//------------------------------// // Calm Before the Storm // Story: My Little Bionicle: Destiny is Magic // by Toa Coy //------------------------------// My Little Bionicle: Destiny is Magic By Toa Coy (To Be)Edited By Blazikenking Strange how I have a darker storyline for MLP than Bionicle, But hey this is just how I roll. ~Toa Coy~ Chapter 13: The calm before the storm A/N: Technia is owned by Blazikenking, Goldarx is owned by Bioaj1998 Artemis awoke with a start to the sounds of rattling chains. With a jolt she felt five chains pull on her body and legs, she saw nothing but darkness, not even her mother's moon came into the room. She could hear the wind blowing outside of where ever she was. This did raise a good question, where was here? She knew that she wasn't in Ponyville, the chains were a big hint to that, and from the attack by those thing made it clear that somepony want her. Not forgetting what the night guard said she had a vague idea who it was. "Greetings Nightmare you seem to be good health." A voice that Artemis knew from when he attacked her and her friends. "Should I be surprise that you were the one that you sent those things or that you would have me in chains." Artemis said trying to track the crimson eyes. "I don't know if that is your mother or father talking," Icarax said with a sly grin. "both are the darker halves of their siblings the only difference is the makuta can't be killed so long as the shadows live he shall be. Here's hoping you be a good girl and try not to break out." Artemis was angry over what Icarax had said, but it wasn't hateful or even mean. He was baiting her with something so trivial that it shouldn't matter, but Artemis was angry over this and she didn't know why she felt angry. A flare of magic from her made one thing clear. Icarax had done something to her. She began to feel rage build inside of her, for not knowing where she was, for not knowing what Icarax had done to her, for being powerless. On that thought a crimson light came from her chest, cocking her head Artemis could see something. From the crimson glow from the crimson light she could see wings, a horn, and a horse head. A flash of memory came to her. --- In a forge a night guard stood over boiling pot of molten metal, putting down his face shield he slowly tipped the pot to a stone channel. The liquid metal flowed down to a sand mold, hissing came from the mold as the metal cooled. Once the steam stopped a black aura appeared around the mold, the unicorn separated metal and sand. The metal was in a rough shape and was black as night. The unicorn began to trim the metal, shape it into the same necklace on Artemis. "Is it ready captain?" Nightmare Moon said in a tone that caused the unicorn to shiver. "Yes my queen." He replied. With that Nightmare took the necklace into her magical grip and brought forth a crimson gem and placed it in the center of the necklace. Once the gem connected to the metal a crimson aura appeared around Nightmare's horn. "Sombra was right to keep this gem, this amplifier shall tip the tide in this war. This is the alicorn amulet, let all who dares oppose me know none can match my magic." ---- Something that Nightmare Moon...no...that she made had come back to haunt her. As much as she wanted to deny the fact that she was once that monster, she can't outrun it. She was never meant to be real, she was meant to become the dominant persona in Luna and rule until the makuta returned. The major flaw in this was that Luna would fall under the makuta's will, but Luna was able to maintain some control over the new persona. This lead to the makuta's influence to form into Nightmare Moon as a separate persona which stayed in control for the most part. While Artemis was having a moment of crisis Icarax was silently laughing. Icarax learned that the alicorn amulet was much like the kanohi jutlin,which was what he need to finally success. Artemis was a novice in the use of shadows so even if she tries it will corrupt her since she needs light to use shadows. "Well it seems you've lost your tongue since you've seen how hopeless it is for you to escape." Icarax said trying to bait Artemis some more. "Magic will corrupt you and shadows are useless to you." "You did over look one thing, my mother." Artemis said with a smirk. "Please she can't even touch me." Icarax said. With that Icarax dissolved into the darkness leaving the filly alone, bound in chains listing to the wind outside of her chamber. She was alone but not lonely. Icarax wear his grin with pride. He had finally got one of, if not the, most wanted beings in the order's history. Plus he could rub this in Antroz's face, he might even be higher up in the order. Just then a gold and gray rahkshi came up to him. "What is it." Icarax said with a miffed tone. The Rahkshi hissed and used it's hands to form some sort of language. "So some of the crystal ponies were able to best a level three krana rahkshi, big deal." The rahkshi then used it's heat vision to write a message. "They used light to kill the others and outnumbered us." Icarax read. "Interesting, very interesting. Get Sombra we have a battle plan to make." The rahkshi nodded and left. Icarax looked back at the wall and had a little evil chuckle. ---- Takua looked around the tree top village, with the sounds of woodwinds and chimes playing in the background it felt very calm. Takua felt at ease, after going for the ice stone it felt good to rest. Just walking around the village of Le-koro would be fine but he had a mission to do. With a sigh he headed to the turaga's house. As he passed by several Le-ponies greeted him with "Happy-greet" or "Good day Fire-spitter". Many ponies couldn't understand what the Le-pony meant when they talked do to the fact they use grammar to confuse anypony who might harm them. Aside from the plant and lighting-ponies, who dealt with the Le-ponies on a daily basis, Takua was one of the only ponies that could understand them. He remembered a joke one of his fellow guard ponies said when the two went for resupply of food, the stallion said no pony short of a kanohi rau user could understand what a Le-pony said let alone what they wrote. Takua had to admit that while the joke was in poor taste, but it wasn't wrong. Trying to understand the grammar of a Le-pony you have to know the subject and verb combinations. Takua let his mind wander for a bit until he ran into some thing, knocking over him and the other thing. Rubbing his head he saw what he ran into. Well to be accurate whom he ran into, which was a lime green pegasus with a forest green short cut mane and tail with a turquoise stripe and a turquoise kanohi miru on his flank. Takua saw that he too was rubbing his head. "Sorry Kongu I didn't see you there." Takua said still rubbing his head. "Likewise time-writer, but I was just about to seek-find you. Turaga Matau sent me to tell you that he has some deep-thinking and dark-serious stuff, also he has told me of dark-times ahead and has me getting the saplings and shockers ready as well." The Le-pony said with his eyes shifting as if checking for danger. "Okay Kongu, but what is with the eyes? I know that the rahi have been acting up but that can't be it, can it?" Takua said noticing Kongu's eyes. "Many saplings have seen strange masks on rahi that have been trying to attack the farms. Matau, along with the other turaga, believes it to be related." "Well if the Plant-ponies are up in arms then it might be bad." "Quick-run to Matau then, I have other big-huge things to wind-fly to." Kongu said jumping up into the air and flapping his wings. Takua hide his fear well, but his and Hahli encounter with the Muaka with the strange hau armor made him shudder remembering it. Takua trotted off to the turaga's hut. ---- Luna flew so fast that the ground and the night sky seem to be a blur, even her moon was out of focus. With all the information from the crystal out post she knew where to go, Icarax would pay for taking Artemis. ---- "I told ya this would involve magic masks and robots." Pinkie said looking over Blue like a foal with a new toy. It has been three hours since Ponyville was attacked, a side from the holes in the ground and Artemis being captured no one was harmed. The fog was being looked into by the weather ponies, since the fog came out of nowhere. Meanwhile Technia explained what happened during the hour that the mane six and Spike where knocked out since she, like many of the other unicorns, used a barrier to keep the fog away. "As soon as the fog left I lowered my barrier and me, Octavia, Vinyl, and Wubsy where looking for Blue. He had gone somewhere during the attack. When we found him, he was acting strange like he was a predictor or some thing. He was moving around town and picking up ponies moving them to city hall. By the time we were able to get him to normal half the town was in there. It was also by this time someponies began to stir, most of them believed that the changelings had attacked again. If not for the fact so many ponies saw the colossus Wubsy would have been thrown in jail, again. About that time the guards came and set a perimeter around the town. Most of them had either spears or horns pointed at Blue. Granted him activating his defense system didn't help." Technia said taking a moment to glare at the vahki being asked random questions by Pinkie. "About that time a white unicorn stallion with a purple accented gold armor came over to us and started asking if we knew where his sister was. We told him that we didn't know who he was talking about. It was about that time he noticed the other guards having a staring contest with Blue. Before Blue could do anything else that could cause us to be thrown in jail, Princess Celestia come in and dismissed the guards as well as talk to the stallion. When she came back she directed us to the hospital. You all know the rest." "So my brother is here," Twilight said to the gunmetal and crimson unicorn. "Why isn't he here to check up on me?" At that moment Blue walked towards her. While everyponyelse, but Pinkie, backed away form the six foot blue and gray robot Twilight stood her ground. "From what my audio receptors picked up Prince Captain Shinning Armor was sent to the crystal empire to fortify the empire for the war." Blue said in his monotone voice. "Audio what? Does anypony know what this walking contraption is sayin'?" Apple Jack said confuse on what the vahki even said. "He is talking about his ears or at least the robot equivalent." Twilight said. "And what do you mean war?" "There has been a secret war between The orders of Mata Nui and Makuta. It has been going on for thousands of years, it is only now known that your country has been brought into it. This land is beyond the reach of the order of Mata Nui, two thousand years ago three of the makuta's members came here to setup a base so when their master came back they could take over with an army." Blue said still with no emotion. "How do you know all this?" Rainbow Dash said nearing her eyes at the robot. "Are you spy?" "No," Blue said his optics mirroring Dash's eyes. "My storage system was damaged, which caused all of my previous recording and programming to be inaccessible. When the elites came they used the vahki hive mind to coordinate the abduction of the alicorn, they inadvertently activated my link and I acted on the last command. During my time linked I have learned a good deal about how both they and I came to this country. Our original purpose was to act as a suppression force, but it is unknown how I ended up in the Everfree Forest." "Technia doesn't the tin can have a simplify switch, because I canaint understand a third of what it is saying." AJ said scratching her head. "Truth be told the only reason I even know what he is talking about is because of the system diagram that I made to keep it clear." ---- Goldarx, along with five other shadow ponies, walked through a shadow portal to the main base. The base was a dark place, with only a torch every fifty feet and the dark stone gave it an eery feel. Goldarx's companions were a bit stone faced, due to the nature of shadow ponies, but even they had to huddle together as they pass through the hall. The cries of rahi and rahkshi filled the air as the group moves forward into a large chamber. The chamber was a good twelve yards wide and circular walls had beds in a hexagon shape. Each one looked like the same, strip down to only a blanket and a soft item. "Well," Goldarx said looking around the room. "This beats the forge any day." "That's just because you're the laziest one here, Darx." One of the males said. Goldarx looked at the shadow ponies with an angry look, there was two other male shadow ponies and three shadow pony females. There was the male red and gray shadow unicorn with a mask of emulation, Elija, the white and black earth pony stallion with a kanohi arthron, Onica, a purple and gunmetal pegasus mare with a kanohi iden, Phena, a skyblue and light gray earth pony mare with a mask of possibilities, Moca, and an orange and black unicorn mare with a kanohi kiril, Kani. The all acted like nothing scared them, like all of the shadow ponies, but like Goldarx they too felt it better here then the crystal base that they came from. "Ah there you are rahi bait." the raspy voice of Gorast make the six retract that feeling. Gorast is known for her cruelty and not caring about what happened to those under her command as long as she gets what she wants. The horror stories from other shadow ponies that were once under her spread through the shadow ponies like a plague. For that reason alone they all huddled together. "Really Gorast," a bronze and charcoal pegasus mare said appearing out of the shadows. "You know you catch more fuko with honey than fire." "Shut it Mazia." Gorast said growling at the other female order member. By now the six shadow ponies were wishing that they were back with Icarax, the fights between Gorast and Mazia were legendary. For ever solder that Gorast killed Mazia would raise it again. That fact alone made all the ponies fear Mazia more than Gorast. Mazia ignored the growling order member and turned to the six scared shadow ponies. "Welcome young ones you have been chosen to become more then what you now." She said with her false smile. The shadow ponies looked at each other with weary eyes. ---- Sombra looked at the army that Icarax had assembled. Rahkshi in a rainbow of colors, creatures call rahi that looked like animals in Equestria such as predators, insects, and marine creatures, and the colossusi that captured Nightmare Moon. The all stood still waiting for the pegasus to speak. Sombra noticed the gaze of the pegasus, it was one he knew well. It was the gazes of pride and arrogant, but also slight discus. Clearing his throat Icarax began to speak, "Creatures of the Makuta this day marks a new age for us, today we shall lay clam to a country that the master wanted for thousands of years. It is also the nigh that the daughter of the Makuta shall join us willy or not. We march on the Crystal Empire as our first victory!" On that cheers, or what Sombra could guess as much, erupted from the army. Icarax then turned to leave. Sombra noticed this and spoke, "So off to make a nightmare come true?" "As I said she will be with us willy or forced to do so." Icarax said not looking at the dark unicorn. "While I'm with her you shall lead the army, think of it as gift since they were the reason that we met." Sombra didn't say anything else on the subject. ---- The Crystal Empire was in arms as they prepared for the coming battle. Many of the crystal ponies were scared to find out if the rumors were true, that Sombra had returned and this time he had an army at his command. Prince Shinning Armor had returned from Canterlot to help with the fortification of the empire. Even with the crystal heart guarding the empire from Sombra, it was still unknown what the army was made of. Granted the unicorn guards and night guards were researching the shells of the rahkshi and the kraata that tried to storm the empire. Cadence and Shinning Armor were in the crystal castle overlooking the empire going over battle plans and strategies. During this Cadence noticed that her husband was a bit distance and had a look of anger on his face. She remembered when a guard first gave her the news that equestrian was at war, creatures came to attack the empire but as soon as they hit the outer shield of the empire several stopped moving and fell over. There were only two left and one of them fled leaving it's companion alone. She was the who stopped the creature and know how it fights. At that moment somepony that neither of the royals expected to see in the crystal empire. "Luna?" Cadence said seeing her aunt in the room. Luna had a tired look on her cut and bruised face. Along with the cuts on her face, several more on her body as well as a few clipped feathers. "What happen to you?" Luna looked at the pink alicorn with hard eyes. Cadence wanted to advert her eyes from the glare the elder alicorn gave. "I was attempting to rescue my daughter from the dark creature that tried to take her in her sleep. Unfortunately his forces were more powerful than I thought." Flashback Luna spotted the fortress from the air the crystals were a die give away that it was made by Sombra. Avoiding the rahkshi patrols and the rahi roaming the grounds, Luna made it into the fortress and began to look for her filly. She passed rooms that had the sounds of war and pain coming from them. Even when Luna was Nightmare Moon she would end somepony rather than let them suffer, then again she had some mercy. Even through that thought made her shudder she moved it back to her mind. The past is the past, with that in mind she kept looking. After what felt like hours Luna came to a wall that seem out of place. She could hear the rattling of chains as well as voices. "You know even if you do nothing the amulet will still corrupt you." "My mother will be here long before that happens." Luna would be beaming with pride if this was not a fortress of evil. Just then Luna heard a hissing sound down the hallway. She turned in time to see a brown and gray rahkshi running at her with it's double trident tipped staff in one hand. Going off of instinct Luna pulled chunks of crystals out of the wall and throw them at the rahkshi. Much to her surprise the rahkshi not only shatter the chucks but sent them back at her twice as fast. She was lucky to dodge most of them, but some still got her. Noting where the door was Luna flew out of the hall and into the foyer and into a pack of Mauka tigers. Stuck between a rock and a hard place Luna barreled through the tigers and headed towards the crystal empire. After Luna finished story both Cadence and Shinning Armor wear an amazed looks. "The one that Cadence stopped was yellow and used some type of magic that caused beams of heat to come out of it's eyes." Shinning Armor said remembering the guards telling him about how his wife kicked flank. From that point on the royals started to discuss there battle plans. ---- Twilight, Spike, and the rest of the mane six were walking towards Technia's house. "Twi, why are we even going to this place? As the elements of harmony we should be at the Crystal Empire helping them prepare for this." Rainbow complained. "I mean we beat Discord, Nightmare Moon, and not only saved the CMC from the changelings, that we fought and beat not once but twice." "Rainbow, none of us are soldiers. The only reason we were able to defeat all those threats was because of the elements and we only had one individual to fight." Rarity said poking holes in the awesome picture the prismatic pegasus painted. "Besides, Chrysalis gave us back mah sister and her friends. I think she even begged for us to take them back." Applejack added. "Yeah we need to have powered armor or be Spartans to take on an army." Pinkie said reading her book with Deadpool's speech bubble saying "Spoilers for season three finale." "Come on Twilight you're an alicorn now. Can't you just go up there and cast some spell sending them away from Equestria?" Rainbow pleaded with the unicorn. "Rainbow, you know I chose to only use that power in case of a world ending emergency. Besides I'm only needed in case Cadence, my brother, or Luna can't make it." Twilight replied. "Wouldn't this count as one of those cases?" Rainbow said, going for the answer she wanted. "Well yes but we don't know everything." Twilight countered again. At this point they had arrived to Technia' house. It was in the middle of a 600 meter wide circle of thick gravel. The house itself looked like it was made of steel and could withstand almost anything. "That gear head lives here." Rainbow said looking at the house. "Rainbow, you shouldn't call her that." Rarity said chastising the rainbow maned pegasus. "Ya she might get a wrench and hit you in the head with it." Pinkie said with a smile and deadpool's speech bubble had a transmutation circle in it. "Pinkie could you...if you don't mind...put your book away? It kinda scares me." Fluttershy said trying to avoid looking at it. "Sure." Pinkie said putting "The Comic Relief Guide to the Fourth Wall and What May Come From it" back into her mane. Just then, Technia and Blue walked out of the house with Blue carrying something. "What's that?" Spike asked pointing at the thing in Blue's hands. "This is the locator Rifle. Using Blue's transmitter and receiver as a base line for it, I have been able to create a locator to find those elites." Technia said explaining the thing in Blue's hands. "Thanks for your help Technia. The Princess will be pleased to have this." Twilight said using her magic to lift it up the device. ---- Takua walked into Matau's hut looking at the vines that hung from the wall. While Takua was examining a book at the center of the hut a lite flapping was coming from the top of the tall hut. "To wind-fly while it is deep-dark without a mask of night-seeing can leave you treebound for huge-long time." Takua read from the open page. "One of those rules that is better read than done." Matau said dropping his treespeak as well as dropping behind Takua. "Hello chronicler." Takua bowed to the air turaga and then asked, “Turaga why aren't you talking in treespeak?” “When it comes to this knowledge there be no need to use treespeak. To find the stone you must go up to the tallest tree and then jump.” Matau said looking at the unicorn. “Seriously.” Takua said with an eyebrow raise. “I hide it well so that only a pegasus could get it, but there is a hidden walkway at the base of the tree that you can use to get up there.” The elder pegasus said with wink at the end. “Great stairs.” Takua thought. ---- Celestia and Mata Nui were on a hill overlooking Ponyville. Both of them had a blank face, each going over plans in there heads. "Mata Nui, are you sure your warriors need the elements of harmony?" Celestia said looking at the library. "Yes," Mata Nui replied. "I've looked at their sealing and saw that they would suffer anemia a pound release. Your elements will be what the team will need to not only save my people but the world." "Then I must tell them, but in the end it is still their choice." Celestia said. "They all have lives outside of the elements." "I understand." Mata Nui said with a nod. "Should I be at this Crystal Empire?" "You should." ---- AN: The next chapter will have the battle at the crystal empire so it may take another month