//------------------------------// // Part 1: Bad Moon Rising // Story: MLP-Destiny's Play // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// Night had fallen over the sleepy little town of Ponyville. All was quiet, like most nights as of late. Most nights. As of late, this town had been the center of a series of peculiar happenings with very little explanation. Ponies, struck down in the night by an unknown entity. Found shattered like stained glass, and seemingly drained of blood. If that wasn’t enough, there had been blood moons on varying nights. If it was only one, then that might have not have been so odd. After all, singular blood moons were just total lunar eclipses. But several within a week? Now that was cause for alarm. Now these ponies, they’d been found aside from being drained of blood and shattered like glass, on occasion with a strange symbol beside them. One resembling two massive wings with a half-moon above it. At first, nobody knew what to think of all of this. Nobody could find a rational explanation for what was going on. Nobody could even have a finger to point at someone or something to blame, not even something from the wilds of the Everfree as no known creature from any bestiary could do any of this. That was, until he showed up. The creature known only as Kiva. Now, at first nobody knew what to call this strange dark creature that with the golden eyes that struck from the shadows, until one scholar living in her oak tree library got curious, and found that hundreds of years ago there existed a creature called Kiva who was known for killing ponies and leaving only mangled, shattered remains behind. Now everybody knew who to blame. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad for Kiva if there were other suspects that fit the profile, or the ponies he was killing weren’t pillars of the community. Take for example Spoiled Rich, who despite her frankly rather bitchy demeanor had contributed funds to quite a bit to the local school boards -Admittedly, even if only to keep her daughter from being thrown in detention a few times- or Cutting Axe who had provided quite a bit of timber for local construction companies. Sadly, with nobody else that fit this profile, Kiva continued to be the main suspect in these killings. And the worst part was, nobody knew exactly when the next would be. Perhaps the next night, perhaps later in the week. But life had to go on, as it always did. The ponies of Ponyville were a defiant -some might say stupid- lot and they couldn’t let themselves live in fear of a monster. No, life had to go on. It was a unified decision by the town’s populace, to show Kiva that they were not afraid of him or anything he could do to them. One had to respect that decision. Sadly for them, killers didn’t exactly pay much attention to defiance, or particularly care really. No, they had this need to hunt once more, and that time would be coming soon. Very soon as a matter of fact. It was late one night when it happened. The sun has just begun to set over the horizon, and the night shift for the construction on the new wing of Ponyville’s hospital had just begun. One Iron Shaft had just started hammering in some nails on what was going to be an inside wall on the new wing, alongside one of his fellow workers Hard Knock. The night was rather peaceful really, one might even say dull actually. Hammer in one nail, then move onto the next. That was how it was really, settling into the nightly routine. “...Celestia above,” Iron Shaft remarked. “Be so glad when this whole venture’s over. Been staying up far too late really for my liking, been messing with my entire sleep schedule. Throws my whole internal body clock out of whack, you know?” “Quit your bitching, we’re getting paid aren’t we?” Hard Knock remarked. “Besides, about the only work we could get really. The boss, he didn’t care what we did in our past lives.” Iron Shaft sighed to himself, and nodded. That much was true. It was hard for any former criminal to find a steady job, even if in his and Hard Knock’s case their only crimes were just holding up jewelry stores. It wasn’t like they were serial killers. Hell, they hadn’t killed anyone in their entire lives truth be told. The fact was, they were the furthest thing from stone-cold killers you could find. They abored it, actually. Made it a personal rule never to kill anyone on purpose back when they held up jewelry stores. Used stolen tasers instead of guns. Painful as all hell yes, but not deadly. “So, what do you think of these Kiva rumors?” Hard Knock had to ask. “Think there’s any truth to them, or are ponies just sniffing one too many shrooms and seeing things?” “...Well, we can’t deny the bodies. But a strange figure that strikes from the shadows?” Iron Shaft asked as he continued with his menial task. “Sounds like something more out of a comic book really. Hell, some unicorn may be throwing up spells to create this mirage of Kiva, hiding in the shadows and killing their victims.” “...That is the single most dumbest explanation I’ve ever heard,” Hard Knock deadpanned. “Man, I think I’ll stick to the mass mushroom sniffing explanation really…” “...Hey, no weirder than a comic book figure striking from the shadows and leaving an implant of a bat wing style emblem in the ground eh?” Iron Shaft pointed out and Hard Knock acknowledged this with a small shrug of his shoulders. “Wish the rest of our crew would show up,” Hard Knock muttered. “Surely they’re not scared of Kiva. We’re roughnecks, we don’t get scared of nothin’ except perhaps the threat of not being paid.” “Strike from the shadows man…” Iron Shaft commented. “Comic book figure or someone sniffing the shrooms, it’s still happening. Could happen to anyone, even us really. Hell, we could be killed right now, at this very moment. Can’t say I don’t blame them for being scared out of their wits. Truth be told, I am too, but I’ve got an alimony check to deal with so work must continue.” “...Ah yes, the ex-wife,” Hard Knock murmured. “Bitch. Always trying to get you to find her next drink, no wonder you divorced her. Damn shame she happened to be a really good lawyer on the side. Oh the irony, a criminal marrying a lawyer. Now there’s a good joke for you.” “Would actually be so funny if it didn’t happen to me,” Iron Shaft remarked. “Here I am, still paying alimony checks three years on!” “Hey, got something to cheer you up,” Hard Knock remarked. “Been working my ass off for this for every waking hour I’ve been at this job, but I finally managed it.” “It?” Iron Shaft questioned. “What’s it?” “You know exactly what it is!” Hard Knock refuted. “No, I don’t know what it is, so stop dicking around with me and being so damn vague!” Iron Shaft shouted, starting to get really annoyed with his friend. “Tickets!” Hard Knock beamed, waving a pair of printed slips of paper about in front of Iron’s face. “Tickets to your favorite singer, one Ms. Songbird Serenade for her Stars Align concert in Cloudsdale in a few short months!” “...No way, just no way,” Iron replied. “You’re screwing with me. Those have to be made up. They just simply have to be. You know how much those cost!?!” “Nope, they’re legit, the real effin’ deal. Tickets for the two of us! Tickets getting us the good seats! Like I said, worked my ass off to get ‘em!” Hard Knock chorused. “We, with our attractive masculine scent, are sure to catch her eye. Hell, maybe we’ll get really lucky and dear old Songbird will invite us onstage to be backup singers!” “...Well, not you. Your voice sounds like a strangled cat gettin’ a lobotomy in some back alley somewhere really.” Iron deadpanned. “Oh, like you’re some Feather Bangs yourself, dipshit!” Hard Knock sneered, and Iron looked as if he was about to punch his friend for even comparing him to that hack of a singer before both broke out laughing, falling to the floor when doing so. Another night, another argument between the two old chums. “...Alright, enough joking around. This wing isn’t going to get itself built really,” Iron remarked. “Still got a lotta work to do, and so little time to meet our deadline.” Suddenly, something clattered in the background. Something metallic really, and an odd squeaking sound came from somewhere beyond the two’s field of vision. “What was that?” Hard Knock remarked, the dark-coated pegasus beginning to look around in suspicion. “Probably a rat, playing with a beer can. Celestia knows some of our co-workers don’t bother to clean up after themselves.” Iron replied. “Nothin’ to worry about really. Pay it no mind.” “You sure about that?” Hard Knock asked. “What if it’s someone sneakin’ about? Trying to bust in and steal something from the job site?” Iron gave him a flat look. “Hard, really. Look around, what is there around here that’s worth stealing?” he asked, in an equally flat tone gesturing around him. “I mean, honestly!” That much was true at least, considering there really was not much worth stealing aside from a few construction tools. Of all the places to rob, this particular unfinished wing of the hospital wasn’t a good choice really. Granted, the other wings could have something of value… “Best we go have a little look around, just in case though…” Iron murmured going for a flashlight with Hard Knock following. “How much you want to bet it’s just some punk kids?” Hard Knock asked. “Could be out drinking, and decided it was a good idea to vandalize and graffiti the Hell out of our job site?” Iron looked down the darkened hallway, and then at Hard Knock. “You first,” he said. As Hard Knock hesitantly started down the hallway, a wicked grin spread across Iron’s face and he crept up behind Hard Knock. “Maybe it’s Kiva,” he joked, putting on an ominous voice. “Don’t joke about things like that,” Hard Knock replied, with a very visible shudder. “Just… Just don’t.” “Alright, if it’s not Kiva, I dare you to go down that hallway and get those kids out of here then,” Iron replied with a challenging smirk. “Unless you’re too… chicken.” Hard Knock glared at his friend, the taunt having the desired effect. “Alright, I’ll check it out. Just keep an ear out.” With that, the stallion turned and grabbed a flashlight to walk towards the sound. “Right…” Iron said. “If it’s Kiva, scream okay?” “Will do,” Knock grumbled, creeping into the darkness. Hard Knock continued down the abandoned hallway into what was supposed to be another lobby for the nurses, with rows of rooms for patients extending from either side. A small light bulb hung from the ceiling, swinging slowly back and forth in the nighttime air, blinking on and off every so often. “...Okay, note to self, get the electrics fixed soon as possible. I swear, wandering around here and bumping into things in the dark isn’t fun. Especially when there’s the possibility of a stone-cold killer on the loose.” Hard Knock mused to himself before groaning. What was that they said? The first sign of you going crazy was you starting to talk to yourself, wasn’t it? His head whipped to the left when he swore he saw something move in the darkness, and out of pure instinct picked up a nail gun. He lowered his arm, finding nothing but empty chairs at the nurse station. Turning away, he continued what he was starting to think was a fruitless search. There was a crash from behind him, nearly making him jump out of his skin. “Alright, if that’s you Iron, not funny man! Not funny at all!” Hard shouted into the darkness. Turning around slowly, he saw a prone pony on the floor. He rushed towards the pony, kneeling down besides the pony, recognizing him as one of his fellow workers, Smelting Pot. “...What the…?” Hard muttered as he kneeled down towards Smelting. “You alright man? Please tell me you didn’t overwork yourself into exhaustion again.” “Z-Zapapple h-he,” Smelting croaked out, trembling like a leaf. Hard took a moment to examine the pony, finding marks on his neck. The instant he found them, Smelting cried out and his body shattered like glass. “Smelting…” Hard whispered, fighting back a sniffle. “Okay, Kiva… Where are you?” he growled out, reaching for his nail gun once again, and gripping the trigger. Hard followed the path he guessed Smelting had taken, keeping his nail gun at the ready. Fear or no fear, Kiva had messed with a friend. That was something the stallion couldn’t forgive. Still, Smelting’s last words kept nagging at him even as he traipsed down the corridors. Lightning, what did he mean by that? Did he mean his boss Zapapple Strike perhaps? Did he mean, as much as Hard Knock hated to think it, that Zapapple was Kiva? No, that couldn’t be! Burnt was far too nice, treated his workers fairly and he had a hatred for injustice in all its forms. To simply even entertain the possibility that his boss was Kiva was just a really bad joke. It was more than that, it was disgusting. More likely, and this he knew from Smelting’s constant complaints about not being paid nearly enough, Smelting was probably trying to get off one last complaint about this. He hated to think ill of the dead, but that was the more likely probability in Hard Knock’s mind about what Smelting was trying to say. Zapapple, he didn’t pay me enough for this shit. Yeah, that had to be it. Another thought crossed his mind, one that made Hard pick up the pace of his search. What if Smelting was trying to tell him that Kiva was attacking Zapapple Strike? And furthermore, other members of Zapapple’s construction company as well? That meant he and then Iron could be next! Hard went into each room, finding nothing while his paranoia mounted. “Ya alright there Hard?” Zapapple Strike’s distinctive voice came from behind him, the aqua stallion’s southern accent being instantly recognizable. “Boss!” Hard said, breathing a sigh of relief and wiping sweat off his brow. “Thank Celestia you’re okay. Listen, Smelting’s dead and I think Kiva is after the company’s employees.” “Well… yer not entirely wrong there pardner…” Zapapple Strike smirked, as veins that resembled stained glass began to appear all over his face, and he took off his Stetson and tossed it aside. “Bit unsightly, that there damned thing was anyhow. Never fit me properly.” Hard screamed at the top of his lungs, finding himself standing face to face with what could only be described as a walking sea star, mostly dark-colored but with various stained glass detailing in various places. He wanted to run, but his hooves felt like they were made of cement. He closed his eyes, either to concentrate or to prepare for the end he couldn’t tell. Then it happened, two transparent fangs appeared above his head and jabbed themselves into either side of Hard Knock’s neck. Hard Knock let out a strangled scream, his life feeling like it was being drained away before all went dark and he slumped to the floor his entire body seemingly turning into crystal. Meanwhile, Iron had heard the scream and was rushing to its source only to find the Seastar Fangire standing over what was left of Hard Knock’s body. “Well now, suppose we can’t have any witness to mah doings can we now?” the Fangire murmured. “Really bad for business if Ah were to be outed as a monster now, now wouldn’t it eh? Hopin’ Kiva would be able to attend the party, but guess we can’t always get what we want really…” Iron screamed, turning and running as fast as his legs could carry him. His mind was racing, unable to process what he had just seen. Sadly, not fast enough as the Seastar Fangire was right behind, firing off blasts of electricity from his body nipping at Iron’s heels as it were. Something moved in the darkness, and Iron screeched to a halt as he saw a figure, shrouded in shadows standing in front of him, a small bat creature hovering above the pony’s shoulders. “Kivat!” the stallion -At least, Iron thought it was a stallion, he couldn’t really tell in the darkness- ordered, and Iron’s brows furrowed. He’d sworn he’d heard that voice somewhere before, but he just couldn’t place it as to where exactly. The figure raised his/her arm, and the bat creature bit down on it before a strange sound -impossible to describe, maybe like a distorted violin- filled the air before the pony stated: “Henshin.” A strange wave filled the room, the figure’s silhouette distorting. In a moment, shards of what appeared to be glass shot out and Kiva stepped out from the shadows, his yellow eyes flashing for a split second. Iron swallowed nervously, and let out a murmur of: “Oh fu…” as he realized what he’d landed in the middle of and the gravity of the situation, the young pegasus being caught between Kiva and another monster of some sort. “...Please, by Celestia’s name spare me…” Iron prayed before the Seastar Fangire grabbed Iron by the neck and pulled him close, laughing all the while. “So, what’ll it be? Mahself, or the innocent bystander?” the Fangire asked. Kiva didn’t respond, looking rather indecisive for a moment. One moment too long, as it would soon turn out, before he finally made up his mind. Iron watched as Kiva began pulling something off his belt. Iron focused on it, swearing it resembled a green whistle of some kind. Before the pegasus could question how the masked figure could blow it, Iron felt a sharp pain in his neck before he fell to the ground dead, just like Smelting and Hard Knock before him. “Ah Kiva, it’s always your love for the innocent. That’ll be yer downfall, Ah think.” the Fangire chuckled darkly. Kiva didn’t respond again, but the crimson bat on his belt called out, “Basshaa Magnum!” A jazzy tune started to play from the whistle, and a window shattered. As the glass cascaded to the floor, a strange object flew into Kiva’s hand, chains wrapping around his arm. His body turned green, as his left arm gained a shoulder pad and Kiva’s formerly yellow eyes filled with some sort of green liquid. Kivat’s formerly yellow eyes were now a greenish color as well. The chains merged into Kiva’s armor, leaving no trace they had been there. Kiva brought up the object, revealing itself to be a gun of some sort, with what looked to have a sorta windmill with three blades around the gun’s barrel. The blades spun, Kiva pulling the trigger to fire a condensed ball of water at the Fangire, making him stagger back before Kiva kicked him in the creature’s midsection making it smash through a partially constructed wall. Kivat detached himself from Kiva’s belt and flew around the Fangire as it fired off blasts of electricity once more. Kivat was laughing all the while as he dived and swooped to avoid the bolts with Kiva continuously firing at the Fangire. Kiva ignored the bat’s antics, all too familiar with the cocky attitude he displayed when they were out hunting down the monsters. All that mattered was making sure the fangire stopped feeding on the town of Ponyville. “Kivat!” Kiva ordered with a snap of his fingers. “Time to change tactics!” Kivat nodded, with the crimson bat creature returning to his place on Kiva’s belt as Kiva produced another whistle device with this one sorta resembling a wolf. “Garuru Saber!” the bat boomed, a different tune from before playing, this one sounding like an organ. The gun flew off from where it came from, Kiva’s armor reverting to normal before a blue object crashed through another window and into his other hand, chains wrapping around his arm and Kiva turning a dark blue shade, his eyes along with Kivat’s earning a dark blue tint as a wolf howled in the background. Kiva crouched down, growling ferally. Springing forward, he slashed at the fangire’s chest. The fangire swiped at him, scoring a slash across the chest of his own. “Ya shoulda stayed using that there fancy magnum of yers, would've been more productive in the long run. Ya might have actually had a chance of beatin’ me then!” the fangire taunted as he scored several more strikes across the chest with his long razor-sharp claws. He raised his hand to strike again, before Kiva blocked and then parried the blow with his saber before punching the fangire making it stagger back. The battle continued across the construction site, till both fighters were at the edge of the building, narrowly avoiding a long drop from the scaffolding to the hard ground below. “What’s that old sayin?” the fangire taunted. “It’s not the fall that kills ya, it’s hittin' the ground!” he shouted, as he took a swipe at Kiva, who barely dodged. But this was what the Fangire had been counting on, as Kiva took a misstep and falling over the edge. “...Well, that was easy.” the fangire remarked dusting his hands off. “Oh, when the King hears of this, Ah’ll be rewarded for su…” he trailed off, before he heard the flapping of wings and whirled around to see two butter-yellow wings holding Kiva aloft. “Time to finish this…” Kiva thought to himself. He lowered his saber to Kivat’s mouth, the bat biting down on the blade. “Chomp!” Kivat cried, his eyes flashing as the full moon turned a deep shade of blue in the background before Kiva leaped into the air as Kivat shouted “Wake up!” and Kiva launched himself at the fangire before slashing him right through the stomach. The fangire turned to glass before he began to crack and then he shattered as a ball of energy appeared from his remains and rose up to the sky. Kiva crossed himself, as a nearby mountain shimmered before revealing a massive Gothic-style castle. But this was hardly any ordinary castle, as no castle that ever existed should by all rights have a dragon’s head and wings. But this one did, and it took to the skies and as it did so Doran -For that was the Dragon’s name- opened his jaws and devoured the fangire’s soul. “Be sure to brush your teeth with this one!” Kivat shouted at Doran before whispering quietly: “Now, may you find peace in another life…” Suddenly a powerful set of claws blindsided Kiva knocking him to the floor. “What? Another fangire?!” Kivat shouted, turning to face the attacker only for his eyes to widen as he saw a creature resembling a lion approaching. “Fl-Kiva, run! It’s one of the Checkmate Four!” Kivat shouted, quickly catching himself. It would not be wise to unveil Kiva’s real name to one of the most powerful Fangire alive. “Game start.” the lion fangire laughed, before launching a flurry of spikes from his claws at Kiva, who quickly picked himself up off the floor and began running for it. The fangire laughed all the while. “Oh, isn’t this surprising! Kiva running, instead of facing me! I’m rather disappointed frankly, I’ve heard the new Kiva was supposed to be all that!” Kiva faltered, taking to the sky to avoid the spikes. The taunt wounded him, but he couldn’t form a response. A part of him knew Kivat was right, even a lesser member of the Four was too much for him. Especially after having just fought one of the Four’s possible underlings. For now, he would have to rest, and heal. The next morning, the remains of the construction workers would be found by a guard patrol. Ever since Kiva’s presence had become known to Princess Twilight, she’d sent her personal guard out on organized patrols in hopes of catching the mysterious killer. They never did find Kiva, but they always found the remains of his ‘victims’. “We’ve got another one over here!” one Flash Sentry shouted, as he found the remains of Smelting. “Drained of his blood, just like all the rest of them.” he sighed, and shook his head with his purple and gold armor shimmering in the early morning sun. “That makes what? Three of them?” the Captain of Twilight’s personal guard asked. “And their boss, one Zapapple Strikes has conveniently gone missing as well. We must assume he’s probably dead as well.” Tempest Shadow chuckled to herself. A couple months or so ago, she wouldn’t have given a damn about any dead ponies really, or friendship or any of that rot. Of course, that was before the Storm King, and Twilight. “Now I truly am the Storm King! And the entire world will bow to my ba-ba-ba-boom, baby!” “Yes, yes, you are every bit as powerful as I promised. Sire, now, restore my horn and I swear to use my magic to serve you!” “Who cares about your dinky little unicorn horn?!” “But... we... we had an agreement!” “Get with the program! I used you! ...It's kind of what I do.” Howling winds and a great battle leaving Tempest narrowly avoiding death if not for one outstretched hand of friendship. “Hold on!” “Why are you saving me?” “Because this is what friends do.” Even a few months on, Tempest still really didn’t understand why Twilight did what she did, but she couldn’t argue with the results. She was still respected for her power, yes, but this time around nobody was afraid of her at the same time. Twilight had personally appointed Tempest as the leader of her Friendship Guard citing her leadership and combative abilities. A few ponies had balked at first, yelling that a former enemy of Equestria should in no way be anywhere near Princess Twilight till she shut them up by stating that Tempest was in no way a threat to the nation’s well being and that treating her as an enemy of Equestria would probably in the end result with Tempest actually turning against Equestria once more. “So…” Flash Sentry sighed, taking in a deep breath. “Shall we call it in Captain?” “Yes, that would be the wisest choice especially considering there was a blue moon spotted by everyone in Ponyville last night. And as far as I know there’s been no extra full moons planned by Princess Luna unless I missed any memos so…” “Alright,” Flash replied. “Calling it. At sometime around 8:00 PM last night, Smelting Pot, Iron Shaft, Hard Knock, and Zapapple Strikes were killed by the Masked Killer Kiva.” “Check the security cameras of the construction site, I want to see if any of them caught Kiva on film,” Tempest ordered to her second in command, a little hedgehog named Grubber and also a former servant of the late Storm King. Before all of this, Tempest wouldn’t have even given Grubber the time of day as she honestly hated him and found him annoying really. But now, she actually appreciated him for what he was, a sort of light in the Storm King’s darkness and a good friend. While she was hardly romantically interested in him in the slightest as her heart lay elsewhere, she appreciated his company and his bad jokes. Kept the mood light when needed. “Sadly, already did that,” Grubber remarked, the small hedgehog rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Something just ruined the camera’s internal electronics, and thereby ruining any footage they might have caught. If I had to guess, some sort of high pitched sound maybe?” “...Just like always…” Tempest muttered to herself. This was a recurring problem whenever the Guard investigated any site that Kiva had killed at. If any security cameras existed, they’d been found ruined internally somehow making footage reconstruction impossible. “So, what are we looking for here really?” Grubber asked. “I mean, what’s the connection between these guys, and the rest of Kiva’s victims? I mean, serial killers often have a type don’t they?” “Hmm, yes, they do really do they not. Could be racial, could be sex-related, could be their occupation, could be anything really,” Tempest mused, rubbing her chin in thought. “But that’s just the thing, isn’t it? None of the victims thus far we’ve seen, none of them have had any connections aside from being killed by Kiva.” “Wild thought here,” Grubber remarked. “But what if the killer isn’t Kiva? What if it’s someone else? Someone we’re not looking at? I mean, have we ever actually ever seen Kiva kill anyone? Sure, his emblem has always been left at the scene of the crimes but how do we know the killer just didn’t plant that there to frame Kiva?” “Kiva is ponykind’s enemy, you know that as well as I do,” Tempest stated firmly as she looked directly at Grubber. “Twilight says so, Luna says so -Luna’s even fought Kiva before she was banished to the moon- and just about every other source of information we have on Kiva says so. Kiva must be stopped.” With that, she walked off with her report to Princess Twilight in hand thinking to herself “I just hope that new power Twilight’s been working on will be enough to stop him…” Unknown to her, Grubber had thoughts of his own thinking to himself: “But what if everybody’s wrong? What if we’re all wrong and Kiva is ponykind’s ally?” All both knew for sure was that the fingers of fate and destiny were fickle ones indeed, and whatever they had in mind for Equestria one thing was for certain. There was a bad moon on the rise.