//------------------------------// // Team names, party plans and smack talk // Story: Fullmetal Pony // by clearshot01 //------------------------------// “Jackass Kickers”. “No”. “Dimensional Twisters?”. “No”. “Ponyville Elite Squadron?”. “No”. Sweet Celestia, how many more can he possibly have thought of? Christian had gotten bored, and had apparently decided to alleviate his boredom by coming up with random names for us to call ourselves. He'd been going on for a half hour, and my patience was wearing thin. Please let us arrive at the castle ruins soon, or else I'm probably gonna do something I'll regret. “Oh, the reality smashers!”. “No”. “Then maybe....the sendaways?”. “No, and I swear Christian, unless I actually like the next one, you won't be flying again anytime soon”. He actually went pale at this, which surprised me I haven't seen him look like that since he ate that bad piece of pie. I still don't know how he managed not to get sick. Oh well, maybe he'll actually shut up now. “I got it!” Or maybe not. “The Incarnations!”. Wow, that one actually sounds....not that bad. “Fine, if it'll shut you up, we'll call ourselves the Incarnations. Just stop torturing me with your constant barrage of random team names, please!”. Christian just looked at me and laughed. Then we all started laughing. The only one who wasn't was Rainbow Dash, who was just looking at us like we had all lost it. Eventually she started smiling, but that was the most we could get from her. I guess she's still trying to process everything Meadhbh said too. Her method seems to be to retreat inwards, same as mine would've been before I came here. I went over to her, half expecting her to tell me to get lost or something like that. Instead, she just looked at me with tears in her eyes. She was the one who broke the silence. “You know, I can't even remember anything about my family. Sure I remember flight camp and stuff like that, but I never actually remember anything from before that, nothing about my parents, or if I had any siblings. And now, I find I've got a brother from another reality. It's really doing a number on my head. I'm still thinking this might just be some crazy dream”. “Honestly, I'd be glad if it turns out not to be. I mean, my family is gone. Sure I have my friend Chris, but I could never really open up to him. Half of the time after what happened was spent trying to decide whether or not I should just take my own life”. “That's horrible Stephen. How could you even think something like that?”. “Yeah, I know, it's bad. I won't deny that. What I will say is that I felt like nothing would ever be ok again. Seeing your entire family die right in front of you will probably do that to you. But after coming here, I don't feel that way anymore. You and everyone else helped me feel happy again, when I thought I never would. You guys became my family. It's been way too long since I've felt like things would work out, but now they are, and I have all of you to thank for it”. “Yeah, well, don't go getting all emotional on me. If you are my brother, you're gonna have to start being more awesome, after all, anything you do reflects on me too. So if you look bad, I look bad”. “Got it, I'll try not to make you look bad...sis”. She stopped with a surprised look on her face for a few seconds, but then she ran up beside me again, with Meadhbh in tow, and both were smiling. They spoke together. “Alright then, bro. Let's get to kicking those shadows and the guy who brought you here out of Equestria”. “Agreed”. It was another ten minutes before we finally reached the ruins. By then, Dashie and I (that's right, she actually let me use her nickname) had exchanged several embarassing stories. Hers were mostly about her experiences in flight camp, while mine were more about awkward situations I'd gotten myself into at school. By the time we were done, we were laughing so hard that our sides hurt. Everyone else was laughing too, though not as hard. Even Celestia and Luna were chuckling, though they did their best to hide it. But we all became silent when we saw the ruins. “Oh my, what have they done to this place? It's so...different”.”Yeah, it looks like new? Ooh, maybe they'll let me throw a Nice-Job-Fixing-Up-These-Old-Ruins Party”. “Pinkie, we're not here to party, we're here to buck these here shadows out of Equestria”. “Yeah, and the guy that brought my bro and his friends here”. “Maybe, but I still want to ask them something first”. “And that would be?”. “Their reasons. I refuse to believe they'd do all this without a reason, unless they're somehow linked to Discord or something”. “Doubtful, the last I saw, Discord was still imprisoned in stone since the Elements of Harmony defeated him, just as Tia and I did centuries ago”. “Those were the days, eh, Lulu?”. “Yes, those were the days”. Tia and Luna chuckled. Guess it must be an inside joke. “Well, if we're all done gawking, I think it's time we got some answers. Don't you?”. “Yeah, let's go Stephen”. “So, when we win, I get all the pie I can eat, right Pinkie?”. “Oh yeah, almost forgot about the OMIGOSH!”. “What? Pinkie, did something happen to the pie?”. “No, Chris. I just remembered I totally forgot to throw you guys a Welcome-To-Ponyville-From-Another-Reality Party. And when this is done, I'm gonna have to throw the best ever Thanks-For-Saving-Equestria-From-A-Bunch-Of-Meanie-Shadows-And-Their-Plague-Thingy Party too!”. “Ooh, can I help you make the cakes? I love making happy cakes!”. “Sure Claudy, I'd love to see how cakes are made by somepony from an alternate reality”. “Claudy? I like it! Sounds like cloudy!”. “Oh yeah, it does doesn't it?”. “Ok Pinkie, looks like we've got another reason to win, huh?”. “Yupperooni”. “Alright, I guess we should get going then, I mean, if you want to?”. “Shy, no worries. I won't let you guys get hurt no matter what. Sounds cliched, but I promise, I won't let you guys down. Right?”. “Oh yeah, I'm bringing the Pie of Pain”. “And I'm feeling pretty trigger-happy”. “I'm gonna enjoy serving up a slice of revenge to these guys”. “And I'm gonna look out for you like I did for the past few years, except this time, I'm not gonna let you lose another limb”. I smiled a bit at that. It was almost as if nothing had changed. That was when Celestia spoke up “Well, my little ponies, it's time to end this, is it not?”. We just nodded in agreement, and with that we went in, to face the shadows and their master. I don't know why you brought us here, but I swear, you're gonna tell me everything, and them I'm taking you down. “Well, took you losers long enough. Bet you couldn't wait to behold my sexiness, huh?” That Meg certainly is full of herself I thought. We made it all the way into the throne room before Meg and her fellow shadows showed up. All of them were looking at us with a mix of contempt and smugness. So, they think they've already won do they? Well, if this theory of mine is right, they're in for a big surprise. No, can't think about it now, gotta focus on the task at hand, getting answers, beating these guys, and saving the world. Man that sounds so cliched My thoughts were becoming more scattered as they continued to watch us. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. “Alright, we're here, now, are we gonna get this over with, or do you plan on waiting until we die of old age? I wanna get this over with so I can get my pie”. “Aww, don't be like that, I'm sure once you see my skills with this guitar, all your thoughts of pie will end, along with your lives”. “Shut it Para, let's just get to the fighting”. “Fine Reaver, but you know the rules”. “Fine, I'm on it”. Suddenly, there was a sudden flash, and when we were able to see again, Twilight and the other Bearers were trapped in some sort of dome. Whatever it was, we couldn't even hear them through it. What the hell is that thing made of? “It's a special barrier, made from darkness, though it may not look like it. They can't get out of it until this fight is finished, and you can't hear them, but they can hear you. If you're wondering why the princesses aren't sealed in it too, it's cause the boss wants to have a private word with them”. Suddenly, Celesia and Luna disappeared, teleported by an unseen force. “Don't worry, he won't harm them, he's gonna save the pleasure of ending their pathetic lives until we've finished you off first. So, here's how it works. Stephen, you're paired off against me” If looks could kill, she'd be six feet under by now. “Aww, don't give me that face. After all, I'm sexy and I know it, so you know you're gonna enjoy it” “Enough with your crappy jokes, get on with it”. “Fine, jeez, don't get your knickers in a twist. Christian, you're fighting Marco, Claudius, you're against Reaver, Riley, you're facing Mag, and Meadhbh...” She smiled sadistically as she said my sister's name “You're battling Para. Hope you don't mind bad music, it's all you'll get from him”. Para scowled at Meg “Shut up, you don't know anything about music. Anyway, I hope you're ready, I've already got your funeral music prepared Meadhbh”. “Yeah, I don't think so, but I'll be sure to play a recording of it at yours jerk”. “Well Chris, you ready to die?” “Not gonna happen. I won't die when there's pie on the line”. “Well Claudius, you ready to meet your maker?”. “Nah, but I'll make sure to give you some cakes to share when you go see him”. “Well, Riley, from one sharpshooter to another, you'd better not hold back, this won't be any fun otherwise”. “Yeah, I don't give a damn about fun, so I'll be sure to make this quick”. And with our pre-battle banter finished, we drew our weapons and circled each other. Even though I couldn't see them, I felt like Celestia and Luna were observing, albeit unwillingly. Please let them be alright. I can't let them get hurt. I have to help them, no matter what. I won't lose the ones I care about, not again. And with that, I began the battle, hoping, no, praying that they would be alright when we finally joined up with them again. Author's Note: I'll be covering the fights individually, and they'll be done from the perspective of each member of the Incarnations. Also, I may or may not ask my friends, who helped me with this in the first place, to write their own fight scene, so the writing style may seem different for each fight. If each of them agrees and there are two versions of each fight, I'll put both versions up, and you can decide which one is true to the story, I will reveal the shadow's backstories after the next chapter. Also, if anyone is interested in having a character in this fic, leave a comment or message me. I've already got an idea for how I'm gonna introduce the character for Zoom_The_Kid, but if anyone wants, I can write them into it as well. And just so you know, if I do write you into the story, my plan is to have you in it for the rest of it, so if I decide to make a sequel, you will be in it if you make an appearance in this one. Oh and one more thing: If any of you are wondering about the 'theory', that'll be revealed during the final battle. Sorry if you feel like I'm leaving you hanging, but I want it to remain a secret until I'm sure about where I'm gonna go with it.