//------------------------------// // Stone Prison Break // Story: Why do I have scales? // by Unicornluv4 //------------------------------// Why do I have scales? Stone Prison Break “I want to start our field trip here, in the world-famous Canterlot sculpture garden.” Lectured Miss Cheerilee, her hoof raised pointing out the lush garden and its many statues to the young fillies and colts of her class. “That one over there represents Friendship.” Said the teacher in an all too happy tone as the group walked past a statue of three laughing ponies stacked atop one another. “And this one Victory.” She added, moving toward a statue of a pony holding a real flag flapping in the breeze. Breaking up an argument between the Cutie Mark Crusaders Cheerilee then showed the class a statue different to any the group had seen in the garden; it had an eagle claw, a lion’s paw, a snake tail, a deer’s antler and a large fang protruding from what the group guessed was a lip. “This creature is called a draconequus, it has the head of a pony and a body made up of all sorts of things. What do you suppose that represents?” asked Miss Cheerilee. While the Cutie Mark Crusaders argued once more and cracks began to form on the draconequus statue Cheerilee and her class were stopped by Diamond Tiara’s exclamation of; “What the hay is THAT?!” her little polished hoof pointing at another odd statue. The statue in question appeared to be some sort of dragon-hornless-minotaur-hybrid type thing; what looked like scales on its forearms and neck, slit pupils, a mane, no tail, large chunky bracelets on its wrists, and something covering its legs. “This statue depicts Forge Scale, who is said to be the physical embodiment of fire and destruction. Over a thousand years ago he appeared in what we now call Stalliongrad; spreading fire and destruction while apparently screaming ‘I don’t speak Russian!’ Once word of a strange dragon-like beast attacking ponies reached the princesses they rushed into battle and turned him to stone. What’s interesting is that this statue is actually one of...” ‘Why is it that only one out of thirteen ponies ever notice me?’ I wondered to myself, being sealed in stone tends give a person time to think. ‘How did I let it get to this?’, ‘Is this a dream or am I in a coma?’, and my personal favourite ‘Oh God this itch on my nose is KILLING me!’ Most people would go insane from the solitude and being fully conscious for all of it, but not me I enjoyed it... for three days then I went insane, then frothing mad and then just mad. A little after the field trip group left I heard a cracking noise followed by an eerily familiar chuckle, ‘Looks like Discord’s free’ seeing the draconequus stretch and move about, free from his prison brought hope to the mass of coal and tar I called a heart, ‘You gonna help me, jigsaw?’ I mentally asked, and lo and behold Discord walks right up to me, takes a good look while rubbing his beard in thought and disappears with the sound of a duck quacking. ‘I forgot the jackass couldn’t hear me.’ ‘Might as well meditate, it’s not like I have anything better to do.’ I mentally groaned. 1250 years I had been in Equestria, 1250 years since I donned my original costume for the RAGE Expo; Me and my friend Jessica ( I called her Jessi for short ) were writing an original story about a half-human half-dragon hybrid in a magic land and his adventures when we had the brilliant idea to dress up as characters from the story for RAGE, the South African equivalent to mashing Comic Con and E3 together. So there I was dressed as the main character Forge Scale; hair dyed blonde, amber contacts with slit pupils, scales painted on my forearms and neck, crappy thick wood bracelets spray painted gold and black jeans. And then everything went to Tartarus; one poor purchase and BLAM! I actually am my character with his powers and everything, oh and here’s the kicker: I’m in Equestria and ponies are screaming at me in Russian! ‘Ok calm down, count backward from ten and relax.’ I thought trying to get past that memory, not noticing the world around me turn grey and stop. “We meet again fakeling.” Purred a voice, silken and seductive. ‘Oh not this bitch.’ I groaned; in front of me float a vision of beauty, hair and skin as white as snow, warm pink eyes with slit pupils like mine and scales in the same places. With a soft chuckle and a smile she spoke “Why fight the inevitable fakeling?” amusement dancing in her draconic eyes. ‘Oh I dunno... ‘cause I don’t want to be a dragon?’ came my sarcastic response. “In time whether you want to or not, you shall become a dragon true; scales harder than diamond and blood of molten fire.” The vision purred. You know after I landed my ass in Equestria and met her I seriously wondered what the Tartarus was going through my head when I came up with “Vision” as I called her for the story. She was basically every dragon hybrid’s inner temptation; seducing them into leaving behind their humanity and going full dragon, and she wouldn’t leave me the Tartarus alone! “In time you’ll be free of your stone prison and in time you will turn.” Whispered Vision as she faded and the world came back into focus. ‘The Tartarus’s going on?’ I wondered, with the choir and everything it was like there was a celebration going on in the castle. ‘What or who is Twilight, and what’s this about a princess?’ the questions just kept on piling up. ‘The castle’s noisy, Discord hasn’t come back since that cow Celestia took him somewhere a while ago, and IS THAT A CRACK?!’ focusing on it a bit I noticed it was indeed a crack and it was getting bigger! ‘Oh this is going to be good.’ I thought in glee as my stone prison slowly broke apart. Gathering as much magical energy as I could before my prison broke I readied my grand re-entrance to Equestrian society. Feeling the magic build and compress in me; harsh, burning and wild as always I considered which of my elegant yet oh so ingenious attacks to use. “Imma Firin’ Mah -Blargh!” my stone prison shattered completely as the beam of concentrated fire magic left my mouth and ploughed straight into Canterlot Castle, and for a few precious seconds there was silence. Pandemonium, pure pandemonium... One second he’s watching his little sister’s coronation as Princess of Friendship and the next there’s an explosion, a wall’s missing and the nobles are running about, screaming their faces off. As fast as his hooves could carry him Shining Armor; Captain of the Royal Guard ran to the destroyed section of wall to see the cause, Princesses Celestia and Luna as well as Twilight right behind him. ‘Another Changeling invasion?’ guessed the stallion trying to see through the cloud of dust and debris the explosion had kicked up. With a flash of her horn Celestia cleared the dust cloud, but all they could find was the sculpture garden with no sign of an enemy. Deciding to take flight the Princesses flew down and in Shining Armor’s case be levitated down to the garden. Turning to her friends before flying down herself Twilight Sparkle asked each of them to help Cadence with the panic and anypony hurt as best they could. “Prithee dear sister, who would have the gall to attack a coronation?” asked the Princess of the Moon, confusion written all over her face as she looked for any sign of aggression. “I couldn’t begin to guess until we know more.” Replied Celestia, she too searching for any clues. Shining Armor having patrolled the gardens as a rookie guard knew them like the back of his hoof, so when he came across an empty pedestal nearby Discord’s old spot he immediately fired a flare spell from his horn alerting the princesses and twilight. Rushing to where the unicorn stallion was Celestia and everypony else were relieved to find him unharmed, but that relief drained away to be replaced with horror once Celestia and Luna saw the pedestal. “Twilight, hurry you must get to the Elements of Harmony before it’s too late.” Barked Princess Celestia, panic in her voice. “Who is it Princess?” questioned the nervous young Alicorn. “Make haste Twilight Sparkle, Forge Scale hast been freed!” bellowed Luna, curious as to who that was and why the Princesses were panicking like the nobles in the castle Twilight nodded and flew off back into the castle with a look of determination. “Oh, so THAT’S Twilight.” spoke a voice catching both the princesses and Shining Armor’s attention, turning to where the voice had come from the ponies came face to face with their attacker. Once the Captain of the Royal Guard saw who was to be held responsible he just became even more confused; it looked like a young dragon but not, like it was part dragon and part something else. ‘Whatever the hay it is, it’s under arrest.’ Thought Shining Armor. “Celestia, Luna how nice to see you.” quipped Forge Scale taking a step towards Shining Armor and the Princesses, his thick gold bracelets catching the light. Scowling at the creature’s audacity the stallion stomped his hoof and snorted as he stood in between it and the glaring princesses of sun and moon. “You’re going to have to go through me if you want to get anywhere near the princesses.” Growled Shining Armor, stamping his hoof once again as a sign that he wasn’t joking. “Them’s fightin’ words boy.” Spat Forge Scale, glaring at the stallion whipper snapper standing between him and those who had imprisoned him in stone all those years ago. “then a fight’s what you’ll get.” Growled the unicorn, lowering his stance as to aim his horn at the enemy. Moving into his own stance Forge Scale began drawing on the residual magic energy in his surroundings as molten metal began seeping from the pores on his right hand. Startled by the metal dripping from the beast’s talon-like appendages Shining Armor quickly raised a barrier spell to protect himself and the Princesses. The captain having raised his barrier just in time stared as the molten metal took shape into what looked to be a sharp, smouldering rod before being raised by the creature into a spear throwing stance. “Prepare thy anus...” quipped Forge Scale rearing back to throw, “for my rod!” “...” “...” “What?” “Yes, yes realised it the moment I said it.” Muttered the former human before hurling the superheated rod at Shining Armor’s barrier with astonishing speed. The second Forge Scale’s attack hit the barrier spell all Tartarus broke loose; it hit the shield with such force that the very earth on which they stood shook, Canterlot Castle’s windows shattered, it’s stone walls cracked and tremors travelled as far as Las Pegasus, but Shining Armor’s barrier held... until he dropped to his knees; his eyes glazed, his nose bleeding and spell flickering as the captain collapsed. Seeing one of her little ponies hurt after trying so valiantly to protect her and her dear sister Celestia just snapped; her mane billowing in all directions and coloured the darks colours of sunset instead of their usual warm morning sunrise as searing heat blasted off of the pissed Alicorn much like it did the celestial body she controlled. “U mad pony?” joked Forge Scale, mirth in his eyes at seeing the Sun Princess so angry. “I’ve hurt your little ponies before haven’t I, why so much butthurt?” asked the former human with a grin, and chuckling as Celestia’s rage grew. “Oh I know he was yer lurv- OOF!” grunted Forge Scale as a thaumic lance courtesy of the pissed princess launched him into the Everfree. “Luna get Twilight and her friends, we’re going pest hunting.”