My Little Bionicle: Quest for the masks

by Toa Coy

Another Day Dawns

My Little Bionicle: Quest for the Masks
By
Toa Coy, Co-author Blazikenking
(To be) Edited by Cade the Sharkbear

Alright time for a normal day in ponyville...you could not keep a straight face given how many times they had to rebuild the place (Blazikenking didn’t keep a straight face, but that was because of a particular song on his media player (10 minutes of DO THE FLOP)).

~Toa Coy~

Chapter Eleven: Another Day Dawns

Luna’s day started early. Before Celestia was even awake, Luna was getting information from the night guards on any movements of the beings in the fortress that Sombra and Icarax had built in the frozen north. From the reports from settlements in those areas many have seen strange track but nothing beyond that.

“I do not like this” Luna thought to herself as she walked to lower the moon for the night. “Even without the leader they are active and scouting.”

When she got to her normal spot, she saw her sister on the other side ready to raise the sun as she lowed the moon. In tandem, one raised a celestial body and the other lowed another. Once the sun began to appear over the horizon the two headed back into the castle, but before they got too far in Luna stepped in front of her sister.

“Sister, there is something I wish to talk to you about. Something that would have left me unrested if not for my duties.” Luna said holding her head directly in front of Celestia’s line of sight but her eyes were looking down on the ground.

“What’s the matter Lulu?” Celestia asked with her motherly face being betrayed by her tone.

With a deep breath Luna spoke, “Tia, what would mother have done if she saw me become Nightmare Moon?” Luna’s eyes watered from what she thought her mother’s face would look like upon seeing her youngest daughter turn into a pony that only shared minor similarities.

Celestia did not answer right away, given that she had thought of what her mother and father would have done to help Luna instead of sending her away, this was a question that she had all but forgot when Luna came back and was almost her old self. Given what had happen in the past week, as well as Celestia gaining a niece that was once Nightmare Moon, she knew that that question would come up again. Now it was time for her to be a big sister and not the ruler of a country. By the time Celestia was able to make up her mind Luna had broken down into tears, stress and fear lead to the princess of the night to come to this which Celestia understood seeing as she had been there for along time and some time still looking at the moon.

“Luna,” Celestia said wrapping her wings around her sister. “If they never left us those feelings would not have manifested as strongly. It was my fault that you were changed and I was too weak to save you instead of sending you away.”

“What if the same thing happens to Artemis? Will I be strong enough to save her?” Luna said crying into her sister’s white coat.

“It will be different this time,” Celestia said comforting her sister. “Where it was just me when I battled you, we will try and save her together like a family should.”

----

Artemis slowly got up out of the bed that belonged to Twilight, and while she woke up happy, she knew that today was one that was going to happen sooner or later. She would have liked to talk about it with her mother and her after more than a week of being her own self. She climbed out of the bed and headed off to prepare herself for the day and school, but as she passed Spike’s bed, she noticed that the dragon was not there but she did see the Shift curl up at the foot of the bed she just left. She also noticed that Twilight’s owl was not on his perch, a bit paranoid given the way things have been since she was Foalnaped and almost recaptured by the same crazy stallion who wouldn’t be. While Artemis was going for a shower, Spike and Owlowiscious were getting breakfast ready for themselves and the alicorn down in the kitchen. Spike stood over a mixing bowl and was stirring the batter for pancakes that he would be cooking for him and the second alicorn that he had to live with.

“Do you think that I should add anything to these or have them plain to give her a choice on what she wants to eat?” Spike asked his fellow assistant.

“Who.” Owlowiscious replied holding up two feathers.

“Guess you’re right. She would need this for the day ahead of her.” Spike said moving the counter to the stove next it checking the cast iron griddle for the correct heat. “To be honest with you Owlowiscious, I wish I could go with Artemis when she has to talk to the CMC about her powers and who she once was.” The owl looked at the dragon with a quizative look to why he was talking about this as said dragon began to pour some of the batter onto the griddle. “Aside from Princess Luna and a select few, no one would understand the kind of pressure that she is under. Lucky me to be among the few with such a perspective.” The young dragon said with a deadpan tone on the last part.

There was no secret between the member of the Golden Oaks Library that Spike still had not fully gotten over the greed growth a few years ago, this was not helped by the fact several ponies barricaded themselves in to avoid him. Even that time he created a race of intelligent Sea Monkeys, which he still got letters from, ponies still feared what he was and what he would become when he grew up. Spike knew that he would outlive most of his friends, dragons taking a hundred year nap made that clear to him, which made him want to live every day like he would never see them again.

If not for the smell of the finished pancake Spike would have kept those dark thoughts at the forefront of his mind. He flipped it and looked to see that Owlowiscious had left his perch for his duties while Spike continued to cook. By the time that Artemis came down Spike had made about a stack of fifteen pancakes and was working on hash browns when the alicorn poked her head in to see what the smell was.

“Morning Spike.” The dark blue alicorn’s voice held little in joy. Spike knew why and got an idea.

“I know you have to tell your friends about some things that would best be left unspoken but telling them the truth will be better than them finding out on their own.” Spike turned off the stove top and put the hash browns on plates. “Why not tell them here? I mean I know how hard it is to deal with something like this.” Spike said as he got two plates of breakfast.

“How so?” Artemis said, looking at the food the dragon was giving her, her voice still held a tone of sadness.

“Believe it or not, when I get obsessively greedy I grow so large that it makes the height of Canterlot Castle look like a small cottage.” Spike said as if it was no big deal, if his crush on Rarity has taught him anything it’s how to make his voice sound normal in front of others.

“But how are you so happy if you were that large? I can imagine the trouble that it would cause just to walk around.” The girl asked with a quizzical look on her face.

“Truth be told I was lost in greed for what I wanted.” Spike said a hint of disappointment and shame in him voice. “It took my friends to get me back to normal and once I saw what I caused I felt horrible. I was just happy to know that nopony was hurt too badly, still I see the fear in some ponies eyes.”

“Still not as bad as my past.” Artemis said looking down at her food with little interest.

“Come on we can work through this together.” Spike said ditching the sour mood that he was going into. “I can even walk you to the school house, since it is on the way to Fluttershy’s cottage.”

“I would like that.” Artemis said, a bit happier as she started to use her magic to eat.

----

Mazeka looked at the foreign design with some amazement as they trekked to the throne room. From what he could tell most of the ponies here were made of something from the ones he had met so far. It was about then that they arrived to the throne room, he could see two thrones by each other and ponies gathered in front of the occupied throne with the strange colored alicorn he saw while on recon. Now that he could see the alicorn better, he could see that she had several different colors that did not seem to match and yet he felt something that was unfamiliar to him, it was a positive feeling but it was not something in his experience. It took a moment before he put his thoughts away as the alicorn walked up to him and the two equestrians that led him there. He saw Shining Armor met the mare halfway he seemed to say something in her ear and then something that Mazeka could not see.

“Greetings my name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza co-ruler of the Crystal Empire,” The alicorn greeted the Ko-pony with a small bow. “My husband told me that you are from Mata Nui’s country and that you are a liason for an order named after Mata Nui.”

Aside from the word husband and how ponies knew of Mata Nui when he was not see in so long Mazeka returned the bow. “It is an honor Princess Cadenza, as you may know my is Mazeka and I have several questions involving why the followers of the Makuta are wanted here.”

Cadance nodded her head and led her husband, the ko-pony, and the night guard to a conference room.

----

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were sitting in front of the school well before anyone was going to be there.

“Why are we here so early?” Scoots asked with a yawn.

When Rainbow went with the others she talked to AJ about having Scoots and Tank stay with her family while they were away. AJ agreed and given that they had room it would be good that she not be left alone, again. So Scootaloo was staying with the Apples until Rainbow came home, she also knew that today was when Babs would be coming to stay and help the family.

“Because we agreed to be here when Big Mac and Applebloom come here with Babs. As well as talk to Artemis given what has happen to her.” Sweetie Belle said recalling stuff for the past week.

“Yay that won’t happen for another hour,” Scoots said noting the sun was had yet to climb higher than the hills beyond the school. “I wonder what Rainbow and the others are doing right now?” She asked as her tone changed from tired to sad.

“I don’t know but I hope that they are okay.” Sweetie Belle said with a sigh and missing her sister.

Elsewhere in a cave both Dash and Rarity felt a shiver go down their spines, while Rarity was asleep Dash looked around but did not noticed anything.

----

Mazeka had spent the past two hours learning about what happened to the nation in the past week since the stars appeared in the sky. Mazeka knew that the stars that they talked about; those six stars were the sign for the Toa hidden in this land to head to the island that led to Metru Nui to defeat the Makuta once and for all, as well as serve as leaders to the city should they have to. The reason that did not happen until now was because of the followers that caused the system to fail and the Makuta almost took over one of the major cities of his people. Mazeka of course did not relay this to them as they seemed to know some of it. When he question how they knew of this and how they knew of the long missing ruler of his people that they saw as a god, he got a surprising reply. What must have been one of the most shocking things that ever entered his ears, the Makuta was able to corrupt one of the rulers of the whole country that lead to a thousand years of banishment to the moon and only recently said corrupt form emerged from the returned Princess. This form was not evil, much to the disbelief of Mazeka, in addition the order was trying to corrupt this being into either another Makuta or as a way to free him. The princess and prince informed him that Sombra, an evil king that cause the nation to disappear for a thousand years, team up with Icarax to take back the kingdom. Mazeka was informed that Sombra was locked away and kept under guard and that word was just sent that Icarax was caught by the co-ruling princess. The Ko-pony had a lot on his mind after that meeting and both of the rulers told him that he could have one of the many spare rooms in the castle to rest his head while he was there.

The room was much larger than any personal room Mazeka had to himself, he notice a bed that looked like it could fit a few ponies if they were standard matoran size, a writing desk, and two other doors leading to more rooms no doubt. With a deep sigh Mazeka went to the desk, open drawers in search of writing tools. Once he found them he began to write a detailed report to Helryx in Matoran.

----

It had been two hours since Scoots and Sweetie arrived at the school and one of them was fast asleep while the other just waited.

“Remember Artemis, I’ll come by later if recess is about the time I finish Fluttershy’s chores if not then I’ll see ya at the library with the CMC.” Sweetie Belle heard Spikes voice as she saw him and Artemis walking up to the school.

She rushed over to Scootaloo sleeping a few feet away from her. Shaking the pegasus Sweetie hoped to get her up before Artemis got to the school.

“Scoots time to wake up, Artemis is coming.” Sweetie said as Scoots woke up with a jolt.

“How long was I out?” Scoots said with a yawn and stretch.

“Two hours, come on she is almost here.” Sweetie said as she saw the top of Artemis’s head appeared over the crest of the hill.

When Artemis and Spike got to the school they saw two of the three CMC there which confused Artemis since she did not know of the arrangement that AJ made before she left.

“Hey Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, where’s Appleboom?” Artemis asked wondering where the earth pony of the trio was.

“She and Big Mac went pick up their cousin that came to help with the farm while Applejack away with the others.” Scoots said in a happy tone.

“Since you guys are here I’ll get going.” Spike said about to head off. “First Fluttershy’s cottage and then shopping.”

Once he was gone both Sweetie and Scoots noticed that Artemis was looking sad yet something was making her smile, which confused the pair.

“Hey Artemis, you okay? You seem to be distracted by something?” Sweetie asked her getting a snapping awake like movement from the alicorn.

“I just have a lot on my mind, that is all Sweetie Belle.” Artemis said with a smile.

It was about that time they heard the sound of running heard from Sweet Apple Acres direction. From what the trio could see it was Applebloom and another filly that Artemis had not seen before. The filly was Applebloom’s height, from what Artemis could tell, they had gamboge coat and a short cut two tone amaranth mane and tail.

“So who is she?” Artemis asked the pair.
“That’s Babs Seed, Applebloom’s cousin from Manehattan.” Scoots said as the two Apples came closer to the trio.

“And she is the fourth member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” Sweetie added.

Before Artemis could question the pair more the pair of Apples slowed to a stop in front of them.

“Hey Artemis,” Applebloom said before catching her breath. “This here is mah cousin Babs, Babs this here is Artemis she is Princess Luna’s daughter.”

“You sure cus? Because she does not look like the Princess like you said.” Babs said in her manehattan accent.

Artemis was confused on why Babs would say that then she remembered that spell that hid who she was so she could be treated normally.

“What are you talkin’ about she was always like this and I’ve seen how Princess Luna acted towards her. It was like AJ said Ma and Pa acted to her, Big Mac, and me.” Applebloom said getting a bit defencive.

“I can explain why that is Applebloom.” Artemis said stopping a fight before it starts. “You see since my mother is who she is I would need to be kept safe. In addition since I am an alicorn I needed to hide in plain sight so my mother casted a spell that change my appearance so I would look like a normal filly. The only ones that can see me for what I truly am are friends and family.”

“That would explain why Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoons were ignorant of Princess Luna outside of her being an adult.” Scoots said recalling the first time Artemis and Luna came to the school house.

“So when we became friends I will see what you really look like?” Babs asked.

“Yes,” Artemis replied. “Also please don’t go around calling my mother by name it might get to unwanted ears.”

“Sure then.” Babs replied.

----

Vultraz was in the war room looking over information that the rahkshi scouts had brought him. They reported that several Vahki in the area, even if they were meant to find Mazeka and had to stop since the Ko-pony was in that Empire that Sombra was captured in. They found a set of tracks that came from the south that were Vahki shaped and found pieces of a busted one that was not the one they were looking for. Vultraz knew that it was not something to pass up since they had less troops and no way to get more at the moment. Also since the Vahki were pure machines they were cheaper to make and would be able to do so without fear.

“We will need a complete and functional one so we can make more of them.” Vultraz said aloud to himself. “This will mean getting bolder in our scouting and that could be bad.” With that Vultraz began to think on a solution. Then it hit him if the remaining rahkshi of illusion fly at night while they look for more vahkis.

Author's Note:

well that all fell into place very well, oh and for those that wonder how matoran reproduce in this universe I point you to this note this is not my original idea it is RRproAni.