//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: AMAZO visits Equestria // by KingDogbertXIV //------------------------------// AMAZO reappeared before Discord’s statue and immediately placed a hand on the head. Slowly, the android channeled its reanimation magic to the statue, giving it life. Slowly, the statue gained color and started to move. AMAZO withdrew its hand. “Ugh... What happened last night?” Discord mumbled groggily. Bolting upright suddenly, he shouted, “Freedom!” AMAZO said nothing. “You, my golden friend, freed me. In return, I’ll...do nothing for you, sucker,” Discord laughed. AMAZO’s eyes lit up as it started the scanning process, morphing its face into a crude gold version of the beast’s. “Imitating me, eh? Well, we can’t have two of me running around, can we? Guess I’ll just...do this!” Discord shouted before using his eagle claw to throw a blast of green lightning at the android. AMAZO, now done with the duplication process, formed the mace, darted towards the beast, and swung at the offending hand, causing Discord to seethe in agony. The claw was now limp and dripping with orange blood. Discord leapt forward, misshapen eyes glaring hate as he swiped at AMAZO with his lion paw. The android quickly dodged and hit Discord square in the chest with the mace. Discord shot backward into the wall, his lion paw now clutching a bright scar on his chest. “This ends now,” AMAZO said to the crumpled heap that was once Equestria’s malevolent ruler. “N-No! Please! Have mercy!” Discord shouted, breathing heavily. “You no longer have anything to offer me,” AMAZO said as it retracted the mace and raised its hand, which started to glow brightly. “W-What does that mean? What are you doing?” AMAZO’s hand shone brighter. “I’m sending you back to stone.” “P-Please...don’t,” Discord coughed. AMAZO then tapped into the full power of the Elements of Harmony and fired a massive blast or rainbow-colored energy. The blast hit Discord pointblank in the face, starting a metamorphosis from magical flesh to cold, unfeeling stone. The stone crackled from his nose to his eyes and mouth, then his horn and antler and neck, then down to his scarred chest. Slowly, his arms, both the working and broken one, turned to stone, as did his wings, stomach, and hips. With the changing of Discord’s legs, feet, and tail, AMAZO lowered its hand and gazed down at the statue, now of Discord slumped over in a heap of agony and fear. -- “And... That’s all the samples we need,” Dr. Bighorn announced as Annie withdrew the syringe containing a sample Dinky’s horn cells. “I wonder if they’ll find any trace of Horn Cell Disease,” Derpy whispered to Twilight. “I doubt it. Dinky looks well. If there was any trace of it left, it would’ve bounced back by now,” Twilight whispered back. “Yeah. Still, Dr. Bighorn did say her vitals were below normal.” “She’ll be fine.” “You sure?” “Yeah. Besides, weren’t you the one squealing about how AMAZO cured her?” “Good point, but I want my filly awake and healthy, not asleep all the time.” “She needs rest still.” “I know...” “Well, we’ve done all the damage we can do for now,” Dr. Bighorn said. Turning to Derpy, he ordered. “Cut back on the sleeping meds and she should be awake in a day or so. Decrease the pain meds and switch to Tylenol.” “Alright, will do,” Derpy said. “Thanks for everything, all of you.” “Happy to help,” Dr. Bighorn said. Annie and Reigns nodded in agreement. “If you’re all done with everything, I can levitate you all down,” Twilight offered. “Sounds good,” Annie said. “Goodbye. And if you need us, we’ll either be at the Drop-On Inn or at Ponyville General,” Dr. Bighorn said as he shuffled towards the door. “Okay, thanks,” Derpy said. “Goodbye,” Reigns said as he herded Annie toward the door. “Goodbye,” Annie and Dr. Bighorn said as Reigns went outside. “Goodbye,” Derpy called as the others headed out the door. Twilight then followed them out. -- AMAZO stood there, still staring at the agonized statue. Unimaginable power now flowed through its nanomachines. The android’s body glowed as Discord’s magical properties fused with the simple machinery. AMAZO was now above nanotechnology; it was now a god. “Stop right there, AMAZO,” an authoritative voice said. The android turned to see Celestia, flanked by three unicorn guards on each side of her. Their horns glowed menacingly. “You’re under arrest for breaking and entering into a restricted area and trying to release a prisoner.” AMAZO simply stepped aside, revealing Discord’s statue still slumped in a heap. “You released him, and then you sealed him back?” Celestia demanded. “Yes.” “Wait... Discord was out?” a guard asked. “Yes, Ray, he was. This being here released him,” Celestia said. “So why isn’t there chaos everywhere?” Ray asked. “Because I sealed him back to stone. His release only benefitted me temporarily,” AMAZO stated. “His claw,” Celestia noted. “It’s limp and in an unnatural position. You broke it, didn’t you?” “Yes.” “Guards, add ‘prisoner abuse’ to the list of charges on AMAZO.” “Yes, your highness,” the guards barked. “You wish to incarcerate me? Why?” AMAZO asked. “You freeing Discord put everypony at risk. Yes, you imprisoned him again, but that changes nothing. We have laws here in Equestria and no one is above the law. Now, I request that you surrender yourself peacefully,” Celestia said. “No.” “Fire,” Celestia ordered. Within an instant, AMAZO was hit with seven continuous streams of magical lightning. The android felt the bolts pierce its now magical skin. Acting quickly, AMAZO formed the gold ring and erected a green shield to block the attacks. AMAZO then quickly thrust the shield forward, knocking Celestia and the guards back. Seizing the opportunity, AMAZO flew forward and shot a green beam from the shield at Celestia. Dodging the blow, the princess teleported behind the green shield and fired another bolt at AMAZO. The android dodged quickly and fired another green beam at Celestia’s wing, nicking the top of it. Celestia grimaced in pain and quickly shot off another bolt, hitting AMAZO’s shoulder. Having enough, the android sped towards Celestia, grabbed her neck, and lifter her up to eye level. Wordlessly, AMAZO withdrew the ring and its green constructs. The android’s eyes then began to glow bright red and seemed to be giving off heat. Celestia, thinking quickly, delivered a pointblank blast with her magic. AMAZO flew backwards into the wall, eyes firing two beams of heat right into the wall, missing Celestia’s head by an inch. Wearily, AMAZO looked towards the guards who were trying to get a clear shot at it. Celestia was coming to as well. Deciding that self-preservation was top priority over winning a fruitless battle, AMAZO teleported away. “We got a runner,” Celestia coughed. “Scramble the Wonderbolts and everything else we got. Have them patrol all surrounding towns from Ponyville to Apploosa .” “Yes, your highness,” the guards barked.