Full metal pony

Edward Pov:

I’d already spent more time than I wanted in this bizarre world, and as if things couldn’t get weirder, now I had to deal with a talking dragon.

“So, uh, you’re Twilight’s new... friend?” Spike asked, eyeing me from across the library. He stood with his arms crossed, tail flicking with obvious suspicion.

I grunted, narrowing my eyes at him. “I’m nobody’s ‘friend.’ I’m just stuck here until I figure out how to get home.”

Spike raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by my attitude. “Yeah, well, Twilight seems pretty determined to help you out. You could at least try to be a little more... grateful?”

Grateful? He didn’t know me well enough to say something like that. I clenched my jaw, refusing to rise to the bait. I wasn’t about to get into a fight with some tiny dragon, no matter how annoying he was. “I didn’t ask for help.”

“Yeah, well, you sure need it,” Spike shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I glared at him, feeling my temper flare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Spike shrugged, smirking. “Just saying. You seem like you’re always mad about something. Maybe you should relax a little. Twilight says that friendship can help with that.”

“Friendship,” I muttered under my breath, already regretting not snapping at him sooner. “I don’t need friendship to get back to Amestris.”

Spike didn’t seem fazed by my response. He leaned against the library table, casually tossing an apple between his claws. “Whatever. But Twilight’s taken you in, and that means I have to put up with you, so I guess we’re stuck with each other.”

I crossed my forelegs, trying to calm the frustration bubbling inside me. I didn’t need this kid lecturing me about friendship or how to deal with my situation. But it was clear he wasn’t going to back down, and honestly, a part of me respected his attitude. Still, I wasn’t about to let him think he could boss me around.

“Well, as long as you stay out of my way, I won’t have any reason to deal with you,” I shot back.

“Oh, you’ll have to deal with me,” Spike said with a grin. “I’m Twilight’s number one assistant. She depends on me for pretty much everything.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really? ‘Cause it doesn’t look like you do much around here except take naps.”

Spike’s smirk faded, and I could see the annoyance flash in his eyes. “You think I’m lazy? You don’t know anything about me!”

“I know enough,” I replied, my voice low and challenging.

The tension between us was rising fast, and I could tell Spike was itching to prove himself. His tail flicked sharply, and his little claws tightened around the apple he was holding. I was half-expecting him to toss it at me.

“You know what?” Spike said, stepping forward. “Let’s settle this. You think I’m lazy? How about we see who can keep up with Twilight’s work better today?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the challenge. “What?”

Spike pointed a claw at me. “We’ll see who can help Twilight the most today. If you think I’m just a lazy dragon, you’ll see I pull my weight around here. And when I win, you have to admit I’m the better assistant.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “That’s ridiculous. What’s in it for me?”

“If you win,” Spike added, smirking again, “I’ll stay out of your way for the rest of the week.”

The idea of Spike leaving me alone for a few days was tempting, but the thought of him beating me at anything? No chance.

“Fine,” I said, stepping forward, meeting his gaze with a determined glare. “You’re on.”

Spike Pov:

I wasn’t about to let some newcomer, especially one as moody as Edward, waltz in and act like he could do my job better than me. Twilight depended on me for practically everything! Just because this guy had a metal leg and a scowl didn’t mean he could outdo the number one assistant.

As soon as Twilight set the books down, I jumped into action, grabbing the nearest pile. "I'll get these sorted faster than you can blink!" I said confidently, flashing Twilight a grin.

Edward was already hovering near the table, his eyes focused on the books like they were some kind of alchemy puzzle he had to solve. He didn’t say anything, just picked up a stack with his hooves and started flipping through the pages, barely glancing at me.

I scowled. "You think you're gonna beat me? I've been organizing Twilight’s library since I was knee-high to a grasshopper!"

Edward grunted, not even looking at me. "I’m just here to get the job done. If you want to make it a competition, that's your problem."

His nonchalant attitude made my claws curl into fists. How could he be so... so casual about everything? Like he was too good to care? No way was I going to let him act like he was better than me.

"Okay, tough guy," I muttered under my breath, picking up the pace. I began sorting the books by subject, author, and edition, just like Twilight had taught me. Fiction over here, reference books there, and the special magical texts in the back. I'd done this a hundred times, and I wasn’t about to let some newbie outshine me.

Twilight glanced over from her desk where she was working on her own project. "You two seem really focused today! I appreciate the extra help, but remember, it's not a race."

"Totally not racing," I said quickly, though my eyes were fixed on Edward, daring him to speed up.

"Just organizing," Edward mumbled, but his movements were fast and precise, flipping through the books like he was born to do it. His hooves worked at an unnatural speed, and I could feel my frustration growing. How was he so fast?

I picked up another stack, ignoring the tiny bead of sweat forming on my forehead. "So, where are you from again?" I asked, trying to sound casual but really just trying to distract him. Maybe if I got him talking, he’d slow down.

"Amestris," Edward replied, his eyes still glued to the book in front of him. "Far from here."

"Never heard of it," I said, flipping a book upside down in my rush. I quickly corrected it before Twilight could notice. "Sounds like a... weird place."

"You’d think this place is weird compared to Amestris," Edward shot back, and I could hear the slight edge in his voice. "At least we don’t have talking ponies and dragons."

I nearly dropped the book in my claws. "Excuse me? Did you just say ‘weird’ like it’s a bad thing?" I pointed a claw at him, but he didn’t even flinch.

"Yeah. Talking horses and dragons are pretty out there, don’t you think?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but Twilight cut in, clearly trying to keep things from escalating. "Edward, Spike’s been a great help to me for years. And Spike, Edward is... adjusting. Let’s all just focus on the work, okay?"

Edward didn’t respond, but I saw his jaw tighten a little. For a moment, I almost felt bad. Almost.

But then I remembered that he still thought he could outdo me in my own library.

I gritted my teeth and grabbed another stack of books. "Let’s just see who’s better at this then, huh?" I muttered, my eyes narrowing at Edward.

He didn’t even acknowledge me. He just kept going, stacking books faster than I thought possible. I was getting frustrated. Really frustrated.

I decided to pull out the big guns.

"Hey, Twilight," I called, trying to keep my voice as casual as possible. "Do you need anything else? Like... I dunno, maybe some tea? Or snacks? I can whip something up in the kitchen if you want!"

Twilight looked up, blinking. "Oh! That would actually be great, Spike. I could use a break."

I smirked, shooting Edward a glance. "Guess that’s something you can’t do, huh? Cook."

Edward stopped for a second, his brow furrowing. "Cooking’s not exactly something I care about."

I grinned wider. "Yeah, I figured."

But before I could enjoy my little victory, Edward muttered under his breath, "But I can try if you really want to make this about more than just books."

Wait—what?

I stared at him, my jaw hanging open slightly. This guy couldn’t be serious. "You think you can cook too?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Is there a reason I couldn’t?"

I could feel the heat rising in my face. Was he really trying to challenge me at everything? "You’re on! Kitchen showdown, let’s go!" I yelled, already storming off toward the kitchen.

I heard Twilight sigh in the background, but at this point, it was too late to stop me. I wasn’t going to let Edward show me up again.

In the kitchen, I grabbed all the ingredients I could find. I was going to make Twilight’s favorite gemstone cupcakes. It was something I’d perfected over the years, and there was no way Edward could match my skills.

He walked in after me, looking as calm as ever. "Alright, what’s the plan?"

I threw him a glance. "Simple. We both make something for Twilight, and she judges who’s better."

Edward shrugged. "Fine by me."

As we got to work, I couldn’t help but steal glances at him. His hooves seemed to move just as fast in the kitchen as they had with the books. It was almost unnatural. I mean, how does a pony with hooves even know what they’re doing in a kitchen?

"How are you doing that so fast?" I asked, genuinely confused now.

Edward didn’t look up. "Years of practice. I’ve had to make do with what I had in Amestris. Cooking’s just another skill you pick up when you travel."

I grumbled, focusing back on my cupcakes. "Yeah, well, I’ve been doing this since I was hatched. You’re not going to beat me this time."

He just smiled slightly, and I realized that maybe, just maybe, I had underestimated him. But I wasn’t going to give up that easily.

I was confident—no, I was sure—that I had this in the bag. Gemstone cupcakes were my specialty. I’d been making them for Twilight for years, and she loved them. No way Edward was going to beat me at this.

But as we got deeper into the competition, I started noticing something that made my blood boil.

Edward wasn’t even trying.

He moved calmly around the kitchen, his hooves effortlessly grabbing ingredients, measuring them, and mixing things with a precision that shouldn’t be possible for someone with hooves. Every time I glanced over at him, it was like he was one step ahead of me—his batter was perfectly smooth, his utensils cleaned as he went, and his station spotless. Meanwhile, my claws were covered in flour, batter was splattering everywhere, and I was getting frustrated with every passing second.

“How the heck are you doing that?” I muttered, whisking furiously at my batter, which still had lumps in it. I was sweating, and my arms were getting sore.

Edward glanced over, barely breaking a sweat. “Doing what?”

“That!” I snapped, pointing to his pristine setup. “You’re making it look like you’ve been doing this your whole life!”

He shrugged, his expression annoyingly casual. “I’ve cooked plenty before. When you’re on the road as much as I’ve been, you learn how to make do with what you have.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to focus on the task at hand. “Well, don’t get too comfortable. Twilight loves my cupcakes.”

“Good for you,” Edward said with a slight smirk, pouring his batter into the cupcake molds with perfect precision.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re not even trying, are you?”

He didn’t answer right away, just calmly placed his tray into the oven. “I told you, Spike. I’m not here to compete with you. I’m just doing what needs to be done.”

His casual attitude made my claws curl into fists. How could he be so relaxed about this? And why was it working? I glanced over at his tray and realized that his cupcakes were already rising perfectly in the oven, while mine... well, mine were still a lumpy mess.

"How are you beating me?" I muttered under my breath, my frustration boiling over.

Edward wiped down the counter with a clean towel and gave me a sidelong glance. "I’m not trying to beat you. You’re the one turning this into a competition."

His calmness only made me angrier. "Yeah, well, you’re not going to win!" I snapped, shoving my tray into the oven with more force than necessary. I slammed the door shut and crossed my arms, glaring at the ticking timer.

Edward leaned against the counter, his expression still neutral. "You might want to turn the temperature down a bit."

I blinked, my anger flaring. "What?"

He gestured to the oven. "Your temperature’s too high. Your cupcakes are going to burn if you leave it like that."

My eyes darted to the dial on the oven, and I realized he was right. I’d set it way too high in my rush to prove myself. Growling in frustration, I quickly adjusted the temperature, but the damage was already done. Smoke started curling out from the edges of the oven.

"No, no, no!" I panicked, yanking the oven door open, only to be met with a thick cloud of smoke. My cupcakes were completely blackened on top, and the smell of burnt batter filled the kitchen. I groaned, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment.

Twilight poked her head in from the library, her nose wrinkling. "Everything okay in there?"

"Yeah, it’s fine," I muttered, trying to wave the smoke away. Edward, of course, didn’t have a single problem. His cupcakes were cooling on the counter, perfectly golden and fluffy. I wanted to scream.

Twilight walked in, eyeing the situation with a curious smile. "Wow, those smell great, Edward! What did you make?"

"Just a simple recipe," Edward replied casually, his eyes barely glancing in my direction.

Twilight looked at my tray, which was still smoking. "Uh, Spike? Are you okay?"

I clenched my fists, feeling my temper flare again. "I’m fine," I grumbled, turning my back on my ruined cupcakes.

Twilight examined Edward’s batch, her eyes lighting up as she took a bite. "These are amazing!" she exclaimed. "How did you do this so well on your first try?"

Edward just shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal. "Like I said, cooking’s just something you pick up when you have to."

I slumped against the counter, defeated. Edward had won without even trying. He wasn’t sweating, he wasn’t rushing, and he hadn’t burned a single thing. Meanwhile, my cupcakes were a disaster, and I’d been trying my hardest.

Twilight took another bite, smiling at me apologetically. "Spike, it’s okay. It’s not about who’s better. I appreciate both of you for helping."

But her words didn’t make me feel better. Edward had completely shown me up, and he hadn’t even cared about the competition. I’d been so focused on beating him that I’d forgotten how to do my job right.

Edward walked past me, giving me a brief glance. "I wasn’t trying to beat you, Spike," he said quietly. "But maybe next time, focus more on what you’re doing instead of trying to compete."

I glared at him as he left the kitchen, my frustration still boiling over. But deep down, I knew he was right. I’d been too wrapped up in proving myself to realize that Edward wasn’t even interested in beating me. He was just doing what needed to be done.

And I hated that.

Edward Pov:

Twilight had been trying to help me adjust to this new body ever since I got here, using her magic to make things easier. Normally, I’d tell her to back off—I could handle things on my own—but this place was different. Hooves weren’t exactly my strong point, and magic? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t something I could transmute my way around.

So, when she offered to use a simple levitation spell to help me practice controlling objects, I figured it was worth a shot. Maybe it’d help me figure out how this world’s weird power worked and give me a better chance of getting back to Amestris.

“Okay, Edward, just focus on the apple,” Twilight said, her voice patient as ever. The apple in front of me floated in a soft purple aura. “I’ll hold it in place while you try to pick it up with your hoof.”

I narrowed my eyes at the apple, trying to ignore the fact that I was a grown man (pony?) being taught how to pick up fruit like a kid. I reached out with my hoof, steadying myself as I concentrated on getting the stupid limb to work the way I wanted.

It was slow, but I was getting the hang of it. The apple wobbled in Twilight’s magic, and I could feel a tiny bit of satisfaction at making some progress.

That’s when Spike decided to butt in. Again.

“Hey, Twilight, why don’t you let me help Edward?” Spike said from behind me, his voice way too casual for my liking.

I tensed up, already sensing that this wasn’t going to end well. “I’ve got it,” I said through gritted teeth.

But Spike didn’t seem to care. “Nah, it’s fine. I’ve helped Twilight with stuff like this a million times. Let me show you how it’s done.”

Before I could tell him to back off, Spike hopped onto the table and grabbed the apple from Twilight’s magical grip. “See? Easy as pie!”

“Spike!” Twilight protested, her magic flickering out as Spike waved the apple in front of me, smirking.

“I don’t need your help,” I snapped, trying to grab the apple out of his claws.

Spike jumped back, holding the apple just out of reach. “What’s the matter, tough guy? Too slow?”

“Spike, stop!” Twilight’s voice was sharper now, but Spike wasn’t listening. He was too busy trying to show off, waving the apple around like it was some kind of toy.

My patience snapped. I lunged forward, reaching for the apple again, but Spike pulled back too quickly, and I stumbled. My hoof hit the edge of the table, and before I knew it, I was falling.

I hit the ground hard, my metal leg slamming against the wooden floor with a loud clang. Pain shot through my side as I tried to get up, but the awkward position of my body made it impossible to move easily. I winced, gritting my teeth against the sharp ache in my leg.

“Edward!” Twilight rushed over, her magic flaring as she tried to help me up. “Are you okay?”

I didn’t answer right away, mostly because I was too busy trying to breathe through the pain. My automail wasn’t broken, but damn if it didn’t hurt like hell.

I could hear Spike scrambling to explain himself behind me. “I was just trying to help! It’s not my fault he can’t—”

“Spike!” Twilight snapped, her voice louder than I’d ever heard it.

I looked up, wincing as I saw her standing between me and Spike. Her horn glowed with a fiery intensity, and her normally calm expression was twisted with anger. But it wasn’t just her voice that had changed. Her entire appearance seemed to shift—her eyes blazing with fury, her mane beginning to spark and glow like actual fire. Her coat had turned a pale, almost white shade, and I could feel the heat radiating off her as she glared at Spike.

“You could have really hurt him!” Twilight shouted, her voice shaking with barely controlled anger.

Spike looked up at her, wide-eyed but still defiant. “I didn’t mean to! I was just trying to—”

“That’s not an excuse!” Twilight cut him off, her mane now fully ablaze. “You weren’t listening! You were trying to show off, and now Edward’s hurt because of it!”

“I said I didn’t mean to!” Spike protested, his voice shaking but still holding a stubborn edge. “It’s not like I did it on purpose!”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed, her magical aura growing even stronger as flames licked at her mane. “That doesn’t matter, Spike! You should have known better!”

As I lay there, watching this unfold, something strange happened. For a moment, it wasn’t Twilight standing there, scolding Spike. It wasn’t the fiery-maned alicorn princess losing her temper. No—it was... her. My mother.

I blinked, my vision swimming as the image of Twilight’s fiery form overlapped with the memory of my mom, standing tall and scolding me and Alphonse when we were kids. Her voice, though stern, was always filled with concern, and the fire in her eyes when we’d done something wrong was always born out of love.

That same fire was in Twilight’s eyes now.

The room seemed to fade around me, and for just a moment, I could almost hear my mother’s voice again, reminding me to be careful, to look after myself, to look after Al.

The pain in my leg dulled as I watched Twilight, and suddenly, the anger and frustration I’d been feeling toward this whole world seemed... less important.

Twilight wasn’t angry for the sake of it. She was angry because she cared. She cared enough to stand up for me, to scold Spike for being reckless, just like my mom used to.

“I’m sorry!” Spike’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I blinked, the image of my mother fading as Twilight’s fiery form began to cool. Her mane slowly returned to normal, the glow of her magic dimming.

Twilight’s expression softened, and she took a deep breath, her coat returning to its usual purple hue. “Spike, I know you didn’t mean to, but you need to start listening. This isn’t a game.”

Spike looked down, his claws fidgeting. “I’m... I’m sorry.”

Twilight sighed, her anger fading completely. “Apologize to Edward, too.”

Spike turned toward me, his eyes still wide with guilt. “I’m sorry, Edward. I didn’t mean to mess things up.”

I nodded, still trying to process everything that had just happened. “Yeah... it’s fine,” I muttered, my mind still racing.

Twilight helped me to my hooves, her expression filled with concern. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need to sit down?”

“I’m fine,” I said, my voice a little sharper than I intended. “Just... need a minute.”

As I limped over to the nearest chair, my thoughts were still stuck on that moment. That moment where I saw my mother in Twilight. I hadn’t thought about her in so long, and now... now I couldn’t get her out of my head.

Maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all.

As I sat there, trying to gather myself, I could feel something inside me starting to crack. The pain in my leg was still there, sharper now, and when I tried to move it again, the metallic sound of something grinding inside my automail made me wince. It was broken. Of course, it was broken. Because why wouldn’t it be? Everything was going wrong.

“Edward, are you okay?” Twilight’s voice was gentle, but I couldn’t meet her eyes. Not right now. I didn’t want to look at her. I didn’t want to see the concern on her face, or the guilt on Spike’s. I didn’t want to feel anything.

But I couldn’t stop it. My chest tightened, and my breath caught in my throat. Something was wrong. Something was really wrong.

I felt the burn of tears threatening to spill over. No. Not here. Not now. Not in front of them. I wasn’t going to cry. I wasn’t a kid. I wasn’t some helpless little pony. I was Edward Elric—the Fullmetal Alchemist.

But... I wasn’t, was I?

I was stuck in this small, weak body. I couldn’t even use my automail properly, and now it was broken. I couldn’t transmute, I couldn’t fix anything. I couldn’t even go back home. I was trapped here, in a place that didn’t make sense, in a body that felt wrong, and now, I couldn’t even keep my emotions in check.

I clenched my teeth, trying to fight it, trying to hold it in, but it was no use. The tears were already spilling over, blurring my vision as a sob escaped my throat.

“I... I can’t—” I choked on the words, my voice cracking in a way that made me feel even smaller, even more helpless.

Twilight was at my side in an instant. “Edward—”

“I’m not... I’m not okay!” I yelled, my voice breaking. My chest heaved as the sobs started coming harder, uncontrollable. The world around me blurred, and I could barely see through the tears streaming down my face. “I... I can’t do this. I can’t be stuck like this!”

Before I knew what was happening, I felt Twilight’s hooves gently wrap around me, pulling me close. She didn’t say anything at first. She just held me, cradling me in her forelegs like a child. Like I was nothing more than a helpless little filly.

“I... I’m supposed to be stronger than this!” I cried, my voice muffled as I buried my face into Twilight’s chest. “I can’t... I can’t even control this stupid body. I can’t fix anything! I can’t... I can’t even go home!”

Twilight’s hoof gently stroked my mane, rocking me back and forth. “It’s okay, Edward. It’s going to be okay.”

But it wasn’t okay. Nothing about this was okay. My automail was broken. I was stuck in this ridiculous body. And worst of all, I couldn’t stop the flood of emotions that were tearing through me, overwhelming me.

“I just want to go home...” I whispered, my voice barely audible through the sobs. “I just want to see my mom...”

The moment the words left my mouth, I froze. My chest tightened even more, and the pain that followed was like a knife. I hadn’t said those words in years. I hadn’t even let myself think them. But now, here I was, crying like a little kid, in the arms of someone who was barely more than a stranger, and all I could think about was how much I wanted my mom.

Twilight didn’t say anything. She just kept holding me, rocking me gently like a mother would. Her warmth surrounded me, and for just a second, I let myself forget. I let myself be small.

“It’s okay,” Twilight whispered softly, her voice soothing. “You’re not alone, Edward. We’re here for you.”

I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that somehow, things would be okay. But all I could think about was how broken I felt. How broken everything felt.

I shifted slightly in her arms, the sharp pain in my leg pulling me back to reality. “My automail... it’s... it’s broken.”

Twilight looked down at my leg, her expression softening even more. “We’ll fix it,” she said gently. “I promise. We’ll get it fixed, okay?”

I nodded weakly, my face still buried in her chest. I didn’t have the energy to argue. I didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. For now, I just wanted to stop feeling so lost.

Spike stood a few feet away, his face pale and his eyes wide with guilt. “I’m... I’m sorry, Edward,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to... I didn’t want to hurt you.”

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. My throat felt raw, and my head was pounding. But when Twilight’s voice cut through the silence again, it wasn’t soft anymore.

“Spike, this isn’t just about what you meant,” she said, her voice firm, but not angry. “You need to understand that when you don’t listen, people get hurt. You can’t just mess around like this.”

Spike’s eyes filled with tears, but he nodded, sniffling. “I’m sorry.”

Twilight sighed softly, stroking my mane again. “I know you are, Spike. But you need to do better. Edward needs our help, and that means we all need to be more careful.”

As I lay there, cradled in Twilight’s arms, her words washed over me, and something in my chest loosened. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Enough to remind me that, for now, I wasn’t alone.

I wasn’t in Amestris. I wasn’t with Al. But here, with Twilight and Spike... maybe I wasn’t completely lost.

Maybe, just for a little while, it was okay to let someone else carry the weight.