Metal Gear Rising: Marevengeance

Chapter 1: Cyborg Pony

“I’m not going Twilight.” Applejack said, folding her arms in annoyance.

“Oh come on, Applejack. Going to a Swap Meet is not the end of the world,” Her friend, Twilight Sparkle, tried to convince her. “I go there all the time to find some utensils and other items for the library-.”

“Before it got blown up by Tirek-.”

“-You’re not helping me Spike.” The Alicorn sighed in annoyance at the young dragon. “Can’t you just give it a chance?”

“That’s what you said when ya’ll wanted me to be a ‘test subject’ for your new teleporting spell you wanted to try out. And that spell sent me to Appaloosa.”

“And I’m trying to make up for that by helping you this time. I heard Rarity earlier in the week say that you needed some new Kitchen knives since your old ones are getting dull?”

“Hm.” Applejack paused for a moment before looking behind her at the kitchen, then back at Twilight. “Alright fine I’ll go with you to this fancy little swap meet of yours.”

“Fancy isn’t quite the word for it. It’s like a farmer’s market, but for other items that aren’t edible. You’ll see what I mean when we get there.” Twilight clarified, letting the Earth Pony follow her outside.

“I better not regret this Twi.”

“You’ll be fine, Applejack. Stop over exaggerating.”

“I’ll stop when you learn how to stop exaggerating over certain things yourself.”

Twilight turned around, looking at her with a raised eyebrow, “Since when do I exaggerate?”

“Remember the time when you exaggerated over the letter for the princess? Or how about the time when the Princess was visiting Ponyville a month ago?”

“That… was because I forgot to put the dates on my calendar.”

“Twi… ya don’t even have a calendar.”

“I’m sure I did, I just… SPIKE!!!!!”

“Case in point Twilight, you exaggerate a lot.”

“I’m trying to improve,” The Alicorn replied as they turned another corner and began to walk down the street. “Trust me, the whole thing is a work in progress.”

“Sure it is sugarcube.” Applejack said while rolling her eyes at her friend’s statement.

“You can say the same thing about Rainbow. Remember when she thought that the boy Scootaloo was dating was a changeling spy?”

“To be fair he was a changeling, but he wasn’t a spy. I kinda feel sorry for the fella after what happened afterwards.”

“I was talking about the first one. You know, Rumble? Thunderlane’s little brother?”

“Oh that one…You don’t think Rainbow Dash still thinks he’s a spy do you?”

Twilight looked up above her, seeing Rainbow Dash in a cloud with a pair of binoculars, watching Scootaloo and her friends play with Rumble and a few of the other schoolyard kids like she was an elite spy for the Canterlot Intelligence Agency… or CIA for short.

“Does that answer your question?”

“Sadly yes. So how long before we get to this swap meet of ours Twilight?”

“We should be close by. So, not long.” She replied. “Speak of Discord, here we are.”

“....Twi.”

“Yes Applejack?” She asked, looking back at her friend to the entrance of the Swap Meet.

“You didn’t tell me this place would be crawling with… how do I say this without sounding offensive towards you?”

“This place full of nerds.” Spike said bluntly.

“Thank you kindly Spike.” Applejack said as she turned her attention back a Twilight. “Care to explain why this place is crawling with nerdy looking ponies?”

“Because this is the same place where Rainbow was trying to set up shop a long time ago.”

“Okay… I get the feeling it’s too late to turn back huh?” All Twilight did was sigh and nod her head as she used her magic to drag Spike into the Swap Meet.

“*Sigh* This place better have what I need for the house then.” Applejack said as she followed Twilight and the others. “That or at least something that I can cut food up with.”

“Trust me, AJ. We’ll find something to help you.” Spike replied, standing next to the earth pony.

“Let’s just get this over with okay? I get the feeling that them ponies are staring at me from behind.” Said Applejack as she looks over her shoulder just to make sure.

“Come on I’m sure once we found something you’d like I’m sure you’ll have fun.” said Twilight as they look at some of the stalls.

“I find it hard to believe that I would find something that I like here Twilight.” Applejack said as she looked around the Swap meet. “This place doesn’t even look like a swap meet, but a place for nerds to get together to talk about sci-fi nonsense.”

That’s when Applejack spotted Scootaloo and Rumble at a stall looking at comic books. Not to far from them was RD dressed as a spy at another stall watching them.

“Seriously, you think she would’ve come up with a better get up then that.” Applejack thought as she continued looking around. That when she noticed a pony in some kind of ninja getup with what looked like a sword.

“See something you like?” asked Spike with a grin on his face.

“I wasn’t looking at nothing!” Applejack said defensively. “I was just curious that’s all.” The little dragon just looks at her with a knowing smile on his face. “Get your mind out of the gutter Spike, and just look for a set of knives or something.”

“Right, right.” said Spike as he looks around. “Hey what about that stall over there?” He asked pointing at a stall with a hooded pony at it.

“What makes ya’ll think that colt has what I need for the house?”

“Well you won’t know until you go over and ask.” said Twilight as she smiles at AJ then turns to Spike. “And you're grounded when we get back.”

“What?! Why?!” Spike asked in shock.

“Think about what you said and how Applejack acted.” Twilight answered.

“That didn’t stop you from doing that before to her.”

“You’re now grounded for two weeks.” said Twilight as she huffed, looking away with a blush.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“Not at all he needs to understand there are just some things he can’t say at his age.” answered Twilight, but then notices the hooded pony was waving at them to come over.

“I think he’s motioning us to come over to him.”

“Well what are we waiting for?” said Spike as he runs over.

“Well somepony is excited?” Applejack said as she and Twilight followed Spike. The hooded pony was just smiling as Spike was looking over the many things on the table. That when he looked at Applejack and rubbed his chin.

“My, my it looks like someone forgot their costume back at home.” He said looking between Twilight and Spike.

“Excuse me, what does that suppose to mean?” Applejack asked, glaring at the hooded pony.

“Now, now no need to get upset. I’m sure I have some costumes left that you may like. There even a dressing room to the right there if you want to try one on before buying it. Just to make sure it fits.” said the hooded pony as he start to look in some boxes.

“Look partner, I’m not here to try on any costumes.”

“Oh I see, well what about this?” He asked pulling out a sword.

“I’m simply here to look for some cutlery. You know like knives that you would see in a kitchen for cutting up food.”

“Hmmmm, you’re a picky one aren’t you?” He asked as he put the sword on the table. Before going back down looking in the boxes.

“Look do have them or not, because if you don’t then I’m leaving this place and look someplace else.”

“I do have something but under one condition. You have to try on one costume and wear the sword with it. Then I’ll sell you this for half price.” He said as he put a box full of cutlery on the table.

“...Can’t we work something else out?” Applejack asked. “How about I give you a deal on apple related products?”

“Sorry but that my deal, you can either take it or leave it. I’m sure it will be next to impossible for you to find anything like these here. I mean look around you, what the likeliness of you finding what you need here?” He asked putting the costume on the table.

“40.500623 out of 0.00000001 %.” said Twilight with a smile. That made both the hooded pony and Applejack look at her. ”What?” Asked Twilight blinking at them.

“Anyway… do we have a deal?” Asked the Hooded pony wit ha smile.

“Fine, but if you try anything while I’m changing. I don’t know if this is accurate for math speaking, but X will equal my hoof kicking your flank.”

“My dear, I would never dream of it. What do you take me for? I have at least some pride in my work.” He said sounding insulted.

“You look like somepony that I would beat up for being a creepy pony stalker.”

He looked at her annoyed then smiled. “Want me to change the deal to you dressing up as a maid?” He asked as he points to the changing room.

“Fine, fine. I’ll go change.” Applejack said as she grabbed the costume, and walked into the changing room. In the meantime the hooded pony was talking to Twilight and Spike while they wait. They stop once Applejack come back out with her arms crossed.

“Oh my you look very what the word now days? Oh yes badass in that outfit.” He said with a smile.

“This is embarrassing on so many levels Twilight.” Applejack said while pulling on the latex suit she’s wearing.

“Oh come on I think it looks nice on you. What do you think Spike?” asked Twilight. Spike just nodded with a huge blush on his face.

“Look do I get the knives or what? Because right now I want to leave before somepony tries something he’s going to regret later on.”

“Okay, but just to let you know you’ll get the sword to.” The colt said as he handed her the box of cutlery and the sword on top of it.

“Not like I’ll be using the sword for anything, but thanks.” Applejack said as she picked the box up with the sword on top.

“Have a nice day now. And say hello to the others for me as well.” He calls to them as they start to walk away.

“What does he mean by that?” asked Spike looking back at the Hooded pony as they walk away.

“I don’t know, maybe he met Pinkie Pie and she told him about us?”

“Ya I guess you’re right. I wouldn’t put it past her to know everyone here as well as ponyville.” said Spike as he put his claws behind his head.

“Well either way I got what I needed, let’s just go so I can get out of this latex suit. I’m starting to get annoyed at the way certain ponies are looking at me right now.”

“Well you do look pretty in that suit.” said Spike as he looks away at another shop.

“Yeah you and every other pony in this nerd infested swap meet.” Twilight said pointing to some of the ponies that were looking at Applejack.

"Look who's the pot calling the kettle black.” said Spike with a knowing smile. “What about that fan fiction about a guard named Flashlight and a princess called Twinight-?”

“Uh how about we head back to your place Applejack? You might need some help with something on the farm right?” Twilight said as she quickly covered Spike’s mouth.

“What was Spike talking about?” asked Applejack giving Twilight a look.

“O-Oh nothing, just something that my brother work a while back during his phase or something.”

“It was last week-!” Spike called out before getting his mouth covered again by Twilight.

“Spike I will tell everypony in town that whenever you are alone, you pretend that the mop you’re dancing with is Rarity.” Twilight whispered into the dragon’s ear.

“I’ll be good.”

“Good.” Twilight removed her hand as she turned her attention back to Applejack. “So Applejack do you need any help back on the farm?”

“Well I could use some help with peeling and cutting some apples if ya’ll don’t mind helping me bake a pie?”

“Okay sounds good.” Said Twilight with a smile.

“And we can talk all about this Twinight you have been working on.” Applejack said with a joking smile on her face. Twilight’s face blushed bright red from her friend’s statement. “I’ll give ya’ll a call when I need you to help out. Right now I’m gonna take a quick nap before we start.”

        A few hours later Applejack awoke from her mid afternoon nap after going to the Swap Meet with Twilight and Spike. As she was moving, she felt something off about herself. “Weird...I don’t remember sleeping in that outfit that pony gave me, did I forget to take it off? Wait did I forget to pay him to!?”  The cowpony thought as she shot up from her bed. Only for her to fall face first onto the floor. “Ow!”

“Sis! you al’right in there?” yelled Applebloom from outside Applejacks room. “It time to get up!” Applebloom then opened the door and saw her sister on the floor rubbing her face. “Applejack I thought you didn’t like that costume?”

“Yes I did say that. Applebloom did I had this on when I fell asleep?”

“I don’t think so? You said you were going to take a bath as soon as you got it off.” said Applebloom as she walked over to her older sister. “Maybe ya just forgot?”

“Maybe, mind getting the zipper on my back?”

“Sure.” said Applebloom as she moved behind Applejack to unzip her costume, only to have a hard time finding it. “I can’t find it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it not there, see?” Applebloom pulls a mirror over to show her. “Applejack what going on?”

“Applebloom, if this is some kind of joke, then this isn’t funny….at all.”

“I’m not lying! I really can’t find it. Not only that, but I can’t see the clips for the armor parts anywhere.”

“.....Applebloom could you get Twilight to come over here please?”

“Alright.” said Applebloom as she ran off to get Twilight.

“Got to the swap meet she said. You’ll be able to find what you need there she said. Nothing can possibly go wrong she said.” Applejack said as she began to walk from her room to the living room of her house. “This is the last time I ever go somewhere with Twilight that involves something like this ever again.” Moments later, Applebloom returns with Twilight as she catches her breath.

“Oh good you’re back.” Applejack said while crossing her arms in annoyance as she looked at Twilight. “Mind explaining why I can’t take this outfit off?”

“Wait what? I was told you needed to see me. What do you mean you can’t get it off?” Asked Twilight as she take a deep breath.

“Well if you must know. When I asked Applebloom to help me get the zipper undone, she said she couldn’t find the zipper.”

“Oh come now I’m sure it just hidden under the seem, let me have a look.” Said Twilight as she go behind Applejack back. “Huh that's odd it should be there… Come on I saw it there yesterday.” Twilight said as she feels all around Applejacks back. “....Maybe we should do this in your room?” said Twilight as she looks at Applejacks outfit.

“No, because right now I’m annoyed at the situation that is going on right now.”

“Alright let me try something else, this may feels strange…” Twilight said as she start to feel around AJ outfit.

“Really? Because as it stands it feels like this suit is literally fused with my fur for some reason, and I have a feeling this has something to do with that colt from yesterday.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure I can get you out of this just, ah ha!” Twilight found a latch and pushed it and the armor around Applejack’s waist drops to the floor. The expression on Twilight face changed from curious to shock at what she saw. “Umm, I’m starting to think it more than just your fur that got fused.”

“What do you mean by that?” Applejack asked.

“It umm. Looks like the suit is over your… I can’t really explain it but I think the suit has fused with your body…” said Twilight as she picks up the waist armour and looks over it. “On the bright side I think you don’t need to use the bathroom anymore.”

“....Twilight. Not to be rude or anything, but do you mind, oh I don’t know, TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY FOR A SECOND?!”

“Applejack I don’t think you fully understand what happened. You don’t have… Look, I’m going to do a magic xray of your body okay.” Twilight cast the spell then looks worried over what she saw. “This… looks bad…”

“What’s bad?”

“If I’m reading this right then… a large part of your body been replaced with… I can’t even begin to start. All I can tell you now is if I try and remove this suit from you. I may end up killing you…” said Twilight with worrying look on her face.

“Well can’t you use your magic to fix what’s going on with-.”

“You don’t understand this isn’t like transformation magic. Somepony just removed all your internal organs and muscle, bones. Everything been replaced! Even your eye!” Twilight said, yelling in a panic. “I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS!?”

“............”

“Sis, are you okay?” Applebloom asked.

“Do ah look like I am okay?! I don’t even know what happened to me!!” She said, moving her arm a little. That was when she heard something. Something that sounded like one of the Machines Twilight kept in her basement. “Uh… Twilight?”

“Okay Applejack… Don’t move or panic. I think you may have turned something on. So don’t move please. Applebloom, could you go inside?” said Twilight as she carefully got up to Applejack.

“Turned something on… What am I now, one of your contraptions!?” The Earth Pony snarled.

“Applejack please calm down and no you’re nothing like that. What I’m asking you as your friend please put the sword down, and trust me on this okay?”

“....Fine,” Applejack placed her sword down on the floor. “but you better not do anything that will hurt me.”

“I think you need to ask something else, where did you pull that sword from… You didn’t have it in your hands when you came out here.” Twilight asked as she got closer to her friend. “And I would never try and hurt you. You’re my friend.”

“Ah thought ah set the darn thing next to the window in my room,” She replied, turning around. “Maybe it’s stuck with me like this… whatever it is ah’m suppose to be… any ideas on what I am Twilight?”

“Hmm… I don’t quite know exactly but I might find out if I observe something. Can you still buck apple trees?” She asked, holding a clipboard and pencil with her magic.

“I’m pretty sure I can still buck apple trees. I still have my legs after all.”

“I know, but I want to see if you still had your reflexes from before… you know… Ugh, whatever. What I mean is I still wanted to see if you can move like you did the day before. Should be simple.”

“Okay Twilight, we’ll head over to the apple orchard and see if I’m okay.” Applejack said as she picked up her sword, placed it on her waist, and walked off towards the apple orchard. Once she found a good place, she lifted her left leg up and gave it a swift and powerful jab kick. Just like she would normally do during the harvest.

However, what was not expected was for that tree… and three others behind it, to be uprooted from the ground and fall flat on the surface of the orchard.

“Dear Celestia-!!”

“Oww!!! Okay, who the hay knocked me out of the tree I was napping in!?” Came the voice of a friend as Rainbow Dash flew out of one of the trees that was on the ground. “Hey Twi, who’s the Cyborg pony?”

“Rainbow Dash, it’s me, Applejack.” Applejack said while folding her arms. “And what are ya’ll doing that there apple tree?”

“AJ? Since when did you become a badass cyborg?” She snickered. “Anyhow, for your other question, I was trying to take a nap in the tree since I wanted to check on you afterwards and see how you were after the swap meet. Only to find the tree I was in falling to the ground!!”

“Well ya’ll should’ve thought about that before you decided to sleep in mah family’s apple tree-.” Applejack soon blinked for a minute, before realizing something that her friend had previously said. “Hey, how the hay do you know exactly what I am?”

“Well, duh. I play Mare Gear Solid with Spike sometimes. He helped me beat the final boss as Solid Sparkle.” She replied, holding the copy of the newest game that was available on Haystation 4.

“......You know Twilight, for an alicorn princess who’s smarter than most ponies, you really tend to not take into account stuff like this.”

“Hey, with the amount of things going on in the world from having to meet the delegates of other towns and countries to locking villains back up in Tartarus, I didn’t think something like this was possible.”

“Well isn’t that just grand. I’m a some kind of cyborg pony, with little to no idea what she can do.” Applejack said as she planted herself on the ground. “So now what do we do?”

“Well, I say either two things…” Rainbow replied. “One, go the egghead approach and tell Princess Celestia… Or Two, find someone locally who might know a thing or two about it… Remember when I said that Spike played these games with me? He basically knows a lot of things about cyborgs that makes me think he’s Twilight’s son.”

“Well… In a way, I do see him a little bit like my son, but don’t tell him that.”

“Hm… I’ll ask Celestia if she know’s something about this whole situation I’m in. Then I’ll ask Spike if Princess Celestia doesn’t know.”

“Hey, Twilight. Celestia just arrived a few minutes ago and-. WHAT THE BUCK!?!” All three of them soon turned around to see Spike walking over with the Princess behind him as he stared at Applejack. “Oh dear Celestia… Applejack… you look… AWESOME!!!”

“*Sigh* Not a normal day in Ponyville huh?”  Applejack mumbled as she put on a fake smile. “Howdy Spike and Princess Celestia.”

“Well… this is a rather… interesting development…”

“Princess Celestia what are you doing here? I was just about to send you a message about what happened to one of my friends.” said Twilight as she bowed to Celestia.

“There’s no need to bow down to me, Twilight.”

“Oh right heh sorry.”

“So what brings you here to sweet apple acres Princess Celestia?” Applejack asked.

“Well, I originally wanted to talk to Twilight about a faint disturbance I felt earlier, but it seems that this is even more important.” The Princess replied briefly before looking at Applejack. “If I may, I want to try something… If it’s okay with you, Dear Applejack.”

“Um… sure princess, but what is it you want to try out?”

“It’s a identification spell. It allows the caster to see what you are and also tell what sort of implications you might have because of these newfound… changes.”

“Isn’t that the same spell Twilight used on me?”

“It’s a higher degree because it allows the caster to see internal changes inside the body. Not outside like Twilight’s. Allowing me to see changes on a cellular level.”

“This isn’t going to hurt will it?” Applejack asked as she tensed up a bit. “Or turn me into Faust knows what.”

“No it will not.” She assured, casting it briefly before looking at the Earth Pony with an enhanced look in her eyes. “Well, this is very interesting if I do say so myself Applejack. This is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your body structure and organs are normal, but your arms and legs are completely prosthetic to a degree that I couldn’t even tell it was that way until I looked at it closer. Your eye is also enhanced and cybernetic as well. You can still eat and sleep like a normal pony would, but your body is all connected to everything that is here. That also includes the sword you carry.”

“Is there a way to get me back to normal, or am I stuck like this?”

“Unfortunately, there isn’t.” The Princess told her.

“Well this is just great! I’m a walking cyborg pony with faust knows what I have, and a sword that’s possibly useless!” Applejack yelled before looking at Twilight. “I blame you for this Twilight-.”

“Your sword is actually not useless… Since you are a cyborg, you can channel focus into it and actually cut almost anything in half. Including a mountain.” Spike explained, before getting everypony to stare at him. “What? I read sometimes.”

“Yeah right.” Applejack said as she unsheathed her sword “You expect me to believe that this sword can cut through anything-.” Just as Applejack swung the sword around, the sword sliced through the somewhat fallen tree like butter. “.......Don’t say it.”

“Told you.”

“....Anyway what do we do now?” Applejack asked as she turned her attention at Celestia.

“Just do what you would normally do… If anything out of the ordinary happens, contact me immediately.”

“Will do Princess.” said Applejack as watched Celestia Teleport back to Canterlot. The cowpony then turned her attention back at Twilight again. “I blame you for this Twi.”

“Hey, I blame Spike for it. You wouldn’t have gone over to the booth if he didn’t suggest you too.”

“That’s a low blow,” The dragon grumbled.

“Really? Because if I’m not mistaken you asked me to come along with you to the sci-fi swap meet.”

“That’s because the only way I could go in was with parent or guardian admission. You’re a guardian to me.” Spike replied, walking closer to Twilight.

“Ya’ll can settle your little fight some other time. How am I going to explain this to Granny Smith and Big Mac?”

Twilight sighed, pointing her finger at the window, where Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny Smith were. “That was open the whole time.”

“Well this is going to be hard to explain to Granny and Big Mac.”

“I was right here, Darn it!” The elderly mare hollered from the open window.

“Ugh, can this get any worse?” Applejack asked as she heard a beeping sound from out of nowhere. “What was that?”

“I think that was from your arm.” Spike said, pointing at a blue blinking light.

“Well, what do I do?”

“I think you just press it.” He replied. Soon, Applejack did what Spike suggested and pressed it. Soon, a screen appeared out of the palm of her hand and on it was some sort of… being she couldn’t recognize. “What the-?”

“Twilight what am I looking at?” Applejack asked.

“Don’t look at me, I’ve never seen this before.”

“Spike, you know what this is?” He soon shook his head as a figure soon began to appear on the other end of the screen. One with a White mane, a red glowing eye, metallic bottom jaw and a cloth sash covering his left eye.

“Hey Doc, do you copy-. What the-!? Who the hell are you and how did you patch into my communications!?!”

“Um...I’m Applejack, and as to how I got this communication….patch thing….I have no idea really.”

“No idea? You’re a Cyborg and have no idea how to infiltrate a military grade radio channel… Surprising… Wait… are you even suppose to be human?” The man asked, looking a little closer at Applejack’s face.

“I’m a pony...wait you’re a human?” Applejack asked as she turned to Twilight. “Hey Twi, didn’t you say that humans were suppose to be… well different then what this colt looks like?”

“Colt?” the speaker replied before sighing. “Okay, I’m not getting anything out of this, but I am picking up your location nearby. Maybe it would be better if we talk face to face.”

“Hang on, pal. I don’t even know your name!”

“ … Raiden.”

“Gesundheit?” Spike spoke, confused

“No, Raiden. That’s my name.” He replied. “Goodbye.” With that the call ended, causing Applejack to look at her friends in confusion.

“This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder…”

“Well it could be worse.” Rainbow Dash said. “You could’ve been attacked by some crazy monster from the everfree forest.”

“Not helping RD, so what now?”

“Maybe he could somehow help you?” Spike asked. “Hey, it’s worth a shot.”

“Yeah right. How do we know he won’t just attack us and everypony in Ponyville?” said Rainbow Dash. “For all we know he might be a spy.”

“Like the time you thought that changeling that Scootaloo was playing with was a spy?” said Applejack.

“Well I thought he was, he was a changeling. You know what happened at the wedding right?”

“Or how you thought Rumble was a spy?”

“....I’m still going with what I’m saying.”

“In any case, he looks to know more about this cyborg business…” Spike spoke. “Maybe he can help you out.”

“Well it’s worth a shot. I mean what else do I got to lose?” Applejack said as she began to walk back inside. “Might as well wait for him inside and see how this turns out.” With that, Applejack made her to her room and tried her best to lay back down to sleep, hoping to get some much needed rest before this… new arrival… were to show up. However… that wasn’t the only new arrival that was watching over Applejack. Another one could be seen in the distance in the mountains. One with a cheap smile on his face and black hair tied up.

“Well now, guess it’s time to meet an old friend.”