Megas CMC

by Tatsurou


Prize Fighting, part 1

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sat happily in the cockpit of Megas, enjoying their lunches. School had let out early that day, making a most enjoyable start to the weekend. Megas was currently parked in the new barn, which was big enough for Megas to stand at ground level in, and the roof was designed to flip open and shut to let Megas fly in and out without causing damage. Kiva was on the uppermost floor in the back of the barn, where any noise the Crusaders made - short of activating Megas - wouldn't disturb her as she read through the books she had borrowed from Twilight on Equestrian laws and culture. She was attempting to familiarize herself with the world she'd found herself stuck on for the foreseeable future, as she was no longer in any sort of rush to leave.

"So what are we going to do over the weekend?" Apple Bloom asked her fellow Crusaders.

"More Crusading, probably," Sweetie Belle replied. "I mean, Scootaloo and I still need our Cutie Marks."

"Maybe we could figure out how to use Megas to get our Cutie Marks!" Scootaloo suggested, looking over the controls eagerly.

"Unlikely," Sweetie pointed out. "If you haven't got a piloting Cutie Mark yet, you probably won't be getting one. Besides, I really don't want a Cutie Mark in being a glorified battery!" She gestured to the hole marked 'Horn goes here!'

Scootaloo grumbled, turning her back.

"How come you want Megas related Cutie Marks, anyway?" Apple Bloom asked. "I mean, I know Megas is awesome and all, but-"

"It's not that," Scootaloo interrupted, not meeting their eyes.

"Then what is it?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"It's...never mind. It's stupid." Scootaloo glanced back towards her friends, seeing they were still staring at her. "Alright. It's that story Pinkie Pie told us about how she got her Cutie Mark."

"Huh?" both fillies asked in confusion.

"She grew up on a rock farm, lived a good portion of her life there, and had friends and family there...but then she got her Cutie Mark in throwing parties. There wasn't a real place for a party pony there, so she had to leave to explore her talent...leaving behind everypony she knew there...and now the only one from that part of her life she still connects with is her sister." Scootaloo frowned, blinking her eyes against incipient moisture. "If...if we get our Cutie Marks in different things, then we'll have to pursue those talents...which will pull us in different directions...away from each other." She sniffled, turning away so they wouldn't see tears in her eyes. "But if all our Cutie Marks have to do with Megas, then we'll always stay together...always be a team...always be friends..."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's eyes were wide as they stared at their friend. Within moments, the two had piled onto her for a group hug, one that she did not resist.

"What genuine emotion," a voice spoke from nearby. "It warms my heart."

All three fillies spun to the source of the voice. What they saw left them all staring.

"It's...a giant floating human head," Apple Bloom said slowly.

"With tiny little arms and legs," Scootaloo added. "It's so..."

"Cute!" Sweetie Belle squealed.

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and the floating head stared at her in shock. The head finally broke the silence. "Ahem. At any rate, my name is Magnanimous. I'm sure you've-"

"Then you have presents for us?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Magnanimous blinked at the seeming non-sequitur. "No, I don't have presents for you. As I was saying-"

"Lock on that target, Scootaloo!" Sweetie said quickly. Scootaloo grabbed the controls and leveled one of Megas' arms at Magnanimous, a large laser cannon popping out to lock onto him.

Magnanimous floated back in shock and confusion. "Now what's all this then?" he inquired in concern.

"Magnanimous is synonymous with generous," Sweetie explained. "But you aren't very generous."

"And in Equestria, your name is either synonymous or antonymous with your nature," Scootaloo explained. "So your name means-"

"I'm pretty sure you mean antithetical," Sweetie interrupted. "I don't think antonymous is a word."

"It so totally is!" Scootaloo countered.

"Prove it!" Sweetie challenged.

Apple Bloom pulled out a dictionary, flipping through the 'A's. "Umm, Sweetie? Scootaloo's right. It is a word."

"Wow," Sweetie admitted. "Learn something new every day." (1)

Magnanimous glanced from one filly to another, trying to figure out some way to seem generous to them. "Umm...I have some candy for good little girls?" he offered.

The three fillies gasped. "Stranger Danger!" Sweetie Belle shouted, as Scootaloo leveled a great deal more weaponry at the floating head.

"Kiva!" Apple Bloom shouted. "A F.A.G. is offering us candy! Should we blow him up?"

"What did you call me?" Magnanimous bridled.

"A Freaky Alien Genotype," Sweetie Belle explained. "F.A.G."

"Oh," he replied, feeling foolish.

Kiva came out from the back of the barn, rubbing her head as she hopped into the back seat of Megas' cockpit. "What's going on here?" she asked, glaring from the CMC to Magnanimous.

"My name is Magnanimous," the floating head replied quickly. "I was attempting to recruit these youngsters - specifically their giant war mech - to fight in the Tournament I sponser, but we got sidetracked into a discussion of naming conventions, and I offered them candy in an attempt to prove I was generous so they wouldn't blow me up under the assumption I was villainous."

Kiva stared for a time as she tried to make sense of it. Finally, she spoke up. "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo...the convention of names reflecting either personality or abilities of the bearer isn't very prevalent out in space."

"Oh," the three fillies intoned in unison. Scootaloo lowered Megas' weapons.

"What's this about a tournament?" Kiva asked curiously.

Magnanimous smiled. "I happen to run a very impressive fighting tournament, where war machines from all across the galaxy compete to see which is the strongest and who is the best pilot. There are astounding prizes for the victors, and fame and eternal glory for the one who fights through to become...the champion!"

"Champion..." Scootaloo breathed, her eyes sparkling.

Kiva rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmm...this does seem like it could be good training for you three in controlling Megas, and getting you used to other methods of fighting." She looked up at Magnanimous. "Give us the coordinates. We can be there tomorrow shortly after dawn local time...but we'll need to leave to make it home in time for bedtime for these three."

Magnanimous blinked a bit, not expecting conditions such as this. However, he soon smiled. "Certainly. I shall expect you then...assuming their parents give permission?"

"I think I can talk them around," Kiva commented drily.

"Then tomorrow it is!" Magnanimous affirmed. "Until then, young gladiator!" he proclaimed, saluting Scootaloo before flying off into space.

Sweetie Belle grinned as she stared down at the coordinates that had been transmitted to Megas' nav computer.

Apple Bloom groaned. "Applejack's never gonna agree to this."