//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Harmony Effect // by DW_Beast //------------------------------// Getting Ready for the Mission Once back to the ship with their supplies in toe the group moved swiftly to the cargo bay. "Ashley I need you to help with something, it would seem our new friends what to join us I need you to help teach them how to use fire arms and see what they are more proficient in." Looking over at the turian "Garrus maybe you could help split them up set up a barrier with some targets and let them try out weapons with you teaching them how. Also if one of you could teach Rainbow Dash how to drive the Mako we could put her reflexes to good use. Only rarity will not be participating for now as she will make the others their armor, Twilight may need to stop to help her at times." Trying to ignore the scowl on the gunnery chiefs face no matter how the raven haired woman tried to hide it with a professional air. "Yes commander!" She snapped a salute. "Well got nothing better to do anyhow Shepard, at least till we get to Noveria. How about I take Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, I can join it with setting up the simulator on the Mako for her to train on between weapons training." Spoke the turian ex c-sec officer. Ashley was about to comment when a low gravely voice came from behind the group. "If it's all the same Shepard I want to work with Applejack I think she has the makings to be a true warrior and would work best with a warriors weapon." He let out a gruff laugh as he pulled out his shotgun and gave a smile to the orange mare who grinned back at her friend. "Well Garrus since we have one less to work with trade out you take Twilight since she will need to take stops to help Rarity besides I think she fits more her magic and a pistol like a biotic and Rainbow Dash gives you more time to teach her the Mako. I will take the rest since I don't think I will be able to do much on the workbench seeing as it's being commandeered." Looking as Shepard and the others set the supplies on it. "Good you have your duties I have work to do in the CIC. Let me know when you finish the armor Rarity." HE then turned and headed to the elevator to return to the command deck. While the girls and their two new alien companions started to look through the weapons Rarity started to get to work, by starting with the more difficult ones Twilight going first. "Twilight, dear come here for a moment so I can get your measurements." She stated as the measuring tape surrounded in a soft blue aura slowly levitated up in an old habit. After getting over the the white mare she watched as the fashionista carried a data pad over entering the information into the pad while her telekinesis moved the tape around making her accomplish the work faster then a normal tailor who would have to stop the take down the info. Ashley who caught the movement in the corner of her eyes turned a little surprised by the control she had, not even an asari could make such fine movement control as the white mare was doing with out even a struggle but wasn't sure about the whole magic thing still. deep down she thought it was bull and just an advance for of biotics. She had not seen any of the girls do anything that special yet short of Applejack tossing the massive krogan around like he weighed nothing. "All done darling I may need you to come back here once I have a few pieces done." She smiled as she turned back to the table to start. Setting the tape down she started to levitate the components into the air a picture forming in her mind of what she wanted the first piece to look like and started reaching over toward the crafting equipment before she felt a pull on her mana reserves. In a flash the raw materials started to glow and change taking the shape of the item in her mind and in a moment a pair of magenta gauntlets were now floating where the raw material once was. Slightly shocked sure she had a few spells that could craft small things but not like this it was like how Spike had told her about the time she was possessed by the 'inspiration manifestation' spell. A smile formed thinking how much time she just saved. "Twilight be a dear and come here again." She waived her friend back over. In front of her held the gauntlets much to the Ashley and Garrus's surprise at how fast she finished them. "You got some done already Rarity?" Asked the shocked alicorn. "Dear I think I found my ability, remember when Ponyville was being altered by magic like the streets turning to gold?" The white unicorn asked. "Yeah Spike told me you got possessed by a spell he found in the ancient library." Twilight replied with curiosity and a small bit of a pained voice at the mention of her baby dragon brother. With a smile she lifted the rest of the raw material needed to make Twilight's armor and moved it toward the lavender mare who only looked at the items in a curious manner. As the material reached her it started to glow a bright blue and wrap around her like it was melting over her coat. As the glow faded much to the great shock of the aliens in the room and only slight surprise Twilight now stood there in a full suit of armor. The armor was formed around her fitting perfectly with a opening for her wings to fold out along her back the armored plates here a soft magenta the same color as her element and magic with small hints dark blue fabric under it, over the left breast embroidered in gold was a shimmering magenta six sided star with six white spike coming out of it forming what looked like a second white star behind it and five more white six pointed starts surrounding it. "Seems that's my special ability to use that spell with out the side effects. Going to make getting you girls armor and clothing done much quicker so I can learn to use the fire arms too and will be able to help out as soon as possible." She said with a happy glee, as she also imagined how after this was over she might be able to get back to creating fashion. "Better do Dash's next so she can fly around, I know being grounded is driving her nuts." An hour after leaving the Citadel Shepard was talking to Joker in the cockpit when Twilight's face appeared in a monitor next to him. "Shepard Rarity and I are finished." He looked at the smiling face of the small horned equine with a raised eyebrow. "How is that possible it's been maybe an hour, you told me she was good at crafting not inhuman?" He tried to hide the littler reservation he had about this, each one seemed to be showing inhuman feats and the knowledge the lavender colored one was supposed to be the most powerful of the group in magic scared him a little. "I'll explain when you get down here, besides there is something I need you or Liara to help me with." She said before the image cut out. "That look in her eyes kinda scares me Joker." The heroic leader said in half jest. "I can imagine, the ones who have shown what they can do so far are abnormal I can't wait to see what the others can do. All but the pink one from the time i had wither her, she frightens me." The pilot said with the last bit in a slight whisper so only Shepard could her him. The commander chuckled as he walked out heading to the cargo bay. After the slow elevator ride to the cargo bay Shepard stepped out and looked ahead in a slight shock there in front of him in full armor where the six mares. Rainbow Dash who now hovered above the group her wings flapping rhythmically and a look of freedom on her face making him realize that she hated the fact that the clothing she had to wear before kept her grounded. She was decked out in red plated armor with a hint of black fabric under it over her left breast embroidered in gold was a shimmering puffy white cloud with a rainbow colored lighting bold coming out of it. Fluttershy wore pink plates with green fabric under and three pink butterfly gems outlined in gold on her left breast, unlike Rainbow she was still on the ground. Applejack's was a brighter orange then her coat also with green fabric underneath and three red apples with green stems in cold on her left breast. Pinkie Pie's was blue plated with yellow fabric on her left breast was two blue balloons with a yellow one in between wrapped in gold. Finally Rarity who had purple plated armor and blue fabric on her left breast was three gemstones surrounded in gold. As he looked at them and the gem symbols on their chest he remember finally about the same markings on their behinds when they first found them. He had forgotten about them because of the clothing and all the stuff he had to do in the mean time. "Okay that was really fast but several questions to mind, first off how did it happen so fast?" He finally said after taking in the details of the new armor. "I can answer that darling, seems that I can alter matter into what I vision it as. Though it gets rather taxing since I don't have the level of mana reserves Twilight does." The white unicorn jumped making his eyes widen at the thought of a power. "Alright second how will this work with the wings and horns some of you have, I don't see any helmets and armor on the wings would effect fight I believe." He asked quizzically. This time Twilight answered. "Well that's why I needed the gem, they can be enchanted and hold said enchantment easily. The diamonds which were separated in pieces through out the armor where enchanted for strength making the armor far harder then it should be. The emeralds which are also separated around the collars and openings for the wings are enchanted to generate an atmosphere around them with renewable air so we don't need to cover them or use a helmet. The sapphires were enchanted to create a magical defensive barrier around our whole body. Finally the rubies were enchanted to maintain a constant comfortable temperature, so thanks to those enchantments our armors are lighter, tougher, more versatile and more comfortable then normal armor. Shame you have to have mana to utilize them more we could make some for everyone." Shepard almost wanted to pout like a child at not being able to have a set of that armor sounded better then his, and it looked far better then what was available to humans. "To bad indeed, I must say Rarity you did a good job, though not my colors they seem to fit you all perfectly." "I made the plate colors to match our element colors." She said with a smile happy for the praise. "Okay last question then I will let Twilight do her test. I noticed those marks on your left armor breast on you behinds when we found you, what are they?" Twilight replied going into what the other girls called lecture mode. " They are called cutie marks, modern equine wouldn't have them since they appear from magic. Cutie marks are symbols that appear when we are young around 10 to 12 years of age they symbolize our special talents, in other words what we are good at. Though the symbols meanings are up for interpretation. Mine for instance appeared when I had an explosion of magic while testing to get into an elite school when I was a filly so besides the striking resemblance to the original shape of the element of magic, the point it appeared told me and others it meant magic was my special talent. I won't get into the other girl's stories they can tell you if they want but that is the gist of it." Shepard nodded taking note of it before looking at Twilight again. "Okay now what do you want to test?" "I need a biotic to test to see how well magic works against biotic abilities so I need to have a quick spar either you or Liara to see. Nothing to bad just an attack or two to see how mana and eezo react to one another. I have been waiting to test this till I was able to get a better feel of my increased reserves, I learned my lesson on how to handle it after the last time the were aped up." She replied motioning for the others to clear a little space. "So if you would be so kind lets try abilities only, okay." After they cleared the area Shepard started off the spar launching a warp at the alicorn who's horn started to glow magenta and with a sweeping motion with her right hand created a bubble of the same color around her that the warp splashed harmlessly against. After the dark blue energy rippled across the dome Twilight aimed her right hand with an open palm at Shepard and a magenta beam launched at high speed sending the commander flying into a wall ending the spar rather fast from the speed of it. Standing up unhurt as both had held back, he looked at her noting how easy mana could be used to guard against biotic attacks reminded himself she might be good to bring against Benezia. "Well that answers that, keep practicing your weapons and driving in Rainbows case we should arrive at Noveria in about 12 hours so make sure to get some rest after you get a feel for it." He commanded as he headed back toward the elevator.