My clawed feet scraped against the beautifully designed floor, the metal glowing blue with each step, following our steps. I, as well as the other Makuta, walked along to hall’s expanse, coming to intercept our invited guests. We all kept silent, deciding to convers telepathically.
‘So, why don’t we just teleport there? Or density shift through the walls and floor?’ Asked Havuuk, a red and grey Makuta with massive claws and a Mask of Manipulation. ‘It’d be much faster, and it wouldn’t waste all this time walking. That, and my feet are starting to grow stiff. That usually happens when I sit though.’
‘Can you not complain for one moment?’ Grumbled Gorast, shooting Havuuk a glare.
‘If I was allowed to drift like Salruus there, I would. And save you the trouble of snarling, but alas; no.’
Said Makuta hovered above the floor as always, never touching the floor. ‘I sometimes wish I could walk, but then you remind me how taxing it is, and I stop dreaming.’
Havuuk grumbled to himself, mumbling a few curses.
‘Enough, we will greet them as others of their world would.’ Barked Kahkor. ‘Thanks to the information Valkaan delivered, we need not rely on assumptions. If they are greeted a certain way, then that is how we will proceed. Understood?’
All present Makuta nodded, continuing our walk. After several minutes, I felt the ponies’ presents ahead. With a mental note, Kahkor ordered that we pass them without a glance. We did so. After a moment, I felt the ponies’ confusion grow into curiosity. The most potent of this emotion was Twilight Sparkle. Her mind burst forth with numerous questions and possible answers. I noticed that her mind worked like that of a Makuta, in a way. She was curious, strong willed, dedicated to her studies, and had a way with friends.
“Twiligh’?” Asked the orange mare, Applejack, as she whispered to her alicorn friend. Both hid behind us, sheltered by metallic crates and cylinders filled with shadow leeches. “Why’d they just gone an’ walked past us?”
The young mare gulped. “I-I don’t know.”
I suddenly noticed that Rahaa wasn’t among us.
“Who are we spying on?” Whispered the female’s voice, standing behind the two mares as another of their kind. She’d shifted into a black mare with solid red eyes, smiling wickedly at the two as they shrieked and backed away.
“Rahaa,” Kahkor warned, using his four mandibles to speak. “Leave them alone.”
Rahaa grunted and shifted back to her real form, teleporting behind me as I stood behind the white Makuta. The two mares saw me and calmed, looking at each other nervously. I then sensed Celestia and the others come out of hiding, decloaking themselves from their shared shrouding spell. My head turned to face them, but I then saw that neither Luna nor their guards were with them.
“Where is Sombra?” My voice thundered throughout the hall, gathering the others’ attention. “He is one of your world’s most dangerous foes, and you leave him practically unguarded?”
“My sister is with them, they are fine.” The Solar Princess combatted, looking at me with a mix of fear and courage.
“Except the part where he beat both you and her, without so much a breaking a sweat. He may be your equal, but he is far from ours.” I motioned to the other Makuta, all standing proudly.
“I understand that you defeated him, but I believe we can handle him. He’s our enemy, and now he’s our problem.”
A blood red Makuta by the name of Ulvehk, Mask of Deception planted on his face, pulled up a live video feed from the ship’s external cameras on a disk. The three dimensional image showed Sombra in a whirling mass of shadows, tentacles choking Luna as she slipped into unconsciousness. Ulvehk frowned at the white alicorn. “Are you willing to bet your sibling’s life?”
With a mental command, Kahkor teleported the entire chariot into the hall. It crashed behind the ponies, they shrieked as it smashed itself to bits, all turning to find a stunned Sombra with his hands rapped around the Lunar Princess’ neck. A slender bronze Makuta lashed his arm out and grasped the former King’s throat, tearing him through the carriage’s roof and into the ceiling. The Makuta’s silver wings hummed as he let go of Sombra, snarling at the deformed unicorn. His mandibles clicked, we all watched as Sombra fell to the floor, landing in a heap.
Bitil then turned to Celestia, grinning under his distorted Mask of Duplication. “Yet one of the smallest Makuta beat him within a single breath. How hard do you think it’ll be to detain him for however long, hm?”
The Makuta received no comment, only looking into her stunned magenta eyes. Bitil huffed and moved back next to Antroz, the red Makuta sparing his friend a nod.
Kahkor stepped forward, motioning for the ponies to follow. “If we are to assist one another, I shall need your capital’s position, seeing as how fast you all want to leave this ‘dreadful’ place.” He stole a glance at Rarity, her eyes wide as his glowed, digging through her mind. “Salruus.”
“Yes, Brother?”
“We have our heading.” The slim Makuta nodded and vanished through the roof. Kahkor turned back to Celestia and a now awake Luna. “A tour, perhaps?”
They all agreed with a nod.
Sombra was dragged along with us by eight Rahkshi, four carried him while four acted as guards.
:=FOURTY MINUTES LATER=:
“… though I do advise against going in there when it’s hot, don’t want to spend the next few millennia searching for your scattered fragments, do we? Anyway, and this is my lab.” Said Havuuk as he lumbered through the door after it hissed open, waving a hand toward the various equipment and machines.
“What’s this?” Twilight asked as she stepped up to a large vat full of clear liquid, a small control panel sitting in front of her. I watched her carefully, hoping she wouldn’t go for the big red shiny button.
“That is something very dangerous, please keep clear of it.” He warned. However, we hadn’t anticipated the pink pony’s antics.
“Hey, everypony! LOOKI, LOOKI WHAT I CAN DO!!” Shouted Pinkie as she spotlessly juggled three screeching Kraata slugs.
She continued this for several seconds before she backed her way into Twilight, the young unicorn tumbled into the control module and the vat opened with a hiss. Pinkie pulled a gas mask out from nowhere and placed it over her head, rushing away from the thick silver mist that now engulfed Twilight. Everyone either gasped in shock or tried to rush forward to help, but we knew that would happen.
Spike, Twilight’s dragon assistant, rushed forward. “TWILIGHT!!”
“Don’t! If anyone touches that toxin, we don’t know if we can cure them!” Shouted Havuuk, stretching out an arm to pull him back. I stood by, knowing that if I tried to help, I’d become mutated. But wasn’t helping another live better than keeping your hands clean? I’d done it once before, but I would not let my regret and fear swallow me. I shook my head and rushed forward, eyes narrowed in concertation.
My right claw lashed out and grasped the unicorn by her deteriorating arm, pulling her away from the leaking vat. The mist touched my limb, pain shot up my arm, spreading throughout my system and mutating my anatomy back to its original state. Grey organic tissue twisted and wormed its way through my armor, steadily growing and replacing green and black antidermis. Ignoring my own pain, I looked to Twilight as she started to fade. Her body transforming into a pulsing purple and black cloud. Wisps of green energy circled the former unicorn, her frantic thoughts screaming into all the Makuta’s minds. Yet, the chaos wasn’t done.
“TWILIGH’!” Shouted Applejack as she dove for her friend. All Makuta and ponies/dragon helplessly watched as the mare touched the green energy and was soon engulfed by the same mist, altering as her friend previously did. Applejack screamed her last as her head vanished in a wisp of golden smoke.
“No, no, no, no.” Whimpered Fluttershy off to my left, hiding from the horrible sight behind her mane and friends.
“Twi… Twiligh…” Celestia moaned, her face stricken with tears.
Kahkor whipped around to Havuuk. “GET THEM IN CONTAINMENT VATS BEFORE THEY DIE!!”
The blue Makuta did just that, Celestia and the others looked up with hope. The white Makuta then turned to Rahaa. “Rahaa, make sure their pulses are stabilized and don’t let them drop! Salruus, be sure to connect with them and see what would best suit them.”
“W-what’s going on?” The Solar Princess asked, clearing her tears, eyes alight with hope and awe.
“That vat was filled with a compound I’d been experimenting with. Designed to convert organic tissue into antidermis if a Makuta ever wished to return to their younger stage, or to transform back if need be.” Havuuk explained, his fingers scuttling over a keyboard, and he looked to me after pulling a switch. Two Exo-Toa were then lifted from an opening cellar, placed before the two vats that contained Twilight’s and Applejack’s essence. “And seeing what happened with you and them, the compound works. How do you feel?”
However, I was too focused on my forgotten senses. The feel of breath as my chest expanded to fill its new lungs. I could actually feel my limbs, tapping each finger tip to one another, smiling behind my mask at the returning sensations. Heavy breaths escaped my new nostrils, my mind stricken with joyous emotion as I felt the engraved floor beneath my feet. I looked over to see the two former mares being emptied into their new shells.
Once they were fully inside, the helmets clasped shut and the eyes glowed red. Ear piercing screams suddenly rippled through the room, making me regret having organic ears again. Their friends rushed over to sooth the two, Cadence and Shining asking Twilight if she was ok.
Celestia turned to Kahkor, though I could tell she wanted to be with Twilight to help her stay calm. “Is there any way this can be fixed? Do you have any cure? Anything?”
The leader hummed to himself, considering. “I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. They are new Makuta. With the two of them transformed, seeing as how they’re both ponies, they have different DNA codes entirely. Unicorn and earth pony. Even if we did have a sure-fire way to change them back, we’d still have to do countless tests to make sure they didn’t die from the strain. If one strand was out of place, they’d die. I don’t want that, and neither do you.” He looked over the two with a troubled sigh. “In the meantime, we’ll need to teach them how to control their abilities. Don’t want them shooting someone’s head off with a laser blast, disintegrate, fry with lightning, crush someone with gravity, or melt them with acid.”
“WHAT?!” Shouted the two mares/Makuta in unison.
“B-but—” Celestia started, falling into tears as her sister hugged her.
“I’m sorry, I truly am.” Kahkor bowed and went to knock on the Exo-Toa helmets, getting the two mares’ attention. “Are you well?”
Twilight’s head, the eyes red and bodily lights purple, turned to the white Makuta. Her eyes shimmered in furry. “Am I well? WELL?! WE’RE NOW MAKUTA!! ALIENS! HOW CAN WE BE ALIENS?! WE’RE MARES!!”
“I understand you’re upset, but—”
“OH, I’M BEYOND UPSET. HIS ENTIRE SITUATION IS BUCKING CRAZY!!” Growled Twilight. Applejack being in pure shock and not responding, hidden away in her armor. “SHINING!”
“I’m here Twili.” Reassured her elder sibling, stepping away from the Exo-Toa armor to look his sister in the eye. “You ok?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Her words grew heavy and her thoughts wishing this had happened to someone else. Wishing she weren’t the victim of mutation and alien science. “I feel a little cold, though I doubt you can do much about that.”
“Actually…” Chimed Salruus as he leaned over his console and turned a nob up before returning to his task. I noticed the designs for an insectoid body ready for construction.
Twilight sighed in relief as the temperature in her shell warmed, her eyes dimming as she relaxed, her joints hissing as tension eased. The former mare gulped as she looked at the floor and her huge body, eyes widening as she looked at the massive canon for her left arm and a hook for the right. “Uh, what is this thing I’m in?”
“Exo-Toa armor, class Cordak-27.” Answered a towering red Makuta, his split jaw clicking and orange eyes narrowing. “A weapon of mass destruction.”
I noticed her eye twitch, Applejack looked over her armor to see the same results. “WHAT?! Why would you put me in this thing?!”
Havuuk shrugged. “It was the only thing I had at the moment.”
“Oh.” Twilight’s eyes shifted to a pink hew, indicating she was embarrassed.
“How long do we ‘ave to be stuck in here?” Piped up the former farm mare, playing with the hook she had for a hand. “Ah reall’a don’ want to be in here fer much longer… if ya’ll forgive ma’ bluntness.”
Kahkor nodded and turned to the assembled Makuta and ponies. “Makuta, be sure to halt all projects and aim to construct our temporary sisters. This should be our top priority for now. Be sure that they’re comfortable and easy to maneuver.” He looked to the ponies. “I assure you that they are in the best of hands, they will be fine.”
Twilight shrieked as her canon went off, the bolt of yellow plasma launching through the floor below Rahaa’s feet. She looked down lazily and remained where she stood on the air, stepping onto solid ground after a moment. The female Makuta raised a brow to the former unicorn, relaying a comforting message.
Twilight blushed again after a second. I smirked at the sight, finding it strangely cute.
“Ready for Twilight’s transfer.” Said Salruus, his fanged smile sending a chill down the mare’s spine. She gulped heavily.
“Prepare.” Kahkor chimed as he teleported behind Twilight, pressing a button on her collar as the helmet retracted and released her swirling and churning essence.
Rahaa’s eyes dimmed to the point where they grew cold and black, her green and black cloud filing out of her draconic shell, coming into line with Twilight’s, guiding her to her new shell. I looked to see a feminine like insectoid Makuta standing on a raised platform. Its alabaster armor shining in the light, golden mask and trimming adding to its brilliance. Her mask was like that of a hornet, sleek and predatory with jagged mandibles. Four arms, two strong limbs above two pony sized ones. Matoran limbs would be too small in comparison. The suit’s hands had three fingers, all asserted with long hooked claws, the sharp shoulder armor coming up in smooth tips. The legs looked similar to her pony body’s, only coated in white and gold armor, ending in sharp hooves.
Rahaa parted with Twilight as the purple mist fully entered the insectoid eye sockets, then returned to her own vessel. Twilight’s eyes glimmered a bright red, blinked, and looked around. She then observed her new body, struggling with her new set of lower arms. She took a step of the platform.
“WOW TWILIGHT! YOUR—” Pinkie shouted in a burst of excitement, bouncing gleefully.
She was cut off as Twilight snapped to her, eyes glowing before lasers erupted from her sockets, shaving a hole into the pink mare’s poufy mane. Pinkie felt around her bare scalp in shock, whimpering as she felt nothing but warm skin. Her eyes tearing up, lower lip trembling.
Twilight looked at her handiwork and gasped, claws covering her gaping mandibles. “Pinkie! I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened! H-here, maybe I can fix it.”
The golden Makuta lifted her hands, preying that she had powers to renew her friend’s smoldering mane. To her dismay, she only managed to release a red cloud that whispered and wailed, the power of fear. In reaction, Pinkie’s eyes shrunk, and her whimpering grew into sobs.
“Y-you hate me.” The pink mare managed, crying into her hands and trying to hide her bald head. She shrunk into Rarity’s arms, pushing herself away from the former unicorn. “G-get a-awa-away from m-me.”
Twilight felt devastated, eyes shifting from blue to yellow. “P-pinkie, I don’t hate you.”
I stepped forward, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Yet, to her, that hand only served to add weight to her growing fears and worry. In response to this, I lifted my hand and observed her back, where four pale wings rested, buzzing in irritation. Twilight looked at her hands, perceiving what she’d become. A monster in her friend’s eyes.
“Twilight, dear.” Rarity assured, still rubbing the pink mare’s back in comfort. “Don’t blame yourself, it was an accident.”
The young Makuta held her head, fears bubbling over. With only one thought, to be anywhere but here, she teleported away. A flash of dim light and she was gone, pulled in on herself as if a blackhole swallowed her. The ponies looked about in fear, the Makuta looking to one another in worry and curiosity. Rahaa knelt down and closed her green eyes, searching for the young one through the mind. I didn’t kneel, but I did the same, wanting to help as much as I could.
After a few minutes, Rahaa opened her eyes, a look in them. “I know where she is.”
Celestia looked up at her in hope, preying that she could calm her student. “Let me come, she’ll need help to calm down. I know her best.”
Rahaa looked to the white alicorn, then to all the others, even the still unconscious Sombra who lay on Bitil’s back. The Rahkshi having gone on their lunch break. “So be it, little one, but I fear she won’t listen.”
With that, she and Celestia teleported away, me not far behind. In a quick flash, I stood on a balcony overlooking a valley, the ship moving at a steady pace toward the pony capital. On a nearby crate sat Twilight, slouched over and crying tears of acid. Celestia slowly approached her student.
“Twilight? Are you ok?” Asked the alicorn.
The former mare sniffled, her red eyes pulsing blue for a moment. “No, I’ve been turned into a monster. Pinkie and everypony hates me. I look like a freak.”
Rahaa stepped around to meet Twilight’s fallen gaze. “You are not a monster.”
Twilight looked away and sighed.
“What happened was an accident, same as what happened with Pinkie.” The draconic Makuta reassured, lifting the younger female’s head to meet her. “The event may have changed your body, but what of your mind? Who you are is still the same wonderful and brilliant mare you were before. You love science and new knowledge. Your passion for discovery surpasses even the eldest Makuta. And the accident with your powers can be remedied.”
Twilight looked into her elder’s eyes, hope rising out of inky misery. “How?”
“I will teach you.”
I stepped forward, announcing my presents. “So will I.”
Rahaa nodded in thanks, her eyes turning a warm orange before turning back to Twilight. “I’ve taught many Makuta in the past, my children. I may be a little rusty, but I have much experience.”
“Your children?” I asked.
Rahaa nodded, her breath shaking. “Yes, mine. Among all Makuta here, I’m the only one who can bare and birth new generations. This is my womb.” She patted the pulsing, fleshy sack in her abdomen. “It is the organ that allows me to carry and birth infant Makuta.”
My inquisitiveness peeked. “And how many have you birthed?”
She drew a sad sigh, fighting back her shame and pain. “Years ago, I was under Teridax’s command as his second general. When he took over, he ordered me to murder my offspring.”
Twilight and Celestia gasped, both modified.
“I said no. And for that disobedience,” She held up her hands, spreading the brutalized fingers wide. “He cut off my hands and killed them all as I watched.”
Both former and current ponies tried to hold back tears. I myself felt my organic heart sag into my gut, the feeling confusing me for a moment, only to realize it was sorrow.
Rahaa shed a few acid tears, they burned their way into the floor. “I wept for years, no one sparing me a glance. I berried my children… all six hundred thirty five of them. I spent most days there, at their graves, thinking of what I could’ve done differently. That… Oh, Deliivak…” She drew in a shuttering breath and held her drooping head. “I could…”
My sorrow doubled, threatening to cripple my chest.
Twilight leapt forward and embraced Rahaa, pulling the elder Makuta into a hug. “I-I’m so, so sorry.”
Rahaa returned the hug, her expression relaxing. “Thank you.”
The former mare pulled away, her thoughts racing. “Is that why you want to teach me? So you can remember what it’s like to be a mother?”
The Makuta looked away, ashamed. “I’m sorry, i-if you don’t—”
“Want to?” Twilight shook her head, a smile appearing as she wiped away her green tears. “I’d be honored.”
Rahaa smiled back, her eyes gaining new joy.
“I’d be honored to be your student.”
Rahaa nodded, standing with the young Makuta. “Among your powers, we’ll also teach you and Applejack or science and mechanics. If she wants to, that is.”
“I’m sure she’ll be overjoyed. She’s mostly into agriculture and earth science though.” The golden Makuta beamed.
The elder hummed, her tail slithering along the floor in thought. “I think I might know something along those lines for her. It’s not as simple as growing food, but it’s still agriculture.”
“Good.” Twilight continued smiling, her new mandibles clicking in excitement. “I’m sure she’ll love it.”
The two females started down the corridor, me and Celestia following behind. Not long after we were intercepted by a bony Makuta in white and red armor, his body covered in spikes and three leathery wings.
“Rahaa, Kahkor wishes to see you. And Applejack’s armor has been completed. All polished and ready.” Said Makuta Krika.
We soon arrived in the main hall, the bio tall pillars edged with more artwork, like giant fire eels slithering up their expanse. Applejack was loaded into her new armor. A hulking, slim titan of black and bright red protosteel. From her upper back came two limbs that connected into her shoulders, acting as more muscle for her arms. Two limbs also reached from her waist and into her thighs, giving her faster movements and better agility. Like my own spines, she possessed spikes along her arms and elbows, all acting as sensors for her body.
“Howdy Twi’.” Applejack greeted, nodding with her new cowboy hat, enlarged for her frame. Her red Mask of Shadows with blades forming the cheeks and sleek eye holes staring at her friend.
“Hi AJ.” The two hugged. Luna, Celestia, and the others smiled at the sight. All but Pinkie, still under fear’s grip.