keep him in check the longer they are together… nonetheless, for our safety I must still have a talisman in place. His power has the potential for limitless good, and unspeakable destruction."
"I hope you chose right, sister." Luna added.
"As do I."
They sat in quiet for a few brief moments, enjoying Luna's brilliant night sky. This was the calm before the storm and both of them could feel it. There was so much to do if what Celestia had said would come to fruition. She was the first to break the silence.
"I'm sorry I put so much on you, Luna."
"No sister, it is quite alright. The burden you bare is quite heavy. All I have to do is keep our subjects from panicking and make sure all business goes on as usual. I'd say we've both handled worse than that."
"Easier said than done." Celestia glumly noted. "However, I've seen you change as well Luna. I wouldn't go so willingly if I knew my kingdom wasn't in the proper care it deserves. You've grown much over the years, and I think you are right. You do deserve the same amount of respect that I receive and this might be a perfect opportunity to prove that."
"I promise I won't let you down." Luna wasn't sure if to feel honored, or terrified. "Are you going to inform the royal guard?"
"Only the ones I take with me."
"And how many will that be?" said Luna.
"Probably three only."
"B-but why so few?" Luna stammered.
"Something tells me the rest will be needed here, at Canterlot. Please trust me on this one, Luna. The rest of the guard and citizens will come to you in my absence." Celestia wanted to tell her there would be no point in bringing a full fleet, but she had spoken volumes in just those few statements.
"I will follow your lead, sister. I'll do it for you."
"Thank you… Luna." Celestia reached a hoof around Luna's neck and delicately pulled her into a hug, as Luna returned the gesture. This was something that nearly never happens.
After a few moments out on the lookout they both made their way down the spiraling staircase. Celestia made for the door and before she left for the night gave a nod in approval to her sister, who was still going to spend the night watching over their citizens. Luna merely walked with Celestia just to see her out and to wish her a good night.
After shutting the door with her magic aura, Celestia found the nearest guard.
"Your majesty, what can I do for you?" The guard asked.
"I need a chariot in the morning. Please let the quartermaster know. Also I will be taking with me our two fastest Pegasus guards and our resident Magic Specialist Officer."
"T-the MSO? For what reason should I tell him." The guard nervously inquired.
"No need to give him one. I will tell him myself."
"Of course, your majesty. And if he asks where you are heading?"
"I'm going to Ponyville. That is all."
"It will be done."
"Thank you for your service. I'll be heading off to bed now."
The grey pony bowed and made his way for the guard's quarters, leaving Celestia to continue her trek to her bedroom.
What a taxing night . She thought.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On the outskirts of Ponyville …
Bang*Bang*
Packie had ran up the stairs as quickly as he could and was now banging on Fluttershy's bedroom door.
"Hey Shy, umm… I'm sorry to wake you, but I think you should see this." He could hear her fumbling around on the other side of the door, presumably finding it hard to walk in complete darkness. She opened the door to see him standing there in only his blue jeans, one of his wings still dangled limply.
"What is it, Patrick?" she asked with concern.
"Just come with me, I think you can see it better down here." Without much hesitation Fluttershy followed him down to her living room. Packie pointed out the window towards the dim orange light, atop one of the snowcapped mountains.
"You see it right?" Packie asked.
"Well yes… but I don't know what it is." They looked at each other for a split second and then back out the window.
"It's so far away." Packie noted. "Shouldn't we tell Twilight?"
"Yes, but it might not be a very good idea to bother her this late at night." She started to twiddle her hooves around nervously.
"Do you just want to wait till morning?" He could tell making this decision was difficult for her. She weighed her options carefully and came to a decision.
"Well I know what I want to do, but what do you think we should do?" she asked.
"We should go in the morning." he said without much hesitation.
"What? Are you sure?" Fluttershy was surprised at his quick dismissal of the issue. It seemed a moment ago that the light had genuinely concerned him. What Fluttershy didn't know is that Packie had already known what her choice was. He could see her silently protesting through her eyes. She did not want to disturb anyone, especially not this late.
"I'm sure. We'll tell Twilight at the crack of dawn. But for now we should probably get some sleep." Fluttershy, who could barely keep her eyes open, happily agreed and made her way back upstairs to her room. Hearing someone else take control comforted her, as she was never one to make big decisions. She honestly would've have followed him no matter what his decision was, however.
Packie was left alone once again with only himself and his thoughts. He closed the curtains over the window until he couldn't see the mountains anymore. Then laying his head down on the sofa and getting his wings comfy, he started to contemplate the past day and what tomorrow would bring as sleep started to take him.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Far away, atop a snowy mountain …
The giant red dragon heaved a heavy breath of flames up onto his face. The driving snow was seemingly trying to halt his progress with all its might. The fire he had conjured had melted the snow that had compacted over his nostrils.
"This will not do ." The beast bellowed.
He turned to ensure that his fellow brethren were keeping pace. Should one of them fall behind it would surely mean a brutally cold death. Even with their ability to conjure fire with every breath, no amount of flame could dispel this blizzard.
The largest behemoth, colored of the darkest brown soil, was one of the few who could keep full pace with their king.
"Perhaps we should stop for now, my king. The others can barely stand this storm."
"And what would you have me do, Greyl? There is no place for us here. We must keep going ." The red beast gave a flail of his arm to show what direction they needed to head.
The colossal brown dragon stooped his head to let some snow fall off. Then he met his master's gaze. "I'm begging you, not as my king, but as my friend… please let us stop here! Otherwise for what purpose did you bring us along? We are the best for a reason."
The king stood still in the driving torrent of snow and contemplated his words. The other four members caught up to them, in the midst of their talking. "Greyl, this ice sheet is malleable isn't it? We could bore into it... until the storm passes at the very least ."
"Allow me my king."
Following his master's initiative the largest dragon walked forward through the blizzard until he came upon a massive pillar of ice, five stories tall. With no layer of rock underneath and the thickness yet to be determined he felt as though this was the best candidate for shelter.
Taking in a massive gulp of air he released a wall of flame. It was notably harder to direct with the driving wind constantly wailing at his back, but with persistence and determination the ice sheet had started to disintegrate under the intense heat. On one breath the giant had managed to managed to bore a hole equal to his height but only about ten feet in depth. After repeating the process several times there was a sizable cave, large enough to fit the dragon king's entire clan.
The red beast brought his group to the entrance of the 'cave' as they began to funnel inside. They all took note of the clean cut he had made, punching through the ice like holes in Swiss cheese. Despite making the opening big enough for all of them, Greyl's head protrusions would occasionally graze the ceiling.
There were a few drops of water that would fall, turning back into ice when coming into contact with the frozen floor. Now that they were out of the driving snow the king issued his orders.
He first spoke to his gargantuan first officer. "Greyl I want you to keep going deeper. Something tells me we will need full use of this mountains glacial structure. Also be advised that the ice under such pressure could start to flow like water. Do not become trapped down there and use your intellect ."
"It will be done my king." The beast spoke softly and deeply, turning back to his given task.
The king turned to his two companions almost in equal stature to him. They were both his former students from ages ago, back when the king brought about great change to dragon kind.
One dragon, colored the deepest shade of violet, had sharp piercing yellow eyes, a long snout and jaw, deep red ridges extending down the length of his back, and a heavy-set muscular build. He was a magic specialist within the group, which up until the last century or so was practically unheard of, but because of his skillset had quickly risen through the ranks. He had become a valuable asset to the King's plan. As a child dragon he was mistreated by those around him, often getting himself bloodied. As a result he gave himself the name Blood.
Blood's assistant was a similarly sized though shorter in stature turquoise colored lizard of a dragon. Normally the king wouldn't have bothered bringing him along, but Blood was persistent that he needed his assistant to aid in his use of draconic magic. Blood had given him extensive training on spells, but he lacked basic common sense. Notably he wasn't as intelligent as the others in the party, however he was even more vicious willing to charge headlong into battle for the king. This was his saving grace.
His ruby red eyes clashed intensely with his blue scales, maybe to distract anyone from seeing his perfectly serrated daggers for teeth. He lacked any ridges on his back, but had three scaly protrusions encircling the back of his neck, creating a makeshift 'collar' of spikes. While it was somewhat of an oddity for dragons now, it was thought that the 'collar' was a sign of a healthy male. This particular trait had been all but weeded out by dragon society.
"Blood ," the king said," I want you and your 'assistant' as you say, to follow Greyl. And should he come across a layer of rock, which I'm certain will happen, I want you to start searching for gems. Any gems you find I want you to bring back here. Am I understood ?"
Blood was quick to bow. His voice was not as deep or heavy as his the King's. "It will be done my king." Compared to most dragons, his speech was dignified and refined.
"Yes master…" His assistant hissed. "…right away."
The pair of dragons followed the towering beast who was boring further into the ice. Luckily their skillset allowed them to be most proficient at finding a dragon's delicacy of choice, rare gemstones.
As the three plowed into the mountainside the king gave his attention to his last two soldiers, Fletch and Allele.
Fletch was the king's fastest flyer and stood only about half his height. His body was a silvery white that glistened in moonlight and almost caused him to get lost in the heavy snowfall. His underbelly was a deep shade of cyan, making him virtually untraceable from ground level, although only on a clear day. Perhaps his most noticeable feature however was a horn protruding directly from his forehead, specifically designed for skewering prey. His sapphire-like eagle eyes could see anywhere and anything, piercing and unflinching. His superb vision, along with his slender frame and powerful wings made him a truly deadly adversary.
Allele on the other hand was entirely his opposite. Being the only female dragon in the king's party, she had to meet certain qualifications to accompany him on this journey. While she was more than competent enough in combat she had other "means" of handling any enemy. The king had also taught her centuries prior in the use of black magic. After much practice she had become well versed in the use of draconic hexes. She wasn't accustomed to getting her claws bloodied.
She had a fairly basic build for a dragon. She was smaller than most, just slightly more than Fletch, but still managed to appear menacing. She had no protruding horns or clusters of scales and the size of her claws were miniscule at best. Over the centuries she had developed a terrible habit of biting the tips off her claws. Her sunflower yellow scales looked vibrant and young as she was not as aged as her fellow brethren. As a result of her uniquely feminine green eyes, she was often teased just as Blood had been. Thanks to her king, she had put a stop to any teasing personally with the use of her own magical power.
Their master waited for their attention and they quickly obliged. He pointed one lengthy claw at his white soldier, their designated scout. "Fletch, the moment this storm is over I want you to scout ahead. You are the only who will not get caught flying, so as long you maintain proper altitude. "
"Yes, my king." The white beast gave a bow of obedience.
The red beast then looked down upon the female, "And for you… I need your help with something 'special' ."
The king held out his hand and fired a great yellow fireball from his mouth. He caught the blast in his palm, his claws turning a bright orange trying to contain the intense heat.
With a flick of his wrist the ball of fire dissipated and in his hand sat an old, stained, and tattered book.
"This is our means of success." the king snarled.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria -
Nineteen
This morning had been a particularly busy one for Celestia. She had found it nearly impossible to focus with everything going on around her. As with every morning, the first thing she had to do was raise the sun while Luna reciprocated by lowering the moon. Celestia wondered how long that was going to last.
She had been notified that her chariot was ready and her officers were standing by for takeoff. Everypony in the castle was uneasy about letting her go with so few members of the guard, although they were admittedly the best the guard has to offer.
It was another bright and balmy day in her kingdom as she and Luna opened the grand hall doors. There was no time for pleasantries as the rest of the guard was stationed outside. Celestia had asked for this in particular, to address the entire lot of them one more time.
"My Royal Guard," she said, "I am leaving for an undefined period of time. There is an urgent matter I must personally attend to. In my absence, I want you all to take your orders directly from my sister, Princess Luna. Show her the same respect you would show me, and I wish you the best."
Her statement was brief and punctual. She wanted to avoid having the guard worried so she tried to be as ambiguous as possible. Any specifics could throw Canterlot into a great Panic.
The guard took a collective bow as Celestia walked toward the chariot. At the helm were her two fastest Pegasus guards and in the seat she would be sitting in sat her chief magic specialist, an indigo colored unicorn with a deep black mane trimmed to a short length.
Celestia came to a halt before boarding and turned to Luna, who had been by her side all morning. She tried her best to sound as hopeful as possible. "Luna, I know you are capable of doing this."
A single tear curled up in the corner of Luna's left eye. She didn't even know if she would see her sister again.
"I know I can. But can you?"
Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I guess we'll find out. Now won't we?"
"Just please come back to us… to me in one piece." Her voice was barely audible as they did not want any of the guard to overhear. "Don't believe your premonition. You can succeed. I know it."
Celestia gave a once over to the rest of Canterlot. "Take good care of them Luna."
"I will…" Luna choked. She was finding it extremely difficult to be strong in this situation.
Celestia removed her hoof from Luna. She filed into the chariot and sat next to her chief officer. "Let us be off." She sighed. The two pegasi made a running start and quickly picked up speed. They jumped simultaneously, started flapping their wings, and began to gain altitude. With a wave of her hoof Celestia gave her sister and her guard a final goodbye as Luna tearfully returned the gesture. After a few moments Canterlot started to fade into the distance.
Celestia gave her eye a wipe and steadied her heart. "Nova, I just want something to be made perfectly clear. This conversation never happened. As far as Canterlot is concerned I'm only going to help the newly arrived humans."
The unicorn sitting next to her was covered head to toe in golden armor of the royal family. His helmet had two slits in the back which allowed his mane to be kept strictly behind his head. This armor was specifically reserved for the guard's elite and his title was something he had worked his whole career for, trying to achieve. He was always about business, nothing else.
He turned to meet his Princess with his emerald green eyes, his expression calm and his features masculine.
"Of course, Princess. I always keep things hush-hush." He stated bluntly. His voice sounded experienced but not aged, like his title would suggest.
"Well for one thing," said Celestia, "we aren't coming back from this mission anytime soon. And yes this is an official Royal mission."
"I understand." He said coolly.
"I'm glad." Celestia searched for her next words, trying to place them delicately. "It has come to my attention that multiple dragons will be coming to Equestria soon. Although, I am not certain as to how many, or for what purpose."
"Do you think they'll be hostile?" he asked.
"That's what I'm afraid of. I think they will."
"That's… terrible." He stammered. Nova could feel his heart start to race as he struggled to maintain calm.
"So now you see why I wasn't about to let the entire Royal guard know. Do you know what the consequences would possibly be? Hostile dragons? In Equestria? It would be disastrous, there would be pandemonium." Celestia was becoming visibly flustered just talking about this new threat.
"W-who else knows?" he stuttered.
"Only Princess Luna, so far."
"And I'm assuming we are going to Ponyville to enlist the help of the Elements?" It was common knowledge that almost any major threat Equestria has ever faced was quickly dispatched with the help of the Elements of harmony.
"It won't be so simple, Nova." Celestia shut her eyes to hide any sign of worry.
"But Princess, why not?" There came a silence that lasted for several seconds.
"To be quite honest I'm not sure. Just call it a hunch."
"Okay," said Nova, "I know you better than this. If we're putting everything on the table here then I need to know what you're not telling me." He stomped his hoof down to show emphasis.
Celestia turned and smiled at him. "Nothing gets by you does it."
"Not typically." He retorted.
"Well… if you must know. I had a premonition. That's how I know all this. It happened in one of my dreams a few nights ago."
"And what about the Elements?" he asked impatiently.
"Something 'happened' to them." She wasn't even quite sure herself. "Something rendered them useless."
"So that is why we are going to deal with it personally? Because your premonition said we must?"
"Not exactly. Those humans are in Ponyville. They are the ones we should seek out."
"I understand, Princess." Not wanting to overstep his boundaries, Nova decided to end the conversation there. There was no point in pestering his Princess anymore. He already had all the information he needed.
The chariot returned to silence, save for the sound of beating wings.
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Jiggs was standing out on Twilight's balcony, enjoying the fresh morning air and what he told himself would be his last cigarette. Applejack had said he could stop by and visit anytime and he made sure he would take her up on that. It had been years since he lived on a farm and now that he was allowed to visit he was going to take every opportunity he could. Firstly, he would have to quit smoking. He knew better than do so around such a sensitive area such as Sweet Apple Acres.
"Yeah maybe this'll be just what I need." He said to no one in particular.
After taking one last drag he flicked the cigarette with his finger and watched it shoot down to the dirt road below, not fully realizing his own strength has increased so greatly. He ran a finger and thumb through the black stubble on his face.
"Should probably shave too." He gave a loud cough due to the buildup in his lungs. His voice was gruff and his speech disheveled. Normally he wasn't the first one to rise in the morning but he had slept unusually well the night prior. It seemed that Equestria was growing on him, or maybe just having someone as intelligent as himself to talk to was nice having around.
Twilight had mentioned to him to stay put at the library or something to that effect. The night prior had been somewhat hectic. According to Pinkie Pie the strange storm, or earthquake it seemed, had occurred because Wallace lost control of his power. When Jiggs and Twilight went to investigate Wallace had passed out cold, with Pinkie Pie close by his side. Needless to say, Twilight had her hoofs full trying to explain to the residents of Ponyville that what had transpired was an accident and nothing to be worried about.
"That guy's nothing but trouble." Jiggs commented. He threw on a black hoodie and zipped up the front, before making his way back into Twilight's treehouse.
Wallace was awake now sitting upright in his sleeping bag, looking down at his ipod. He didn't have on any headphones, instead preferring to listen to some music through the speakers. While the music was playing he noticed a cut on his left hand with a slight drop of blood trickling down. He thought it must've happened the night before, when he had his little "freak-out." It wasn't serious enough to where it would need a bandage, but he thought it might need some attention.
Without even thinking about it the drop of his blood he had his eye on started to lift itself off his hand, suspended in midair.
That's weird . He thought. Was I always able to do that ?
The red drop of fluid contorted and twisted into odd shapes as he tried experimenting with his abilities of telekinetic manipulation.
This is freaking sweet .
He pulled the drop into a long shape of a string, then condensed it into a sphere. He repeated this process several times until something odd started to happen. The 'heat' of his own energy surrounding the drop was starting to dry it out and harden it.
"It's coagulating." He noted to himself.
After the small drop had hardened fully he relinquished his grip and the sphere of dried blood fell to the floor.
"Well if that's how that works…" An idea came to him. He held his right hand over the cut on his left. His yellow aura ever so delicately worked its way into his cut. He could feel the blood on the surface in his telekinetic grasp, which in his right hand translated to the feeling of a gentle vibration as if his hand had gone numb. The surface of the cut started to wiggle back and forth in his 'grip' and he could see his plan was starting to succeed. As the red fluid was worked and kneaded it finally hardened in place.
Wallace had made a scab over his cut, and to some degree healed himself.
"Heh-heh…" he let out a little chuckle, which started to build, "…ha-ha. Hahaha…" He couldn't stop laughing. The feeling of success was overwhelming, probably because of the failure that had plagued him his whole life up until this moment.
When Jiggs finally made his way downstairs he could hear Wallace laughing to himself like he had just heard the greatest joke in existence.
"And what exactly is so hysterical?" Jiggs asked him.
Wallace flicked his matted hair out of the way to look at Jiggs as he raised his left hand to show him the cut.
"You're an idiot." Jiggs said. "Where's the pink one?" He looked around the library but didn't see Pinkie Pie anywhere.
"Oh," said Wallace, "While you were outside Highlight came downstairs in a panic, saying something about the 'Princess is coming!' and 'We need to go find Patrick!' and some more crazy shit like that. So she told Cupcake to go around town looking for him, and then she took the little dragon guy with her."
"How long ago was that?"
"Probably fifteen minutes."
"Shouldn't we be helping them? I know she told us to stay but it doesn't feel right, y'kno?" Jiggs asked. He started to rummage around in his bag of toiletries he took from the van.
"Hell no! Highlight made it damn clear to me that we needed to stay here." He went back to surfing through his ipod.
"Fine whatever." Jiggs lamented. "In that case I'm gonna be in the bathroom for a little bit."
"Knock yourself out." Said Wallace.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fluttershy was up earlier than usual, though for typical reasons. With a plethora of animals to take care of and Packie's wing problem needing immediate attention she decided to get things done as soon as possible. She had left him to sleep on the sofa as she went about her business not wanting to disturb him.
When the first rays of sun hit his face he began to stir. He lurched forward and sat upright, taking a glance out the window. He noticed that his wings didn't hurt as much. Perhaps those bandages had done some good already. Outside he could see some farm animals following Fluttershy, and some animals he wouldn't really think of as being domesticated. There were squirrels, rabbits, chickens, a pig, deer, ferrets, groundhogs, and birds. There were so many birds. What was truly unbelievable is that she seemed to be communicating with them and they even understood and responded accordingly.
"What the fuck…" Packie mumbled to himself, staring in disbelief. "That's just crazy. But at the same time… pretty freaking cool."
He watched as she fed all of them and greeted each animal as if she knew them by name. She genuinely had a gift and Packie recognized it immediately.
Each of her animal friends seemed to say goodbye and her own pets went back to their daily business. She made her way back to her cottage unaware that she was being watched. She had made the realization that the sun was starting to peak its head and Packie would want to leave as soon as possible. As she opened the door she noticed him sitting up and looking out the window. He quickly turned to face her.
"Oh hey, you're up." She said.
He started to rub his eyes, acting as though he had just woken. "Yeah, I see you are as well. We should probably get going right."
"Well yes. We do have a lot to do today."
"Let's get going then." He smirked at her and she smiled in return.
It took only several minutes for each of them to get ready. Packie still had his black and bloodied shirt but considering the condition of his wings he decided against putting it on. The two of them started making their way towards Ponyville, though at a leisurely pace. There was no point in rushing and most likely it would not have been a good idea with Packie's condition.
With the sun beating at their backs they found themselves coming to the outskirts of town.
"So…" said Packie, "you can talk to animals?"
Fluttershy's face turned red. "Oh, you saw that?" She wasn't really embarrassed by him knowing, it was just she didn't know he was watching.
"Well yeah, and it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen!" he exclaimed.
She blushed again. "Oh it wasn't anything, really. I do it all time."
Packie wasn't exactly sure how to respond. "Well it's not really a common thing where I come from."
"You'll find that a lot around here." She smiled at him.
"Good, cuz I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."
Fluttershy suddenly stopped in her tracks, replaying his words in her head. "What do you mean? You don't want to go back?"
Packie gave out a slight laugh. "Well, you certainly are giving me any reasons to leave." He smiled in return this time.
"FLUTTERSHY!"
They both heard the call from behind them and turned in time to see Twilight running at a full gallop. She started to slow down as she approached them. "Oh thank Celestia! I've been looking everywhere for you guys!"
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.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria:
Chapter 21
Packie shut the door behind him and took his seat across from Celestia. She was just placing the last piece into the broken table when he sat down. The new table was perfectly reconstructed just like the original, though there were noticeable cracks on the surface.
"I bet you're good at jigsaw puzzles too." He said cheekily.
"Well when you've lived as long as I have, you learn how everything fits together." The princess replied.
"So how are you doing today?"
The princess was shocked at his sudden politeness. She had been expecting much different. "I'm doing… well. But perhaps it is I who should be asking that. What happened to you?" she asked.
"I… uh… fell." It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either.
"Fell onto what? Explosives?" Celestia asked. "I've been in a few crashes myself when I was younger, and I know that was no typical accident. For instance, I know that if it were a typical crash that most of your torso would be injured as well. But I can plainly see that only your wings are injured so why don't you just tell me."
"Okay, okay. I didn't know what to do. I was coming at the ground hot and I panicked and slammed my wings together to stop. Is that what you wanted to hear?" he started to sound like he was being backed into a corner.
"That's all?" she asked.
"That's all? You aren't mad?"
"Why would I be mad? You are the one who is hurt." She pointed out.
"Well… I don't know, I thought you'd be upset that I got injured so soon after getting my wings."
"That's ridiculous. You learned your lesson haven't you?"
Packie shrugged his shoulders. "I guess."
"Then why would I be angry? I highly doubt you'll let it happen again. Am I right to assume that?" she asked.
"Oh most definitely." He assured. "I'm done with all that shit. I know I'll get it right next time, well whenever next time is." Packie slouched in his chair, making sure to not let his bandaged wings touch anything.
"I think I might be able to help with that." She smiled at him. "Please take off your shoes and lie face down on the table."
"Whoa whoa, that sounds a little weird to me."
"Do you want me to help or not?" Celestia asked.
Packie let out a lengthy sigh, gave a glance at his injured wings, and removed his shoes. "Fine." He muttered.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Downstairs Jiggs had started to make conversation with Twilight, while Fluttershy and Spike were having a discussion of their own.
"So what do they do exactly?" asked Twilight.
"Oh nothing." Said Jiggs. "They're just heavy as shit."
"I see." She said. "Why don't you just take them off?"
"Can't, there's a secret password or something." With his right hand he fiddled with the bracelet on his left wrist, trying to prod it open but to no avail. "It just won't budge."
"Why didn't she tell you the password?" Twilight asked.
"She said she needed me to be stronger, so I didn't push the subject too much. She said she would tell Applejack the password and let her decide when to let me off the hook."
Jiggs found an empty chair and sat in it, twirling the bright silver bracelets around his wrists. He had to admit it was becoming easier to deal with them the longer he had them on, but every movement still required very subtle adjustments to make sure he didn't totally destroy something. "Gotta say, that's going to be pretty aggravating after a while." He said to no one in particular.
"Should I go get Applejack then?" said Twilight.
"Couldn't hurt." He noted.
"Fine then," she said, "I'll go get her, bring her here and then we'll be next to talk to Princess Celestia."
At that moment Wallace stuck his head out of the bathroom. He hid his lower body behind the door as he was obviously naked underneath. His head was wrapped in a white towel to hide his new magical headdress. A trail of steam started to trickle out of the bathroom and float up towards the ceiling.
"Hey Highlight!" Wallace called.
"Yeah?" replied Twilight.
"Can you—
"GWAAHHHHHH!" Wallace was suddenly cut off by a loud yelp of pain that seemed to come from upstairs.
Fluttershy panicked. "Oh no! Patrick!" she frantically ran up the stairs after him.
"So anyways, Twilight," said Wallace, "can you get Cupcake too? She's got to learn my secret password thingy too for my headband." He waited a few moments for her to respond.
"Umm… sure." She finally said.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fluttershy burst the door open in a great hurry. "Patrick!" she yelled. But she stopped for a moment to look at what was unfolding before her. It wasn't the sight of him being tortured as she had assumed, but rather something much odder.
Packie was lying face down on the table with his great white wings unfurled in the air. Innocently enough, Celestia had one of his wings in her magical grasp, meticulously working every muscle and bone. Without any hesitation she through one of his joints to the side, bending it into an odd shape.
SNAP*
"AHHHHHHHOOOOHHH… oohh man, does that feel good!" Packie announced. He turned his head to see his best friend standing in the doorway. "Oh hey Shy! Sorry, was I too loud?"
"B-b-but… I thought… you were hurt…" Fluttershy's words trailed off.
"What do you think of my technique, Fluttershy?" asked the princess. She turned her head to see Fluttershy's reaction.
"Umm, it's a bit…oh what's the word… traditional?" she said.
"All I'm doing is realigning some joints, cartilage, and other things of the sort. Then Patrick will be good as new." Celestia assured.
"I'm so sorry Princess. I didn't mean to intrude, I'll be going now." Fluttershy started to turn and leave, when she heard Patrick.
"Hey I'll be down in a second, alright?" he said.
She flashed a smile at him. "Alright." She acknowledged. With a quick wave of her hoof she pulled the door shut behind her and went down the staircase.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" came another muffled scream.
"Fluttershy, is he okay?" Twilight asked.
"Oh he's fine." She said cheerfully. "He said so himself."
"Well I'm going to go get everyone else, do you want to come with?"
"Um, who do you mean?" asked Fluttershy.
"You know, our friends, the elements of harmony, and saviors of Equestria? I'm sure the princess would like to speak with us all next." Twilight chimed. "Besides when's the last time we had everyone here together, at the library. It seems like forever ago."
She leaned in close to Fluttershy to whisper in her ear. "And I think I'd be more comfortable with all these guards around if my friends were here with me."
"Oh good point." Said Fluttershy. "Alright let's go get them, and quickly please. I don't want to leave Patrick by himself here for too long."
"Eh he has his friends and the princess here. I'm sure he'll be fine. Now let's go!"
They made their way out the door and past the guards, who let them pass with no hesitation. "We're bringing back some friends." Twilight told Nova.
"Very well." he responded sternly.
"Let's get Applejack first." Twilight said.
"Oh, alright." Said Fluttershy.
Without a second thought Twilight started running for Sweet Apple Acres with Fluttershy flying behind her in hot pursuit.
Back in the treehouse, Jiggs and Spike hadn't yet noticed the two leave.
"Have you tried asking her out yet?" asked Jiggs.
"Don't be ridiculous. She just sees me as a cute little baby dragon, not as a guy she'd ever date. I'll probably never have a chance with her." Spike said.
"Not with that attitude." Said Jiggs.
"Ha, yeah. I don't think at this point attitude's got anything to do with it."
"Man do I know that feeling." He admitted.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"And hold still… just one last thing." Said Celestia.
Crack*
"Hmm, that one wasn't as bad." Noted Packie.
"That should be it. Now give me one big stretch." She asked.
With a quick flex of his back and shoulder muscles his wings flew outward. The gust he created made some of the books on the shelf fly open, while some were thrown about wildly. The window flexed into a concave shape from the airburst, but snapped back into place. Celestia could feel her mane thrown behind her as the cool air rushed past her head. The room slowly returned to still calmness.
"Excellent. Feel any better?" she asked.
"Loads." He added. He slowly slid back off the table and returned to his seat. The last bandage fell off showing bruised but healed skin underneath some feathers. His wings had returned to their familiar shape before the accident occurred.
"Wow you're a miracle worker!"
"It wasn't my first time, to be quite honest. And the bruising should go away by tonight." She said
"Fantastic." He said.
"Yes, and now that we've gotten that out of the way I want to ask you something."
"Sure. Anything." He replied.
"Have you been able to change yet?"
"Into… what?" he asked.
"Anything. Have you changed your form at all?"
"I guess I haven't really been trying to, seeing as I've been totally screwed for a full day now. But Fluttershy's been helping me feel way better." He added.
"That's great." She said. "I'm glad you're getting along… but frankly I'm shocked you haven't been able to change yet. It seems you have the opposite problem of your friends."
"Which is what?" he asked.
"They seem to be able to access their abilities far easier than you can. I gave Wallace an item to suppress his power and I gave Anthony weighted bracelets to increase his strength. But for you…hmm… what could I do with you?" she asked smugly.
"What exactly was my ability again?"
"Oh… well you can take the shape and ability of your spirit's form."
"That sounds like a load of crap." He admitted.
"What if I explained it like this? If you think aggressive thoughts then you'll turn into an aggressive beast, if you feel frightened then you'll change into something that can run away from what frightens you, and if you are at peace-"
"Then I'll stay the same." He interrupted.
"Well you do have a fantastic form, if I do say so myself." She said somewhat annoyed.
"I guess you're right. Flying around is pretty awesome… it's just that," he paused and took a deep breath, "I feel so useless compared to the other guys. They can probably do so much more stuff than me. They could probably help people, or ponies using their powers. And then there's me, all I can do is fly. That's it. What a useless pile of shit I am."
He paused and let out a lengthy sigh.
"Maybe for you to change form you have to get inside the animal's head, so to speak." Celestia said.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, perplexed.
"There is one last thing I can give you. I can enhance your senses."
"My senses? Like so I can hear a pin drop from a mile away? I bet that'll do a load of good." he said slyly.
"Not exactly, maybe enhance your 'instincts' would be a better word. Although that could be dangerous, maybe I shouldn't…"
"No please! I'll take anything, really. For the dragons? There are dragons right?"
"Who told you that? Was it the other boys?"
"No, I just kinda guessed it myself. Fluttershy and I saw a big orange glow on top of one of the mountains."
"What did you say?" Celestia hissed. "An orange glow?... No… I thought I had more time than this."
"What's the matter?" asked Packie. "Why is that such a big deal?"
"That's so close." She muttered, "They're practically here already." Celestia lowered her gaze to the table's surface and stared as if in a trance. Her bottom jaw dangled open lazily as she entered a state of deep thought.
SNAP*
Packie snapped his fingers in front of her face to break her fogged mind. For a second she looked around the room, coming back to her senses. "Earth to Princess." The voice caught her attention.
"Look if we're fighting dragons here then I need whatever help you're willing to give me, because frankly I have no plans of going home. I'm staying here, and if I need to fight off some stupid dragons to earn the right to stay, then damn it I will." His voice was stern and serious, forcing Celestia to return the same.
"I'm sorry. Yes I'll help. I don't know what came over me."
"Well let's get on with it. If it's that much of an issue then we have no time to waste." He responded.
"You're right. Okay but before I apply this spell, just be warned that it might take some getting used to. You have to work into it slowly. It will bring out your most basic primal instincts so please maintain control of yourself. Do I make myself clear?" The princess glared at him, so he would realize the seriousness of the situation.
"I… I understand princess. I'll behave." He smiled confidently.
"Good." She used her magical power to raise her crown off of her head. The golden item floated down to the table and planted itself firmly in the center.
"Do I put it on?" he asked.
"Don't be silly. My crown has certain 'properties' which make it a valuable tool to keep on me at all times. Now, place one hand on the crown and repeat after me."
Packie placed his right hand on the corresponding crook of the crown. He could've sworn he felt it vibrating or perhaps had a weak current flowing through it.
"Alright, now what?" he asked.
"Repeat." She paused. "To a higher individual, I do confide"
"To a higher individual, I do confide." He said verbatim.
"To a higher living, never to hide." She said.
"To a higher living, never to hide." Sounds like a stoner's club initiation speech . He thought.
"To higher understanding, end my stride." Celestia said.
"To higher understanding, end my stride." He repeated.
"To a higher individual, release my animal inside." She said.
"To a higher individual, release my animal inside— gack*"
Packie felt a great surge of energy rush through his right hand, up his shoulder and neck, and then right to his brain. The crown had practically shocked him off the table, but he remained in his seat. Celestia could see a flickering twinkle in his eye, like a star burning out. He zoned out for a few seconds, staring blankly at the ceiling, not quite sure where he was for a second.
CLOP*
Celestia planted a hoof on table, making a loud clacking noise. "Patrick, snap out of it." Said Celestia.
Patrick gripped the sides of the chair with his hand and shook his head wildly, as if trying to get a bad song out of it. "Sorry. I don't really remember what just happened. My brain's a little fucked right now." He stopped shaking his head long enough to glance around the room. The colors in the room seemed more vivid, and the light coming through the window which hadn't bothered him before, was now unbearably bright and as such had to squint his eyes.
"That should be a natural reaction. At least for the time being, but it will wear off." The princess said.
Packie was watching her lips move tentatively. He could've sworn she was talking in slow motion. He looked at his hand and flexed it open and then closed. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? He seemed to be moving at a normal pace but Celestia was still moving slower than usual.
"This is weird." He said.
"What are you experiencing?" she asked slowly.
"Everything." He could hear his heart beating in his chest. It was going so fast, he was sure he would die if it went any faster. "It's like everything suddenly became more focused." He stood up and walked over toward the window, placing a hand over his forehead to protect his eyes from the morning sun.
"Are you feeling alright?" Celestia asked. "You're moving awfully fast."
"What do you mean?" he asked. "I walk just like I normally do."
"If you say so." Said Celestia.
He gazed out across Ponyville, watching everypony move so slowly. He placed his left hand on the glass pane of the window and something caught his attention. With fear in his eyes he withdrew his hand into a clenched fist.
"So how do I come back to this form?" he asked nervously.
"You mean your normal state?" she asked.
"Uh… yes."
"All you have to do is calm down, and find your inner peace." She said.
"That's it?"
"That's it." She confirmed.
"Alright Princess. I'll help you fight these dragons. As long as I can stay here for good." He smiled happily.
"You got it." She said.
"So are we done here?"
"I believe we are. Let us go back downstairs. I think we all need a little break."
"Amen to that, sister." Said Packie. He casually strolled over to the door and opened it, with Celestia following him. It was somewhat obvious that Packie was trying to conceal something in his left hand but the princess had yet to notice.
He let the princess go down first and he brought up the rear, looking down at his left hand. He could see the skin holding his fingernails in place starting to peel back slightly, letting his nails lengthen considerably and curtail in a sharp downward hook shape. They looked considerably more like claws now.
It's okay . He thought. This is supposed to happen right? I just gotta find my happy place… before this gets out of hand. Or else… I'm fucked !
"Princess Celestia!" The small crowd had gathered at the foot of the staircase. Twilight and Fluttershy had taken the time to round up all of her friends, while Celestia was busy chatting with Patrick.
"Hello everyone!" she replied. "Wow you got everyone back here so fast Twilight. I have to ask, how did you do it?"
"Oh oh! ME! ME! ME!" shouted Pinkie Pie as she waved her hoof around.
"Well as it turns out," interrupted Twilight, "Pinkie here was gathering everyone and had a huge search party going around town looking for Patrick and Fluttershy—"
"And then I made everyone run run run all the way back here!" blurted Pinkie.
Patrick clenched his left hand even tighter at the sight of everyone, and then Fluttershy caught his eye, as she was looking right back at him.
I take it back. I'm fucked now ! He screamed in his head.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria:
Chapter 22
"Why don't we all have a nice chat?" Said Celestia. "I don't think anyone needs to be kept in the dark any longer." She was of course referring to the rest of Twilight's friends, the ones who weren't exactly up to speed as to what was going on.
Twilight was sure the princess needed to address something to her friends, so it happened to be opportunistic that Pinkie Pie had already gathered everyone together. So far it seemed like only Rarity was left out in the whole ordeal, a fact she didn't particularly enjoy. On the first day the humans arrived, she had barely gotten to say hello, much less introduce herself. She just happened to be busy that day and decided to leave everything to her friends to sort out.
"Princess Celestia," she said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come to the castle a few days ago. I probably missed so much."
"Actually Rarity, you haven't really missed the main point I'm about to get to." Replied Celestia.
Packie fumbled through the crowd of ponies to get to Fluttershy who was standing, as usual, in the back. She could tell he was trying to hide something but decided to ignore it for the moment. Without any hesitation she placed a hoof on one of his reformed wings and ran down the length of it. "They look much better. Princess Celestia did an amazing job."
"But those bruises, ouch." interrupted Rainbow Dash, "Don't worry, they go away eventually."
"Yeah, I hope sooner than later." Packie added.
Rarity turned to Packie and casually extended her hoof to him. "I don't believe I gotten your name yet dear. What would it be?" she asked.
Packie grabbed her hoof and gave it a friendly shake. "Um, the name's Patrick. And yours?"
"Mine is Rarity." She responded. "And you'll never forget it. That I can guarantee." With a calm break in their greeting they both turned back to the princess.
"Now that I have everyone's attention, please walk this way." Celestia said. With a few steps she placed herself at the center of library's main floor. Without giving it much thought, the humans stayed within reaching distance of the pony they were closest too. Wallace preferred to stand near Pinkie, as Jiggs stood close to Applejack, while Packie stayed close to Fluttershy. The other girls stood in a semi-circle around Celestia, making a tight intimate group.
"Hey princess, where's your necklace?" asked Applejack. "I don't think I've ever seen you without it."
"Very observant of you, Applejack. Wallace, if you'd please." Celestia said.
Wallace could feel their eyes trained on him, looking for what the princess was referring to. But what the princess was looking for was still concealed by a towel wrapped around his head.
Pinkie Pie gave him a little nudge on his shoulder. "C'mon Wally, take it off." She urged him.
"Ugh." He grumbled. "Fine." With a few unwrapping motions he removed the towel to show his disheveled hair, and under it the Princess's familiar golden trinket, though it looked a little different now.
"It's… a headband?" asked Applejack.
"Oh Wally! It looks sooo pretty." Announced Pinkie.
"Yes, I gave it to Wallace to help him better cope with his ability." Said Celestia.
"He definitely needed something like that." Said Twilight.
Wallace just rolled his eyes.
"Oh which reminds me…" said the princess, "Pinkie Pie could you come here for a moment."
"Okie dokie!" she responded. With one energetic hop she was close enough to the princess where she could lean in close. Celestia bent her head down to whisper in Pinkie's ear. While Celestia was speaking Pinkie would occasionally say a "Mhmm" or "Okay" to show acknowledgement, all the while an unamused Wallace stood with his arms crossed. Everyone gave the two total silence until the princess said something that made Pinkie withdraw a little in shock. There was a slight flicker of fear in her eyes.
"Umm… okay. If you say so." Said Pinkie nervously.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Celestia assured.
"Okie dokie." She replied feeling a little more confident. She turned and took her place next to Wallace and whispered in his ear. "I got a secreeeeet." She sang in a mocking sort of way, like a child might.
"We'll see." He retorted.
"Now I also gave something to Anthony." Said Celestia. "Applejack could you come here for a moment."
"M-m-me?" she stammered.
"Yes you, Applejack." The princess replied.
Much in the same way that she had conversed with Pinkie, Celestia had a few private words for Applejack. Every so often the princess would whisper something which would incite an "Okay" or "Sure" out of acknowledgement. While Celestia was relaying this new information Jiggs couldn't help but twiddle with one of his bangles. He knew she was obviously talking about him.
"That's all I gotta do?" asked Applejack.
"That's all." Answered Celestia.
"Alrighty then, you got it." Applejack took her former position, back in the circle.
"Now," said the Princess. "On to why I'm actually here. The reason why I gave these boys their abilities in the first place is because I believe we might be coming under attack… by dragons." She added the last part reluctantly.
"WHAT?" yelped Pinkie. She jumped in pure shock.
Rarity kept her friend from hitting the ceiling. "Pinkie Pie, you must stop that dear. It's most unbecoming of a lady."
"I knew it." Said Twilight sternly.
"Yes I'm afraid it's true." Said Celestia.
"What's the big deal?" asked Rainbow. She started to unconsciously hover off the floor, and assumed a fighting stance. "We've dealt with dragons before. We'll just WAM! BAM! And Beat em up!" she threw a few mock punches and kicks at the air to show emphasis. "Just like we always do."
"Um I don't mean to interrupt," said Fluttershy. "But can't we just use the Elements of Harmony, or maybe just ask them to go away."
"Fluttershy's right." Asserted Rarity. "Sometimes these things can be solved with a little kindness and hospitality. Although I don't believe we should use the Elements every time we have a major problem on our hooves."
"That's just the problem." Said Celestia. "I don't know if any of that will work this time, the elements nor peaceful negotiation."
"Why not?" asked Twilight.
"No one in Ponyville except you can know." She said. Everyone in the room gave a nod in agreement.
"Our lips are sealed, Princess." Said Applejack. She removed her hat and placed it over her chest to show her concern.
"Very well." Celestia paused for a brief moment and took a short breath. "A few nights ago, before the boys came to Equestria… I… I had a dream. It was a terrible dream, or a nightmare I suppose you could say, but I have a feeling it was a premonition of horrible things to come."
"You've had these before, haven't you?" asked Twilight. "I know you've told me about them a long time ago."
Celestia nodded silently. "But what scared me the most is that this time, I… I think I failed, in my dream."
"Failed at what?" asked Fluttershy.
"At protecting everyone." She muttered. "And if what Patrick and Fluttershy said is true then I feel we are already running out of time."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Finally, civilization." The white dragon remarked.
After a long stretch of flying over mostly forested areas, Fletch was now about to reach his target. He started to make his descent to keep low to the ground, to keep his arrival as subtle as possible. With the sun high in the sky and his underbelly perfectly concealing him from ground level he knew that it wouldn't be too difficult to remain undetected. He flew past the last of the tree line and over an open field.
I should stick to the rooftops and keep my head down. None of these ponies will even notice me. He thought.
He kept his distance from any pathways leading into town and came upon the back of one building on the outskirts. He was coming in with ferocious speed and knew he would have to disperse his momentum to land quietly. With a hefty backwards flap of his wings he directed himself upward and briefly floated in midair for a moment, until quietly planting his claws on the flat squared roof.
Gotta keep my head down.
He kept his body low to the floor and approached the edge of the roof. He didn't hear any shouting. He took that as a sign he hadn't been spotted. While keeping his head glued to the stone surface he leaned over the edge to get a better view of the place he was dealing with. Some of the buildings were made of stone, some made of wood, but what really caught his eye was that most of the roofs of the buildings were made of straw.
He looked straight down and could see he was directly overlooking several groups of ponies sitting at tables, eating exclusively vegetarian dishes. The building he was on was obviously some kind of restaurant or café.
Oh these ponies , he thought, everything about them is just so… flammable . He gave a wide grin to expose rows of pearly white serrated daggers for teeth. From this position he could easily hear conversations going on below him.
"Did you see Princess Celestia?" Said a turquoise colored pony to her companion. "She's here, in town!"
"Lyra, that's ridiculous." Replied her cream-colored friend. "Why would the princess come to Ponyville, anyways? That's only happened like… twice ever, if that."
Ponyville? Honestly these ponies are so unimaginative when it comes to naming anything . The dragon thought.
"It's gotta be dragons. Remember the town meeting the other day?" asked Lyra.
"If by meeting you mean those humans putting on a crazy show for everypony, then yes. But I didn't hear anything about dragons."
"C'mon Bon-Bon it makes perfect sense, the princess is here to train the humans to fight the dragons!" Lyra yelled.
"Ugh… as if. You and your crazy theories." Bon-Bon dismissed.
Fletch withdrew from the edge of the roof and tried to absorb the new information.
Humans? Here? The king must know right away. But the green one said the Princess is here too. If I could find where they were I could prevent any 'accidents' with the plan. That was my mission first, regardless. I have to find any pony of significance. I would say any humans and the princess both qualify.
With a quick flick of his head he could see a little bright flash out of the corner of his eye. There was a white light that flickered in a window for a moment. But it didn't come from a typical building. It came from a tree.
Do my eyes deceive me? I could've sworn I just saw a bright flash coming from that treehouse.
"So she's got a few guards standing watch at the library. That's proof that the princess is here." Lyra said.
"Whatever, Lyra." replied Bon-Bon.
Wait a moment. The tree! That's where the library must be. I suppose if it's not then I'll just keep looking around this 'Ponyville. '
With an exaggerated flap of his wings he easily cleared the distance over two building to another square roof. He tried to keep his presence as low as possible going for only length in his gait, not altitude. The noise he made was nearly non-existent.
"Did you hear something?" asked Lyra.
"You're going crazy." Said Bon-Bon dismissively.
With another long jump he had cleared another three buildings. Every time he landed he planted his entire body squarely against the roof. He cautiously moved his head out and over the edge of the surface he was now on.
Must be some kind of town square. Judging by the shape of that white building and intricacy of its architecture, I'd say its town hall. Well I can't go any further than this without making myself known. There's no way I can make it across this road without being seen… unless I make a distraction. Have to be subtle about it though.
With a deep gulp of air he started the process of developing a blue fireball in his throat. He looked around trying to find an innocent enough target. After some searching around he found a perfect target tucked away within a farmer's market. He pulled the ball of flame into his mouth and prepared to unleash it.
An unattended carrot stand? Too perfect! He thought.
The owner of the carrot stand was most likely looking at other vendors' goods within the market at the time. Ponies were arbitrarily coming and going, ducking underneath the vendor's tents and coming out every so often.
I have to time it just right …
He looked to his left and right. There was no one.
Now!
With precise accuracy he spit the flame straight up into the air. The ball of flame traveled in an arc over all the other stands and gently landed on top of the carrot stand. Fletch grinned at his handiwork, nothing at all seemed out of place, just as planned.
The flame stared to spread across the fabric hanging over the stand and down the planks supporting it. It was only a matter of time before somepony noticed.
"FIRE!" a male pony yelled.
There was a sudden mass panic as all the vendor's in the farmer's market started to gather their things and leave in a hurry.
"NO! That's my stand!" a yellow female pony shouted.
"Get some water!" a blue Pegasus shouted to some bystanders as he took off.
The flames continued to consume the stand, and soon would consume others should it not be extinguished. Customers all fled while only the neighboring vendors attempted to subdue the flame with various blankets and sheets laying around. All pegasi had already fled to go retrieve water. The horrified owner of the stand was desperately trying to knock back the flames, trying to buy back what little time she had left.
I'd say this is my chance. He thought.
With a great thrust from his back legs and heave of his wings he cleared the gap across the road and made it onto another roof. A few more jumps and he started to near the treehouse. The sight of pegasi flying overhead made him stop in his tracks. He found a greyish surface on a roof and quickly plastered himself to it, remaining perfectly still until they passed. He could see that they were taking pails of water over to the area he just left.
No harm done. And now I've reached my goal.
He leaned his head over the edge once more and had a clear view of the treehouse. There were telltale signs that the princess was here. Three pony guards clad in golden armor stood at the entrance, two Pegasus ponies and one unicorn. Nearby was a similarly clad chariot, no doubt for royalty.
They're making my job too easy. Now, I just wait and let them come to me.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Now," said Twilight, "does everyone have their element of harmony?"
"Yes." Her friends collectively replied.
"Good." She said.
"I hope the elements will work." Said Celestia. "Especially this time."
Fluttershy touched her hoof to the necklace now hanging around her neck. She marveled at its intricacy but honestly she was always afraid every time she had to put in on. "Hohh…" she sighed.
"What's wrong?" asked Packie.
"I hate this thing. It's never a good sign for anything." She responded.
"Have they ever… not worked?"
"No. They always work… it's just… I don't know, it worries me."
"Well if they don't work don't worry about it, cuz we'll be here." He stuck his thumb directly at himself. "That's a promise."
"I'm glad." She smiled at him.
"Ugh, sappy stuff." Lamented Wallace.
He suddenly felt Pinkie Pie wrap his hooves around his neck in a tight hug. "Oh Wally, you gotta get used to the sappy stuff if you're gonna hang out with us."
He let out a long sigh. "Ugh… fine."
"Applejack." announced Celestia.
The orange pony cringed in fear at her name. "Uh, yes Princess?"
"I want you to take everyone outside. Help the boys get better acquainted with their abilities. I need to talk to Twilight in private for a few minutes." Celestia sternly turned to her pupil.
"O-of course Princess. Right away." Replied Applejack.
Without and argument or resistance everyone filed out the doors with Rarity at the back. She got in one last peek at Twilight before shutting the door tightly.
"Twilight, I know the elements aren't going to work." Admitted Celestia.
"What? How are you so sure? We could at least try—"
"They won't work." Celestia bluntly cut her off.
"Um… sorry to hear that." Twilight was obviously trying to hold back a tear.
"No, Twilight. I'm sorry. Look I know I'm sounding very harsh right now, but… there is one last thing we need to do."
"Anything, princess." Said Twilight.
"Do you remember our first private lesson together?"
"You mean about the source of our power? Yes. The orb."
"And what is inside the orb?"
"Our magic and 'who we are', if I remember correctly."
"That is quite right." Assured Celestia. "The source of our magic and what makes us unique. It resides in every orb, in everypony."
"So… where are you going with this?" asked Twilight.
"My magic is running out Twilight. It won't last forever. That being said, I need you to help me bare my burden. I'm going to give what little remains of my power, to keep it out of the wrong hands."
"What?! That's crazy. You act as if anyone can just take the orb right out of you, but no one has ever figured out how to do that. Heheh…right?
"But I did Twilight." Celestia replied. "Ages ago, I figured it out. Would you like to see?"
"Uhh…" Twilight paused for a second, not really sure what to say.
"Well, I'll show you anyway." Said Celestia.
With a flash of her horn and white beams surging forth from her eyes she brought into existence a brilliant shining sphere. The sphere rotated at an accelerated rate which gradually slowed, a few electric sparks jumped off and made jagged trails. There was little noise, in fact the whole spell was completed with almost utter silence. Celestia's eyes gradually faded from the bright white hue to her natural color. When the white sphere stopped rotating she handed it over to Twilight who held it one hoof. She delicately rocked the globe back and forth.
"Now all you have to say is 'Celestia's Magic: Release.'"
"And what'll that do?" asked Twilight.
"It'll give you what I have left."
"Wait you won't die will you?" pleaded Twilight.
"Absolutely not. The orb does not control your will to live. It simply acts as a medium between us and our spirit."
"Alright then." Twilight held the orb slightly from her face. "Celestia's Magic: Release!" she shouted.
With an almighty crack of lighting the orb cracked in two, revealing inside two different stars. One star slowly lifted itself out of the broken shell and planted squarely at the tip of Twilight's horn. The other star seemed to bring the two halves of the orb back together, sealing itself within. With a little wisp of a yellow flame, the orb was extinguished and gone for good.
The star that had planted itself on Twilight's horn gradually worked its way down the shaft and into Twilight's skull. She could feel a slight stinging sensation on her brain which she had been told as a filly meant there was excess magic trying to weed itself out. Her eyes temporarily flared up just as Celestia's had but she knew better than to let it out. With the proper training she had taught herself to control any such overflow of magic.
"Good to see that training paid off." Celestia smiled.
Twilight ran up to her and locked her in a deep hug. "Don't ever ask me to do anything like that again."
Celestia gave a little chuckle. "Ha, no I don't think I'll ever need to. Why don't we go check on everyone else? Plus there's someone I need you to meet."
"The unicorn guy out there in the armor?" she asked.
"That's the one." Celestia replied.
"Alright." Moaned Twilight. "Then back to training?"
"Then back to training." Agreed Celestia.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Jiggs and Wallace locked eyes from across the grass field. They walked in perfect synchronization, matching each other step for step.
Packie raised his right hand off to the side. "Alright let's have a good clean fight. No cheap shots. Anything in the environment is fair game. First one to go down is the loser. Got it?"
"Got it." They replied.
"What have I done?" said Applejack. "This isn't what ah' had in mind. I just hope they don't hurt themselves now."
"Good!" Packie threw down his hand. "Let's get ready to ruuuummmmmmbbllleeeeeeeeee!" he bellowed.
Almost instantaneously Jiggs dropped and picked up a rock roughly the size of a football. With a hefty chuck the rock took off for Wallace with impact eminent.
The diadem affixed to his head flared up without him consciously willing it to. He accessed his power though it seemed much more difficult to do so and held up his hand. It was as if the flow of his power had been cut by ninety percent. However that was all he needed.
He could feel the rock coming at him as it fell into his telekinetic grasp. With a tight squeeze of his fist the rock disintegrated in midair. The rock's dust particles flew harmlessly past his head.
"Careful Wally!" shouted Pinkie.
He turned and gave her a casual thumbs up, but out of the corner of his peripheral vision he could see Jiggs running at him full speed.
"Oh this is gonna be good." Wallace commented.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria
Chapter 23
In just a few long strides Jiggs had closed the gap between them and was poised to throw a devastating left hook, though admittedly he wouldn't use his full strength. Out of pure instinct Wallace dropped his torso backward, nearly falling on his ass. But something caught him as he saw Jiggs' fist whir past him right over his head. He hung for a split second in a curved c-shape as Jiggs repositioned himself. The force that cradled him pulled him back up into a standing position.
"How did you dodge that?" asked Jiggs.
"Beats me." Said Wallace. He suddenly jerked forward and caught Jiggs off guard with a perfect blow delivered to his midsection. Jiggs could feel his energy surging through the fist and the resulting force knocked him off the ground, sending him flying backward. After remaining airborne for a second or two he felt his back collide with the grass turf. THOMF*
He quickly got to his feet and looked down at the sizeable crater he had made.
"Not bad." He said cheekily. "It's a good thing I'm practically indestructible."
"Hey what about the rules?" asked Applejack. "He went down. That means this is done."
"No, no." said Packie. "I didn't count to ten."
"Patrick you really should stop the fight." Said Fluttershy.
"Eh these guys have dealt with tougher stuff than this. They'll be fine, trust me." He assured.
"If you say so." Said Applejack uncomfortably.
"Oh come on AJ, when's the last time you've seen a good fight?" asked Rainbow dash.
"Dash let me tell ya something. If those boys get hurt, then the princess will have my hide." She retorted.
"Sheesh. You worry too much AJ."
Jiggs caught another running start, gathering a full head of steam. Wallace reached out his hand at him. "You can't hit me if you can't move." Wallace struggled to wrap his energy around Jiggs but it fazed right through him. "How? I did it yesterday?" It only took a second before Jiggs closed the gap again. His speed had increased dramatically because of his new power. He was now faster than any Olympic athlete.
"Playing dirty's not gonna win anything today." Jiggs said.
"It should've worked!" yelled Wallace.
Jiggs threw another devastating left hook and he felt it connect, but to his astonishment it didn't connect with Wallace's skin. The punch had been halted just inches above Wallace's face, and his head remained perfectly intact. Jiggs felt the surface on his knuckles, a smooth and metallic wall.
"There's a barrier." He noted.
"Whoa. Cool!" said Wallace.
"Cool this!" shouted Jiggs. He threw another haymaker at Wallace's left side, aiming for his gut. This time Jiggs knew the barrier was coming and continued to surge forward. CLACK*
When his fist connected the metallic surface started to wobble under the pressure and crack, eventually giving way. The barrier evenly coated Wallace's entire form, nicely contouring to every muscle. It took on the color of Wallace's energy, giving his body a radiant yellow glow that shimmered in the sunlight.
The impact of Jiggs' fist caused the barrier to retaliate, sending Wallace reeling backward. When Wallace regained his footing his looked down where the blow connected. There was a sizable hole in his defensive coating, where his clothing was clearly visible lacking the yellow sheen it once had.
"There's your chink in the armor." Gloated Jiggs. "Too bad it only shows itself when it's weakened."
"You just got lucky." Said Wallace.
"Wooh-hoo! Go WALLY!" shouted Pinkie Pie.
"Play nice, boys!" yelled Applejack.
Not making the same mistake as last time . Wallace thought. For some reason I can't control him like I did with Cupcake. Just gonna have to win the old fashioned way.
This time Wallace took the running start. Each long stride seemed to be longer than the last until he was flying right at Jiggs. "Here I come!" shouted Wallace. The energy surrounding his frame enhanced his movements, making him faster and more agile.
Jiggs on the other hand only had his increased strength to aid him. He assumed a boxer's stance waiting for his arrival.
Just before impact Wallace launched his right hand which he had balled into a tight fist. The invisible energy engulfed it, making several layers of protection. Jiggs threw a similar attack with his right fist. Their movements were too incredibly fast for any normal human to match. In what to them proceeded like slow-motion their fists diverted their trajectory towards each other and the two boys clenched their eyes in anticipation of the worst.
Jiggs felt his knuckles hit something hard and then came the crackling.
The shockwave from the impact radiated outward violently, flattening the surrounding field and blowing back surrounding trees. The group of ponies spectating heard a loud bang followed by a heavy wall of air which slammed into their chests. They were forced to close their eyes due to the sheer percussive force of the blow. Fluttershy was about to be blown backward until Packie caught her with his right arm. Spike kept himself from being swept away by desperately clinging onto Rarity's leg, though she didn't seem to notice.
After the initial explosion, the secondary shockwave passed with little incident. Everyone could hear the sound fade into the distance for about ten seconds as they watched the dust settle back down. Anticipation started to build as more particles from the epicenter started to float away gently. The cloud of debris that had formed around them began to dissipate. It was clear that both of them were still standing, as there were two well defined sets of legs planted firmly in the grass. After a few more moments the cloud gave way and the sight it revealed shocked everyone. The two had their fists gently touching at the epicenter of the explosion, leaving them both exasperated and breathing heavily.
Jiggs' hoodie was tattered and torn in a few areas while his pants only had a few spots of dirt plaguing them. His black hair had been neatly swept back revealing his high cheek bones, deep eye ridges, bushy black brows, and other deep masculine features. Until that point no pony had gotten a clear look at his face.
He had locked eyes intensely with Wallace, who hadn't fared much better than him.
His brown hair had been similarly pulled aside, letting everyone see his boyish face and bloodshot hazel eyes. His shirt had been nearly shredded to pieces upon impact just as his pants had. His skin was pockmarked with varying sizes and lengths of what looked to be paper cuts, like a million razor blades had been launched at high speed in his direction.
But what was most eye-catching was the pieces of his barrier. The shield composed of his energy had been almost completely obliterated. A few shimmering golden shards of what was left hung over his skin. The pieces remaining sizzled and cracked with tiny sparks dancing across their surface, their metallic shape had been terribly deformed.
"Huff*…Huff*…Your barrier's not looking too good…huff*" Jiggs managed to say between deep breaths. He gave a weak smile.
A drop of blood started to trickle down from Wallace's nostril. It made a trail down his left cheek and continued down the length of his neck. He was finding it just as difficult to speak. "Huff*…Huff*… it takes a lot of focus to keep it up… huff*…" he replied weakly. As he said the words the golden shards of the barrier started to phase out of existence, until there was nothing left.
The two let down their fists and stood up straight, sizing each other up.
Jiggs reached out his hand. "Good fight?" he asked.
Wallace reciprocated and shook his friend's hand. "Good fight." He agreed.
"Hey you guys aren't done!" yelled Packie. "One of you has gotta go down!"
Jiggs pointed a finger at him offensively. "Not another word, Pack! Or I'm gonna beat the shit outta you!"
"Bring it!" yelled Packie.
"Um Patrick, are you feeling alright?" asked Fluttershy.
He turned to her, noticing in himself his usual break from character. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm just feeling really good right now."
"You just seem to be acting kind of strange. And I don't want you to get hurt." She replied.
"Relax. I'll be fine. You'll see. Just trust me." Without another word he made his way out to the flattened grass field, with his left hand suspiciously remaining in his pocket.
"You're on man." Said Jiggs.
Wallace staggered off the field and made his way over to Pinkie Pie. She tightly embraced him in a hug. "Wally! You were so so brave! Are you alright?" When she released him he stumbled and sat down clumsily.
"Yeah I'm fine. Just need… to catch some Z's…" Pinkie kept his head from hitting the grass as he began to pass out from exhaustion. The blood continued to drip from his nose.
"I'm not sure he's really okay." Said Rarity.
"Ditto." Said Rainbow Dash.
"It's like I've seen this somewhere before." Said Pinkie.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Alright, ready for round two!" said Jiggs. He could barely even feel his bracelets any longer as he assumed his boxing stance.
"Don't go easy on me just cuz I can't make a magical shield." Said Packie.
"Not a chance. Packie. You wanna dance with big boys and I won't deny you that." Jiggs was shocked when Packie didn't assume any fighting stance. "Are you gonna be a punching bag or what?"
Packie removed his shirt, gently lifting it over his wings, though they didn't seem to hurt anymore. At this distance he knew that no one would notice his hand had changed, so he casually removed it from his pocket. His "claws" had lengthened considerably since his chat with Celestia.
"I'm not afraid of you, and I'm not even gonna have to try."
"So you give up already?" asked Jiggs.
"Absolutely not. Here I'll even close my eyes." He clenched his eyes tightly and pointed his index finger at his face. "C'mon. Put one right there."
"Well, you asked for it."
Packie crossed his arms and listened intently. He could hear his heartbeat in his chest again as he desperately tried to shut it out. With focus he was soon able to hear what he wanted.
Grasshoppers flying.
The wind rustling some leaves.
Birds chirping.
In this still blackness of his head he could pinpoint his sense of hearing on anything.
A dog barking far in the distance.
His friends breathing, watching from the sidelines.
A fist flying straight at him.
Packie's eyes shot open as he leaned backwards. He saw Wallace do this in his fight, though he didn't have a shield to keep him up. He saw the fist zoom past overhead.
Without waiting for Jiggs to counter he gave his wings a powerful backwards thrust, sending him straight up. Using this forward momentum he tucked into a ball and performed a full somersault, landing just behind a stunned Jiggs.
"It seems you've got some moves too." He noted.
"I could hear you from a mile away." Said Packie.
"Alright then. But now that I know what you can do, there's no holding back, Pack."
"Didn't want you to, anyways." He retorted. Packie couldn't help but grin at him. Whatever Celestia had done to him, had clearly worked.
Jiggs lunged forward and threw another punch, aimed at Packie's stomach. His speed was blinding, none of the other ponies could keep up with his movements. But Packie seemed to have no trouble. Not bothering to give it a second glance Packie casually placed a hand on the fist and redirected the incoming missile away from him.
Jiggs was ready for this and prepared a follow up uppercut with his left arm. Packie watched his fist carefully. It seemed to be barely moving at all but he could tell Jiggs wanted to plant it right under his chin.
This is so weird. It's like his punches are moving in slow motion .
Right before Jiggs' fist was about to connect with his chin, Packie casually leaned his head back a little and the punch harmlessly flew skyward only to hit nothing. The small burst of air flew by his chin and he knew that if that punch hit, it would've knocked him out cold.
Or maybe I'm just moving in fast motion.
Frustrated, Jiggs dug his left foot deep into the grass, preparing for a kick.
Oh no you don't.
Packie could see the telltale signs and knew what was coming next. With a great jerk of his back muscles his wings surged forward, propelling him the opposite direction. Jiggs felt the initial blast of air hit his face but continued to surge his leg forward, only to fruitlessly connect with nothing yet again.
Packie started to feel dominant and let his wings pick him up off the restraining earth. He continued to hover higher until he was but two stories off of terra firma. Every beat of his wings kept him airborne, just out of Jiggs' reach.
"Give up yet?" asked Packie.
"Not gonna happen." Retaliated Jiggs. "Why don't you try hitting me now?"
"You got it!" Packie suddenly angled himself downward and began his descent, every flap propelling him faster and faster.
"Whoa, he's coming fast." Jiggs muttered to himself. With only a second to prepare Jiggs put up his arms in an x-formation to brace for impact. Packie slammed chest first into him, plunging him into the soil. Dirt tossed up in clumps and bits of grass were strewn about. After the initial blow he prepared a punch with his right hand and slammed it down as hard as he could.
SMACK*
Jiggs had managed to intercept the attack with his left arm and now held Packie's clenched fist in his palm. Struggle as he might, Packie could not free his hand from the inescapable prison of Jiggs' hand.
"Grhh!" Jiggs grumbled. "Say uncle."
Packie let out something of an animalistic roar. "RAAOOHH! Neveeer!"
"Fine if you won't chill out…" Jiggs said. He began to apply pressure on Packie's hand and stopped once he heard an audible snap.
POP*
"GRRAAHH!" Packie bellowed. He continued to thrash about wildly, deep in the crater they had created. Packie pulled out his clawed left hand which immediately caught Jiggs' attention. As Packie surged his hand at Jiggs' face he was again intercepted by his grasp. They had stalemated each other with Packie on the offensive and Jiggs on the defensive.
"MAN! SERIOUSLY CHILL!" Jiggs shouted through Packie's blind rage. "I know you man! You aren't like this!"
"RAHHHH!" It sounded like some sort of caged beast.
"What would your friend over there think? Fluttershy? What would she think of this?!" Jiggs yelled.
After a moment Packie suddenly snapped.
He stopped, thinking about everything up until this point, how they came to Equestria, got their powers, and made new friends…
"Packie. Come back to me." Jiggs said.
Packie shook his head trying to free the cobwebs. Jiggs let go of him cautiously as Packie clenched his forehead with both hands and moaned in pain.
"Uhhm… sorry about that, man. I don't know what the fuck I was thinking. What happened?"
"You freaked the fuck out and jackhammered us into the ground."
"So that's where this crater came from?"
"Yes." Replied Jiggs.
"Oh, well…I'm sorry, for freaking out and shit."
"It's all good man. I wasn't really worried, I'm tougher than I look."
"So, we good?" asked Packie.
"Yeah we're good." Assured Jiggs. "Hey nice claws by the way."
Packie clutched his left hand in his right. "Oh that… that is kinda my power I guess."
"It's pretty wicked man. Hey you got something in your teeth." Jiggs pointed to the right corner of Packie's mouth.
Instinctively he opened wide and placed a finger on his tooth and immediately pulled it back in horror.
"What's wrong, man?" asked Jiggs.
Packie opened his mouth ever so slightly to show him. One of his incisor teeth had elongated dramatically, now about triple the length of the one opposite to it.
"Holy fuck, now that is a tooth." Commented Jiggs.
"Excuse me, but what is going on down here?" said a familiar voice.
The two of them looked up to see Celestia glaring down directly at them.
"Just training, is all." Said Jiggs as if on cue.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 24
Wallace stirred awake, still somewhat dazed. Rubbing his tired eyes, he stretched out a kink in his back. He looked around and noticed the sun was going down.
"Where is everyone?" he asked himself.
"They're in the library, Wally. You've been out for a while now." he recognized Pinkie's voice.
"Hey Cupcake. I see you put a new shirt on me." He noted.
Pinkie sighed. "Well your last one got ripped up pretty good."
"Oh yeah, the fight. Did I win?" he asked.
"I would… call it a draw." She stated bluntly.
He stood up and wiped some dust off of his pants. The temperature had clearly dropped a few degrees as the afternoon sun bathed the grass field in orange radiance. It was refreshing.
"Let's get going." He stated. After only taking a few steps he felt an icy breeze penetrate his cut skin. "Ugh that stings."
"Wait Wally. Princess Celestia said you have to take it easy." She dashed over to him and put a hoof on his shoulder.
"It's nothing I can't fix."
He lifted his shirt to reveal his battle torn skin. Using one hand he began to meticulously infuse his energy into the cuts, letting it seep in. He worked his blood back and forth, using the heat he gave off to coagulate it. After doing this for a few moments he had formed scabs over a great deal of his injuries, well on their way to being completely healed.
"When did you learn how to do that, Wally?" Pinkie asked.
"This morning. They should be healed by tomorrow." With the pain nearly gone now, he continued back towards the treehouse with Pinkie at his side.
"Does the Princess know you can do that?"
"No, but she'll probably find out anyways sooner or later. I do have a question I want to ask her though."
"And what would that be?" she asked.
"You remember when I picked you up using my power yesterday? Well I tried the same thing on Jiggs today and my energy just passed right through him."
"I do remember that. Hmm… that does seem a little weird."
The violet gem on Wallace's diadem flickered for a split second. Instantaneously he gripped his head in pain.
"Ah… I got a little headache." He shook his head some and the pain subsided.
"Are you alright?" she asked concernedly.
"Yeah yeah, I'm good." He shrugged it off.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Back at the library Twilight was saying goodbye to Fluttershy and Applejack, who had responsibilities to attend to back home. Honestly Celestia had hoped they would stay considering the worst that might happen but she knew it was better not to push it.
"Are you sure you can't stay AJ? We could always use your help here." Said Twilight.
"Sorry Twi. I know this is important but I can't leave everything to Big Mac and Applebloom. They'd kill me if I knew I was slacking on my work."
"Don't you think they'd be more understanding than that?" she asked.
"Well yeah, o'course. But I got chores I need to do in the morning that no one else does except me."
"Same goes for me Twilight." Said Fluttershy. "I'd like to stay until something bad happened, ok not really, but you know what I mean. I have things I have to do at home too."
"But guys…" egged on Twilight.
"It's okay Twilight." Said Celestia reassuringly. "They have others that depend on them and I see no reason to keep them from that. Everyone I think has had a very hectic day."
"You can say that again." Said Jiggs with his arms crossed. "I got an idea, why don't I go with Jersey, help her finish her morning chores faster than usual and then we come back here first thing when we're done."
"I-I don't know. I don't usually do well with help." Applejack replied.
"What about last time you said that?" commented Twilight.
"That was different." Scowled AJ.
"What do you think Princess? Would you be okay with that?" Asked Jiggs.
"Well… I don't really see the harm in it. You just can't let anyone know about the dragons. That is priority number one." She pleaded.
"Sure we won't tell. But don't you think everyone is going to find out sooner or later?" He asked.
"I hope it doesn't get that far." There came a long silence after she said that.
"Well in that case I need to be going." Said Applejack.
After saying goodbye to a few of her friends and letting Jiggs pack a few things in a duffle bag, they made their way outside past the guards. Twilight and her friends waved goodbye to them.
"See you tomorrow!" Yelled Rainbow Dash.
"See Ya!" replied Applejack.
Jiggs waved his hand vigorously with the duffle bag wrapped around his shoulder. "Hey tell Wallace that he doesn't have pass out after every fight."
Packie acknowledged and waved in return. "Will do! Good fight earlier!"
"Yeah good fight!"
The friends all watched as AJ and Jiggs disappear into Ponyville, bound for Sweet Apple Acres.
"Guess I should be going too." Said Fluttershy.
"Not without me you're not." Replied Packie.
"You want to… to stay with me again? Are you sure?"
"Of course I do. I want to help you take care of the animals in the morning."
Twilight spoke up. "Hey wait a minute, we can't all split up again."
"She's right, Patrick." Said Celestia. "If we all get separated…"
"Wait a minute." He interrupted. "If she's leaving by herself then she could be in danger. The necklaces… these 'elements'… what if the dragons target them first? Jiggs went with Applejack so she'll be fine, and I think one of us should go with Fluttershy just to be safe, and I volunteer."
"But… Patrick… grr…" mumbled Twilight. His few oversteps in logic annoyed her slightly.
"It's true Twilight." Said Celestia. "He does have a point."
Fluttershy withdrew a little. "Oh, I didn't mean to be a burden on anyone."
Patrick smiled at her. "Hey, no one's a burden here except Wallace." He said jokingly. "This is just about making sure everyone is safe."
She smiled in return. Something about his new charisma she found so intoxicating. He overflowed with confidence, and she honestly couldn't help herself but to agree with everything he said.
"Okay I've changed my mind. Can he please come with me?" she asked Twilight.
Twilight pointed to Celestia. "Don't ask me, ask her."
"Yes he can." The princess agreed.
"Alright!" Packie yelled triumphantly. "I'll go get my stuff." Without a word of warning he took off to go gather some knick knacks.
Rainbow placed her leg over Fluttershy's shoulder. "If he starts acting out, just let me know and I'll give em what for."
"Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary." she chimed.
"I almost forgot to mention…" said Celestia. "If you are in trouble the other elements will glow brightly. That way, we'll all know if you need us."
"And Fluttershy, dear," said Rarity, "could you please give Patrick a nail file? His fingernails are much too long."
"I can do that too." She replied. "Though I really hadn't noticed."
After more friendly banter and planning Packie had his stuff gathered and was ready to leave. He and Fluttershy made their way out, with the sun getting ready to pass over the horizon. Miles away Celestia knew that Luna would soon be getting ready to raise the moon.
After the final pair left, Twilight started getting things ready for the rest of her friends to spend the night. It hadn't dawned on her until that moment but Wallace and Pinkie Pie were still outside.
"Oh no! How could I forget about them?" she asked herself.
Almost on cue her front door flung open and the two of them entered, with Wallace's arm dangling over Pinkie's shoulder. Celestia's posted guards entered behind them.
"Where is everyone?" asked Pinkie.
Twilight stopped what she was doing. "There you are! Fluttershy and Applejack left, taking Anthony and Patrick, but everyone else is upstairs." She said calmly. "I was just getting everything ready for everyone to sleep here for the night."
"That's so nice of you Twilight!" said Pinkie.
"What was I gonna do, make everyone sleep outside?" she asked sarcastically.
Wallace let go of Pinkie and found a chair to sit in. He reclined as much as he could and took a deep breath. "How are you gonna fit everyone including the princess and her guards here?" he asked.
"Believe me it's not the first time I've had a big sleepover. Plus the guards have agreed to take shifts on watch."
The unicorn clad in golden armor made his way over to Patrick. He was silently judging him but was courteous nonetheless.
"I hear the princess has given you vast power, human." Nova said.
"You could say that." Wallace turned a cheek at him. "Though until I can control it better I have to wear this fancy item on my head."
"It is not so bad. You'll get used to it... I got used to mine in about a week. Consider it just… extra security."
"Whatever you say man."
The unicorn held out his hoof. "Your name?"
"Wallace Eadler. Yours?"
"My name is entirely unpronounceable, so I usually just go by Nova."
Wallace shook his hoof in a friendly shake. "Nova it is."
"The princess has not stated it to me yet, but I will probably be your supervisor for your training."
Twilight ran over to Pinkie and grabbed her hoof. "Let's go upstairs." She whispered in her ear.
"But why?" Pinkie Protested.
"Just come on." Said Twilight forcefully. Reluctantly Pinkie followed her, not wanting to leave her new best friend open to interrogation. There came a loud bang of a door shutting.
"Now." said Nova, "The princess has instructed me to share any knowledge I have with you that relates to your power. I am highly skilled with all forms of magic and have been training in the art for many years. By most accounts I have no superior, save for the princesses themselves. Before we are interrupted by our gracious hosts, is there anything you would like to ask me?" He sounded gruff after a long day.
"Yeah." Said Wallace, "How do I pick up people?"
"You mean like levitation?" he asked.
"Well yeah. I mean I've done it before with my pink friend there, but I couldn't do it on my other human friend earlier while we were fighting. So what gives?"
"I think you've just answered your own question." Said Nova.
"Umm... how so?"
"Well, you were able to levitate your pony friend because she trusted you. However, during a fight there are aggressive feelings between you and your opponent. If I had to take a guess I'd say your power can not directly influence the bodies of anypony… or body, unless that being has put some trust into you. Does that make sense?"
"So I could only pick her up because she trusts me?"
"I believe so." Said Nova.
"Hmm…" Wallace thought for a time about how he could work around this catch. If he could manipulate anything then some stupid dragons shouldn't be much of an issue. But apparently his power was given to him to be used for only benevolent purposes.
"I'll have to find a way around that." He mumbled to himself.
"I warn you," said Nova, "your power isn't exactly like unicorn's power. If what I've been told is true then you have figured out ways to utilize it more effectively than we have. Just don't go abusing it." He finished bluntly.
Wallace let out a nervous laugh. "Wouldn't dream of it."
"Good." He replied. "Let's keep it that way."
"Excuse me?" a soothing voice said.
"P-princess!" Nova stammered. He pulled a quick turn to address her. "I was just doing as you instructed. Giving the human any advice I could."
"I see that. Has he been helping you Wallace?" she asked.
Without a word Wallace gave her a satisfactory thumbs up.
"Glad to hear it." She said ironically. "Now since Twilight is letting us stay here, I think it's about time we were all properly introduced. Guards?"
Her attention directed to the Pegasus ponies clad in golden armor. "How are you two holding up?"
"Can't complain your majesty." Said one.
"Likewise." Replied the other.
"Good. Please remove your armor. You too Nova."
"B-but your highness." He protested.
"That's an order Nova." She hissed. "While we are staying in Ponyville I cannot have you three garnering attention everywhere we go. We've caused enough trouble already just being here."
With no further protesting all three guards removed their golden chest plates, leggings, and helmets.
As their attire was removed the guards let down their pinned up manes which was traditionally cut to a shortened length for typical royal stations, though with rank came privileges. The first grey Pegasus let down his silky sky-blue hair which had been concealed underneath his helmet. His wavy mane was somewhat unkempt and would probably need a thorough brushing. His eyes were smooth and low containing irises as blue as the deepest oceans.
"How should I address you?" asked Celestia.
"My given name is Azure Fury, but you may address me any way desire Princess." He sounded like a young adult, probably mid-twenties as Celestia would assume. No doubt he was most likely handpicked for his prior experience or talents. His torso was somewhat barrel-chested and he had a thin waist, a combination that enhanced his natural flight characteristics.
"Good to have you Azure." She said.
The other Pegasus placed his helmet upon his neatly stacked set of armor. His mane was curlier than his counterpart's but they looked eerily similar. His hair coiled into tufts of red bouncy locks. Astonishingly, just like Azure his eyes matched the color of his mane, with him having the deepest red rubies for eyes. He was noticeably thinner and tight framed compared to his comrade, perfect for achieving maximum speed.
"And what should I call you?" the princess asked.
"The name is Astral Phase, your highness." He bowed.
"You two seem so... similar. Are you related?" she asked.
"We're brothers." Said Azure.
"The fastest of the Royal guard." Said Astral.
"Good. I expect great things from the both of you."
"And you won't be disappointed." Added Nova. He had just finished stripping and taking off his helmet as well, letting his sleek black mane fall neatly down the length of his neck. His vivid indigo coat would shroud him well on a dark night, though his bright emerald green eyes would probably give him away. "I picked these two to come with us, because of their extensive flight and combat records. Both are stainless."
"You sure know how to pick em, Nova." The princess said delighted.
"Don't I?" he asked confidently.
SNORE*SNORE*
He was abruptly cut off by the sound of someone sleeping, loudly. They turned their attention to a corner and found Wallace, balled up in a sleeping bag with headphones in his ear, with some unbearably loud music playing.
"How can he sleep with that garbage playing?" asked Nova.
"I have yet to figure out these humans, Nova." Said Celestia. "You'll get used to it I suppose."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"And this is the guest bedroom, where you'll sleep." Said Applejack.
Jiggs had a look around, taking a note of the amenities. There were red quilted sheets covering a bed which would just barely fit his entire frame, a window overlooking the barn and nearby orchards, a desk containing one candle which was lit, and a small closet space.
"It isn't exactly a four star hotel or nothin', but it's the best I've got." She said.
"It's perfect. Thanks Jersey." He chimed. Taking care not to mess up the bed he placed his duffle bag on top and began taking things out; some toiletries, clothes, his cheap off brand mp3, and a charger.
"Oh sorry, but there's no plug in this room." She admitted.
"Doesn't matter." He assured with a smile. "Already charged."
At that moment little Applebloom came up the stairs. "So why is Mr. Macho stayin' here?" she asked.
"Because I'm here to help your sister with her chores in the morning." He stopped AJ before she could respond. "And anything you guys need help with, just let me know."
"Oh alrighty." The little filly said. "Goodnight Mr. Macho." With a hop and a skip she made her way down the hall and into her room.
"Goodnight kiddo." He called down after her.
"I don't believe it." Said Applejack. "I never pegged you for the sweet type, especially after seeing your fights today with your friends. I honestly kind of pegged you as a potty-mouthed jackass."
Her heart sank a little when she didn't get an immediate response.
"Yeah well, when all we do is hang around each other all day we talk differently than we do than in public or with people, or ponies... that we care about. We aren't bad guys." Jiggs took off his shirt letting his muscles be cloaked in candle-light, and walked up to the door to get closer to Applejack. He locked eyes with her. "We just don't know when we're going to die, and if it should be tomorrow then we'd like to have a little fun today, while we're still young. Sorry if that bothers you." His voice was just barely above a whisper, calm and collected.
"No. Um…you're right. Sorry I just…oh… just goodnight." She broke eye contact with him. "I'm out the door at the crack of dawn. Don't make me come get you." She stormed off down the hall in somewhat of a rage, holding back something inside she wanted to tell him.
"I'll be there." He called after her.
After a letting out a long sigh he shut the door and found himself now alone. He twiddled with one his silver bangles, leaving marks wrapping around his wrists. Looking out the window he could see a brilliant starry night sky against a deep violet background. The moon, shining bold and bright, reminded him again of the beauty of the land he now lived in. Sitting on his bed he pulled a book out of his bag. It was one his favorites from his How-to series, "How to Read Body Language."
"This probably won't do me any good since everyone that lives here is a pony. How am I supposed to read pony body language?" he asked himself.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Packie and Fluttershy were about five minutes away from her cottage, watching the sun finally sink over the horizon. The moon was already starting to replace it high in the sky. Their path snaked around taking them past trees and other homes until the foliage started to recede.
"How are you feeling?" she asked. "You didn't really say much after your fight."
"Oh, about that…" he paused. "So I held off on telling you, but right before the princess showed up I sorta kinda… had a little freak out moment, during the fight."
"Little freak out? What do you mean?"
"Umm… that part I'm drawing a blank on. I don't really remember it but Jiggs said I was thrashing uncontrollably, and nothing he was saying was really getting to me." He let out a deep breath, glad to get that off of his chest.
"So you had a little hissy fit? I did hear you let out a horrible yell. I might even call it kind of a roar."
"Yeah I did that too. Heh." He laughed nervously. "But he pulled me out of my rage by reminding me... of something."
"And what was that?" she asked.
He smiled at her. "He reminded me of you."
She didn't respond but instead felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Any time he talked about her in a nice way, she simply found herself speechless.
"I thought you might do that." He smirked.
After a few minutes they were about to come upon her cottage when Packie suddenly stopped. He shrugged his shoulders and listened intently.
He caught a whiff of something in his nostrils. His senses had increased so dramatically that he had forced himself to stop paying attention to them, but he couldn't ignore this.
"Wait." He told Fluttershy. "Do you smell that?"
"Smell what?" she asked frightened.
"Get behind me!" he strategically positioned himself in front of her with his arms outstretched, ready to attack. Wordlessly she obeyed, staying close behind him.
"The stench is so heavy." Said Packie. "I think there's someone following us."
"W-w-why would someone be following us?" she stammered.
"I don't know." Keeping her behind himself he bared his teeth at the open night sky, but there was nothing there. His eyes darted around rapidly, trying to catch sight of something.
"A-are you sure there's someone?" she asked.
"I… I can't tell. Just stay close to me." He ordered.
They slowly began to make progress back up to her front door. She took the key from her secret spot and opened the door hurriedly.
"Quick get inside."
He rushed her in, making sure that nothing in the home was out of place, then he locked the door. Taking up a position at a window, he looked out across her property looking for any suspicious activity.
"See anything?" she asked trembling.
"No." he peered for a little while longer before breaking his attention.
"Sorry it's just that I—"
He was cut short mid-sentence when she wrapped her forelegs around him in a tight embrace. She buried her face in his chest, teary eyed. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" she pleaded.
"I…I'm sorry." He returned her gesture by putting his arms around her.
They held each other for a few long seconds, listening to each other breathe.
"How about I make us some tea?" he asked.
She released her embrace and sniffled a few times.
"Tea sounds nice." She said smiling.
While she made her way to her living room, Packie went into the kitchen. She had shown him the night before everything he would need to make tea or coffee, as she had a vast selection of both. He picked out a batch of grey tea leaves and packed them into a pouch while he boiled some hot water. The concoction was left alone to steep for a minute or two, and afterwards he added a spoonful of honey to the two mugs he had prepared.
She had laid across the ottoman when he came in holding the drinks. He sat down on the green sofa next to her and kicked off his shoes. The aroma of the tea caught her attention, forcing her to sit up.
"That smells wonderful." She noted.
Packie delicately handed the mug over to her which she took in one hoof. "I'm not even gonna ask how you hold that. I know better now."
She took a few sips of the hot liquid. "It's perfect." She said.
"Glad you like it." He replied warmly.
They sat for a few minutes, sitting in silence and sipping tea. It was getting quite dark outside.
"So you want to help me feed the animals tomorrow?" she asked.
"Definitely. It just amazes me how you communicate with them so easily." He took another sip.
"It's quite easy really. It's my special talent. You see these butterflies?" she pointed to the mark on her hip. "That's my cutie mark. You've probably noticed already but everypony has one."
"What do they mean?" he asked.
"They appear whenever you find your special talent, your true calling. My cutie mark consists of butterflies because I'm very gentle and kind. Neat, right?"
"Yeah, it is." He took another sip. "I wish humans had that. Most of the time people go through life never knowing what their true calling is."
"That… sounds terrible. Going your whole life without knowing what you're supposed to do…"
"Well that's one way of looking at it. Think about it this way, though. A human could be good at anything; be a musician, artist, scientist, teacher, doctor… the sky is the limit. What's good about being human is that… you don't have to settle on just one thing for the rest of your life."
Packie set his mug down on a nearby table. Taking this as a cue, Fluttershy stood and sat back down next to him on the sofa, with an audible thomf*.
"You make 'being human' sound like an offer no one could pass up." she delightfully admitted.
They chatted into the wee hours of the night, knowing that bed time was approaching. Fluttershy had worried about Angel, her pet bunny, but remembered she fed him that morning.
She had prepared some vegetarian dishes which Packie found delectable. He never admitted to her that humans eat meat on a regular basis and decided to let sleeping pigs lie, knowing this would probably make her panic.
When bed time finally came they hugged each other and she left him to sleep on the sofa again.
Packie was having trouble finding a comfortable sleeping position since he could hear everything within the cottage ten times louder than normal, especially the clock.
TICK*TOCK*TICK*TOCK*
To combat this influx of noise he placed an extra pillow she gave him over his ear, sandwiching himself in quiet bliss.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fluttershy, alone in her room, had enjoyed another night with Patrick and was starting to fall asleep.
"I'm glad he finally calmed down." She said quietly to herself. "He really was starting to scare me."
She heard a slight tap on her window.
Tap*
She leaned up and looked to see nothing there. With a roll of her eyes she flipped over to look the opposite direction.
"Probably just a bug." She whispered.
She laid for a few more minutes in total silence, looking at the light from the moon that was cast upon her wall. It was bright enough to dimly light the entire room.
TAP*
She leaned forward again and gazed out again into the open night sky, seeing only the stars and the large moon they seemed to gather around. The trees of the nearby forest seemed to glisten in the light.
In a fit of annoyance she pulled the covers over her head slightly turning back away from the window.
"Just got to shut it out." She whispered again. "Just a bug."
She felt herself slip in and out of consciousness, remembering the day she had with her friends. Packie's fight became clear in her mind, how he seemed to be so confident. It made her want to be more confident, not be so afraid.
"I can be confident too." She asserted quietly.
TAP*TAP*
She flung herself over hurriedly. Nothing was at her window again.
She pushed the pillow to her head.
"Shut it out. Shut it out." She said worriedly.
The pillow made everything quiet, and shutting her eyes seemed to help her focus.
About half an hour passed with no noise, things returning to absolute quiet.
She let her eyes open and gazed at the surface of her wall, looking at all the shadows the moon made. The trees outside her window had made intricate shapes upon her wall. Branches reached out in all directions, as far as she could tell from the shadows.
Each tree was clearly defined except one, it warped.
The shadow of this tree seemed to sway in some slight breeze.
It had two clearly defined branches reaching directly out from its thick trunk.
"Hello Mr. Tree's shadow. Why don't you go to sleep to?" she whispered to her wall.
The tree's shadow continued to sway back and forth. One of the smaller branches moved ever so slightly out of place.
The branch reached out slowly and the rest of the tree seemed to follow.
It reached slower and slower until it was about to completely stop.
Tap*
The shadow of the tree slowly turned to the side and split wide open… exposing a dense smile of serrated teeth.
Fluttershy felt a surge of icy fear go down her neck and through her spine.
She slowly removed her covers watching the reaction of the shadow.
It stayed in place.
Inch by inch she turned her head, to face the moon and trees out her window…
She wished she hadn't.
Trees don't stare back at you...
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 25
With sheer terror in her soul, she flipped off the covers as fast as she could. Immediately she jumped out of her bed, as the pair of blue eyes watching her began to stir. The dark figure raised its arm and slammed it through her window.
CLASH!
Pieces of glass were strewn about her bedroom, as the silver creature stuck its head inside bearing a dagger filled grin. Somehow it managed to squeeze its form through the square opening. The moonlight glistened off the beast's metallic scales as he drew closer. Every step the monster took left deep scars on the wooden floor. Breathing heavily, it drew nearer, step by step.
Fluttershy desperately fumbled with the door, but in her current state of shock she forgot how it functioned. In a fit of terror she let out an ear-piercing shriek.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Taking this as a signal the white dragon lunged forward and scooped her up with one claw. During a lapse in judgment the beast's tail scratched a long crevice along the length of her wall. Fluttershy desperately hit the beast with her free hoof, constantly shrieking and crying for someone to save her.
The dragon let out a gurgle of discomfort as he struggled to subdue her. After performing a complete turnabout he raised his arm yet again, and brought it down across the window in a great swipe, destroying the wall standing between himself and freedom. Splinters of wood as well as shards of glass were sent flying about with a loud crash.
Fluttershy continued to struggle as the monster placed a hand over her face, to muffle her screams.
"Without you …" the beast sneered, "the other elements are worthless ."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Packie was stirred awake by a scream and his heart started to race. He frantically fell off the sofa and struggled to right himself. Clutching his wings close to his body he darted for the staircase.
The scream came again and went, dying into nothing.
"NO! NO!" he yelled. With a single leap he cleared the entire set of steps. Quickly he turned to snatch the door handle, but when he tried to turn it, it gave no response. He could hear something causing a ruckus in the room and a muffled yell underneath it all.
Suddenly he felt his heart lurch and beat faster, this odorous and putrid stench filled his nostrils, and his hearing almost at once encompassed everything around him. With his senses heightened to near godlike levels, he pulled on the door with all of his might and it snapped clean off the hinges. He threw the door to the wayside and caught a glimpse of the beast, as it jumped past the wreckage of Fluttershy's room and into the cold night. With a flap of its mighty wings the dragon took to the sky.
Thump* Packie heard his heart beat in his head. He took two frantic steps forward and ripped his shirt clean off.
Thump*Thump*
He heard it again. Taking two more lunges forward his wings unfurled, spanning across the entire bedroom.
THUMP*THUMP*
"RRAAAAHHHHH!" he roared.
He gave one final lunge forward and jumped directly skyward with all of his might.
The first unbelievably powerful beat of his wings tossed everything in her room against the wall, leaving it in a state of total devastation.
With every flap he gained altitude, pursuing the white beast. He gained upon it quickly with each violent thrust.
The dragon was about twice his height and probably three times his weight. He didn't care at this point if the odds were against him, all he cared about was her.
As his anger increased, so too did his speed. The constant pounding in his chest drove him onward.
The white beast turned and glared at him, not counting on having to deal with this unexpected problem. Ever so slightly the monster began to open its jaw and suck in air. A blue glow started to emanate from his neck and move up his throat.
Without warning the beast released its payload, a densely concentrated ball of blue flames.
Packie panicked and brought his wings close to his body, spinning in a tight corkscrew formation. The incoming fire ball glazed harmlessly overhead, as Packie unfurled and up-righted himself. He continued to gain on the dragon.
The beast charged another blast in his throat and spewed another white hot missile at him.
In the spur of the moment Packie took his left arm and placed it in front of him. Apparently his body was going through yet another drastic transformation as his hand had now developed a full set of five inch long claws.
Just as the blue ball of flame was about to connect, he furiously swiped at the projectile with his new weapon. His claws tore through the flame like it was made of butter and the fire dissipated into the cool night air.
Rage continued to build within him.
Packie was suddenly wracked with a terrible throbbing in his right arm. The pain traveled down through his biceps, triceps, and then directly through his wrists, eventually reaching his fingers. Each muscle in his hand flexed at once as every finger started to increase in length. The same claws that had been on his left now had a matching pair on his right.
But it didn't stop.
New bone and cartilage was forming, pushing his skin farther and farther past its threshold. His hands, now double their original size, each bore five deadly blades for claws. The transformation was taking its toll on his body.
"RAAHHH-OOHH!" he roared in pain.
His course of flight altered, sending him in some other direction. The pain was beginning to be too much for him to handle.
The dragon glanced behind him, watching Patrick fumble around in midair.
"It seems he's starting to fatigue. " The beast said.
Fluttershy thrashed about in his grasp, flailing her one free hoof and occasionally hitting him. She continued to scream into the monster's arm but now she was completely inaudible.
With her hope running thin, she began to cry.
"LEEEETT HERRR GOOOOOOOO!" Packie growled.
He had managed to fight through the pain and redirect himself back at the dragon. After enduring the transformation, he now had much ground to cover.
The dragon was over the length of two football fields away, but Packie continued to gain. The beast was startled to see the human catching up so fast.
In a panic he unleashed three more blasts of blue white hot fury, directly at Packie.
In his heightened state of awareness he only needed a moment to prepare for the impact. With three blindingly fast swipes of his claws the dragon's flames were extinguished.
Now with no more interruptions Packie closed the distance between them and attacked the dragon viciously.
With animal like instincts he fell onto the dragon and sunk in his newly developed fangs. His teeth pierced down through the beast's scales on his back, causing it to shriek in pain.
"LLLLEEEEEEEEEEOOOHH! Damn you human !" The dragon bellowed. He turned over and wildly swung his free arm with his claws poised. At this point he would do anything to rid himself of this nuisance. He swiped back and forth with his attacks always narrowly missing.
Every time the beast tried to counterattack Packie would dodge and weave accordingly, keeping his wings low to the monster's back.
Going off of instinct, Packie took his clawed hands and dug them into the monster's hide, ripping and tearing through scales and flesh.
The dragon's side was now an unrecognizable bloody mess.
Packie released his fangs' grip on the beast's flesh, his mouth full of dragon blood. Keeping his grasp on the monster's hide he hung on as it suddenly jerked to the side, plummeting towards the earth.
"RAAAAHHHH!" Packie roared, "RELEASE HHEEERRRRR!" The dragon's blood spewed forth from his open mouth.
The beast shrieked in pain and then responded. "Very well, take her away !" he replied coldly.
Unfurling his arm he showed Packie a now unconscious Fluttershy.
She had been choked to sleep by the beast to prevent her from acting out any longer. With a great heave the monster threw her, out across an expanse of dense forest.
Packie watched as she fell helplessly, his claws still deeply embedded in the dragon's hide.
"Fluttershy…" he cried weekly.
Seeing her in such a pitiful state brought him back to his senses.
He relinquished his grip on the dragon's hide, realizing they were falling at terminal velocity. With all of his focus on Fluttershy he jumped off, flying frantically after her.
She continued to fall, gaining speed.
"No! I'll save you!" he assured.
She was moments away from disappearing underneath the tree line.
He began to panic and his heart quickened, adrenaline flooding his system.
He couldn't bear to lose her. She had become his world and he had sworn to protect her at all costs.
Now she was about to die, and every flap of his wings pushed him a little closer to her.
BOOM!
A freight train impacted into his back, surging him forward. This intense searing heat was burning his flesh and his wings. A giant ball of blue fire continued to push him and he lost sight of her.
The silver dragon had corrected itself and was now on a collision course with Fluttershy. A trail of blood trickled behind him slowly, falling to the ground beneath the tree line.
The intensely hot missile continued to steam ahead into Packie's back, starting to pull him downward. He blew past Fluttershy, of whom he briefly caught a glimpse. But something else caught his eye.
He watched the white dragon snatch her out of the air, and she dangled limply in his grasp.
Packie dipped beneath the tree line and collided with a branch. The fireball that had been propelling him was extinguished when he made contact.
Instinctively he curled up into a ball before hitting another branch, and falling even faster he hit another tree at the widest part of its trunk. His momentum caused him to plow through the entire body, despite its thickness being fifteen feet in width. A shower of wood, splinters, and pine needles fell to the forest floor below.
CRACK!
The top of the pine tree lurched and began to topple over, being disconnected from its base.
After the initial force of the impact, he struggled to maintain his balled up form. He was beginning to approach the edge of the forest, coming in at angle.
He plowed through another thick tree, his body bloody and torn as he passed the edge. With another thirty feet still to fall he found his impact site.
The dense forest had been concealing an expansive hidden lake.
The surface of the stagnant water was completely still, reflecting a mirror image of the sky above, encompassing every star, tiny cloud, and above all the absolutely full moon.
KERSPLUSH!
His body impacted with the water, jostling him about one final time. The sudden addition of his mass caused a huge ripple to erupt upwards and cascade over the lake's entire surface. The water now had a hold on him.
His head ached and he felt himself begin to sink. His back and wings had been charred from the fireball, and his torso had been bloodied on the way back down.
One last breath escaped his mouth and the resulting bubbles floated skyward.
He let his muscles relax and be blown by some gentle current he caused. His eyes closed as he began to fade in and out of consciousness.
His flowing blond hair reached outwards and hung loosely in the space surrounding his head. The blood of the dragon that had clung to his face slowly dissolved away.
In this world of zero-gravity and absolute quiet he had only his thoughts to keep him company. His heart was not thumping loudly in his head anymore.
He was finally calm and serene, and his face relaxed into complete absence of expression.
For about a minute he did absolutely nothing, taking in his situation.
Why am I here ? He thought.
Silence filled his ears.
Do I just give up now? Is this how it ends?... I failed her anyways…
More silence.
Is this how my parents raised me? NO!
Thump*
Am I just supposed to sit idly by and watch everything get taken away from me because I was too weak?!
His mouth turned into a deep frown, and he began to grit his teeth.
I'm tired of people being there for me when I am weak, and then when they need my help I can't do anything!
Thump*Thump*
It's time I started being the savior I always wanted to be!
He was screaming in his head.
God damn it! I should've been able to save her!
"Glarph…" he opened his mouth in a rage. Bubbles churned upwards towards the lake's surface.
THUMPTHUMP*
His heart was now pounding in his chest. Not being able to take it anymore he turned, deep beneath the water's surface. His feet planted on the lake's floor and he began to slowly stumble upwards. He opened his eyes in the foggy water and could see the faint outline of the moon high overhead.
Step by step he approached the lake's edge, closer and closer to the sky.
As his head broke the surface he took a deep gulp of air and continued to stumble out of the water.
His golden hair coated his face and he wiped it to the side. When he reached the rocky coast he fell to his hands and knees, wailing in grief.
The pain of the burns and his cuts was unbearable in the dry air.
"AHHHH! I'm sorry Fluttershy! GRRR! Damn it!"
THUMP*THUMP*THUMP*THUMP*
"GACK!" He choked on something in his throat, a throbbing like he had felt in his hand earlier. The throbbing continued down into his chest and he felt himself jerk forward.
He could only equate the pain to a massive heart attack.
He grabbed his chest in pain. "RAAAAHHHH!" It felt like some outside force was ripping his ribcage apart. Cartilage expanded, bones grew, and his heart struggled. In this state he thrashed about wildly, blind rage taking over him only to deal with the pain.
The surge of change continued down through his abdominals and hips, and down into his legs. His muscles expanded and his skin stretched to its maximum. The black jeans he had been wearing ripped cleanly into two halves and fell to the ground, as he stumbled across the rocks.
The pain caused him to stand up and throw his head backward, gazing at the starry night sky. Electricity poured through him, causing terrible convulsions. His spine elongated and arched, and he struggled to keep his footing. The skin around his toes pulled back and his nails ejected forth and downward into a sloped shape to better grip the terrain.
His biceps bulked upward and his back widened to accommodate his now growing frame. His pectoral muscles sculpted themselves into a heavy square shape while his core bulked, forming a tight eight-pack.
The more his body changed the more pain he was forced to endure, causing intense uncontrollable shaking.
He felt himself growing taller and stronger by each painful second. No longer having any sense of the world around him, he focused on the one constant he now had, Fluttershy.
"Guhh… GRRR! Gahh…gack!" he kept choking on a lump in his throat.
His wings began to recede into his back, their mass reforming inside his body.
Every moment they grew smaller while he simultaneously grew taller.
They kept retreating until they became but two stumps on his back.
"GRRRRAAHH!" he yelled.
The stumps fully retreated underneath his skin after his final yelp in pain.
He felt something hairy in his palm and shrieked when he saw his hands covered in golden fur.
"GRAHH! What's happening ?! His voice began to distort into a deep growl. In a state of panic he began to hyperventilate.
Then the surge that had wracked his entire body up to that point moved back up to his neck.
He grunted in discomfort as the feeling moved past his cheeks and up into his face. His nose began to elongate alongside his upper and bottom jaw. His canine teeth burst through his gums and hung out of his mouth, curved downward in a vicious hooked c-shape. His eyes receded backwards slightly and his face started to stretch further into a long snout.
His ears began to perk upwards and lengthen while the blond hair on his head began to move down his face. The pores of his skin began to open, letting blond follicles push upwards to the surface.
The cuts and burns that had plagued his body started to heal themselves as more hair across his skin surged to the surface. Blond hair started appearing in places it should not have, taking over his feet, legs, chest, back, arms, and neck.
He grabbed his chest and felt his ribcage finally burst forth, his lung capacity now practically quadrupled.
The transformation started to slow down. His chest was now deep and wide, his midsection tight and compact. His thighs and calves were bulky and powerful to support his enlarged frame. He felt something else, something new to him, a big bushy tail that nearly touched the ground.
He lumbered around as his arms now reached very low. Every breath he took was labored as he tried to force himself to get used to his new body.
He was no longer quite sure who he was, but he knew he was looking for someone.
The taste of blood still lingered in his mouth. The blood was that of his target, his enemy. That much he was sure of.
He fell to his knees utterly exhausted and looked down at his palms. They were covered in blond fur which traced the length of his entire body. Packie now glanced over his form. He was about nine feet tall now, muscular and lean, covered in fur.
Who am I? He asked himself.
He turned to the water and took a few steps, the claws on his feet leaving scars in the stones.
The water allowed him a mirror like surface to gaze upon.
His face was canid-like, like a dog or something. His fur was brightly blondish-gold and his eyes were still the same deep ocean blue, though his pupils were dilated more than usual.
What am I? Who am I looking for?
The smell of flowers crossed his nostrils as a breeze blew by. His sense of smell had increased so dramatically he knew which direction the scent had come from, though the source was now over a hundred miles away by now.
He turned to face an icy mountain range far in the distance.
Packie wasn't quite sure why, but the mountains looked extremely familiar.
The smell of flowers though… he knew that smell. It came from a pony.
Fluttershy ? He thought. Why is that name stuck in my head? And how do I know she's a pony?
The questions irritated him. They painfully wracked his brain.
He knew there was someone or somepony he was looking for. It had to be her. He was sure of it.
And the blood he tasted? Was that from his enemy?
The dragon!
I remember the dragon.
He must have taken her away from me!
NO!
SHE IS MINE!
"RAHH !" he snarled. Anger built up inside him. He balled his clawed hands into tight fists.
He would hunt down the dragon and take back Fluttershy. He knew it was his purpose.
Packie stumbled away from the water and gazed at the mountains with rage in his eyes.
With his enhanced lungs he took in the largest breath of air he had in his entire life and planted his feet firmly.
"RRROOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH !"
His roar was long and loud, shaking the heavens themselves and echoing across the fullness of Equestria.
The animals surrounding the lake all turned their attention to the beast who had made his presence known, a towering behemoth of rippling muscle and fur.
A bright golden werewolf, bathing in moonlight.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 26
Twilight hurdled out of her bed, woken by a loud wailing of some far off creature.
"Whoa!...Oof!" she hit the floor with a dull thud, landing on her back.
Rainbow Dash, who was soundly asleep in her sleeping bag, came to.
"Ugh…yawn*… what's going on Twilight?" she asked while rubbing her eyes.
"You didn't hear that?" she replied. "That was… the creepiest thing I've ever heard."
Twilight looked around her bed but Rarity and Pinkie Pie were still off in dreamland, wrapped up tight in their sleeping bags. "Those two could sleep through a hurricane." She mumbled.
Luna's moon was still high in the sky outside her window, beams of moonlight kept her bedroom illuminated. She looked over at her grandfather clock; 12:57 was the time.
"What did you hear?" whispered Rainbow.
"That's just it… I don't know. It sounded like no animal I've ever heard." She put her hoof under her chin in thought.
"Well… maybe it's just the wind." Said Rainbow. With a casual twist of her body she found a comfortable position and dug down into her sleeping bag, resting her eyes.
Twilight carefully crawled back into her bed, trying her best not to make a sound, and laid her head down back on her pillow. Finding it hard to go back to sleep, she stared up at her ceiling for a few minutes.
"Yeah maybe just the wind…" she started to close her eyes, "still creepy…though…"
After a while she returned to dreamland with her friends, feeling safe in the fact that the guards were taking shifts on watch outside.
Off to the side Pinkie stirred, sleep talking to herself.
"Snore*…snore* watch out… snore*…Wally…werewolf…snore*…bop em in the nose…snore*…for me."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Meanwhile, far away…
The colossal red dragon slammed a fist against a thick icy wall.
CRASH!
Shards of ice broke free from the impact site and littered the floor of the snowy cave.
"I gave you a simple task, Fletch. Find any pony of importance and report back immediately ." He bellowed.
The dragon king lurched away from the wall in anger, opposing his shorter statured subordinate. His patience was being put on trial. A bead of sweat ran down the smaller white dragon's head. Fletch had thought his quick thinking would be praised, not shunned.
"But sire, the pony I brought back here… she is a possessor of one of the elements of harmony."
"That is beside the point ."
"But my king, please hear me out! I heard the ponies talking. These elements could've been used against us. Plus, now we have leverage against the princess, a hostage!" Fletch could feel his pride welling up inside him.
"The information you bring back is valuable… " Fletch was relieved to hear his approval.
"However, we did not need hostages. This is something that needed to be planned in advance. What about the human? The one that gave you those scars? " The king lumbered towards him, inspecting his wounds from the corner of his eye.
"I killed him." He stated. "The human had been given some kind of enhancement from the princess, and he put up a decent fight. But I struck him with my flame and he plummeted at least a hundred feet to the earth below. There is no possible way he could have survived."
The great red beast reared his head, leveling his gaze with his subordinate's. He leaned forward slightly so he wouldn't have to speak as forcefully.
"I pray you are right…for your sake. Another break from my command and I'll tie you down and let the human rip you apart again ."
Fletch clutched his side where Packie had brutally maimed him, still somewhat bloody.
"Understood… my king." He responded hesitantly.
"Good. Now, tell me about these other humans. What can they do ?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fluttershy stirred awake, struggling to break free from her daze. Her eyes had difficulty focusing as all she could see were mostly white surroundings. She had something hanging around her neck, something heavy and metallic. As she tried to stand up the collar around her neck kept her from moving forward. Her feet kept slipping out from under her as she tried to stand up. She heard a clanking noise and looked behind her to see the collar was tied to a chain, and the chain embedded deep in an icy wall.
The ice… all of a sudden it hit her.
The whitish blue room she was in was positively frigid, and composed chiefly of ice. Every breath she gave took the form of a white haze. It was unbearably cold and she felt the icy air penetrating her yellow coat. She began to shiver uncontrollably and her teeth began to chatter.
At one end of the room was a large hole in the ice about ten feet high with a giant boulder placed in front of it. She was completely sealed in an icy circular room, about thirty feet in diameter and half that amount high.
With the cold starting to seep into her skin and thoughts of her friends escaping her mind, she began to curl up into a tight ball and weep gently. Her shivering would not cease and the pain inside wasn't going away.
Creak.
The boulder that was blocking off the room began to budge slightly, pushed by some unseen force. It groaned deeply as it slid across the surface of the ice. The stone had been moved clearly out of the way when a yellow-scaled dragon entered.
Not even bothering to acknowledge whoever had just entered, Fluttershy continued to cry, preparing for the worst.
She was caught off guard when she heard a deep yet feminine voice from behind her. The voice very closely resembled that of Princess Celestia's.
"Oh no, are you cold little pony?" the voice asked with concern.
Weakly Fluttershy turned to her guest, who towered above her. This dragon had slightly less menacing features than the one who had abducted her. She was roughly ten feet tall and had a very sleek, streamlined build. Fluttershy noticed that her claws were dulled somewhat as though she had a habit of biting them.
Normally she would have been absolutely terrified of seeing the comparatively huge yellow dragon, but the mind-numbing cold and feeling of isolation had left her physically and emotionally defeated.
All Fluttershy could do was look up at dragon with frozen tears clinging to her face, and shiver.
"Here. I've got something that might help that." She said.
The yellow dragoness held one of her talons in front of her mouth and blew on it slightly. She conjured a light green flame which projected itself upon her claw and enveloped it. Her claw maintained the flame at its tip, just a candle might.
She slowly lowered her outstretched appendage, down to Fluttershy's shivering face. Fluttershy didn't seem to care, she could only focus on the cold.
"Now hold still, right there." The dragoness said.
Fluttershy let her head fall to the icy floor, her mane falling to the side. The female dragon could plainly see she was in great suffering.
Delicately she placed her burning talon on Fluttershy's collar and let the flame seep down into the metal. She started saying some draconic chant in a dialect Fluttershy did not understand.
Once the green flame had been fully transferred inside of the collar the dragon stood back up.
All at once Fluttershy could feel this warmth engulf her face and travel down her neck. It felt so wonderful. She felt her skin begin to open up and take in the heat as it made its way down the length of her back, into her chest, and down through her legs. She gasped as she took in a glorious gulp of air, feeling life returning to her.
Fluttershy leaned up, opening her eyes fully now and taking in the sight around her. As she peered up at the tall sunflower colored dragon she knew there was nothing to be afraid of.
She smiled faintly. "T-thank you, so much. I feel a lot better now."
The dragoness smirked in satisfaction. "I should hope so, little pony. For a second there, I thought you were gonna die on me."
"I…I thought I was too." She frightfully admitted. "Y-you're not going to eat me, are you?"
The dragon belly-laughed. "Hahahaha! That depends… you aren't made of rubies and sapphires are you?"
"Um… no. I'm not." Fluttershy replied hesitantly.
"Then I'd say you're in the clear." The dragoness said smugly.
Fluttershy firmly planted her butt on the icy floor, but the collar's spell was keeping her from feeling the cold. She could tell she wasn't going anywhere soon.
"So, what's your name?" the yellow beast asked.
"My name is Fluttershy, what's yours?" she asked innocently.
"Well… I probably shouldn't be telling you, but my name's Allele."
She reached a scaly clawed hand toward Fluttershy in a friendly sort of way.
In return she gave her a hoof, which Allele shook amicably.
"I don't suppose you could let me go…" mentioned Fluttershy.
Allele felt strangely sad for the lost little pony, but she knew that to release her would mean certain death.
"I'm sorry…Fluttershy, but I have orders to keep you here and if I disobey my king then it's curtains for me. Until my king changes his mind I'm afraid you have to stay here."
Fluttershy felt her heart sink, and then she remembered something. "Ok then, but can you please tell me where my friend is?"
Allele felt a lump in her throat. She had an idea of what 'friend' she was talking about, most likely the human that attacked Fletch.
"He wouldn't happen to be the human, would he?" she asked lightly.
"Yes, that's him. Is he okay?" she pleaded.
Allele drooped her head a little to show sympathy. Perhaps she wouldn't tell her the exact truth.
"He attacked the dragon who took you and badly injured him. But from what my comrade tells me, he fell into the forest below. He… doesn't know if the human survived or not."
Allele felt strange, as if she shouldn't be conversing with the enemy. But was this kind little pony really an enemy?
Fluttershy collapsed in grief, falling down onto her stomach. She wrapped her legs around her face trying to conceal her tears. She began to sob and hyperventilate bitterly, desperately trying to cling onto the fact that Packie could still be alive.
"I'm sorry… Fluttershy. I'll come back later." Said Allele.
After a few long strides towards the exit the dragoness turned to move the giant boulder back to its original position. With several heaves and some grinding against the ice, the massive stone now once again sealed Fluttershy inside her cold white prison.
Now alone and an emotional wreck, she silently contemplated how to convince the dragons to let her go, as the minutes began to tick by.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The golden wolf-beast bobbed and weaved in and out of the way of incoming trees. He jumped over colossal stones in a single leap. Every time some loose foliage or a low hanging branch got in his way, he would quickly decimate the obstacle with a clean swipe of his claws.
He felt so primal and unrestrained, running at top speed through the dense thicket. The taste of the blood in his mouth was still thick and heavy as he ran. The dragon, his enemy, had left a trail of it leading southward. Each drop of blood was left further and further apart, sometimes he would go for miles without catching a scent, but there was clearly only one direction to keep going.
After running for hours and following the stench of blood, he came upon a stream.
It was but a small moving body of water, about a yard in width and very shallow. However, as the night wore on the wolf-beast felt himself get increasingly dehydrated. He was suddenly overcome with an incredible craving for water.
The beast fell to his hands and knees and began to take in large gulps of the divine liquid. Each drink was better than the last.
After a few moments he raised his head and looked at his distorted reflection in the water. He no longer saw a wolf's face, just a blurry mess. But the color of his golden hair reminded himself that he probably didn't always look like this.
Who am I? He asked himself.
'Sorry I'm not such a good teacher.' A female voice said.
That voice, he had heard that voice before. It must've been Fluttershy's, the pony he was looking for.
'No one here is a bad teacher.' The other voice, who did it belong to?
He continued to stare at his garbled reflection in the stream, hearing these two voices go back and forth, inside the confines of his mind.
'Maybe I can help you.' She said.
'I'd like that.' The male voice replied.
'NOOOOOO!' she screamed.
'AAHHHHH!' he cried out in agony.
'I'm so sorry, Patrick…" she whispered.
The other voice; that must've been me. That must be my name, Patrick! Yes, it sounds so familiar now.
He stood up from the water and bolted off again for the mountain, getting close to his target.
With one of his questions answered he was filled with a new confidence and an even stronger desire to save Fluttershy. Each step forward he dug in his claws further, propelling himself faster with each stride.
Before long he broke through the edge of the forest, coming upon a colossal icy mountain that reached for the heavens.
He found the steepest cliff on its northern face, dug in his claws, and began pulling himself skyward.
He reached ever higher and grabbed onto every large rock he could find, embedding his talons deep into each stone. The work of climbing was starting to become very taxing on his limbs. His bushy tail swung from side to side with every thrust upwards.
He began to pant very heavily.
In just several minutes he had climbed a few hundred feet.
I'm coming for you Fluttershy . He thought. Just hang on.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"There's been a change in plans ." Said the dragon king. "Instead of hitting our original targets, we are going directly to this pony settlement ." He paused for a moment, letting his crew take in the new information. "Fletch tells me the princess and two other humans will be there. He also told me the humans have been given enhanced abilities from the princess, and I know she will be severely weakened. "
His officers had gathered around him a large rocky den. The only source of light was a bonfire at the center of the room giving off a faint orange glow.
Fletch sat in one corner, still holding his silvery bloody side. Allele stood off to the sides with her arms crossed, listening intently.
Greyl, the largest dragon of the group and the king's second in command stood near his side. Directly across the king stood Blood, his draconic magic specialist, and Blood's assistant whose name the king never bothered to learn.
"How do you know she'll be weakened?" asked Allele.
"Every time a pony uses a potent spell such as this, its drains their magic reserves greatly. She has most likely wasted the remainder of her power on the humans. " He grumbled.
"And what if she hasn't?" she asked.
"Then I will take whatever she has left. " He replied coldly.
The towering behemoth Greyl cleared his throat and spoke in a low rumble. "What team do you wish to take with you, my king? "
"Only those who are able bodied. I'm sorry Blood, but you and your friend have to stay here. Seeing as Fletch is in no condition for any more fighting, I want you to try your best to heal him. " He ordered.
"Yes, of course my king." Blood responded.
"Which leaves just you Greyl, and Allele. We take off in an hour… Now leave me be ." The king waved them off with a swipe of his arm. Within a minute or two the rest of his clan had dispersed further into the icy cavern, to either look for gems or in Allele's case, check on the prisoner.
The last one to stay behind at the bonfire was Fletch, who had one last thing to tell the king before he left.
"My king, one more thing…" he said. The silver dragon stumbled over to him.
The king towered over him, at least twice his size. "Go on ." He answered bluntly.
"When I was spying on the ponies' activity I noticed they had with them a baby dragon. He had to be but only several years old."
Fletch half-expected to be punished for not telling him this information earlier. But rather than receive anger, his king only showed intrigue.
"You don't say ."
"Yes it's true. He seemed to be particularly friendly with the purple unicorn. I would bet that he lives with her."
The king paused for a moment, absorbing this new information. Then he began to laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHA!... Very well. This is a most interesting development indeed. Here we have a potential sympathizer with our cause. "
The king turned back to Fletch.
"We must bring him to our side… " His voice slightly above a whisper.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
BEEP-BEEP*
Jiggs' mp3 starting buzzing in his hand. Without opening his eyes he lazily prodded his thumb around looking for the off button.
BEEP-BEEP*
"Yeah I hear ya, I'm getting up…" He mumbled.
He twisted over on his side and pressed a button on the top of the device, promptly silencing it. The screen brightly displayed the time, 5:15.
Jiggs flipped the covers off of him and walked over to the window. The sun was just about to peak its head over some distant mountain.
Taking a few minutes to stretch and situate himself he began to throw on some clothes, his green tennis shoes, black loose fitting jeans, a dark navy blue V-neck, and finally his trademark black hoody.
He walked over to the bedroom door and pushed it open as silently as possible. "Everyone must be still asleep." He whispered to himself.
The stairway leading down to the kitchen was dark, and starting to show signs of sunlight being let in. He delicately placed each step on his way down, careful not to make any loud "creaks" in the wood.
Jiggs made his way into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, though inside there were only vegetables and various dishes comprised primarily of apples.
Disappointed he closed the fridge and turned to find a glass of juice on the counter. Without really thinking he grabbed the cold glass and took a few generous gulps. It was apple juice.
"Why am I not surprised?" he asked the glass.
He finished the drink and ran some water over it in the sink, rinsing it out quickly. Once the house returned to quiet again he walked over towards the front door. With another twist of the handle and a gentle push he went outside.
"Oh good, I thought I was gonna have ta come get you myself." Said Applejack.
She had her hind end planted firmly on the steps of her porch. At the sight of Jiggs she stood up.
"Nope. Just like I said. I'm here." He muttered to her.
"Follow me." She ordered.
They started walking side by side across the field and past the barn. They passed by the apple orchard and walked along the length of the wooden fence surrounding the property. She was taking him up a large grassy hill, to some other field.
The sun was about halfway over the mountains now, coating everything in its orange glow.
"Wow, it's so… pretty here." He said.
"Yeah, it's my pride and joy." Applejack responded. "Most days you'll find me out in the orchard, collecting apples obviously. There's nothin' I'd rather be doing."
Jiggs scratched his chin. "How do you get em down if you don't have hands to pick with?"
"Oh that's easy! I just buck the trees and they fall right off. Nothin' could be simpler." She said confidently.
"Are you the one in charge around here?" he asked.
"Absolutely. My brother Big Macintosh does the heavy lifting and pulling, but I do just as much. We make sure we pull the same weight around here, otherwise there's no telling what would happen to this place."
There was a long silence that followed between them, before she finally spoke up.
"So what do you do for a living, besides play fancy instruments in your spare time?"
Jiggs laughed. "Ha, well… you could say I was a bit of a pool boy."
"Pool boy?" she interjected. "Like you shoot billiards?"
"Oh no, no. I worked on swimming pools for a few years, commercially and locally."
"Swimming pools? What's wrong with a good old lake?" she asked.
"Well not every human wants to travel to a lake, or run the risk of getting dirty. On my world we don't exactly have the cleanest sources of fresh water." He admitted. "This place is much better."
"It sure sounds like it." She agreed.
They passed over the hill and came upon a fenced in herd of cattle. Jiggs had enjoyed their nice little stroll.
Applejack walked over to the enclosure and opened a white gate. "I'm gonna let the cows out to graze. They shouldn't run off too far but while they eat we can do some other things."
"Oh I get you. 'Other things.'" He quoted deceptively.
"Ugh. You're such a cheeky ass." she noted playfully.
As the cattle flooded the open grass field she turned to head back to the barn.
"Wait that's all you had to do?" he asked.
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "For now. Don't worry we got some real work to do, I promise."
After another stroll back to the giant red barn she instructed him to carry a large of bag of chicken feed. With little effort he slung the bag over his shoulder.
Seeing that he was more than ready to help Applejack opened up the barn door to let him in. He found a long set of trays where the chickens could reach their heads out and gently emptied the bag's contents.
"Man, I love that smell." He said.
"You do? Huh, well that's a good thing I guess. I kinda had to get used to it." She admitted.
The chickens squawked with joy as their breakfast arrived.
"Now normally, I'd get Big Mac to help with this next one." She pulled a bag out of a cupboard that was three times larger than the previous one. "This one's for the pigs and the sheep."
"Pigs? I thought you were vegetarian? What's the point of having pigs around?" he asked.
"Trust me, you don't wanna know." She assured him.
He let out a long sigh and gripped either side of the bag. It probably weighed over 200 pounds but thanks to his strength it was as light as a feather.
With a great heave he slung the huge bag over his shoulder just like the last one.
"C'mon it's this way." She said with a wave of her hoof.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
TINK*
Something tapped on Twilight's window, disturbing her from sleep. She drowsily checked the clock again. It was 6:32.
"Mmm…" moaned Pinkie, "…just five more minutes."
TINK*
"There's that tap again." Said Twilight. She got up from her bed and walked over to her window, careful to step over her sleeping friends. Slowly she looked out trying to get a glimpse of anything, but the sun was starting to bleed through and leaving a glare across the glass pane.
TINK*
"Oh, it's a bird." She noted.
On her windowsill sat a little blue jay and it seemed to be jumping about in a great panic. Twilight undid the latch and carefully opened her window, letting in a warm morning breeze. The blue jay hopped into Twilight's hoof.
"Aww what's the matter little guy?" she asked concernedly.
The blue jay unfurled a wing, pointing back outside the window. It began to chirp in great distress, desperately trying to tell her something.
"What's out there?"
"CHEEP-CHEEP!"
Twilight calmly stuck her head out to view whatever the bird fiercely wanted her to see.
"I don't see anything." Said Twilight.
The bird in her hoof pointed downward with his wing. Twilight obeyed and lowered her gaze to Ponyville's street level, just out front of her treehouse.
What she saw frightened her, hundreds of woodland creatures, large and small, and they were all staring up at her.
"WAHH!" she pushed away from the wall and fell on her back. The blue jay harmlessly flew out of her grasp and planted itself on her windowsill again.
The sudden commotion stirred Rainbow Dash awake. "Alright, what is it this time?" she asked somewhat agitated.
"L-l-look outside." Stammered Twilight.
Much in the same way she had, Rainbow stumbled over to the window and peered her head over slowly.
"WOAH!" she cried out. "What are they all doing here?"
Rarity slowly came to, awoken by the loud noise. "Ugh… why can't you let me get my beauty sleep?" she mumbled. "It's still sooo early."
"Sorry Rarity." Twilight apologized. "But there's something weird happening outside."
With her purple mane still messy Rarity got up and out of her sleeping bag and went over to Rainbow Dash, who was still looking outside.
"Alright what's all the fuss about—WHAAA?!" The unicorn could not take her eyes off the enormous congregation of animals.
"Wait I've seen this before! Whenever Fluttershy is feeling sick… t-the animals come to me so I know to go help her. But why today?" she asked.
"So this has happened before?" asked Twilight.
"Oh it's been ages." Replied Rarity, "Which makes this even more strange."
"Well Celestia said something about the elements glowing if one of us was in danger." Said Twilight.
In a great hurry Twilight rushed over to her bed and pulled the hidden treasure chest from under it. The night before they had all placed their elements inside of it for safe keeping. When she opened the chest the four remaining pieces of jewelry were indeed glowing, constantly fluctuating in brightness.
"No…" muttered Twilight, "I think Fluttershy's in trouble."
"NOOOOO!"Cried out Pinkie Pie.
The three other ponies in the room jumped in terror at her sudden outburst.
"Pinkie!" they all yelled angrily.
"Snore*…snore*… that's my coffee… Wally…snore*" She was still fast asleep.
"I take back what I said." Said Twilight. "The end of the world couldn't wake her up."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Celestia was having trouble sleeping. She had been allowed to use the only other bed Twilight had, which she herself had moved to the guest room.
At the moment she was up and looking over Ponyville from her circular window. After raising the sun hundreds of thousands of times, she found it came to her quite effortlessly now. While lost in thought she heard a knocking at her door.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"It's me Twilight." Said a familiar voice. "Fluttershy's in trouble!"
"Oh no." whispered Celestia.
In a flash she was clear to the other side of the room and hurled open the door using what little magic she had left.
Twilight looked up at her with fear in her eyes. "Princess, the elements are glowing… a-and there's a large herd of woodland critters outside. Fluttershy has to be in trouble."
"I see. Twilight, please take Nova with you to her cottage. He may not be as gifted as you are but he is still a powerful ally." She assured.
"Are you going to stay here?" asked Twilight.
"I'm afraid I would only slow you down. I will tell Wallace what's going on, but please take the other elements with you." Celestia pleaded.
"Way ahead of you, Princess." Announced Rainbow Dash behind Twilight. "I'm already on my way!" With a quick bound down the hallway and into Twilight's room, she made her way to the open window and took off for Fluttershy's.
"Wait! Dash!" cried Twilight. However it was too late, as she could hear Rainbow's wings flapping off into the distance.
"Come on Twilight." Said Rarity. "We have to leave this instant."
"Ugh…" grumbled Pinkie as she lumbered out of Twilight's room. "Where was Dashie… going?" she moaned.
Celestia put her right hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Hurry and grab Nova, Twilight. You shouldn't waste any more time here. Rainbow could need your help."
"Alright girls," asserted Twilight, "Let's get going!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"How is the prisoner holding up? " asked the king.
The yellow dragoness shrugged her shoulders. "She's doing fine I suppose. Better than before, anyway."
"Good ." He grumbled. His first officer, a colossal beast, was following behind him down the icy cavern. "Greyl, are you ready to leave? "
"Yes king. I am ready. " The colossus of a dragon lurched forward with every step, crushing beds of solid ice and rock beneath his feet.
"Allele, should any unicorn try something foolish against us, you know what to do ." He warned.
"Of course. Have I ever failed you before?" she asked.
"Not yet. But I don't want there to be any 'accidents.' These ponies are extremely treacherous and you must be aware at all times. "
They approached the entrance to the icy cave. The orange sun was about eye-level to them now, considering their high altitude. A frigid breeze was blowing swiftly across the mountain's peak, sending a few snowy flurries into their faces.
The blood red dragon opened and displayed his wings grandly, preparing for takeoff.
"And what if something goes wrong?!" Allele's voice was barely audible in the heavy wind.
"Nothing will go wrong ." The king bellowed. "Just stay in triangle formation… Now, let us be off! "
With a supreme heave of his wings the red dragon blasted off skyward.
Wordlessly, his towering first officer opened his wings and took off much in the same way as his commander.
Allele faltered for a moment and then unfurled her membranous wings as well. "I hope you're right…" she mumbled to herself.
With a swift down sweep motion of her wings, she gave chase after her comrades.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 27
Rainbow Dash raced as fast as she could for Fluttershy's cottage. At this point she didn't care if she had to fight a dragon herself, she just had to reach her friend at all costs. She passed over trees, dirt roads, a stream; everything flashed by in a quick blur. The wind wistfully zipped by her face as she got ever closer to breaking the sound barrier, but she knew that wouldn't be necessary. After only about thirty seconds she had arrived.
"Whoa. What happened here?" she asked herself.
One side of Fluttershy's house was completely obliterated, exposing the interior of her bedroom and some of her living room. Slowly Rainbow hovered down to the level of the living room and made her way over a splintered and torn wall. With a quick descent she planted her hooves on Fluttershy's living room rug. She carefully trotted over to the green sofa and found Packie's shirt laying on the floor beside it. On the wooden table nearby there were two empty mugs.
"F-f-fluttershy?!" she nervously called out. "Patrick? Anypony here?!" Only silence responded.
With a swipe of one of the mugs, Rainbow inspected it and sniffed the inside. "Tea? But Fluttershy only makes tea on special occasions. Unless Patrick made it…" she realized.
She took a few steps to the other side of the house and peeked her head inside the kitchen.
"No one." She murmured.
Rainbow went back to the living room. "M-maybe they're upstairs." She assured herself. "Y-yeah that's it. They just had a crazy night… and destroyed… half of the cottage."
No that's ridiculous. Where could they be? She thought.
Rainbow hesitantly ascended up the staircase. The whole cottage was so quiet, eerily quiet. The entire situation just felt wrong to her.
"Fluttershy? Are you in your room?" she asked. Again, no answer.
Once she reached the second floor she could see that the door had been pulled clean off its hinges. It was lying across the floor just outside the bedroom. Slowly she walked over to the door and inspected it. The brass handle had been crushed slightly, now pocketed with five distinct crevices. She realized that the damage had been done by a human hand. She reared her head in disbelief.
"No. It can't be…" she muttered. Her heart sank, not wanting to believe what she was seeing.
"M-maybe it's not what I think. Maybe I'm missing something."
She carefully backed away from the door and stepped inside Fluttershy's room. The site truly shocked her.
"No…Fluttershy…" she cried weakly.
The entirety of her room was in shambles. The floor was horribly scarred with deep indents like someone had taken an axe to it. Her bed was flattened to the ground as the posts keeping it supported had collapsed, the sheets lie shredded over it. Shards of glass plagued the floor's surface and splinters of wood had embedded themselves in the walls. The wall to the left of Rainbow had one long scratch running diagonally across its full length. Worst of all was the wall directly in front of her, or lack thereof; that section of the room had been cleanly blown away by some heavy blunt force.
Rainbow let out a long sigh and let her head sag down in depression. "Why? Why did this happen?"
In a fit of rage she gritted her teeth and stomped her front legs down with enough force to dent the wood floor. "I bet Patrick did this! He was acting weird all day yesterday, and now this happens. GRRR!" She gave a swing of her hoof into the wall next to her, which plowed on through to the other side. Angrily Rainbow removed her leg from the new hole in the wall.
"Rainbowww!" a voice called.
She turned her head back to the front door, recognizing it as Twilight's.
Knock-knock*
"Rainbow, are you in there?!" she called again.
"Yeah, I'm here!" the pegasus replied. Hurriedly she ran back down to the front of the cottage and unlocked the door. When she opened it she saw that Twilight had brought someone else other than just their friends. Rainbow remembered now that Celestia told her to bring the other blue unicorn.
"Rainbow, did you find Fluttershy?" asked Twilight.
"No, but I did find something much worse… come with me, I'll show you." She grumbled sternly.
Rainbow jerked around and led them inside, directing her friends to follow. Wordlessly Twilight turned to Rarity and Pinkie Pie who just shrugged at Rainbow's behavior. Nova, who was shocked to hear the news that Twilight gave him, decided not to say anything as he entered the unfamiliar building.
Rainbow took them up the staircase and pointed to the open bedroom.
"Just look for yourselves at Patrick's handiwork." She scoffed sarcastically.
The other four ponies gasped in terror at the sight of the wrecked room.
"OH NO!" cried Pinkie. She desperately tried to hold back a tear as she looked around at the destruction.
"This is just awful." Said Rarity. "It's no wonder all of the animals came to get us."
"We must inform the princess immediately." Nova ordered.
"Hold on a second!" announced Twilight.
Rainbow cocked a glance at her, as she was inspecting the door. Twilight carefully inspected the door handle, eyeing it intently.
"See what I mean?" asked Rainbow Dash. "See his hand prints on it? Why would he have to rip the door off?"
"I don't know, that part does seem a little weird. But I just don't see any motive." Said Twilight.
"Motive? He was acting weird all day yesterday!" yelled Rainbow Dash.
"I'm sorry, but I saw it in Fluttershy's eyes. She trusts Patrick. I know that if she felt in danger with him around, she would have told somebody."
"But Twilight, this is Fluttershy we're talking about here." Pleaded Rainbow. Her eyes started to water with worry. "She's our friend."
Twilight placed her hoof against Rainbow's chest. "I know this looks bad, but until I see more evidence I'm not going to start pointing hooves at who is responsible. If Patrick did take her then we'll find him and get some answers, don't you worry. But let me ask you this. How do you know Patrick wasn't trying to help and just pulled the door off to save her? Maybe it was locked and he panicked."
"That seems like an awfully big assumption, Twilight." Rarity said.
"Is it really? Look at the far wall in the bedroom." Said Twilight.
The four other ponies obeyed, observing the long singular streak across the back wall.
"I don't know about you guys, but wouldn't it be extremely weird for Patrick to do that? He has no way of making a mark that clean. I'd say something much bigger than Patrick did that." She deduced.
"Are you insinuating that a dragon did this?" asked Nova.
"I'm 'insinuating' that this human boy, who I've seen build trust with my friend, has done nothing but be kind to her, promise to the princess to help her in any way she needed him, and had absolutely no reason to be aggressive toward anypony, could not possibly kidnap one of my best friends! I'm sorry, but I trust him, just like Fluttershy does!"
Twilight had never spoken so passionately about anything, other than studying magic.
Nova casually glanced at Rainbow. "What's your element of harmony?" he asked.
"Loyalty." She bluntly responded.
"You could learn a thing or two from your friend here." Nova replied.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"She's gone?!" cried Celestia.
"Yes princess, and Patrick is gone too." Twilight answered.
Wallace sat with his legs crossed on the floor next to them. The library was dead silent.
"So when are we gonna go after em'?" he asked. "If he took her then I'll plow his smug little face in." He threw a punch at his open palm, making a smacking sound to show he meant business.
"I don't think he's responsible, Wallace." Twilight muttered.
"Princess," interrupted Nova, "If I may say so myself, your brilliant pupil here showed us all another point of view that we did not gather at first. There was a marking along a wall that seemed to indicate that another monster, possibly a dragon, is truly responsible for this disappearance." He waited to gauge her reaction at this information, but she did not respond immediately.
Instead Celestia quietly hung her head and breathily sighed. "Why is everything falling apart now? I thought I was doing everything right, taking every last precaution. But yet I still failed. Why?"
It disturbed Twilight to see Celestia so depressed over something she had so little control over.
"Princess, please don't be so hard on yourself." Pleaded Twilight.
"I'm sorry…I can't help it. I am just running out of ideas and it's starting to scare me and—"
She was cut off when Twilight nuzzled up underneath her neck, forcing Celestia to pick up her head. Twilight hadn't done this in so long, and the tears that Celestia had felt building up began to recede. The royal guards watching hesitated to say anything as did Twilight's friends. After a few seconds Twilight slowly pulled away and smiled up at Celestia.
"Better?" she asked.
"Y-yes. Thank you Twilight." Celestia replied. "Thank you for reminding me why I love being a princess."
"D'awww." Said Pinkie.
"Ugh…" grumbled Wallace. "The cuteness… it burns my insides."
Celestia raised her head to her three guardsmen. It was time to get serious.
"Azure, Astral. I want you two to scout the forest surrounding the cottage. Please no armor, it'll only slow you down and send Ponyville into panic in the process."
"Right away." They replied simultaneously.
She turned back to face Rainbow.
"Rainbow Dash, I want you to go with them. You three together are possibly the fastest Pegasi in Equestria, so you should be able to cover a great deal of ground quickly."
"Yes Princess." She responded with an additional bow.
"Good." Celestia said. "As for the rest of us, we should go rendezvous with Applejack and Anthony and alert them to what is going on."
"Alright!" yelled Wallace. "Finally some action."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A human walking around Ponyville was strange enough, but to see one hanging out with a town regular such as Applejack was even stranger.
"Woo, those varmints were scared to see you." She said.
"Yeah you could say that again." Said Jiggs with a smile. "I guess I still got some moves from my high school days." His clothes had a light hint of dirt encasing them, showing signs of a busy morning.
"Well, after helping me all morning I think you deserve a good wash-up." She poked fun at him.
Wiping some dirt off his sleeve, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, what a tremendous reward. A shower." He replied sarcastically.
"Hey running water's hard to come by where I live." She retorted.
"I'll keep that in mind."
With the morning sun now high in the sky, everypony was out and about. They had decided to take the long way back to the treehouse, seeing as they had finished all of her chores for the whole day. She was extremely grateful to him for everything he did this morning and having him get up so early definitely helped.
"Y'know, once all this dragon business is over, why don't I hire you as a second hand to have around the farm?" she offered.
"Well um, I'm not sure. What if have to go back after everything?"
"Do you want to go back?" she asked.
"I…I don't know. You see the looks I get. I don't really belong here and everyone knows it."
"So what?" she said. "If you help the princess and contribute to our society then I see no reason why everypony wouldn't accept you, human or not."
"I guess… only time will tell." He mumbled.
Applejack sighed. "Heh…look. You just have to make em see. Show em not what you are, but who you are. That's what's important around these parts."
Jiggs smirked confidently. "Alright, I think I can do that."
"Good."
He continued to fiddle with his bracelets as they walked through town. They had stopped leaving marks on his wrists the night before. e really couldn't
"You know, it's funny. These things feel weightless now." he noted.
"Well that's what you wanted, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's just that when I first put them on, they weighed a ton, and I could barely lift my arms."
"Doesn't sound like nothin' to complain about." She added.
They passed over a small stone bridge and stopped at the apex. Jiggs rested his arms on the arches while she mimicked, placing her forelegs over the edge. He looked down at the water below him, looking at his reflection. His black hair still came to rest just squarely above his shoulders, long and sleek.
Applejack gazed out over the rest of Ponyville, enjoying the sight of everypony happily going about their day.
"So do you have any siblings?" she asked.
Jiggs' ears perked up at the question. "Yeah I do. I got a younger brother and older sister."
"That explains a lot. It's no wonder you're so good with Applebloom." She said.
"Yeah if you say so."
Jiggs leaned his head back, to see more of the sun and blue sky.
"So what are their names?" she asked.
"Tommy's my brother. He's kind of a trouble maker, but still my parent's favorite. He's still in high school, wants to play football, be a band geek, do a little bit of everything."
"And your sister?"
Jiggs hesitated at her question.
"She's…"
He paused for a moment trying to think of something.
"Janet's um…"
Applejack could see for some reason he was having a hard time telling her.
"Pshhh… I don't know." He shrugged it off.
"No come on, it's okay, you can tell me." She assured.
"I…I…don't know…" he kept stammering, trying to spit it out.
"What's wrong?" she poked his side with her hoof but he didn't budge. Instead Jiggs kept staring up at the sky.
"It's just… I've never had to tell anyone before." He finally said.
"SCRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
A deafening screech broke their attention away from each other. All activity in the town stopped immediately. Jiggs and Applejack glanced around for whatever made the sound, but only saw open sky.
"I bet I know what that is." Said Applejack.
They continued to search the sky from atop the stone bridge, turning their heads every which way.
"THERE!" a bystander called out.
They turned to open sky, overlooking the town's clock tower, as three massive winged figures flew overhead.
"DRAGONS!" another bystander yelled.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The ponies below began to disperse in a great panic. They stumbled over each other trying to get away as fast as they could. Shops and gathering places emptied as the dragons began to make their descent. They all fled to the safety of their homes, boarding themselves inside.
"They act so cowardly." Noted Allele.
"Did you really expect any different? " the king asked rhetorically.
They began to lower themselves down to where Fletch had said "town hall" was located. According to him, this was likely the most strategic vantage point in the entire settlement.
Something caught the king's eye just past the town square. A bipedal figure was walking next to a pony. It had been ages since the king last saw a human, but nevertheless he knew when he recognized one.
Staying in their pre-established triangle formation, the trio of scaly beasts slowed their pace with each flap of their mighty wings, gradually descending to the center of the square. One by one each monster firmly planted their clawed feet on the rough dirt road, causing a seismic tremor with each impact.
BOOM*…BOOM*…BOOM*
They formed up with the king at the head, directly in front of town hall.
From far away the king could see the human walking over toward them with his arms crossed. There was an orange earth pony trailing close behind him, looking a little frightened. The great red beast turned his head slightly with intrigue.
"Neither of you say a word ." Said the king.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"What are you doing?" hissed Applejack as quietly as possible. "We should go get help, now!"
"I'm just gonna say hey to our new neighbors." Jiggs said confidently. He kept walking toward the dragons as they silently watched him.
"Are you crazy?!" she whisper-yelled. "You're gonna get us both killed."
"Nah we'll be fine." He brushed her off.
When he was about thirty yards away from them when he stopped. The dragons towered above him. The red and brown ones could easily clear a two story building. However, the other one colored bright yellow was only about half as tall as they were. Their three sets of cat-like eyes fixated upon him.
There was a long silence where the dragons and Jiggs sized each other up.
"HELLO!" called out Jiggs.
They gave him no response.
"Maybe they're Chinese dragons?" he asked Applejack.
She merely stared back at the dragons in fear, not answering his questions.
"Whatever, I'll try the Chinese anyway."
He raised his right hand skyward, splitting his fingers into two sets between his middle and ring digits. His thumb was extended outward. On Earth this was popularly known as the Vulcan salute from the show Star Trek.
"NI HAO!" he said in Chinese.
Again the dragons did not respond, but stared menacingly.
Jiggs, a bit frustrated, dropped his hand.
"Look, tell me what you want…"
He paused for a second.
"OR I'M GONNA BEAT YOUR FUCKING ASSES!" he yelled vigorously. His voice echoed into the distance, throughout all of Ponyville.
Applejack got close behind Jiggs, deathly afraid of the consequences from his sudden outburst. "Happy place, just go to a happy place…" she mumbled to herself.
"Hahahahaha… " the red dragon chuckled. "BWAHAHAHAHAHA! " His voice boomed across the landscape, rumbling the earth itself.
He broke out into a fit of laughter directed at Jiggs. Angrily he clenched his fists, knowing when he was being insulted.
The monster began to calm down and collected himself. "Haha…you're an interesting one, human. " The reptile smiled deviously through rows of teeth. "It's a shame that I'll have to kill you eventually. "
"You couldn't kill me if you tried!" Jiggs yelled. "You couldn't kill any of us!"
"Oh but we already have. One of my officer's killed a human last night. "
"What?! That's impossible!" he replied.
"I'm afraid it's true, human. It was your unfortunate flying friend. Though my officer acted only in self- defense ."
"W-what?!" Jiggs stammered. "Packie's…dead?"
Jiggs gripped the sides of his head in disbelief, struggling to take in the news. "No, it…can't be." He muttered.
"Oh no…" muttered Applejack. "Anthony, we need to go get the princess." She pleaded.
"DRAGONS!" a female voice called out. "WHY DO YOU TRESSPASS ON EQUESTRIAN SOIL?!"
Applejack and Jiggs looked up to see Princess Celestia slowly hovering down. Her white form gracefully danced across the air. With a few quiet flaps of her wings she gently landed down next to Jiggs and Applejack.
"Princess, I'm so glad you're here." Whispered Applejack.
"I came as soon as I could, Applejack." Said the Princess.
Jiggs just stood in disbelief, "I… can't believe he's dead."
"What are you talking about Anthony?" Celestia asked. "Who's dead?"
"So nice of you to join us, queen. " interrupted the red beast.
"I'm not a Queen. I'm a princess. Now tell me what you're doing in pony lands!" she demanded.
"For a being who does not assume the title of queen, you damn well take the liberties of one. " He asserted.
"Princess Celestia!" another voice called from far off in the distance.
"Twilight!" called Applejack.
Twilight was leading a group of four ponies and Spike, including herself, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, with Nova at the rear. As they approached, they could all see the standoff between the dragons and Celestia.
"Oh no." said Twilight. "They're here already… We're too late."
As the sound of galloping approached, it started to slow. The new arrivals hesitantly approached their friends hoping to not disturb the situation any further. They all tried to keep their heads down nonthreateningly.
"Twilight…" whispered Applejack, "Where's everyone else?"
"Rainbow and the other guards went to look for Patrick, and Wallace said he would catch up." She quietly replied.
"Packie's dead." Muttered Jiggs. "The big red one said so himself."
"WHAT?!" cried Celestia. "Is this true dragon!? Have you killed a human?!"
"I wouldn't be so hasty! " the beast bellowed. "Last night, one of my officers kidnapped one of your own. She is our prisoner now. The human simply got in the way and perished ."
"Oh no…" whimpered Pinkie Pie, "You were right Twilight. Patrick was trying to save her."
"And Rainbow said all those awful things." Added Rarity.
Twilight shuddered at the fact. She desperately hoped it wasn't true. "No…he can't be dead."
"You…MONSTER!" yelled Celestia.
"You should know queen. You made me this way. " He grumbled.
"Impossible!" she retorted.
"Oh but's it true. " the red dragon took a step forward. "Maybe you'd like a closer look at what you've created. "
Celestia took one step forward as well. "Who are you?!" she pleaded.
The monster lumbered further, closing the distance between them about halfway, and stopped.
Celestia hesitantly but confidently approached. She proceeded no further once she was within arm's length of the beast.
"I'll ask you again." She said. "Who are you?"
The two leaders locked eyes fiercely, neither of them attempting to break focus.
"I'm disappointed you don't recognize me Celestia. " He somberly replied.
"I'm sorry… but I don't." She struggled to remember, pulling every memory from her long life, but nothing seemed to stick out. Nothing came to mind when she looked at him.
"I suppose it would be hard to remember my face after so many centuries. Perhaps you're going senile… but very well ."
The towering beast unfurled his wings and raised his hands in balled fists. He stood up on his back legs and outstretched triumphantly. He raised his head so that every being in Ponyville would surely hear.
"I am the ruler of all dragons! " he bellowed. "I am king Hroth von'Kall and I have no equal in strength! " His thundering voice echoed for miles.
"RROOOHHHH! " his long and boisterous roar made the ground quake.
Celestia said nothing.
She only looked up at him blankly.
The colossal dragon leaned back down and brought his face close to hers. He snorted quietly, letting her gaze upon his form.
Tears started to trickle out of the corner of her eyes. She sniffled once, trying to hold back the flood gates.
"Now do you see, queen? " he mumbled. "See what you have made me? "
"K…k…" she stammered.
Celestia felt an enormous lump build in her throat.
She at last recognized him.
"K…k-kall…is that r-really you?" her voice was practically silent.
His amber-yellow eyes leveled with hers.
"I told you never to call me by that name again. " He angrily replied.
"K-kall…" she said. "I searched for you for decades. Everypony kept trying to tell me you were dead but I didn't believe them. I looked for so long…"
"Lies… " the dragon grumbled. "You left me to die, amongst my own kind. And now… I am their king."
"No Kall it's true! Please believe me!"
"Don't lie to me, queen! " his voice erupted. "Try spending a few centuries locked away from everything you care about, and I dare say that you would have done the same as me ."
"But Kall-"
"Stop calling me that! " he bellowed.
Celestia's stream of tears had turned into a river, running down the length of her face and neck. She couldn't hold any of it back now. She frantically pleaded with him.
"I swear Kall! I spent so many years looking for you! "I'm sorry that you left! I'm sorry that you were held prisoner! But I swear I didn't know!"
"RROOOOAAAHHHHH! " he shouted in anger. "It's all lies, queen! And now… since you have deprived my race of their rightful place for eons, I, as king, have come to take it back for them! "
"No, you won't!" shouted Twilight.
"Such arrogance! " Shouted the king. "You'll learn your place soon little pony ."
The red dragon erected himself preparing to summon some kind of attack.
"NO KALL PLEASE!" cried Celestia.
Nova, who could no longer see his princess being tormented, and silently began to charge a spell with his horn. His magical energy enveloped his horn with a green aura, the same color as his eyes.
He could feel his power building and took aim straight for the dragon king's chest.
"I hoped I wouldn't have to interfere." Said Nova. "But these dragons aren't going to leave us alone. I need to stop this now!"
"Wait Nova!" shouted Twilight.
CRASH!*
It all happened so fast.
A bolt of yellow lightning impacted into the dragon king's left cheek, sending him careening to the wayside. He felt the impact crush the side of his jaw, fracturing a few teeth.
In slow-motion the dragon turned his head to see what force had hit him.
It was Wallace's foot, encased in yellow energy, plowing into his face.
Everyone gawked at the violent sight as the king fell to the ground, forming a deep indent in the path beneath him. Wallace carefully floated the twenty or so feet down, using his golden energy to displace his momentum. He crossed his arms sternly and stared back at the two other dragons.
After gently falling like a fall leaf he planted his feet on the gravel of the town square. He stood calmly with his back to Celestia, who was still trying to absorb what she just witnessed. The yellow energy that had surrounded his feet dissipated.
"Tell me where our friends are, or I'm killing all of you." Wallace said sternly.
If facial expressions could kill then Wallace would've easily decimated armies with his icy glare.
Allele stood horrified at the human's explosive power, but her ally was not so easily frightened. The immense titan of a dragon walked toward him.
"How dare you human?! Do you have any idea of the powers you're dealing with !?" Greyl rumbled.
His king, off to the side, eased himself upward. Within a moment he was back on his feet.
"I'll handle this Greyl. " The king replied. "If I need your assistance, I'll ask for it. "
"Y-yes king. " His second-in-command obeyed reluctantly.
Wallace faced back to the dragon he had just knocked down. The beast stood at least five times taller than himself. Subconsciously, Wallace began to wrap himself in his invisible layer of energy which served as his shield.
"I warn you human ," said the king, "I'd rather not have more of your friends killed. "
"What do you mean?" asked the comparatively miniscule human.
"Packie's dead." Shouted Jiggs.
Wallace dropped his head in disbelief. "What?!" he yelled at Jiggs.
"They're holding his friend Fluttershy as prisoner too." He replied.
"Those... bastards." Wallace muttered through gritted teeth.
Far away Twilight began to creep forward past her friends. She quietly made her way up to where Jiggs held his ground. Then with a flash of purple light, she teleported.
She quickly materialized next to Wallace who was surprised to see her. "I'm sorry, but you have to let us handle this." She placed a hoof on his shoulder and teleported back to her friends. When they reappeared Wallace was obviously frustrated.
"No, wait why?!" he said.
"Just let us handle this." Twilight said.
The red beast lumbered back over to Celestia. "I'd hoped this could've ended differently queen. "
"Please Kall, I'm not some evil queen. I'm just a princess. What could I do to make it up to you? Please I'll do anything."
"You could live a hundred lifetimes and never pay the debts you owe. But for now, I think I'll strip you of your power. "
"It doesn't have to be this way." She pleaded.
"Unfortunately it does. You have kept the source of all magic for yourselves for too long, while my brethren have suffered in squalor for centuries. I am going to the well and claiming it for ourselves. "
"No please!" cried Celestia. "You can't touch the well!"
"Touch it? Hahaha no…I'm going to destroy it! "
"No you can't!" she screamed. "Don't do this Kall!"
"Maybe you want me to kill the yellow Pegasus as well? " he asked.
"No I'll do anything! Whatever you want! Just don't hurt anypony!"
"Actually there is something I want from you… " the dragon smiled seductively, "I want your orb ."
"B-but that's not something I can just give to you." She tried to reason.
"I already told you. I was going to take it ." He grumbled.
With a great swipe of his clawed hand he scooped Celestia up into his grasp. Struggle as she might, his hold would not loosen. He now had her completely immobilized.
The group of ponies immediately began to panic.
"Wally do something!" ordered Pinkie.
"I'd like to, but Highlight told me not to do anything." He answered
"PRINCESS CELESTIA!" screamed Twilight.
"Stay back Twilight!" shouted Celestia. "Everyone just stay back! Don't get involved!"
"A wise decision. " Mumbled the dragon king. "No one else has to die today, as long as I get what I want. "
The monster raised the white pony up to eye-level, like a child playing with a doll.
"Now…shall we begin? " the dragon asked.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 28
Lives Past
Deep in the Everfree forest…
It was a typical spring day at the first Royal Castle. The gardens were lush and full, the grounds full of activity, and the royal guests, there were so many of them. High up in one of the towers a little filly with a brilliant white coat and flowing pink hair had her face buried in a book.
"Oh this is gonna be a good one, I can tell." The little filly said.
Knock-knock*
There came abrupt tapping at her door.
"Go away, I'm reading!" she yelled.
"Tia!" a small voice called, "You have to come meet the guests!"
"I wanna read Luna!" she called back. "They can wait!"
"Ugh!" the voice angrily replied. "Not this again!"
She could hear Luna storm off down the hall in anger.
"What's her problem?" she muttered to herself.
Continuing to drown in her book she entered a world beyond that of Equestria. One that had fantastic creatures, an amazing heroine pony, an epic adventure on which she had to embark…
Knock-knock*
"What is it?!" she yelled.
One of the royal guards answered this time. "Sorry to disturb you princess, but what should I tell the guests downstairs?" he asked.
"Alright alright! I'm coming already, gosh!" she responded.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After the exhausting party celebrating the Royal sister's new castle, the two little fillies hung out on a balcony overlooking the endless forest. Luna gave her sister a glass of punch she had fetched from downstairs. She took the glass with her magic and began to sip from it, watching the sun slowly begin to set, just as she willed it to do so.
"Gah… I hate being little!" cried Celestia. "I was older than everyone at the party, but they still just see us as little foals."
Luna took a sip of her own glass of punch. "Hey Tia, it's not all bad. Everypony loves you."
"Well sometimes, I wish they didn't. Sometimes I wish they would just leave us alone. Did you hear what they said, Luna? They were talking about an even bigger party! They called it a 'Grand Galloping Gala!' Can you believe that? I don't want to do this every year for the rest of my life, however long that will be."
Celestia was visibly frustrated and defeated, sighing heavily into her own hooves.
"Come on Tia. Please cheer up." Said Luna. "Maybe you just need to find something to keep yourself occupied."
"But that's the problem Luna, I'm already so preoccupied, all the time." She gazed sorrowfully across the forest and distant mountains.
"Maybe you need to make some new friends." Her sister suggested.
Celestia contemplated the thought. "Like who?"
"Oh, I don't know…what about the ponies in the Crystal Empire?"
"Nah, too far away." Scoffed Celestia.
"Okay then… how about you take a trip to Trottingham?"
"Same thing." Said Celestia.
Luna sighed. "Well maybe you should meet someone who's not a pony."
"Yeah with all the guards I have around me…that'll never happen."
"Well, I gave it my best shot." Said Luna.
"I appreciate the advice anyways." Celestia smiled at her. "At least I know you're always looking out for me." She brushed away her pink mane which had traveled downward a bit while they were talking. Once again she turned to face the setting sun.
"Hey do you see that?" she asked. Celestia pointed a hoof at the object. "Up in the sky, it looks like it's coming this way."
"That's weird." Said Luna uncomfortably. "It looks almost like a fireball or something."
Nervously Luna began to back away, ready to go inside the safety of the castle. "Maybe we should get the guards, Tia."
"Wait Luna, look it's dropping out of the sky… and it looks like it's on fire."
Celestia couldn't help but watch the object plummet to the earth slowly. The flames surrounding it seemed to undulate and dance across its surface. It continued to fall, leaving a trail of smoke behind. The fiery object gradually passed beneath the tree line.
After a second or two there came loud thumping noise, letting the sisters know the object had impacted. A large plume of smoke started to slowly rise from the epicenter.
"Cool!" cried Celestia, "Finally, something fun to do." The little filly stretched out her wings preparing to take off.
"Wait Tia!" yelled Luna, "We should go get some of the guards!"
"Nah, I'm gonna have some fun! C'mon Luna."
The dark blue filly hesitantly thought about her sister's invitation. It wasn't as if they would get in trouble, she was just feeling a little scared.
"It'll be alright Luna, I promise." Her big sister assured.
"Well… um…okay." Luna reluctantly agreed.
Celestia grabbed her sister's hoof and jumped into the air, coaxing her along. Luna unfurled her wings as well and began to fly with her sister.
"Tia I swear, if something goes wrong…"
"Nothing will go wrong, Luna. We're just gonna do a little investigation. That's all."
They flew across the castle gardens, over the castle entrance, and over a long, lushly green, field of grass. They made their way over the first few trees of the forest, coming ever closer to the tall plume. The sun was starting to drop just behind the mountains now and darkness approached.
"We'll have to be quick." Said Celestia.
"Or I can just make the moon extra bright." Replied Luna.
"Oh yeah, I forgot you could do that." She admitted.
They finally reached a large clearing of trees. From overhead they could see a faint orange glow down beneath the tree canopy.
"Looks like we won't need the light anyways." Celestia commented.
They dipped beneath the surface of branches, bobbing and weaving though the rough plumage of green leaves. The glow started to illuminate their faces, but they still couldn't make out the shape of the object. After descending past one last cluster of branches they reached the forest floor. The glowing object resided just over a small cliff.
Hesitantly, the two fillies approached the cliff's edge and peered over. They had initially expected to see some kind of meteor or other large flaming object, but what they actually saw astounded them even more.
The flames surrounding the object began to die down, receding into nothing, and without warning the object started to sway up and down. The orange object was breathing and alive!
"Okay, Tia. We should definitely go back now." urged Luna.
"But we're sooo close." Whispered Celestia. "Just stay right behind me, I'm going in for a closer look."
"Umm… but… Tia… grr…" grumbled Luna. She agitatedly obeyed, staying in Celestia's immediate proximity.
They hopped down the cliff, gently falling by using their wings to slow their descent. Once they reached ground level the resituated themselves.
"Close enough?" pleaded Luna.
"Not even." Replied Celestia.
The white filly took each step as silently as possible, cautiously watching the object for any sudden movements.
The huge object, or creature as it appeared to be, was covered in vibrant orange scales. Celestia noted that the being's surface looked horribly burned. It had left an enormous crater and scar in the forest floor about fifty or so feet long, and the creature itself was only about ten feet in length. One last orange flames on its head sizzled out of existence.
The creature took in one large gulp of air and deeply exhaled. It had not yet noticed Celestia as she silently approached from behind.
Celestia knew in the back of her mind that this creature before them was a dragon. Its long and slender body fully spanned the length of the crater. Its tail was horribly burnt and fully unwound, revealing every scar from some kind of battle. The orange dragon's hide was terribly defaced as well, leaving pockets between scales that trickled blood and others that were singed from some intense flame.
The white filly noticed that the dragon's arms were clutched close to its chest.
"I…I think it's holding something." Celestia whispered.
"W-w-who's… there?" the dragon breathlessly whispered.
"I-it's a female." Said Celestia.
"P-please don't hurt me, whoever you are…" the dragon weakly pleaded. It pushed off the ground with one arm and flipped over onto its back. The female dragons' frame was sleek, athletic, and unusually thin. She lazily rolled her head on the ground to face the two sisters.
"Oh… it's just some ponies, thank goodness." She said. Her face was terribly maimed, leaving deep scars across her eyelids and mouth. Her calm, feminine, yellow eyes entranced the ponies. In one bloody and burnt arm she held something red.
"What happened to you, dragon?" asked Celestia concernedly.
"I…" she paused, "I… was taking back my egg from some of my kind. They took it from me and said I was too young to be a mother."
"What? That's ridiculous! How could they?" shouted Celestia. Her blood began to boil with rage.
"It doesn't matter…now." said the dragoness. "My only regret now is that I won't be able to raise my son." She unopened her clenched hand and gently placed the large red egg on the ground in front of Celestia and Luna.
"W-wait, how do you know it's a boy." Asked Luna.
"Mother dragons always know. We take great pride in raising our own, it is what we live for. I'm just sad now… knowing I'll never see him grow up."
The dragoness wheezed, struggling to catch her breath. However it seemed that with each passing second, her death was approaching.
"Well…" said Celestia, "I think you are a great mother, young or not. No naïve, neglectful parent would go through the sacrifice you have made today."
The dragoness coughed and wheezed once more.
"cough*…I'm glad to hear that pony." A tear started to stream down her scarred and bloody face. "I have a favor to ask, ponies." She paused.
"Yes, a-anything." Replied Celestia.
"Could you please raise him for me, at least until he can be with his own kind?" Her breath was baited, always seeming to be just out of reach.
"O-of course we will." Celestia answered.
"Wait Tia!?" cried Luna. "Just how are we supposed to take care of a dragon, Tia?!" she fumed.
"Luna, we control the sun, and the moon, and everything else in Equestria. I think we can handle a dragon after all of that. Besides I'll take care of him myself, personally."
"But…Tia…" pleaded Luna.
"It's settled." Celestia said to the dragoness. "We'll take care of your son."
"Oh…" the dragon wheezed. "Thank you so much, pony. You're my savior…cough*… I think it's about my time…now…to leave this world…" Her eyes started to flutter, struggling to stay open.
"W-wait!" yelled Celestia. "What's his name?"
"He will take his name from his father…Kall…and…. the name passed down through my lineage…Hroth. That means his name shall be forever… Hroth von'Kall."
She flipped her head skyward, as she struggled to catch her breath one final time. She held a claw to her chest, clinging onto life for as long as possible.
Celestia felt her heart wrench at the sight or her dying, it was unbearable to watch.
"I'm sorry my son…"
With a final cough she stopped.
There was no more baited breath, no more wheezing.
Her eyes fluttered once more before calmly shutting. Her brutally maimed face was gently taken over with peace, and a final, long deserved serenity. Her clawed hand that she gripped her chest with fell to the wayside, coming to rest down next to her red egg. Her head slowly back over to face the sisters, her eyes shut and her mouth only slightly open in a very natural pose. The stream of tears that had run down the dragon's face had left a wet trail down the sides of her cheeks.
The sight caused the sisters to tear up as well.
"I…feel so sorry for her Luna…" Celestia's voice was barely above a whisper.
"As do I, Tia…" Luna quietly replied.
"What do you think we should do with the egg?"
"I…I'm not sure."
They didn't have to wait long, as the red egg about two feet in height began to wobble around. It fell on its side and began to roll around in place.
"Tia, we should help the baby." Suggested Luna.
"You're right. I'm gonna try something." Little Celestia said.
She positioned herself to launch a spell with her horn, planting her feet firmly on the soil. When a yellow wisp of magic engulfed her horn she fired a bolt which struck the egg on its side. The sudden impact caused the egg to violently spin and a singular crack started to form at its peak. After spinning for a few seconds, the egg gradually came to a stop.
The crack on its surface began to shift and weaken. One roughly circular piece of shell gave way and a tiny, red, scaly mouth protruded outwards. The mouth opened slightly, taking in a few small fleeting breaths. A little, pink, forked tongue tasted the air a few times.
"Aww…" said Celestia, "It's so cute."
The baby proceeded to pry one petite hand though the crack and dug in its miniscule claws into the outer shell. The reptile continued to weakly poke and prod the red encasing, until suddenly it broke into two halves. The blood-red reptile, startled from the sudden break flailed its arms and legs about as it collided with the dirt. It's yellow, membranous wings fell to the side uncontrollably, and its mouth flung open in distress.
"Hey little guy…" Celestia cooed.
Not quite sure what was going on the, baby dragon looked about with piercing yellow eyes, until it fell upon the similar looking dragon lying dead in the earth next to him. The tiny reptile slowly inched his way over to her, crawling on all fours. He had completely ignored the pony sisters.
He nudged the larger dragon's opened clawed hand with the top his ridged head, but it did not move. Her arm just limply dangled off to the side. The little red dragon, not giving up, continued to move up the length of her body, eventually reaching her open mouth. He nudged his head once again on the underside of chin, but just as before her jaw hung down loosely.
"This is breaking my heart Luna…" Celestia whispered. She could feel a lump in her throat welling up inside.
"I…I know what you mean." Her sister replied.
Defeated, the dragon lowered his head, looking at the ground. Then, with one final gesture, he reached out his tiny arms as far across his mother's face as he possibly could, and rested his head against hers. While maintaining his loving hug, he gave a low throaty grumble.
"Mrrr…rrrr…" the little dragon sounded.
His mother did not respond.
"Luna, I promised I'd take care of him, and I wholeheartedly will, for as long as I live." The white filly assured.
"And I won't stop you, Tia." Said Luna.
Celestia gave her a tearful smile, finally feeling like she had a greater purpose.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"NOOOO PLEASE KALL!" screamed the princess.
The colossal beast held Celestia firmly in place with his left hand and began to chant in some unknown dialect. He raised his right clawed hand which began to envelope itself in green energy he conjured from within his body. His fingers wrapped tightly around her back and his palm pressed against her sternum. Ever so slowly he lowered his open right hand, engulfed in the green energy, down onto her head.
Celestia could feel something in her head being forcibly vacuumed out, and she knew what it was. After what felt like an eternity the object was finally released from her cranium. When the beast removed his palm he held within it a glowing white sphere.
"You don't have to do this Kall…" Celestia groaned.
"Yes, I do. " the beast grumbled.
He tightly clenched his hand into a fist, putting enormous pressure on the orb. The sphere began to crack under the stress.
BOOM!
The orb disintegrated into bright luminescent shards which were wildly flung about.
"We have to do something!" yelled Wallace. A blue hoof held him back from running off. He was surprised to see it was Nova.
"No, stay here." Nova replied calmly.
"But she's going to die…" Wallace desperately replied.
"She is in no danger, my human friend. But if you aggravate the dragon, he might hurt her."
It was hard for Wallace to watch this. Over the past few days he had felt much more attached to the princess, and now with her screams echoing through his mind he was extremely confused at his friends' lack of worry.
"Please Wally…" said Pinkie, "…just stay here with me." Her normal upbeat tone was now full of sorrow.
"Grr… fine." Wallace grumbled.
The red monster unfurled his hand, showing them all one sparkling particle that looked like a distant star.
"Where is the other one, queen?! " the monster yelled.
"It's long gone Kall…" muttered Celestia, "I gave it up a long time ago…"
The monster reared his head in disgust. "Lying wench! Very well… since you are so willing to throw away your gifts then I shall simply take this one from you as well ."
He squeezed his hand around the star and crushed it bitterly. There was a miniscule explosion that he contained within his palm. The sound of the blast was muffled, but Celestia felt the effects immediately.
"No…" she weakly coughed.
When the star from her orb was broken her hair began to shorten and lose it rainbow of colors. The blue and green within her hair began to fade. The horn on her head began to convert into her yellow energy and slowly fade away. Celestia could feel her wings begin to go through the same process, fading away into nothingness.
"How does it feel to be so helpless, queen. To have all your power taken away? Now imagine how my entire species has felt for centuries, always living in the shadow of beings who claim to be more superior they were. "
All four of her legs shrank, as did her neck and spine, leaving her only about half as tall as her original form. Her old pink mane now dangled loosely in her face as she began to slip out of consciousness.
"Now you are no better than your common folk. " Said the dragon.
Leaving her completely defenseless, the beast released his hold on the white pony. Almost instinctively Wallace reached out his left hand, surging with his power. The energy from his hand shot forth at lightning speed, gently cradling the weakened princess.
Wallace began to reel her in using mind, as she dangled limply in midair.
"You monster!" cried Twilight. "What have you done to her?!"
"It is not of your concern, little one. I am going to the Well of your power and will claim it for myself, and for all dragons. Which reminds me… "
The red giant stuck out a clawed finger towards Twilight, pointing at something behind her.
"You! Dragon! " the monster yelled.
"M-m-me?" asked Spike.
"Yes you! Come over here now, or I will burn this city to the ground! "
Spike carefully hopped off of Twilight's back and starting walking towards the beast hesitantly.
"Wait Spike!" called Twilight. "Don't go. Please."
He quickly glanced back at her. "I'm sorry Twilight, I don't really have a choice."
The ponies helplessly watched as Spike walked the short distance over to his towering superior. The red dragon leaned his head down, stretching out his neck to inspect the small purple dragon. When Spike was just barely underneath him, he stopped and stared right back up at him. He couldn't move now even if he wanted to. He was petrified at the king's immense presence.
"Why do you live with them? " he asked through rows of serrated teeth.
"T-t-they raised me…" he stammered.
"I was raised by ponies as well, and now look where we stand. " he grumbled.
"B-b-but you were—"
"I was nothing! " the beast yelled. "At least I was nothing with them. But the queen… she has denied us our rightful place as the apex species of this world. Think about it, dragon. Do they really treat you as an equal?! "
Spike couldn't help but think about all the times where he was cast aside, when other's priorities took precedence over his, when the ponies he cared about barely even gave him notice. He turned around and faced the group of ponies with the king glaring at them from overhead.
"Do you really see a future with them? " the king asked.
Spike locked eyes with Twilight, wanting to say something that just wouldn't come out. Then he glanced at Rarity, thinking about every time he tried to impress her and help her out, never getting any recognition in return.
"Is this the life you want to live? Come with us and you shall be royalty yourself. Anything you can desire would be yours at a moment's notice. "
A tear began to roll down Twilight's cheek as Spike turned back to the great red beast.
"L-let's go." The little dragon responded.
Instantaneously the king swept him up in his grasp. He carefully placed Spike over his shoulder as he held on for dear life.
"Another loss for the ponies. " The king bellowed. "It's a shame you only treat your own kind with any decency. Otherwise you could've saved yourselves a great deal of misery. Let us be off! "
With a great burst of downward thrust the king took the skies. His subordinates took the cue and followed. With two powerful flaps each they began to ascend into the sky.
"NOOO SPIKKKKE!" screamed Twilight.
Wallace was gritting his teeth in anger. "Okay so now can we kill them?!" he asked Nova.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Greyl! Allele! Do it now! " the king demanded.
His subordinates began to dive back down towards Ponyville. They synchronously split into two directions, each taking one half of the city. Allele felt an emerald-green flame building in her chest while Greyl prepared a similar attack of red flames. With one fell swoop they unleashed a hell-storm upon several buildings, consuming their straw and wooden roofs with twisting and swirling multi-colored fire. The ponies trapped inside the buildings began to panic as their homes and livelihoods were quickly devoured by the flames. One by one the ponies began to empty into the streets in a frenzied panic.
The dragons, satisfied at their handiwork, began to nose upward and ascend into the sky once more.
"Excellent! " the king shouted, "Let them try to deal with us now, with their city falling to pieces. "
His officers caught up to him in the sky, now hundreds of feet up.
Spike looked down from his perch with sheer horror in his eyes. There was nothing he could do now. He could not jump off now for the fall would surely kill him, and any attempt to stop them would mean certain death as well.
"Please don't hurt anymore of them!" Spike pleaded.
The king snorted. "Not today, little dragon. We have more important matters to attend to now. "
Below Spike could see ponies running in panic, flames blazing out of control, plumes of smoke reaching for the sky. Worst of all he could hear the most terrible screaming…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Wallace brought the now transformed Celestia down to the ground, cocooned within his yellow magical power. Everyone formed a circle around her as she slowly began to awake. Twilight put her hoof under Celestia's head, giving her some much needed support. She was now no taller or larger than any of Twilight's other friends.
"Princess Celestia, please say something…" begged Twilight.
"Yeah, please tell us to go kick those dragons' asses." Wallace asserted.
"This isn't the time for jokes man." Jiggs said angrily.
"Who's joking?! Packies' dead!"
The sound of yelling stirred the princess awake. Celestia weakly opened her eyes and smiled, glad to see everyone was still okay.
"Twilight… I…"
No one could hear her quite clearly enough. It was an immense task just to speak those few words.
"What should we do now?" Twilight asked.
"Just…" she paused when saw something above. She began to open her pink eyes fully at the dreadful sight.
Then, they heard it.
SWOOOOSH!
The group turned in horror to see what Celestia was looking at, but it was already too late. Two opposite ends of Ponyville now had terrible fires raging. The east end was being consumed in scarlet red flames while the west end was taken over by bright, radiant, green flames.
"Shit! They'll pay for that!" yelled Wallace. The golden headband on his head began to vibrate and surge with power. The violet gemstone began to flicker and sparkle as his rage grew.
"No Wallace!" Celestia called harshly. He stopped in his tracks when he heard his name.
"Please… don't chase after them… just… help the citizens." She sounded so breathless after her ordeal.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" a female pony screamed at the top of her lungs.
"She's right Wally," Pinkie said, "We have to help everypony."
"GRR… alright." He grumbled.
"W-we should split up." Suggested Applejack.
"AJ's got the right idea." Said Twilight in a hurry. "Nova, take Wallace, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie to the east side of town and I'll take everyone else to the west side. We have to hurry, so move!"
Rarity turned and started running. "Well you heard the lady! Let's go!" she shouted.
Pinkie Pie wrapped a hoof around Wallace's arm and pulled on him. He wasn't exactly thrilled about letting the dragons go, but at this point he had no choice. Nova, knowing there was nothing to argue, began to give pursuit as well.
Twilight leaned back down to Celestia. "We're going to save them Princess…"
"I know you will… Twilight." she said through labored breathing, "Just leave me, I'll catch up…"
Seeing her teacher look so different and so weak filled Twilight with such confusing emotions, but she had to turn to the task at hand.
"As you say." She hesitantly lowered Celestia's back down to the ground, turning back to Applejack and Jiggs.
"I'm so sorry he's gone, Twilight." Applejack said.
"AAHHHHHIIIIEEEE!" came another scream off in the distance.
The unicorn had another tear run down her face. "I'll worry about Spike later… but for right now we have bigger problems to deal with. Let's go!"
Jiggs began to bolt for one of the towering plumes of greyish black smoke. "Way ahead of ya!" he yelled.
Twilight and Applejack began to give chase after him, feeling their heartbeats race.
"Do you have a plan Twi?" Applejack asked.
"Not really…huff*… just save as many as I can. And…huff*… it looks like he has…huff*… the same idea."
Jiggs was quickly speeding off ahead of them, already doubling his distance between. His oily black hair was being whisked behind his face. Each second his velocity increased and shoes dug further into the ground with each powerful thrust.
He turned a corner on a dime and Twilight lost sight of him.
"We… huff*… have to hurry!" yelled Twilight.
"You're…huff*… tellin' me!" Applejack replied.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Deep in the woods there came a faint scream.
"Eeeeee…"
Rainbow Dash was inspecting a charred crater which still had a few wisps of smoke wafting up gently into the air. At the sound of the scream she jerked her head.
"Hey! Any of you guys hear that?!" she called.
"Hear what?!" A male voice called back.
"I heard a scream, Azure!" Rainbow yelled back.
She saw a grey figure behind a maze of evergreen trees rise up and approach her direction. The silhouette weaved in and out of obstacles before flying right over her. It was Azure.
The grey Pegasus stopped midflight at the sight of Rainbow and began to descend to the forest floor. His sky blue mane trailed behind him on the way down.
"I'm sorry, you said you heard something?" he asked.
"Yeah, it sounded like some sort of scream." She replied.
"Well, Astral's gone pretty deep into the woods, so let's go check it out. It might take too long to go get him."
"Okay, sure." She responded hesitantly.
With two powerful thrusts they both started to soar upwards. The layer of branches began to thicken as they ascended but they dodged accordingly. After climbing rising though each successive layer of foliage they came closer to the top canopy. With one final burst they broke through the tree line and turned northward.
The sight immediately crushed Rainbow's heart.
"NOO! There's a fire in Ponyville!"
She didn't want to believe it, but the mountain of smoke rising over her beloved town told the whole story.
"What do we do?!" she cried.
Azure sternly took her hoof in his, which caught her attention.
She looked up at him through teary magenta eyes, feeling her cheeks redden.
"How long can you maintain supersonic speed?" he asked calmly.
"I-I don't know…" she stammered, "…only about a minute or two I guess."
"Then start helping everypony in town." He ordered. "I'm going to Cloudesdale to get everyone. We'll start making a storm cloud."
He broke his grip and began to fly off, when she stopped him. She grasped his hoof tightly.
"What is it?" he asked.
"J-j-just…please hurry back." She squealed weakly.
He smiled confidently. "As the fastest Royal knight in Equestria, I promise I'll hurry, with everything I have."
Rainbow felt her heart start to rise ever so slightly.
"Just start helping, do anything you can, and above all be brave." He said.
Rainbow sniffled behind some tears as she let go of him. "Okay…I'll be brave."
She began to crack a weak smile.
"I'll be back in a flash." He assured her.
Rainbow had no idea how true those words would prove to be. He took off higher into the air, aiming for their hometown far away in the sky. A trail of blue matching the color of his tail began to follow behind him as he increased his speed exponentially, second by second.
Rainbow watched his forelegs pull in close to his body and his wings tuck back further with each flap. She knew that stance all too well.
BOOOOOM!
Azure broke the sonic wall, leaving behind a sapphire blue shockwave that twinkled in the sunlight. The wall of air he created plowed into Ponyville's surrounding atmosphere, making the plumes of smoke waver in the wind. Rainbow felt a small percussive burst hit her in the chest, knocking her back slightly and making her ears ring.
"It's weird being on the outside looking in." she noted. "But no time to think about it now!"
Without taking another second to dawdle around, she stormed off for Ponyville's residential district, which was engulfed in terrible green flame.
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 29
"ROOH!"
The wolf-beast let out a low throaty grumble as he approached the summit.
The effort of climbing to such a high peak was taking its toll on his body. He lurched upwards with every claw he dug into the packed ice. It felt like to him like the air was getting colder, as his lungs filled with progressively icier air. It had been long since that he cleared the cloud layer, now the large plumes of moisture would collide with the mountain and surge over him every now and then.
The sun had risen considerably compared to when he had started the climb. It was now directly overhead, attempting to impede the beast's progress. Nevertheless he persevered and continued to climb.
The last few drops of blood that clang to the sides of his mouth had almost completely dissolved away now. But that did not matter. He knew the dragon that took Fluttershy was definitely here. He could smell that stench for miles.
The beast dug his claws into one last boulder and using one arm vaulted himself up and over it, landing on his wobbly toes. He stood tall and took in a large breath of the icy wind at the peak. The air currents were much stronger at the apex of the mountain, due to the colliding fronts from the north and south sides.
Clumsily the beast fell to one knee, finding it hard to stay awake. The adrenaline that had been flowing within him throughout the night had begun to filter out of his system.
Even his dense layers of golden fur were not enough to keep him from the feeling the effects of the weather. The high altitude made the air incredibly thin, causing him to hyperventilate to compensate. His black wolf-like nose dripped with condensation that had collected from his hot fuming breath.
Though, after all his hardship the previous night, he had been rewarded. For now, the tall icy cave in which the dragons dwelt stood exposed before him.
He crouched low and crept forward slowly. Snow was beginning to compact in his fur. He knew he would have to get out of this terrible climate as soon as possible. With time running out for him and Fluttershy his patience wore thin after a while and he began to run for the entrance. The driving wind threatened to knock him down but he continued to surge forward.
Some snow that had been kicked up by the wind impacted into the right side of his face. With a quick swipe of his massive clawed hand the caked-in snow fell free.
He came upon the icy cave's entrance and hesitated before slowly entering. He crouched again, because there was no sense in standing up. The only concern he now had was to stay hidden and go on the hunt.
The ceiling of the cave dripped periodically as certain patches of ice began to melt. For some unknown reason there was a source of heat coming from deep within the cavern.
The beast caught the scent of something else, something he recognized from the night before.
The smell of flowers… it hung heavy in his nostrils. It penetrated his senses and lured him away from his former target. It would have to wait.
The tunnel forked into two separate directions, each taking a dark path further into the mountain. The werewolf found himself torn between chasing after his target and saving Fluttershy, but deep down he knew which one was more important.
Not needing much time to think, he let his nose follow the scent of flowers down the right pathway. There was something odd about the smell now, like Fluttershy herself was in a different state than the night before. The werewolf knew this scent… as fear.
He began to bound down the icy pathway, his clawed toes cracking the sheets of ice beneath him. Before when he was filled with bloodlust he had not cared as much about finding her, but now that he was so close, she was all he could think of.
He turned another corner quickly, quite sure he was heading in the right direction.
What he hadn't yet noticed was how much noise he was making. Every frantic step he took echoed deep into the icy cave, but he continued to run. His chest began to cramp and he slowed down his pace considerably. He was so close.
He could smell her as if she were right next to him.
He leaned his right arm against a giant boulder protruding from an icy wall, taking a moment to catch his breath. That's when the trail went cold, it just simply stopped.
He began to panic and started wandering around the area, inhaling deeply through his nostrils, desperately trying to pick up the lost scent.
However, every faint whiff always brought him back to the boulder.
Then it struck him.
The boulder was hiding something, no… it was hiding someone.
The stone was only a few feet taller than he was, but it was wide and probably weighed several tons. It was no matter, as he wasn't about to let a simple rock put a halt to all the progress he's made.
He growled in anger at the massive stone as he wrapped his furry arms around it. He closed his eyes tightly, knowing that moving this stone would require every last ounce of strength he had.
He gave one tight pull, heaving as hard as he could, but the boulder would not budge.
"RAH!" the beast growled.
His razor sharp claws pierced the rock's surface, digging in for one final assault. His biceps seized and his toes gripped the icy floor as he tugged and thrashed about. He took in another large breath and held within his chest firmly.
Bit by bit the stone started to grind against the ice.
The muscles in his arms seemed to be screaming at him in pain, but he forged on. With each violent surge the boulder would move another inch. However that was the only encouragement he needed, for he could see he was making progress. As the removal of the stone exposed an icy room, his nose flooded with her scent.
He growled in pain as he wiggled the boulder just a few more difficult times. The opening would not have to be wide, only large enough to where he could squeeze his frame through.
After another agonizing minute of prying and thrashing he released his death-grip on the stone, looking upon the fruits of his labor. He at last had success, a small crack in which he could funnel his entire body into the icy room.
Knowing his body was about to give out on him, he carefully stuck his neck through the crack, followed by his torso. Next he allowed one leg to step through, with his other bringing up the rear.
Then he finally laid eyes upon her, the yellow pony. He didn't remember her exactly, but she was definitely familiar within his fragile mind.
He stood tall when he saw her, exposing the entire length of his golden body.
The whole time she had been aware that something was moving the rock that sealed her inside, though admittedly she had been expecting someone quite different.
When she saw him her body immediately froze in horror. Her eyes widened and she began to breathe rapidly, culminating in full-blown hyper-ventilation
"W-w-what are you?! Huff*huff*…Please don't hurt me!" the little pony pleaded.
The beast lumbered forward slowly across her frozen prison. He showed no expression in his eyes, which only seemed to frighten her more.
His claws left long scrapes along the floor as he dragged his toes behind him.
"P-p-please don't come any closer!" she cried.
The beast seemed to obey her command, as he stopped moving toward her once he reached the center of the room.
He just stood there, staring blankly into the open space of the icy wall.
At that exact moment is when he felt it.
All the effort of the previous night, running through miles of forest, climbing up thousands of feet through ice and snow, lifting a stone that weighed several tons just to reach her; all at once it hit him like a freight train.
With no more strength for his body to give, he fell to his knees heavily and abruptly.
His lungs struggled to take in more of the cold air, but they received little of anything.
His eyes lazily rolled back in his head as his upper body began to fall forward.
Fluttershy watched in shock as the werewolf's chest and head collided with the floor violently.
THUM-THUMP!
The beast let out several long gurgling and grumbling sounds as his body finally allowed him to take in oxygen. His breathing was terribly labored. He tried to say something but no words came out.
Fluttershy was not as frightened with the beast looking so… incapacitated. His head had impacted just a few feet from her, and she was still a little jostled from his sudden advances. Nevertheless, she opened up to the new creature.
"Um… are you okay?" she whispered softly.
Never before had she seen such a beautiful yet terrifying creature. His golden fur was something completely unheard of in any animal or known monster. His wolf-like face, snarling teeth, pointed nose and ears, long furry tail; they all belied something.
They covered up something that she wanted to see, his eyes.
Blindly, he reached a clawed arm out to her in a friendly manner. He had an exceedingly hard time opening his eyelids but recognized her silhouette against the lighted background.
"mmm…mmmmm…" the beast began to whimper to her.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked.
Only guessing what he could possibly want, she reached out her hoof and placed it in his open hand.
"Hahhh…" he let out an approving yet weak pant.
His eyelids began to open slowly, something she had been eagerly anticipating. Utilizing the rest of his energy he pried them open, letting his view of her face gradually come into focus.
Fluttershy gasped at what she saw.
"I—I recognize those eyes…" She had gazed so deeply into them, just the night before.
The werewolf's deep, vivid, blue sapphires entranced her, as her eyes had done the same for him.
"P-p—Patrick?" she stammered.
The werewolf's cheeks perked up, showing off a dagger-filled smile. His tail, which he had not given much attention to before, began to wag limply at the sound of his name.
"Hmmmmm…" he grumbled in satisfaction.
"It is you! Oh my gosh!" she yelled.
Fluttershy gripped his clawed hand tightly, but the heavy chains kept her from getting any closer.
The beast repositioned his arm and his talons gripped the icy floor, as he began to pull himself toward her. Dragging along his body was proving extremely arduous, but it was worth it when he finally reached his goal. He was now within full reach of her.
Exhaustedly, he flipped himself over onto his back and stared at the stalactite rittled ceiling. He closed his eyes and felt his mind start to slip out of consciousness.
Fluttershy was overcome with emotion as she buried her face into his furry abdomen.
It was only a few hours ago that she had been told he was killed by a dragon, and now here he was, still fighting for her until the bitter end. She wrapped her hooves around his deep chest as far as they'd go.
"Did you go all night, without stopping?" she asked through teary eyes.
The werewolf gave a silent nod.
"I…I thought I lost you… and I thought that no one… was ever going to find me." She whispered.
The werewolf struggled to lift his head and somehow he was able to look down upon her. Their competing blue eyes met one more time, before he ran out of strength and felt his skull hit the icy floor again.
"Just… don't move Patrick. You've done enough for today." She pleaded.
The beast only responded with more faint breathing, which relaxed the longer he laid still. His lungs rose and fell like huge ocean waves.
He reluctantly agreed with her request, but he felt something was wrong. As long as they were in dragon's territory they would not be safe.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Fluttershy had fallen asleep with her head resting on Packie. Several hours had gone by and the two of them remained undisturbed, lost in slumber. While she merely enjoyed his presence, he on the other hand had no choice but to rest. His muscles ached and his heart felt unbearably heavy due to his intense stress.
But lying here with her seemed to be helping, at least until something else entered the chamber.
Crack!
A massive weight fell onto Patrick's neck, pinning his head down. In a great panic he began to thrash, throwing his talons about in a great frenzy. None of his furious swipes connected with anything.
His fit of rage woke up Fluttershy with a jolt as she tried to break free of her daze.
"RRROOOOHHH!" Patrick roared in agony.
Fluttershy cringed when she saw the mammoth dragon before her, and was even more terrified to see it pinning down Packie's neck with its thick clawed hand.
The saffron-purple colored dragon clenched its grip even tighter, causing Packie to choke.
"Well, what do we have here? A wolf monster of some kind? " he grumbled.
The dragon placed his heavy leg over the wolf's sternum causing him to wince in pain.
"Get off of him!" Fluttershy screamed.
Blood, the king's third-in-command officer, now had the golden werewolf right where he wanted him. The dragon leaned all his weight down upon him, nearly crushing his ribcage. Packie couldn't breathe at all with his trachea being cut off and the immense force pushing down on him. He tried to swallow some air, any at all, but with all his airways blocked his struggle proved fruitless.
"Just make this easier on yourself beast, and die! " the dragon yelled.
"No, Patrick!" Fluttershy reached out for him desperately, but the collar around her neck was choking her back. She felt so helpless watching one of her closest friends being crushed to death. Tears began to flow down her face as she screamed. "Please don't kill him!
The werewolf had both clawed hands tightly gripped around the dragon's arm. He dug his claws into its violet scales, ripping out chunks of flesh and soaking its arm in blood. Angrily in retaliation the dragon took his free hand and swiped at Packie's face. His talons connected and removed three clean streaks of fur and underlying skin on his left cheek.
Packie began to give up, as his body had not yet fully recovered and now he couldn't even take in a fresh breath of air. His vision began to blacken as the dragon placed its other hand around his neck. It was only matter of time now until the towering reptile would claim him as its victim.
"STOP!" screamed Fluttershy. Her face was nearly unrecognizable under her ocean of tears. "Stop it! He's just a human! He never meant to hurt anyone!"
The dragon waited for the werewolf to nearly blackout, when he stopped. He glared at Fluttershy with intrigue in his eye.
"Did you say… human? " he asked.
"Yes! Now please just don't kill him… please." She pleaded.
The violet beast released his grip, letting Packie fall unconscious on the icy floor. The dragon stood tall, inspecting the damage from their scuffle. His long scaly arm was missing a clean chunk about a foot in diameter. To him, the pain equated to roughly that of a paper-cut. He was far used to such agony.
"You're in luck pony. I've been looking for a human test subject for centuries. Hehehe… " He eerily chuckled at the sight of the unconscious werewolf.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"What? The human is alive!?" yelled Fletch.
"Indeed. It seems that your story was more fantasy than you'd like us to believe. " said Blood.
The smaller white dragon crouched close to their personal fire at the heart of the mountain. He grabbed his head irritation. "GRR! How was I supposed to know he could survive that fall?" he asked.
"It's simple, you couldn't have. But he is much more resilient than I would have expected. " The taller dragon paced around, thinking of his next move. The fire at the center of the dwelling made his violet scales glisten and his yellow piercing eyes darted around the room.
"So where do you have him now?"
"A chamber, deep in the mountain, far away from his little pony friend. I have him bound to the wall, just like the other prisoner. "
"And what are you going to do with him?" Fletch watched the lumbering purple dragon stop at his remark.
"It's quite simple really… the pony queen made him a shape-shifter using forbidden magic, among their kind no less. If I do the same, then I can make him one of us… "
"Why would you make him a dragon?!" Fletch roared.
"Hahahahahahahaha. " Blood chuckled deeply in amusement. "You must be too young to remember that prophecy. But, this is the break our king has been looking for. The ponies are as good as dead. "
The white dragon scratched under his chin with one sharp claw. "And what prophecy would that be?"
"Well…almost fifteen hundred years ago, during the golden age of our race, there lived the most powerful dragon that ever existed. It was said that his fire could decimate mountains, boil the seas, and lay waste to cities… "
"And what became of him?" the white dragon inquired.
"The ponies used their combined magical power to vanquish him. Thousands upon thousands of unicorns had to work together to quell his flame, and then when it had seemed the bleakest for them, they somehow triumphed. "
"Get to your point, Blood. What does this have to with the human?" he barked.
"HAHAHA! Don't you see?! The human is cursed! " Fletch seemed unsatisfied with that answer.
"The ancient dragon's spirit is out there somewhere, and the human is cursed to assume the form of any beast that infests his mind. All I have to do is conjure the ancient dragon, and curse the human myself. "
"You wish to implant the ancient one's mind within his own?"
The violet dragon grinned widely, bearing every razor blade for a tooth. "Yes, just like the prophecy stated would happen. "
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Packie tried to open his eyes, but the unbearable bright light would take some getting used to. He was being held by a tight collar around his neck linked to the wall behind him, forcing him to stand weakly. He tried moving his muscular arms but they remained tightly chained together behind his back by two linked and heavy iron bracelets on his wrists. His legs were free to move, but there was no point with his neck bound to the wall. He wasn't going anywhere.
Vaguely he remembered passing out in his struggle with the violet dragon. Packie looked around through squinted eyes. He could've sworn this was the same room he found Fluttershy in, but the smell of flowers was not nearly as strong now. She was in another chamber, somewhere else within the mountain and it deeply depressed him. The chains that bound him were far too thick for him to break, even with his enhanced strength. They were more than likely enchanted by the dragons to be more resilient.
He struggled frantically to break his bonds but they remained firm. Defeated, he began to slouch. Any hope he had of saving Fluttershy was quickly diminishing.
Suddenly he heard a sound coming from down within the cave, approaching his chamber. It was the sound of heavy footsteps. He wondered how he could not have heard that before when he was with Fluttershy.
There was a massive stone slab lying against the opening to his chamber, just as the other room had. He knew that if he somehow broke free of his bonds, he might be able to remove at least that obstacle.
The slab began to churn against the icy surface beneath it, making an awful grinding noise. With a few heaves from the familiar violet dragon the stone was displaced enough for the dreadful beast to enter.
He calmly lumbered over to Packie, but the werewolf didn't respond to his presence.
"A quiet one are we? No matter. I'll have you singing like a bird in just a few moments. " The beast delightedly grinned in anticipation.
The werewolf snarled at him. "GRAH!" He temporarily fought against the chains but lost his will to fight soon afterward.
"There's no point in resisting human. I'm about to give you new life. " The dragon raised a claw and began to reach for Packie's chest.
"RAHH!" he roared in retaliation. He continued to struggle as he felt the dragon's cold talons press against his abdomen.
The beast began slowly chanting in their draconic language.
"O'la-tothen. Rashend-hi. Incent'-thi'ay… "
Packie felt this terrible pain wrack his stomach, like a sword just pierced his hide. He began to feel his strength fade away and his muscles shrink considerably.
"Batot-han… fin' hua… "
A lump formed in Packie's throat, just like the night before when he first changed. The lump moved up his neck and into his cheeks. His muzzle began to shrink, layers of golden fur began to fall off in tattered clumps, and his ears gradually became more rounded.
The lump of pain began to move back down his neck and into his spine, causing him to shriek in agony as he felt his frame start to compress.
"AHHHHH!" his screams began to sound less animalistic.
The dragon kept chanting and pushing his claw harder into his chest, despite Packie's terrible pleas to stop. Blood looked down upon the claw marks on his face, the one's he had left, and remembered that the human was not worthy of mercy.
The surge of change continued down through his back and into his hips and legs. His tail was being recoiled back into his body, his calves and thighs began to lose muscle mass, and his bones cracked loudly as they reformed into a more compact size.
Clumps of beautiful golden fur kept falling onto the icy floor, exposing his comparatively weak skin.
The dragon clenched his wide hand around Packie's neck, holding him up with little effort. His body had decreased so much in size that he no longer posed any threat to the violet beast. With a quick slash of his claws, Packie was freed from the wall.
The dragon released his grip on his neck and let the naked human fall the short distance to the floor.
Exhausted and relieved of the rest of his strength, Packie collapsed to his knees with his hands still tightly bound behind his back. His body was completely drenched in sweat and he had to focus every bit of effort into taking his next breath. The sudden decrease in his lung capacity was making his chest seize up excruciatingly.
The icy air began to penetrate his skin and he began to curl up in a ball on the floor. Streams of sweat ran down off the side of his forehead and onto the freezing surface beneath him. He shook uncontrollably as some of the sweat on his body began to freeze and harden.
"Oth-hoom! " the dragon bellowed above him.
All at once Packie could feel the terrible pain begin to slowly subside in his head. He opened his eyes timidly as the light in the chamber did not seem nearly as bright as it was just a few minutes ago. His blond hair concealed his gaze as the soaked follicles fell down over his line of sight. Bit by bit the overwhelming pain in his chest sunk away into nothingness.
He gasped loudly, feeling life return to him. "Huff*… cough*… gahh, what the hell…?" He whispered shrilly.
"Hahaha. " The dragon chuckled at the weakling balled up before him. "Welcome back to the realm of the living, human. "
"Grr… what did you do to me?!" Packie yelled.
He got one arm underneath himself and struggled to push up his body from the packed ice.
"You should be thanking me human. I saved you from your own self. You were terribly cursed, or did you know that already? "
Packie up-righted himself and held all of his weight on his right leg and arm. "That's bullshit!" he retorted.
"Is it? " The dragon waited for a response, towering over the miniscule naked boy. "Very well human, answer me this. If you were not cursed, then how was I able to change your form with a counter-curse? "
"It was no curse. The princess did this to me herself." He replied dismissively.
"On the contrary human, the queen placed a hex on you ."
"I don't even know what that is!" Packie narrowed his blue eyes at the beast aggressively.
"It means that the queen had run out of power and called on forbidden magic to give you your new strength. "
"How did you know it was a hex?" Packie asked full of suspicion.
"I admit, you almost caught me off guard with that one human. But it was your friend, the yellow pony. She knew it was truly you under that mask of fur, and let me know accordingly. Once I saw the queen had changed you into that 'thing', I knew then and there you were under the influence of a hex. She had doomed you to a cursed existence. "
"But… why?" Packie drooped his head, taking in more freezing air into his lungs.
"I told you already, it was because her magic reserves were running low. Ponies can only handle so much magic at one time. "
The human looked up at the dragon fiercely. "So what, are you going to kill me now?"
"Hahaha… " the dragon laughed briefly, "…no, I have bigger plans for you human. The queen's hex still remains in your body, but I layered my own hex into you, temporarily suppressing it. "
"B-but why? Why didn't you just kill me?" Packie asked.
"Because human, a dragon's hex is much worse than a pony's. While the queen's gave you the shape-shifting ability, mine will forcibly implant the spirit any beast I desire into your body. Your mind will be completely taken over, and your thoughts will belong to us, assuming you survive the transformation. " The dragon cracked a devilish grin.
"What the FUCK did you to me?!" he yelled.
"It's quite simple human. My draconic hex combined with the queen's will turn you into a dragon like us. But this time… you shall serve only my king and no other. "
Packie spit on the dragon's massive foot. "Fuck you." He bluntly stated.
"Have it your way, human. "
The colossal dragon brought down a heavy open palm which collided with Packie's face.
SMACK!
His limp body was thrown across the chamber and his back impacted against the icy wall, leaving a sizeable dent. The incredibly dense strike knocked him out cold almost instantly as he fell back down to floor. His head hit the icy surface with a sickening thud and he lie there completely still.
The dragon snorted at him, sincerely hoping that it didn't have to come to that.
"Stupid human. He has no idea of the immense power that now dwells within him. "
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Chapter 30
Jiggs' shoes kicked up dirt as he ran at top speed towards the sound of screaming. A whole line of buildings were consumed with emerald green flame. Ponies were rushing out, carrying every precious item they could manage. All pegasus ponies were flying off, possibly to go get rainclouds or something of the sort.
One purple pony stared at her home in horror, waiting for somepony else to come out. She began to panic and looked to other ponies for assistance.
"Please! Please help me! My son is in there!" she yelled.
Her home's front door was burst open and green flames continued to pour out into the sky. All the windows were completely blown away and smoke plumed high over the building.
Jiggs ran over to the frantic mare, seeing that everypony else was just going to ignore her.
"Who's inside?" Jiggs asked in a hurry. "I'm here to help."
She turned hurriedly to him with glossy fearful eyes. "M-my son! I couldn't find him so I came out here. But now I don't see him anywhere!"
Jiggs ran past her to the building, after hearing all the encouragement he needed. There was no time to waste. "I'll get em', don't worry!" he yelled.
The horrified mother watched as the human ran into the green inferno of her home. He was quickly engulfed by the blazing fire, but he didn't seem to notice. She surely thought he would die.
The popping and rattling sound of flames consuming wood filled Jiggs' ears instantly. The intense heat made him start to sweat profusely, however the fire itself didn't seem to burn his skin all that much. What he was most worried about was the lack of oxygen. The smoke rose to the ceiling of every room in the house and sapped it of every bit of clean air.
"It's…cough*… almost as bad as a smoker's lounge in here." Jiggs pushed through a wall of smoke and came to a kitchen like area. All the cabinets and areas of hardwood floor were taken over by the flame.
"Nothing in here." He noted.
Jiggs ran into the adjacent room, a living room. Sofas, pillows, carpeting; all were being possessed by the blaze. Still there was no pony to be found.
Jiggs continued to wade through the ocean of never-ending heat. Sweat beaded down his forehead and fell to the wood below, where it quickly evaporated.
Then he caught sight of something, a staircase that led down to a basement. If he had any chance of finding the colt, it would have to be there. He blasted through the wall of flames that occupied the room. There was smoke billowing from down below that rippled up towards the ceiling in waves. The fire had not yet migrated to the lowest floor, making it the perfect place for a scared pony to hide.
Deciding not to wait any longer, Jiggs dove down the stairs. His muscular arms threw clouds of smoke to the wayside as he braced for impact.
His shoes landed firmly on the unfinished basement's cement foundation with a great thud. He madly began searching around what seemed to be a handyman's workshop, but he couldn't see anything down here in the darkness.
Jiggs took a few steps and haphazardly collided with a table, spilling some tools onto the floor. The sound of the raging inferno approached from the staircase and the ceiling above him began to creak as it weakened. From his position he guessed that he was right under the living room.
"Hello?! Any one down here?!" he yelled.
"O-over here!" a small voice called out.
Jiggs turned to his right where the voice had come from. There were only some shapes that looked vaguely like cabinets and drawers.
"Where are you? I can barely see anything!" Jiggs replied.
One of the cabinets close to the floor opened slowly to reveal a set of terrified green eyes. Jiggs pushed a wall of smoke out of the way to get a slightly better view.
"Here I am!" the small colt choked out.
Jiggs hastily ran over to the cabinets and crouched down. He was forced to squint his eyes in the harsh cloudy air as he brought his face close to the colt's.
"I'm going to get you out of here." He said.
A green flaming plank of wood fell from the ceiling to the center of the unfinished basement. Startled, the colt withdrew inside the cabinet slightly.
"No! I'll… cough*… get hurt!" the little brown pony whimpered.
"You won't get hurt, I promise. Just come with me, please. The building is falling apart!"
Even more frightened than before, the colt shut himself in the cabinet almost entirely now. The inferno continued to approach loudly. Jiggs didn't want to force him to go, so maybe he would try some convincing.
He opened the cabinet marginally to allow eye contact with the colt.
"Hey…cough*… what's your name?" Jiggs asked.
"B-b-brawny." The colt stammered.
Jiggs reached out his hand. "Well Brawny, my name's Anthony. Now I need you to trust me because it's not safe down here. I'm not leaving till you come with me. Your mom is worried sick about you."
Nervously the soil-brown colt reached out his hoof. He wanted nothing more than to see his mom right now, and knew that he would have to be brave.
Jiggs gave his hoof a light shake. "Deal?"
"Deal." The colt replied hesitantly. He stepped out of the cabinet and wiped some black soot from his short blond mane.
The ceiling began to groan and creak even more under the intense pressure. The planks were being eaten away slowly by the blaze.
"Alright stay close to me!" ordered Jiggs. "Let's go!"
He rested a hand on Brawny's shoulder, making sure that he was close by should anything go wrong. They blindly walked through thick black smoke, guided only by the dim green light coming from the staircase.
"What are we…cough*… gonna do about the fire?!" the colt yelled.
"I have a plan!" Jiggs replied.
After wading through a wall of blackness they came to the staircase. The wooden ceiling of the basement started to bow inward. With most of the hardwood now turned to ash, the weight of the furniture it supported proved to be too much.
C-CRACK! CRASH!
A roughly ten foot in diameter circle of debris caved in and fell to the basement floor with a thunderous noise, where the two of them had stood just a few moments before.
"AHH!" Brawny yelled in a great panic. "We got to get out!"
Jiggs started to climb the steps and was faced with yet another wall of green fire.
"Working on it!" he yelled.
With the little colt following close behind, Jiggs took a wide stance and opened his arms. He flattened his palms and turned them inward, preparing for a colossal strike.
CLAP!
He focused all of his strength into bringing his hands together in front of him, directing every bit of kinetic energy at the flame. The force of the collision sent a pulse of air that slammed into the wall of green flame. The blaze receded slightly from the blast and Jiggs took his opening.
"Now's our chance, follow me!" he yelled.
Brawny complied with his demand and stayed right behind him.
The two came back to the living room which had a sizable hole missing in its floor. The inferno ate away at the corners of the circle, causing it to slowly expand. The blaze was now deafening and the air was even thicker with the black smog.
"Cough*… how are we going to get around?!" Brawny shouted.
Jiggs turned to him, thinking quietly. He was running out of options, but he wasn't about to give up now.
"I need you to trust me again!"
"Sure, whatever!" the colt replied.
Jiggs suddenly wrapped his arms around the colt's chest, leaving Brawny stunned.
"Hold on!" He ordered.
With a great leap, Jiggs heaved himself and Brawny over the great pit of flames below. They landed somewhat roughly when they reached the other side of the living room. Jiggs let go of Brawny and the little colt ran into the kitchen. He reeled in terror when he saw all of his kitchen cabinets and decorations ablaze.
Jiggs was starting to lose speed. The air and the heat was finally getting to him.
"C'mon, what are you waiting for?! We're almost there!" the colt yelled.
Jiggs continued to trudge on, weaving in and out of patches of flame. The smoke was starting to get into his lungs, making every breath more difficult than the last. His bad habits were now catching up with him. He was completely drenched in sweat.
CREAK!
The roof of the building was starting to falter, causing Jiggs to snap out of his haze.
"I'm coming Brawny… cough*" He lumbered through the kitchen until he found the colt trying to move something. It was a large piece of a wall that had fallen over.
"We got to move it! This is the way out!" Brawny frantically cried.
"I'll g-get it!" Jiggs stammered. He placed both hands under the weighty piece of drywall and carefully began to upright it. The drywall dug into the hardwood and left a hefty mark across its surface. Jiggs pushed it to the side and it fell through the floor, leaving another large hole.
"Almost there!" the colt shouted. Seeing that Jiggs was getting tired and couldn't focus, Brawny decided to guide him to the exit himself. He pulled on Jiggs' arm with a hoof and the human stayed close behind. They came out to the final hallway with the front door to the house in sight, but the entire door was being consumed by the emerald green blaze.
"Can you put out that flame?!"
"I'm sorry Brawny… but I can't do what I did last time! Cough*… you might just have to jump through it!
CRACK!
The ceiling above them gave way, and an enormous chunk of the roof bore down on them with its full weight.
In a great panic, Brawny curled up in a ball and prepared for the worst, but the worst never came. The fire kept blazing loudly all around and he slowly opened his eyes. He stared up in absolute shock at what he saw.
Jiggs was holding up a massive beam that supported the roof, halting its progress just inches above them. He gritted his teeth, summoning all of his remaining strength to hold up the roof. He breathed in short concentrated bursts, never relaxing for even a single moment. At this point Jiggs was keeping the entire home from collapsing, and knew that he was Brawny's last line of defense.
The little colt just sat there, watching him struggle. He was completely dumbfounded that this human was willing to go to such great lengths for him.
"Well…grunt*…what are you waiting… for… Brawny? The exit's… grunt*… right there…cough*" Each word came out punctually and heavily.
"W-what about you?!" the colt replied.
Jiggs fell to one knee, and the entire house shifted around them as he did.
Brawny could plainly see that he was suffering, holding up the immense weight.
"I'll be… cough*… fine. Just go…grunt*…and… thanks for… cough*… being brave… kid."
Hesitantly, the little colt stood up and began to walk away. He was about to reach the fiery exit when he glanced back at Jiggs. The human, deciding not to waste his time in saying anything, just gave the colt an approving nod.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Where do you think he went?" asked Applejack. She searched all throughout the streets with Twilight but everywhere there were only panicking ponies, running and screaming.
"I'm not sure, but I think he definitely wants to help." Replied Twilight.
"Well o'course he wants to help. The question is where?"
CRASH!
Just then, a building down the street began to collapse. The two friends heard a loud scream immediately afterwards and started to run in the direction of the chaos.
"What the hay was that?!" Appplejack yelled.
"I think we're about to find out!" exclaimed Twilight.
They ran past building after building, each one's damage getting progressively worse than the one before it. Then they say the purple mare and her nearly collapsed home. She was a complete emotional wreck, sobbing at the sight of the destruction.
Applejack slowed down and approached her. "What's goin' on here miss?" she asked.
The mare kept staring at the inferno that used to be her home.
"My son is in there!" she screamed.
"Oh no…" whispered Twilight.
"A human went… sniff*… in there to save him, but neither of them… have come out yet." The mare let her tears flow freely down her face.
There was some yelling that came from within the house. Someone was still alive in there.
The front of the building was entirely engulfed by the blaze, including the exit.
From outside the ponies heard one final groaning within the building, and then something black burst through the green flames.
The shrouded figure ran out into the street and briefly collapsed.
The ponies, in awe, approached the figure when Applejack noticed something.
"Hey, I recognize that hood." She said. "Yeah, that's the one Anthony was wearin'."
The black shrouded figure removed the protective item of clothing and revealed its true brown face. The mother of the group gasped and wrapped her forelegs around the small colt.
"BRAWNY! You're alright!" she squeaked with joy.
She started to sob into her son's shoulder. "I'm so…happy…Brawny."
He looked just as happy to see her as he limply fell into her embrace. "M-mom, the human… he saved me. But… he's still in the house." His voice was hoarse from inhaling so much smoke.
"Human?! He's still in there?!" cried Applejack.
The house bided its time for as long as possible, but crumbled more and more under the blazing inferno. Twilight and Applejack watched helplessly knowing that their friend was stuck in the debris somewhere.
The foundation under the building completely gave out and with one final collapse the structure toppled like a tower of playing cards.
The smoke rose ever higher over the pile of rubble and Applejack could feel her last bit of hope begin to fade away.
"ANTHONY!" cried Applejack.
She received no response, save for the sound of burning wood.
"It can't be…" mumbled Twilight.
"ANTHONY!" The orange pony called again. Still, there was nothing.
A single tear traced a line down Applejack's left cheek.
A few standing wooden beams turned to ash before their eyes and were whisked away in the breeze. There was no more movement in the pile of rubble.
Screams could be heard back down the street, snapping Twilight to her senses. She put a hoof calmly on her friend's shoulder.
"I'm sorry…Applejack, but we need to go now. There's still others we have to help."
"B-but what about—"
"We have to help the others, Applejack." Twilight cut her off.
Applejack looked at the raging blaze of the home and back to her friend. It took her a few moments to think and she was finding it extremely difficult leave her new friend behind.
"O-okay… Twilight. You win. Let's go—"
BOOM!
A pile of flaming rubble bursted upward, sending sparks crackling every which way. A silhouetted figure jumped through the blaze, consumed from head to toe in the green fire. Like a stray missile the figure dove straight for the ponies.
"HIT THE DECK!" shouted Twilight.
Everypony obeyed and collided with the dirt road as the figure impacted next to them with an earth-crushing 'thump.'
The collision kicked up a plume of dirt, shrouding all of them in a brown haze.
"What was that?!" yelled Applejack.
"I-I don't know." Twilight responded.
The two watched the figure slowly stand up from the crater.
It lumbered toward them through a thick cloud of dirt, following the voices it just heard. Applejack and Twilight said nothing as the silhouette approached.
It stumbled through the edge of the haze and stopped, looking down upon the two ponies.
"Cough*…so… did I do good?" asked Jiggs.
His chest and shoulders were covered in red splotches, his pants were covered in black soot, and his hair was a messy and tangled black mess. However, none of this stopped Applejack.
The orange pony happily got up from the ground and wrapped her forelegs around his muscular frame in a tight hug. She delicately avoided any burnt spots on his exposed skin.
"You're okay!" she exclaimed.
Jiggs didn't object to her affections and gently placed a hand on her back. "Well yeah, I'm okay. I wasn't about to let a stupid fire kill me. Cough*"
Applejack's face got sooty as well from his hair gently brushing over it, but she didn't mind.
Twilight smiled at the two of them, quite relieved that he was still alive as well.
When the small cloud of dirt settled, the brown colt sitting close to his mother realized that his hero had just escaped. The mare let her son go over to him hesitantly and he gently tapped on Jiggs' back with one hoof.
"Hey gimme a second, Jersey." He told Applejack.
She reluctantly let go of him and he turned to face his little friend. He crouched on one knee to get eye level with him.
"I-I just wanted to say thanks… for saving me and all." He muttered.
Jiggs wiped away a patch of black sooty hair from his eyes. "No problem Brawny, and uh… thanks for trusting me. I was only trying to help." He added.
"You're welcome. I'm going to tell everyone in Ponyville what you did for me."
"Thanks man, I appreciate that."
"And don't forget this." Brawny held up the black hoodie Jiggs wore just a few minutes ago. He thought about taking it back, but thought this was a good opportunity to show his appreciation. Besides it would only slow him down anyway.
"You know what? You can keep that Brawny. Think of it as a trophy or something, for being brave today."
"A-are you sure?" the colt stammered.
Jiggs raised one cheek into a light smile. "Quite sure."
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Another scream broke their attention.
"I'm sorry Anthony, but we have to go now." Twilight stated bluntly.
"Right, let's go!" he replied. "Take care of that Brawny, it's one of my favorites."
"Will do!" the little colt replied.
Jiggs patted Applejack's shoulder. "Let's go Jersey, we've got more ponies that need saving."
She gazed back at him through a glossy layer of tears. "Just don't run off without us this time."
"Wouldn't dream of it." He said smugly. "But do try to keep up."
Without another word between the three of them, they began heading for the terrible sound of more screaming.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Azure was rapidly approaching Cloudsdale at supersonic speed. He knew he would have to act fast and assemble as many pegasi as possible.
"There it is, the weather factory." He said to himself. "I hope I won't be too late."
He began his descent onto the city of clouds, passing by tall pillars and ancient looking buildings all composed chiefly of water vapor. Near the center of the city in the sky was a large industrial complex, and a machine of some kind churning out dark weather clouds filled with various types of precipitants. At the front of the white building was a pair of wide double doors which Azure focused on as he approached. His greatly decreased his speed by opening his wings, but he was still coming in hot. He impacted with the cloud layer as softly as possible and dug in his back legs to disperse his momentum.
With a great shove he threw open the wooden double doors. They slammed against the wall with enough force and sound to grab everyponys' attention.
All the workers standing around various machines and filled vats of water turned to face the grey pegasus who so rudely barged in.
A black pegasus wearing a hard hat and a white lab coat advanced on the newcomer.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, "These factory grounds are off limits to non-employees."
Azure hardened his expression and stood his ground.
"I am Brigadier General Azure Fury of the Equestrian Royal Air Force. By the order of Princess Celestia, I ask that you make a storm for me immediately! The city of Ponyville is burning to the ground!"
His demanding words drew only nervous glances from the workers who were shocked at the intensity of his voice.
They stared in complete silence until the black pegasus in the hardhat turned around.
"Well… you heard him! Let's make a storm!" the supervisor shouted.
With a calamitous rumble of noise every worker turned each machine back up to full capacity. Power in the plant surged as high as it would go. Dark black clouds began to grow over the factory and coalesce into one giant body. Minutes passed by and the cumulonimbus cloud became heavily saturated with rain water.
"Excellent!" said Azure. "Now I Just have to find somepony to help me move it!"
In a terrible hurry he rushed back out the double wooden doors. Once outside he slowly ascended up to the morphing and growing black cloud. He observed its increasing strength, knowing there was no possible way he could move it by himself.
He adjusted his body to face Ponyville's plume of smoke in the distance and something caught his attention.
"What is that?" he asked himself.
A few dozen, no… almost a hundred pegasi were flying straight for him.
The wall of ponies slowed down and came to a halt just under the massive rain cloud and looked down at Azure. A red female pegasus lowered herself to eye-level with him.
Azure assumed she was the leader. "Where did you all come from?" he asked.
"We're all from Ponyville." She said. "We knew that this would this would be the best place to go for help. But it seems that you beat us here first."
Azure looked up at the building storm. "Well, I'm glad you're here. I didn't want to take this cloud to Ponyville all by myself."
"And you won't have to, because we're here to help. As citizens of Ponyville it's our job to look after each other."
The red mare gazed up at her fellow pegasi. "Am I right?!" she yelled.
The enormous group of pegasi above her began cheering with thunderous applause.
"Looks like I have a team." Azure said to himself.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Wallace wrapped a support beam inside his invisible energy. A building was starting to collapse in a crimson haze of hell fire. Ponies were running past him in droves, screaming for dear life.
"Wally," said Pinkie Pie, "We got everypony out, just let it go!"
"A-are you sure?!" he asked through gritted teeth.
"I'm positive!" she cried.
The headband's gem on his head flickered as he relinquished his hold on the building. The foundation began to crumble, sending red and orange sparks flying into the street. Wooden planks cracked under the pressure and the roof gave way, crushing the other floors beneath it. He sincerely hoped she was right, or else somepony might have just perished.
Nova ran up to him and gently touched his shoulder. "I need your help down this way!" he ordered.
"Sure let's go!" Wallace replied.
The three took off for another building that was down a few blocks.
The red raging fire continued to pelt the right sides of their faces. The heat was unbearably powerful.
"Huff*… there were a few more trapped… huff*… in a house down here." Said Nova. "But… Rarity told me she would try to help…huff*… in any way she could… until I got back."
"You couldn't… huff*… help them yourself?" Wallace asked.
"Well there were two… huff*… stuck in a safe room… but the fire's too strong. It'll take… huff*… all of us." Nova kept surging forward.
When they finally came upon the last building Wallace could see what he meant. There wasn't a single opening in the flames and the supports of the home probably wouldn't last much longer. They heard a faint scream and something fall down inside.
"Alright, follow me." Wallace ordered. He reached out a hand and conjured a ball of yellow energy which surrounded himself and Nova.
"Wait, Wally!" cried Pinkie.
He stopped and faced her concerned expression with a calm smoothness. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her blue eyes. "I'll be okay, Cupcake."
"O-okay… w-whatever you say Wally." She stammered nervously.
He let go of her and signaled Nova to stay close. The two of them burst through a partially broken window. His yellow aura encompassed them, protecting them from the heat. He struggled trying to maintain its shape but it held together for the time being.
"Let's go!" shouted Nova. The raging hellfire distorted their view as they stumbled down a hallway. It was terrifyingly loud as the house was being consumed by the flame. They peered in room after room, always finding nothing.
"Are you sure they're in here?!" Wallace yelled.
"Yes, they're in the back I think!" The blue unicorn replied.
"Alright! Let's keep going then!"
They walked through wall after wall of blood red flame. Each time Wallace's shield was being slowly broken down, bit by bit.
They finally reached a room at the back of the house which contained a large metallic door with a heavy, rotating, locking mechanism.
"Oh shit! That's what you meant by 'safe' room!" Wallace shouted.
"But where is Rarity?!" Nova asked.
Without hesitating, Wallace pulled on the massive metal door. Inside the safe room there was an older looking stallion unicorn with a dark brown coat and a silvery mane, and also what seemed to be his daughter. She was a little pink filly with a red flowing mane, and she stayed particularly close to him. Next to the both of them sat a terrified Rarity.
"I-I'm sorry!" she yelled. "I-I tried to help… but then I got so scared—"
"It doesn't matter now!" interrupted Nova. "We're getting out of here!"
The ceiling started to groan under stress. Wallace, taking this as a cue, wrapped his energy around the three newcomers and shielded them from the heat outside the giant safe.
"Is there any way you guys could lend me some energy?!" Asked Wallace.
Nova touched a hoof to his headband. "You should have all the power you need. You just have to figure out how to release more of it. Focus hard, and I'll guide you through it."
Wallace could feel his shield fading away by the second. He closed his eyes and concentrated. It was like his diadem was letting him access a well of power, but it would only let him take handfuls here and there as needed. He never had complete control over the well. He remembered something, however. The princess had told him the diadem was supposed to act like a valve, so in theory all he had to do was open the valve more.
"I just gotta open the valve a little more." He said to himself.
"That's right! Focus!" ordered Nova.
He clenched his teeth and began to think deeply about his current situation. It was only a matter of adding more power to his shield.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
He searched within his mind for an opening to the well. The world around him seemed to fall into silence, and then… he caught a glimpse of it. A light at the end of a tunnel… he reached for it using his power. The blackness gave way to the light and he entered a quiet room within his head.
He felt completely naked and glanced down, realizing he was stripped of his clothing. The space around him felt damp and the air was thick and humid.
The circular chamber was composed entirely of grey stone. He looked all around him and saw no exit on any side. At the centermost point of the room was the well. Its insides surged with a bright yellow mass that acted similarly to water.
As he began to approach, he was suddenly struck down by a thunderous blow. His head took the full impact of the strike, leaving him dazed and disoriented.
"You may not touch the well." said a disembodied female voice.
"B-but, my friends… I have to save them." He muttered.
Wallace struggled to catch a glimpse of his attacker, but he could only make out the slight outline of a woman's frame.
"Your cause is noble… I will grant you a small piece of the well today." The woman said.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Wallace opened his eyes back in the flaming room. His shield still maintained its current hold around everyone, but it no longer felt like it was dissipating. In fact, it felt like his power was increasing. The yellow aura surrounding them became denser and the yellow color became brighter and more vivid.
"Excellent!" shouted Nova. "I knew you could do it!"
"Yeah, thanks for nothing. Now let's go, everyone follow me!" Wallace shouted.
He started to run back through the house, making sure all the ponies stayed encased in his yellow aura. They followed close to him, not wanting to get left behind in the fiery blaze. He panicked for a moment when he saw the door was blocked by a pile of flaming debris and he quickly turned a corner.
When they all arrived at the front of the building he knew that not everypony would be able to squeeze through the windows. The broken glass would be extremely dangerous and he could not guarantee their safety. Seeing only one way out, he encased his right hand in several more layers of energy and threw a devastating punch at the front wall. Flaming wood splintered off in every direction and sparks were sent flying about. Now they could all easily fit through and escape, but his solution did not come without consequence.
The structural damage he had just caused was significant enough to increase the speed of the building's collapse. The house was under more stress than ever.
Every pony that had been following rushed past him and started leaping through the hole. Wallace struggled to keep up the ceiling above them with his telekinetic strength, and it would prove to be just barely enough.
As he began to step through the flaming hole in the wall, he released his aura around the ponies simultaneously. Then, once he felt his power was almost completely sapped, he fell to his hands and knees exhaustedly.
He noticed a set of hooves wrap around his neck in a gentle embrace. He knew this feeling all too well as a Pinkie Pie hug.
"Oh Wally! You made it!" she cried happily. "I was so soooo worried about you."
"Yeah I'm alright, Cupcake." He grumbled. "Just a little well done is all."
"Well done? What's that?"
"Oh you know, like how you cook a steak."
"What's a steak?" she asked.
Wallace, realizing the hole he had just dug himself into, frantically made something up.
"Oh! Well… steak is a… um… a vegetable. Yeah that's it, a vegetable."
Real smooth. He thought sarcastically.
"Hmm… well we'll have to get some steak sometime when Ponyville isn't being burnt to the ground by dragons!" she shouted cheerfully.
"Yeah… whatever you say." He mumbled.
The old stallion he had just saved walked over to him. Pinkie carefully released her embrace on Wallace to allow him to speak. He calmly stood up and brushed some soot out of his brown hair.
"I-I just wanted… to say thank you… human." The old stallion muttered nervously.
"No big deal, I just—"
"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!" he was cut off by another loud scream.
"Ugh… are you kidding me?!" he yelled. "Sorry I'll be right back!"
Wallace bolted for another flaming building across the block.
"Wait I'll go with you!" exclaimed Nova.
"There's no time!" he replied.
He'd probably just slow me down anyway.
His shoes kicked up more dirt behind him and he began to charge his shield again. Golden pieces of armor materialized around his legs, chest, arms, and head. Once the shield was completed piecing itself together, it vanished into nothing.
"What is this place, a party store?!"
He noticed that the windows of the building had burning party items sitting in them. There were different silly outfits for ponies, designs for balloons, assorted kinds of wrapping paper, and a flaming sign in the window that said 'Ain't no party like a Pony party!'
"Well… I guess it is a party store." He mumbled to himself.
Not wasting a second he blasted through the wide glass window and leaped over raining sparks and balls of fire that leapt out at him. He ran past shelves upon shelves of red flaming party items with no pony in sight.
"EEEEEEEEE!"
The scream was quite clear now. It emanated from behind a counter top.
"Hello?! Who's there?! I'm here to help you!" Wallace shouted through the inferno. He became acutely aware of a faint whistling noise.
What's that sound? He thought
"PLEASE HELP ME!" the voice cried out.
He slammed a shelf out of the way using his telekinetic power and approached the front counter. He peered over the counter and saw a shocked purple unicorn filly hiding underneath, desperately trying to catch her breath. The dense smoke in the room was getting to her.
Wallace hopped over the counter and kneeled down to talk to her. He reached out his hand and slowly began to envelop her body in his yellow aura. Once she had her face covered, she gasped and inhaled deeply several times.
The filly was obviously in pain so Wallace decided the only way he was getting her out was by his own power. He looked down and saw she had a large cut in her leg, which was trickling blood.
The whistling sound was louder now, but he decided to ignore it.
"W-who are you?" she asked.
"My name's Wallace and I'm here to save you." He gazed calmly into her golden eyes which alleviated her worries.
"M-my legs hurts…" she whined.
"I can fix that, but I need you to hold still." He gently put a hand on her head and ran it through her yellow mane comfortingly.
"O-okay…cough*…I won't budge."
Wallace rested his hand over her cut leg and let his energy seep into the folds. She leaned her head back and her eyes rolled up into her head as she felt something like pins and needles inside her leg.
"Hey, stay with me." Wallace ordered. "What's your name?"
The little filly weakly rose her head. "M-my name's Dinky."
"That's a nice name. How did you get in this place?" They maintained a relaxed eye-contact as they spoke.
"I was shopping with my mommy, and… we walked by this party store. She told me not to go in, but I… sorta snuck off and came here anyways."
"I don't think that was a very good idea." He smirked at her.
"No, probably not." She admitted.
He removed his hand from her leg, revealing a nicely healed straight mark where she was cut just moments ago. The little filly was dumbfounded at the sight.
"B-but how?! Thank you so much!" cried Dinky.
"Don't thank me yet. I still gotta get you outta here." He put one arm under the filly's back legs and the other around her chest and lifted her out from under the counter, holding her close to his body.
"Yes, please I just wanna see my mommy."
"Don't worry, you'll see her soon." He assured.
The whistling noise caught his attention again and he looked around frantically for the culprit. The flames were beginning to spread to everything around them, including the back counter.
"What is that noise?" Dinky asked.
"I'm not sure." He replied.
He held the filly even closer to her and continued to wrap his protective energy around them. He began to walk around the counter when the whistling finally reached its peak.
The countertop next to him was completely engulfed in the red flame, but he could make out the shape of the objects making the noise.
How could he have not noticed those cylinders before?
It should have been plainly obvious.
"Helium tanks." He muttered.
The whistling heightened in pitch.
He calmly transferred more of his energy to the protective shield of the small filly in his arms, not wanting to scare her even more.
"I'm coming home, Maria."
A single tear rolled down his sooty face, as hellfire suddenly erupted and consumed him.
BOOOOOOM!
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Heavily revised chapter Metal in Equestria: Chapter Six
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria: Chapter 7
Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings
Metal in Equestria : Chapter 11
"ARGH! SHIT!" Jiggs fell to his back, which only seemed to intensify his pain. "AHH!" Then something odd happened. His shoulders began to broaden and his jet black shirt ripped along his arms. "DAMN IT!" he yelled in furious pain. He flipped over on to his front, leaning on his forehead. His shirt was tarnished in dirt and his hair had turned a brownish haze of color, mixing with his already black hair. He screamed once more.
And then it stopped, out of nowhere and under no outside influence.
His friends were startled, rendered utterly speechless.
Then Jiggs simply stood up and wiped the dirt off his shirt and patted the dirt out of his thick hair. "Well that sucked." he said. Catching a glimpse of his arms he began to touch and investigate them. They seemed foreign in comparison to how they were mere minutes before. "I'm fuckin' ripped!" he concluded. He sneaked a peak under his shirt. "And I got a fucking six-pack? No freakin' way!"
"Damn," said Packie, "Now I'm jealous."
"Why all of that fuss?" Twilight asked.
"Oh…" he attempted to find the right words, "It was excruciating… and it felt like I was having a heart attack. Then my arms hurt and I couldn't control what they did. Every muscle in me just flexed as hard as possible. Hopefully that's all though." Jiggs was visibly afraid that it might happen again.
"So you freaked out for no reason?" asked Packie.
"Well it hurt like shit! So get off my case!"
"Fine fine… let's go now." This day had been unpredictable so far for Packie. "We're going to get coffee, right? I can't take much more of this."
"Definitely!' said Wallace, "cuz Cupcake said she makes the best coffee. So how do we get there Highlight?"
"Just follow me," Twilight started walking towards Ponyville. Hopefully that would be the last interruption. "Anthony, do you want me to tell the Princess what happened to you?"
"Nah I ain't a pussy. I'll get over it. She probably knew better than to tell me that would happen." His breathing slowed down, but Jiggs could still feel his body changing. He clasped a part of his shirt and pushed on his chest; there was some dull pain still.
The walk back was less arduous and was by far more pleasant. Sunlight gleamed on their face as it rose over the eastern mountains. It was even possible to get a slight glimpse of Canterlot from Ponyville. Warmth revitalized them as the grass itself seemed to perk up towards the sun. The town was buzzing with activity when they arrived.
Packie was used to this kind of climate. "I think I'm gonna like this town. There's just enough noise to keep you awake and if you need quiet it's within walking distance."
"Exactly," said Twilight, "It isn't a fancy town but it has everything you'd ever need."
"Including coffee?" asked Wallace.
"Yes, of course. We're almost there if that's what you're trying to ask." She said, perceiving his next question.
Wallace unscrewed the lid on his jug and held it upside down. Not a drop fell out. "Yeah, that's what I meant. So… tired. So little sleep…"
The group approached the doorsteps of Sugarcube Corner. Twilight knocked on the door three times; there was no answer.
"How come there are 3 candles on the roof?" asked Packie.
"Just for decoration I suppose." Twilight never noticed that before either. "But where's Pinkie Pie, or the Cakes for that matter?"
The two upper halves of the pink door burst forth, presenting a joyous Pinkie Pie.
"Hey guys! Hey Wally! Gimme a sec! I'll let you guys in! Just a second!" she closed the doors and reopened the entire mass of both doors, after fumbling with the locks. "I made the best coffee ever today! It'll be just perfect I promise!"
As everyone walked inside Packie had a look around. Cupcakes sat on several counter tops and candy stickers lined the walls. The wooden frame of the front counter extended to the ceiling and everyone stood on a large green circular welcoming rug. It all felt very homely.
Pinkie came out of the back room balancing a large pot of coffee. Her pink hair bounced all around. It was a small miracle that no coffee was spilled.
"I got it." Wallace took control of the pot using his power. Pinkie let him take it and he took full command of the coffee and his jug. The pot tilted and the black fluid started to fill his jug.
"THAT'S AMAZING WALLY!" Pinkie took a moment to observe his technique. "I just knew you could do it!"
"Yeah ain't nothin' to it." he gloated.
"Me next." said Packie. Wallace lowered his hand and Packie grabbed the pot out of mid-air. Wallace could now break his telekinetic grip at will.
"You're advancing pretty quickly." Twilight openly noted.
Wallace took a sip from the green fountain. "Nice and scalding." Pinkie hopped in circles around him.
"It's just the way you like it! Isn't it?" she gleefully got close to his face.
"You bet your sweet ass. Nice brew." His words had a strange effect on Pinkie. She took everything he said in stride.
"I do have a sweet ass! And some sweet coffee! Here let me get you some sugar!" But before she could run off she was stopped by an invisible field. It was gentle to the touch and she barely noticed as she hovered off the floor.
"That's quite alright Cupcake. Oops sorry!" Wallace loosened his grip on her and she gently landed on her hooves.
"You can pick up other ponies now?" mentioned Twilight.
"I suppose I can."
"Do it again Wally!" Pinkie was eager this time to be picked up by his invisible touch. "Um maybe later… it kinda hurts my brain." He placed a hand on his forehead and raised his eyebrows in discomfort. Let's walk outside.
"Well someone got serious all of a sudden." Jiggs smirked.
"No no, just need some air." Wallace opened the doors with his right hand, so as not to incur any more pain from his head. The sun further heated up his black shirt, radiating warmth though his chest as well. The outside air was calming however and his lungs greatly appreciated it. "Much better." he quietly said to himself.
Pinkie would have followed him but decided he might need some time to be alone. "I hope he's alright." she said.
"He'll be fine, Cupcake." Jiggs walked out as well and had a chat with him. He went out to smoke as well but he made up another stupid reason.
"Got any donuts?" Packie asked.
"Oh, of course!" Pinkie cried excitedly. "Be right back!" She zoomed towards the kitchen.
Twilight was able to see that Packie actually did her a favor. "You tried to make her stop worrying about him, didn't you?
"Well yeah, she really doesn't need to worry though. Wallace is fine, honestly."
"I'll take your word for it." In a strange turn of events Twilight was the one who needed reassuring.
*OUTSIDE*
"My head doesn't hurt so badly now."
Puff* Exhale* "That's good… were you trying to get some sympathy points?"
"Don't be stupid man. She's a pony anyways. It really does hurt if I use it too much."
Puff* "Well yeah, the Princess said it'd be like a muscle. Just like my power actually works WITH my muscles. Packie will have the same trouble when he figures out how to fly."
"Does that seem ironic to you?"
Puff* "What? You mean the wings on Packie?"
"Duh."
"I guess it's kind of ironic. You think that means something?" Puff*
"No I guess not…"
There was a brief silence between them.
Puff*… Exhale* Jiggs stomped out his cigarette in the dirt. Ponies who passed by gave them more odd looks. "I don't know if I'll get used to them looking at us like that. I thought they would appreciate what we did."
"Yeah I know what you mean." Wallace crossed his arms. "Definitely will take some getting used to. We'll get to em' eventually. They can't be nervous around us forever." He simply repeated what Jiggs had said.
"Y'know what this place needs?" Wallace tried to finish this conversation.
"Um… chicks?" Jiggs guessed.
"Damn! You're good at guessing this stuff." Wallace ran his fingers though his dirty brown hair.
"Ha. My second guess was a bar." Jiggs broke a half-smile.
"Yeah, that too."
They bumped fists.
Packie and Twilight opened the door and the outside bell rang. Pack was carrying a bag in his right hand and donut in his left; half-eaten.
"Feeling better?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah." replied Wallace, "I just wish everyone in town would stop looking at us so weirdly. It's bugging' the shit out of me."
"Ditto." Jiggs nonchalantly added
"Someone's paranoid." said Packie. His mouth was full of donut.
"Maybe," said Jiggs, "but that doesn't mean we gotta be treated any different."
"Maybe it's our black shirts? Or your rockin' body, Jiggs?"
"Patrick has a point." noted Twilight.
Wallace started strolling down the dirt road. "We should probably get the rest of our stuff from the van, and get new shirts."
"Wait up!" said Packie. The rest followed suit behind him.
"My friend Rarity might be able to help you out with some new outfits!" Twilight excitedly spat out.
"I suppose we could do that too, meet someone new. Who knows?" Jiggs added.
"And maybe I can learn to fly?" chimed in Packie.
Jiggs and Wallace exchanged glares with Packie as they walked. Wallace quickened his already brisk pace. Jiggs followed suit and so did Twilight. Twilight wanted to keep up with them partially out of fear that they might get into trouble. Packie slowed down his pattern to a light tempo.
Then Packie heard a quiet, soothing voice.
"I might be able to possibly help you out slightly…" he turned around just in time to see her land. Her yellow wings folded down to conform to the shape of her body. "… again that's only a maybe though."
"Hey Shy… that'd be a big help."
Packie was relieved to see her.
