//------------------------------// // From Discord to Date // Story: Returning Survivor // by Itchy //------------------------------// Mecha stumbled through Everfree Forest, bleeding from a gash across his chest and his right shoulder, where his mechanical leg would normally be attached. He'd been forced to leave it behind when it he passed by the giant magnet that used to be Doctor Whooves's store, which had ripped it off him. Thankfully, it had also pulled all the swords that were attacking him after Discord, the Wrath and Pride forsaken monster, had decided that it would be ironic to watch a forger fight his own creations. It was shortly after that when Mecha fled into the forest, having yet to have been affected by Discord's magic, which made it the safest place close to Ponyville. Go figure. Coming to a halt, Mecha looked around, before he heard a sound of yipping coming from behind him. Turning as best he could with three legs, he spotted Wolfgang running towards him. Relaxing a little, he turned forward before attempting to hobble his way towards Zecora's hut, when Wolfgang started pushing him in another direction. Staring slightly at his pet, Mecha shrugged before following him. It took a while, but Mecha finally reached Wolfgang's destination; a clearing filled with colts and fillies, with Cheerilee watching over them. Upon seeing Mecha, her eyes widened, rushing over, asking, “Are you okay? What happened? Do you need help?” Snorting, Mecha limped to a nearby tree, before sitting down. Turning to face Cheerilee, he replied, “I'm fine. Well, I'm fine in the I've been better but I've also been worse kinda manner. As for what happened... take a guess, as it's probably pretty close. And I shouldn't need help, but if you can get a message to Zecora, she'd be able to patch me up right as rain in no time.” Sighing, Cheerilee visibly relaxed, nodding her head. Looking around, she noticed several of her students approaching, curious as to why she'd rushed over to Mecha. Upon seeing him, most gasped, with Snips and Snails both shouting, “Boss!” and rushing up to him. Chuckling, Mecha lifted up his foreleg, signaling for the two to stop. “I'm okay,” he told them, “although it stings a bit.” Wolfgang barked, pulling attention away from Mecha, as well as causing most of the foals to scream. Sighing, Mecha took a nearby branch, before whacking his pet on the nose with it. “Bad timberwolf, bad!” he scolded. “You know better than to scare ponies Wolfgang!” Wolfgang lowered his head and covered his nose, whimpering. Giving him one more hard look, Mecha sighed, before throwing the branch in front of Wolfgang, saying, “I forgive you. Just next time, let me introduce you, okay?” Instantly cheering up, the cub barked out something akin to thanks, before eating the branch in front of him. Still staring at the cub, Cheerilee looked at Mecha questioningly, eyebrow raised. Sighing once more, Mecha said, “Meet Wolfgang, my pet. I think. He may actually be a mooching tenet with how intelligent he seems to be.” Blinking, Cheerilee looked between him and Wolfgang, saying, “I can believe that. After all, compared to some of the stories I've heard around town, this seems to be rather low key.” Snorting, Mecha told her, “Trust me, his appearance was very low key at the time, especially since everypony though I was dead.” Chuckling, Cheerilee told him, “Yeah, that would override everything else.” At this point, most of the young ponies had gotten used to Wolfgang's presence, and were starting to get bored. Looking around, they found nothing to do, and so came up to the couple, with the Cutie Mark Crusaders getting the closest. “Ah beg your pardon,” Apple Bloom said, interrupting the discussion the two were having, “but would you two happen to have somethin' we could do?” “Yeah!” Scootaloo added, “There's nothing to do here but stare at the trees and leaves!” Looking around, Mecha looked at the young foals, each holding a look of hope in their eyes. Sighing, Mecha asked, “Do you all feel this way?” Sweetie Bell spoke for the group, saying, “Yes we do.” Shaking his head, Mecha said, “Well then, why don't you gather 'round, and I can attempt to entertain you with some of my... let's just call them epic fails.” Taking a glance, Mecha chuckled as each and everypony in the clearing gathered up in a close circle around him, smiling in glee at the prospect of one of Mecha's great stories. Laughing to himself, Mecha started, “It was the middle of summer, and I was but a young colt, wandering in a forest near my house. With me was my younger brother, and a good friend of ours, all filled with energy and excitement. It had rained earlier that day, and we were all covered in mud by the time we'd stop to just chat. Of course, being the young colts that we were, we decided to pick the muddiest field in the area to chat in, as well as the deepest area. In fact, the place was knee deep in mud, which we found out by sinking into the mud.” The young children all gained looks of mirth on their faces, imagining Mecha and two others stuck. “It gets better,” Mecha said, regaining their attention. “as I was the first one to get out, I had to go and get help, aka my parents. So I ran to my house, and knocked on the door. When my mom opened it, she stared at me, before asking, “Where's your brother?” So I smiled, and told her, “He's knee deep in mud in the forest.” She stared at me for a few seconds, before she turned and yelled at my dad to get the shovel, and started running.” Everypony was laughing at this point, some rolling on the ground. Smiling, Mecha chuckled, saying, “Yeah, we were in major trouble after that, although we both agree that it was worth it. Although, that was nothing compared to the time I blew up the chemistry lab in school...” LINEBREAKER Mecha watched as Snips and Snails finished putting everything in place in the shop. They'd both jumped into work after Discord had been defeated, hoping to keep Mecha from working as he recovered from the attack upon his person by his creations. Keeping a watch on the two, he glanced over at the door when the bell above it rang, raising an eyebrow when Big Macintosh walked in. Walking up to Mecha, the large stallion watched Snips and Snails work for a couple of seconds before saying, “Ah wanted to thank ya for watching over mah sister.” Shrugging, Mecha said, “Wasn't a big deal. After all, all I did was tell stories at my expense.” Shaking his head, Big Macintosh replied, “Nonetheless, you kept an eye on her.” Chuckling, Mecha said, “More like she kept her eyes on me.” Big Macintosh smiled, before the two settled into a comfortable silence, watching as Mecha's apprentices cleaned up the shop. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Mecha told the two, “Go ahead and stop for the day. I'll see the two of you tomorrow, and we can finish this then.” Nodding, the two saluted Mecha, to the humor of Big Macintosh, before they left the building. Walking over to a set of chairs, Mecha sat down, asking, “Was there anything else you wanted to ask Big M?” Nodding his head, Big Macintosh sat down on the other chair, saying, “Fluttershy and Ah are going to Canterlot for dinner and a visit to a museum, and were wonderin' if you and miss Cheerilee would like to come with?” Blinking, Mecha laughed a little, before replying, “Sure.” Raising an eyebrow, Big Macintosh asked, “What was so dang funny?” Shaking his head, Mecha told him, “The last time I went on a double date, it was a blind date set-up by a lesbian couple for one of their gay brothers.” Stunned, Big Macintosh stared at Mecha for a few minutes, before saying, “That's... interesting.” Chuckling to himself, Mecha replied, “Not as interesting as when we ran into the guy's ex...” LINEBREAKER Mecha and Cheerilee were sitting next to each other, opposite of Big Macintosh and Fluttershy. The restaurant they were eating in was a new one, and thus one that Mecha wasn't banned from. They were all sitting and chatting, enjoying the company of their friends, when Mecha heard a familiar voice, and groaned, saying, “Please don't let him see me! Please don't let him see me! Oh for the love of Luna don't let him see me!” Raising an eyebrow at his behavior, Cheerilee asked, “Please don't let who see you?” Pointing to the entrance, Mecha said, “Lord Fancy Smancy. I've gotten into more fights with that guy then there are stars in Luna's sky. I should know, I've asked her the number.” Blinking, the three who didn't know the lord looked between him and Mecha, trying to picture the two fighting. Still comparing the two, Fluttershy meekly asked, “Um... why do you fight with him? That is, if you don't mind me asking.” Shaking his head, Mecha watched as Fancy Smancy walked over, having spot him, and replied, “You'll see in a few seconds.” And indeed they would, when the smug looking Unicorn walked up to the table and said, “Mecha, such a surprise to see that they let an uneducated brute in here. After all, this is a restaurant, not a mud pit like you normally eat at.” Snorting, Mecha said, “I'd be surprised if you knew what a mud pit was you useless sheltered wimp. After all, you've never left the city, and refuse to do any kind of work.” Rage visible in the lord's eyes, he spat back, “I work plenty! Just today I helped with the legislation involving regulation thickness of book covers!” Letting out an exaggerated yawn, Mecha replied, “Something that publishers already do themselves perfectly fine, thank you very much! In fact, everything you try to pass of as work is already down by the people, you're just too stupid to realize that!” Stomping his hoof, Fancy Smancy yelled, “I am not stupid! It is the workers who are too stupid to recognize that they need a system to oversee everything so that we can have order!” Standing up, Mecha got into his face, shouting, “We workers aren't the ones lacking intelligence, its the nobles! After all, we don't try to force needless rules onto each other, while the nobles get into petty fights that end up hurting everypony else!” Furious, Fancy Smancy didn't reply. With words that is. Instead, he threw a hoof at Mecha's face, who ducked underneath it, before throwing one of his own, landing a solid strike to the lord's face. Snarling, Fancy Smancy tackled Mecha to the floor, the two exchanging blows and raising up a dust cloud. Stunned, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, and Cheerilee couldn't do anything but stare, until finally two Earth Ponies came up and separated them, one of which was shouting, “Enough all ready! It was interesting to watch you to argue, but this is a restaurant. Not a wrestling pit!” Anger still visible in his eyes, lord Fancy Smancy pointed at Mecha and said, “I demand you ban this barbarian from here and kick him out at once!” The pony holding Mecha back stared at Fancy Smancy as if he was insane, saying, “Are you kidding me?! I saw what happened, you were the one that started it! In fact, I think I'll ban you from here!” Eyes widening, the lord turned to the pony, who appeared to be the owner from that last statement, and said, “But I'm a lord, and he is naught but a commoner!” Snorting, the owner picked him up, before tossing him out the door, shouting, “As well as me!” Turning to Mecha, he said, “I'm sorry about that, your meal is on the house today. Please, come back again!” before walking away. Blinking, Mecha sat down, and said, “That's a first.” Raising an eyebrow, Big Macintosh asked, “Not getting banned or receiving a free meal?” Still blinking, Mecha said, “Both.” LINEBREAKER The four friends were all laughing, walking toward the museum. “And I swear,” Cheerilee told the group, “She looked at me with the most innocent look in her eyes, as if I hadn't just tried to switch papers in front of me!” Chuckling, Mecha walked up to the ticket both, and knocked on the glass to get the ponies attention. Startling the pegasus from her reading, she turned and said, “How may I...” before stopping, staring at Mecha. Looking over himself, Mecha quirked his head, and asked, “Do I have something on my coat?” Shaking her head, the teller replied, “Oh no sir! I was just wondering, would you happen to be Mecha?” Blinking in surprise, Mecha said, “Yeah... why? Fancy Smancy didn't come here and have you ban me from the museum, did he?” Rapidly shaking her head, the pegasus said, “No no no! In fact, it's almost the exact opposite! I've been told to give you and any of your guests free entrance!” Shocked, Mecha looked over at his date and friends, who shrugged their shoulders, just as curios as he was. “Okay then...” Mecha replied, turning back to the teller. “If that's it, then I think we'll go inside.” “Wait a second please!” the mare said, digging around underneath the table. Pulling out a book, she turned to a blank page, before pushing in towards him, holding out a quill, and asked, “Could you sign this for me?” Looking down at the book, Mecha shrugged before grabbing the quill and writing his name. Leaving the quill on top the book, he walked into the building, asking his companions, “What do you think that was all about?” Walking through the doors, Big Macintosh took a quick look around, before pointing at a sign, and said, “Probably about that.” Turning, Mecha looked at the sign Big Macintosh had pointed at, and stood stock still in shock. The sign read, “Metalwork by Mecha”. Blinking, Mecha said nothing, as Cheerilee dragged him with her into the display. Looking around, Mecha spotted the armor he'd made and sold to the palace, with signs mentioning that they were on loan for the next month. Regaining control of himself, he walked up to the blue armor he'd made upon Twilight's request, listening as those standing nearby talked about how lucky Shining Armor was to have such a piece, and how they wondered how he'd gotten the metal such a blue color without paint. Still as silent as a grave, Mecha walked with Cheerilee up to the center piece of the display, the gold and silver statues of Celestia and Luna he'd made during his live presentation. Seeing all of this work he'd done up for display in a museum was overwhelming Mecha, forcing him to sit down on a nearby bench. Cheerilee joined him shortly, saying, “Based on the look of your face, you didn't know about this, did you?” Nodding his head, Mecha told her, “I was aware of a wing in the palace, but not about this! I mean, I've found several pieces that were commissioned months ago, including the globe I'd sold to Twilight Sparkle! You'd have figured that she'd have told me about this, or that they'd send me a letter!” Chuckling, Cheerilee replied, “Well, either way this is quite the display. However, I can always visit your shop if I want to see some of your work, so let's go see the rest of this place.” Nodding once more, Mecha got up and walked with her, heading to the painting portion of the museum.