Mega Man: Operation Ponyville

Chapters

Chapter 2: Get Equipped
Chapter 3: Born From Nature
Chapter 4: It's Magic, I Don't Have to Explain It
Chapter 6: Spiky Aquarium of Doom/Carved from Mighty Oak
Chapter 7: A Joking Matter/Quick and the Blue
Chapter 8: The Ballad of Enka Punk
Chapter 9: I Want to be the One...
Chapter 10: ...To Watch You Die
Epilogue Part 1: Always Choose to Continue
Epilogue Part 2: I Am Not the Break Man
Chapter 1: Super Fighting Robot
Chapter 5: Flashy Suit, Flashy Stage/Timey Wimey Tower
Special: Happy Birthday!

Chapter 2: Get Equipped

Chapter 2-Get Equipped

Princess Celestia was pacing in the main hall of Canterlot Castle, fretting about what was going to happen. Early in the morning, when she was raising the sun, she had noticed something amiss in the gardens. The guards she had sent to investigate came back with troubling news; there was a statue missing, broken pieces of stone lying around the pedestal. While this would be bad enough, it was made into cause for ultimate alarm when she was informed which statue was destroyed. It was the stone prison for the God of Chaos, Discord, indicating he had once again escaped, and would be making Equestria his to rule.

Though he had previously been defeated and imprisoned by the Elements of Harmony, the solar princess feared that it would not be enough this time. His power is growing considerably; it’s only been a year since his last attack. Her only choice now was to do something drastic, something potentially dangerous, the only option that would be powerful enough to work. Even the previous Harmony Bearers wouldn’t be enough; she was also forced to call in two other ponies that would even the score. Celestia could only pray that it would be enough, as Discord would not likely be showing mercy.

In the middle of imagining what horrific things Discord would do to everypony, the front door swung open, revealing the eight ponies she had called to do the job, Twilight Sparkle leading the charge. “Princess, we hurried here as fast as we could? It’s true? Discord’s escaped?” Twilight remembered what horrible things had happened last time, where he turned her friends against each other and threw Ponyville into complete chaos. The others, while not hit quite as badly, still weren’t fond of the memories.

Celestia took her stance on the stairs in front of the group, to explain exactly what had happened. “Twilight Sparkle, I’m glad that you and your friends could come here on such short notice. It’s very important…”

Applejack interrupted the princess to make her point. “Pardon me Princess, but friends? This’n here,” gesturing to the brown earth pony behind her, “is not our friend! He spent the train ride up telling me how ‘apples were rubbish’, and how bananas were ‘high in potassium’. He even took mah hat!”

Celestia simply shook her head. “Yes, I understand not all of you are friends with each other. But the situation was too dire to let you six work alone, I needed to call in some extra help, and these two seemed like they would do nicely. So it’s vitally important to all of Equestria that we get down to business.” All of the ponies were quiet and listened.

“Last night, Discord escaped his prison. Seeing as how he was only trapped a year ago, his power has grown. Too much to risk sending you in with anything less than the best I can. Luckily, I’ve devised a way to give each of you incredible fighting abilities, which should hopefully be enough to stop Discord and save Equestria again. Now, please follow me.” She gestured to the group below her, and they all walked up the stairs to deeper parts of the castle.

Rainbow Dash flew up next to the Princess as they walked down the long, empty hallway. “I don’t see why you think we need help, Princess. I mean, sure, having backup can be nice, but we can handle any threat Discord could throw at us. The Elements are unstoppable!”

Celestia merely looked away from Rainbow Dash as they kept walking. “That’s the problem. The Elements of Harmony do have their limits, and I fear they won’t be enough this time. But all of you shouldn’t worry, your new powers should do the trick. And I’d imagine they’ll be quite to your liking,” she said, giving Rainbow a sly smile.

The hallway ended at a large door, similar to the one guarding the Elements, right down to the lock. Celestia inserted her horn into a hole, which used magic to lock and unlock the door. While the Princess may have found this normal, Twilight and her friends still found it odd and somewhat disturbing. The door glowed and opened, and the group stepped inside, door closing behind them.

“Now that we’re all here, it’s time that I tell you exactly what you need to do,” Celestia said, turning on the lights. With the room illuminated, eight glass tubes were exposed, each containing a suit of armor. “Each of you will receive one armor set, which will enhance your natural abilities and give you a powerful weapon to use.”

Twilight, being the egghead she was, had her questions about the armor. “Princess, there’s no way an armor that sleek would be strong enough to withstand heavy attacks. Where are these weapons coming from? What’s powering something so advanced?”

With Twilight part of this operation, Celestia was expecting questions about the logistics of their new abilities. “I’m not going to pretend that I understand the scientific explanations, but the armors are very high-tech, taking the energy from your Elements of Harmony to power the suits. For the two of you that aren’t Harmony Bearers, the suits are powered by a solar core.” After Twilight’s eyes widened at the thought of something as unstable as a solar core powering these, the Princess quickly added “But don’t worry, you shouldn’t have to use them long enough for it to become a threat.” Her reassurance did little to comfort them.

Celestia cleared her throat and continued before they could dwell on the topic for too long. “Anyway, the weapons come out from cannons attached to the front hooves, and each of you has a different weapon based on the armor set, which have been specifically designed based on your specific skills. If you want more information Twilight, you’ll have to ask Doctor Light in Maresteropolis. He’s the one who invented the technology.” Twilight made a mental note to do just that, once the crisis was over. “When I call your names, come forward to receive your new abilites.”

“Twilight Sparkle, you will be getting the Magic Armor. It enhances your magical abilites, and gives you the Magic Card, which shoots a boomerang card that can grab items.”

“Rainbow Dash, you will receive the Quick Armor. You can now move even faster, and get the Quick Boomerang, which is a super-fast, super-sharp boomerang.”

“Applejack, you get the Plant Armor. You can now jump much higher, and can use the Plant Barrier, which surrounds you with protective petals you can shoot off.”

“Fluttershy, you have the Wood Armor. It enhances your defense, and lets you use the Leaf Shield, encompassing your body with sharp leaves. But if you move, the leaves fly off with it.”

“Pinkie Pie, you get the Clown Armor. It gives you long reaching legs, and you will also receive the Thunder Claw, a lightning lasso.”

“Rarity, you will use the Jewel Armor, which gives your defense a tremendous boost, further enhanced by the Jewel Satellite, a shield made of diamonds. It is remarkably durable and helpful.”

The Princess turned to the remaining two ponies, the cross-eyed mailmare and the brown stallion, when she realized how odd they were, certainly not ones to save the world. Let’s just hope they’re up to the task. “I’m sorry that I had to pull you two in, but you’re the only ones that can use these powers properly.”

“Derpy Hooves, you’re getting the Bubble Armor. While a flaw in its design removes your ability to walk normally, you get the ability to breath underwater. Your weapon is the Bubble Lead, a bubble made of deadly sulfuric gas, which your mask protects you from. And you can shoot harpoons.”

Turning to the last unarmored pony, she realized she didn’t even know who he was. “I’m sorry, I know I called you here, but I don’t even know your name.”

The stallion was calm and accepting of his job, like he was used to saving the world or something. “I’m The Doctor. Just The Doctor.”

Celestia wanted to question what his actual name was, but decided it didn’t really matter. “Alright Doctor, you get the Time Armor. It’s only a prototype, so it doesn’t have any benefits, but you can use the Clock Hands, which shoot out two lasers. Sorry I couldn’t give you more, but it should be enough.”

Once everyone had received their armors, Celestia looked around the room to see how the ponies were using them. Twilight was using her now enhanced magic to keep Fluttershy from running away, Pinkie Pie was swinging from the ceiling with her extending legs, Rarity was admiring how fabulous she looked, Rainbow was laughing at Applejack the flower, and Derpy was making heavy breathing noises through her snorkel. They’d better learn to use their powers effectively. And soon. “Alright, now I want all of you to head back home. Discord is likely going to hit Ponyville first, so you need to stop him there. Equestria is in your hooves once again.”

Twilight was ready to fight for Equestria and the Princess one more time. “You can count on us, Princess. We can do it, right?” The other ponies followed with an enthusiastic “YEAH” as they all ran out the door.

Celestia was left alone as she began to contemplate what was going to happen. They were going to defeat Discord, and she wasn’t going to imprison him once again. This time, I’m going to watch you die.

Back in Maresteropolis, Rock and Roll were tidying up Doctor Light’s house a little. He wasn’t expecting company, it was just nice to have the place clean. Light was doing some programming work in his lab. He was hoping to take Rock’s success in robotics and work it into industrial machines. If he could get it working properly, it would revolutionize labor, taking the dangerous jobs from the ponies.

Rock was confused as to why Doctor Light wanted worker robots to have feelings like he did. Wouldn’t that just get in the way of getting the work done effectively? “Hey Roll, why is Doctor Light making industrial robots with emotions? For domestic robots like us, it makes sense, but it doesn’t seem particularly useful in harsh working environments.” Rock and Roll had taken to casual conversations during their off time.

“I’m not exactly sure how it’s supposed to help, but you do know why he’s making mining robots, right?” Rock shook his head. “It’s because Doctor Light lost his dad in a mining accident. He wants to make sure that nopony else has to suffer what he did.” Roll noticed her brother was now just looking at the floor, clearly depressed by what she had told him. “Sorry I had to tell you the sad news, but you deserved to know.”

Before they could dwell on the topic for too long, Doctor Light called them both from across the house. “Rock, Roll, I need you two in the lab. Immediately.” They both dropped what they were doing and hurried to him. His voice sounded urgent, Rock thought. What could be wrong?

They followed Doctor Light’s directions and went to see what the problem was. When they arrived in the lab, they saw him fretting over his computer screen, eight dots flashing on the map, all centered in one location. Roll, not normally the curious one, asked, “What do the flashing lights mean, Doctor?”

Doctor Light was distraught. If these are what I think…no, they can’t be. It isn’t possible. But…they can’t be anything else, can they. His mind was racing with the facts, the only thing this could mean. “These dots represent the locations of my tracking codes, which is programmed into all of my creations. But…I can’t bring up the information on them. Which can only mean one thing…”

Rock was quick to the punch. “Someone doesn’t want you to know about these. But…if they aren’t your creations, then…”

Doctor Light finished Rock’s thought. It wasn’t specifically programmed, but the two of them shared a similar mental wavelength. “Someone stole my research, and is using it for their own deeds. But why? What are they doing that I can’t know about my own inventions?”

Rock decided to be the optimist. The conversation certainly needed one. “I’m sure it’s possible it isn’t for evil purposes. Maybe they’re using your work to help ponies like you.”

Roll trotted to her brother. “Rock, you’re nice and smart, but you’re really naïve. If they wanted to do good, they would have told Doctor Light about their ambitions. There’d be no reason not to.”

Doctor Light nodded grimly. “Exactly, Roll. Which only leaves one possibility: somepony has taken my research and work, and is using it for evil. Most likely, to take over Equestria.”

Rock looked at him in disbelief. “I’m sure they aren’t taking over Equestria, Doctor. That’s starting a little big, don’t you think? I’ll admit, it doesn’t look good, but maybe they’re…” Before Rock could finish his thought, an alert popped up on the computer screen.

Doctor Light was quick to check what was happening. “Ponyville is falling apart! It’s being attacked by…sources unknown. It must be the robots! And if Ponyville falls, it’s strategically close to Canterlot. It wouldn’t be long before the capital fell and Equestria is in ruins.”

Roll knew that hope was slim, but possible. “What about the police? Or the Royal Guard? Or the Elements of Harmony? Couldn’t they stop this?”

Doctor Light shook his head. “If they’ve been modified for combat, I fear nothing could stop them. The future looks bleak.” He put his head down, and Roll did the same.

Rock wasn’t one to just sit back when danger threatened. He was programmed with a strong sense of justice, and he would see it to the end. But, if nopony else could stop the threat, how could I do better? The only way I could stand a chance was if… It was at that moment, he knew what needed to be done. “Doctor, you have to convert me into a fighting robot!”

Doctor Light looked up in complete shock and disbelief. “No Rock, I couldn’t. I can’t let you do this.”

Rock wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Why not? If I was given combat abilities, I would be on equal ground with the attackers. And I have something they don’t: Purpose. Drive. A reason to fight.”

“If I convert you, I could lose my only son.”

“If you don’t convert me, we could lose a whole lot more. If you don’t give me powers, I’m going out there as-is to fight them. I can’t sit here and watch Equestria fall, I need to take action.”

Roll hugged her brother. “Rock, I don’t want to lose you. If you go out, you’ll be destroyed. We’ll lose everything that matters to us.”

Rock brushed his sister off. “I understand the risks, but I feel like I could defeat them. I’m ready to stand up to any challenge and face it down!”

Doctor Light closed his eyes and sighed. “Alright, I understand. I don’t agree with your decision, but your motives are good. Your heart is in the right place, and I don’t have a right to stop you. I couldn’t, even if I tried. We must get to work, designing this upgrade for you.”

The three of them worked as fast as they could. The night fell, and the next morning came. That’s good, Rock thought, Celestia and Luna haven’t fallen yet. There’s still time.

At last, the work was complete. Rock was ready to go out and fight evil, once his body was suitably upgraded. Doctor Light hugged his son for what could possibly be the last time. “Rock, I’m glad you’re doing what’s right. Please, just don’t get yourself killed. For our sake.”

Rock nodded, ready to take the first step to a new life. “I’m ready, Doctor. Let’s get me upgraded so I can head out!”

Doctor Light was ready as well. Ready to see whether Rock had what it took to be a hero. “Come on Rock, this way.” They walked to a capsule, which Rock promptly stepped inside. Once the door was closed, he was unable to hear anything beyond murmurs, but he could see that Doctor Light and Roll were talking about something. Doctor Light pressed a few buttons, and everything suddenly went dark.

When he woke up again, it was like the first time. Everything seemed fuzzy, and his body was new and unfamiliar. Looking down at it, it didn’t look all that different. He was bulkier, his hair was covered by a helmet matching his coat, and he felt more power coursing through his body. Now this feels like the body of a hero.

Doctor Light was happy for his success, but it wasn’t without reservation. I’ve given him the means to walk away from the light, I can only hope he doesn’t follow them. “Now, I know you’re going to want to leave as soon as you can, so I’ll give you a quick rundown of your abilities.”

Rock was still busy admiring his new body. “All right, Doctor, let me know what I can do!” His voice was filled with confidence, and devoid of fear.

“For basic upgrades, you can now run faster, jump higher, and your energy won’t deplete as fast. Your body is bulkier because it’s now covered with a high-quality armor, which will reduce damage, and protect you from extreme temperatures. Your magic has been modified to shoot blasts of plasma, which can be charged into a larger blast. The design of this charge shot is now your cutie mark.” Rock looked at his flank again, and saw the completely unfamiliar design.

“Seeing as how you are going to be going against enemies who most likely have more advanced weaponry, you are equipped with what I call the ‘Variable Weapon System’. If you defeat an opponent, you can take their weapon and use it. Certain weapons might be able to be used for extra purposes, depending on what the weapons are.”

Rock was now completely ready to go save Equestria. “All right Doctor, I’m ready, where do I need to go?”

Doctor Light gestured to his computer. “All of the current locations of the robots are being tracked. Choose which one you would like to face first, and I can teleport you to their location.”

Rock looked at the locations marked on the map, spread across Ponyville. If the town has fallen, I suppose the most effective method would be working my way inwards. “I’ll start at that one, outside the town, next to the forest.”

Doctor Light pointed at the teleport system, and Rock walked over. “It’s your time to shine, Rock. I knew you would go on to do something better, I just never imagined it would happen so soon.”

Roll began to yell at Rock. “You better come back in one piece, Rock! You don’t want to know what I’ll do to you if you get hurt!”

Rock knew she was only joking, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Sure thing, Roll.” While Doctor Light was putting in coordinates, he had time to think. Rock isn’t a very good name for a hero, is it? I’ll need something better, something that shows that I mean business. Just as quickly as the idea popped in his head, he knew his new name was perfect. “Watch out enemies of Equestria, Mega Stallion is ready to rock!”

The teleport sequence began, and everything turned white as he was transported to the starting point to his destiny.

Chapter 3: Born From Nature

The world came back into focus as Mega Stallion teleported to his destination. He wasn’t sure what to make of the world that surrounded him. On a normal day, it would have just been a park outside of town, with ponies enjoying the day and animals running around. But this was anything but a normal day. What was once a beautiful sight of nature had now been ruined. Trees were turned upside down, random patches of grass were turned pink, and most importantly, there were giant robot rabbits coming towards him. How did I miss that?

Preparing for the fight, he let energy collect behind his horn. It kept building while the rabbits advanced. When he felt he could no longer hold the power inside him, the shot erupted from his head, destroying the closest robot in a small, fiery explosion. For such a collision of power, that was pretty underwhelming. No time to dwell on that, though, more work to do.

The remaining rabbits fired missiles from their chests, shaped like…carrots? Who designed these and what was wrong in his head? Mega Stallion repeated his previous tactics, only deviating to dodge missiles. Before long, his opponents laid on the ground before him, nothing more than piles of ash. Poor robots.

A small beep came from inside his helmet, which was followed by Doctor Light’s voice. “Rock? Good to see the transmissions are working, sensors are picking up electromagnetic fields blocking other forms of data. We were lucky just to have you arrive in one piece.”

“It hasn’t been a problem, Doctor. Even the enemies I just faced weren’t a threat. These upgrades of yours really work! I feel like I could take on the whole universe!”

“Well, don’t push yourself too hard, Rock. Remember that even with the powers I gave you, you have your limits.” Mega Stallion detected a slight wavering in Doctor Light’s voice, but couldn’t figure out why.

“I’ll be fine, Doctor. Now, where is that robot? You did send me to the right place, right? This sure doesn’t look like any sort of town I could imagine sane ponies living.”

“Well, that’s two separate explanations there. You’ve got a bit of a distance to walk before you reach the ‘Robot Masters’, as I’ve decided to call them. They seem to be outputting one of the previously mentioned fields, preventing your teleport from entering the area. I’ve gotten you as close as I can, you’ll just have to hoof it the rest of the way. And judging by the opponents you’ve already faced, it won’t be easy.”

Mega Stallion was starting to get bored by Doctor Light’s explanations. Strange. I liked hearing the scientific reasoning not too long ago. What’s changed? “So, why exactly does this place look less like a living space and more like a stage created to test my abilities?”

“I’m not sure. It’s probably safe to assume that the Robot Masters deformed their areas to make sure the only ones who reach them are worthy challenges. Sporting, aren’t they?” Doctor Light’s words began to burn with sarcasm.

Well, that’s me. I’m the best challenge they’re ever going to get. “Alright, Doctor Light. I’m cutting the transmission now. Wish me luck!” With that, there was only silence. Well, save for the screams of three mares running in terror from robot bats. That’s my cue.

Luckily for him, the bats were far easier to destroy. Standard, uncharged shots were more than enough to reduce them to rubble and save the mares. “Looks like I was here at the right time.” Noticing that their frightened state of mind wasn’t changing, he realized he probably looked pretty intimidating. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you. There’s an enemy I’m going after. Could you point me in the direction I should be going?”

The three mares all pointed to their left, which Mega Stallion noticed was going closer to the forest. Seems a little counterproductive, but they know the place better than I do. “Thank you very much, ladies. Try not to get into more trouble.” He ran off, Ponyville getting farther behind him. More of the same threats attempted to impede his progress, but they were destroyed just as fast as they arrived.

Too busy fighting the robots, Mega Stallion failed to realize that there was a giant hole in his way. And dodging a missile, he fell straight in. Ow. For robots too stupid to move out of the way of my shots, this was a pretty good trap. With no way to go back up, he decided to just move forward. This tunnel is conveniently well-lit. Whatever makes my job easier.

Working his way through the underground path, he was expecting to be swarmed by bats. He wasn’t wrong. They flew forward in swarms, faster than he could shoot them down. Luckily, they didn’t turn back once they passed him, instead opting to fly into the sunlight to freedom. Must be causing all kinds of havoc up there. All the more reason to hurry.

The tunnel progressively got brighter until Mega Stallion reached the other end, a ladder providing an escape route. This is all too convenient. Someone’s messing with me. While momentarily glancing away, a heavy force struck the ground, making him temporarily lose his balance. When he stood back up, there was now a giant dog guarding the exit. It breathed a stream of fire, prompting Mega Stallion to roll out of the way. Looking at where he previously was, the rock was now molten, glowing orange. Important note: dodge that.

Barraging the attacker with plasma, he noticed it was barely making a dent. Whatever this thing was, it was certainly built to be durable. Fire removing chunks of rock from the walls threatened to bring the tunnel down around both of them. I need to bring him down fast, or else we’re both in trouble. One final charge shot brought the mighty beast down in an explosion that shook everything around. The tunnel began to collapse as Mega Stallion rushed to the ladder and climbed to safety just in the nick of time.

Once he was back to safety, he looked at the landslide behind him, closing off the exit of the tunnel. I’d feel really bad for a non-pegasus that fell in on the other end. His thought was interrupted by a gorilla jumping towards him. Sliding away at the last second, he sprang back up and peppered it with blasts until it fell. Looking around, he noticed a cottage right on the edge of the forest. That must be my destination.

As he ran towards the building, one last obstacle came out of the trees. Giant robot chickens. Shooting at them, he noticed these were the only ones that his shots didn’t affect. They instead bounced off the outer shell, flying off into the air. Hope that doesn’t collide with anything. Momentarily distracted, he failed to notice that the chicken was coming closer at an alarming rate, nearly on top of him when he noticed. With no time to react, he fell to the ground as it harmlessly jumped over him. Oh. Well that was easy. Taking the opportunity, he raced to the cottage, finally making it to the end.

Outside the cottage, there were animals everywhere. All kinds of them, from birds to seals to normal chickens. And feeding them was…A tree? Am I losing my mind? When the tree turned, he saw that it was actually a mare inside of a tree costume of some sort. I can see why the town looks like no sane pony would live here. It appears there aren’t any. “Hello?”

At the sound of his voice, the mare leaped up in surprise, making a squeak. She landed and covered her face. Mega Stallion took pity on her. “Don’t be scared, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m on a mission to save Equestria, and I was told that I could find the enemy here.” He reached out a hoof to help her up.

“No! Get back!” She leaped again, this time surrounding herself with a leaf shield before getting her first good look at the one she was so afraid of. He may have had an intimidating look, but she could see a kind heart inside. She stepped forward, accidentally shooting the leaves toward him.

Taken aback with no time to dodge, Mega Stallion was hit by the oncoming leaves. They were surprisingly sharp, cutting gashes in his armor. Kneeling on the ground in pain, he realized why she would have such an ability. “You’re the Robot Master!” Without giving another second on the matter, he started charging a shot.

To say that the mare was shocked would have been an understatement. “Ohmygoodness, ohmygoodness! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you! I don’t know how to use these powers yet!” He didn’t hear her words, a combination of her low volume, charge noise, and his unbridled rage. “Wait, why isn’t there blood? You’re a robot?”

He definitely heard that. He disabled the charge he was building up. “You’re not?” Suddenly, the entire game changed. Fighting other robots would have been bad enough, but a living pony? Impossible, I would never do such a thing. But…if they really are enemies, is it worth fighting them to save the rest of Equestria? He called up the transmitter again. “Doctor Light, we’ve got a problem. The Robot Masters aren’t robots at all! They’re ponies in armor!”

Doctor Light was shocked at this turn of events. “What?! But then how…All right, I see. Do you think they’re still threats?”

“The one I’m with right now doesn’t seem dangerous, but she’s got power. Her weapon was enough to cut clean gashes in my armor.”

“Well, we do have an option. If you can defeat a Robot Master using only your plasma cannon, or ‘Mega Buster’, it will only neutralize them. You’ll still get their powers, but they’ll survive.”

Mega Stallion still didn’t like the idea of harming a pony, but it shouldn’t do lasting harm. “All right, I’m ready! Do your worst, I’ll take you down!” He cut the communication, and resumed charging. The tree mare only squeaked, bringing up another Leaf Shield.

The fight began. Mega Stallion fired the shot, which bounced harmlessly off the shield. Leaves went flying up into the air, and she fired the shield forward. This time, he was prepared, jumping over it. What he wasn’t expecting was the leaves coming back down, cutting him again. What are these leaves made of? But the tree wasn’t a fighter, and was only capable of fighting in a simple pattern, which he quickly learned. The fight progressed smoothly, and he soon got her damaged and low on health.

What happened next, neither one of them expected. Her armor began to glow with a white aura, and leaves went flying everywhere. Against her will, she yelled “Razor Leaf!” As she said it, a torrent of leaves went flying towards Mega Stallion, completely undodgeable. He was sliced into from every angle, and he was struggling to remain standing once it was over. To his surprise, so was she.

Using the last of his energy, he fired a final shot, which collided perfectly with her chest. The world seemed to slow down as both of them fell to the ground. A ball of energy came out of her armor, just before it exploded. Mega Stallion got scared for a second, until the smoke cleared and the mare was unharmed. Lucky her. The energy flew into his body as he felt her powers being adapted into his skillset. Now that the fight was over, he brought up communications again. He struggled to even speak. “All…right, Doctor. Mission…completed. Bring me back…for repairs.”

“Wait!” Mega Stallion looked over at the mare he had just defeated. If she had been this loud earlier, there might not have been a fight. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“I may have a mission, but I’m not a heartless killer. I won’t hurt any living creature.”

She nodded. “I guess we’re pretty similar, then. I’m Fluttershy. Why did you come here in the first place? What is your mission?”

“I was sent by my creator, Doctor Light. I’m working to save Equestria, and fighting seemed to be the only way to do it. I’m sorry I had to fight you, you seem cooperative. There must be some alternative.” Mega Stallion was beamed up back to the lab as Fluttershy sat on the ground, wondering why he was also fighting. And why did he fight me?

Author's Note

Well, that was an exercise. The original story plan was one chapter for each Robot Master, and now I can see that’s not happening. There’s only so many ways you can say “He ran forward and shot things”, and I was struggling with that already. So each Robot Master from this point on is going to be a lot more streamlined, and there’s going to be two per chapter. It won’t be able to go in depth as much (which I’m not good at anyways), but it should keep the story more interesting.

And to all the readers, thanks! This is my first story, and I’m happy to see I’m getting decent reception on it.

Chapter 4: It's Magic, I Don't Have to Explain It

Chapter 4: It’s Magic, I Don’t Have to Explain It

After his battle with Fluttershy, Mega Stallion had to return to Doctor Light’s lab for some serious repairs. Despite the fact that he’d been back home for 10 minutes, Roll was still on the ground laughing. It’s not that she was happy that he was hurt, far from it, she just couldn’t get over how her warrior brother was hurt really badly by a tree that shot leaves. It isn’t funny when you’re in that situation, Roll. It hurt!

Thankfully, the repairs weren’t supposed to last long. Doctor Light built a capsule, similar to the one he had been upgraded in, that healed his injuries far faster than a standard repair could. He had to admit, the process tickled a little as his gashes fused back together. But said gashes also prevented it from being amusing in the slightest.

Before long, he was fully healed, and ready to head back into the fight. Roll had finally gotten back up, still giggling. “So, who are you going to be fighting next? Should I be worried that you’re going to be attacked by a deadly flower this time?”

“I’ll have you know, Roll, that what I’m doing is dangerous work. This Robot Master just had…an odd choice of weapon, that’s all. I’m sure it won’t be the norm. The next one I fight is going to be an epic battle against a heavily armed opponent! Watch!” He pointed to a random dot on the map screen. “Doctor, what’s at that point?”

“Unlike the last place you went, there’s actually something of note here. According to a cross reference with a standard Ponyville map, this point is located directly at the library.”

Upon hearing this, Roll starting laughing again. “Epic battle, huh? I don’t know how heavily armed librarians are, but I’m sure it’ll be a challenge. Careful, you don’t want the fight to be too loud, or you’ll disturb the other patrons.” She was back on the ground, legs kicking in the air.

Mega Stallion was starting to get a little irritated. “Shut up, Roll. Bring me to that point, Doctor Light.”

Doctor Light nodded, and gestured back to the teleport spot. He entered the coordinates, and Mega Stallion was heading back into the warzone.

He landed once again, and was instantly greeted by a communication. “Did you land safely? Are you alright?”

Mega Stallion was confused. “I’m fine, Doctor Light. What’s the big deal? I teleported safely last time. What’s different?”

“The computer seems to be suffering from some sort of glitch. It calculated the safe teleporting distance from your current objective, but didn’t acknowledge that it was right within another magnetic field. I worried that the teleport may have screwed up, and you could have rematerialized completely messed up. But according to the GPS system, you are…outside of both fields. Looks like it’ll just automatically bring you someplace safe.” Despite the fact that their communication had no video, Doctor Light could still feel Mega Stallion glaring. “But don’t worry, I’ll get to work on fixing the computer bug. Good luck!”

Sighing, Mega Stallion cut the feed, and proceeded towards his new destination. Being in the center of town this time, he could very clearly see the damage and destruction caused by the Robot Masters. Buildings were destroyed, roads were in terrible condition, and there wasn’t a pony in sight. I really hope they’re just hiding. He began walking to the library, still thinking about how a librarian would fight him. Is it going to throw books at me? That sounds more annoying than dangerous. Why am I even worrying? I know how to fight properly now, this should be a breeze.

Walking down the road, he suddenly fell without warning. Landing on the ground, he was thankful it wasn’t another hole, but still confused. Why did I fall? Examining the road, he realized it wasn’t stone as it should be. Soap? What? Why? This isn’t malicious, it’s just stupid. Am I fighting evil masterminds, or pranksters?

Seizing the opportunity, three robots jumped from the roofs of surrounding houses, surrounding him. Unlike previous enemies, these ones looked like green unicorns, except with a single, creepy, glowing red eye. They were also carrying shields, which Mega Stallion quickly figured out reflected all shots he fired. Looks like I need to get rid of those shields. Reaching out with his magic, he attempted to rip it away, but their magic countered it. Then, one of them moved his shield to the side to fire a shot. Are they idiots? Who moves their invincible shield? Not bothering to question it any further, he fired a charge shot, which destroyed it. New strategy. This entire mission is all about pattern recognition.

The other two robots formed a competent strategy, and both moved their shields to attack. Mega Stallion fired and destroyed one, but the other had enough time to throw a grenade before protecting itself once again. Too close to the grenade, Mega Stallion got caught in the explosion, throwing him into a wall. Too dizzy and disoriented to move, all he could do was look at the robot walking towards him, its red eye seemingly glowing brighter. Its shield moved, ready to fire its own plasma at the defenseless target.

Both focused on Mega Stallion’s imminent destruction, they failed to notice a pony standing on a nearby roof, charging a shot. They only noticed when the robot was destroyed, as if Mega Stallion destroyed it himself. Looking around to find his savior, he couldn’t find anyone nearby. “Wait! Come back!” Realizing that it wasn’t coming back, he called “Thank you,” hoping that he would be heard.

After taking a minute to recover and assess his relatively minimal damage, he resumed walking to the library. To his surprise, the rest of the journey was without interruption. Where are the enemies? Where’s the challenge? Am I walking into a trap? Cautiously watching his surroundings, his attention was caught by a gigantic tree, which a nearby sign identified as Ponyville Library. If I survive the day, I never want to see a tree again.

“You won’t come any closer! Stop where you are, and I won’t have to hurt you!”

Mega Stallion froze, attempting to locate whatever was talking to him. When he saw nothing, he asked, “Who are you? What are you? Where are you?”

The voice chuckled. “So many questions. And I won’t let you into the library to find the answers!”

Mega Stallion was getting annoyed. “Really? That’s the best you could come up with? Just come out here if you want to fight, or stop talking if you don’t. I’m in a hurry, so let’s make this quick.”

“Very well, then. Prepare to face the wrath of…MAGMA DRAGOON!”

The leaves at the top of the tree library rustled, and a tiny dragon, about half as tall as Mega Stallion, dropped down. No armor, no weapons, just a little dragon that could probably barely breath fire. And I was hoping for a fight against a really cool dragon.

“Do you like the name? I came up with it myself. Threatening, yet cool.”

“I’ll admit, with a name like that, I was expecting something a little more…challenging. Look, I’ve got business, move.” Mega Stallion was getting really bored and impatient.

“Make me! My mission is to protect this fortress, and I won’t fail! Prepare yourself!” The dragon charged, claws bared, ready to rip Mega Stallion to shreds. The claws connected, and did absolutely nothing.

He picked the dragon up with magic, watching it swing its arms, attempting to fight. “Fortress? It’s a library.” The dragon gave up its pitiful fight, and just sat enveloped in the levitation spell. “Nothing against you, but stop bothering me.” He gently moved the dragon to the side of the door, dropping him. As he opened the door and walked inside, he stopped, looked at his tiny assailant, smirked, and said “Thank you for cooperating.”

Inside the library, Mega Stallion found lots of books. Well, what did I expect? There were hoofsteps coming from upstairs, and a voice called out. “Spike, what are you doing back inside? Are you done being my little protector?”

Female. Is everypony I fight going to be a mare? “I have reason to suspect that you are working against Equestria. Come down, and I might not have to fight you.”

Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, the mare raced downstairs. “Who are you?! What did you do with Spike?!”

“Your little dragon friend is fine. He’s just been locked outside. Now, cooperate, and there won’t have to be a fight. Surrender your…” He paused as he got his first good look at her armor. It consisted of a top hat, and very flashy playing cards for flank pieces. She was also wearing very big red goggles and a bow tie. That’s not armor, that’s a showmare’s outfit. “Alright, from this point onwards, should I be constantly prepared for the silliest opponents?”

The mare seemed offended. “I’ll have you know that this is very powerful armor, given to me by the Princess. And besides, I don’t care what it looks like, it’s good at what it does.”

Mega Stallion pointed an accusing hoof. “So you are working for the Princess! Prepare to be defeated!” Without even giving the mare a chance to speak, he charged his shot, firing it.

She was more prepared for a fight, putting up a magical force field, absorbing the plasma. “I forgot to mention, this armor increases my already powerful magic. You don’t stand a chance!” Retaliating, she pulled out magic cards to throw. Her magic threw them at incredible speeds, making them deadly weapons.

Doctor Light said I can only use my Buster to defeat the Robot Masters. Doesn’t mean I can’t shield myself. He pulled up the Leaf Shield, perfectly blocking the cards. He also noticed that using different weapons changed his body color, his coat now green.

“Illusion magic and shielding, impressive. There aren’t many unicorns that could do both.”

“Well, I’m not most unicorns. I figured a pony that lives in a library would have noticed that.”

“Oh, believe me, I did. We seem like we perfectly counter each other. But I need to confirm this hypothesis, so counter this!” She began charging her magic the same way he would charge his.

After both fighters charged their attacks fully, they released, shots colliding in the middle of the room, filling the library with a blinding light. The mare charged towards him, goggles protecting her eyes from the brightness. Mega Stallion’s eyes were also protected, so he could see her coming, punching her out of the way. “Hypothesis confirmed. We’re too evenly matched.”

“Surrender yourself, and I won’t have to continue this fight. I’m here to save Equestria, so get out of my way!”

“Save Equestria? So why are you fighting me? My goal is the same is yours!” Despite her attempt at reasoning, the mare was still pumped for a fight.

“Your ideals are messed up, and I’m going to make sure you don’t do anything worse than what’s happened here.”

Her horn began glowing again, and she blinked out of the room. So she can teleport too? How much magical talent does she have? Her voice began coming from everywhere in the room, and yet nowhere at the same time. “My ideals are wrong? Who are you to judge? You just march into my house and challenge me! Not only are you wrong, you have no manners!”

Without seeing, he could sense that she would appear nearby. “Why should manners matter? I’ve got more important things to do!” He grabbed a nice large book off the shelf behind him, throwing it, colliding with the mare just as she reappeared. Stunned by the book, he charged, fired, and hit her head directly. She flew back, hitting the wall, a few books coming loose and hitting her limp body.

After a few seconds, her armor began to glow, and exploded. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was a purple unicorn, and a few burning books. Hope she doesn’t need those. After verifying that he received the Magic Card, he called up the communicator. “Doctor Light, another Robot Master has been neutralized.”

“Excellent work, Rock. Bringing you back to the lab.”

“No, don’t. I’m not hurt enough to need repairs. Just tell me where the next Robot Master is, I can walk there.”

“Very well, your next objective is the jewel mines outside of town. Transmitting the coordinates now.”

Mega Stallion received the location of his next destination. “I’m ready, Doctor Light. Leaving the library now.” He walked out of the building, passing the dragon he had left outside. “Spike, was it? Listen, sorry about earlier. You’ve got a good heart, and good values, defending the building like that. You just need to work on your skills.”

Spike’s head perked up. “You really think so? If I train, I could become an awesome hero, stopping evil and winning the hearts of women?”

“Don’t get carried away, being a hero isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. But you’ve got imagination. I like that.” With that, he walked away, leaving Spike sitting outside, thinking over what he had just been told.

Author's Note

Yeah, I know I said it would be 2 Robot Masters per chapter. That’s probably still going to be the case from here on out (I’ll probably say this every time). But there was just something about this chapter that ended up being easy. Although now I can’t decide which Mane 6 member was easier to write for. On one hand, it’s easier to write a character when they can actually talk. On the other, it’s easier to stay faithful to the source material when they don’t say anything.

Oh sorry, back to the topic. Remember that this is my first fic, so I welcome constructive criticism. I feel like there’s something wrong with what I’m doing, but I don’t know.

And I’ve gotten a much larger influx of readers more recently. What happened?

Chapter 6: Spiky Aquarium of Doom/Carved from Mighty Oak

Chapter 6: Spiky Aquarium of Doom/Carved From Mighty Oak

The serene water of one of the many lakes in Ponyville provided a nice foil to the destruction and chaos that Mega Stallion was facing. Down at the bottom of the lake was the next Robot Master he had to fight. I’m ruining one of the last peaceful places in the town with my violence. Why can’t there be a better way? Doubt and regret had been filling his mind since his encounter with the Doctor. As much as it pained him, he didn’t have a choice if Equestria wanted to survive. The Doctor certainly sounded like he knew what he was talking about. I guess I am the only one who can fight. He suddenly felt cold, though it wasn’t from the temperature. He felt lonely.

“Rock, you’re heading underwater. You won’t be short circuiting or losing any power, but it may be interfering with communications. At least this time, you’re aware of it. Though I still don’t understand how a pony would be living underwater.”

Mega Stallion replied, trying to cheer himself up. “Maybe it’s a water dragon or something. I still want a dragon fight.”

Roll began speaking on the communicator. “Are you okay, Rock? You sound depressed.”

He didn’t want to concern Roll or Doctor Light with his problems. Neither of them would understand the pain of having destruction as their destiny. “I’m fine, Roll. Don’t worry about me. I’m jumping in.” He leaped into the water, sinking straight to the bottom. Upon hitting the lake floor, he quickly noticed, despite the lack of light, the many spikes that lay in the sand. Something tells me that I don’t want to touch those. Also standing down there was a pegasus mare, wearing what appeared to be a scuba diver’s outfit. “How ironic. A pegasus as far away from the sky as they can get.”

She replied, far more cheerful than any other Robot Master that he had fought. “I’ve never been a good flier, so I don’t mind. I prefer having bubbles over clouds.”

“So…are you going to be blowing bubbles at me? This could be fun.”

“Ooh, do you like bubbles too? Bubbles are my special talent! Although I think it should be a muffin, because I love muffins!”

She seems happy. I think it’s spreading, I’m starting to feel much better. “Well, maybe I could get you a muffin if you decide not to fight and we just walk away from this.” He decided to try his hoof at being nice, hoping it would pay off.

She considered the offer for a second. “Wait…are you that bad robot I’ve been hearing about? The one that’s been fighting all of us that are just trying to protect Equestria?”

“Well, I like to think that I’m doing the right thing, thank you very much.”

“So you are! I don’t want to, but I have to fight you to protect Equestria, my friends, and my daughters!”

So she’s a mother too. As if I needed any more guilt. At least this one should be over fast, I think my armor will protect me against bubbles. While he was laughing to himself, his eyes closed for just a second, and he felt a very sharp pain in his front leg. When he looked, there was a harpoon sticking out, and the source was obvious. Now ready to fight, he used his magic to pull out the harpoon, and charged his shot.

Despite the dark and somewhat murky waters, the fight was intense, plasma and harpoons firing at every angle, both taking care to dodge the many spikes that littered their arena. The pegasus decided to do something different and fired a bubble. Mega Stallion didn’t even bother moving, still denying that something like a bubble would do anything. It popped over his head, and had no effect.

The pegasus seemed confused. “Why didn’t it do anything? The Princess said that it was filled with deadly sulfuric gas.”

“That’s your problem. I’m a robot, remember? Gases and poisons have no effect on me. Word of advice: just stick with the harpoons.”

Continuing on as if nothing had happened, Mega Stallion emerged victorious, though badly damaged. Her armor exploded, and he received the Bubble Lead. He was ready to teleport back when he looked back at the pegasus, noticing she wasn’t moving. It hit him for the first time that they were underwater, and that she was going to drown.

He attempted to go over to help, but could barely move due to the many open cuts from harpoons. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached her, and started swimming up. Looking down at her while ascending, he realized that she didn’t have enough time to make it to the surface. No! This would be so much easier if I could just give her the bubbles! I need more time! Wait…time! He activated the Time Slow, turning himself purple, and slowing down time around him. Still moving at normal speed, he reached the surface of the lake, and collapsed on the sand.

Exhausted from both the fight and the Time Slow, he couldn’t stand or sit up to see how the pegasus was faring. He began to worry when he heard her cough, indicating that she was still breathing.

“Mommy!”

He attempted to find the source of the cry, and saw a small unicorn filly running towards the pegasus. So this must be one of her daughters. The filly hugged her mother, who was now starting to get up. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“I’m alright, muffin. This robot here…”

She was interrupted by the filly. “Isn’t that the robot you told me and Sparkler to stay away from?”

“I know, he did come down to fight me, but he saved me from drowning once the fight was over. He’s a nice pony, you don’t have to be afraid of him.”

As if she was waiting for permission, the filly ran over to Mega Stallion. “What’s it like being a robot? Is it cool to be have weapons? Can you feel this?” She began prodding him with her hoof.

He held his hoof up to stop her. “Please stop. Yes, I can feel that, and it hurts. Speaking of which,” he brought up his communicator. “Doctor Light, can you please teleport me back? I’m in serious pain.” He looked back over at the filly. “So, what’s your name? And your mother?”

“I’m Dinky, and she’s Derpy!” Boy, she’s easily excitable. Is this how foals always act?

“Glad to meet you two, and I’m sorry for what I had to do.”

Derpy spoke up. “It’s alright. You’re a good pony, I’m willing to trust you’re doing the right thing. I’m not hurt. So, if you’re interested in who we are, what’s your name?”

He felt the teleport starting, and knew he only had a few seconds left in the conversation. “My name is Mega Stallion.” Once the sentence was out of his mouth, he was back at Doctor Light’s lab.

After repairs were finished, Mega Stallion was once again sent back to Ponyville, now standing outside an apple orchard. There were apple trees spreading to the horizon, where the sun was beginning to set, and dark clouds were moving in. He walked through the main gate, a sign reading “Sweet Apple Acres” hanging above it.

Now how am I supposed to find my target here? He wasn’t even sure that he was going anywhere, he was constantly surrounded by apple trees and nothing else. There’s no way that the farmers can actually navigate this. He heard a crash in the distance, and ran to investigate. Although he had fought many silly robots, nothing could have prepared him for this. Standing there, bucking trees, was a pony wearing full flower armor.

He couldn’t stop himself. He fell onto the dirt laughing, completely unable to speak. The flower mare noticed him, and just glared. Her harsh stare wasn’t enough to dampen his mood, however. Now getting angry, she threw an apple at his head, which, while not hurting as much as the diamond, was still enough to get him to stand up straight.

“That’s better. Now, why did ya’ll come down to mah farm?”

“Maybe I just wanted some apples. Seriously, you don’t know who I am? The last ponies I fought were expecting me.”

“So it’s you! You’re the one that’s been causing havoc and fighting mah friends! So now ya’ll are here to beat me and hurt mah family!”

“Another family mare, okay then. Don’t worry, this is only going to hurt if you make it hurt. I’ll give you one chance to surrender, and I’ll just walk away. Now, can I assume you won’t take it and we’re going to fight, me coming out on top.” He saw her mouth begin to open. “No need to comment, I’ve done this enough times, I know the formula, let’s just do this.”

The flower nodded, bringing up a flower shield. Mega Stallion sighed. “I’ve already proven that I can get through a shield of diamonds. You think flower petals can stop me?” He fired, shield blocking his attacks. “Oh, so we’re operating on the Leaf Shield principle here. Alright, I still know what to do.”

She began jumping around, leaping from tree to tree, continuously throwing apples at him. Apples only splattered against his armor, barely even denting it. “Apples aren’t doing anything. Maybe you should use a different attack.”

She seemed to agree, leaping from behind him and landing on his back. A few well-placed punches to the back of his head weakened him, and she activated her shield, cutting him with flower petals. He slid, knocking his rider off, and fired. The shot collided, knocking her back against a tree, which shook a few apples loose onto her head.

She was pretty angry now. “That’s it! No more nice pony! We’re doing this the old-fashioned way!”

“And that would be…?”

“Hoof-to-hoof combat. No weapons, just our own bodies. Armors allowed.”

“Then let’s do this!” He reared his hind legs, ready for a kick, only to be perfectly matched by her kick. Further kicks only repeated this. We’re pretty evenly matched. This could be fun. They both leaped high into the air, only grappling each other on the way back down. Already having the other in a headlock, they ended up wrestling back on the ground.

Mega Stallion saw an older red stallion walking towards them. He simply looked at their wrestle, said “Nnnnope”, and walked away. This really couldn’t get any more awkward. As if to prove him wrong, the mare suddenly wrapped her hind legs around his head. Never mind. This is much worse.

A solid punch to the flank was enough to shake his attacker off, and following with a suplex finished the fight. He charged his buster, while smugly saying “Sorry. I understand this is cheating.” The charged shot hit her chest, destroying the armor, and giving Mega Stallion the Plant Barrier. Just what I needed. Another nature shield.

He looked back at the mare he had defeated, an orange earth pony, who was struggling to stand. “I didn’t hit you that hard, you’ll be fine in a few hours. You put up a good fight.”

She uttered a soft chuckle. “Years of apple buckin’. Ah need to apologize, ah was bein’ real stubborn. Ya’ll did nothing to justify me gettin’ so angry.”

“It’s not a problem, I’m used to it by now. No hard feelings.”

“That’s nice to hear. I’m Applejack, by the way. Would ya’ll like to stay for some cider? Think of it as an apology gift.”

“I’m Mega Stallion. Sorry, but I can’t stay. Not only do I still have a mission to finish, but I need to get these wounds repaired.” He teleported out, back to the lab.

He arrived at his destination, Doctor Light and Roll standing in front of him. Both of them were staring at him. Mega Stallion realized that he had flower petals sticking out of him. He growled, saying “Not. A. Word.”

Chapter 7: A Joking Matter/Quick and the Blue

Mega Stallion was now walking towards the next Robot Master, which was right in the center of town. He was quickly reminded how much destruction Ponyville was facing, compared to the relatively tame terror on the outskirts. It’s as if they only want to destroy populated areas. Well, they’re probably going for shock and terror. It makes sense, actually. Streets were still deserted, curtains closed, and doors locked. Garbage littered the roads, with pieces of food, chunks of building, and…robot parts? Examining further, he noticed that destroyed robots were all over the place, each one with a hole shot through it. Plasma shot. But how? I didn’t do this.

He thought back to the last time he had been through town, before fighting Twilight. The pony that saved me from the shielded robots, he used a buster! But how? Is he a robot? Is he an enemy? As he was thinking, he could swear he heard a whistle in the distance, before everything went silent again. Deciding that this wasn’t the most important thing he had to worry about, he continued onward, towards a building close to the center of town.

Considering what he’d seen during his mission, nothing should have been surprising him. However, he was not prepared for his next arena. A building shaped like a giant cupcake, with a sign reading “Sugarcube Corner”. Shouting at nothing in particular, he looked up at the sky and screamed “Is this entire town crazy?” He was beginning to get fed up with everything, but walked into the building anyway.

Once again, he wasn’t prepared for what he was about to see. The Robot Master was standing in front of the display counter, but she was also next to two young foals, entertaining them. She made silly faces and noises, making the children laugh. She looked up at Mega Stallion, and her smile grew impossibly big. “Hello! I’ve never seen you before! Are you new?” She gasped, and began talking far faster than should have been possible. “Then I need to throw you a party! Where are you from? Have you met anypony yet? Of course, it’s hard to make friends when nopony wants to come out of their houses. They’re all being such spoilsports. How rude is it to not greet the new pony? I’m Pinkie Pie, what’s your name?” She stared expectantly, waiting for an answer.

He was taken aback by this pony’s forwardness. Suddenly, her clown outfit doesn’t seem so strange. It’s surprisingly fitting. There’s no way a fight can come from this. “I’m Mega Stallion. You seem nice, so just give me your weapon and I’ll be on my way. Save the party for when my mission is done.”

All of the happiness in Pinkie Pie’s face seemed to drain as her colors dimmed and her mane straightened. “Are you the bad robot that’s been hurting my friends? What kind of mean pony would do something like that?” She sniffled, close to tears.

“How…how did you do that? Are you sure you’re an earth pony?” He was more than a little confused.

Instantly, her mane poofed back up and she became her bright pink colors once again. “Of course I’m an earth pony, silly! Do you see wings or a horn? I mean, duh! How could I be a pegasus or unicorn without wings or a horn? I’d like to be a pegasus, though, but I’d ditch these colors! I imagine myself with a yellow mane and white coat! But how could I be Pinkie Pie if I wasn’t pink?”

She continued to talk as Mega Stallion tuned her out. Call me crazy, but I think I prefer the manic depressive. At least she makes sense in that state of mind.

Missing what was apparently a crucial part of the conversation, Pinkie Pie appeared right next to him, saying “…and that’s why I think my name would be SURPRISE!” She somehow shot confetti out of nowhere.

Taken aback by the surprise, Mega Stallion jumped back, shooting Pinkie out of pure instinct, who landed beside a display of cupcakes. She didn’t get depressed again, instead becoming angry, eyes now a bright yellow, and body glowing the slightest bit red. Tripolar? Is that a real thing?

Pinkie reached out one of her front hooves, which extended to grab the foals, and put them inside another room. Turning her attention back to Mega Stallion, she reached behind her to grab a cupcake and threw it.

He didn’t even attempt to move as the cupcake hit the center of his horn, where it remained stuck. “Who throws cupcakes? Honestly?” Retaliating, he fired a shot of his own, which actually did damage, also burning the cupcake.

Pinkie was only getting angrier. “That’s it! No more nice pony!” He could see a hint of madness in her eyes as she yelled “Thunder Claw!” Both of her front hooves extended, grabbing Mega Stallion. She smiled in an insane way before shocking him with high voltage electricity.

He could feel the electricity messing up his circuits and capacitors. Much more of this and she’ll completely shut down my systems. Examining the way the voltage was coursing through his body, he realized that by rerouting some signals inside, he could redirect the electricity. Freeing one of his front hooves, he pointed at Pinkie and focused. The electricity shot out in a burst, striking Pinkie in the chest. I hope that doesn’t count as a Master Weapon.

Mega Stallion’s minimal auto repair functions activated, fixing his insides from the electric damage. It worked quickly, finishing just as Pinkie Pie stood up again. She attempted a variety of lightning based attacks, but he redirected every one of them, starting to do it with style. In what seemed like a last act, she jumped behind the sales counter, where Mega Stallion jumped to follow her. When he saw that she wasn’t back there, he started looking for a hidden door or some means of escape she could have taken.

Being so busy looking, he didn’t notice Pinkie pop up behind some bags of flour halfway across the room. Taking advantage of her stealth, she silently stuck her hooves into the floor, sending them to attack Mega Stallion.

Hearing something strange beneath the floorboards, he jumped away to see two hooves reach out and grab where he was. A quick search of the room revealed Pinkie manipulating them. How did she get over there? A shot hitting her got her attention. She ducked below the bags of flower and quickly came out from a door on the other side of the room. What is happening here? Is she teleporting? Is logic breaking more than it already has? He decided the only way to get her to stay still was to make her. He leaped towards her, slid under her hooves as they extended towards him, and performed an uppercut punch coming out from his slide.

Briefly stunned by the punch, Pinkie was unable to defend herself as Mega Stallion grabbed her and fired at her head at point-blank range. She flew back into the displays, shattering the glass and falling to the floor. Please don’t count as a Master Weapon, lightning. The armor exploded, and Pinkie Pie remained, still coursing with redirected electricity. That won’t cause lasting damage, I’m sure.

Ready to leave, Mega Stallion noticed the extensive damage done to the store. Baked goods were splattered on the walls, glass was shattered, burn marks littered the room, and there were holes in the floor. I feel bad for whoever needs to fix all of this. Just before leaving, he decided to check on the babies to make sure they were okay. Looking in the room where Pinkie had put them, the two of them were sitting on the floor, doing nothing in particular. Now sure they were okay, he trotted out of the building.

Nighttime had fallen, though the bright light from the moon kept it from being dark. Storm clouds hovered in the sky, and small droplets of rain began to fall. Thunder boomed in the distance, and bolts of lightning briefly illuminated Ponyville, mostly in ruins. Mega Stallion was moving to fight the final Robot Master, and then he’d be able to put an end to this battle.

A boomerang came flying towards him, narrowly missing his head, and sticking itself in the dirt. Examining it closer, he noticed the silver boomerang was sleek and sharp. Its origin jumped down from a cloud, landing with a smash that obscured Mega Stallion’s view of his attacker. It was a pegasus mare, wearing sleek red armor with a large yellow boomerang on her forehead. The rest of the armor was highlighted with spots of yellow and black.

He was honestly impressed. “It only figures that I end up getting the best for last. Most dangerous weapon, coolest armor, and a fight in the middle of a rainstorm. Everything’s going well for this. But you seem to have forgotten one thing.” He grabbed the boomerang she had already thrown with his magic. “Boomerangs are supposed to return to the thrower. If they don’t, what’s the point?”

The mare laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered.” She held out her hoof, and the boomerang broke free from his magic and returned to her. She smirked in the most arrogant way. “I already know you’re here to fight me. I’m the last one standing, and I’ll show you what I can do!” She got into a fighting stance.

Mega Stallion also readied himself. “Are you absolutely sure we can’t just come to a peaceful agreement? You can just give me your weapon, and we can walk away.” She materialized two boomerangs, ready to throw. “That’s a no. Alright, just tell me your name, so that I’ll know the last Robot Master to fall at my hooves!”

She leapt into the air. “I am…Quick Mare!”

No real names. It’ll do, I suppose. He fired, while she moved too fast to hit. Boomerangs came from what seemed like every direction at once. He managed to dodge all of them with slides, jumps, and rolls. He was also careful to move out of the way whenever she attracted the boomerangs back. When she had realized that neither of them was making progress attacking from a distance, she flew towards him at supersonic speeds to tackle him.

As the two connected, Mega Stallion performed a backwards roll, slamming Quick Mare onto the ground, where he promptly shot her. Surprisingly, it seemed to hurt her a lot more than any other Robot Master he had fought. She sacrificed durability for speed. That’s my advantage. While still on the ground, Quick Mare sliced him up and performed an uppercut of her own, dashing back into the air.

And so they fought. The clash of metal and grinding gears echoed across the night sky. Quick Mare was covered in plasma burns, and Mega Stallion riddled with deep gashes. Before long, both were beaten within an inch of their lives. Mega Stallion knew that if he could hit her one more time, the fight would be over. However, Quick Mare was in the exact same position, and she held the upper hoof. He needed to do something, and fast.

She’s just too quick. If I could slow her down somehow…I can! With Time Slow! But…I’d have to kill her to do it. If I kill her, I might possibly save Equestria, with her forever on my conscience. If I lose, Equestria is doomed. Is it worth it? He couldn’t decide what to do as he laid on the ground, Quick Mare standing over him.

She began to taunt him. “How did a weakling like you defeat seven of us? I know you could beat me, so why don’t you do it? Come on, do something! Show me you were worthy of this fight!”

He cringed as his coat turned purple, Time Slow ready and armed. It’s for the greater good. But before he could fire, another blue stallion came from the side and tackled Quick Mare, pinning her to the ground. He lifted a hoof, pointed it at her face, and fired a blast of plasma, winning the fight. As her armor exploded, the stranger looked at Mega Stallion and nodded, when Mega Stallion felt the Quick Boomerang being added to his arsenal.

All three ponies were silent, as Mega Stallion examined his savior. While all three had blue coats, the stranger’s was the darkest, with an even darker blue mane. His eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses, and his long yellow scarf blew in the wind. He wanted to thank the stranger, but couldn’t find the energy to do so. Using what he had left, he teleported back to Doctor Light’s lab, where he arrived unconscious.

After reawakening inside the repair capsule, Mega Stallion decided to stay at the lab for a little to rest. He told Doctor Light and Roll all about what he had encountered, as he didn’t have the time to go into detail before. Both were impressed with what he had managed to accomplish in less than a day of combat. Surprisingly, when he mentioned the stranger that saved him twice (after piecing together that it must have been the same pony both times), both him and Roll felt that Doctor Light was hiding something.

“Well, good news, Rock. The electromagnetic shield around Canterlot is down, so you can do in whenever you want. There’s still a magical shield protecting the city, but your teleport won’t be affected. I recommend you go in soon, and put an end to all of this as quickly as you can.”

“I will, Doctor Light. I think I’m ready to head in now. Get the teleport system ready.”

Doctor Light nodded and got to work as Roll came up next to her brother. “You know that once you go in there, there’s no coming back until you’ve won.”

“That’s been the case for every fight of mine. I won’t lose. I’ll finish this right now. I promise.” He stepped into the teleport system. As he felt the process beginning, there was only one thought going through his mind. I’ll end this, right here, right now. I will defeat you, Celestia!

Author's Note

Finally, the Robot Masters are done! I can have a little more fun with the Castle chapters, where all the challenges come together and the bosses are more extreme. Ponies will clash, weapons will destroy anypony that stands in their way, and destines shall be revealed. What will happen to Mega Stallion? What if he stands? What if he falls? Find out next chapters, released whenever the hell I write them!

Chapter 8: The Ballad of Enka Punk

Canterlot. The capital of Equestria, the city was constructed on the side of the Himarelayan Mountains. Though the city is home to many businesses and social gatherings, the most attractive, important, and famous building is the Canterlot Castle, “Minas Anor”. There, both the Princesses and their Parliament govern Equestria in relative peace, any uprisings quickly squashed by the Elements of Harmony. It served as a symbol of protection and hope for the citizens of the country. It also served as the final battleground for Mega Stallion’s war against the robots.

He teleported onto the streets of the city, finding it deserted, much like Ponyville. A large magical bubble surrounded the city, protecting its ponies from any threats attempting to enter the city through traditional means. They weren’t expecting a teleport system, were they? He began galloping towards the castle, ready to face his final opponents. The tall towers in the distance seemed to beckon for Mega Stallion, marking his destination.

Looking around as he ran, he noticed that a few ponies were on the streets or looking out windows. As soon as they saw him coming, they went for any kind of cover they could find. Closed their curtains, hid inside trash cans, or crawled under cardboard boxes. News travels fast. For a city so afraid of danger, it appears they haven’t seen it yet. Everything here is clean.

The gate for the castle loomed over him in an upright position, guards patrolling the front entrances. I’m going to need to find another way in. Using the bushes as cover, he snuck to the back end of the castle. Looking for any kind of secret entrance, he saw a rope hanging from an upper window, like it was still there from an earlier attempt to sneak in. He considered using the convenient setup, but dismissed the idea. “Too obvious. Most likely a trap. Need to find something better than that.”

His searches brought him to the castle garden, where the animals were surprisingly still outside, unprotected. Looks like somepony doesn’t care about the animals. A crowd of bushes caught his attention, where something looked off. Upon further investigation, the center bush looked quite different from the ones surrounding it, and it sat atop a stone plate. Pushing the stone plate revealed a hidden passageway into the castle basements. That’s what I call a secret entrance, he thought as he jumped down into the darkness.

After emerging from the murky basements through a hidden floor panel in a coat room, Mega Stallion found himself near the main entrance hall. Walking into the event room, the doors shut, curtains closed, and a voice began talking.

“So, you’ve finally come, blue robot. This shall be your final resting place, where you will pay for the crimes you’ve committed. Welcome to die!”

A second voice spoke up. “Scootaloo, what does that mean? ‘Welcome tah die’? That doesn’t sound right.”

The first voice replied. “It is right, Apple Bloom! I heard it from somewhere before, I’m sure of it! Right, Sweetie Belle?”

A third voice joined the conversation. “I don’t know, Scootaloo. It doesn’t sound grammatically correct.”

Voice one, Scootaloo, spoke back. “Of course, leave it to the dictionary to insult my talking.”

Voice three, Sweetie Belle, was starting to get angry, her voice cracking in a high pitch. “Well, it beats being a dodo like you!”

Voice two, Apple Bloom, decided to end the argument. “Alright you two! Break it up! We have a job to do, remember?”

Mega Stallion was getting bored of this bickering, and lit the room up with his magic, revealing three fillies standing on the stage, all dressed in armor. “I don’t want to fight fillies, okay? I’m just going to leave now.” He began to walk out of the room.

The three fillies all jumped in front of the door, and began to speak in unison. “Halt! You will not leave here alive! You will pay for the grave injustices you have committed! Prepare to face the wrath of…” Each one stepped forward as they introduced themselves.

“Enker,” said Apple Bloom.

“Punk,” said Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle finished it off. “And Ballade! Together we are…”

Once again in unison, the three all yelled “THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MEGA STALLION KILLERS!”

Mega Stallion was less than impressed or worried. “How long did you have to rehearse that? I don’t have any business with you three, so move aside. I’ve got a job to do.”

Apple Bloom, in her shining gold armor, disagreed. “You gotta deal with us! It’s payback for fighting mah sister Applejack!”

Sweetie Belle, in her blue armor, joined her friend. “And for my sister, Rarity!”

Scootaloo, in her spiky red armor, just wanted to be part of the conversation. “For Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow Dash? Oh, Quick Mare. She never did say her real name. “Your sister?”

“No, not my sister.” Scootaloo looked away and muttered under her breath, “Not yet, anyway.”

Mega Stallion shrugged their determination off. “Yes yes, that’s very cute and all, but you should really stay out of this, or you could get hurt. Just leave the fighting to the big ponies, alright? And where did you get those armors from, anyway?”

Apple Bloom made a pouting face. “Ah am a big pony! And Princess Celestia gave us these!”

“So now she’s letting kids do her fighting for her? What kind of coward is she?”

Scootaloo was getting tired of the conversation. She was a fast-paced pony, and wanted to get the excitement already. “Enough of this! You’ve committed your crimes, and now you must face your penalty! You will welcome die!” Nodding, all three fillies charged towards Mega Stallion.

“I don’t want to do this, but you’re not giving me a choice.” He began charging his buster, and began the fight.

Princess Celestia sat in her private study, watching over her country through the windows. She knew that her warriors had fallen at the hands of a robot, and would be coming for her soon. Based on what Twilight had written to her, she could tell that her guards would not be enough to stop this incredibly fighting machine. She couldn’t abandon her subjects during this grave time, so all she could do was wait.

Here was Mega Stallion. The ultimate combat robot created by Doctor Light. He had defeated the eight Robot Masters personally sent by the Princess to defend her country. He had proven that he was the best there was. And right now, he was getting his flank kicked by three little fillies.

Any time he tried to fire at one of them, Enker would jump in front of the blast and absorb it into her spear. Once fully absorbed, she would swing the spear forward, sending an energy wave towards Mega Stallion. No matter how he dodged it, Punk would barrel into him using a spin attack, sending him flying into one of Ballade’s bombs. Much more of this, and I won’t last long. There needs to be some kind of strategy I haven’t thought of yet.

He got knocked into the wall, looked up, and noticed a decoration above him. It was made to represent the warrior history that Equestria had. But more importantly, the purely for decoration sword was a real, very sharp sword. This should do nicely. Now, he had a plan.

He shot at Enker, knowing what was going to happen next. Sure enough, the shot came back to him, where he rolled to the side, standing back up to see Punk coming towards him. He held the sword in front of him, holding Punk’s spin back as she grinded against the blade. A simple upwards fling of the sword was enough to get her out of the way.

Ballade, now unsure of what to do, began to panic. Just like her sister before her. She fired one of her bombs, which he batted back using the flat side of the sword. Enker, now the only one standing, swung her spear. He blocked, and the two entered a power struggle. While Enker had her strength enhanced by the armor, it was still no match for a grown robot stallion. He threw her off balance and swung his sword, calling out “What a pain!”

“That’s enough, fillies. Retreat. I’ll handle him.”

The self-proclaimed Mega Stallion Killers wanted to protest, but their general difficulty in moving put those ideas to rest. The three were enveloped in a flash of light as they were teleported out of the room. That was most certainly not their magic. Who’s the other one here? He could tell it was a stallion, ruling out the possibility that this was his final duel.

A white unicorn walked into the room, wearing purple colored armor designating him as the Captain of the Royal Guard. Though it was difficult to see under his helmet, his mane was the same shades of blue as Mega Stallion’s coat. He was brandishing a sword of his own.

“My name is Shining Armor. I’m the Captain of the Guard here, and as such, it is my sworn duty to protect the Princess from invaders like you. I’m giving you one chance to surrender yourself, and you will be put on trial for your crimes. Refuse, and I’ll have to kill you.”

“Funny enough, I could give you that same bargain. I’m on a mission here, so I’d really appreciate it if you would just stand aside and let me past. I’ve beaten eleven before you, all with armor better than yours. You don’t stand a chance.”

Shining Armor was starting to get angry. “This isn’t just a matter of duty. This is personal. You already fought my sister. Twilight Sparkle, do you remember her? Or do you just fight without care?”

Mega Stallion let out a sigh of frustration. “Seriously, did I fight everypony’s sister at this point? Twilight Sparkle, yes, I remember. I make a point to learn the names of everypony I fight. I at least try to have some honor in what I’m doing.”

“As do I. My honor is the reason I come before you with nothing but the armor I was given when I took up my position. It is also the reason I was willing to offer a more peaceful option to you, as much as you don’t deserve it.”

“So please! Let me through. Haven’t you seen what it’s like down there in Ponyville? It’s chaos! It’s my job to stop it, and I won’t let anypony stand in my way. If you want to fight, I’m willing to.”

“So, you’re going to either fight or die? I’m willing to take that offer. But let’s keep this fair. Only swords. May the better stallion win.”

Their two swords collided and pressed against each other, grinding the sharp metals. Both fought with precision, each swing perfectly dealt and blocked. Power struggles meant nothing, as both were of equal strength. He’s got to be strong, able to stand up to the push of a combat robot.

Shining Armor also understood that this battle was going nowhere. “Alright, all rules are off. Magic…allowed!” As soon as the words left his mouth, he held his sword back and charged his horn, filling the blade with magical energy. Releasing it, the sword carried Shining Armor forward in a lunge attack, which Mega Stallion discovered he could not block.

He laid on the ground, looking at the two pieces of metal that were once his sword, sliced through the middle. Well, let’s see how well his sword stands up to plasma blasts. He began rapid firing shots, which Shining Armor blocked using a personal bubble shield, same color and magical energy as the one surrounding the city, which was now beginning to weaken.

No matter how good the shield, a well placed attack will always get through. Mega Stallion lunged forward with a punch, colliding with the shield. It shattered, and his hoof met Shining Armor’s face, sending him to the floor. In a distinct position to end the Captain of the Guard right there, he used his magic to grab the sword and the sheath that had held it.

Shining Armor closed his eyes, knowing exactly what would come next. His next thought, he figured, would be his final act of life. Cadence, I’m sorry. I failed. But nothing came. He opened his eyes to see Mega Stallion strapping the sheath to his body and putting away the sword. “What are you doing? I’m here, I’m defenseless, I accept my defeat.”

“No. I’m not like that. I will not kill an opponent. You put up a good fight against nearly impossible odds. For that, I respect you. Now, I’ve got to put an end to this war by stopping the Princess, and I’m taking your sword. If both it and I survive, you’ll get it back.” He then left the room before Shining Armor could tell him who the real enemy was.

Author's Note

Hey, it’s a week early. It was all a personal challenge to write something coherent after watching Half Life: Full Life Consequences (do we have a crossover of that? We should). I think I did good. Next chapter will perhaps be the epic duel against Celestia. Maybe.

Chapter 9: I Want to be the One...

Chapter 9: I Want to be the One…

This is it. The final fight. It’s time to go in and meet my destiny. Mega Stallion was standing outside of the Princess’ private chambers, ready to go in and put a stop to this war. As a security measure, the Princess had put a special lock on the door, which only her magic could open. I think I can crack this door. He inserted his horn into the lock and activated his magic. The lock doubled it back on him, giving him a shock. I guess that’s a pretty good lock. New plan. He activated the Magic Card, turning his coat black and purple. He grabbed a card and began picking the lock with it, shorting out the magical properties of the lock. The door cracked open, and he walked inside, reverting back to his buster.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the moon shining outside. Everything in the room was a silhouette. He climbed on top of the surprisingly spacious bed and looked around. This room is too small to be our arena. It’s too small to have a proper hiding spot. Where is she? In the closet behind him, a pony of the darkness was keeping a close eye on her target, ready to strike. She flew out, grabbing Mega Stallion and flying him out the window, into the sky.

Over the shock of being surprised, he got a look at his attacker, Princess Luna. Wearing a saucer for armor, she was flying towards her moon. Mega Stallion began struggling in her hooves, trying to break free. He began swinging, momentum letting him deliver a swift kick to the Princess of the Night’s chest. They both started falling back to Canterlot through the clouds, hitting the streets. As they both stood up, a shape flew out of the castle towards them. When it landed, they saw it was Princess Celestia in her own armor.

“Sister! You do not need to join this battle! I shall handle this threat!” Luna was demonstrating her famous Royal Canterlot Voice.

Celestia put her hoof over Luna’s shoulder. “Luna, I know you want to do this, but he’s here for me. Right?”

Mega Stallion nodded. “That’s right. I’m here to apprehend you for crimes against Equestria. Surrender yourself now, and there won’t be a fight. I’ve beaten 12 already, I can add another to the count.”

Luna laughed. “You think you could defeat us? We are gods! We control the sun and moon! You wouldn’t stand a chance!”

“Luna, modesty, remember?” Luna sat down and pouted. “But she does have a point. Mega Stallion, was it? We have magical powers beyond any other pony. It wouldn’t be wise to challenge me.”

Mega Stallion smirked. “I heard the same thing from Twilight Sparkle, and I still beat her. I’m not going to hesitate just because you’re royalty. There’s no shame in admitting defeat, just please go peacefully. I don’t get to experience peaceful negotiations enough.”

Celestia laughed softly. “And who do you think taught Twilight her magic? You say you’re fighting for Equestria, but that’s not true. You’ve only been led to think that, nothing more! All right, I accept your challenge. Prepare for the fight of your life!”

Mega Stallion went into a fighting stance, and began charging his buster. “Then let’s go! I’d like to see how much of a challenge you ‘gods’ put up!”

Celestia and Luna went back to back, both pointing at him, speaking in unison. “We’re going to kill you twice over!”

And the final battle began. Mega Stallion was firing plasma in every possible direction, rarely scoring hits on the princesses. Despite the incredible odds against him, he still refused to resort to Master Weapons. It wouldn’t be right to kill a princess, even if I need to survive. The fight against Rainbow Dash taught me that.

Luna flew up into the sky, becoming a shadow covering the moon. She called out her attack, yelling “Black Hole Bomb!” A purple orb fired out, coming close to the ground as it began to expand.

A BLACK HOLE? Is she insane? That’ll just end everything in existence here! He ran for cover, knowing full well it would do no good. Looking out at the black hole, he saw it grow into a small size and begin sucking in whatever was in the immediate vicinity before vanishing a few seconds later. “Well, I’m underwhelmed. That’s the worst black hole to ever exist in all of time.”

Luna didn’t appreciate her abilities being insulted. “Whelp! You shan’t survive this!”

Celestia, while in the middle of a heated battle, still took the time to correct her younger sister. “You’re reverting back to olden speak, Luna. Control yourself.”

Mega Stallion fired a charged shot at Celestia, hoping to score some damage. She put her head in front of the blast, where it hit her horn and absorbed the attack. Wait, what? She returned the plasma, even stronger than it originally was. Mega Stallion dodged, when the attack hit the ground and split, hitting him.

“You know the sun is primarily made of plasma, right? I can control your shots even easier than I can control my sun. You’ve got nothing to use against me!”

I can still fight without using a buster. He unsheathed his sword and charged at Celestia, ready to strike. Without even moving, she grabbed the sword, stopping it. Temporarily way more motivated, Mega Stallion attempted to override her magic using his own, reaching out with his horn. To the surprise of all three ponies in the battle, it worked. The mechanical nature of his magic was enough to overpower Celestia’s, and the sword collided with her armor, leaving a good scratch.

Luna took the opportunity to fire another Black Hole Bomb, while Celestia fired another Solar Blaze. As the black hole expanded, it sucked up the Solar Blaze, giving Mega Stallion a perfect chance to strike. He hit Luna, canceling out her black hole, and jumped to Celestia, who was recovering from the suction of the black hole. Being distracted, she was unable to absorb his buster shot. They don’t have the same synchronization that the Mega Stallion Killers had. That gives me something to work with.

The fight continued, the sounds of battle echoing loudly throughout the city. Of the two opponents, Luna was the first to fall by far. I guess those thousand years on the moon softened her up. I expected a little more from Nightmare Moon. Her armor exploded, and Mega Stallion received the Black Hole Bomb. To his surprise, even after her defeat, Luna still stood to fight, weary.

Celestia was concerned for her sister. “Luna, you’ve lost. Accept defeat and get out of here. You’re too weak in that state.”

Luna wouldn’t take that. “No sister, I can still fight. I’m not going to abandon you when you need me. I’ll keep fighting until I can fight no more!”

Celestia got stern with her younger sister. “Luna, this isn’t worth it! Save yourself for the fights that matter! Leave now!”

Luna complied, and flew back to the castle, leaving just Celestia and Mega Stallion standing in the street. He decided to play with the princess a little. “Oh, I’m not good enough to die for? That’s low, Celestia.”

“You can stop with the act. Why did you just stand there during our conversation? You had the perfect chance to strike. Or are you not as smart as I thought?” Once those words were said, the fight resumed, but the talking continued.

“I’m not going to attack a defenseless enemy. That would be dishonorable and unfair. I like to fight opponents who are going to be equals.” The casual conversation was punctuated with attacks flying everywhere.

“Then tell me, Mega Stallion. I’ve heard you believe in honor above all else. So why are you fighting against Equestria? Do you have no reason or common sense?”

“You can’t fool me with your lies, Celestia! I know that you sent your Robot Masters to ensure your complete takeover of Equestria would go according to your plan! I’ve been sent to restore balance!”

When Celestia heard this, she stopped. “Wait…you think I sent my own citizens into danger for my own selfish goals? I gave them that armor to defend themselves and Equestria against Discord!”

“Discord? You’re trying to pull that on me? He’s imprisoned in your garden! And if that’s your reasoning, how could you justify giving armor to those three fillies?”

“Discord broke free yesterday. I gave the armor to those eight ponies to stop him and keep Equestria safe. And the fillies? They’ve confused the definitions of ‘gave’ and ‘stole from’. From the letters I’ve received, this isn’t the first time.”

Mega Stallion was starting to be fed up with lies. “Enough of this! You’re done with your lies! Tell me, if Discord really is free, how did I never hear of it? Why has nopony mentioned it?” He had a shot fully charged and ready to end this fight right there.

“Hahahaha! Well, you found me out. I suppose I should give you some sort of reward. It took you a little too long, though, so you’ll just have to settle for this.”

Though Celestia instantly recognized the voice, Mega Stallion was still trying to find the source of the sound when a cookie popped in front of his face. Before he could even comprehend that it had just happened, a worm slithered out and fell to the ground.

“Discord, come out here right now!”

Mega Stallion still felt he needed to add something to this. “And worms are supposed to come out of apples, not cookies.”

“You two are always ruining my fun. Very well, if you wish to see me so much Celestia, here I am.”

There was a white flash of light between Mega Stallion and Celestia, temporarily blinding both of them. When they looked back up, the famous draconequus Discord was floating in the air, wearing a party hat, streamers falling up around him. “Happy to see me once again, Celestia?”

Celestia wasn’t amused. “Why did you even bother coming back, Discord? You know anytime you come back up, we’ll just beat you down.”

“Oh Celestia, can’t someone like me have a little fun every once in a while? But you just have to kill the mood, don’t you? Alright, if you feel the need to cruelly trap me again, go ahead, I’ll let you take the first shot.”

“No. No more prisons. You’ve caused too much havoc for me to risk you ever returning. This time, you’re going to die.” Celestia began charging up the most powerful Solar Blaze she could possibly make, and fired it at Discord.

Without showing any signs of worry, Discord reached out his hand and stopped the fire. He then snapped his fingers, and froze the flames, the solid ice dropping to the ground. “You know Celestia, you weren’t always this…cold!” He began laughing at his own joke. “Don’t you ever think back fondly on the good times we used to have?

Celestia back up and stammered. “T-t-that’s all in the past, Discord! It has no relevance to what’s happening now!”

Discord shook his head. “Tsk tsk.” He looked over at Mega Stallion, who had been standing right next to both of them the whole time. “You’ve been awfully quiet, Blue Bomber. I fully expect you to apologize for the robots of mine that you destroyed so heartlessly. Did you like my shielded robot? I call him…Joe.”

“You’re the one who threw those minor enemies at me? You really dropped the ball on that one, you gave up after I had only beaten a few Robot Masters.”

Discord got a little angry. “And what makes you think you’re so great? You haven’t been doing anything special, you’ve just been jumping and shooting! You should have been named ‘Jump n Shoot Stallion’!” He crossed his arms and turned away, before turning his head back. “And for your information, I had sent other robots, but that infernal blue pony got them before you could.”

Celestia was suddenly very confused. “Another blue pony?”

“There’s too many of us. It’s pretty confusing to an outsider.”

Discord once again snapped his fingers, and a flowchart appeared next to him. He grabbed a pair of glasses and a pointer stick out of nowhere and began to explain. “Well, it’s quite simple. There’s this little loser, standing right there. Then there’s Rainbow Dash. And there’s that one other…I don’t even know who he is, or where he came from. It’s like he doesn’t really exist…No, that’s too crazy, even for me.”

Mega Stallion, insulted by Discord’s comment, turned his coat bright blue and white, and threw a diamond at Discord’s head. He didn’t block that move, and it hit him square on the cheek. He cried out in pain. “You idiot! Perhaps I should turn my attention to you instead!”

“Please do, anything would be better than talking to you! Bring it!”

“That’s it! Time for your final battle, Mega Stallion!” Discord reached out his claws, and ripped a hole in the air, opening a portal to another dimension. “If either of you want to come fight, you will enter through here. Don’t disappoint.” He stepped into his portal, and all was silent.

Mega Stallion looked over at the princess next to him. “Well, it looks like we’ve got a fight to win. Shall we depart?”

“No. I’ve been foolish. I deliberately put my citizens, my subjects, my friends, into harm’s way. And for what? To keep Equestria safe? No, to protect myself. What I’ve been doing was wrong. You, though…you saw my mistakes and wanted to fix them. Your idea of the true enemy may have been wrong, but you knocked some sense into me. I need to stay and help rebuild. This fight is yours.”

“I understand, Princess Celestia. I’ll go in there to stop Discord. Saving Equestria was always my mission, and I won’t let anything stand in my way.” He stepped over to the portal, not knowing or caring what lay beyond.

Celestia reached out to stop him. “One last thing. You’ve been very kind to the opponents you fought. You’ve been careful to make sure they stayed alive, no matter the cost. Do not give Discord that luxury. Kill him.”

Mega Stallion nodded and jumped into the portal. It’s time. It’s all going to end here, right now. No matter the cost, no matter the strain, Discord will fall.

Author's Note

At one point, I had said writing for Rainbow Dash would be fun. I was kinda right. Discord is way better, because I don’t have to make sense. I can write in my natural state of mind.

So there’s no question now. The next chapter will be the final battle. But don’t worry, there’ll be several disappointing sequels *coughMegaMan8cough*.

Chapter 10: ...To Watch You Die

Chapter 10: …To Watch You Die

Seeing what Discord was capable of, Mega Stallion was expecting chaos when he entered the portal. But what he saw wasn’t even comprehendible. Pies flew up through the sky, buffalos tap danced, and ponies were ignoring the laws of gravity. Nothing less from the God of Chaos, I suppose.

“So boy, do you like my home dimension?” A large boulder turned around, revealing Discord sitting in it as a throne. “Thank you Tom, now as for you, Mega Stallion. This is where I live, and I must say, I’ve made the place quite cozy. Don’t you agree?”

“This isn’t a place any sort of sane being would want to live, I can say that.”

“No no, of course not. That would be too boring. Although, to tell the truth, this isn’t quite my real home. When Celestia banished me all those years ago, I took refuge here and called it my own. Ponies tell legends of this place, so perhaps you’ve heard one of its many names. Some call it Hell, I’ve heard it called the Dark World, it’s been identified as the Cyber Maze. Myself, I prefer the name Shivering Isles. Gives it a fancy vibe, and makes me proud to be its king.”

“Well then, perhaps its time for a government overthrow.”

Discord laughed. “You’ve got quite a heart, robot. I’ll be on the other side of this rift. To get to me, you’ll have to fight through the many obstacles I’ll be throwing at you. Think of it as a test, a final exam to see what skills you’ve learned. Better hurry! Because of the dimensional hole that brought you here, time and space are falling apart at the seams. If you survive, I’ll be waiting for you. Don’t disappoint me, Mega Stallion!” Discord faded away, leaving only the sight of the challenges to come.

This is it. One final gauntlet. One final fortress. My determination is at a high, and I can guarantee myself that I will make it through. Mega Stallion went off, ready to face whatever Discord could throw at him.

When Discord had said that he was going to be testing Mega Stallion, he wasn’t exaggerating in any way. Swarms of each type of enemy were barraging him, pinning him, and kicking him when he’s down. But this time, he had an advantage. He began to take full reign of each Master Weapon, deflecting every shot and cutting them all to pieces. Finally, I get to feel the full power of my rewards. So satisfying.

Waves of enemies weren’t the only obstacle he had to worry about. Small platforms floated in the air, where he had to make precision jumps to make it across safely. One misstep, and all his work would be lost. The pits that weren’t bottomless were filled with deadly spikes.

The floating platforms only made up a small portion of the stage. There were also parts that were underwater, where the water was above him, and the waves were on the bottom. Jumping up into the water let him jump higher, instead of sinking. Nothing makes any sort of sense, anything can happen.

A row of spikes adorned the next stretch, and it seemed impossible to traverse. I might have to make a leap of faith, and hope for the best. He stepped back and started running, jumping at the very edge of the safe rock and flew through the air. His descent started only halfway across the spiky area. Gravity reversed only for him, and he landed on the perfectly safe ceiling. Hard to admit through the sheer terror of near death, but this is kinda cool.

At last, in the middle of a small platform, was a tunnel leading down, appearing to curve on its downward fall. So it’s like the Diamond Dogs again. Main difference this time was the many spikes covering all walls of the tunnel. Better maneuver myself carefully. He jumped down, shooting his buster to control his momentum and make it through carefully.

Once the tunnel had ended, he fell for a few more yards before landing on a platform with eight smaller platforms. Discord’s voice began speaking through the air. “Excellent job! I see why Doctor Light counted on you! You’ve made it to what I call the ‘Dr. Discord Teleport System’. Each one of those platforms will take you to a refight against the Robot Masters. Now don’t worry, they aren’t real ponies, so you can fulfill your sadistic tendencies and kill them. This message will self destruct in five seconds.”

“Alright, first off, I highly doubt you’re a doctor in any sense of the word. Even that time pony, I could believe he was a doctor. And how does a spoken message self destruct?” He looked up as a spot in the dark sky exploded. So that’s how. He chose a platform at random, and walked on top as he felt a very different teleport process start.

When he came back into whatever existence he was living, he was in a small, completely boxed-in room. Also standing in the room was Fluttershy, wearing her tree armor. But something was different about her. Her coat and mane were all grayscale, and her face was harsh, instead of her usual kindness. The fake Fluttershy looked at him, smiled evilly, and began taunting him. “Ooh, look at you! You think you’re so tough, that you could defeat us! Well, try it!”

I already know this routine. For her polar opposite change in personality, her fighting pattern didn’t change in the slightest. He was still just as able to beat her down just as easily, even easier now that he not only understood her pattern and fighting in general, he had the Quick Boomerang, cutting her wood to pieces. As the fake fell, he teleported out of the room, ready to face the other seven.

The others fell without too much of a hassle, now that he knew how to counter them with their weaknesses. Twilight’s magic was reflected by Jewel Satellite, Derpy’s bubbles were popped by Magic Card, Rainbow Dash slowed to a halt by Time Slow, Applejack’s plants were poisoned by Bubble Lead, Pinkie Pie’s electrics couldn’t conduct through Plant Barrier, and Rarity got her jewels scratched by Leaf Shield. That just left one Robot Master left.

I’m guessing I’m going to have to have a real fight against the Doctor. Let’s see how well that goes. He stepped on the final teleport platform, and he saw the Time Pony standing there, in utter madness. “Do you hear them? They never stop, they just keep beating. Tap-tap-tap-tap. All the time!”

Mega Stallion held out a hoof. “Doctor, what are you talking about? What sounds?”

“The sounds of drums! I hear them in my head all the time. It’s driving me insane!” The bells on his head began ringing, and time slowed down as he ran forward.

All of these Robot Masters seem to work on a weakness system. One’s weapon is another’s weakness, weaknesses never repeat. Therefore, his weakness should be…Mega Stallion mentally ran through all the weapons he had. “Thunder Claw!” He grabbed the Doctor with his electric whip, wrapping it around his neck. The voltage increased as time began to move at normal speed.

Just as he thought the fight would be over easy, the Discorded Doctor pointed a hoof at Mega Stallion, firing out the Clock Laser. Why didn’t I get that weapon? It looks more useful. He decided to use the Thunder Claw the same way Pinkie did to get an advantage. He slammed his hooves into the rock ground, and saw them pop up halfway across the room to wrap around Time Stallion’s legs. He sent the electricity through, ending the battle.

Now back in the main teleport hub, Mega Stallion noticed a now ninth teleport platform. This one must lead to Discord. He mentally prepared himself for his true final battle, and stepped in.

He reappeared in an open room, a large throne sitting in front of him. Discord was sitting in it, stroking a pink pony with screwy eyes and a propeller cap in his lap. When he saw that Mega Stallion had arrived, he picked the pony up. “Alright Screwball, time for you to go. Be sure to come back once I’ve won!”

The pony began flying off, despite not having wings. “Alright daddy! Beat that tin can down!”

Mega Stallion waited a few seconds for Screwball to leave. “So, you really think you can win this? Because I’ve got a very specific set of skills, perfect for beating you.”

“You really think you can beat a god? I control everything, all the universe is a playtoy between my fingers. A small metal block like you wouldn’t stand a chance!”

“You want to try it? Then let’s get started! Let the final battle begin!” He decided to start the fight in a way to give himself something to work with. Time Slow now active, he ran towards Discord, who moved out of the way.

“Attempting to give yourself an advantage by slowing down time! Excellent in theory, but I’ve just accelerated my personal time flow. So, you’ve done nothing. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

So, he’s taunting me. He’s hoping that I’ll lose my focus. Then he’s got a surprise coming. He activated Thunder Claw and attacked.

Discord moved one of his legs apart, and lifted his arms upwards, removing a boulder sized chunk of rock from the ground. He hovered it in front of him, blocking the electricity. “I thought a lab assistant would understand that rock doesn’t conduct electricity very well!”

“No, but metal sure does!” He pulled out Quick Boomerangs, charged them all with Thunder Claw, and fired them at the boulder. The boomerangs were sharp enough to cut through the earth and slice their target.

Discord cried out in pain. Not only did the boomerangs cut him, the charge shocked him, electrocuting hair onto his head, spread out to the sides, looking even more insane. He began laughing maniacally. “You’ve been doing quite well! Now it’s my turn!” He pulled out a glass, filled it from the top down with chocolate milk, drank the glass, and threw the milk.

Anticipating that this attack would actually be dangerous, he slid out of the way, watching the milk land, explode, and combust. I’m actually starting to think chaotic. That should help me out. Discord countered his dodge by throwing a pie, which Mega Stallion countered one step further with Jewel Satellite.

“You always use Jewel Satellite! Why don’t you ever give love to good old Leaf Shield! Or Plant Barrier! I’ve always liked Plant Barrier.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault some of the shield weapons are inherently better than others. Jewel Satellite is made of the strongest materials, so it blocks better.”

“You dare insult my opinion? I won’t hold back any longer! You’re going to die, right now!”

He’s really going insane. That hair makes him look like a mad scientist. I’m dealing with a true god here, I’m going to need to be more creative with my weapon usage. He pulled out the Magic Card and began firing at Discord, who just yawned as they hit him, cut into him, and boomeranged back, each carrying an orb of purple energy.

“You know how the Magic Card works, correct? It strikes the enemy, and returns carrying their weapon or life energy.”

“Thanks for the information, Discord. So I can assume that this is your life energy?” He had the retuned Magic Card in his magic, examining the purple energy it had stolen. “It makes sense that it would be shaped like a skull.”

The skull started moving, expanding, and engulfed Mega Stallion in its power. Discord laughed and called out. “My lifeblood is made entirely of what I like to call ‘Evil Energy’. You’ve been trapped by it. You have no escape! You’ve failed! Equestria is mine!”

Mega Stallion struggled to look up at the God of Chaos, who was ready to deliver the final strike. I’ve only got one shot left before I’m done with. But any direct shot I do wouldn’t be enough to beat him. I’m going to need to think…different. He looked up at the stalactites hanging above them, and knew what to do. He switched back to his normal buster. He charged and fired at the ceiling.

Discord noticed his shot. “You had one chance! You had one chance to stop me, and you failed! What kind of self-proclaimed hero are you?” In his insanity and anger, Discord failed to realize Mega Stallion’s plan. One of the rocks was hit at the base by his plasma shot, and began shaking and cracking.

Discord began charging up his own final blow. He put both of his arms behind him to the side, a blue energy ball forming between them. It kept getting larger as the stalactite on the ceiling was getting looser. As the energy was reaching its maximum size, the rock broke off the ceiling and fell straight on a collision course with Discord.

“I hope you like this little move I learned! Kame…” His battle cry was cut short by the big and heavy rock hitting his head directly. The weight made him fall to the ground, nearly unconscious. His sudden lack of focus was enough to let Mega Stallion break free from the Evil Energy that was binding him. He walked over to Discord, who was now on his hands and knees.

Discord looked up at the blue robot standing next to him, ready to deliver the killing blow. Discord began begging for mercy. “Please Mega Stallion, don’t! I’m sorry for what I’ve done! Please, I know it’s not you to do something like this! Spare my life, and I promise I won’t bother you again!”

“Why should I trust you? I know about your history, Discord! You’re all about tricks and games, turning ponies against one another! You’ve got no credibility. And I’m under orders from Princess Celestia to make sure you don’t make it out of here alive.” His shot was charged, ready to fire, both so in the moment that they were unaware the rest of the ceiling was collapsing. A large chunk fell, crushing Discord. Before he could take it in, Mega Stallion was also crushed by another rock, leaving only his head free. His power system damaged, all he could was watch for a brief few seconds before he passed out.

Both completely out of it, neither was able to notice a pony in the shadows come in. “Where’s Discord?” He noticed the two boulders, and Mega Stallion’s head sticking out. Fearing the worst, he broke the boulder crushing him, looking at his unconscious body. “Oh no, too late.” He grabbed Mega Stallion, and teleported the two of them out.

Author's Note

So, this is the Thanksgiving Special. You could tell, couldn’t you? I’m thankful for Season 3 not completely messing up my canon (although I now know would play Infinity Mijinion in a Mega Man X story). I’m also thankful for Nicktoons, playing an Avatar marathon when I need to get this story written. Helped me focus, that’s for sure.

Wait, what? You thought I would thank my loyal readers? Hmmm…nah, you don’t deserve it. I did all the work.

But seriously, thanks. You guys got me over 1,000 views. Can you get me into the popular story box? Probably not, but this will do.

Epilogue Part 1: Always Choose to Continue

He opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the small, clean room that surrounded him. Looking around, he noticed the computers with flashing lights and various pieces of lab equipment. He pieced together that he was back in Doctor Light’s lab.

He attempted to stand up, trying to get his motor skills working. As soon as he was standing upright, he began to examine his body. He noticed his cyan colored coat, in perfect condition. He also noticed that he was back to his old lab assistant attire, no longer wearing his Mega Stallion armor. I guess that makes me nothing more than Rock once again.

Despite what he was seeing, what he was feeling, he still wasn’t able to process one simple fact. “I’m alive. Somehow, I faced death and survived. It shouldn’t be possible. I died in the Chaos Realm. Even if I didn’t, who brought me back? I should have been stuck.”

The door to the room opened, and his sister immediately ran in to hug him. She was close to tears, exclaiming, “Rock, you’re okay! You’re alive!”

Rock hugged her back. “I know, Roll. I’m having a hard time believing it myself.” He looked over at Doctor Light, who had also entered the room. “Doctor Light, how did I survive? How did I get back here?”

“I’m not sure, Rock. Hours after you had left for Canterlot, we found you unconscious outside the building. We brought you inside and repaired you. Your damages were severe, but you seem to be in perfect working order. I also removed your armor, since reports are indicating that you succeeded in your task.”

Rock laughed a little. “Well, sort of. I did save Equestria, but things were a lot different than any of us imagined.” He went on to explain about his fights against the Mega Stallion Killers, the Captain of the Guard, and the two Princesses. He told of how Discord was the one behind the whole disaster, and how he had gone into the Chaos Realm to stop him.

Once his story was finished, Doctor Light was even more confused. “If you had gone into an entirely different dimension, it only raises further questions as to how you got back. Was it one of the products of the chaos? Perhaps somepony followed you in? Nevertheless, we are both proud of you, Rock. You took the odds of fighting the Lord of Chaos, and still risked it for the good of the country. You’ve done far more than I expected when I built you.”

“Yeah…the first time me and Roll went down to Maresteropolis, she told me that I was destined for greatness. You built me to help you around here, but you knew I would be doing so much more. I didn’t understand what she had meant at the time, but now I see. I was a true advancement in robotics, and now it seems I’m an advancement in all of ponykind. I wanted to do something nopony else could, and I proved myself. I’m a true hero now, a pony who understands what it means to be free.”

“Yes, you’ve grown into far more than either of us had expected. You’re not just a robot that stopped Discord. You’re a symbol now, an icon of the brave.”

Roll chipped in. “Someday, parents will be telling their foals the story of the brave blue robot who only wanted to do what’s right. And the kids will say, ‘That’s the pony I want to grow up to be like.’”

“I suppose it’s good that I’m admirable, but I hope the kids leave out the whole killing part of the job. That’s a part of history that never needs to be repeated.”

Once the conversation had finished, all three of them went out to the main room of the lab, where they began looking at the current news. Unsurprisingly, nearly every single piece of news was about the blue pony that had reportedly saved Equestria. The princesses were to hold a conference about what had truly happened over the past few days, as the actual facts were few and far between.

Rock and Doctor Light stepped outside to watch the sun set over the horizon. “This is just like the day I was activated. We stepped out here, watched the sun set, and you explained everything I needed to know about Equestria. It wasn’t even a month ago, and yet it feels like a year. Everything was just so different back then. I was just a barely existing robot built to be a lab assistant, and I’m already the robot that took the responsibility of Equestria onto his shoulders, and somehow survived.”

“Rock, I understand that you’re still concerned about how you made it back here. It’s a sign of the curious nature that science requires. But the truth is, it doesn’t matter. You made it back to us, that’s all I care about.”

“Thank you, Doctor Light. I guess we’ll never know the truth to this story.” Once he had finished talking, the two of them heard something off in the distance. Focusing on the sound, they realized it was whistling. “That’s the same whistle that blue stranger made.” He looked over at Doctor Light, who was looking for the source of the sound. “Doctor Light, what is it?”

“That whistle, that blue stranger…it must have been Blues!” He looked back at Rock, who clearly didn’t understand what he was talking about. Doctor Light ran back inside, and came back out a minute later carrying a dusty old journal with his magic. “All the information you need to know is in here.”

Rock opened up the journal, trying to find something about this ‘Blues’. He flipped to a page, dated April 8, 198X.

So far, experiments are going well. Chemicals are combining to properly carry both energy and oil, essentially creating robot blood. This is the sort of problems that have plagued other scientists in attempting to create artificial life. Of course, I couldn’t have done this without the help of my colleague and best friend, Wily. He’s been a great help in all of my work, and I hope that we will be a great scientific pair in the future.

Rock turned to another page, this one from February 16, 199X.

The artificial intelligence is still causing problems, but the proper mechanics for the physical body of a robot are complete. They are sturdy and durable, proper materials for the heavy physical labor they will be doing. They will become trusted allies of ponies, doing the work that would be too dangerous for living creatures. Still, I can’t help but feel a pang of guilt knowing the robots are being built to be disposable. They are my creations, and I wouldn’t feel right sending them to die.

Just watch, Emily. Someday, these robots will become big. They will become a part of common Equestrian life, and we can live a perfect life together.

Doctor Light had long since walked back inside, and Rock was looking at a journal entry from June 4, 200X, approximately 10 years ago.

The simple AI is now complete. The robots can now perform basic tasks, without thinking. It’s enough for labor, but I would prefer that the robots be equals. But I suppose that’s only wishful thinking. Programming a proper brain would be nearly impossible. Doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying, though.

Emily, I know you can’t read this, but I just want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t have done something to help you. So just know that I’m doing all of this for you, in your honor.

Rock wanted to stop reading and ask who Emily was, but he knew that it was something that he had no business knowing. It wouldn’t be right to try and learn about something that could only be painful to Doctor Light. He instead turned to the page dated January 3, 20XX, only about 2 years ago.

Success! I’ve finally done it! I’ve finally created the perfect robot! His design is perfect and his programming is fully functional. If I wasn’t his creator, I would swear he was a real pony. I’ve named him Blues, as I have quite a soft spot for music. Unfortunately, he seems to suffer from a fatal problem. His solar core has a defect, which will eventually kill him. I’m not entirely sure if I can fix it, but it doesn’t seem to bother Blues. He’s living his life as a simple assistant. It’s too bad I could only make him an earth pony, but pegasi and unicorns are too difficult to properly emulate. Maybe someday in the future. But for now, this prototype robot is a milestone in the field of robotics, and I consider him to be my son.

“So, Blues was the first living robot that Doctor Light created. That makes him my older brother, I suppose. So why haven’t I heard of him before now?” He turned to the last page in the journal, May 16, 20XX, only 5 months after Blues’ creation.

I can’t believe it. After all of my research, Blues ran off. I had finally figured out how to repair his solar core, but he refused. As it turns out, his defect was interfering with his programming, removing his compliance to the Three Laws of Robotics. He has true free will now, and I fear what he could do with that kind of freedom. He said that he would rather die than give up his free will, and left. Not only that, he stole some parts for military projects I had abandoned long ago. It seems that he installed them into his own body, implying he plans to go into fighting. I fear I may never see him again, and he will break down somewhere far off, all alone, without anypony who cares about him like I do. Even if I make other robots that I could call my children, they will never truly replace Blues.

Rock looked up at the night sky, up at the full moon. “Blues, you’re still alive out there. How did you know who I was? How did you know I needed help? And why won’t you come back to be repaired? Free will is a beautiful thing, but is it worth death? I don’t want to lose a brother I barely knew I had.”

He closed the journal and walked back inside the lab, placing the book on a table next to Doctor Light, who was already busy at work drawing the schematics for a hypothetical upgrade to Rock, one who would be a true equal to ponies. The top of the page labeled the project as “X”. Neither of them said a word as Rock walked out of the room to think about everything that had happened to him, and everything he knew. He could only hope that things would make sense, and soon.

Epilogue Part 2: I Am Not the Break Man

Rock, Roll, and Doctor Light were all standing in the main event hall of Canterlot Castle, the same room where Mega Stallion had previously fought the Mega Stallion Killers and Shining Armor around a week before. At the conference the princesses had held, they both explained about how Discord had once again escaped from his prison, and how the Elements of Harmony were unable to stop him. They gave thanks to Mega Stallion for taking the initiative and saving Equestria.

Once the entire population knew the story, it didn’t take long before it was discovered that Mega Stallion was Doctor Light’s creation, and that his civilian name was Rock. The idea of holding a celebration for his heroics was quickly put together, and the three of them were the guests of honor.

Besides being the center of attention among the guests, Rock stood out in more ways than one. He wore a tuxedo, much like many of the male attendees, but over it, he was wearing a sheath carrying the Captain of the Guard’s sword. Seeing as how this was a large-scale event, he was expecting Shining Armor to be there to retrieve it.

Roll, wearing a fancy red party dress, came up next to Rock. “What’s wrong? This is a party, thrown in your honor. You should be more excited!”

“I am excited! It’s just…it’s more than a little awkward to be attending a party in the exact same room where I fought four different ponies. Not to mention, it’s in my honor, the honor of the pony who defeated fourteen ponies to achieve his victory. And every single one of them seems to be here.”

“Well then, this seems to be the perfect time to apologize and make amends, doesn’t it? Just go up to all of them and say you’re sorry. I’m sure they’ll all understand. Maybe you’ll even make some new friends.”

Rock considered it. “You know Roll, you’re right! This is my chance to show my previous opponents that I’m a good guy. After all, nearly all of them never met me outside of battle. This could be my only chance to set things right.”

He looked around the room, trying to separate his previous targets from the Canterlot nobles who had also shown up. The first one he noticed was Rarity, talking with one of the nobles. He trotted over to her. “Hello Rarity.”

She studied him for a minute, and came up blank. “I’m sorry, have we met before? I don’t recognize you.”

Rock realized that his normal outfit looked drastically different from his combat armor. “Probably should have introduced myself better. I’m Rock, but you probably remember me as Mega Stallion.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh right! You look so different when you aren’t fighting! Things were pretty crazy in the tunnels, weren’t they?” She looked over at the stallion she was previously talking with. “Fancy Pants, would you excuse us for just a minute?” He nodded, and walked away.

Rock studied Rarity, who was quite possibly the most well-dressed pony in the entire room. “I must say, your outfit looks really good. But your armor, I’m sorry, it was beaten in how good that looked. Rainbow Dash officially had the best.”

“Yes, the Jewel Armor was a bit gaudy, but I still did like the absolutely positive shine it gave off.”

“Oh, it shined, all right. Nearly blinded me when I walked into the room.”

“I can’t help it if you came in at a moment with incredibly bad lighting. So, why did you come to talk to me? Judging by the one time we met, we hardly seem like we would be friendly.”

“I just wanted to apologize. Even if I had a job I needed to do, I still felt really bad about fighting other ponies who were only doing their jobs for the same reasons I was.”

“Well, it was very nice of you to be such a gentlestallion about the whole ordeal. Just so you know, I haven’t forgotten about the little deal you made. Now that I’ve met the real you, you seem like you would be a good date.”

Rock suddenly remembered his comment about possibly going on a date with Rarity once the war was over. He suddenly didn’t know what to say, and began looking nervously around the room. He found a way out of the conversation. “Well, I see Fluttershy over there, so I should probably go talk to her. Nice talking to you.” He walked away as quickly as possible.

Approaching Fluttershy, he began talking. “Hey Fluttershy, it’s me, Rock.”

She yelped quietly, and jumped a foot into the air. When she landed, she looked over at Rock. “Oh, h-hello.”

“So, are you always this jumpy? I figured you were just nervous because all of Equestria was at stake.”

“I’m sorry. I’m really shy. It has nothing to do with you. But, our first impressions could have been better.”

“I know. I just came over to apologize. You were only following orders, and it was my first fight. I entered a little hot-tempered, and got really mad at you for something that wasn’t your fault. I should thank you, though. You gave me a frame of reference for what to expect from my other fights, and I got some basic combat training from you.”

Fluttershy wasn’t expecting such a sincere apology. “Oh! Well, thank you. I’m happy I could help. It certainly didn’t seem like helping at the time.”

“It sure didn’t. I need to go talk with the rest of your friends. So far, I’ve only spoken with Rarity. Do you know where any of the others are?”

Fluttershy pointed over at the tables, but all Rock could see were the Wonderbolts. Upon further inspection, he noticed Rainbow Dash looking at them from a distance. He walked over to her.

Rock walked back over to Roll. “Well, I got pretty much everypony I wanted to talk to. Do you know where Twilight Sparkle is?”

“She’s been talking with Doctor Light since you walked off. She’s incredibly interested in the work he’s done. Maybe she’d like to really meet his accomplishment?”

“I don’t think so. She’s giving Doctor Light the attention he deserves after all his hard work. I need to find her brother so I can give him this sword back.” He walked off to find Shining Armor, looking out one of the large windows for a brief second. Outside was a dark silhouette. While he found it confusing, Rock didn’t think anything of it, until he saw its scarf flapping in the wind. “There’s only one pony that could be.”

He walked up the main staircase, looking for a window to get onto the roof. In his search, he passed through a hall of stained glass windows, each depicting a scene from Equestrian history. Most notably, he saw one of him firing a plasma shot at Discord. “It’s only been a week. How fast can Celestia get these made?” Eventually finding a normal window, he opened it, and stepped out onto the roof.

Outside, he finally saw him up close. Standing on the roof, looking at the horizon was his brother, Blues. “Blues! It’s me, Rock!”

Blues held up a hoof. “I could tell. Light installs tracking chips into all of us. I removed mine, but I was still able to find you.”

“Well, that explains it, then. I was wondering how you always knew when I needed help. Which brings up the most important question: Why did you help me? I’ve heard you don’t have the best relationship with Doctor Light, so why assist me?”

“You’re right, I don’t have much respect for Light. But I found out what you were doing, and I was impressed. You may be a robot, but you’re showing off quite a heart. I suppose only a brother of mine would show so much life.”

“You ran away from home 2 years ago. What have you been doing all this time?”

“I’ve started a life in Ponyville. The locals think I’m just a normal pony, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. I’m living what I consider to be a perfect life for a robot, one where nopony knows that you’re just a robot. I’d be willing to believe it myself.”

“Except that you’ve got a buster for a hoof. If you wanted to just be a normal pony, why did you bother taking the weapon? That’s not what normal ponies do.”

“I understand, but the world can be a dangerous place. You and I both saw it. I like to be prepared for any sort of danger. If it wasn’t for my preparedness, you’d be dead right now.”

“You ran away. You disagreed with Doctor Light’s ideas and caring nature. You’ve been trying to sever any ties with who you really are. Yet, you accept it once again to save me.”

“Don’t think of it as something personal. I was only doing the right thing. You’re the warrior robot, you were the only one who could save Equestria. And as a normal citizen, it was my job to help. I would have done the same thing if it was anypony else in your place.”

“You can say that, Blues, but I know that deep down, you care about your brother. Admit it.”

“Maybe I respect you, only a little. You may be a robot bound by programming, but you act like a real pony. And you somehow live life under Light. It takes bravery to survive under him.”

“Doctor Light is a nice pony. He misses you and worries about you. He wrote about how he could never replace you, no matter what other robots he built.”

“Aw, how sweet.” Blues was speaking pretty sarcastically. “Tell Light I’m doing fine. I don’t need to talk to him or keep in any sort of contact, but my life is good.”

“I’ll be sure to relay the message. It’s been nice talking with you, I just have one more question. When I was in the Chaos Realm, how did you rescue me?”

“There’s more than one entrance into the Chaos Realm. At least, there was when Discord was tearing all existence apart. Thankfully, that ‘Doctor’ pony was there to fix the damages.”

“It’s been great talking to you, Blues. Are you sure you don’t want to come back with us? Doctor Light can fix you up. Please, I’ve barely met you. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Don’t worry. I’m invincible, no matter what. I’ll live my life however I see fit, whatever Light thinks doesn’t matter to me. Nothing really does.”

Rock looked at Blues one last time, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He didn’t know if Blues felt the same way, as his eyes were covered by sunglasses. “Is there a reason you’re wearing your sunglasses at night?” When he looked back at Blues, he saw that he was no longer there. He walked over to where Blues was standing, and looked off to the distance.

Back on the ground, Celestia was looking for him. She wanted to give proper and personal thanks to him. When nopony could tell him where he was, she walked outside to try and find him. A group of ponies all followed her, trying to locate the hero. They all looked around outside, but none of them could find him. Luna was looking up at her moon, when she noticed something high up. “Look, up on the roof!”

All the ponies looked to where Luna was pointing, and sure enough, Rock was standing on the roof of the castle, his hair blowing in the wind. It was a pose that none of them would ever forget.

Off in the distance, Blues was standing in a tree, looking at his brother. He held his hoof up in the air. “Fight, Mega Stallion. For everlasting peace.”

The End

Author's Note

(Note: this part should be sung to the tune of The Megas’ “Look What You’ve Done”)

This is the end, my friends.

This is the end, but I’ll be back again, when the time is right.

And good night! I’ll return to help burn your favorite ponies down.

You’ve help build our fandom, you’ve forced my contribution.

This story’s now ending, my tales are just beginning!

I’ll learn from what you’ve told me, I’ve got more for you to read!

(Alright, you can stop singing now)

Well, this has been an experience. My first fanfiction. I’m pretty pleased with how it came out. I’d like to thank my loyal readers, for getting me a kind of notability (my all-time high for story views, according to the chart, was 42). I’ve got plenty more stories I want to start writing. Most likely, the first will be a holiday special. And then, a story for a very different audience. So once again, thank you, good night, and game over.

Chapter 1: Super Fighting Robot

Mega Man: Operation Ponyville

Chapter 1-Super Fighting Robot

He opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the small, clean room that surrounded him. Looking around him, he noticed computers with their flashing lights and various other pieces of lab equipment. All of it was incredibly high-tech.

He attempted to stand up, trying to get his motor skills working. As soon as he was sitting upright, he began to examine his own body. He noticed his cyan colored coat and his hooves. So I’m a pony, he thought to himself. He attempted to get himself fully standing, wobbling a fair bit in the process. His control over his own movements was still somewhat disconnected.

Once he was standing steady, he began the daunting task of walking. Again, he struggled with putting himself in motion, but he got the hang of it pretty quick. He walked over to a nearby mirror to examine himself further. He saw that he had blue eyes, darker than his coat, and a dark brown mane. Coming out of his forehead was a long protrusion, which seemed to have a mind of its own. He could feel pure energy collecting behind it.

He attempted to use this energy on an empty beaker across the room, and was overjoyed when it was surrounded by a yellow aura and began to move. However, his excitement quickly turned to fear when the beaker flew towards him, seemingly out of his control. Faster than should have been possible, his head jerked out of the way, and the beaker shattered on the wall behind him.

Moving his head back to its original location, he noticed a symbol above his hind leg, depicting a beaker similar to the one that was now lying in pieces a few feet away. Just as he began to question it, the door to the room opened. He looked at the visitor, seeing a brown pony with a grayed mane and a long beard. Aside from the coat and hair, something about this stranger reminded him of himself, mostly due to the same head protrusion.

The old stallion began to speak. “I understand that you must have a lot of questions, so I’ll start by answering the most important ones. Your name is Rock, and I am Doctor Light. I am the one who designed and built you, my star creation.”

Rock was surprised. “I’m only a creation? I’m not a living pony?” It didn’t seem to add up. He knew that he wasn’t just a soulless machine, he could feel and think.

“You aren’t just a simple creation. I programmed you with a sort of emulated free will. You’re as close to organic as any robot that has ever been created. You can feel, make decisions, and have your own sense of right and wrong.” Doctor Light was pleased that his innovation was finally working correctly, after a few failed attempts.

Light walked to the door, beckoning for Rock to follow him. “Come. I have a lot to teach you, my son,” smiling as he said those final words. Rock eagerly followed his…father. Yeah, father, he thought, coming to terms with this revelation.

The two of them walked outside Light’s small cottage, where the sun was just beginning to set. Rock stared in wonderment at the sun’s rays spreading across the nearby city, reaching the few trees that surrounded them. I’ve never seen such beauty. Okay, I haven’t seen much at all, but this is amazing. Does the world get more beautiful than this? However, putting these thoughts into articulate words proved to be difficult. “It’s…amazing!”

Light chuckled. “Yes Rock. When Celestia’s sun hits that perfect spot across the horizon, there’s not a better feeling in the world. Except, of course, the feeling of finally having a son to call my own.”

Rock would have blushed if he was capable, and if his mind wasn’t racing with even more questions. It was time to get some answers. “You mentioned a ‘Celestia’. Who or what is that?”

Doctor Light went into a long discussion on the royal pony sisters, and how they were the ones who controlled the sun and the moon. It quickly turned into the world of Equestria, the various pony races, and their roles in society. Rock now understood that he was a unicorn, and how he moved/smashed the beaker earlier. He didn’t understand the physics on how unicorn magic could be accurately replicated inside a machine, but he had more pressing thoughts on his mind.

After hours of explanations, when Luna’s moon was high in the sky, Rock only had one last question that needed to be answered. “So what’s the reason for this beaker symbol on my flank? You’ve got the same one, what does it mean?”

“That is what’s known as a cutie mark. Bit of a silly name, I know. On normal ponies, it appears when they discover their special talent. When I was a young colt, I found my love for science, and knew what I wanted to do with my life. I gave you the same mark because I designed you to be a lab assistant.”

Rock was a little surprised. Not by his purpose, that made sense, but by the idea that everypony was pre-destined to do a certain job from the day they were born. Robots were the ones that weren’t supposed to have a free will, so what made them different from the ponies? But before he could ask this question, the front door to the cottage opened up, and a pegasus mare was standing in the frame.

“Doctor, what are you still doing out here? Do you have any idea what time it is,” she yelled. Turning her attention towards Rock, her attitude didn’t seem to get any softer. “And he’s already functional? When did you think it would be a good time to tell me my brother’s awake?”

I have a sister? How did that never come up in conversation? “Nice to meet you, I’m Rock. Or did you already know that? What’s your name?” He wanted to hopefully calm her down, but his words didn’t seem to have an effect on her.

Doctor Light stepped forward to explain himself. “I’m sorry, Roll, you were busy cleaning up, and I guess I put you out of mind for the time being. But can you blame me? Rock seems to be fully functional, including the emulated free will unit and magic energy capsule. It’s like all of my wildest dreams are finally a reality.”

Roll’s harsh expression faded, replaced by one of comfort. “I’m proud of you, Doctor, but you didn’t have to leave me out of this. Just come inside, you need your rest after a successful day.”

All three of them walked inside, and Rock got a better look at his sister in the light. She was a pink pegasus, with long blond hair and a red dress that extended past her flank, hiding her cutie mark. She’s a bit temperamental, but she’s got a good heart. I hope she warms up to me at some point, Rock thought as he closed the front door and the house fell asleep.

---------------------------------------------One week later--------------------------------------------

“Rock and Roll, could you please come in here,” Doctor Light called. His two children were quick to show, ready to help the good doctor.

“Yes Doctor Light, what is it,” Rock asked. In the week that he had been active, he had gotten settled into his role as a lab assistant. He spent most of his time working, helping with any odds and ends that arose in the lab. He hadn’t gotten to do any important work yet, but with the Doctor’s dream realized, he wasn’t sure if that day would ever come.

“I don’t seem to have some of the parts I need for the experiment I’m working on. Could you two go into Maresteropolis and get them for me?”

Rock was excited, more so than he should have been for a simple errand. It was his first time going into the city, going into normal pony society. Roll, on the other hand, wasn’t as pleased. This was the sort of work she was used to doing. After receiving a list of what they needed to get, and the bits to do so, they left the cottage and walked towards the city.

Trotting (or, in Roll’s case, hovering) towards civilization, Rock took a good look at his sister. He had been right when he first saw her; she was an incredibly kind pony beneath her titanium shell. She was nice, caring, and willing to help however she could. In a short week’s time, the two of them developed the same bond that any brother and sister share. Still, there were a few things about her he didn’t know, and this seemed like a good time to ask. They had a long trip ahead of them.

Looking at her wings flapping above him, it made sense to start there. “Why do you think that Doctor Light made you a pegasus, but me a unicorn?”

“We aren’t his first attempts at creating life from inside a machine, you know. Back then, he didn’t fully understand how he could replicate wings or magic inside a robot, so he started with earth ponies. Once he figured out how to achieve liftoff with a metal body, he made me. Emulating magic took more work, and you’re the first success in that field.” Rock cringed, thinking about what could have happened to the failures.

“So what were you created for? I’ve never seen you do weather work, like most pegasi do.” Despite their relative closeness, Rock still had no idea what Roll’s special talent was.

“Being a pegasus has nothing to do with my talent. I was just created to help around the lab, mostly cleanup work. Doctor Light just figured he could make me a pegasus and kill two birds with one stone.” She slightly lifted her dress, revealing her cutie mark, a broom.

The two of them made it to town, bought the items they needed, and started to head back. Along the way, they made casual greetings with the ponies they passed. Rock was expecting some sort of acknowledgement of his robotic state from the strangers, but it never came. Am I really indistinguishable from all the normal ponies? Is my programming that good? They stopped on a bridge overlooking the river that passed through town, Rock still lost in thought.

Roll noticed her brother looking lazily off in the distance. “Are you okay, Rock? You don’t seem to be focused on…anything, actually.”

“I was just thinking, Roll. When I came into the city, I was expecting to be recognized as just a robot, but it never happened. Am I really that close to being organic?” He only hoped that she could provide some sort of answer.

Roll looked at him, in serious wonderment on how he seemed so…perfect. “You know that you’re special, Rock. You aren’t just Doctor Light’s first success in making a robot that acts like a living pony. You’re the first in all of Equestria. You represent how far the field of robotics has come.”

Rock honestly didn’t know how important he was. “Why didn’t Doctor Light tell me, then? Why didn’t he tell me I was a serious advancement?”

“Doctor Light is a modest stallion. He appreciates the work he does, but he doesn’t need recognition for it. He’s perfectly happy just knowing that’s he done a good job.” The two of them resumed their walk back to the cottage as the sun hung directly above them. “You could be so much more than a lab assistant, Rock. You’re capable of being pretty much anything. You’re destined for greatness in the future, and Doctor Light knows it.”

Around the same time, far away in Canterlot, Celestia’s gardens seemed to shake under a sudden presence of raw power. It all emanated from a statue that stood in the center of a hedge maze. It began to glow and crack as it released an evil laugh, letting Equestria know it was finally free once again.

Chapter 5: Flashy Suit, Flashy Stage/Timey Wimey Tower

Mega Stallion looked over the plain that stretched in front of him. Aside from a few trees, everything was dirt. Holes littered the whole ground, each leading deep into an underground cave. Looking down into any hole yielded only darkness. And that’s straight where he was going.

“Doctor Light, I’m ready to head underground. Any specific hole I should be going into?”

“All of them should lead to the same place, so just jump wherever you’d like. The drop will be far, but your titanium body structure means you’ll land without a problem. But reports say that these caves are home to the Diamond Dogs, a gang of vicious jewel-hunting thieves. You’re going to need to neutralize them without killing them.”

“Considering my abilities, Doctor Light, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” He jumped down the shaft, and after a solid 30 seconds of falling, landed, creating a shockwave that threatened to bring the walls down. Thankfully, they didn’t, and he noticed that the caves were unusually bright. Looking closer, he saw that it was due to the gems embedded in the walls. They illuminated the room, revealing that there were multiple tunnels that he could proceed down.

Mega Stallion sat down to decide which tunnel he should go through. There doesn’t seem to be anything marking one tunnel as better, and they could all go to different places. Hoping for some kind of help or map, he attempted to call Doctor Light, getting no response. I guess my distance underground is blocking the transmitter. I’m on my own, just when I need assistance.

He was indecisive on where to go. All of the tunnels looked the same, and any path could be wrong. Wait…Doctor Light said there were Diamond Dogs in these tunnels. They’d probably know where the one pony down here would be. And since they’re jewel thieves, they’re probably…He spun around, pointing at the tunnel with the most gems, …through here!

Walking through the caves, the constant branching paths never seemed to let up. He was always paying attention to where gems were concentrated, endlessly walking through the maze. Caves went in all directions, with tunnels on all sides, the ground, and even the ceiling. I’m going to go insane if something doesn’t happen soon.

As if on cue, he heard scratching sounds in the distance. It quickly escalated into running and loud barking. That must be the Diamond Dogs. Time to get some directions. He readied himself for a fight, but was interrupted by a Diamond Dog pouncing on him from a tunnel in the ceiling. Momentarily pinned, Mega Stallion watched more guards swarming into the room. By the time he had thrown off the one on him, he was surrounded. Knowing there was no way he could fight them all off without killing, he surrendered himself.

Without tying him up or doing anything to restrain him, the Diamond Dog guards took Mega Stallion as their prisoner. They’re not the smartest. This is going to be too easy. He was taken to three Diamond Dogs that looked completely different than the multitude of guards, which were all tall and muscular. One of the leaders was short, one was tall, and the last was muscular. Must be the leaders. He stood up to question them. “I’ve been told there’s a threat to Equestria being harbored in these tunnels. I request that you hand them over to me, or there’s going to be trouble.”

The leaders laughed. The tall one asked, “Why should we care? We have no relation with those filthy ponies. Let Equestria fall!”

The short one elbowed him in the leg, clearly worried. “Quiet! What if Miss Rarity heard you? Do you want her to start complaining again?” All three of them shuddered.

The muscular one contemplated for a second. “Wait. Blue one, you came here to defeat the pony, right?”

Mega Stallion nodded. “Yes, there’s a group of ponies planning to bring down Equestria, and it’s my duty to stop them.”

All three of the leaders got down on their knees, begging. The tall one spoke. “Then please, stop Miss Rarity! Get her out of our tunnels!”

This is easier than I thought. I’m probably never going to get the cooperative ones again. “Thank you very much. Can you bring me to her?”

They pointed down one of the caves. “Go down there, and keep going straight. Just hurry,” the short one exclaimed.

Mega Stallion nodded and began walking. They really want me to help. I wonder what’s so bad about this ‘Rarity’. It sounds like she’s a dangerous complainer. I’ve got this one cut out for me. As he turned a corner, he was suddenly hit with a bright shine. After his eyes adjusted, he saw that it came from a pony in diamond armor examining other jewels. “You must be Rarity. You’ve really got those Diamond Dogs on your little leash.”

Rarity turned to face the stallion talking to her. “What can I say? They’re very useful at finding these fabulous gems for me.”

“So, you’re the type that cares about looks and fashion? Well, your armor is the least stupid I’ve seen so far, so I’ll give you that.”

Rarity’s eyes half-closed. “Well, you’re not so bad looking yourself. Tell me, why did you come down here in the first place?”

“Believe it or not, I came down here, facing the Diamond Dogs looking for you.” He could tell she was flirting with him, and just felt like stringing her along for a little for fun.

“Really? What, in the middle of an Equestrian crisis like this, made you come to me?”

Mega Stallion began to talk in the most seductive tone he could. “Well, to be honest, I came down here…to defeat you in combat.” While Rarity jumped back in shock, he was already rolling on the ground, laughing so hard he was unable to say anything. Fuming with anger, Rarity took one of her jewels and threw it at his head.

It collided, and he stopped laughing instantly. “Ow!” I deserved that. It was funny, though. Worth it. “Well, formalities are out of the way, so we should get to the actual fight.”

Rarity huffed. “If you’re going to be so rude, then I’ll gladly defeat you! Get ready!” She surrounded herself with a diamond shield, which Mega Stallion found out he couldn’t get through. She ran towards him, and he attempted to jump over her. She jumped as well, and they collided in mid-air. He fell, battered by the diamonds, and jumped back into the air. As he did so, he noticed that if he jumped any distance, she would jump 10 feet in the air. She’s panicking. I can use that to my advantage.

A pattern had started. She would run after him, he would do a little hop, and she would jump well over him. This continued until Mega Stallion got bored. “What’s the matter? You’re never going to win if you don’t attack!”

Rarity got angry, and began throwing her shield at him. Since she only threw the diamonds one at a time, he could easily dodge them. When the gems stopped flying, Rarity was wide open for attack. Before she could pull up another shield, a charged shot hit her.

This constant pattern repeated until Mega Stallion stood victorious. A battered Rarity lay at his hooves, now armorless. He received the Jewel Satellite, and began to walk out of the caverns. He heard Rarity working to stand behind him, and he turned back towards her. “You provided the most civil fight I’ve had so far. Perhaps I’ll take you up on your little offer once my mission is complete.” With that said, he ran out.

He met up with the Diamond Dogs again. “Your little problem has been dealt with. I hope I’ve been of service to you.”

The three leaders went to hug Mega Stallion, until he backed away. “Well, I didn’t know it was such a big deal to you. What was so wrong with her?”

All three of them answered. “She doesn’t stop whining and complaining! Her voice is so grating, and she’s unpleasable!”

Mega Stallion shrugged. “She didn’t seem so bad to me. Quite the proper lady, if I do say so myself. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get going.”

The tall leader called out. “Wait! As thanks for dealing with Miss Rarity, please take this to show our gratitude.” He grabbed a very nice emerald and handed it to Mega Stallion.

“Thank you very much.” He took it and walked away. Pretty nice guys, for thieves. Except I don’t know what to do with this emerald. Well, maybe Roll will like it.

Mega Stallion stood in front of Ponyville Tower, noting that it was about 100 feet from Fluttershy’s cottage. Why didn’t I come here earlier? The tower rang as the giant clock it housed hit 3 pm. “Rock, the next Robot Master is at the top of the clock tower. It’s exactly 3, so you’ve got an hour before the bell rings again. If you’re up there when it does, it’ll blow out your auditory sensors. The only way to the top is to climb through the gears and rotors, so be careful.”

“I will, Doctor Light. At least this one should be short.”

He walked up to the bottom of the tower when he heard something behind him. He turned around ready to fight, only to see that it was Fluttershy. “Hello, Fluttershy. I take it you’ve been doing fine after what happened this morning?”

“I’ve been doing okay. I just have something I need to ask you.”

Is she always this quiet? “Okay, but try to make it short, I’m still in the middle of my mission.”

Fluttershy scraped the ground with her hoof. “That’s what I needed to ask about. You said that you were fighting for Equestria…so why are you fighting my friends?”

So all of them know each other. Just my luck. “I’m sorry that I have to fight them, but they aren’t getting hurt. I promise, I could never hurt a living creature. But I’m fighting them to save Equestria.”

She was taken aback. “But…but…we’re working for Celestia. She told us that…”

Mega Stallion cut her off. “That’s the problem. Celestia’s the evil one. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I win and we’re all saved.” With that said, he ran into the tower, leaving Fluttershy very confused about the line between wrong and right.

After a particularly perilous climb up through the clock tower, Mega Stallion emerged through a door at the top, right next to the bell. His journey consisted mainly of failing jumps between moving gears and falling back to the bottom. Since when were clock towers such deadly obstacles? I’m never becoming a clock maker.

Standing right next to him was a brown stallion looking at him. Finally, a stallion. I was wondering when this would happen. His armor mainly consisted of clock parts, like arms and bells. “Just for the record, Rarity still had the best armor.”

“I think this is cool. So, you’re the robot that’s come to save Equestria?” He spoke in a Trottingham accent, sounding like he was from much farther up north.

“That’s me. Congratulations, you’re the first one who knows who I am. Can I assume you’ll cooperate, or am I going to have to ‘convince’ you?”

“No, that won’t be necessary. I’m not a fighter, so I’m willing to give you my powers without a battle.”

Mega Stallion was absolutely shocked. “Are…are you serious? No catch?”

“No catch. You just need to know more about what’s happening here. Both sides are fighting for good, united against a common enemy, even if they don’t know it yet. Celestia is wrong, and you’re the one that can save us all. Well, I could too, but it’s best to leave it to you. Just know that you need all the powers and help you can get if you want to win.”

“So, you consider yourself a hero? They come from the strangest places, don’t they?”

“I’ve seen heroism come in many different forms over the years, always from the places you never expect.”

“Tell me about it. So, should I just tell the other four I need to fight that I’m the destined one?”

The clock stallion’s eyes widened. “No! No, don’t do that! It’s best not to tell normal ponies about destiny and fate, it would be too much for them to comprehend. If they’re willing to work with you, then it’s great. If not, then you’ll just have to keep doing what you’re best at.”

“Please don’t say that fighting is what I’m best at. It’s really depressing.” Mega Stallion looked over at his cutie mark, suggesting that his special talent was nothing more than causing destruction.

“I’ve been part of enough wars to know the true tragedies of fighting. But even as a robot, you’ve got more heart and soul than some of the living creatures I’ve seen. Well, I don’t want to keep you, let me just give you my ability and you can be on your way.” He pulled out a small wand-device and pointed it at himself. It activated, and made a humming sound.

What is that thing? And what’s it doing? As Mega Stallion thought it, he felt a new weapon being added to his arsenal.

“The weapon you’ve just received is the Time Slow. It does exactly what you think. Just be careful with it, it’s running on pure Time Vortex energy.”

“Thank you very much for the advice and weapon. You’ve been very helpful. I should probably get going.” Not wanting to go back through the tower, he went to jump off the side. “I should probably start to know the names of who I’m fighting. So who was that purple unicorn, and who are you?”

“The unicorn was Twilight Sparkle. Very smart, but she’s very obsessive. Enough to be annoying sometimes. Like that time she claimed to have met her future self, she tried to fix all of Equestria to avoid a disaster. Didn’t even realize the fundamental properties of time travel…”

Mega Stallion held up a hoof. “I don’t exactly have the time for full life stories. Just tell me your name and I’ll be on my way.”

“I’m the Doctor.”

“The Doctor, right.” Confused, he jumped out of the tower and walked off. The Doctor? Doctor Who?

Author's Note

What the? What? What happened here? Boy, that escalated quickly, and dropped off just as fast.

Special: Happy Birthday!

I'll say it here. Mega Man is amazing. If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have spent my time writing this story. In fact, Mega Man is my favorite series of games. Heck, it's my favorite series of anything. The original Mega Man X is probably the only game I've every played that I would consider perfect. It's that great.

Mega Man is probably one of the games that got me into retro gaming in the first place. I remember all those years ago, playing Mega Man 6 for the first time. I remember beating my very first Robot Master ever, Air Man. I remember beating the Game Boy version of Mega Man II. And there was the time I struggled through a really bad illness I had, just trying to beat the NES version of Mega Man 2 for the first time.

It would take me too long to explain why I love Mega Man the way I do. It would take me too long to try and show how much the series has shaped and inspired me. It's a series I truly love, seeing as how I've struggled through some of the worst it has to offer (the DOS games, the Game Gear game, X6).

I'll admit, though it hasn't hit me as hard as some others, the last few years haven't been great for the Blue Bomber. Sure, the comic series is really good (from what I've read). The Megamix and Gigamix books came over to America, so that's nice. The Megas released a new album based on Mega Man 3 (seriously, if you haven't, go listen to it). But, cancellations everywhere. Mega Man Universe, Legends 3, Rockman Online. And then people got really upset about Rockman XOver.

But let's forget the bad the series has had, just for one day. Because today is a day to celebrate. Our little game series has grown up, and things don't look too bad to me. Today is the day we bask in all the great memories this series has given us. The times we've beaten Wily, the times we've beaten Sigma, the times Zero died. Enjoy it.

Well, that's enough of the sappy. I'm gonna go play Street Fighter X Mega Man. If it ever finishes downloading, of course.

Author's Note

Well, this is a convenient little box. Would've been nice to have when I was originally writing the story.