//------------------------------//
// Metal Bones and Synthetic Skin 
// Story: Son of Invention 
// by Zman537 
//------------------------------//


(1500 years ago)


I panted as I kept walking along the side of the mountain scape. The city was a fair distance behind me, and I could see that there was a lot of commotion coming from it. I shook my head and spotted a cave a little ways ahead of me. “Shelter. Best thing I’ve found yet.” Getting thrown in a dungeon is not my idea of a good place to stay. I moved into the cave and looked at the sky above. It was starting to get dark, and I could see the moon start rising over the horizon.

A cold wind ripped through me and I shivered. “Fire, going to need a fire. There’s got to be something flammable and easy to get...” I looked around for anything combustible and found some ferns growing just far enough inside, and some dead branches from the trees nearby. I walked to the trees and pulled out my cutlass, cutting the branches off. “You’ll do. The ferns can be tinder.”

I brought them with me further into the cave and when I was far enough in that the wind stopped bothering me, I couldn’t see the entrance anymore. What I did see confused me. Even further down, I could see a glow coming from a hole in the cave’s wall. I walked over and peered through to see if I could find out what was glowing. “What is going on in here?”

I looked down as my necklace suddenly started glowing and the barrel of my cutlass glew as well. “Whoa!” I jumped back and both stopped glowing. I looked between the two items before glancing down at my necklace again. “Did you just... give me a hint?” The necklace didn’t respond, and I shook it off. “What am I saying. It’s a necklace. Necklaces don’t give hints.”

Either way, I decided to give it a shot. Not like I’d have anything to lose besides the possibility of a cave in.... okay, yeah, that’s a pretty big risk. I moved back to where I had saw the glow and aimed down at the glowing dot. “Please god, don’t let me get crushed...” I pulled on the trigger and a orange bolt of light shot forward and exploded when it hit the rock around the dot.

For a moment, the cave shook and debris fell down, but after a moment of shaking the cave remained un-collapsed. Phew..... I walked back over to the hole and saw that the cave wall that had been there had actually been rather thin, and there was a tunnel leading down.

As I got closer, I could hear running water from further down the tunnel and smiled a little. “Fire and a source of fresh water. That’s a good place to take shelter.” I picked up my sticks again and headed down into the tunnel. As I moved further in, the glow from earlier grew in intensity. “Jesus, just what is making all this light?”

As I got near the source of the light I felt my jaw drop. The tunnel had lead to a massive cave system that was at least thirty feet in height. It had caves heading up in several directions, and the walls and rocks were covered in a glowing green moss. Several glowing blue crystals were in the area too, and a small river flowed along to an unknown destination through the soft dirt ground covering the area. Next to it, there seemed to be a shack, barely big enough for someone my size to live in.

“Wow... This place is perfect.” A drop of water hit my nose and I looked up at the cave ceiling. “Albeit a little wet for my tastes.”

I moved next to the river and put down my sticks before heading up to the shack. It’s windows were filthy, and I couldn’t see inside to see if it was occupied. I tapped on the door a few times and it fell forward with a dust rising thud. “Hello?” My voice echoed off of the cave walls and in the house. “Is anyone staying here?”

I cautiously moved inside and looked around. The shack only had one room, but it was spacious. There was a cot off to the side, a firepit built into the floor on the other side, and a desk with something sitting at it. I slowly walked up behind it and cleared my throat, hoping that it wouldn’t be something I didn’t want to piss off. “Um excuse me, but could you-” I jumped back as the chair fell over and bones rattled across the floor. “OKAY! Dead thing in shack! Dead! Thing! In! Shack!”

I pressed myself against the back wall and looked at the skeleton a second time. It looked a lot like those unicorns that I saw as guards, but had what looked like a fine jacket around it’s ribcage instead of armor. There was also a book at the desk and an empty ink pot sitting next to a quill. Out of curiosity I picked up the book, finding it to be a journal before opening it up. I flipped to the last of the entries and started to read.

Those damned nobles seem to think that thine wealth puts them above us. HA! Like that actually means anything. I thought coming to this new kingdom would stop all of their hate, but those of them who managed to keep their wealth and power are just as bad if more reached then all Unicornia. That wench Platinum worst of all. The witch believes that her role in finding this land means she can treat the rest of us like common filth. Now I see why all those Earth Draggers and War Fliers were so fed up with our petty pride.

I confronted some of the nobles about this, and for that I find myself in this reached cave. I can’t seem to get out no matter which path I take. It feels like this entire cavern is an elaborate maze. That was three days ago. I am starting to feel weak. If anypony finds this, then I, Sir Coin Rich, Am no more. If thy can find a way out that I could not, then let my family know of my fate.

I looked down at the bones for a moment, and frowned. “Poor guy.” I closed the book and put it on a shelf above the cot. I moved back outside and picked up the sticks, taking them inside and putting them in the firepit. I found a dilemma I hadn't thought of as I stared at the pile of sticks and leaves. “Now how am I going to light this?”

The necklace glew again and started to feel hot. “Huh?” I took it off and stared at the glowing orange fang. “It got hot?... Wait a second. HEAT!” I mentally jumped in joy at my epiphany and stuck the gem near the foliage. “Okay... I don’t know if you understand me, but do that again.” It immediately started glowing and the foliage caught fire, heating the old and dead shack back to life.

I smiled before remembering what was also in the shack with me. “I’m not sleeping in a room with a skeleton.” I walked over to the pile of bones and frowned. “Sorry Sir Rich, but I’m repoing your house.” I took the jacket and moved the bones inside, shuddering at the fact I was touching real bones.

I took them outside and set them down closer to the river. I pulled out my cutlass and started digging into the river bed. When the hole was big enough, I placed the bones and jacket inside.

Before I closed up the hole, I decided to check the coat pockets. I found a bag of gold coins, and a spyglass. I looked one last time at the bone and smiled apologetically. “Again, sorry Sir Rich.” I moved out of the hole and started filling it back up. Once it was filled I moved back inside.

And saw the fire was going out. “Crap! Go to get more wood!”





(Current time)


My boots clanged against the metal stairs as I made my way down. After a minute of descending, I walked out into a familiar and heart warming sight, if a little in disrepair. The lights that I had installed all those years ago were off, but the moss still lit the place enough to see. It seems that the waterwheel I had installed and diverted the water too had broke and was now sitting in the river half rotted half gone. Going to have to fix that if I want the main power back. Hope the generator still works.

I walked down the path I had made to the house and smiled. To think that this used to be a shack. The renovations and extensions were still there, making at an impressive structure of three stories and seven rooms that held a solid rock foundation. I felt Boris bounce impatiently and laughed. “Alright alright, we’ll get you your body back. I’m just as happy as you are to be home.”

We moved to the mahogany front door and it opened easily. I cleared my throat as I walked a few feet into the house. “Lights on.” The house sprung to life, flooding my vision with artificial light and I looked in at the living room. Good, backup still works. The lounging chairs and sofa were wrecked, but I could replace those. The coffee table, other wood structures, and my metal bookcase was still good though. The kitchen looked fine from what I could tell, and Steve was in his pod. I walked past that doorway and smiled a little.

I moved to a different door that was near the bookcase and opened it before heading down the stairs. Boris wouldn’t stop bouncing in excitement as I made my way to the workshop.

It was a nice big open room that was perfect for making new ideas in. I also held spares of all my creations in here. I moved to the back wall, where spare robots were placed and got to my favorite. the BOR-15. “Here we are Boris. Let’s get you some legs.” Boris glew a bright green and hovered for a moment. I pushed a few buttons on the pod, and a bipedal robot about four feet tall came out. It’s wire muscles and smooth plating resembling the human figure to a tee, making it seamlessly able to move it’s joints without exposing the interior.

I pushed on a panel on it’s chest, causing it to open. Inside there was an indention in the main processing unit. “In you go.” I took Boris off and put the gem inside the machine, making sure the chain was in it’s little cubby so it didn’t get in any gears. The chest closed up and the machine started to hum to life. A few seconds later, It’s eyes opened up and showed the optical cameras I had put in. 

Boris blinked a few times before shaking his head and smiling. “I have a body again!” He jumped up and walked around wearing that great big grin I had been missing for oh so long. “Oh it feels good to have a body again.”

I laughed at his antics and stood up. “Glad you think so. I might have to make a few adjustments later to suit your mental age, so don’t get too comfortable.” Boris leaned back and let out an annoyed aw and I rolled my eyes. “Come on you, let’s see if I still have some of that PRS Gel left. I tested it and with how it was preserved we should still have some.”

Boris perked up and started following me as I browsed the shelves humming. “Cogs, oil, copper, iron, grapple hooks, grapple gun, pocket watch smoke bombs... bah! Where’s the PRS?” I snapped my fingers and smiled. “Wait a second, I know who to ask.” I walked over to another pod labeled FM-36. I punched in the activation code and smiled. “Come on Ed. Time to get up.”

The machine inside rolled it’s head a little, it’s antenna bouncing as it drooped forward as it rose from the pod. it’s eyes were half closed and it’s overall build was just like I remembered. Edward Elric, my best assistant ever in the pursuit of building the extraordinary and amazing. “Gah?... Morning already?” He looked over to me and jumped a little in shock. “Captian! You’re back!?”

I smiled and waved. “Yes Ed, I’m back. Now I know you and the others would love to see what I’ve been up to, but I need some more PRS gel for Boris. The coating I put on him seems to have worn off his old body.” I paused and looked Ed over. “Your’s isn’t doing much better.”

Ed looked down at himself and frowned. “Damn, I was hoping it’d last longer.” He moved out of his pod and ran over to the far end of the shelf. His legs extended and he pulled off a gallon jar of pale tan goo. “Here you are Captain! The last jar of PRS gel. Victoria tells me that the rest were expired at she threw them out.”

I nodded a little before taking the jar and smiling at Ed. “Thank you Ed.” I looked at Boris and started opening the jar. “You know what to do Boris. Eyes closed, arms out.” Boris smiled as he closed his eyes and spread his limbs. I opened the jar, revealing a large brush attached to the lid that was coated in the pale gel. I started coating his arms first, making a nice even layer before moving to the legs. I purposely ignored the chest plate that opened up, and started coating his neck. 

When I got to his face, I put the lid down and looked over at Ed. “Could you hand me the smaller detail brush?” Ed saluted and grabbed a smaller brush from a shelf. “Thank you Ed.” I started taking some gel and moved it around on his face, starting with the flaps that made Boris’ eyes. Once they were done, I capped the PRS gel and let it dry for a bit before forming a nose and ears with my hands.

Now came the hard part of all this. “Okay Boris. Say ah.” Boris pouted but opened his mouth anyways. I started to roll and push the now putty like gel to form lips and other fine details. “I know you hate this Boris, I’m almost done.” I looked over at Ed and he handed me a short blonde wig made from some polymer fiber I had managed to create. I put it on Boris’ head and gave it that spiked look he always liked to have.

Once I was done, I handed the capped PRS gel to Ed and had him put it away. I stepped back as the gel began to go through it’s final solidification process. The PRS gained a rubbery consistency before softening into a skin like substance. It even merged with the edges of the wig and held it in place.

Because that was what I had designed it to be. Polymer Realistic Skin Gel. A strange discovery from some of the properties the crystals in this cavern had. When ground down and combined with basic polymer chemicals and electrocuted, it made a gel that formed and adhered like skin to any metal surface. I only had started even trying to make it when I found out that Boris was sapient.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I remembered my first reaction to it working. My face when. I tapped Boris’ shoulder and he looked over at me. “All done Boris, now you go ahead and wake up Steve and see if you can find Vicky. I’m sure that everyone wants to see that we have a warm welcome.” He started to run to the stairs and I shouted after him. “And don’t forget to get dressed!”

Boris jumped up and down as he started cheering. “Yay! I’ll be right back Dad!” He ran up the stairs and started shouting. “STEVE! STEVE WAKE UP! WE’RE BACK!” I chuckled as he ran off. I could only sigh once he was out of sight.

Ed looked over at me. “Are you alright Captain?”

I nodded and looked at the ceiling in thought. 1500 years is quite the time to be left to your thoughts, but I still needed to think. Just a little longer. “Ed, I’m absolutely positive that Celestia is going to be actively hunting for us. From what I could tell, she wasn’t able to find our home. But while I was in stone, watching her and other ponies live and die, I could tell that what had happened all those years ago still affects her.” I looked over at the pods that lined the walls. There were five in total, but since then only four have ever been used. The fifth was broken, shards of glass left in the edges of what used to be the window inside.

“After all of us have our reunion, I’ll want to talk with you and Steve. Alone. We need to find a way to fix what he managed to cause.”





(Elsewhere)


Celestia glared at nothing as the guard before her trembled in fear. “Y-your majesty... we... we could not find any trace of Invention....” The guard bowed his head and gulped. “W-we are sorry. We failed.”

Celestia closed her eyes and rubbed her muzzle with a hoof. “You are forgiven...” Luna looked at Celestia with the same look of concern and stood from her throne. “Luna?” She looked back at Celestia staring at her. “Where are you going?”

Luna rubbed her foreleg and looked away. “We are heading for our chambers. We- I wish to have some time to myself.”

Celestia stared for a moment before nodding. “Very well Luna. I’ll preside over Night Court for you. Have the night off.” Luna teleported from the room and Celestia looked next to her throne. Her sword sat there, and she planned on keeping it there until she found him. “I won’t forgive you for what you have done Invention. You and your monstrosities shall fall. I swear it.”