Linkin Pony Recharge: The Catalyst

by Kaciekk

Chapter IX

Author's Note:

This was the last full chapter I wrote of this, like a while ago. Sorry this was canceled. But if you do want more the the Recharge universe, read my story in progress, Chasing the Sun. It may be be directly centered around Linkin Ponies, but it is one of their son. It's a better written story, and you get in the mind of , what I think is, a relatable character.

CharmingRhythm sat on the floor of the mainroom awkwardly. SparkWire placed some thin metal wires on the floor, and took out some odd tool from his vest pocket. Rhythm sat up strait when he made eye-contact with the older Unicorn.

"Would you mind showing me your wound?" He asked.

Rhythm hesitated. He took the leg to his mouth, and loosened the clothe with his teeth. Rhythm unwrapped the bandage with his magic and his left foreleg. He placed in to the side and held out his half leg. It was blood-stained, it was dry with the flesh swelling, and blue fur blistering as an outline.

BlazingFlair shivered, turned his head to the side and stuck his tongue out in a gag. SpinnningNote glared at him and smacked him with a red-violet hoof.

SparkWire studied Rhythm. "When did this occur?"

"A... about a week ago," Rhythm said in a stoic voice.

"Hmm. You said it doesn't bother you. I'm sure that is not true. Are you upset with this?"

CharmingRhythm sighed. "Of course. But it's my own fault. I was being clumsy and I fell into that energy spot," Rhythm paused, his dark brown eyes seeming to search for something beyond reality. "I have to hold myself up and love my scars." he looked over to HyperBlitz, and they both nodded at each other.

"Very well," SparkWire said. "I'm afraid that this wound is too fresh to put anything over it. Besides, I need to gather materials. The metals you have wouldn't do for a hoof or even a wing."

"My wing is probably not ready either," Hyper added.

The olive Unicorn bowed his head. "Indeed, though your wing may heal quicker." SparkWire turned to the other ponies. "Would you mind if I come back tomorrow or the next day with some materials for fitting. I can't guarantee that I can give you the limbs right away. But if i can make them ahead of time, and show you how to work them, you can place them on yourself."

"That would be helpful," EchoBeat replied. "We don't want to stall you any longer. It's going to get dark. you better head out to your... wherever you are living."

The scientist smiled, and collected his tool. "Yes, night is no time to be about with presence of Hybrids." He came to the door and gave them a salute. Echo waved outside, then slowly closed the door. Echo halted in the middle of the room while Rhythm's blue magic wrapped the bandage back around his leg.

"I think it was good that we found him," Echo said.

"He's a bit of a smart-aleck," FeatherTune snorted. "He says he's a scientist so I think he thinks he's better than us."

"Feather, I don't think it's that way. He's nice. Sure he can be a bit upfront, but he's helping. Aren't you glad that we found another pony, somepony we can trust?" Rhythm gestured.

"Yeah," Feather spoke.

CharmingRhythm shuffled himself up. "But he could very well be a scientist, and I think that's something we need. Knowing about this pure energy will help us. Maybe it's a new resource."

The air shifted and putrid smells suffocated those who walked strait from their homes. Trotting the streets, CharmingRhythm kept his head low as he just passed through. Shouts of ponies reached back and forth across the street. Many citizens pushed boxes and luggage around, others bartered for things and argued. Rhythm laid his ears flat for these sounds disgraced him. He'd happily listened to music over anything the world gave him. But no pony supported his music. Only his friends.

Signs laid on the walls of streets. News papers were tattered in their baskets along the side walks. Everypony was getting tired of the same expressions to the loss of resources, and the 'global warming' and the results of deaths of those trying to get more oil in the ground. Was there any more they could find? Or was it too far down for those to get it.

A shriek came out and Rhythm shuttered. He scrambled his blue hooves to a halt and he looked. It was only a filly calling for her mother. The filly was a pegasus, and flew upwards to a second floor window; he mother did not seem impressed. CharmingRhythm glanced at the sky. Each day it was getting worse. The sky was dull, pale patches of blue showed, and the sun showed ever so often, the light that did show was vague.

There was a clanking sound coming from the right side. Rhythm turned, his brown eyes adjusted. A gold Unicorn was pounding a tool to a metal plate. A stallion glared at him with satisfaction. A mare, with wavy red hair, looked at him nervously. The stallion, a medium sized brown Earth-pony, had a metal leg. It was not complete, the wires stuck out waiting for its component. The Unicorn placed the metal over his leg with magic, and it clamped down.

"Now try," The Unicorn ordered, but in a friendly way.

The stallion placed down the hoof, which had a claw. His metal part creaked from gears turning. His mare looked to him with joy. The brown pony turned, and Rhythm could see he had metal on his shoulder too. He was become a new breed.

The Unicorn adjusted his friend's shoulder pad. "are you sure you want the claw?"

"Of course! It will help me in the long run. It may help me when it comes to collecting things, believe it or not. So many ponies are dying, and we need a new way to live. The other get metal parts, it will work for me too. This might be the new resource."

"Alright," The Unicorn said, then completed his touch ups.

The stallion stood upright. He glared around. There was an odd noise. Rhythm has somehow drew himself closer to the scene. The metal part lifted, the stallions' eyes closed. He shouted in pain and flung his claw forward.

"Oh my! Please stop, dear!" The mare cried.

It seemed all the ponies came around him and the commotion increased. He raged and spun around. Crimson wisps flew through the air, and CharmingRhythm's heart throbbed. His vision became blurred, heated and bloody. He seemed to be falling back.

The grayish-blue pony gasped for air as he jolted up. He shivered and stood motionless for a moment. It was only a dream. Though Rhythm remembered an incident similar to that. The dream was repeating his memories, his past. That was months ago. But there was no blood, ponies did not circle around in a mob, there was not that much commotion, and Rhythm was not that close.

CharmingRhythm pulled himself up. The light from the window was dark, but not dark enough to be night. He could hear pattering of water droplets. Rhythm came off his matted bed with a stumbled, the stood up strait. He felt drowsy, his muscles were sore, as if he had a terrible night's sleep.

Rhythm found himself walking around the corner. He saw HyperBlitz sitting in the swivel chair that was by the computer in the dull light. The yellow pony moved back and forth with his tattooed hoof on his cheek. When he stopped, Hyper's brow lifted and his brown eyes looked to Rhythm.

"Morning," was Hyper's greeting.

CharmingRhythm nodded back to him.

"You're up late," Stated Hyper and Rhythm shrugged. "The others went to the cave. They wanted to make more energy wells. We can go down there in a bit."

"M'kay," Rhythm replied with a sigh. He passed off into the meeting room.

His dark eyes scanned around the room; it was dark, and rain poured onto the window. There was a candle lit on the counter. They shouldn't have candles on when there not it the room, Rhythm said to himself. He just want into the storage room to find something to eat.

Nothing they ate anymore was for taste. It was just to stay alive. CharmingRhythm took some canned fruits, that had a bland taste. Most things had so many perspectives, and so much salt. Rhythm didn't feel like eating, but he knew he needed something in his stomach. As he finished, he heard the door open. He turned around and saw BlazingFlair.

"G'moring CharmingRhythm," The orange stallion said. "I just need a little more metal."

Rhythm waited for Blazing to come back, who had metal on his saddle bag and held between his teeth. Rhythm's magic took the piece from his mouth. The two ponies made there way down to the cave and met the others. EchoBeat and Blazing placed some metal and rocks on the ground. FeatherTune stuck some on the ceiling, and SpinningNote made a spark.

"I'd need some help with the spark. I don't want to waste my energy on it," The red-violet Unicorn invoked Rhythm.

"Alright," Rhythm said and walked forward. For some reason today, he did not have as much enthusiasm. He had no real push, or energy to do something. Maybe it was the weather. It was very damp and humid in the cave. Or maybe Rhythm didn't get any well sleep, and he could be so bothered by the dream he had. He tried to concentrate and use his magic.

Evening drew to night, and the hard pattering of rain became a slow drizzle. CharmingRhythm sat alone in the meeting room with candle light the only way to see. It was quite, except for the sound of the rain and the noise of the water filter working. Rhythm wondered about the filter, what about the dirt inside of it? It would have to be cleaned every so often. But now he ignored that.

The other ponies were probably all asleep. There wasn't much to do anyways, and it was good to save daylight. Rhythm was tired, but bothered by the idea of going to bed. He thought about his dream. What did it mean? Dreams came for some reason, predicting the future, having to do with present life, or some problem that was dragging one down, or possibly something uplifting. There was nothing uplifting in Rhythm's life now.

The Unicorn questioned himself. I don't understand. Why was there so much commotion and blood? Maybe... like how I lost my leg... maybe how everypony's lives are falling apart. I could help... no I couldn't! No matter what I tried, even shouting out with my friends, they wouldn't care anymore. All of are fans don't care, they are in this hell. CharmingRhythm only sighed. He sung with a soft, high tone.

"Standing alone with no direction

How did I fall so far behind?

Why am I searching for perfection

Knowing it's something I won't find?"

Rhythm took a gasp of air.

"In my fear and flaws

I let myself down again

All because

I run..."

He didn't finish, only placed his head lower. There was a voice from across the room.

"Why do you sing that?"

CharmingRhythm gazed up. The candlelight made a silhouette on the yellow pony's face. His brown eyes were worried. When Rhythm did not reply, HyperBlitz trotted over to him. He pulled up a chair and sat next to him.

"It's just," Rhythm started, "You know. All of the problems we face. Maybe we could have done something, before it got too bad."

"We tried, don't you remember? We told all of our fans and followers, to make a difference in the world. I still don't think that would be enough. The Hybrids are only because they did it to themselves, they were to stupid to do something like that. Ya'know that's why we refused."

Rhythm nodded with a hesitated breath.

"Keep your head up, Rhyth. We all need to do that," Hyper asured him. "We're all in this together. And maybe this blue energy stuff is a new resource. If it can power hoof covers and mechanical limbs, there's hope. Ponies might have abused the resources, and the Hybrids have took whats left of them, but we can have a new one, and gain those old ones back."

"Yeah," Rhythm said with a blink. Though his head was still low.

"Aw come here Rhythm," Hyper extended his tattooed foreleg out.

Rhythm paused and studied him. He then leaned forward and felt Hyper's forelegs wrap around him. CharmingRhythm placed his chin down and his beard ruffled against the fur of Hyper. He saw the bandaged wing stub, but he didn't worry about that. Rhythm placed his left hoof around and accepted the warm gift from his friend, his brother.