The Book of Artemis

by Toa Coy

A Pebble to an Avalanche

The Book of Artemis
Side Story of My Little Bionicle
By
Toa Coy

Sometimes by doing good, something bad will always come from it.

~Toa Coy~

Chapter Three: A Pebble to an Avalanche

As Ponyville assist the damage that the vines caused, which seem surprisingly low, Artemis and those of the new elements of harmony were getting an earful from Princess Luna.

“Do you all have any idea how navie you all were?” The lunar ruler berated the group. “Going out there against beings birth of chaos energy and only wish to cause harm? What made it seem reasonable to do such a thing?”

“Who else would have mother?” Artemis interjected. “If not for them the Tree of Harmony could be dead right now and the vines far out of control then even Discord could rain in.”

“She has you there moon but.” Discord said before Luna used her magic in the form of a frying pan to knock Discord upside the head. Not surprising for the mix being his head was upside down.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that?!” Luna yelled getting a tongue stuck out by the upside down Discord head. Luna ignored him and looked back at her daughter and friends, still giving Goldrax a distant look. “While commendable, it was dangerous. When she did not come to me in the dream world, I immediately awoke and took action.”

“And it could have been too late to save the Tree.” Artemis shot back.

Spike just shook his head, this was one of the situations that he had to be the middle dragon. Through convoluted way his status of royalty was by all means lower than a princess but higher than nobility, he was a steward it was his job to make sure when Twilight and friends came home they see the library cleaner and in one piece.

The fillies, Goldrax, and the two other residents of the repository of books knew not what to say; four of them dared not to step into this, sure they felt the need to support their friend but against goddess after only just making it through a forest that out have killed them and that seemed easier then an angry Luna. Goldrax was already on thin ice with the controler of the moon but had place himself between the CMC and the arguing pair. While the shade and owl both looked at the other.

“Who?” Lunch? Owlowiscious asked the gray shade.

“Sheenk.” Sure. Dusk replied as they moved to the kitchen.

“If they had just waited who knows what might have happen.” Artemis said staring her mother down.

“I would have saved you and worked on the tree together.” Luna said her eyes holding many emotions that all mothers feel when their child was in danger and unable to do anything about.

“Enough!” Spike yelled moving between the two alicorns. Which cause them both to turn the frustration to each other to the dragon. “It has been the same for the past hour. What happen is done, we need to deal with effect not debate the cause.”

This surprised those in the room; the CMC for how much guts it took to even voice what they thought, Goldrax for how it reminded how he missed Umbrage, Discord for how much he was enjoying the two teaming up on the little dragon, and the alicorns just from what he said.

“Spike stay out of this.” Artemis hissed.

“No.” The dragon said as some repressed anger came out. “The moment I and the others formed those gems made it our problem. Also between us all I know what having these gems mean; adventure, danger, and testing friendships. This nothing to be taken lightly.”

Artemis felt ashamed after seeing the harden look Spike gave her, a thousand years old and still selfish as a filly that had not gotten her way. While Luna just looked down, most of the reason why she was so hard on Artemis was her trying to be a good mother. The mares of the castle speak of their children; the good, the bad, and funny stories of their infant years. Luna knew not how to feel hearing it in passing or seeing it in their dreams. Artemis was so much unlike any child Luna has ever seen, but this whole thing has recalled all the mothers she had seen have uneasy dreams from the armed forces of Equestria.

Luna had seen many gray skies, a dream version of herself with her sister as mothers watch what remains of their child be lowered into the ground in a metal box, and the tears streaming down the poor mare’s face as the hole was filled in. Luna always had sympathy for these mares but until Artemis was taken from her, the rage, the anger, and the sadness drove her to want to kill the monster that took something that she was just starting to love.

To the others in the room Luna’s silent staring at the floor ment she was in deep thought. Quietly they moved to the kitchen, as for most food was not ate when the vines terrorizes the town.

----

Icarax walked in the slums of a city that tried to mask it, sure the place looked nice and none of the ponies looked any worse than poor luck that was caused by the dice of fate. If the beings around him could see his face they would see a stallion in disgust of all the lack of misery in this place. The main reason that for them not seeing his face was not due to clothing, but the shadows that bent around him and showed another pony. It was his colors but the body was formed from some book with females doing weird things but seemed to be related to reproduction.

Terik had complimented on the choose and spoke from a male who’s reproduction method similar to the ponies. Since coming here Icarax had used this form to lure stallions to have their magic drained by the center while the corrupt pegasus used his mask to drain the life out of the defenseless boys. They served as the means to feed and gain power for the two.

They had been doing this for weeks, sometimes Icarax would be an altered version of himself to gain females. These were rare moments when he would pleasure a victim before she was drained and killed. Icarax began to understand why he saw many males eyeing females, he himself wondered of how the spawn of the Makuta would feel as he conquested her after everything that she held close was taken and destroyed. If not for his relatively new fascination compared to his long life he could see himself obsessing over this but revenge was more in line with his pleasures. So for now he would lay low and gain power, let Terik do his dirty work and then dispose of her.

“Hey sweet thing you looking for a Stud to rock your world?” A Stallion shorter than even his fake outer look came up to him acting tough with some other snickering behind him.

Inside he just rolled his eyes and replied though his fake lips. “Sure thing buff cake and bring your friends I like a crowd.” A female version spoke, adding a giggle on the end.

This surprised but the small crowd formed and followed the fake female who hide a smile as their screams would fill his nights with joy.

----

Luna came back to the castle in Canterlot after reconciling with Artemis and the rest, Discord revealing to her that he was the good half of the original being that the makuta and him had once been, and letter to her sister explaining what happened and why she did not make it back to Baltimare for the summer sun celebration. The first thing the lunar ruler wanted was to scrub her body for anything relative to the lord of chaos. Calling to the staff to help gather things, Luna was not surprised to see that two mares to come to her aid. One dark blue earth pony with a lime green mane/tail and the other a pale orange pegasus with lavender mane/tail, both were in the staff uniforms with manes tied back but even so Luna could see the pegasi had a more voluminous mane compared to the earth pony.

“You call Princess/M’lady.” They both said one higher voice than the other.

“I request that you help me with a bath, if you both can get items while I set it up in the east bath that would be appreciated.” Luna asked the two.

“Of course Princess.” The earth pony said as they both bowed.

“Thank you.” Luna said as she moved around the two mares and headed to the door then to the bathing room to set the water to her liking, leaving the two mares but stop. “You are not to repeat anything I say to you to another pony once you enter the bathing room.” With that the ruler walked out leave the other two mares confused.

“Does she seem a bit distant to you?” the earth pony asked once she was sure Luna was out of earshot.

“Don’t know Penelopie,” the pegasus replied as they started moving to get the items. “If my twin brother Tall Tale is right, but I doubt it, Princess Luna either found or foalnapped the filly from a few months ago.”

Penelope just shook her head, Tell Tale had told her of editor known as Muck Raker that the pegasus’s brother works under, at how low somepony was willing to go just to make a quick bit. “Honestly it is a wonder Mr. Raker has yet to be removed.” As she said this while placing a special saddle designed to have earth ponies not have to worry about dropping things while also not having to tie them down.

“You honestly think they haven’t tried?” Tell said as she flew up to the shelf with Luna’s self of coat, mane, and tale care products. Tale told me no less than ten royal guards came to arrest him for printing false information but the crafty Muck would just dig something on each of them and they would leave.” She spoke flying down and setting the items on the flat tray of the saddle. “It is kinda sad that he has so much power and yet be so unknown.”

“What do you mean?” Penelope asked as the pegasus flew up for bubble bath liquid and towels.

“Well.” Tell said biting her lip while grabbing the items and going back to the ground. “Muck is an earth pony and from what my brother says no ties to any unicorns.” Tell was kicking her own head for not wording that better, but Penelope took it in stride.

“I don’t understand how could a pony whose only thing is strenght know so much personal information without a spell.” The mare said not a hint of any insult in her voice.

“I mean how could he do all that without magic to hear great distances or hide in the clouds?” Tell was trying to cover her tail.

“It is kinda easy in this city,” Penelope replied shifting the weight on her back until it felt right. “Aside from many of the ponies here have their noses so high that low hanging signs hitting them, me and my fellow earth ponies are the heavy lifters and while some of our talents take us to being anything from business leaders to members of the court most will just see us as nothing but dumb and stupid ponies who can only carry stuff.”

With that said the two began to walk to the bathroom, a bit of an awkward silences hung in the air. Penelope just took it in stride while Tell was fidgeting her wings before breaking the silence.

“So how’s your home life.” Tell bracing for a snide replied or a sarcastic response, put that out in the open.

“Clyde and his brothers’ baking company is doing well.” Penelope replied as they came close to the room. “I swear if my husband was not the elder of that motley crew they would not be where they are.”

“Oh I remember when I saw him coming to picking up you a day or so ago.” Tell said her voice returning to it’s normal higher pitch tone. “Well it looks like we are here.” With that she moved to open the door when she heard Princess Luna’s voice.

“This is going to a challenge,” Luna’s voice came out ot it. “Not only will my sister have to learn about the new elements of harmony but Artemis is the one who initiated it.”

Penelope and Tell heard this but were confused, who was Artemis and what new elements of harmony if that is the case what happen to the original ones. The pair looked at each other and had a moment to think of what they were going to say, with a deep breath from them both Tell open the game and Penelope entered with Tell closing the door.

----
Artemis had spent most of the remainder of the day just talking with her friends. What they were going to do with this new development, as something similar to the elements of harmony not the same. Spike being the only one that had wore one could tell it was true, recalling how the element of loyalty felt. While he did feel something from it, it was like a piece of clothing that looking at it would fit but once on it is off in some way be it too big or too tall or riding up in areas. But once he felt the one he created was the perfect attribute that spoke the most about him, courage.

When the fillies and Goldrax asked him how he knew his element was that? The dragon then spoke of his adventures with the elements of harmony, inteling all that he did in spite of his fears and how he save Crystal Empire despite Twilight being gung-ho about finding the crystal heart and saving the empire. It was down to Twilight being trapped and Sombra began to creep in and was almost for sure going to win, and Spike had his claws under his arms. He wanted to grab it and get it to the center of the empire, but he promised not to lift a claw to help since he believed in Twilight but even when it seemed hopeless he was sure his mother could overcome this like so many before but the moment she saw that Spike was her only hope and the one that could do it she let her belief be known to him. With clammy claws and fear visible on his face the dragon had grab the Crystal Heart and the rest is history.

Goldrax was the only one who did not know this story and it made him glad to be under Spike’s tutelage. In his short time being here it made him feel something, not that he didn’t feel anything it was just like he was a cog in a machine rather than a normal living creature. Here he felt happy and a strange feeling that the rest called love.

Like most days by the setting of the sun the CMC left and the five beings of the Golden Oak library beginning evening activities. But this evening would cause one or them to have nightmares. With a burp of green flame a scroll with Twilight’s sealed on it, which filled Spike with joy to hear from her after a month of nothing. His eagerness was soon dashed as he read the scroll, what was written on it chilled his blood like the horror stories he read. The details were as expected of Twilight, picturesque and to the point. Spike was thankful that none of his friends were missing and the were safe for the moment, but this was not what he wanted to hear.

Author's Note:

Life and what not, just got it done now only two more before the next major story