The harsh blizzard winds howled as the heavy snow storm blowing faster that only a heavy coated animal would dare venture through the terrian. For the frozen tundra of the Crystal Empire, it was once a lost civilization of ancient buffalo who once waged war with the ponies for the control of an ancient relic that said to control the power of ice, bring chaos and suffer until their actions caused the Wendigos to be free from their prison and plunge all of them into a frozen prison until both tribes united to seal them back in. Now the remaining ponies made truce with the buffalo and left the frozen graveyard in hope to never waged war with each other again.
From the snow bind, Kopaka walking slowly with Twilight, wearing her winter attire along with Shining Armor with his scarf. Both of them continue trek through the snow bind as his mask continue to glow softly.
"Any sign of the temple?" Shining Armor grunted.
"No but we're getting close." Kopaka said "Just further ahead." He point his staff at the direction.
As they continue walking on the snow tundra, they stopped at the ledge of the mountains.
"Uh, Kopaka, this is the wrong way." Shining Armor deadpanned with furrowed eyebrows.
Kopaka scratched his head "Okay, maybe not that way......." he looked back as his mask glows softly on the right. "There."
The siblings glance at each other and shrugged as they continue following him.
After a few minute, Kopaka used his built in telescope as he zoomed in to the part of the mountain.
"We should watch our step. There's a lot of a crevices in this part of the mountain." Shining Armor said as the other nodded until Kopaka stepped and fall into one.
"I think I found one." the Master of Ice muttered as Twilight giggled and Shining Armor rolled his eyes then use their magic to pull him up.
"Thanks." Kopaka dusting off the snow in his armor.
"How about you let me lead the way?" Shining Armor said. "I do know part of the mountain since I used to train there before my promotion to captain."
"No, I got this." Kopaka dismissed "Beside, I'll be careful not to-"
'PLOW!'
Kopaka's hand was seen upon falling onto another crevice. "-slipped."
Twilight sighed and pulled him out again.
"Shiny is right, Kopaka. At least let him lead out of the crevices."
Kopaka glanced at her then sighed "Fine."
As they following Shining throughout the crevices until they reach towards the next part of the mountain, the Princess of Friendship glanced at Kopaka who having a annoyed tone. Piece some thoughts or possibility, she spoke to him.
"Something in your mind?"
The Master of Ice glance at her "No, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong with me."
"Doesn't seem like it." Twilight said. "Even though I'm not the Element of Honesty which is Applejack's trait, I know that something is bothering you."
"Twilight, really, I'm fine-"
"Please, I just worried about you." Twilight said as Kopaka glance at her eyes. Seeing those puppy eyes, in which he sighed in defeat.
"But this keep between you and me."
Twilight nodded as she perform the Pinkie Promise which Kopaka looked at her weirdly.
"That's the Pinkie Promise. Trust me, when you made a Pinkie Promise, you better keep that otherwise........."
"Otherwise?"
Twilight cringed at one particular memory "You don't want to know. Even at faraway place."
Kopaka nodded and begin to speak "I have this moral code that I always need to things the right way. I don't why but I guess I was born with it when I came down to Okoto."
"You mean you're a perfectionist?" Twilight guessed as he nodded.
"I felt that I was the only one who knows at stake despite my brothers and sister knows, yet they kept getting on my nerves (mostly Tahu)."
"How they keep getting on your nerves?"
"Lewa's always been a rebellion guy, Pohatu have a stubborn attitude, Onua.....well a heavy sleeper, Gali never got the joke right, and Tahu.......well you get the idea."
Twilight thought then gave a small grin as Kopaka glanced at her.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, but what I heard from you, I guess you and I are alike." Twilight said.
Kopaka titled his head in confusion "What do you mean?"
"Each of us have different yet similar personalities, Kopaka. For me, Lewa's much like Pinkie, Pohatu and Applejack are both the stubborn type, Onua, despite being a heavy sleeper, got along with Fluttershy, Gali and Rarity are much friendly terms, and Tahu and Rainbow always the hotheaded."
"I know what's like to get annoyed with those, but those difference are just normal. From what they told me, they seeing you as the cold type yet from I what I seen, you have a poor sense of directions."
"No, I don't!" the Master of Ice protested.
"You do, Kopaka" Shining spoke "Beside, you got us the wrong way and fall to the crevices, twice."
Kopaka grunted as he tried to find words but nothing came up as he slump his body down.
"Fine, I do have poor sense of directions, happy?"
"Well that means that you're accepting your weakness." Twilight said "And that's a good thing."
"What do you mean?" Kopaka asked "I'm a Toa, a warrior, a hero, I shouldn't have a -"
"Everyone have a weakness, Kopaka, and there's no shame into accepting what you're bad at. For me, my weakness is that I tend to worried over small little things."
"Like when you go crazy rushing things on re shelving and reorganized your bookcase?" Shining joked as Twilight gave a pout.
"Hey, I like when I trying to re shelf things!" Kopaka chuckled at this scene as Twilight turned back to him "The thing is that when we accept our weakness and learn from it so we can grow. There's no such thing as a perfectionist. And I'm certain that your brothers understand this and willing to help you if you give them a chance."
Kopaka widened his eyes as he look down, thinking of Twilight's words.
"Okay, we made out of the crevices." Shining called "Kopaka?"
The Master of Ice nodded as his mask glows as they continue following him. Unknown to them, shadow like beings are watching them.
At the bottom of the ocean of South Luna Ocean, Gali was swimming while looking around the area of the coral sea while Rarity, in her swimsuit and breathing mask, followed her.
"Darling, you sure the Temple is close by?" she asked.
"I'm certain, Miss Rarity." her mask point to the bottom of the abyss "I think that where we need to go."
Both swim towards it as they look down and only seeing darkness in the abyss. Rarity scan the area as she point at that direction.
"Look, there's a cave here."
Just as they about to swim towards it, a loud growl was heard as Gali pulled her trident while Rarity hiding behind her.
"Looks like a Guardian is close by."
Then, from the abyss, a red tentacle shot out as both dodge out of the way. Gali and Rarity turned and coming out of the darkest abyss, a large squid like creature rose up and roared at them.
"Okay I'd seen creatures that big, but that big squid really take the cake!" Rarity said.
"And it probably eats too!" Gali commented.
The squid whip it's tentacle at them as both dodge out of the way. Gali swung her trident and cut it in half only for the tentacle to regrow back. Rarity swam fast as she can, dodging the tentacles until one got into suction grip.
"Gyahhhh! Let go of me, you ugly creep!" the fashionista tried to pulled out but no avail as Gali swim faster and slice the tentacle, freeing her.
"Oh thank you, darling."
Gali nodded as the giant squid roared then it squirt black ink which both covered their eyes.
"Ahhhh, my eyes!" Gali rubbed her eyes from the ink as the guardian squid slammed her to the wall.
"Gali!" Rarity screamed as another tentacles wrapped around her again.
"Not again!" Rarity struggled as the squid bring her close to it's eyes which Rarity glared at it "Now look here, mister, I don't what's your big idea trying to whack us like that but that's no excuse to that to us ladies!"
The squid growled as she continue bickering "You will let us pass through the Temple right now or -"
A loud roar caused her to stop her rambling and gave a messy mane.
"How rude......"
"Miss Rarity!" Gali called as she thrust her spear at it, freeing her as she grabbed her and swam faster as the guardian squid as they reached towards the cave, the squid collide with it, causing a collapse ceiling on the entrance.
Both of them made to the ground as they sat down, with Gali sighed. Rarity use a seaweed and wiped the black ink on her mask.
"You all right, darling?" Gali nodded.
"I will be fine, Miss Rarity. I'm tougher than you look."
Once all the black ink is removed, both of them got up and glanced around the cavern. Upon examine, her golden mask glowing on the right direction.
"We should be close by."
Rarity nodded as they walking towards the direction. After a few minute of silence, Rarity decide to speak.
"Gali, thank you for saving me from that squid."
"It's no problem. I'm just doing what I need to do."
"Yeah, even though I tried to help you, I wasn't able to." Rarity looked down as Gali noticed it.
"You did everything you can do, you can't expect to do it perfectly. Beside, that was Kopaka's thing."
"It's more than that." the fashionista sighed and glanced at her gentle green eyes "While I was glad that you help me so much from those nasty Skull Creatures and the Guardian Squid, I felt that I was........"
"You felt that you were taking advantage of me?" Gali said as she nodded. "But what make you feel that way?"
"Because of my dear Spikey Wikey. I knew him that he had a crush on me, and while it was cute, I began taking advantage of him getting the right jewels for me for my dresses even the feelings he showed me."
"And do you return those feelings towards him?" Gali asked as she shook her head. "But why?"
"One, it would affect my social standards towards the Canterlot ponies of seeing me and Spike being a couple. Two, he's very younger than me even though he's a baby dragon yet acting more mature. And three, it would make our friendship seem awkward."
Rarity began to show tears "Oh how I wished I never taken advantage of his feelings towards me. If I was honest towards my feelings to him, maybe he wouldn't do so much. He done so much that I couldn't even thank him for being part of my life."
While Rarity began to cry a bit, Gali knee down and wipe the tears of her.
"Look, I don't know much of romance but what I can tell, you really care about him so much. Even love him too. If you truly honest of your feelings towards him, then don't be afraid of telling him that. What matters is that you understanding your feelings towards him so try to tell him that."
Rarity nodded then gave the Master of Water a hug.
"Thank you, Gali." After a few minute, both release their hugs.
"Okay, we better get moving." With that, the two continue on their trek but two shadows following them silently.
"Ya could at least stop being jumpy all the time?!" Applejack scolded "It's just scorpions fer crying out loud!"
"Fine, fine" Pohatu grumbled as they continue on the trek on The Ghost Valley Underground Mine. While Applejack looking around the empty caverns, he glanced at the jumpy Master of Stone holding his Stomerangs tightly while looking around frantically.
"Look you don't need to hid your feelings. Just say that you're afraid of the dark and scorpions."
"I-I'm not!" Pohatu argued.
"Sugarcube I know you're lying by the face it's giving away."
"I said I'm not! Beside, we need to get to the Temple and-"
Applejack got in his way with a hard glare that even match his.
"Okay, you're supposed to be a 'Toa' yet your acting like a stubborn foal!"
"Look Applejack we have no time for this-"
"Whenever it's a perfect time or not, you need to stop acting like a stubborn foal! How you can help your brothers and sister if you keep being stubborn all the time even when both worlds are at stake?"
Pohatu was about to countered but thought about it he sighed.
"Fine, I am afraid of the dark and hate scorpions. Happy?"
She sighed and nodded and both continue on the trek. After a few hours, she looked at him.
"I'm not trying to make you feel bad nor forcing you, I'm just trying to help you."
"But why?" Pohatu asked "I don't need any help."
"Still you can't expect to handle everything alone nor hiding your feelings. There was a time that we need to accept help from others and also show feelings for one or another."
Pohatu listened, his eyes soften a bit.
"I learned that the hard way when I was doing an Applebuck season."
"Applebuck season?"
"It's a tradition that m'ah families and I do. Mostly it's when the apples must be harvested. Anyway, at some point before Twilight's accession into an alicorn, I was the only one doing the season since most of m'ah family are too busy with their crops. At first, because of my stubbornness, I refuses any help from Twilight. As a result, things that m'ah friends want me to do gone in a completed mess."
"What kind of mess?" Pohatu asked.
"I accidentally launched Rainbow into the sky while she's unprepared, made 'baked bads' from the Sugarcube Corner in result poison other ponies trying it including Pinkie Pie, and caused a rabbit stampede into Ponyville."
"Yowch!" Pohatu winced.
"Eeyup, as I thought I finished all the harvested apples, Big Mac point that I did half of it which I faint, so I gave in and ask my friends for some help."
She turned to him "For what I've seen, you're much similar in a way stubborn and all, yet there's a time when we need to put our stubborn pride aside."
Pohatu looked down and thought about it, but his mask glows brightly at the direction.
"We're almost there!" Pohatu said as the two rushed towards the direction of the temple.
At Ponyville, the CMC were discussing things happened while the girls are on the mission with the Toa Masters.
"Guess that storywriting isn't our type." Scootaloo sighed.
"But at least GundamBrony allow us to keep our stories right?" Sweetie Belle said as the girls nodded.
"Yeah but we did messed up on one of his stories." Apple Bloom pointed out. "As a result, we had to help him rewrite the chapter he's doing."
The three girls nodded as they reached to the clubhouse, Apple Bloom opened it as three Skull Spiders lunged at them, before their screams was heard.
At the orchards, Big Mac was busy bucking some apples when he heard the girls screamed as he rushed towards the clubhouse only to find in horror that Skull Creatures appeared and the CMC's face are now adored in Skull Spiders Masks.
As Big Mac about to rushed out, multiple possessed ponies grasp him to the ground. Big Mac recognized them as Maud Pie, Spike, and Discord.
As Big Mac continue to struggle, a large foot step was heard as Big Mac widened his eyes in fear of one creature that he never thought to see it again.
"Well, well, well, looks like I got myself some food to eat. Better have a quick lunch of it." Tierk grinned as he drained his Earth Pony magic leaving him a lack of cutie mark and lost his color on his eyes. Then he snapped his finger as a Skull Spider latch onto his face, possessing him.
"Now we got more for our armies, let's be on our way to the Ancient City of the Mask Maker, Tierk." Kulta said as Tierk nodded then use the power of the Mask of Parallel Universe and open the portal rift to the city.
"And what about the Crystal Masks?" Tierk asked. "Makuta ordered to captured it before the Toa and the Harmonics get it."
"Our new minions is already on their way, Tierk. Now we must move on to the next plan." With that all of them jump to the portal of the city as the portal closed.