Twilight Sparkle raced down the Palace hallways as fast as her legs could carry her, dodging stoic guards and the occasional maid. The teenage unicorn wasted no time bursting into the Queen’s study, hastily bowing before the oak desk and her Solar Queen.
Celestia wore a red and lavender silk dress with golden trimming, an orange sash draped over her shoulders to mimic a sunset sky. The Queen, while stoic and firm as any Royal Guard, smiled at her student’s abrupt entry.
“Rise Twilight.” She said, motioning for the young mare to sit in the chair across from her. Twilight did so in a hurried fashion, still trying to smooth out her frazzled mane.
“I trust you had a pleasant morning. I see that Antroz had one of the newer Vahki escort you here.” She then looked to the Vahki as it entered the room, its yellow eyes scanning her before it nodded to her. “What is your designation, Vahki?”
“Ka-368.117.”
“Ah, 117, did Twilight treat you well?” The Queen smirked at Twilight’s confusion.
“Affirmative.” Its icy tone still sent a shiver down the teenager’s spine, at least when she was looking directly at it.
“Good.” Celestia winked at her student, pulling out several papers from her desk.
“Um, your Majesty?” Asked a cautious Twilight, sitting up straighter.
“Yes Twilight?”
“The, uh… the Summons? You sent for me?” The teenager suddenly got a crazed look in her eye, her mane coming undone once again. “I-I didn’t miss an assignment, did I?! A report? A letter? And ancient text?! A letter!?!”
Celestia’s hand came up to her lips as she stifled a giggle, soon building to an unladylike cackle. After a few moments of watching a stunned Twilight, she calmed down enough to speak. “N-nothing of the sort Twilight. You know of Suva Nui, the Great Spire, right? The Makuta’s main station?”
The teenage unicorn nodded, fixing her mane for the hundredth time that morning. “Who wouldn’t? It’s only the largest building in Equestria second to the Sun Palace.”
The Queen nodded in turn, smiling still. “And as you know, very few are allowed inside. As it is a sacred place for the Makuta, we are to respect their privacy.”
“Of course.”
“And seeing as you are my apprentice, you are given access to the Spire on the authority of the crown. However, you are to enter only, and only when a Makuta is present with you. Is that understood?” She ended in a stern tone.
Twilight bowed her head as she spoke. “Yes, my Queen. Only when a Makuta is present should I enter the Spire, I understand.”
“Very good.” Said the alicorn as she stood and pulled the papers she had under her arm. “Since I have to deliver these reports to the Spire, anyway. Why don’t you come, and we can take a tour?”
The young mare’s eyes lit up impatiently, springing onto her hooves in seconds and bounced on her hoof tips. She squealed in pure joy as she danced on the spot. Celestia however, only giggled at her apprentice’s antics, smiling as Twilight calmed down.
“Sorry…I—” She started sheepishly, blushing at her actions and rubbing her neck.
“It’s quite alright, Twilight.” The Queen chuckled, walking towards the office door. “You are the first to see the Spire’s interior in a millennium.”
With that, alicorn and unicorn walked out of the office, Vahki close behind.
(V)
Makuta Valkaan stood in the entrance hall to the Spire, wickedly bladed arms folded over his armored chest. The eleven-foot Makuta had been waiting patiently for the last hour for Antroz, the Queen, and the Queen’s apprentice to arrive, watching a group of sonic Rahkshi rehearse their songs.
As the band played in the main hall, the Makuta found his large feet tapping along with the beat, inwardly smiling as the Rahkshi seemed to notice. The Acoustic Staffs, one of Equestria’s most popular bands, at seeing one of their masters enjoying their song, played slightly louder. Valkaan made no complaints as he even started bobbing his head, his internal smile growing as he stared off into space, mind enveloped by the tune.
It wasn’t until ten minutes later that the automatic doors to the Spire opened, the huge protosteel doors melting into the walls and the Vahki guards standing at attention. Not a moment after did Valkaan see the three visitors; the Alicorn Queen, Makuta Antroz, and one awestruck Twilight Sparkle. Said teenager was glancing around at everything in the Spire, a child-like wonder in her eyes. The two Makuta and Queen exchanged greetings as a giggling Twilight darted around the room. The unicorn scurried around the main hall, gaping at the Makuta statues that lined the walls, the Rahkshi band, the Visorak webs that suspended hundreds of glowing Kanoka discs, and the Three Virtues carved into the silver floor.
“Twilight.” Queen Celestia chimed, interrupting the mare as she looked over a Rahkshi’s keytar. “Remember? The tour?”
“Oh, yes. Sorry.” She blushed and quickly zipped up next to the Queen.
All present chuckled at the teenager’s antics, then turned down the left corridor, deeper into the Spire. Celestia allowed Valkaan and Antroz to lead the tour, seeing as how the Spire was practically the Makuta home/operations base. Similar to how she’d done before, Twilight dashed from one spot to another, staring at all that was addressed.
“Over here we have the Restoration Center…” Said Valkaan before looking over his notes again, making sure everything he had from Ponyville was in order. “where we’d assist injured Makuta back in the old days… or at least, fewer times now than we had back then.”
“The only good thing that comes out of it now is a grumbling Gorast and a cursing Icarax. And you, dear brother.” Chuckled Antroz, elbowing his sibling to get his attention. “Remember when Icarax first saw this place?”
The dark Makuta held back a thunderous below. “Ha! I remember; ‘Don’t you dare send me back to that horrible place! I would rather die by some lucky idiot’s sword than be pulled back to that wretched medical bay!’”
“I-I remember when Gorast had to practically drag him in there because he’d nearly been torn to shreds by that wild dragon pack.” The red Makuta laughed, smacking his thigh. “You remember right?”
“Yes, but I also remember him threatening us, telling us never to spread that tale. Lest he kill us the next day.” Valkaan patted his college on the shoulder, offering a mirthful snicker. “Sleep with one eye open, brother.”
“I shall take your advice and place toothpicks in my optics.” Antroz laughed before the Queen got their attention.
“I hate to break the moment, but I have a meeting with the Ambassador of Prance in an hour.” She smiled apologetically. “Could we move the tour along?”
Both Makuta bowed as Valkaan glanced over to watch Twilight, making sure she stayed out of trouble. After a moment, the dark Makuta and his crimson brother stood, motioning for the two ponies to follow. And so, the tour continued.
“… and this, is the main lab where we test different chemicals and mutagens.” Announced Antroz as he punched the code into the keypad, the door opening a moment later with an organic sound. Twilight had kept an eye on the pad as he did so, curious as to why the Makuta locked their doors as such. Surely, they had higher tech than that?
Valkaan leaned down so he could be heard by the teenage unicorn. “Never be in there when it’s hot and the lights go red.”
“Why?”
“You don’t want to know.”
The young mare looked at the Makuta inquisitively, trying to pry another answer out of him. When she got none, she looked back into the lab to see an entire wall filled with scientific notes and equations. Twilight caught herself staring (and drooling slightly) as she moved forward. She stopped at the door and looked to the two Makuta.
“Can we go in and see? Please?”
Antroz scanned her pleading eyes, her lower lip trembling. With a mental scoff at himself, he nodded, and the teenager rushed inside with a happy squeal.
The winged Makuta looked to his sibling. “Keep an eye on her.”
Valkaan nodded and followed the enthusiastic mare into the lab, keeping watch over her as his brother had asked. Antroz lead the Queen away so that she could tend to her meeting, wanting to prevent her from being late.
Makuta Valkaan stepped into the lab to find his charge ogling over the numerous equations and notes written along the wall, sketch pad in hand as she took her own notes. Seeing that the pad had an aluminum coil holding the papers together, he activated his power over magnetism. Twilight yelped as her notepad drifted out of her reach and atop a high shelf.
“Don’t take any notes.” Valkaan pointed to the scribbles on the wall, the tone in his voice making it clear that this wasn’t up for debate. “Top secret.”
Twilight huffed in annoyance and looked up at the equations. Her eyes drifted up to her notepad, then to the large crystal vat below the shelf it sat on. What was in there? She quickly calculated a route that would allow her to reach her notebook, but she thought better of it, instead deciding to rely on her magic. Glancing over to find the Makuta reading his holo-pad, his quilled back facing her, the unicorn looked up at her book. Determined to get her property back, she used her magic to grab the notebook and levitate it down to herself.
Suddenly, Valkaan’s holo-pad chirped, alerting them both. The Makuta looked down at the devise; it was Krika. Probably something to do with that escaped Rahi, as it was a problem, he’d been meaning to assist his brother with. “This will only take a moment; I will be right outside if you need me.”
With that, Valkaan left the room to take the call. Leaving a very, very curious Twilight Sparkle all to herself in a lab full of alien tech.
(V)
The Queen turned back to Antroz as they reached the front door of the Spire, a pleased smile on her face. “Thank you again for this, I needed some time away from my duties, even if it was for just a little while.”
“You are quite we—” Automatic doors suddenly slammed shut, lights turned red, and sirens blared.
“W-what’s going on?” Asked an alarmed Celestia as she cast a Selective Hearing spell around her.
Antroz stormed over to one of the nearby computers and pulled up the security footage. What he saw made his eyes widen in horror and his heart pound. “We need to get to the labs.”
The same horrified state claimed Celestia as she pieced the information together, hearing the alarms and the word ‘lab’. “T-Twilight?”
The Makuta only nodded before he grabbed her wrist and teleported down to the main lab. Once the two exited the void with a loud snap of displaced air, they spied Valkaan placing the young unicorn in a Recovery Vat. Twilight was covered in green slime, coughing up the stuff a moment later as the tank filled with an oxygen rich fluid.
Antroz stalked up next to Valkaan with bright crimson eyes, voice filled with rage. “What. Happened.”
“I turned my back for one moment, and…” The four eyed Makuta hung his head, eyes glaring at the panel he was working on. Once done, he connected said panel back onto the tank, allowing its directives to take effect.
“I won’t ask again Valkaan.” Glared Antroz, standing up straight and clenched his fists, eyes ready to let lasers fly. “What happened? Tell me!”
“I don’t know!” Valkaan’s own eyes brightened, looming over his old friend. “All I know is that I’d gotten a call from Krika, I go to answer it, thinking that she’d be fine for a single moment as I stepped out. Then, I hear a scream and I darted back inside to find her in a vat of green gunk! And if you noticed, Twilight’s not all there!!”
Valkaan pointed at the mare inside the healing tank, Antroz followed with worry and his breath hitched at what he saw. All along her body, small bits of metal could be seen, the young mare unaware that her skin was transforming into Protodermis. However, the closer he looked, Antroz could see that there was some coloration to the metal as it slowly covered her body. Inch by agonizing inch, the Protodermis spread, small bits of black, purple, and orange covering her.
Antroz closed his eyes and took a long breath, the warmth in the room abandoning its post. “Who’s vat was that?”
Valkaan thought for a moment before remembering. “Makuta Spiriah.”
If Antroz had been taking a drink, he would have choked, gagged, and coughed it back up at hearing that. But he simply turned to his brother, anger forgotten for the moment, staring at Valkaan in complete horror and awe. “Say again? I think I’m finally getting hard of hearing.”
“I didn’t stutter; it’s Makuta Spiriah’s work. And you’re no older than me, we’re the same age.”
“Be that as it may…” The crimson Makuta trailed off as he sent out a mental command, summoning the Makuta who stirred his wrath.
Seconds later, Makuta Spiriah teleported into the room, his poison green eyes locking with Valkaan’s red ones. He gripped a toilet scrubber in his clawed hand, the leathery wings on his back and thick tail twitching. His black, red, and green armor shone dimly in the light, eyes turning to Antroz.
“You called?” Spiriah grumbled, his head low.
Antroz and Valkaan glared hot daggers at their brother, balling their sharp clawed fists. Antroz was the first to speak, his voice boiling with fury. “Did you craft the vat in the main lab?”
Fear spiked in the other’s eyes as he stepped back. “W-what vat?”
The crimson Makuta narrowed his eyes, stepping forward to loom over the other, pointing toward the suspended mutating unicorn. “The vat that inflicted THIS on the Queen’s apprentice!!”
“…oh.” Spiriah wilted at seeing the mare in question, wings and tail sagging.
Antroz’s eyes flared with red fury as he latched his hand onto Spiriah’s shoulder, poison leaking through his palm. “Is that all you have to say? Oh? Do better! I cannot stress this enough… FIX. THIS. NOW!”
The perplexed Makuta blinked at Antroz and shrugged off his grip, wiping off any surplus acid. Fear, regret, and pity in his eyes as he looked on Twilight again. Spiriah sighed, pressing a clawed hand to his brow. “But my project-“
“Will still be active.” Came a loud, booming voice from the doorway.
Everyone in the lab turned to find Makuta Miserix standing in the doorway, but not in his pony form. Transformed back into his true Makuta self, the crimson horned Mask of Mutation glanced at every occupant in the room, his gaze lengthening on Twilight. Miserix’s eyes took on a shade of blue, but quickly shifted back to an angered red as they settled on Spiriah, the edges remaining green.
“What prompted you to devise such a compound?” Asked the twelve-foot Makuta, his long tail curling around the corner.
“I-I… I was working on a way for us to revert back to our organic forms. The ones we had before we’d changed to Antidermis? I had hoped-“
“THAT WHAT?!” Raged Antroz in an icy tone that could’ve frozen the Crystal Sea, jabbing a claw at Twilight, the Protosteel continuing to engulf her. “I’m fine with the way I am! But she isn’t, at least until she wakes!!”
“I-I understand that, but-“ Stuttered Spiriah, shrinking away from his blind brother.
“But nothing! Her life is ruined! Wrecked! Destroyed!” Glared the former Makuta of Xia. “And it is all your fault.”
With that, Antroz stomped over to Miserix, keenly looking the other Makuta in the eye. “What should we do with him? I don’t trust him near Twilight.”
Miserix mimicked breathing deeply, not being able to do the action since he was Anti-dermis. But Spiriah’s idea had intrigued him, nonetheless. What if he could breathe again? Feel warmth and cold once more. The sensations of life had eluded him for thousands- no, millions of years, creating a void inside the old Makuta. But as much as he wanted to focus on his own wishes, Miserix couldn’t ignore that Twilight’s life now hung by the edge of a knife.
“Gather all the Makuta and we will conduct our resources to finding a cure for her, or we will do what we can with what is happening to her.” He gestured toward the now encased unicorn, surrounded by a silver cocoon of protosteel. “We will either fix this or she will have to adapt with what she’s been given.”
“Spiriah said that this was supposed to shift Makuta back to our organic forms…” Valkaan paused as he walked up to the crystalized cocoon, pushing his hand through the healing jell and touching the warm chrysalis. “Perhaps she is transforming into one of us?”
“Hmm…” Miserix stepped up next to the dark Makuta, looking over the vat’s readings and scans. “From what I’m seeing, it would seem your assumption is correct. Her body is dissolving into Anti-dermis. She will be needing a shell.”
A loud gasp erupted from the Queen before she rushed over to the vat, looking over the cocoon. After a silent moment, she stood tall with a pained look in her eyes. “I will contact her parents and let them know what’s happened.”
Celestia turned to exit the room, stopping only to give a glare to Spiriah. The Makuta looked away in shame as she left.
“For now, while we wait for Twilight to reveal herself, I shall proceed with your punishment.” Said Miserix as he trudged forward, grasping Spiriah by the neck and dragging him along.
Spiriah tried to pry the larger Makuta’s claws from around his neck, but his efforts were fruitless. “Wait! I-I only wanted to h-help!”
“Help?!” Miserix brought his sibling up to his face so he could look him in the eye. “You only helped in ruining a young mare’s life and dooming her to an existence she couldn’t choose! I am at least thankful that the process of her transforming is when she’s unconscious, otherwise we’d hear her screams all the way to Los Pegasus!! Your screams however, I shall revel in.”
Before Miserix exited the room fully however, he turned back to Valkaan. “I trust you to watch her vitals. Do not let yourself become distracted again, lest I give you a similar punishment.”
Makuta Valkaan bowed his head, all four eyes closing in submission. “I will not fail.”
Miserix nodded, continuing to drag a squirming Spiriah down the corridor. Valkaan turned back to the vat that held the young mare, his eyes shifting to a mixture of blue and purple. “I failed you once, Twilight. I shall not again.”
(V)
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
Spiriah found himself kissing the steel floor of the arena, his mask gaining several new scratches as he slid across the floor. A large shadowy hand suddenly grasped the back of his head, bringing him mask to mask with Makuta Miserix, now transformed into his fully dragon body.
“BECAUSE I HAVE ACTIVATED THE DAMPENING FIELD, YOU CANNOT USE YOUR ABILITIES TO DEFEND YOURSELF. YOU ARE AT MY MERCY, MAKUTA SPIRIAH.” Bellowed the titanic creature, his large green eyes burrowing into his soul.
“B-but… your powers are gone too. And for m-my punishment, you face me as a Rahi?” Croaked Spiriah, his chipped and broken body dangling in Miserix’s grasp.
“IT IS THE FORM I USE IN BATTLE; YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS SPIRIAH.” The Dragon of Destral (one of Miserix’s titles) extended his wings, each a mile long and strong enough to turn buildings to dust. “AND I DO NOT NEED MY POWERS TO BEAT THE LIVING KARZAHNI OUT OF YOU!”
“To Karzahni with you!” Spiriah spat in anger, a decision he regretted imediantly.
“YOU FIRST.” With that, Miserix hoisted the other Makuta into the air and slapped him across the room with his tail.
Once again, Spiriah faceplanted into the arena wall, sending flecks of protosteel and his own dermis across the floor. The moment he regained consciousness, what remained of his eyes widened in horror as a large crack had formed on his shoulder, a small wisp of green smoke drifting through.
“Miserix…” He whimpered, crawling to his knees as the other stalked toward him, the thunderous footsteps making him cringe. “P-please… mercy.”
“I WILL SHOW MY MERCY WHEN I DECIDE TO!” Snarled the Dragon Makuta, coming to a stop in front of the shaking other. But it was at that moment that he saw the wisp of Antidermis, eyes narrowing at the broken Makuta before him. “BUT… THEN AGAIN, YOU HAVE RECEIVED PUNISHMENT ENOUGH. GO.”
Spiriah sighed in relief before slowly rising and moving toward the main doors, picking up the pieces to a shattered wing along the way. As Miserix watched his sibling limp away, he shifted back to his usual form; the towering giant of a Makuta. He suddenly heard the echo of clapping from within the observation balcony, and when he looked up, he saw none other than another Makuta. From her skinny, insectoid-like armor to her clear wings, she was indeed the Ruler of the Tren Krom Peninsula, Mistress of the Acid Falls; Lady Gorast.
Gorast seemed to smile at Miserix from atop the balcony, continuing to clap until she slowed to speak. “Finally using that worthless waste of Antidermis as a training dummy? Can I have him next?”
“Unfortunately, you cannot Gorast. I was punishing him for an unofficial project he was conducting.” Said the Makuta as Gorast turned off the dampening field, teleporting up next to her on the balcony.
Gorast laughed at the thought. “And let me guess; it blow up in his mask as usual? Did he need a new mask afterward?”
“No. He left a vat of untested chemicals open while the Queen was over, and her apprentice fell in. Now the child is either doomed to die a horrible death, or she is transforming into one of us.”
The female Makuta’s laughter died in seconds, giving her sibling a very perplexed look. “You are serious?”
“I am.” He answered, motioning for her to follow him as they left the area. “All we know is that she still lives and is in a chrysalis, presumably changing into an Antidermis Makuta. Which makes creating a cure all the more difficult.”
“And what do you require me for?” Snarked Gorast, lengthening her boney legs to keep up with Miserix’s stride. “I am no scientist, you know this.”
“I was hoping you would instruct her in controlling her powers.”
She scoffed at the idea. Her, Makuta Gorast?! Training a welp?! “No.”
“I thought not.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his mask.
“Then why ask?”
“Because I wanted to be sure.”
Gorast nodded in understanding as they entered their destination. She looked ahead to see Valkaan fussing over a healing vat, a large silver cocoon resting in the claws of the machine.
“Having trouble, brute?” She smiled behind her Mask of Disruption.
Valkaan huffed in annoyance. At one time, he would’ve driven that nickname home by punching her, but now the much older Valkaan simply shrugged her off. “Perhaps. Could you keep an eye on that panel? It’s monitoring her lifeforce rate.”
“I will leave you two to your work.” With that, Miserix left the room and disappeared down the hall.
“Very well.” The female Makuta grated, obviously wanting to do anything other than her current task. Taking a deep breath, Gorast locked eyes with the screen and recited an old Makuta ode. “To stand is to fight, to fight is to stand. My power is great, but power can lead to arrogance. Arrogance can lead to death, and death leads to void. We are Makuta; we are power, not arrogance. We are knowledge, not folly. We are Warriors, not cowards. We are darkness, not light. Makuta, this is what we are.”
“If I remember correctly, it was Rahaa who wrote that. You memorized it?” Valkaan asked over his shoulder.
“It helps me focus and relax. Me in a peaceful world without a way to calm myself, that is bound for disaster.”
“Indeed.” Chuckled the dark Makuta, his four eyes settling on several wires and switches on the pad’s side. “Whomever thinks it’s a good idea to rile one of the world’s bloodthirstiest Makuta is asking for a death wish, one which you will no doubt grant.”
“Agreed. And you’d be able to hear their screams from Karzahni.” She smiled deviously at the thought.
“Now that would be something.”