The Book of Artemis

by Toa Coy

The Past is not Forgotten

Got this done and now on to the next part.

~Toa Coy~

Chapter 1: The Past is not forgotten

Many heroes and villains are products of how, who, and where they are rise and some are just born to be who they are. The past reflects on their souls and some use this as a motivator or at least a reminder of how far a foe will go. On a fateful night, in the sleepy town near a forest and overlooked by Canterlot castle a deviant would reunite the world with a destiny long deviated from. The moment a being of light and shadow choose a third way out they problems. Some say the whole of history could be decided in one moment be it in war, love, or even a flip of a bit.

----

Artemis was awake as sleep evade her, a lot was on her mind from the past month. She had a normal life, aside from the foal napping and the attacks done by Icarax, with friends and a mother that loved her. But this night after talking with Umbrage and Discord, a lot was on her mind. Her heritage was well known to her now; the force creation of the master of shadows and the controller of the moon, the niece of the Lord of Chaos, niece of a former leader of the Nuian’s, and the last possible descendant of Teridax and Mata Nui’s family line.

It kinda scared her, the power that she had in her. Any spell her mother knew before they were blasted by the elements of harmony she knew. Her shadow knowledge was not as advanced. Artemis’s true personality and consciousness did not fully emerge until her mother called on the shadow of makuta that had bonded to the mare transforming her into Nightmare Moon. Tossing and turning in the bed as these thoughts ran through her head, it was just so much to think of after trying to ignore them.

It was then that the young alicorn noticed something forming out of the shadows, it did not look like the shade. Dusk, the name of the shade that she befriended, was out on guard duty so there was only one option. Someone from Icarax’s group. Not waiting to be a victim Artemis flew, both figuratively and literally, head long into the now solid being. With a yelp and a thud Artemis had pinned and held a glowing a bright cyan ready to end whatever thing the mad murder sent to take her.

“That’s going to leave a mark.” A familiar deep voice spoke coming out of the pinned being. “But I guess with that you told me appearing at night may have been a poor choice.”

“Goldrax?” the daughter of the moon princess asked surprised. With the cyan glow from her horn she could see the matoran that she had shared a body with for short moment before he turned into a toa. “What are you doing here?”

Goldrax could see the concerned look in her eyes, that question was not about him but some fear that she held for Twilight and her friends. With a calm tone and a grin the toa of light and shadow spoke.

“I took an opportunity to finally be free of the order. To live like you have, to make friends, to be loved, but most importantly to keep you safe.” At that one phase Artemis got off of the stallion, who sat up and looked at filly. “Twilight and the others were fine when I left that place and my old life behind, in all honesty you are the only friend I had before Umbrage came into my life.”

The alicorn did not know what to say, the part about Twilight and the others made her realize just how long she held her breath after Goldrax started speaking but she was trying not to laugh at the shadow toa’s small speech was hard to do as it sounded like an excerpt of a fairy tale book. Fortunately, or not so much, Artemis jumping Goldrax caused the sounds of running to come from the stairs and to the door.

The door was thrown open with Spike wearing a metal pot with a metal pot lid in one claw and a large knife in the other. Owlowiscious had his talons out ready to claw out the eyes of the intruder with Dusk shifting his arms into blades ready to slice and dice. Artemis was somewhat amazed at the trio’s back bone, not a one of them are what she would call a dastard, but they seemed to be shaking a bit. They all fought against Icarax, courage enough for Artemis after what that monster tried to do to her.

“Alright you scary dark thing get away from Artemis or you will have to deal with a dragon, an owl, and whatever Dusk is.” Spike said as the other two nodded then just a second later Dusk cocked his head and his cobalt eyes shot Spike a look. “What I have no clue what you are? Besides it is better than being called and it, trust me on that.”

Goldrax did not know what to say, it wasn’t that he did not take the threat as a real one but the trio was not what he thought of when guards for Artemis. Especially the shift seeing that even with the color he could smell Icarax on it.

“I’m scary?” Goldrax asked confused, sure he had been called many things in his life but scary is not one of them. “That is strange to hear some being call me something demeaning from others besides Artemis, Twilight and her companions, or Umbrage.”

“Wait you’re Goldrax?” Spike said recalling his talk with the other dragon about the pegasus. “Umbrage never said anything about you being the same as the pegasus that attacked us.”

“Well it is...wait Umbrage did not tell me he was here?” The shadow Toa said catching what the purple dragon told him.

“Ya it was something that happened,” Spike said more or less dropping his ‘weapons’ while the other two stayed on edge. “To be honest it is kinda normal for beings appearing out of thin air.”

Artemis laid down and listened to Spike and Goldrax’s voices. Hearing the boys talk about things drew her mind away from her problems and off to sleep.

----

A week had past since Goldrax had appeared in the Golden Oaks Library, during that time he used his shadow powers to shapeshift into his matoran self with his armor hidden down in the basement of the Library. Spike came up with Goldrax being a colt looking to study under Princess Twilight, but as she was on a royal duty by order of Princess Celestia with the rest of the elements of harmony. For the most part the town bought it, with only the CMC knowing the truth. As it turned out that The Summer Sun Celebration, which is the fifth anniversary of the elements coming together, was happening at the end of the week. Cheerilee decided to have the class write an essay about what they did and recalled about that day.

Many of the fillies and colts found it easy since it was just another day, aside from few fillies who may have something different view on this. Artemis for her part had to make up a believable story because saying that she was there as Nightmare Moon would sound like a last minute thing.

“So what ya gonna write Art?” Babs asked the Alicorn as the CMC followed her to the library.

“Most likely a tale of how I was off in a private school while my mother was away on work.” Artemis said thinking about how she was going to pull that off.

“It could be worst,” Sweetie Belle said noticing the gloom look on Artemis’s face. “I mean we could be doing a play and be cast as our sister with Diamond Tiara as Twilight and Artemis as Nightmare Moon.”

“Why would anypony want to do a play about that when they can talk to the ponies that were there?” Scootaloo asked her unicorn friend.

“Ponies from Manehattan would kill ta have a good scripted of that just ta make money.” Babs said recalling of several failed ones as she would walk home from school.

“Seriously?” Applebloom asked her cousin. “Knowing from what Applejack said the time she saw the history play about Celestia and Luna’s fight was so dramatic that she had to keep her laughter from being heard.”

“I read the book version under the historical fiction,” Artemis somewhat happy to move off a project to something that she could correct. “They skipped over many of the killings that happen, to be fair it was more of a fairy tale than historical.”

The four looked with of a bit of a raised eyebrow to the hidden alicorn.

“There is a reason they say war is taurus,” Artemis said. “I will not hide the fact I did things that was wrong and sorry but I can not change it and won’t.”

By that point they had gotten to the Golden Oaks Library, the CMC still gave looks of really to the alicorn with a bit grim look.

“Sorry I am a thousand years old with little social skills so forgive me if I talk about too mature things.” Artemis said with a defeated tone.

“It’s not the death thing that got us giving you looks.” Applebloom said with Scootaloo following up.

“Ya it is just seeing you beat yourself over something that you can’t change, trust me on that, hurts us more than just telling us about the ponies that were kill so long ago.”

“It is sad,” Sweetie Belle interjected. “but that was a different you and not the Artemis we know and love.”

“Besides you’re lucky to have a mother that makes time for you.” Babs said looking a bit down after saying that.

“Thanks you girls sure know how to cheer a friend up.” Artemis said noticing here gloom mood had spread to the others but they wore smiles nevertheless.

Opening the door they saw Spike and Goldrax at the center reading table with a stack of books next to them. The Kra-nuian was more or less rewriting easy books on sheet of paper from equestrian to Nuian thanks to a translation sheet. The sound of the shutting door after the five got in caused the pair’s heads to turn and see them.

“Hey Artemis how was school?” Spike asked like he normally did every day the alicorn came back.

“Fine save for the fact I have to make up a story about where I was during that time my mother and me returned only for Twilight and her friends used the elements of harmony.” The young alicorn said annoyance clear in her voice saved for a hint of fear in it.

“I could just write what I did and you change it to fit you.” The dragon offered.

“No thanks, if I want to do it on my own. I rather be independent and fail than to take another’s work and succeed.” She said motioning her friends to another study area.

----

Deep in the Everfree Forest away from all the ho-hum and life of a normal pony, ancient seeds of chaos began to bloom. An opposing force that had once held it back with giving the forest autonomy as the only side effect. The power holding the black seeds from sprouting had been fading for years, and only now was it weak enough for the black vines and blue-green thorn plants began to grow. Slowly over the next few days the vines began to move searching, hunting for what their master wished for them to capture. It was on a night when one of the plants found a similar thing to the prey that it was tasked with hunting, it slowly began to creep up a tree.

----

Artemis had called it for a night, her essay was the best she could make up while still making it sound real. But that is behind her now and meeting her mother in the realm of sleep to spend time before Luna had to make an appearance for the summer sun celebration. Just as she was about to go to sleep a noise caught her attention. Knowing better she cast a shield spell around her just incase and waited for whatever was making that noise to try and get her.

----

Goldrax was beginning to learn things, things so alien and so different that his mind raced to learn as much as he could. At this point he was wishing for the mask of translation over his mask of fate, but it did things that surprised him. He thought it was impossible as only physical feats could be done with the mask’s help but he was learning quicker than he ever dream of doing such a task. Then again it was a mask made to do the impossible, and most any would call what he was doing impossible. As he was about to head down to the basement for his sleeping quarters he heard a rumble and thud upstairs.

Flying up there as fast as his wings could carry him, he burst threw the door to see a strange vine wrap itself around Artemis as she fought against it. Proving futile the teal eyes of the former nightmare met the crimson eyes of the shadow Toa, it took but a moment but something clicked to have Goldrax try using shadow blades to cut Artemis free but as soon as he tried to the shadow toa got slapped by the vines. The vines then encased Artemis keeping her from screaming as more vines attacked Goldrax, the shadow Nuian felt something fall. It was not anything from his insides but from something in his mind, seeing Artemis be taken away made something click in his head. That night the town of Ponyville awoke as a scream of heartache and anguish was heard around town. And only one pony could feel that pain.

----

The only being not awaken from the realm of sleep, at least in ponyville, but also felt Goldrax’s pain even this far away. This being is Wubsy, a changeling that became similar to a normal pony after a long adventure. She, well identifying as female since changelings are hermaphrodite by nature, stayed up to watch over her...friends would be one way to put it but family would be better. Wubsy shook her head of thoughts as both Octavia and Vinyl came stumbling out of their shared bedroom to the living room.

Before any of them spoke a black vine and blue-green thorns came crashing into the house.

----

Thus began a plan that began so long ago that the mastermind had all but forgotten it, but said mastermind had a rude awakening coming from a mother who is not against casting him into stone once again.