What is even going on here?

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Slowly, the sleeping being awoke on the too-small cot with a low groan. Whilst the low lighting in the room wasn't overtaxing on one's eyes, even at the best of times, there was still a certain intensity to the ambient red-orange glow which kept his eyelids screwed shut. That, and the localized heat wave which necessitated a certain lack of bedsheets, had made for a slightly unrestful slumber.

The dark figure sat up slowly, bringing a hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes. Palm met cheek with a light clunk, confusing him. "Wait, wha...?" He began, finally opening his eyes.

"Oh, hey!" Said a cheerful voice nearby. "He's awake! Jala, the new guy's awake! C'mere!" The stranger's head snapped around in time to see a small, four-legged, biomechanical being jump up and place it's red forehooves on his leg. "Hi!" It said excitedly, cerulean "tail" wagging, the deep blue mask on its elongated head clearly telegraphing it's facial expression. "Hey, why aren't you wearing your mask, stranger?"

How did I get here, and why does this... pony... look and sound like Takua? The nameless being asked himself silently. Slowly, memories of the previous day filtered back into his mind, bringing both answers to questions he'd yet to ask, and new questions whose possible answers he was loath to consider...

~~~~
Many hours ago.
Another world, another dimension:

Ian was walking around at ComiCon San Diego, and he was excited. Aside from the meager handful of visits to his local BrickCon a few years ago, he'd never been to any kind of Convention. He'd been working hard on his costume, which was a set of armor for a Toa OC he'd come up with a couple years prior. The power set his OC had was, predictably, potentially overpowered, but it was for good reason.

The way he saw it, everyone who made OC's had to have at least one that was OP, usually some sort of self-insert or author avatar, so he figured he might as well get it out of the way while he could, then set it aside for something different next time.

As he maneuvered around a particularly rowdy gaggle of Bronies (mostly dressed in one-man equine "fursuits" or two-man horse costumes,) he looked about to see if he could find his sister, but the leaf-green cloak of her Ranger's outfit was nowhere to be seen. Ian could only hope she hadn't left the two Lightsaber hilts he'd gotten her a few years ago back at the hotel. Who knew if some idiot would get the bright idea to break into their room and start taking shit...

Focusing back on the present, he bobbed his head to his music, and scanned the nearby booths for anything interesting. He found one, which was selling old Bionicle sets, but he already had at least one of each thing the guy was selling. It was a shame there weren't any Bohrok or Visorak, but oh well.

As he left the booth, he checked the heartlight on his chest, only to find it'd stopped blinking. "Damn thing," he muttered, reaching a gloved hand down through the neck of his chestplate, "I really need to get a more permanent fix for that loose wire... Or maybe just get a new one entirely. A longer one." Reconnecting the offending bit of hardware, he considered switching to one of those wrist-mounted pedometer/heart rate monitor thingies, and maybe getting it hooked up wirelessly to the heartlight itself. Obviously, the current gel-coated contact on his chest just wasn't cutting it.

"There," he said at last, as the light behind the frosted green plexiglass flickered to life, fading on and off in time with his heartbeat. Adjusting his homemade mask of Quick Travel, he set off again, only to catch a glimpse of a petite figure in a green cloak. She was just leaving another booth, and merging with the crowd. Ian hurried to catch up with her, but soon lost her amongst the mass of jostling bodies.

"You look lost."

Ian looked to his left, finding himself holding the attention of a strange-looking booth owner, who was dressed like Slenderman and seemed to be selling.... just about everything, actually. There were weapons, artefacts, and other knick-knacks from various fandoms, some of which he recognized. So many cool things...!

"Are you lost, hero?" The vendor asked, genuinely curious. Ian shook his head.

"Nah, man, just looking for my sister." He replied. "She was wearing a green Ranger cloak and gear, like from the Ranger's Apprentice series, by John Flanagan."

"Ah," exclaimed the vendor, leaning back in his chair, "I thought as much. It was a rather nice design, though it seemed a shame that she was missing the appropriate knives..."

"Yeah, I know..." Ian agreed, the 'now serving' sign hanging behind the vendor momentarily catching his eye. "Anywho, we just got separated a few minutes ago, and I was hoping to catch up. Say, you wouldn't happen to actually have a set of knives and suchlike in stock, would you?"

The vendor sighed. "Unfortunately, no. What you see here before you is all I have, Toa."

"Yeah, I can dig that, I got the same problem at work." Ian complained. "So, you know Bionicle, too? Nice."

"Yes, and I am also aware of Homestuck, so don't think your unique color scheme escapes my eye, hero." Stated the vendor. "Now, would you perchance like to purchase something?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," stuttered Ian. He focused on the menagerie of items available, and had a hard time making a decision. "Um... let's see, how about... the starry-looking sword, the Assassin's Creed wristblades, the diamond pickaxe, the bladed grenade launcher thingy--"

"Bruteshot," corrected the vendor.

"Bruteshot," agreed Ian, "aaand... the Sylladex."

The vendor nodded, and brought forth the items. "Alright, a nice selection. And since you're getting all these items at once, I'll throw in a couple things, on the house."

"Really? Which items?" Ian asked, slightly suspicious.

"A Wallet modus and some cards for the Sylladex, a Strife Specibus, and the forearm plate from Edward Elric's Automail. The Briggs model."

"Oooh, nice, thanks! How much?"

The vendor tapped his chin for a moment, then seemed to make up his mind. "$750," he said, simply. "I take plastic, if it helps."

In response, Ian drew in a sharp breath and winced. "Oh... Eh, screw it. I'll take the lot." With that, he pulled out his own wallet and swiped his debit card. Putting it and his wallet away again, he began gathering up his new items and sticking them on his person in the appropriate places.

"Ah, you may want to grab the Sylladex first," the vendor said, concern evident on his face even through the Slenderman covering.

Ian, who had been about to grab the Bruteshot, paused. "Ok...?" Grabbing the Sylladex instead, as well as the cards and Strife Specibus, he stuck them in an available pocket, then reached for the gun again. Just as his fingers brushed it, however, he was enveloped in a brief flash of light and an even longer burst of pain. Beneath him, a tear in space-time yawned momentarily, and he fell through, dragging the surprisingly heavy Bruteshot with him.

The vendor leaned over the table, gazing at the innocent-looking floor. "Oh, dear, looks like he's going to have some fun with that world, if I'm not mistaken. And- oh, for shame! He's left his Wallet modus behind..." With a snap of his long, bony fingers, the modus vanished in another flare of light.

The Merchant leaned back in his chair once more, and upped the value on his 'now serving' counter. "Next...!" He said, with a hint of a smile.

~~~~
Elsewhere...

"...Ohhhhhhhh, my head...!" Ian complained, sitting up and looking around. For some reason, he was in the middle of a lava field, and it was rather warm, in a slightly unpleasant way. He quickly noted that this field led off into the distance, and up the side of a volcano.

Above him, there was a glimmer of light, and he looked up in time to see the Wallet Modus he'd left behind getting all up in his grill. Of course, it never made full contact with his face, clattering instead off of his mask and onto his lap.

"What?" He asked, stupidly. "Oh... Ah, man, how the hell did I get here?" He raised a hand up under his mask, intending to rub some ash out of one eye, only to catch the faint whirring of servos coming from his entire arm. "Oh god, what?!" He exclaimed, frantically beginning to look himself over.

What he found wasn't very reassuring.

"Oh god oh god oh god..." Ian panted, running his hands over his body, feeling out the various servos, pistons, and other mechanical bits now seamlessly interlaced with his body.

Bwaaarp-erp!

Ian whipped around to see a giant, biomechanical, red-and-yellow frog come bounding into view, chasing a large bipedal lizard. He also saw the bruteshot, the blade of which had almost completely been buried in the hardened lava near where his head had been.

Thank God for small miracles... he thought as he stood, yanking the device out of the ground like the proverbial sword from the stone. It was only after he was holding it as he'd seen in Red vs Blue, and the strange reptile had scurried around behind him, that he realized something important. Wait, how the hell do I fire this thing?!?!

The giant frog paused in its tracks, looking Ian up and down, trying to decide if he was prey. Without warning, it shot out its tongue directly at his face!

Ian, who was already on a hair trigger, flinched involuntarily and briefly twisted the knob on the bruteshot's side as a result. With a FWUMP! a small projectile rocketed out of the device, catching the edge of the large, sticky tongue, it's flight terminating with a BANG in the back of the giant amphibian's throat.

There was a squeak of surprise from the lizard behind him as the explosion rocked the frog's body. It began coughing and spitting as best it could, giving Ian the evil eye. And, now that he had a moment to think, he thought he recognized the beast: it was oddly similar to something he'd seen long ago, in his childhood. In addition to that, he'd caught a glimpse of a corroded-looking bit of metal on its lower back...

The frog gave a loud, angry croak, and prepared itself to spring at its new target. Alright, Frogger, Ian thought, you want some more? Then come and get it...!

He twisted the knob again as the creature leapt into the air, knocking it onto its back, then twisted it a third time and held the knob in the firing position for a moment. Fa-fa-fwump! went the bruteshot, unleashing three more projectiles at the creature in quick succession. The combined explosions sent the amphibian flying backwards, dislodging the corroded plating in the process.

As it shakily got back to its feet, Ian advanced, weapon ready to finish it off. "I'm not sure how many rounds this thing has left," he began, murder in his eyes, "so you gotta ask yourself: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" The frog looked up at him, it's countenance a mask of fear, before it hurriedly hopped off with a wailing croak.

"Yeah, don't try that again, buddy." Ian muttered, then looked at what the beast had left behind. When he saw what it was, however, he began to feel sorry for the creature: what he had taken to be mere corroded metal was, in fact, a rusted, pitted mask. And not just any mask, at that. It was a corrupted Kanohi Pakari. "Ohhhhhhhh... Right." Ian remarked with a grimace. "It was being controlled by Makuta. Dammit."

Rrrrrrrt?

Ian was startled by the sound, but quickly identified it as having come from the lizard thing. It was gazing at him inquisitively, head moving side to side in short, bird-like jerks. Before he could react, the winged raptor stepped in close to him and began rubbing it's face against his side.

I... I think it likes me... Ian thought to himself, as he freed one hand to rub the back of the critter's neck. It stiffened momentarily, before leaning into the gesture and making chirrupy purring sounds. "Alright, you," Ian said, smiling, "if you want, you can stick with me. Lemme just grab my stuff, though, ok?"

The little robo-lizard looked up at Ian questioningly, it's form eerily familiar to him, then glanced at where the Sylladex, cards, Strife Specibus, and Fetch Modus lay on the ground.

Rrrrk? it purred.

"Yeah, you're actually kinda cute, little guy." Dragging the bruteshot by the top-mounted handle, Ian collected the scattered items. Coming to a decision, he turned to the reptile beside him.

"You, my friend, need a name." He took a moment, giving the creature a good hard look, then made his choice. "How about... Jinka? It matches your silvery-grey metallic bits..."

Arrr! exclaimed the newly-dubbed Jinka, excitedly. Arrr, arrr-arrr! A little too excitedly, now that he thought about it... He looked in the same general direction as Jinka, and quickly identified what it was getting at: the spot where Ian's bruteshot had impaled the ground was now beginning to splinter and crumble, and a thick, viscous orange substance had begun leaking out at speed. And the cracks were spreading, just as fast.

"Ohhhhhhhhshit!" Ian exclaimed, then grabbed both Jinka and the bruteshot, and booked it towards the not-so-distant coastline. It didn't hurt to be overcautious with lava. ♪Ian and Jinka, running through the lava field, hoppin' breaks, dodgin' rocks, and tryin' to get away...!♪ he sang in his mind, ignoring Jinka's protesting squawks. ♪Birds are singin', flowers bloomin', gonna have a bad time! Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, what a flipping day!♪

He would have kept running, too, if he hadn't suddenly been beaned by a flying bamboo disk out of left field. The impact sent him tumbling to the ground, where he dropped Jinka and the bruteshot, the latter of which discharging yet another blazing explosive.

A nearby array of small boulders disintegrated under the resulting detonation, sending chips of stone and a few flame-colored figures flying.

"No, the Captain! You'll pay for that, stupid Rahi!" Came an unfamiliar voice. "Take that thing down! Aim for it's mask, and mind the Hikaki!" With that, a barrage of wooden disks the size of soup plates came flying towards him.

Wait, "Captain?" Ian thought to himself, as both he and Jinka dodged. Rahi? No way... "Hey, wait, hold up!" He exclaimed, as Jinka chomped on an incoming disk. "Will you-- whoah there!-- will you lot stop chucking those things at me for a sec?! Ow!!"

"We don't negotiate with agents of Makuta!" Came the reply.

"Oh yeah?! Then how am I talking, if I'm supposedly being mind controlled by that idiot?" His only answer was a disk to the face. "Ok, that's it!!! Matoran or not, you asked for it!" Ian began grabbing fallen disks and chucking them, frisbee-style, back at the figures, who were darting back and forth between the boulders.

He didn't hit a single one, however, because they were moving so fast. As he became angrier and angrier with each missed throw, his mask began to glow, until finally everything around him suddenly twisted. As soon as everything cleared up, Ian found himself on the other side of the boulders, looking right at his very confused aggressors, some of which had two legs, while others seemed to have four. Without stopping to think, he prepared to throw a disk hammer-style, but got no further than that. Instead, he was struck in the back of the neck by another disk, followed by a hard, blunt object colliding with his temple, and then he knew no more.

Too Many Heroes...

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Later, back in the Present
The smallish hut, somewhere hot:

"Hey! Tall, dark and scary? You there?"

Ian, having mostly regained his senses, brought his attention back to the present. "H-wha...?" He asked, intelligently.

"He lives! I asked why you--"

"Takua?" Came a loud, somewhat angry voice from outside the structure. "Takua! You better not be in there alone, you koli-head..."

"I'm not alone!" Pony-Takua shouted over his shoulder, turning his head clear around. "And he seems friendly enough!"

"By the Great Beings!" The second voice shouted, it's owner soon sliding to a stop in the doorless entryway. "Takua! Get away from him!"

Ian barely had time to take in the new arrival's appearance before he felt his new combat instincts kicking in. He rolled sideways off the cot, away from Takua and the newcomer, then flipped the cot onto its side as a sad excuse for a barricade. Only then did he get a good look at the second figure: he was about as tall as Takua, but was bipedal in form. He had red armor covering most of his body, except for his mask and feet, which were dandelion yellow. The mask itself was domed and helmet-like, with three slash-like holes in each "cheek."

Oh, and he was also holding what looked to be a shortsword in one hand.

"Away, put the weapon!" Ian pleaded, well aware that all his stuff was missing, short of his armor. "I mean you no harm, Jaller! I'm just a bit lost, and confused!"

"Yeah, he doesn't seem to be the brightest lightstone in Onu-Koro," chimed Takua, "but he might still be able to shed some light on the current situation..."

"I don't care!" Interjected the red-and-yellow figure. "He's dangerous! He nearly killed me and a few other members of the Guard, and he somehow knows my name, mispronounced as it was, even though we've never met him before!"

"Wait, what?" Asked Ian. "D'you mean... Oh, geez, I'm sorry about that! The damn thing went off in my hand. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, and I've just been having the worst day..."

"Tell that to Kapura! He already had a few screws loose, but now, he's--" Jala began, but was cut off by the sound of horns echoing outside the tiny building.

"Tahu, the Toa of Fire, has returned!" A distant voice announced. "And he's brought guests!"

"Ah, great," Jala growled, looking momentarily over his shoulder, then returned his attention to Ian. "You," he commanded, "stay put, and don't cause trouble. Takua? Do me a favor and shift, will you? You can't defend yourself in that form." And without further ado, he left.

"Alright!" Takua called to his friend, then did something that left Ian speechless: he surged up onto his yellow hindlegs, as if he were about to slam his forehooves into Ian's chest, only to hang there for a moment. Just as Ian was wondering if Takua would ever come back down, the Matoran's entire biomechanical makeup shifted, changing him from quadruped to biped. His former forelegs were now full-blown arms, with individual fingers on each hand, and his legs now matched Jala's, although they were red, instead of yellow.

His face had flattened during the transformation, allowing his mask to return to it's "normal" shape. As an added oddity, his head was still at about the same height as it had been before the transformation. It seemed his torso and neck compacted into more appropriate lengths.

"Ta-dah!" Takua said, waving his hands for dramatic effect, but Ian just stared. "What? You look like you've never seen someone Shift before."

"I...ah...you...but...how...what?" Ian stammered. "Wh-wha-what? What? How even... I mean, the fuck?! Like, I don't remember that being a thing!" He gesticulated wildly in the general direction of Takua the Shapeshifter, continuing to make startled noises.

"Oh, this is completely normal," replied Takua, evidently trying to be comforting, "everyone else can do it too, even Toa Tahu. Mata Nui, you should've seen him when he first shifted. He was like a wild Kane-Ra in an ice sculpture field. He almost set the whole Wahi on fire. It was completely terrifying, yet strangely hilarious."

Ian's jaw was practically on the floor at this point. "Wha-- No! No. That is... that is wrong on sooo many levels. I'll just pretend none of that happened." He clapped his hands together, and looked at the slightly concerned Av-Matoran. "Alright, here's my first question: where's my stuff?"

"Uh... I don't know."

"Ok, second question: where are we?"

Takua gave Ian a strange look. "Ta-Koro, of course! Where else?"

Ian nodded. "Alright, good to know. Now, I'm gonna go look for-- YEERGH...!" He'd tried to stand up, only for his legs to give out, leaving him on his back. "Wh-why do I feel... weak?"

"Mata Nui," Takua said, facepalming. "You need your mask... Here, let me help you up." And so, with Takua lending Ian support, they made their way into the main courtyard. Ian could see many Matoran around the place, in both bipedal and quadrupedal forms, most of which were going about their business. There were the odd few, however, that gave him strange looks, either whispering to companions or rushing off somewhere.

"Well..." Ian began, adressing Takua through his lightheadedness, "the place looks ok... What was the last major thing that went down?"

"Uh, what?" The Matoran asked.

"Hm?"

"I don't understand what you mean by 'went down.'" said Takua. "Also, out of curiosity... do you have a name?"

Ian thought for a moment as they progressed through the Koro. "I think... I think I'll stick with Caldoric, for now. As for what I meant... Well, what's the last important event in recent history that you remember? And where are we going if you don't know where my stuff is?"

"I can only guess they'd have them at the Guards' barracks, or the Watch house." Explained Takua. "And with regards to recent history... Ah, the Toa showed up, then they began the search for their masks, and then seven more beings showed up, except they can't shift like we can... We're still not sure who they are, but most of them seem to be stuck in Runner form. I mean, the four-legged form I was in earlier, or like him over there." He waved at an equine Matoran across the way, who hurried off. "Personally, I think they're just really smart Rahi, though strange ones at that."

"Wait, hold up" Ian said, not sure he'd heard right. "Seven other beings? In 'Runner' form? What did the ones who weren't stuck look like?"

"Actually, there's just the one, and he's kinda on the small side. Looks a bit like a Hikaki, but about chest-high on me. He's purple and green, and belches fire occasionally. Oh, and he doesn't have wings."

"...Hikaki?" Ian asked, confused. "Remember, I'm a bit new here."

"Oh, I thought you knew..." Takua admitted. "You seemed to know a fair bit about us, from what Rainbow's told me..."

Ian halted in place, nearly causing them both to fall over near the back end of the village. "Rainbow...?" He growled. "Rainbow, as in--"

"...And then," came a new voice from behind them, "I came up from behind the guy all sneaky-like, since he'd just freakin' teleported, then I chopped him in the back of the neck with one of those disks, but it only seemed to stun him. So, I whacked him one on the side of the head with my hoof, and BAM, he was out like a light!"

Turning around, Ian and Takua saw three figures approaching their position. One was taller than the others, mostly red, biomechanical, and carrying a flame-shaped sword. The second was Jala, having apparently returned from whatever he'd been doing. And the third was a completely organic pegasus, about 4 feet tall, with sky-blue fur and wings, Technicolor hair in their mane and tail, and wearing red-and-silver armor.

"You!" She and Ian exclaimed together, pointing at each other. "What're you doing here?!"

"I thought I told you to stay put!" Jala shouted at Ian, then turned on Takua. "And I told you not to trust this stranger, and make sure he didn't cause trouble!"

"You only told me to shift!" Takua countered.

"Enough!" Demanded a new voice, calm, yet firm. Everyone turned to see a small, elderly figure, who wore an orange mask and carried a staff with a Fire Marble on one end, joining their little confrontation.

"Turaga Vakama." Said the tallest among them, as he stowed his sword and took a knee. Jaller and the blue mare saluted, and Takua joined the speaker in kneeling. "I was not aware that there was to be a seventh Toa."

"As was I, Tahu..." Said the one who had been addressed, looking critically at Ian. "Where's his mask?"

"Oh, we confiscated it, along with--" began Jala.

"Get it, then, Captain." Said Vakama. "You too, miss Rainbow Dash. As a matter of fact, bring all of his possessions, and make sure they are all in one piece." As they left, he turned back to Ian, who had sat down in an attempt to stave off collapsing.

"Where have you come from, stranger?" He finally asked. "And what should we call you?"

"C-Caldoric..." Ian said through a yawn, passing a hand over his bare face. "I'm from... a far-away world. My people call it Earth."

"Great," said Tahu, grumpily, "another trans-whatever being. Just what we needed. At least he's got his own armor."

Ian shivered. "I'm confused... You called me a Toa? I'm not a Toa, this is just a costume... Or, it was." He looked more intently at his arms and lower torso, once again taking in the mechanical components that had merged with his physical being. "Maybe you're right. But even if it's true, I'm not sure what abilities I'd have."

"Isn't it obvious?" Asked Tahu, extending a hand in Ian's direction. "You're a Toa of Earth, like Onua. Though the coloration of your armor is... most unusual."

"Do not jump to such conclusions, Tahu," Vakama admonished him, "in all my time, I have not seen someone with such a design. He may well be something unique."

Tahu scowled. "Wise one, what are we to do with him?" Just then, there was a commotion down the road.

"What now?" Tahu asked, turning to look with everyone else. What they saw was an... interesting sight. A small, organic-looking purple-and-green lizard was being chased by another member of Jinka's species. "No! Spike, get away from that Hikaki!" Tahu shouted, getting up.

"I'm trying!" The little lizard shouted as it changed course and headed right at the trio. "It's too fast!"

"Wait a sec," Ian interjected groggily, "Jinka? Jinka, is that you?"

The robo-lizard, which the locals seemed to be what Tahu had referred to as a "Hikaki," looked up at the sound of his voice, and became very excited. Arrr, arrr! it exclaimed, and rushed forward with new intensity, completely ignoring "Spike." In mere moments, it had dodged past Tahu, who'd taken a swing and missed, before it tackled Ian and began rubbing against him vigorously. Spike, however, just hid behind the Toa of Fire, keeping a wary eye on the creature.

"Jinka!" Ian exclaimed, laughing. "God, am I glad to see you!"

"You... know this Rahi?" Asked Vakama, dubiously.

"Yeah, I saved him from this giant frog thing that was trying to eat him, or something. Big, nasty thing it was, too. Mostly red and yellow, with a long, sticky tongue. Oh, and an infected mask, but I knocked that off."

"That sounds like a Ranama," observed Vakama, "and, while not much of a threat compared to a Nui Rama, or even a Nui Jaga, they're not easy foes to scare off once they've set their sights on a meal."

"Well, I guess an explosive to the back of the throat will cause it to think twice next time..." Ian added, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. He yawned again. "Man, I'm tired. What's taking them so long?"

"They should return in a moment," Vakama assured him. "In the meantime, why don't you tell us a little more about yourself?"

"Yeah," added Tahu, eagerly, "like what you meant by 'explosive,' among other things."

By now, Jinka had finished reuniting with Ian, and began looking around for something, which turned out to be Spike. With a deft movement, Jinka pounced, capturing the smaller reptile by the tail, and then gently curled himself around his catch in an attempt to "cuddle".

"Help!" Spike cried, a tiny arm outstretched from the embrace in protest. "Last time this happened, he started trying to groom me!"

"Ah, just be glad he's not humping your leg or something," Ian replied dismissively, then turned his attention back to Tahu and Vakama, who were lightly chuckling. Takua had apparently wandered off somewhere, again. "Now, about your question. I had this thing called a Bruteshot, which seems to be like a grenade launcher on steroids. It kind of went off in my hand, the projectile ended up in the frog's mouth, and then boom, goodbye tonsils. Couldn't have done it if I'd actually tried to."

"What is a... I believe you called it a 'grenade launcher,' yes?" Asked Tahu, his head on one side.

Ian sighed, rubbing his bare face again. "It's... it's complicated... a type of weapon... whoo, is everything supposed to be spinning?"

Just then, there was a pattering of metal feet, and Takua came belting around the corner, only to trip at the last second. From his arms spilled five or six glowing yellow crystals, the Bruteshot, and Ian's mask. Ian picked up the latter, as Takua took a moment to readjust his own mask, which had slid askew.

Ian took a moment to look at the mask in his hands, taking in everything about it. It had a certain weight to it, moreso than it had when he'd first made it out of cardstock, hot glue, Bondo, and other things. Over the left eyehole, he'd painted part of Ingress' "Enlightened" symbol in bright green, which clashed nicely with the metallic black backdrop of the mask itself. In fact, he thought he could see something in it's somewhat reflective surface.

"Is... Is that me?" Ian asked, touching a hand to his face. In the clouded mirror that was his mask, he saw his reflection copying his movements, it's hand brushing the mess of mechanical components that served as the front of it's head. "And Matau thought he looked ugly that one time..."

"You would do well not to insult the Turaga of air," Tahu advised quickly, his legendary temper momentarily burning bright.

"Yes, you would." Agreed Vakama, and though both his tone and expression were guarded, they still conveyed a sense of shock. "Your countenance, however, looks to be about normal for a Toa."

"Sorry," Ian said, and put the mask on. He was immediately almost knocked flat on his back by the surge of power he felt, and as his vision cleared, he saw his armor brightening, becoming shinier, it's colors less muted. He felt... stronger, somehow. More powerful. Like he'd just eaten a whole load of sugar, and had a crap-ton of coffee. "Whoah... head rush!"

"Yeah, putting on a mask'll do that to you," commented Takua, who took the opportunity to shift back into equine form. "Sorry about dropping your stuff, I tripped over a loose stone."

"No problem," Ian casually replied, as Jala and Rainbow returned, carrying the remainder of his possessions. "I've had worse spills."

"Help...!" Spike squeaked in Rainbow's direction, still being subjected to Jinka's friendly ministrations.

"Oh, jeeze...!" Breathed the cyan mare, as she moved to extract Spike. "Can't you see what this stupid lizard's doing?"

"Yeah," Ian quipped, as Tahu began taking an unnoticed interest in the Bruteshot, "he's hanging with my friend Jinka."

Rainbow just rolled her eyes, and began trying to shove Jinka off of Spike. The larger of the two reptilian beings merely squawked at her in indignation. "Ugh... New guy? Can you get your pet raptor off my friend?" She demanded at last.

"Ok, fine," Ian conceded, and turned to Jinka. "Alright, buddy, would you... No, wait! Tahu, don't hold it that w--!"

Unobserved by all, except perhaps Vakama, the Toa of Fire had grown a bit bored of the proceedings, and subsequently entertained his curiosity about the alien-looking Bruteshot before him. With one hand, he'd picked it up by the circular "trigger area" on the side, and began turning it this way and that, trying to figure out how it worked. As he did so, he'd squeezed the handle just right, allowing the weapon to rotate around the handle under its own weight. It had come to a stop pointed right at Ian's face, cutting him off mid-sentence as he flinched in fear, and Jala and Rainbow Dash dove for cover.

The only thing that happened, however, was that the Bruteshot began softly clicking repeatedly, only to stop a few seconds later. Tahu tilted the weapon back towards himself, allowing it to turn and whack him in the opposite arm. "It appears to be broken," he observed, and set it with the rest of Ian's stuff.

"...No, I..." Ian had dropped his arms, and took a moment to run an armored hand along the back of his head, idly noting the long mass of wires that seemed to emulate his former hair. "Jegus, no, I think... I think it's just out of ammo, thank God..."

Vakama leaned heavily on his staff, his masked face in his hands. "Perhaps, Tahu," he began, "it would be best not to handle objects with which we are as of yet unfamiliar?"

"Yeah," Ian agreed, "simply put: 'look with your eyes, not with your hands,' as my mom was always telling me."

"Seconded," added Jala from around the corner of a nearby building, shakily clutching a dual-pronged spear-lookin' thing.

"Carried..." Said Rainbow, cautiously peering from the roof of the same structure.

Unexpectedly, Takua leaned forward, and gave a loud gasp. "Caldoric!" He exclaimed. "Your heartlight... it's gone out!"

"Wait, what?" Ian asked blankly, looking at his chest. And, indeed, what the Matoran had said was, in fact, true. "Ah, shit, that's not a problem. It's just a loose wire, happens sometimes." With that, he once again plunged a hand beneath his chestplate, and proceeded to reconnect the wire... again. The light inside his chestplate flickered, went out, flickered again, then settled into a slightly faster than normal rhythm. "See?"

"You should not take things like that so lightly, Caldoric." Tahu admonished. "Right, Turaga...? Turaga?" Vakama didn't answer. Instead, he turned away with a haunted and slightly depressed look, then shapeshifted into his equine Runner form, which was a slightly elderly-looking model.

His armor was mostly burgundy, with undertones of dark grey or black in places. His mask, however, (the shape of which had always put Ian in mind of an Egyptian Pharaoh,) was still that same bright orange color it always was. His mane and tail, while comprised of hair-like wires, and having small Fire Marbles scattered throughout, were the sort of faded orange color that suggested they had once blazed far brighter in his "youth."

Ian thought he heard the Turaga say something about being "too old for this" as he slowly walked away, but he couldn't be sure.

"What's with him?" Rainbow asked, a little insensitively, as she returned to the task of freeing Spike. The poor little dragon was positively dripping with Jinka's saliva by this point, and as a side effect, so was Rainbow.

"He must see to some personal matters," Ian said, hazarding an educated guess. "That probably brought up some painful memories. Folks he's lost..."

"Enough of this sentimentality," Tahu exclaimed, standing up. "I should be out finding my next mask, or fighting off some Rahi. And you, Caldoric, are coming with me."

"Wait, what?" Came the shocked reply. "B-but... I can't fight, or do even half the stuff you can! What--"

He was interrupted by a loud belch from Spike, accompanied by a gout of green flame and the appearance of a scroll from said micro-inferno. This was also enough to scare off Jinka, who had been preparing himself to "fight" Rainbow for his tiny "playmate."

Tahu deftly caught the scroll, as if this was a completely normal occurance, then broke the seal and held it up for Rainbow Dash to read. "I hate not being able to read these things for myself," he groused, to nobody in particular, "what's it say?"

"Twilight and the others will be coming to visit shortly. She says she's got a surprise for all of us..." Summarized the cyan Pegasus. "But it looks like we got one of our own, eh Caldoric?"

"Don't count on it. I'd sooner have all the masks found so the Toa can hurry up and kick Makuta's ass. Them maybe I can go home, and forget any of this happened."

"Wait, how do you know about Makuta?" Takua asked, suspiciously.

"Same way I know about anything else here on Mata Nui." Replied the reluctant Toa. "I'm from another reality, where all of this -- or, most of it, at least -- is part of a story and a matching set of toys, which were originally targeted at a young audience, but garnered the attention of select adults."

"Wait, what do you mean 'most of this'?" Tahu asked, directing a glare at Ian.

"A few variables have changed. For example, the whole shapeshifting thing you guys have is new to me." Ian jerked his head at Rainbow Dash and Spike. "Not to mention, these two and whoever else is present from their little circle of friends shouldn't be here at all. Their world was dreamt up by a rival company to the one that made this one, so I'm surprised this place hasn't imploded from inter-franchise cross-contami--"

There was a loud BAMFFF! and a flash of lavender light from the nearby courtyard, heralding the arrival of several multi-colored beings, and eliciting cries of surprise from nearby Matoran. It was also just loud enough to overpower the startled, slightly higher-than-normal pitched "YEEP!" that passed Ian's lips.

"Ohhhhhhhh..." Groaned the taller of the two green members of the group, clutching his abdomen. "Remind-tell me never to try that again any time quick-soon..."

"Oh, hush, Lewa," a smaller, magenta Alicorn mare admonished him. She was wearing a set of "light" armor, as were the rest of the organic-looking ponies, each with their own style, and seeming to correspond in some way to the color scheme of their biomechanical companions. "The discomfort only happens the first couple times." She turned her attention to her surroundings. "Rainbow? Rainbow Dash, are you around h-- oh, there you are!"

"Hey, Twilight!" The cyan Pegasus replied, walking over. Meanwhile, Ian began gathering his stuff as quickly and quietly as possible, so as to avoid--

"Hey there!" His vision was abruptly and jarringly filled by an overexcited, sideways, cotton-candy pink face, which was grinning from ear to ear.

"Sweet Jegus FUCK!!" Ian exclaimed, caught completely off guard. The sudden appearance of this particular fourth-wall-breaking mare caused him to flinch violently and drop just about everything in his arms. Tahu began to draw his Flame Sword in response, but put it away after he saw who had surprised Ian.

"Ooh, are you new here?" The violently pink mare asked, suddenly becoming far more interested in him, going so far as to clamp his mask between her metal-clad forehooves and try to squish his face. That, and she also began speaking much faster. "Ohmigoshyou'renew! NoponytoldmeweweregettinganewToa! How'reyoudoing? What'syournameandelementandfavoritecolor? Aaah! Wegottathrowyouaparty--!"

"GET THE HELL OUTTA MY FACE!" Ian shouted as he flailed ineffectually at her with one arm, more to get a chance to parse her torrent of words than to be mean or angry. Nonetheless, the mare's impossibly poofy mane and tail flattened visibly as she stepped back and pouted at him.

"Pinkie Pie, darling," interjected a rather refined-sounding voice, coming from a white unicorn mare with heavily styled purple mane and tail, who was wearing armor that seemed more fashionable than functional. "Be a dear and give the poor, strange Toa some space, yes? We don't want a repeat of what happened when you first met our friend Kopaka, do we? After all, it's been nearly a week, and we still keep finding chunks of ice falling out of your mane." Ian could swear that, as he began gathering and re-equipping his stuff again, he saw Kopaka smile ever so slightly at the memory.

"Yeah, well," replied Pinkie, "he didn't have to be so rude about it, Rarity. And this new guy's got no excuse, either, even if he is from yet another new dimension."

"Yeah," agreed the orange, normal-looking pony in the group, adjusting her Stetson, " 's no call fer such harsh language, neither."

"Wait," demanded Twilight, her gaze immediately locking onto Ian's form, "new guy? From yet another dimension? Ohmigosh, I have so many questions to ask you...!"

Ian's eyes widened drastically. "NOPE!" He exclaimed, stuffing the empty Bruteshot under one arm, and using the other to shove the Sylladex and it's accessories into a pocket. "Nope nope nope nope nope...!" He then booked it around the back of a nearby hut, breaking the line of sight between himself and the others, then headed for the front gates as fast as he could without knocking over any Matoran. Unfortunately, this took him back into the other end of the courtyard...

"Hey...! Get back here, you!" Exclaimed Twilight, but her only answer was more cries of "Nope!" and Ian's retreating back. "Ugh, fine. Have it your way..." She disappeared in another flash of lavender light, reappearing both inside the front gate and in Ian's way. Her wings were spread wide, and her horn began glowing ominously as she prepared an unknown spell.

"Nope!" He cried again, and pulled something that looked like a sniper rifle around from where it had hung on his back, and proceeded to hip-fire it at the purple Alicorn.

With a loud KA-CHUNK!!! , the weapon disgorged a large red projectile, which flew fast and true at the base of Twilight's horn, only to bounce off with a faint ba-doink! sound. All it succeeded in doing was startling her enough for the unfinished spell to fizzle out, but that was enough for Ian to make his own move.

He let the weapon fall behind him once more, and with a deft precision that surprised even himself, Ian somersaulted through the air above Twilight, catching the spent projectile as he did so, then came up running on the other side. Praise Mata Nui for Nerf guns and built-in Toa reflexes, he thought, as he ran along the main bridge out of Ta-Koro amidst both magic blasts and bamboo disks.

Once on the other side of the huge lava moat around the village, Ian took refuge behind a rock. OK, he thought to himself, catching his breath as the bridge descended into the magma, that could've gone better. And, seriously, why did I freak out back there? However, no answer was forthcoming, so he decided to take the opportunity to take inventory of his stuff again. It seemed that, for once in this crazy place, luck was actually with him, because he hadn't lost anything during his wild flight.

With a sigh of resignation, Ian began fiddling with the Sylladex and Strife Specibus in an attempt to get them set up for easy usage. It only took a moment's work to do, though, so his mind began to wander as he stored his loose items. What, exactly, had the Toa, Turaga, and out-of-place Equestrians discovered that would warrant a meeting between them? And how had the "big six" themselves gotten to this version of the Bionicle universe, anyways? Ian needed answers, and he'd only be able to find them at that meeting.

As was usual for him, he went straight to acting without thinking, which was his old standby for... well, anything, actually. So, he tried using his Kanohi Mask to warp to the top of the castle-like walls of the village...

~~~~
Ta-Koro courtyard:

Meanwhile, as that was happening, everyone at the village was calming down after having seen the seemingly friendly stranger attack one of their allies, and for no logical reason. Takua and the butter-yellow pegasus, named Fluttershy, were busy trying to calm the upset Hikaki that said stranger had apparently left behind in his rush to escape, while everyone else did their own thing.

"...So," said Princess Twilight, once everybody and -pony present had recovered their cool, "as I was saying--"

"But you haven't told us anything yet, Twilight!" Interrupted Pinkie. "So technically you weren't saying anything." She smiled, producing a sound reminiscent of a dog's chew toy.

There was a round of chuckles from most of those present, with the exception of the five Turaga, who merely rolled their eyes.

"Cousin Pinkamena does have a valid point, Twilight," supplied Onua, the ebon-armored Toa of Earth, in his typical bass rumble.

"This is true," agreed Pohatu, the dusty-brown Toa of Stone, "but I'm eager to hear the good news either way! How 'bout you, Kopaka?" The Ice Toa merely rolled his eyes, lazily.

"Well, then," Twilight huffed, "then as I was about to say... we've just received word from--"

"W--AAUGH!"

All heads turned to the parapets over the main gate, where a familiar black, white, and grey figure overbalanced himself and fell off, only to reappear on top again with a flash of green-tinged light.

"Whoo, that was close..." He said, his words barely audible from their location, before-- "Oh, snap! Jinka! I totally forgot! Hold on, boy! I'll be right there!"

In another flash, he appeared next to Jinka and Fluttershy, and in the next instant, all three vanished.

"Eeep!" Came the shy Pegasus' voice from the wall, followed by Caldoric's exclamation of "Whoops, sorry!" and another flash of light. Once that had faded, the startled mare was left by herself on top of the wall, until the guards showed up to comfort her.

Once she had been reunited with the others in the courtyard, and some semblance of order had been restored, Twilight decided to try one final time.

"Alright, if everyone's settled," she began, "the seven of us have finally received word from home..."

... And even more problems!

View Online

On an unobtrusive ledge,
Above the Lava Lake around Ta-Koro:

Ian sat uneasily, idly stroking Jinka's purring form as he contemplated what to do next. He had to hear what was going on at that meeting, but... how?

He glared down at the village stronghold, trying to come up with a plan that wouldn't get him noti-- hey, was that a secondary bridge coming out the side of the Koro? Yeah, that might work... He thought, and if both MNOG 2 and the Mask of Light movie were anything to go by, it led straight to the courtyard...!

Yes, now he had a plan, of sorts. But only two issues remained. First came the part about getting past the guard posted at said rear entrance without being spotted, and second, there was the issue of what to do with Jinka, as energetic and excitable as the Rahi seemed to be.

Wait... in Homestuck, didn't John temporarily store that salamander kid in his Sylladex without any I'll effects? Ian wondered. Yeah, he did do that... and the whole "becoming a necromancer" thing was really Rose's fault anyways. Well, it seems plan "B" is a go!

"Hey, Jinka?" Ian asked, turning to his companion.

Rrrrt? the Hikaki purred, lazily.

"I'm gonna do something real quick, and it might freak you out, but I promise it's gonna be temporary." Ian continued. "In fact, you might not even notice it at all! Call it an experiment."

Jinka seemed excited at the prospect... or maybe he was just picking up on Ian's tone of voice.

"Good boy. Now, hold still...!" And, with a bit of mental effort, he just sort of... reached over and... kinda...

Suddenly, Jinka was on a card in Ian's Sylladex, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice. "Sweet," Ian said, turning his focus to the tunnel, "now to wait for the--" He vanished in a blink of light, reappearing inside the smaller, secondary tunnel into the Koro just after the guard turned away from it.

"--Opportune moment..." He quietly finished, and did his best to sneak forward to the courtyard entrance. Carefully lying on his belly, so as not to make any more sound than necessary, he listened in to the conversation as it unfolded.

"... received information from back home, in Equestria. During the last, oh, week and a half that we've been on this island with you guys -- thanks for taking us in, by the way..." --There were mumbled reassurances at this-- "the Princesses back home have been pouring every spare moment they can into trying to find us a way back, or even opening a gateway between our two worlds..."

~~~~
Inside the courtyard...

"Ah don' know, sugarcube," AJ said, adjusting her Stetson, "that sounds like askin' fer trouble, since we got oursel's a war on both sides. Wouldn' that jes' be another liability?"

"Indeed," added Kopaka, "would not the dark forces of both sides seek to wrest control it from us, and form an alliance of their own?"

"Yes, yes, they've already considered that!" Twilight exclaimed. "In fact, it seems they've had somepony trying to sneak in and sabotage the project! But if we can get even one of the other Princesses onto this side of the mirror, we could take out Makuta in a heartbeat, then we could all hop back over to Equestria and turn the tide!"

There was a burst of whistles, clicks and grunts from one of the shorter white figures who were present, whose name was Nuju. Seconds later, his translator, a Matoran named Matoro, stepped forward to make his Turaga's thoughts clear.

"Um, Nuju says, 'hold on a minute, how do we know it isn't a trap?'"

"Quite right," agreed Onewa, the Turaga of Stone, "how can we tell if we're playing right into their hands or not?"

"Tally-count me in, Twilight-cousin!" Added Lewa, whose attention had begun wandering again, as was normal.

"I agree, Princess." Tahu agreed. "A decisive strike could be the deciding factor in our fight against the Makuta's tyranny. The sooner we do it, the better."

Gali, the blue-armored Toa of Water, shook her head. "I myself am not so sure, brother. Perhaps we should stick to our original plan, and seek our Masks of Power first?" Nokama, the Turaga of Gali's village, nodded her own agreement.

"Or perhaps," Kopaka interjected coldly, "we should ask our uninvited guest." With a flick of his wrist, a beam of ice shot into the shadows of the tunnel to the back exit, eliciting a cry of surprise from its hidden occupant. With a second motion, the Ice Toa created a chute that brought the now-bound Caldoric to the group's feet. As all of them could see, his entire body was covered in fully opaque ice, save for his mouth and nose. "He might have the answers we seek."

"Or I could be freezing my metaphorical balls off in here! Let me out!" Caldoric nearly shouted. Fortunately, he'd had the foresight to inhale as he was frozen, affording himself room to breathe.

"Amazing, brother!" Pohatu exclaimed in admiration. "But... how did you know?"

"Mask powers," Kopaka said simply.

"Oh... right." Came Pohatu's sheepish reply.

"You...!" Rainbow finally spat at the captive eavesdropper, as she began to advance on him.

"Dash, no." Twilight interjected, sticking a foreleg in front of her angry friend. "I'll deal with him."

"Let's not get too hasty," Caldoric said, cautiously, "the thing I hit you with was just a toy, not intended to do any harm. And, in my defense, it was you guys who spazzed me out."

"Oh? I beg to differ." Rainbow countered. "It seemed to me like both of your little 'episodes,' so-called, were completely unprovoked."

"Bull shit!" Caldoric replied, causing the Equestrians to flinch. "I only dropped the Bruteshot because someone hit me with one of those Kanoka disks of yours. It's not my fault that it went off when it hit the ground."

"I've had enough of this," Tahu said, walking off. "Find me when something interes--"

With a loud ker-RACK! the ice around Caldoric shattered, sending fragments everywhere. Caldoric himself gave a heavy gasp, and pushed himself into a sitting position.

"How'd you do that?" Twilight and Kopaka demanded, simultaneously.

"Dunno," Caldoric answered, "I think I tapped into my elemental powers, somehow, though I'm not really sure."

"Great," Kopaka said shortly, massaging the spot between his mask's eyeholes, "he's one of mine."

"No, I'm not Ice. I'm Space."

"What?" Came the unanimous reply. Caldoric sighed.

"Fine... why don't I just tell you my plans, my darkest secrets, and my entire life story?" He snapped, sarcastically. "It'll make things so much easier..."

"Oooh, that sounds fun-pleasant!" Lewa chimed, having finally rejoined the conversation.

"I know, right?" Agreed Pinkie. "Good thing I brought popcorn!"

"I must agree as well," said Vakama as he hobbled over, in his traditional form once more.

"Ah, brother!" Matau, the Turaga of Air, finally exclaimed. "Long time since we last had word-song from you in bright-home Le-Koro, smelt-head! Why the dark-frown earlier?"

Vakama smiled slightly, and rested a hand on Jala's shoulder. "Memories, old friend, of when we were younger... if you still remember, that is." All six Turaga grew a little stern at this, but only momentarily.

"Ok, hate to break up the skull session," Caldoric finally said, breaking the awkward silence, "but can we get back to the original topic of discussion? Like, how you Equestrians got here in the first place? I mean, I may be new here, but I'm pretty sure that whatever message you guys got is somewhat time-sensitive, yes?"

"Yes, but not so much so that we can't hear your side of things first," Twilight countered.

Caldoric deadpanned. "Alright, if that's how you want it... I was at a convention back home, dressed in a homemade costume that looked pretty much like I do now, minus a few details, and then I bought some crap off this one vendor, and then I'm suddenly dropped here on Mata Nui. Next thing I know, I'm being attacked by a giant Ranama, then I encounter Jala and Skittles over here out on patrol, the latter of which knocks me out. And I'm pretty sure I have a concussion, too. Then I'm here in Ta-Koro, and you all show up. The end."

"That..." said Takua, "was rather shorter than I expected." There were murmurs of assent from the group before Twilight spoke up.

"Yeah, I half hoped you'd be more forthcoming with your metaphorical résumé, considering that you're at our mercy."

Ian deadpanned again. "Really? I was just summarizing my own stuff so you all could get the more pressing matter hashed out sooner. If you want more info out of me, it'll have to wait till after your own shit's handled. And don't go skimping on too many details just because I did the same. But, for everyone's sake, just assume I know the identity of anybody you mention by name, or of any important events that cropped up before you arrived. I'll ask, if I need clarification." The rest of their little group shared glances all around before Twilight spoke again.

"... Fine. But I expect your full cooperation afterwards."

"Ehhh, I'll see what I can do."

And so, with this shaky alliance formed, the Equestrian visitors begun to relay their tale.

~~~~
Equestria;
Roughly three months ago.

It had been about a month and a half since Lord Thorax peaceably seized control of Chrysalis' hive, and the political fallout of the whole situation was still settling. Scouting parties had been sent out, in hopes of finding and capturing the errant Queen, but all they had met with were rumors and ghost tales. Then, after a month of fruitless searching, she finally made her presence known, in the heart of the Crystal Kingdom itself.

This time, however, things were different: not only had she located, freed, and allied herself with Sombra in the intervening month, she had also gathered a small contingent of Changeling "sleeper cells" who were still loyal to her. These had been augmented by Sombra's own home-made, mind-controlled forces.

Both forces were devastating and efficient in concert, as evidenced by the successful and highly demoralizing "smash-and-grab" operations they performed within the icebound city. The last of these was by far the most disheartening and detrimental, for it had culminated in the abduction of the Crystal Heart itself, as well as the daughter of Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza: Flurry Heart.

Twilight, Shining, and Cadence were the most harshly affected by this, with the former Captain of the Royal Guard swearing a frightening oath of vengeance. But, without the power of the Crystal Heart to protect the ancient city, it was soon abandoned to the onslaught of the Northern ice, with everyone barely making it out in time.

So fell the Crystal Kingdom, as the former citizens sought refuge in the town of Ponyville, the home of their savior: Spike, the dragon.

For the next week, no news was to be had about either the young Flurry's whereabouts or well-being. Almost to add insult to injury, neither hide nor hair of the evil forces had been seen, despite the best efforts of the Night and Day guard, as well as the Wonderbolts. There was, however, one night where the Timberwolves seemed unusually active, making an ungodly racket all throughout the Everfree Forest, with a few even going so far as to tear through nearby townships and villages without rhyme or reason.

The next day, Twilight and the other inhabitants of Ponyville had awoken to find the head of a local friend of theirs, a zebra named Zecora, mounted on a pike in the town square. Attached to it was a declaration of war, written in the unfortunate mare's own blood, and signed by a being calling themselves "Chrystalla."

~~~~
Ta-Koro courtyard
Now

"Whoa whoa whoa, Chrystalla? Who's this douchebag supposed to be?"

Everyone gave Caldoric a dirty look for his interruption.

"What?" He asked, shrugging. "I don't remember there being anyone named 'Chrystalla' running around in your world... Unless they were featured in one of the more cringeworthy episodes that I skipped. Long story. But please, carry on." Twilight glared a little longer, then resumed speaking.

"After that... unfortunate incident was cleaned up, and a copy of the note had been sent to my former mentor, the seven of us went to Zecora's hut to recover her body and give her a proper funeral. But what we saw there..." Twilight shuddered, and looked away. Applejack and pinky moved to comfort her, while Rarity somehow managed to look paler than usual at the reawakened memory. Spike just adopted a horrified expression, staring absently at his claws.

It was here that Rainbow took over. "Yeah, it wasn't pretty. Not even close." She looked Caldoric in the eye, her voice shaking. "See, they didn't just kill her outright. No, they tortured her. There were, like, these black crystal things shot right through her entire body at wierd angles, pinning it to the floor, with these two sword-like ones that were crossed at the point where her neck used to be. Like, they went and executed her. And, get this, not all the crystals were Sombra's!" The Toa and Turaga, as well as what few Matoran had gathered to listen in, looked visibly sick.

"Yeah," added Twilight, still a little vacant, "some of them matched the physical description Thorax and Starlight Glimmer gave of what Chrysalis' hive-throne had been made of."

"Ok, I honestly half expected that," Caldoric added, "so... what else happened there? Was anything else missing, besides her head?"

"That's the worst part. There was something missing: an ancient dark artifact that she'd been allowed to hide and protect after an incident in town a year or two ago. It's called the 'Alicorn Amulet--' "

"MOTHER FUCKERS!" Caldoric shouted, punching the cobbled ground beneath him. "But how would they-- unless... but why would they want it...?" He turned his attention back to the present, and addressed the Equestrians in general. "I've got the beginnings of a theory, but... I need to know what happened next."

"We was ambushed." Applejack said, matter-of-factly. "At first, we thought they was some sorta Changelin's, like the ones what bested us up North. Then it turned out they was somethin' else entirely: 'ling-shaped monsters, but made outta constantly shifting black crystal shards, held t'gether with green gas, like them Timberwolves were. Strange thing was, we hadn't seen a single wolf before then, which was odd, b'cause we'd normally see at least three or four any time we'd gone in before."

"Yeah, they mostly seemed interested in Spike, though," Pinkie added, "but I couldn't have guessed why, even if you asked."

Caldoric steepled his fingers, as the Turaga and Toa shared furtive glances. This was getting... interesting.

~~~~
Equestria;
One month and three weeks ago

Once Twilight and company had fought off the "shardlings," they returned to town with Zecora's body, and a funeral was held for her. However, the proceedings were crashed by Trixie, who'd dragged herself into town, half dead herself, covered in cuts and bruises. Just before she'd collapsed from exhaustion, she'd delivered a grave message: that not only had she and Starlight Glimmer both been abducted by Chrystalla's forces, but that this strange entity was none other than Chrysalis herself, having returned with a vengeance.

After that, Thorax and his people decided to go into hiding, while Trixie was transferred to the nearest hospital, where she remained catatonic for the next two weeks.

The days following Trixie's arrival heralded the first of many attacks from the Shardlings, forcing towns and villages nationwide to fall back to more defensible locations, which grew few and far between. Not much could take down these monstrous beings, and anything that did work was too expensive to recreate on a massive scale. The dwindling threads of communication with neighboring lands and sovereignties indicated them to be in similar situations, until contact was cut off completely.

Eventually, everyone who could make the journey retreated to Canterlot, which was once more encased in a defensive bubble-shield, powered by the strongest and most able magic-wielders available. And then, one week before Twilight and her friends would arrive on Mata Nui, Discord vanished without a trace while on a reconnaissance mission.

Six days later, Twilight and her friends had decided to try and make contact with their counterparts on the other side of the Crystal Mirror, which they'd brought during the evacuation of Ponyville. Their hopes, however, were in vain, for it was at that moment that the Shardling army made their attack on the capitol city, bursting through the shield like it was nothing. Chaos reigned over the next 24 hours as the crystalline enemy rampaged through the streets, blasting innocent citizens with dark magic at every turn. Some were turned to crude, obsidian-like statues, or piles of black crystals. Others, mostly the young or strong, became new Shardlings, and joined the rest in wanton destruction.

In a last-ditch effort, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and the Element Bearers sought out the mirror. However, when they arrived, they found Discord himself waiting for them, wearing a set of Sombra's mind-control armor. The gems on the mirror's outside edge had changed colors as well, though no one yet knew what that had meant. And with naught but an evil cackle and a wave of his hand, Discord tossed Twilight and her friends through the mirror, then turned to face off against the remaining Alicorns.

When the seven Equestrians awoke, they found themselves scattered across the island of Mata Nui, and soon stumbled across the local Matoran population. For the next week, they worked alongside the Toa in defending the villages, all while seeking a way back home.

And then today, Caldoric had arrived, nearly injuring Jala in his own quest to get home...

~~~~
Ta-Koro
Now

"And so, that brings us to... now..." Twilight trailed off, snapping out of lecture mode long enough to notice Caldoric pacing randomly while idly fiddling with something in his hands, his eyes unfocused. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Hmm?" Caldoric asked, his focus immediately shifting back to her. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I've got ADH--"

"No, you weren't listening at all!" She exclaimed, incensed. "You were walking around and playing with that thing in your hand for the last five minutes!"

"Yes, I was too listening!" Caldoric countered, before rattling off an extremely summarized version of her tale. "Now, if you had allowed me to explain, instead of trying to imitate my parents on a bad day, you would've learned that I have trouble sitting still for extended periods of time. When I'm taking in information verbally, I tend to zone out on all my other senses, and occasionally get fidgety as well. Thus, the pacing and vacant look, as well as the thing I was 'playing around with,' as you so rudely put it." He held up the small black-and-green cube for inspection.

"This is called a 'Fidget Cube,' designed to help folks who have problems focusing, like myself. It gives my hands things to do while I'm thinking, or trying to pay attention to someone who's talking." He then began idly fiddling with the device again, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Sounds like something a certain Toa of Air might find useful..." Kopaka quipped, eliciting laughs from all around, and a half-hearted protest from Lewa.

"Yeah," Caldoric continued, "just don't let Le-Koro find out about kazoos, or we'll never sleep again. Anyways, I was rolling a few ideas around in my head while you were getting everyone up to speed. However, we still haven't heard the details about this message you supposedly got from your homeland."

"Yeah, that's the whole reason we're here!" Pinkie added, and Caldoric deadpanned.

"Oh, right, the message..." Twilight began rooting around in the small saddlebags built into her armor. As she did so, Caldoric noted that the Turaga had all moved off to one side, and were apparently entrenched in a heated discussion. Before he could look into it, Twilight finally located the message she had been looking for, which was revealed to be a scroll. Using her magic, she unfurled the ribbon seal and held it up to be read.

Dearest Twilight, and friends,
Luna, Cadence, and I have dealt with Chrystalla's forces, which have retreated beyond the city limits, and a barrier has been erected that now separates them and us. Discord is once again back to normal, and fights alongside those of us that remain in Canterlot.
With his help, and a little luck, we have been able to partially re-create what he did to send you to your current location, allowing us to temporarily re-open the mirror and send this message through. We have had some interference from a few remaining pockets of opposition, which are disturbingly resistant to our efforts to stamp them out. Despite their best efforts, however, we should have a stable, two-way transit working by tomorrow, so make whatever preparations you can to return home.
We anxiously await your arrival, so that we can move forward together in these troubled times.
Sincerely, Princess Celestia

"See?" Asked Twilight, as the other Equestrians began to rejoice. "How's that for an explanation?"

Caldoric carefully took the scroll, and looked it over carefully. "I don't know," he said, after a moment, "it seems... off, somehow."

"Yeah!" Said Pinkie, popping up behind Caldoric. "Doesn't she usually start with 'my dearest and most faithful student,' or something?"

"Well, we've all been under a lot of stress, what with the war and such," replied Twilight, somewhat unconvincingly, "and besides, I technically haven't been her student since I became an Alicorn Princess."

"Nevertheless," Caldoric continued, stubbornly, "one doesn't just drop a term of endearment that they've used for years without very good reason, and wars are the kind of time where you hold tighter to such things, in case it's the last chance to tell them 'I love you', yes? And besides, this whole thing feels wrong... So, if I know the Narrative Imperative Theory as well as I think I do, then this whole thing is probably a--"

"Ah think that's enough a' yer neigh-sayin', mister," Applejack said, placing a hoof on his hip. "You got some explainin' t' do." Caldoric leveled a soft glare at her, and returned to fiddling with his Cube.

"Fine. I come from a world called Earth, where we humans are the dominant species, though we're not the Technicolor menagerie you've come to know and love, Twilight." He turned to the gathered islanders for a moment. "Bipedal beings similar to you Toa, only we're completely organic, and we don't have elemental powers or armor. Also, the average adult is between 5 and 6 feet tall, whereas you all are about 7.2 feet tall on average." After which, he gave everyone present a rundown of what he'd told Tahu and Rainbow Dash about their worlds being mere stories in his home reality, adding details about the popularity of the Bionicle line, and controversial social stigmas surrounding guys his age and the MLP fandom.

"So, you're one of the... 'Bro-knees,' I believe you called them?" Onua asked.

"No! Noooo, no no no." Caldoric stammered. "I merely know -- or, well, knew, I guess, -- a small group of folks who were, though, so I decided to look into the series so that I'd better understand some of the things they said. Research would be the most accurate term here, I believe. And, yes, I did join in on some of their fanfictions, mostly for the heck of it, and it was kinda fun."

"Sounds like someone's in denial," Rainbow commented to Pinkie, who snickered.

"No, I'm not," Caldoric said, matter-of-factly, "I'm here in Ta-Koro, on Mata Nui. The Nile River is in Egypt, back on my home planet, which is in another dimension."

There were a couple of chuckles, but the joke mostly went over everyone's head.

"What I think my brother was saying," Gali eventually said, "is that, because you are familiar with our two worlds, you might have advance knowledge of what's to come, do you not?"

"Nope. As I mentioned earlier, there's been cross-contamination between the two timelines, at rather pivotal moments for each. See, I never really caught much past the season 6 finale, when Thorax did his thing and took over from Chrysalis, so this is all new." Caldoric turned his attention to the Toa and Turaga. "Whereas with you guys... This point is barely past the starting point, so the whole gorram timeline's pretty much humped."

"Then why were you saying something was off about the letter, if you've not seen any of this before, darling?" Rarity asked.

"Forget it..." Ian countered. "It's probably me being overly suspicious after Twilight's story. But we should still help the Toa get as many of the rest of their Kanohi before we try anything."

"We've already gotten almost all of them," Pohatu supplied, "all that's left are two of mine, and one of Tahu's."

"So, what are we waiting for?" The Toa of Fire demanded, impatiently. "Let's go get them!"

"Wait, which one are you missing, Tahu?"

"The Great Mask of Water Breathing." He crossed his arms proudly.

Lewa shuddered slightly, muttering something along the lines of "still getting water-yuck out of my ears."

"And that just so happens to be one of mine, as well," the Toa of Stone added. "The other is the Great Mask of X-Ray Vision."

"Any idea where they all are?"

"Yes, Pinkie told us that she saw the latter of the three in a tree, somewhere in Le-Wahi." Twilight added. "The others are guarded by Rahi. One in Po-Wahi, and the other somewhere in Ko-Wahi."

"Right, it's settled then," Tahu decided, standing up, "Gali, Onua, Caldoric, Pinkamena, and I will journey to Le-Wahi. Pohatu, Lewa, Spike, and Kopaka will go to Po-Wahi, and the rest will take Ko-Wahi. Let's go, Pinkie! Everyone else, meet us back here when you've got your mask!"

"Sounds good, sir," Rainbow Dash agreed, along with most of the Equestrians.

"Yay! Road trip!" The hyper party-mare cried, abruptly dressed in a Hawaiian T-shirt, and carrying a briefcase.

"Brother," Gali began, probably about to argue the wisdom of dividing their forces in such a way, only to have her arm grabbed by Pinkie, whilst Tahu did the same with Caldoric. Seconds later, they were practically being dragged through the front gates of Ta-Koro, with Onua following at a distance and shaking his head in laughter. Then, with a final cry of "help!" from Caldoric, they were gone.

Kopaka scowled, and pinched the bridge of his Mask. "That fool is going to get someone killed one day..." He grumbled.

"Oh, don't worry, Kopaka," Twilight replied, comfortingly, "he's just new to the whole leadership thing. I should probably give him a few pointers later, if he's be willing."

"Personally, I think Gali should be the one in charge," Kopaka quipped, "since she's the least impulsive of us, short of Onua."

"I, um, I agree with you, uh, Kopaka..." Fluttershy stated, shyly. "She's also less, um, imposing. And more gentle, and, ah, better with the less -- *gulp* -- dangerous animals around here, while I have a, uh, hard time establishing a connection with even a tiny... Hoto Bug, I think?"

Kopaka raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you were the one who befriended a rampaging Muaka, and those jungle cats are nothing to be trifled with."

"Oh, he just had something stuck in his paw, that was all. They're really just big softies, if you get to know them."

"Or if you've got a Stare that can stun even Discord into submission..." Added Rainbow. "Come on, gals, let's get that Mask! Last one there is a rusty horseshoe!" With that, she took off into the skies. Everyone else rolled their eyes and set off through the gate, after Tahu and his companions, splitting into two groups as they left.

With nothing else to do, Takua wandered off once more, Jala returned to his post, and the Turaga decided to continue their discussion in Vakama's hut. It looked like it was going to take a while.

~~~~
Later,
Somewhere in Le-Wahi:

"... And that's how I saved Ponyville from the Parasprite invasion!" Pinkie Pie declared, carelessly bouncing her way through the jungle.

"I know, Pinkie," Ian replied, with his shoulders hunched and his face set into a semi-permanent glower. "I saw the episode."

"I still find it disturbing that we are all originally just the product of someone else's imagination." Gali mused. "Is this real life, or is this just fantasy?"

"♪Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality!♪" Pinkie sang, causing Ian to facepalm.

"♪Open your eyes, look up to the skies and seeeeeeeeee...!♪" Onua added as he shaded his eyes, his deep voice surprisingly soothing when raised in song.

"Enough!" Ian and Tahu shouted together. Ian swatted at a bug, while Tahu fumed slightly.

"How close are we?" The impatient Toa of Fire finally asked, after another minute.

"Oh, it's right there!" The party mare said, pointing a foreleg almost straight up a nearby tree.

Gali nodded. "It is a Kanohi Akaku," she confirmed, "though it seems stuck in the topmost knot of this tree. Too bad brother Lewa isn't here to play monkey for us."

"This much is true," admitted Onua. "Sister, you possess the Mask of Levitation, yes? Do you think you could make use of it here?"

"I could most definitely try." Gali stared up at the mask, obviously considering her options. "I haven't had much chance to practice with it, though."

"I've got some rock climbing experience, so I'd be more than willing to try climbing this tree," Ian added, perking up, "if you'd let me borrow your hooks, that is."

Tahu let out an explosive sigh of impatience. "Look," he griped, "we don't have all day for this. Why don't we try an easier way?" Intent on following up on his own suggestion, Tahu leveled his blade at the tree.

With numerous cries that amounted to "No!", everyone else surged forward, but they were too late. As the shouts tore through their mouths, a raging inferno shot from the crimson weapon and enveloped the tree. Seconds later, the entirety of the once-green trunk was reduced to a much thinner pillar of charcoal. Only the Mask remained untouched by the flames, falling to the ground with a puff of embers. Several other objects landed nearby, throwing up bigger clouds of cinders.

Onua rushed forward to reclaim the mask, while Ian followed close behind, grabbing the remaining items. What in the ruttin' sphincter of hell was he thinking? The former human thought to himself. He could've flambéed the entire jungle!

Indeed, there were still flames licking away at some of the upper branches of other nearby trees. Then, out of nowhere, a full-on deluge came down, surprising Ian and effectively extinguishing all the runaway fires.

"Many thanks, sister," he heard Tahu say as Onua squinted up at the clouds, "I hadn't thought that the fire would spread."

"Right," Gali snapped, her tone suddenly colder than Ian had ever known. "I suppose you also didn't think about the birds that called that tree their home, or the plants and animals that relied on it for shade. In other words: You. Didn't. Think." The Toa of Water emphasized each of her final three words with a sharp jab to her brother's chest, before turning and stalking off the way they'd come.

"Ooooohh..." Pinkie groaned, wincing. "Looks like I've got a new side project."

"Side project?" Tahu snapped, curtly.

"Yeah," she replied, brow furrowing, "the main one being Caldoric-Mac-Grumpy-Gills."

"Oi!" Ian retorted in a semi-scottish accent, stowing the bundle of weapons he'd picked up, "ah'll gi' ye a face full'a dandruff ye'll nae forget, if ye dinnae stop tha'!"

"Crivens, he speaks Nac Mac Feegle!" Pinkie exclaimed in surprise.

"Let's just leave, before I go stupid or something," Tahu demanded.

"I second that," Onua agreed, "but for different reasons."

"Carried," Ian groaned, running a hand over his rain-wet mask, then set off after Gali.

~~~~
That evening,
Ta-Koro:

Ian was chilling by himself next to the Koro's Suva, which was a sort of shrine dedicated to Tahu, and was supposedly symbolic of his strength and power. It was also where Tahu's "sword" and extra masks were stored when he wasn't using them, and through some unknown means, he was able to summon or swap them out from anywhere on the island. Basically, it was a non-portable version of Ian's own Sylladex. Ian himself had been investigating it as surreptitiously as possible, trying to figure out how it worked, only to quickly give up.

Instead, as he listened to Gali and Tahu verbally duking it out outside the village walls, Ian decided to look into the items he'd picked up after the tree had exploded. With a wave of one hand, he deployed the four weapons on the ground before him. The first item that caught his attention was an almost standard-issue Halo assault rifle, which had what looked like part of an energy sword stuck on the front. And speaking of energy swords...

Ian leaned forward a bit and picked up an object that, to all the world, looked like a bent shake-weight with a spike halfway down the handle, though he knew better. This was an energy sword hilt, and it was beautifully detailed. Gripping the device as he'd seen in Red vs Blue, Ian gave it a sharp shake, and the blade activated with a glorious hiss. What he didn't expect, though, was for a trio of voices so suddenly begin speaking in his mind.

"This is Sebastian of the Dark Angels, and--" Ian suddenly jerked backwards as if he'd been bitten by the sword, inadvertently flinging the weapon into the air. It deactivated mid-flight, and clattered to the cobbles. Okay... That was unexpected. Let's try that again, shall we? Ian chewed his lip, hesitant to get up and go get the dropped hilt himself at the moment, due to his relative exhaustion, so he decided to experiment with his limits.

Reaching towards the hilt, he focused, and willed it to return to his hand as hard as he could. To his surprise, the device leapt into the air like a salmon, and flew right at him. With a solid Smack! sound, it made contact with his palm, and he curled his fingers around it yet again. Giving it another shake, the shimmering translucent blade reappeared, and the voices once again made themselves heard.

"This is Sebastian of the Dark Angels, and Spartans Viktor and Alexandra of the UNSC," said the voices. "For those out there, if you are outnumbered and need help, or if your world and its inhabitants are in danger or you just want to hang out, call upon the protectors of Humanity’s future, from both the 41st Millennium and the 23rd century. Ave Imperator! For the Emperor and the UNSC! For Equestria!"

"Huh..." Ian said, turning the blade this way and that in his hand. "Do all of these do that?" With another wave of his hand, he stowed the energy sword and the bayonetted assault rifle (redubbed as a "bullet launching knife,") in his bladekind-allocated strife deck, then returned his attention to the other weapons.

One had a simple looking design, though the blade was an unusual blue color, and there was what seemed to be a human skull set into the crossbar. The blade was rather wide for it's length, and the hilt was disproportionately long. All in all, a bit macabre for his tastes, but still kinda cool. Ian picked it up, without any accompanying voices, and gave it a few swings and flourishes. Though it wasn't as well balanced as he'd like, it'd do in a pinch. He stowed it, too, and shifted to the next item.

This sword was rather elegant in design, with an emerald-green gem set into either side of the crossbar, and runes carved into the blade's fuller. The blade itself was long and thin, along the lines of a saber or longsword. After running it through the same routine he'd performed with the other sword, Ian determined that it was a very nice sword, and it's owner was probably looking for it. He idly ran his thumb over one of the gems, and was surprised when the blade seemed to separate into several pieces, all connected by a central wire. He thumbed the gem again, and the blade snapped back to it's normal shape.

"Ohhhhhhhh... That's dangerous, that is. And very reminiscent of the chainswords used by the Xenon class in Maplestory..."

Ian carefully swapped it out for the modified assault rifle, and--

"For those who are in need of a scout, a commander, or a friend, I will answer the call. My name is Eliteslayer, but for those who knew me back then as Sebaste, I have returned… and I am ready to serve and protect…"

Ian blinked. He hadn't really been expecting a second message to play in his head, but he was glad he hadn't had his finger on the trigger when it played. So, he put it back in the strife deck, this time deploying the empty Bruteshot. It was high time he got to figuring out how to reload the bloody thing, if that was possible.

Setting it on the ground, Ian straightened up and rested his hands on the back of his hips, as he did from time to time. This particular instance, however, was different. This time, he felt something hanging from where his belt would have been, had he still been wearing one. Ian grabbed whatever it was, yanked it off his hip, and brought it around to get a better look at it.

Seemingly in response to his motion, a panel on top of the Bruteshot slid forward, invitingly. He looked from the item he held, which looked like a chain of lightbulb-shaped objects, to the opening, and shrugged. For better or worse, he carelessly dropped the chain into the hatch, which slid closed with a snap. As he did so, a Halo-esque readout over his mask's right eyehole appeared, displaying the outline of the Bruteshot, with a small "6" next to it.

"Sweet...!" Ian exclaimed softly, taking a closer look at the weapon. The resulting investigation revealed a small switch on the left face of the launcher, currently set to the second of the three available options: "4", "6", and "∞". He raised an eyebrow at the thought of the last setting, and the sheer mayhem it could cause...

Best leave that one be... He thought.

"Caldoric!" Tahu's demanding voice leapt across the courtyard, snagging Ian's attention. "Get over here, we need your input on this thing!"

"If it's about your dispute with Gali, leave me out of it!" Ian countered.

"We've set that aside for now!" Gali shouted. "This is about our plan for tomorrow!"

"Alright, alright, calm your jets!" Absently sticking the Bruteshot over his shoulder and touching it to his back, he stood and made his way over to the group of heroes.

This oughta be good... the former Human thought to himself, sending a silent prayer to any gods who might be listening that this wasn't about to go horribly wrong.

The Enemy's Gate...!

View Online

The small group of Toa and Equestrians waited as Caldoric made his way over to them, taking in his now-familiar form: his torso, shoulder and foot armor a midnight black that matched his mask, whilst his arms bore a shade of white rivaling that of Kopaka, his legs sporting a dark shade of gunmetal grey. The overall functional design of it all, while somewhat similar to that of the other Toa, had its differences, which made him stand out ever-so-slightly. His glowing lime-green eyes, while friendly, playful, or even concerned at times, were tinged with a hint of sorrow, more often than not.

"Alright, ladies and gents, what's up?" He asked, thumbs hooked into the unusual pockets built into his hips. "We got a plan of attack yet?"

"That was my plan: attack!" Tahu supplied, his tone implying that the idea had been shot down pretty quickly.

"Perhaps cooler heads should be behind that particular part of the plan," Kopaka suggested, completely deadpan, while Caldoric smirked at the unnoticed pun.

Tahu looked like he was about to retaliate in some way, but Caldoric stepped in first. "I don't know," he said, "I always thought that Tahu was the coolest out of all of you, growing up." Kopaka scowled, and Tahu momentarily inclined his head in Caldoric's direction before he continued. "Tahu here isn't too far off with his idea. There's a saying where I come from that I feel applies here: 'hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.' It's the best of both worlds."

"So," Twilight spoke up, "you're suggesting we return in a... diplomatic manner, but be ready to respond to hostile action?"

Caldoric nodded. "But if worse comes to worst, and fighting becomes the only option, don't fight fair, or aim to maim or incapacitate your foe." There were shocked looks from the Toa Mata and a couple of the Equestrians, but he carried on before anyone present could fully object. "Odds are, whoever's fighting us will be trying their best to capture or even kill us, so we can't hesitate to respond in kind. use any moves that will give you an advantage, though if you do get an opening for a KO shot, take it. We might be able to, I dunno, return anyone who was changed to their original selves."

"Well, that's a shadow-dark thought," Lewa declared from on top of a nearby hut.

"Yes..." Agreed Rarity, looking a little disconcerted.

"I believe we should set that topic aside, for now," Gali said, in an attempt to calm everyone down a bit. "Perhaps we could go over something else instead? Such as where our end of the portal is to appear?"

"I had been wondering about that myself," Onua agreed. "Maybe they'll set it to appear near our location at the time, locating us the same way they did when they sent us their message?"

"Or maybe we'll just have to go find it." Caldoric suggested. "In the meantime, we should head over to Kini-Nui, and get the Toa their golden masks, and roll from there. It was what they would've done anyways, if things hadn't been changed, and it sounds like we'll need the extra advantage. Besides, it's the most centrally located place on the island that isn't either the mountain or the Volcano."

"Wait, golden masks?" Rarity asked, her interest abruptly piqued. "I simply must see that, it sounds de-vine!"

"That's nice and all, but What're we going to do after we've found the way home?" Demanded Twilight, her hair beginning to frizz. "We need a plan to make sure this isn't a waste of time...!"

"Yo, Sparkle," Caldoric interjected, laying a somewhat soothing hand on her head, between her ears. "Not to be rude, but... riddle me this: when have any of you guys' long-term battle plans ever actually worked? If I remember correctly, the heroes of both this world and your own would carefully plan things put, then they'd get wherever they were going, followed by all hell breaking loose."

Pohatu chuckled at this. "Yeah, you do have a point there. We seem to have been getting a lot of practice in the 'improvisation' area lately."

"All in favor of just winging it?" Rainbow asked, raising a hoof as she hovered.

In the end, once they'd gotten Lewa and Pinkie's attention for the vote, the results were as follows: Lewa, Pohatu, Tahu, Pinkie, Rainbow, Spike, and Caldoric were for it, while everyone else was against. A perfect tie.

Almost as if they had been waiting for this moment, the six Turaga came up to the gathered heroes, tailed by Matoro, who was in his quadrupedal Runner mode.

"Ah," Vakama began, "gathered friends. Have you decided on a plan for tomorrow's voyage?"

"Actually, we're at a stalemate, Turaga." Kopaka informed him, almost disinterestedly.

"Yeah," Rainbow added, still hovering, "half of us think we should actually just wing it, and the others think we should try to come up with one."

Vakama gave a look of understanding, then spoke again. "It would be wise to have at least a general idea to work from, but become so focused on perfecting it that you plan yourselves straight into a corner."

Matau, the Turaga of Air, cackled madly for a moment. "Yes, share-take it from us, Toa, we had to learn-find that for ourselves, long ago..."

Nuju gave a few whistles and clicks. "Nuju said, 'If I remember correctly, Matau, you were the one who crashed the boat.'," Matoro translated.

"Hey, star-gazer, I was only order-takin' there, Vakama was the one order-givin'." Matau retorted.

"And yet we still put both of you in charge of your own villages," Onewa pointed out. There were a few snickers all around.

"Alright, brothers," Nokama said, good-naturedly, "let's not dredge up old fights."

"Indeed," agreed the short, ebon-armored Turaga, whose name was Whenua. "Perhaps we should retire for the evening, and decide upon the morrow?"

"I couldn't agree more, brother," Vakama said, wearily. "We could all use the rest. And worry not while you're gone, Toa, we and the Matoran held our own against the Makuta for a millennia before you arrived on our shores. Given what we've learned from our four-legged guests since they themselves arrived, we can surely survive your brief absence."

"Well' try to make it quick nonetheless," Tahu pledged, "I dislike the idea of being gone too long."

"Which brings up another point..." Nokama said, holding up a finger. "There is something we've decided to tell you, once you make it back."

"It better not be what I think you're thinking," Caldoric interjected, which gave the Turaga pause. "Tell me, Vakama... has The Shadowed One sent any more of his Dark Hunters your way recently?"

Vakama tensed momentarily, giving a small gulp, before shaking his head. The other Turaga merely looked at each other uneasily before dropping their gazes to the ground.

"What are... Dark Hunters?" Twilight asked, to muttered agreement. Fluttershy, however, seemed to cower at the evil-sounding name.

"A-as we said," Onewa replied, still a bit shocked, "we'll tell you that after your return. In the meantime, Twilight, would you mind taking us back to our villages?"

"But wait...!" Objected Onua. "When should we gather at Kini-nui?"

"Before noon," Gali suggested, "maybe by a quarter of an hour or so?"

"Sounds alright..." Kopaka shrugged.

"Agreed," Twilight seconded.

"Carried," Caldoric chimed.

"Perhaps, though, Twilight could spend the night in another Koro?" Matoro suggested. "Otherwise, she'll be up till morning again, trying to decipher the Wall of Prophecy. And it's hard to meditate with her occasional... outbursts."

"Well, I've been meaning to take the opportunity to investigate Ga-Koro's Great Telescope, and if Nixie's in a good mood..." Twilight began, tapping a forehoof to her chin.

"No!" Exclaimed most of the folks who were present.

"Trust me," Spike told Matoro, sidelong, "you'll get used to her all-night study sessions soon enough." Matoro groaned with disappointment, while Nuju mask-palmed and Kopaka gave a heavy sigh. There were also a few suppressed chuckles.

"Nevertheless, we would be more than willing to take you in for the night, Twilight," Nokama assured her.

"I think I'll crash there too, if that's OK," Caldoric said, "because as much as I like Ta-Koro, it'd be too hot for me to comfortably fall asleep here."

"Oooh, oooh! Sleepover!" Pinkie exclaimed, immediately excited over the concept of a social gathering.

"No, no sleepover." Caldoric corrected her. "Just sleep."

And so, Twilight ferried everyone back to their village (temporarily adopted, in the Equestrians' case,) via teleportation spell, with Fluttershy joining in on the trip to Ga-Koro. She graciously shared her hut (built for her by the Ga-Matoran,) with Twilight, while Caldoric was given leave to sleep in Toa Gali's hut, since she intended to meditate at Kini-nui overnight.

Caldoric said goodnight to the two Equestrians as they made their way along a bridge to another of Ga-Koro's giant lilly pads, then closed the door to Gali's hut. The floor gave slightly under his feet as he moved over to the bed and carefully grabbed the woven blanket, and the hut rocked a little as he laid down on the floor. He'd never slept on a waterbed, but he imagined that, with the entire structure floating on the very ocean itself, this was closer to the real thing than anything Earth had to offer.

With the warm blanket around himself, and the nighttime waves gently rocking his curled frame, he quickly drifted off to sleep...

~~~~
Ian woke with a start, cold, hungry, and with the grey light of "early" morning (by his standards,) shining in his face. He got up, blanket still around himself, and blearily looked out the window at Ga-Koro. The whole village consisted of domed seaweed huts perched on a network of ginormous lillypads, each connected to its neighbors by curled, half-pipe leaf bridges.

With a shiver, Ian put the blanket back on Gali's bed, and silently cursed his decision to sleep on the floor. Stupid, stupid...! he chided himself, running his hands through his hair, the ocean gets cold at night, and now I'm positively freezing... He stuck his hands under his arms, hoping some body heat would permeate through his shirts and warm the stiff digits... wait...

Ian looked down at himself, shocked to once again see his old, 5-foot-10 human self, wearing his usual arrangement of clothes, instead of... no, he wasn't fully human, there were still some robotic elements, but they were minimal.

OK, what the hell? Ian wondered, looking at his body. I know I was a Toa last night, what happened? Am I, like, some sort of "were-Toa" or something? Almost in response to this, his perspective suddenly shot upwards, and the sensation of "coldness" that permeated the area was severely lessened. He had become a Toa again... somehow. He decided not to pursue the issue any further today, since there were more important things to worry about.

Ian left the hut, closing the door behind himself, and made his way to the main body of the village. After some asking around as to where Twilight and Fluttershy had been sleeping, he was directed to one particular hut, where he found the yellow Pegasus engaged in trying to feed a snow-white rabbit, who wasn't having any of it.

A large, biomechanical, cerulean Unicorn head broke the water outside, startling Ian momentarily before it spoke. "Ah, Caldoric! Good morning!" She said, with Gali's voice. "I was just about to come and wake you."

"Wh-- who are you?" He asked, taking a step back.

"It's me, Gali!" The head said. "Here, give me a second, this should explain..." The head disappeared under the water again, before something huge and vaguely roboric shot into the air over the lillypad. Ian only got a short glimpse of the being, it's front half that of a Unicorn and its rear more akin to a mermaid's tail, before it Shifted. In the blink of an eye, it was Gali who landed gracefully on the pad, and smiled at Ian. "How was that for an explanation?"

Ian just stared. "Y-you're... A Unicorn-Hippocampus?"

"I am capable of Shifting into one, yes," Gali corrected, "though when on land, I merely become a Unicorn. Are we ready to go?"

"Um, Twilight's over at the Telescope..." Fluttershy said, startling Ian again. She had moved so quietly... "She's been there most of the night."

"Well then, let's go and get her." Replied Gali. And so, the trio set off for the beach, and made their way to where the Telescope was situated. There, they found Twilight slumped against the device's base, surrounded by piles of notes. When awoken, she laughed nervously, then gathered her stuff and teleported the four of them to Kini-nui.

Moments later, Twilight had gathered the rest of her friends and the other Toa.

~~~~
Gali looked at the gathered Toa and Equestrians as those present waited for the arrival of the last three members of their group: Tahu, Rainbow, and Spike. Everyone was excitedly checking out the large outdoor temple, save for Kopaka, who merely stood still and threw the occasional curious glance. The greatest point of attention were the six, life-size statues of the six Toa, perfect down to the last detail. Perfect, that is, except for their lack of Kanohi...

Twilight chose that moment to finally appear with their remaining friends, Spike riding on her back, and Tahu stumbling slightly. "Makuta's shadow, I'll never get used to that..." He grumbled.

"Kopaka," Gali said, ignoring her fiery brother, "is something bothering you?"

"It looks just as it did in my vision..." He breathed, "from the Lava Lagoon, just before Lewa saved my hide."

"I too had a vision..." Gali began, but Twilight interrupted her.

"Alright, everypony, we're all here. Caldoric, what next?" She inquired.

"True-right, where are the Golden Masks?" Lewa asked.

The strange Toa looked up from where he'd been investigating the large, domed, suva-like structure in the center of the great Temple. "I think Onua might have the answer, actually," he said. "I want to tell you myself, honest, but there are some things that everyone must figure out on their own."

Onua looked around the temple, his gaze catching on the incomplete statues... He laid a hand on the face of his own statue, deep in thought. "Tahu," he said at last, "are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I am, if you're thinking our masks would fit perfectly over these carved faces," Tahu replied, removing his mask of Water Breathing and holding it up to the carved figure of himself.

"Wait!" Kopaka said, holding out an arm. "Let's not throw away our powers so foolishly...!" The visiting Equestrians looked at each other in concern, then looked back to what was going on.

"Who says we're throwing them away?" Tahu challenged him, a frown upon his lips.

Gali placed a hand on Kopaka's shoulder. "It's ok, Brother, perhaps Tahu is on the right track... this time."

"Thanks for the support, sister," Tahu replied, and touched the mask to the statue's face. To the surprise of all, the mask seemed to melt into the stone itself, vanishing from sight, and a bit of color appeared on the statue. Tahu them proceeded to place the rest of his masks onto its face, each one vanishing into the statue and adding color to it, until he had placed his Kanohi Hau, which stayed in place, leaving a near-perfect copy of the Toa of Fire. The other Toa soon followed suit.

Once everyone had finished, they waited. There were some mutters of dissent, as if the heroes were beginning to suspect Caldoric of something nefarious, and then...

"And... here, we, go...!" Caldoric said, making a hand motion. Almost on cue, a great peal of sound, like great bells fused with laughter, rang out around the Temple, and everyone gasped. New masks had appeared on the statues' faces... rich, golden masks, of the finest craftsmanship.

"Oh, darling, they're just glorious!" Rarity exclaimed, eyes shimmering, as the others chattered at this revelation. "I simply must remember to get a better look at them later, when we're not busy."

Each of the Toa Mata took their masks from the statues, and put them on. To a one, the staggered from the waves of sheer power that coursed through them from the new Kanohi. Each mask posessed the powers of the ones that had been previously relinquished, both uniting them and making them stronger by far.

The celebration was cut short, however, as a mighty rumbling erupted from deep within the ground, and the temple began to shake and groan around them.

"What...? A trap?!" Tahu demanded, even as the Suva Kaita began slowly turning upside down. From the now revealed bottom of the structure, three armatures unfolded, each gently arcing towards the center, where what looked like a small radio dish had emerged. A beam of light lanced down from the sky, struck the dish, and rebounded, only to be caught midair between the armatures. The now crackling ball of energy stretched and flattened, becoming a hovering ovoid in shape with a reflective surface, and the rumbling settled. Then, a roll of paper calmly dropped out of it.

"Oooh," Pinkie said, as Twilight ran over and grabbed the scroll and everyone else freaked out a bit, "the good old 'ancient temple is really an alien portal device' trope! Nice!"

"That... wasn't supposed to happen..." Caldoric muttered. "It was supposed to open up and reveal a tunnel..."

"Guys! It's another letter!" Twilight cried. "It's from the princesses, and they say there's trouble brewing, and that we should hurry!" And, without further ado, she plunged herself through the silvery portal. The others soon followed suit, with Caldoric being the last to go through.

He carefully stuck his hand into the portal, noting how the surface around the point of entry seemed to fracture as if he'd broken a mirror, though the cracks seemed to be dragged after his arm as he moved it. It was like when he'd stick a spoon in warm milk that had sat out for a minute, and used the utensil to play with the skin that had formed on top. Caldoric pulled his arm back out, flexed his fingers, then shrugged. "Through the looking-glass it is, then," he muttered, and stepped through. The portal's surface passed over his face with a sort of tingly, crackly feeling, marking a soft spot in the boundaries between worlds.

As soon as he got to the other side, he knew something was wrong. Not only were they all in a very cramped and dark cell, but there were 12 quadrupeds and one biped piled on the floor, when there had been six and seven, respectively, that had gone through before him: it seemed that the Toa had somehow Shifted during transit, and each of them had semi-etherial manes and tails representing their elements, similar to how the Alicorn Princesses' were.

Speaking of which, Discord, Nightmare Moon, and a wildly fiery-maned Celestia were all standing in front of the cell door, each wearing uniform gunmetal grey armor, and smiling almost victoriously. All three of them had green eyes with red irises, with wisps of purple smoke curling off the outside corners as they sneered at the new arrivals. Cadence, for better or worse, was nowhere to be found.

Caldoric turned to leave, almost losing his footing in the tight space, but with a snap of Discord's fingers, the portal winked out of existence in the Toa's face. He was, quite rightfully, scared.

"Whoops," all three of their captors said at once, "looks like we... forgot to mention one little thing..." They stepped aside, as Chrystalla came walking into view.

"It seems that we were the ones who had them send those letters..." She said. Her voice was similar to how it had first been portrayed in the Canterlot Wedding episodes, with the three-level reverb and echo, but there was a slightly deeper undertone to it now, with a whole "voice of the legion" effect to it. "They fell to Discord's power mere minutes after your exile, and we've been in charge ever since."

"C-chrysalis...!" Twilight squeaked, as she extricated herself from the pile-up. "You... monster!"

"It's Chrystalla now, dear, try to keep up," the Shardling Queen snapped. "Now, thanks to you, we have eight new warriors for our army, as well as yourself and your meddlesome friends."

"Eight?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Yes, the dragon, that robot in the back, and the mechanical marvels keeping your friends so nicely pinned for us." Chrystalla explained, pointing at the Toa, Caldoric, and the young dragon.

"You can suck my biomechanical dick, Chrysalis, we aren't gonna fight for you." Caldoric snapped, giving her the bird with both hands.

"Oh-ho! This one has some spirit!" The Hive-Queen said, taken aback. "He'll make an excellent front-line commander... Well, we're off for now. Don't bother trying any magic while you're in there, though. We've warded the entire cell against it." And with that, she and her enslaved posse of the most powerful beings in the land left the captive prisoners.

"Hate to be, y'know, that guy," Caldoric said, after they were out of earshot, leaving the friends alone with the cell's single Shardling guard, "buuuuut... I totally called it." Everyone groaned, and began to untangle themselves from each other.

"What ah don' get is," Applejack said, as she stretched, "why'd y'all Toa Shift when ya came out th' portal?"

"It wasn't intentional, I assure you," Kopaka said, his newly revealed mane and tail a miniature blizzard of ice crystals and snowflakes. He gave his head a shake, and readjusted his pale, fluffy, white and grey wings.

"Is everyone ok?" Gali asked, looking around, her mane and tail flowing and rippling through the air like a babbling brook, her horn taking the appearance of a coral-like structure.

Everyone gave various answers ranging across the "we're ok" spectrum, and Caldoric moved to the bars for a look outside.

~~~~
Ian looked to one side, judging the position of the guard, then stepped back a bit. Summoning a coconut from his Sylladex, which he'd picked up before they left, he made as if to kick the door with one leg, only to vanish and reappear outside the cell, a foot and a half up, with his foot against the far wall.

He pushed off and, before the guard could do anything, caught it a resounding crack! upside its head with the tropical item. It only staggered from the blow, however, so Ian whacked it again in the jaw, then a third time at the back of the skull. The guard slumped to the grown, a soft moan escaping it. He went to check if it was still alive, only for his hand to suddenly lock around it's throat against his will, and green lightning began to arc from the creature's lower jaw to his forearm as it pressed the being against the floor.

"Help! It's doing something, and I can't let go...!" Ian cried. The Shardling made a gasping sound, though it's mouth didn't move, and it's forehooves scrabbled uselessly against his forearm as his fingers maliciously tightened their hold. The crystals in his grip cracked, and the flow of energy sped up, with bigger and bigger arcs making their appearance as Ian's arm lifted the unfortunate 'ling by the neck and pressed it against the wall. He grabbed the rebellious arm by the wrist with his free hand, trying to do something to stop this.

There was a crash as Onua, still Shifted, kicked down the cell door, while both the strange energy's activity and the Shardling's resistance grew feebler. As Twilight rushed to his side, the neon green electrical arcs died and the creature went slack, its head slumping to the side, before a cracking sound was heard. All of a sudden, the crystalline surface fragmented, then exploded, leaving an intact (and suddenly very active,) Unicorn mare with mint green fur and a two-toned mane--

"Lyra!" Twilight exclaimed, as Ian finally released his grip on the few crystals that had still been against Lyra's throat.

The unicorn coughed and retched, raising a hoof to her throat, before she gasped out a few words.

"Where'd you get the humans from?"

"Sorry 'bout that," Ian apologized, looking at his right hand. There were some scorch marks on the armor, but nothing to suggest anything unusual happened. What was going on...?

~~~~
There was the sound of multiple hard objects striking the marble floor, and everyone looked up to see a contingent of 'lings blocking off either end of the corridor. With not so much as a word to warn anyone, Kopaka, now back in humanoid form, flicked his sword down one way to create a wall of ice, while Tahu and Lewa worked together to create a horizontal flame tornado down the other hall. The foes on that end scattered, and once the unconscious Lyra had been situated on Onua's back, they all set off at a run.

"Caldoric, what the heck was that back there?!" Twilight demanded harshly.

"I don't know, and I'd rather it not happen again!" Caldoric replied, summoning both the starry-bladed sword he'd bought back at the convention and the whip-blade he'd recovered in Le-Wahi. He had no real knowledge of swordplay, but he did know a few lightsaber flourishes that could possibly be used offensively.

They came to an abrupt halt upon being deposited into the Canterlot Throne Room from a side entrance. Facing them, and keeping them from the doors or windows, was a large army of Shardlings, headed by Chrystalla herself.

"So, you've discovered a way to remove the blessings we have bestowed upon our subjects..." She remarked, coldly, as the heroes spread out. "But now, we will reclaim our lost daughter! And as an added reward for your unexpected escape, you will join her in our ranks as we march upon the rest of the world...!"

"Ah don' think so, sweetheart," Applejack countered, pawing a forehoof at the ground.

"Yeah, we've faced monsters more fearsome, and come out on top." Rainbow bragged in midair. "We could take your sorry flanks down in a snap."

"Ideas, anyone?" Pohatu asked, a little concerned, as he flexed his fingers. "Tahu? Gali?"

"I might have one," Caldoric answered, then looked at the whip-blade, and appeared to start talking to it. "Guys, I can't remember your names off the top of my head, but if you can hear me or whatever, and it's not too much trouble, could we get some help?" He groaned and shook the sword a little. "How do I bloody activate this... Engage, or something!"

Suddenly, the chain-sword vanished from his hands, and Caldoric lifted his head slightly as if he'd seen something, before a glowing vortex-like portal appeared behind the line of heroes. It unceremoniously deposited multiple beings on the ground and disappeared, and then things got even more interesting.

~~~~
Sebastian grunted as Viktor landed a blow to his midsection before he retaliated with a backhanded strike that sent the Spartan sliding. The two had been training for four hours now and were starting to tire out.

“Nice reversal, now attack while he’s recovering!” Sebaste called out, Alex and Rainblade standing next to him. The Astartes charged and slammed into Viktor, knocking both of them into the ground.

“Alright, that's enough for today. Let’s head back and- FAUST DAMN IT!” Sebaste yelped as a portal opened beneath him and Alex, Rainblade being dragged along for the ride.

“Seb! Hang- WHOA!” Viktor yelled as another portal opened beneath him and Sebastian, the two of them falling through. With a twin hiss, the portals then closed. In seconds, the five were spat out onto floor tiles in a heap and left groaning.

“Ugh… Next time, I’m gonna have a chat with whoever decided portals were a good transport choice….” Sebaste grumbled as he pushed the others off him and looked around, only to freeze as he saw they were not alone. “Guys…? You might want to get up… Now…”

“Wait… where’d they come from?” an unfamiliar voice asked, belonging to a biomechanical figure in brown armor, wearing a bullet-shaped mask.

“They’re my Hail Mary… I hope…” said another, whose armor was mismatched.

The other four stood up and stared in shock. “Okay… Anyone have a clue as to why I’m seeing the Toa Mata and the Mane Six in armor?” Viktor asked. “And what's with the walking crystals?!”

“I’m not so sure myself,” said the figure in black-and-white armor, “but we can explain later. Right now, we gotta fight these ‘Shardlings’ off…”

“Don’t you mean Changelings?” Alex asked as a spiker materialized in her left hand and arcane energy began to charge on her gauntlet, causing her palm to glow. Sebaste and Viktor each summoned a different weapon, with Sebaste opting for a heavy machine gun while Viktor went with dual SMGs. Sebastian settled for two Heresy style lightning claws while Rainblade flew up, her left hoof splitting open with a hiss, and aimed her built-in bolter at the foe. “And I’m guessing you’re the Displaced that summoned us?”

“Wait!” Cried the unfamiliar Toa. “Some of them might still have captive ponies inside them, like the Iron Patriot in Iron Man 3, but we can't tell which are which! And how did y--”

There was a dark chuckle from someone amongst the enemy lines. “Ah, yes, and now you see the beauty of our plan!” They said, their voice both familiar and strange at the same time. “The crystal armor also serves as a walking energy source for our hive, feeding off the very ponies who serve as our hostages! They’re unable to do anything but watch as the black crystals rob them of even their very will, and forces them to destroy their own homes and families, who themselves are loathe to fight back! It’s the ultimate weapon!” The large, crystalline-looking copy of Chrysalis then submitted to a short batch of maniacal laughter, standing momentarily on her back legs as she spread her forehooves to the sky.

“Seriously? You’ve got us practically where you want us, and you chose now to start monologuing?” The outspoken Toa asked, incredulously, as Pinkie tried and failed to stick a lampshade on his head. “I mean, now that we know about it drawing power from the folks trapped inside, all we have to do is overload them or something! Not to mention the fact that you're essentially using baby armor, or whatever you’d call it here, to hold us off...”

“I forgot to mention earlier, but they also regenerate damage really fast!” Supplied the resident Twilight.

“And does anypony wanna tell me why there's a robot version of me flying around?” The resident Rainbow Dash demanded.

“Look,” Tahu growled, “are we going to fight, or not?”

“Oh? Tell me then, stranger…” the crystalline figure said, “how can you 'heroes’ possibly fight me, when you're already so busy fighting yourselves?” With that, one of the Shardlings blasted Lewa in the face, and dark crystals slowly began to poke out of him in odd places. The Toa of Air turned and looked at the others, his eyes now vacant and glowing red.

“Shit… Alex, bind him before he can attack!” Sebaste ordered. She nodded before a burst of magic lanced out from her hand and slammed into Lewa, forming binds on his hands and feet that caused him to topple over. Sebaste then looked over at Chrystalla, and when he spoke, there was a note of steel in his voice. “If there’s one thing that ticks me off… it’s lording it over others and taking away their free will. And you…. just crossed that line.” he growled as he dismissed his machine gun in favor of a pair of CE magnums. He turned to the unknown Toa. “Keep those bugs busy, I’ll deal with Ms. Crystal over there.”

“Actually, I think she might be a fusion between Chrysalis and Sombra,” the seventh Toa remarked, “but I could be wrong. Name’s Caldoric, by the way.”

“Eliteslayer.” Sebaste then activated his suit’s thrusters and charged forward, knocking a good majority of the Shardlings out of the way.

“Rainblade, give us some covering fire!” Viktor yelled as he tossed an energy drain bomb at a group of shardlings. As soon as it activated, the shardlings around it were suddenly weakened as their magic was drained by the alien device faster than it could regenerate.

“Alright,” said Caldoric, who summoned a Bruteshot (of all things,) and stepped forward… only to freeze for a second. “Shit, I don't have a Gunkind abstratus…” he then growled, re-summoning his sword and teleporting after Eliteslayer, with Tahu on his heels. “EULALIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” he cried.

Rainblade meanwhile, was swooping over the shardlings, laying down suppressing fire from her built in bolter. “The heck’s wrong with the rest of you?! Do you guys want to be like greenie there?” She asked the others.

That seemed to snap everyone into action, as Onua and Gali moved over to their fallen brother, along with Fluttershy and Twilight, and tried to bring him back to normalcy. Gali, however, caught Onua muttering something about a “second time,” but filed it away for later. Everyone else from Mata Nui and Equestria charged into the fray, tossing spells, kicks, and elemental blasts as they went.

Sebastian landed two slashing blows with his lightning claws before punching the shardling he had been fighting unconscious. “And I thought the Zerg were bad enough!” He taunted. “But I guess all you guys really do is just bug ponies!”

“Hah!” Exclaimed Pohatu, nearby, as he punted a Shardling into a wall. “Nice one! Kopaka would approve!”

The Astartes gave him a thumbs up before he dismissed a lightning claw for a bolter, and opened fire. “I’d say let’s rock, except that pun’s beneath me... but I’m gonna say it anyways; let’s rock!” he roared as he gunned down a group of Shardlings that were headed towards him.

Pohatu chuckled lightly as he charged towards a group of Shardlings that had begun to recover from their energy drain. “How 'bout we kick this into high gear?” He suggested. Leaping forwards and landing on his hands, he spun on his palms and Shifted into an Earth Pony slightly bigger than Celestia, and delivered a devastating kick with his new back legs, then Shifted back and punched another 'ling in the face. There was an audible crack from the impact.

“What in Holy Terra?!” Sebastian exclaimed, a dumbfounded look hidden behind his helmet, though his body language transcribed it perfectly. “That…. That shouldn't be possible! Since when did the Bionicle universe have that!?”

“Since forever, or so I've heard,” returned the Toa of stone, who abruptly stamped on the ground in the Astartes’ direction. “Heads up,” he added, as a spire of rock shot from the ground near Sebastian and pinned a 'ling that had been sneaking up on him to the far wall. “Maybe you should use that Kanohi Hau built into your helmet more often,” he finished, turning back to the 'lings around him. Sebastian facepalmed at that, muttering something that the Toa didn't catch, but it seemed to annoy the Astartes greatly.

Kopaka just rolled his eyes, and fought on silently.

Meanwhile, Alex and Viktor were fighting back to back, both having resorted to melee weapons. With a flick of her wrist, Alex wrapped her snake blade around a snarling Shardling and slammed it into one of its fellows, knocking them unconscious. “I’m really starting to hate bugs right now!” She growled. She raised her hand and unleashed a massive arcane blast that sent a majority of the Shardlings flying. She noticed Rainblade fighting alongside the resident world’s Rainbow, her wingblades slashing at a ‘ling and her bionic eye glaring at it.

The expresionless 'ling, in desperation, tried charging up a spell, only to be knocked sideways by Rainbow. “Don’t give 'em a chance to fire off a shot!” She chided, jokingly. “Haven't you fought Changelings before?”

“No… I had to fight and sometimes even kill other ponies.” Rainblade replied, as she blasted another Shardling with her sonic shotgun. “It’s not something I like remembering…”

“Oh, man, that sounds--” Rainbow began, only to be tackled by a crystalline Twilight-lookalike, which quickly brought its fangs to bear, ready to tear her throat out.

“RAAAAAAAH!” Rainblade roared before she smashed into the Shardling, her wingblades slicing into it. She kicked it back and flared her wings, both her organic and bionic eye glaring daggers at it. A ray of sunlight glinted on her metal wings as she displayed the built-in blades that gave her her name.

Rainbow took the opportunity to buck the 'ling off of herself and into the air, where Rainblade then grabbed it and it found itself staring down the barrel of the bolter sticking out of her forehoof. “I’m not letting anypony get hurt… Not after what I’ve gone through!” She shouted before she fired and let the Shardling fall, a massive wound showing where the mass reactive bolt had hit. She panted before she flew back down, the bolter retracting back into her hoof. The Shardling, however, merely crumbled into a useless (and distinctly smaller) pile of inert black crystals as it landed on the floor.

“Th-thanks, man,” Rainbow said, as she shakily regained her footing, then took to the air once more.

Alex shook her head as she knocked out another Shardling, Viktor stunning another with a Spartan charge. In a way, both Seb and Rainblade are the same... She thought, but I need to focus on this battle! If what Caldoric said is true… I don't want to risk killing any of the ponies this ‘Chrystalla’ enslaved.

Meanwhile, Pinkie and Rarity were holding their own in the crowd of foes, with the seamstress firing blast after magical blast, and the party-planner following suit with her party cannon. “Rarity,” asked the latter of the two, a bit of concern edging into her voice, “I've been wondering… d’you think Changelings have parties? I mean, I didn't get the chance to ask Thorax before he went into hiding…” She then blasted another group of 'lings.

“Pinkie, darling, I think that’s the least of our concerns at the moment,” Rarity replied, blasting three 'lings with magic and kicking a fourth with her hind legs, “but if I were to guess, they probably didn't do anything of the sort under Chrysalis’ rule.”

Pinkie halted for a moment, firing off one last blast. “Well then,” she stated, her voice going a bit weird as she stowed her cannon in her flattening mane, “let’s show them a party they won’t soon forget!” And, with that, Pinkamena Diane Pie pulled a very strange device from her straight, cascading locks of hair: it looked like a cyborg dolphin, into whose mouth had been shoved the mechanical workings of some form of gattling gun. This was Terraria’s legendary Space Dolphin Machine Gun, and it was equipped with the former rock farmer's favored ammunition.

With a whirring sound, the barrels spun up to optimum velocity, and Pinkamena pulled the trigger, deploying endless waves of tightly-packed, confetti-filled capsules at the horde of Shardlings, each shot exploding on impact with a small cloud of colorful bits of paper. She began to laugh maniacally, and pressed forward into the throng of crystalline bodies, walking on her hind legs as she cut a swath through the foes before her. Rarity, for her part, turned and cast a shield spell about herself and her presently less-than-sane friend, and followed behind the pink tank as she shouted “Waaaaaah! Cry some more, it makes me happy!” at the 'lings in a heavy Slavic accent.

Seeing this, Viktor facepalmed. “Really…. A TF2 reference?” He asked as he delivered a ground pound, the impact sending a few Shardlings flying. “What’s next, Nightmare Moon shows up?! Or a dragon does a song and dance number!?”

Almost in answer to his question a huge blast of wind raced around the room, unbalancing several Shardlings and throwing others on both sides somewhat off-guard while they braced against it.

“Wahoo!” Cried Lewa, getting up, “I'm back in the battle-fight!” he then sent out another bust of wind, blowing a channel of 'lings against the wall. This was followed up with a beam of water from Gali, and several magic blasts from Twilight. Onua, however, seemed to have vanished...

“Kyra, activate music file 9091, keyword: For freedom, we rise.” The Spartan said before a single song began blaring from his external speakers, accompanied by a “Hell yeah!” from Caldoric's general direction. Viktor then paused and concentrated before a single large mech with a heavy machine gun mounted on the left arm appeared next to him. “It’s Cyclops time!” He said, before he leapt in and sealed the cockpit. The walker then stood up and slamming a metal fist into its palm. With a roar, Viktor then opened fire with the heavy machine gun, targeting only the non pony shardlings with help from his scanners and striding forward.

Meanwhile, Caldoric, Tahu, and Eliteslayer were practically fighting for their lives against Chrystalla, the four of them enclosed within a circle of magical, color-changing flames.

Caldoric momentarily took notice of the giant, unfamiliar mech's appearance as he fought, and did his best to speak without breaking his rhythm. “What the hell,” He began, dodging to one side and delivering an upward slice to Chrystalla's abdomen that merely glanced off, “is that thing? It’s not a Mantis, and I’m pretty sure I--” Again, he rolled out of the way, and attempted another attack, “that I’ve never seen one of those before!” He finished, to nobody in particular, then lunged forward alongside Tahu for a double thrust, which failed to do more than scratch her crystalline hide.

Just outside the circle of flames, a black, three-clawed hand shot up from beneath the flagstones and seized a Shardling by the leg, pulling it under before it could blink. The whole was almost immediately backfilled, as another few 'lings were sent flying over their heads from somewhere else in the room.

“Heh, Vik always did like using the Cyclops…” Sebaste replied as he leapt into the air and fired round after round from his pistols, the armor piercing tips easily negating Chrystalla’s crystal armor. “So I’m guessing you bought something from an unknown vendor at a Con, dressed as a character from a video game or some other fandom and got sent to Equestria as said character?” He asked as he landed, his pistols raised and smoking.

“Uh…” Caldoric replied, a little confused, “more of an OC, but…” He ducked a wild kick from the now-enraged Chrystalla. “I’m not exactly sure what I'm capable of! I mean, I'm afraid to find out, really!”

“Most new Displaced are like that. I know, I was like you once…” Sebaste responded as he flipped over a swing and fired at Chrystalla before slamming into her with a Spartan charge.

“Wait, you were human too?” Caldoric asked. “Were you ever familiar with a webcomic called 'Homestuck’?”

“I’ve heard some of my friends mention it back before I was Displaced, but I never really got into it, and to answer your other question, I’m still human, just augmented!” He said as he jumped back, a massive hammer that crackled with energy now in his hands.

“Still human? Oh, you lucky bastard!” Caldoric replied, putting extra stress on the final word as he attempted a drop kick on the Shardling Queen, then rolled out of the way of her retaliatory stomp. “I’ve got some questions for you, assuming we make it out of this…!”

“And I’m assuming my friends might have a few questions for you, judging by Sasha’s startled yell earlier.” Sebaste chuckled before he swung his weapon. As it hit, a massive shockwave sent Chrystalla skidding backwards. “Now then, call off your bugs and release the ponies, or I’m bringing the hammer down!” he growled at the queen.

“I’d be careful with him!” Caldoric added. “He really loves his hammer…!”

“Less talking, more fighting!” Kopaka snapped as he skated by, momentarily leaving a trail of ice on the floor, and a more permanent trail of angry Shardlings hot on his tail.

“Sounds like a pl--!” Caldoric began, only to receive a solid kick to his back from Chrystalla, which sent him out of the flaming ring and slammed him against the nearest wall. He sat there, dazed momentarily…

~~~~
Ian shook his head in an attempt to clear it, and looked at the battlefield around him. Things didn't look good, and there were always more 'lings pouring in from the various entrances, though it did seem to be slowing slightly… He sighed, and looked at his sword. He really shouldn't have allocated his Strife Specibus to Bladekind, as cool as it was… he had nothing that could do more than scratch her.

An idea came to him, then. A stupid, crazy idea, which had no chance of working, but… maybe. Summoning the two lightsaber replicas he'd been wearing at the convention from his Sylladex, he pushed it’s “on” button, and was rewarded with a lime-green blade of light springing from its emitter.

“Oh, now we’re cooking with uranium…!” He exclaimed softly, as he ignited the other, blood-orange blade, eager to return the fight.

~~~~
“Y’know, you’re really vexing me!” Sebaste growled as he dodged another swing from Chrystalla. “But I bet you can't tell which is the real me!” He said as two duplicates of himself appeared on either side,each armed with the same weapon.

With an unfamiliar battle cry, the three combatants who remained in the circle turned to see Caldoric, back in action, swinging two glowing and humming blades around himself in a simple yet mesmerizing “X” pattern, carving a bloodless path towards the circle. Any Shardling near him backes off, unsure what to make of these strange weapons…

With a triumphant yell, he leapt over the Technicolor flames and performed a scissor-cut with the two blades in empty air. “C’mon!” He challenged. Tahu raised an eyebrow.

“Oooookay… Moving on…” Sebaste said just as he received a blow from Chystalla, sending him skidding on the floor, and knocking his helmet off in the process. He turned his head to reveal a mop of short reddish brown hair, green eyes and most distinctively, a face that had two slash scars over his left eye. Locking onto Chrystalla, Sebaste’s eyes narrowed into angry slits and with a growl, he summoned a pair of energy swords and charged forward.

Caldoric followed his lead, with Tahu not far behind, his Flame Sword ablaze. Soon, the three of them were landing flurries of blows upon her that bit deeper into her crystal-built body than anything had before. No blood came from the wounds, but they still pained her nonetheless.

“Time for you to pay for your crimes, Chrysalis…” Sebaste snarled as he stalked forward to land another blow.

“No… no!!” she cried, creating a thaumic shockwave that pressed all three of her foes nearly to the edge of the circle. “I will not be bested by the likes of you… you… you alien freaks! I will see this world fall to my whim! And you have no chance of stopping me!”

“I’ve heard that so many times, it’s gotten old! I’ve fought Chaos Marines, Covenant, even a Daemon Princess version of Twilight and won! I’m a defender of Equestria, and I don't give in, no matter what!” Sebaste roared before his thrusters activated and he slammed into her, sending her skidding and disrupting her spell.

Tahu tried to take the opportunity to attack her from behind, only for his blade to rebound off of her hastily-cast shield spell, which sent him flying backwards. Meanwhile, Caldoric was circling the errant Queen, with small green electrical arcs beginning to cascade up and down his frame, as he shook slightly with… was it anger? Fear? Suddenly, he stopped his pacing.

“Do you know what your sins are… Chrysalis?” He asked, slowly, calmly. “Pride. Envy. Wrath, and Greed. And now, you feel that sensation on your spine? That tingling feeling creeping up beneath the hair on your scalp?” He settled into an aggressive crouch as the small lightnings seemed to intensity. “Those are your sins, crawling up your back. Chrysalis, you have failed this world, and have forgotten the face of your father. For this, and the harming of innocents across nations, you're gonna have a bad time.”

Sebaste jumped back and summoned what looked like a massive closed missile launcher, but as he pulled the trigger, the front of the weapon opened up, and a whine was heard as a small laser locked onto Chrystalla, and energy began to build in the barrel.

“It’s a terrible day.” Caldoric stated, with that strange calm. “Birds are starving, flowers are wilting… on days like these, bitches like you…” purple smoke began to filter through his mask's eyeholes as the electricity around him began trying to discharge to the ground around him, playing a familiar tune, and small bits of debris began rising. He held his hands off to one side in a pose anyone familiar with Dragon Ball Z would recognize, as his deactivated lightsabers hung in midair.

“Ş̕͡HO̴U͏̷̵L̷͡D ͝BĘ B̧UŔ̢N͟IN͝҉G̛̕ ͏Ì̷͏N͞ ̕H͢͠E̴̕Ĺ̢Ļ̶!” He exclaimed, his voice going wierd. “̕ KA͘M̶҉̧É.͢.̶.͏ ̴̵̵R̕͠AS͜E̴̡͟N̢͠.̸̀͝.́̕.̧͏ ҉Ḩ̸͡A͘M̀E̵̛,̀ ͏G͝AN̸͠,҉ ́̕H̴A-DǪ͢͏ƯK̕E̴̶̛N ̡͟F̸U̢C̵̨K͘Y̴͟O̸U̕̕͠Y͠O̴̧U̶M̧̨O͡͡T͏HÉRF͘͏UC̨̕͏K̨͡IN͜͠G̛͘B̸ÍT͝Ć̴̢H̴͡͞!҉͢!͢”͢

At that moment, both Caldoric and Sebaste released their pent-up attacks, which shattered Chrystalla's shield and sent her flying through a wall. The smoking hole she’d left allowed a bit more of the grey daylight to enter the room, but it didn't do much else.

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to see what had just happened, with Onua popping his masked head up from beneath the floor to join in.

Caldoric, bent over and panting from the apparent exertion of the combined attack, held up a hand, in which appeared a swirling ball of energy, the color of which matched his eyes and heartlight. “Y̶o͟u Sh̵a͏rdlin͝gs h͜ave ͞ti͢ll thȩ ̧c҉óuņt ͏of ͟te͞n t̕o̕ ̵g̕e̕t ̢y̸ou҉r̢ lousy,̀ ly͢ing,̶ ̢n͡o͜-gòod̴ cąrcàsses͜ ͘ou͏t ̷o̵f̢ ̵t̢hi͜s c̛as͡t̸l͢e̡,̢ ͡b͢e̕fo̡r̴e ͜Ì p̧u̷m͡p̷ ́your g͘u͞t̕s ful͢la p̨l҉a̵sma̸.” He stated,the lightning dying down, though the song it had produced was still going.

“O̧ne̢.̛” he said, and the Shardlings began to scatter, going any way they could before Caldoric could--

“̷́T̨ẁo̴͘.͏.̶̛̛.͞” There was an increased intensity in his voice, which the everyone present seemed to pick up on.

“̛T̵E̸̷̵N̶̨!́͟͏!̷!͘͢” He cried, and slammed the ball into the ground. Immediately, more green electricity lanced out from the point of impact, skittering across the stonework and leaping through the air, striking each and every Shardling in the room, with other tendrils snaking off into the rest of the castle. The arcs of energy totally ignored the Toa, ponies, and former humans, instead latching onto every Shardling present, encasing them in an electrical prison, and they began shaking, some more than others.

“Caldoric, stop! You're hurting--!” Gali began, as Twilight charged up a spell and Tahu made ready to hit him with the pommel of his sword, but then everything changed. The crystal of the Shardlings began to crack and fall off, some of them revealing different colors underneath, while others merely began to crumble from the inside. Soon, the trapped ponies (and a couple of captured Changelings,) were taking in gasps of air and retching, as Lyra had done, while the fully-crystallized Shardlings merely disintegrated.

The floating debris around Caldoric dropped to the ground again, as did his lightsabers. “Keep the change, ya filthy animals,” he spat sarcastically, then joined his lightsabers in a heap on the ground. The electricity that had danced across his armor moments before was gone, and the colors thereof seemed almost... faded.

“Holy Tartarus, the hell was that?!” Sebaste asked, having grabbed his helmet after spotting it lying nearby. Rainblade then flew up to him.

“I don’t know, but his power levels spiked to over 10,000.” She remarked, earning a facepalm in response.

“Of course you would have the equipment to make that particular meme….” the Spartan muttered, earning a confused look from the Cyberpegasus.

♪Mmmm, whatcha saa-ay...?♪ Pinkie intoned, sitting next to Caldoric's prone form, a forehoof resting next to his unblinking heartlight. ♪Oooh, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did...♪

Caldoric, for his part, suddenly sat up, jabbed a finger in her face, and said three words: “Too. Fucking. Soon.” His hand then delved into his chestplate, where it fiddled about a bit, before the heartlight finally flickered to life once more.

“Faulty wire?” Viktor asked as he walked up, with Alex and Sebastian behind him, the Cyclops having vanished. “Those can be a real pain. I’ve had to fix Alex’s arm more than once because of those!”

“Well, it’s more loose than faulty, but yeah,” Caldoric said, retrieving his hand from his armor, “though it’s been doing this since I put the costume together. Could've gone with a steady blinking light, but nooooo, I decided to have it so it actually picked up on my heartrate for the added realism. Stupid me.” he looked over at the Toa Mata and the Mane Six, who were gathering and comforting the former Shardling captives.

There were a few blasts of green magic that flew in through the Chrystalla-shaped hole in the wall, though they missed anything important by a mile.

“Now that Chyssie got sent flying Team Rocket style, those Shardlings can't hit the broadside of a barn!” Sebaste chuckled as Alex face palmed with her right hand, servos whirring.

“Come out and face me, you cowards!” Chrystalla’s voice commanded, from outside the castle walls.

“Yeah. I thought she might still be alive…” Caldoric complained, coughing slightly and attempting to get to his feet, his armor still paler than normal. “The bad guys have a nasty habit of doing that. But hey, that’s the Narrative Imperative for ya… what’s it look like out there?”

Alex quickly teleported to where the hole was, and peeked out. “We’ve got more Shardlings, along with Chrysalis and… what the….” She sounded confused.

Caldoric staggered over to the hole, and his eyes widened.

“What… what are those?” She asked.

“Shale imps,” he said, as if in explanation. “Basically cannon fodder, they’re from Homestuck, though they can be potentially problematic if there are too many ganging up on you unawares… I'm more concerned about how they got here… I only hope she doesn't have anything worse.”

“That's another thing about Displaced… you get enemies from the series you dressed up as in the same world.” Alex said grimly as she unsheathed her sword, before reconsidering and resheathing it and pulling out her sniper rifle.

“Hey, how d’you keep doing that, by the way?” Caldoric asked, looking askance at her. His armor seemed a bit less faded, but it was still faded nonetheless...

“Our weapon summoning? It’s my only power, besides being able to use magic. I can also use different armor abilities, but that's the extent of what I can do. Seb and the other two are able to summon different vehicles from their respective game universes.” She explained. “Honestly, I don't know how it works, but from what I can guess, whenever we think of a certain weapon, it appears in our hands.”

“Hmmm…” Caldoric said, gazing off into the distance. A second later he held out a hand as he leaned against the wall, and a simple-looking ring with four pearl-white orbs on it appeared in his palm. “Nice, but what about…” the ring disappeared, and was replaced by a strange, somewhat cylindrical object, half black and half silver.

“Yeah, that’s cool. I can pull from both realities…!” He began, before Chrystalla's voice cut through the silence again.

“Answer me, or I will bring that blasted castle down around your ears!” She demanded.

“Kiss this, Chrysalis!” Alex shouted back before a sniper round grazed the Shardlings Queen's side. “Next shot I fire will be in your skull!”

“Not if I can help it…” Caldoric muttered, as the large object vanished, and was replaced with a slightly smaller and stockier six-barreled apparatus. “Eat Cordak missiles, assmunch!” He exclaimed, and fired off six shots. Six missile-like objects flew from the barrels, but none flew straight at the intended target. Instead, the projectiles slammed into random sectors of the amassed army in the streets, leaving behind craters, dead 'lings, and… large Gusher-looking objects.

“Oh I forgot, those were torpedoes. But hey, they drop grist!” Caldoric noted, before the army responded with a barrage of their own. “Pohatu, seal this hole!”

Alex quickly ducked behind the wall as it hit before peeking back out and sniping a few shardlings from their perches. Sebaste and the other three quickly ran to some of the holes punched by the blasts and returned fire with their weapons.

A second later, the hole in the wall seemed to melt and seal itself, and Pohatu gave a grunt of satisfaction.

“Toa and Elements, I have an idea!” Caldoric said, remembering something. “To the door!” Everyone minus the Spartans, the Cyberpegasus and the dark green Hulkbuster-lookalike made their way to the door, where Caldoric revealed his idea.

“Alright, you ponies put a forehoof against the doorframe. Good, now…” he turned to the Toa. “Do the same with your weapons.”

“Why?” Asked Onua. “What will this accomplish?”

“Just do it and see, it’ll be aweso--” Caldoric was cut off as the castle shook, raining dust on their heads. “Do it! Do it now!”

As one, the Toa Mata placed the ends of their weapons against the doorframe, (with Pohatu merely placing his foot against it,) and it glowed momentarily with energy. Soon, so too did the whole room, as did the entire castle, presumably.

“Caldoric, you’d better hurry! I'm not sure how long we can keep this up- AAH!” Alex cried out as a lucky shot from a shardling hit her right arm, the pain sensors built into it alerting her of the hit. She fell to the ground, grasping her now damaged arm. Sparks spat from where the shot hit.

“Blast…!” Tahu cried, and hurried to her side, as the glow from whatever had happened faded. He saw, through the few remaining holes in the walls, that beams of energy were now shooting off from somewhere else in the castle, bathing the enemy army in swathes of fire, or ice, or having small chasms open beneath them. What in Mata Nui's name is going on? he wondered.

“Alex!” Viktor yelled as he ran over to her. He skidded to a halt and stared at the damage the blast had done. “Kyra, I need you, now!” He said before a small blue glowing humanoid figure armed with a high tech laser rifle and flakk armor appeared in his hand. “I need you to scan her arm and tell me the damage report.” He ordered.

“Right away!” The AI said before she vanished.When she came back, her tone was grim. “She’s lost part of her motor functions in her arm, the blast somehow hit a major power line. I recommend fully replacing the entire thing, and fast.” Viktor slammed a fist into the wall, leaving an impression of his fist in the stonework.

“Damn it! Alex… I need you to stay here for now. I’ll be back to fix your arm as soon as I can. Will you be okay until then?” He asked, getting a nod from her.

Caldoric came rushing over too, and tried to slide to a stop, only for him to trip over a bit of rubble and slide the rest of the way there on his mask. “I may have a solution or two, if there’s a problem,” he groaned, his voice slightly muffled by the floor as he held up a finger. Tahu got up and joined his fellow Toa in providing defense through the holes in the wall.

“Unless you know how to fix a prosthetic arm, and a custom one at that, I don't think we can really do anything.” Viktor snapped. Sebastian put a hand on the Spartan’s shoulder.

“Let's hear him out, he might be able to get this done faster.” He said.

Caldoric sat up, and looked at the damaged prosthetic. “Oh dang, that's some damage. There’s a Mask for that, though, if I remember correctly.” He then held up his right arm, indicating the plate of slotted silvery metal on the forearm. “And if that fails… I could always try to simulate Alchemy from FMA!” He then held his hands in front of himself, and a Kanohi Mask appeared between them. He then put it on, and his armor immediately brightened back to its original luster as he nearly fell over.

“Whoah, head rush,” he muttered, as he then held his hands over the damaged arm. “Alright… fix!” the new mask began to glow with an inner light, and then, with a slight grinding of metal and a few sparks, the arm glowed too, beginning to stitch itself back together. In seconds, it was done. Caldoric was ecstatic.

Alex flexed the arm a few times before she stood up. “Thanks.” She said, giving the Toa a nod of appreciation.

“No problem,” the Human-turned-Toa replied. “So, an actual prosthetic, eh? What’s it based off of? I mean, assuming it's not a custom… design… that is.” He finished awkwardly, and switched to his original mask. “Probably a sore subject, I shouldn't've mentioned it… bad Ian, bad!”

“It's okay. I had it based off of Ivy Valentine's right arm armor, I’ve always been a bit of a Soul Calibur fan, so after I lost my arm in a car accident, we saved up enough money to have a company make it.” Alex replied. “But… it was really hard for us during that time.”

Caldoric gave her a half-smile. “Never heard of either the character or the game, but they sound fun. I personally would've gone for an Automail replica, but that’s just me. Heck, there was this one time I heard that a kid got an Iron Man prosthetic, and Robert Downey himself was involved in making it happen… but that was a few years ago, before Trump got elected, and the war started…” He sat up a little straighter, oblivious to the others’ confused looks, and pressed on. “But enough about the past, we need to focus on the now. How’re we gonna take back the city?”

Author's Second Note:
That was definitely fun! Can't wait to do the second part, which'll be even more fun! For those of you who may have had a hard time visualizing what I wrote about the lightsaber motions, here are a couple demonstrations:
•X-Twirl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDco0P6F0ac
•Scissor-cut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYqTW8Zc0Ws

A Token Gesture, In A Ravaged City

View Online

Caldoric looked at his silent visitors, who were in turn looking at each other, as if in confusion. “What, did I say something wrong?” He asked. “Or were you all in the middle of something important when I summoned you?”

“You said take back Canterlot. Just what exactly happened here in this Equestria?” Sebaste asked. “The last time I had to take back Canterlot was in a different Equestria… and it was in a war.” He then sighed, pinching the bridge of his helmet, and said, “All I know right now is that we have Chrysalis in what appears to be crystal like armor, Changelings I've never seen before and from what Sasha told me, Toa that turn into ponies. Just… what exactly is going on here?” The other four murmured agreement, the three other humans having taken their helmets off and were now holding them in the crooks of their arms.

“Long story short,” Caldoric replied, “shit’s kinda fucked. Apparently things here kicked off after the season 6 finale, when Thorax took control of the hive from Chrysalis, reforming it in the process. After she went off in a rage, she apparently teamed up with Sombra, and they took both the Crystal Heart and young Flurry Heart, about three months ago. Then, she abducted Trixie and Starlight Glimmer, learned a few things about Zecora from them, and killed the poor zebra. She also stole the Alicorn Amulet. Then she and her newly-formed Shardling army took over the entire country, and it seemed like some of the neighboring nations also were suffering attacks, according to reports received before communication was cut off. Then the Elements got themselves tossed through the mirror to Mata Nui by Discord, who apparently scrambled its destination settings, while Canterlot finally fell.” Caldoric paused to take a breath.

“Also, Discord, Celestia, and Luna are under Chrystalla's control, and Cadence and Shining are nowhere to be found. I have no idea about how the Toa Mata and the rest of Mata Nui are capable of ‘Shifting,’ as they call it, though.”

“So Sombra's somehow still alive even though he was completely destroyed by the Heart?” Sebastian asked. “That's impossible.”

“Unless he was just banished… again. I mean, he could've left a part of himself somewhere outside the heart’s radius in case of failure, like a Horcrux.” Caldoric shrugged. “Or maybe some sympathetic local freed him, maybe even allowing him to take them over. Poison goes where poison’s welcome, ya know?”

“So what exactly is your story? How do you fit into this?” Viktor asked.

“I was dropped on Mata Nui about a day ago, somewhere on the lava fields near Ta-Koro, after buying a few cool-looking things from this vendor dude at Comic-Con San Diego, who was dressed like Slenderman. Of course, my sister and I only went to the con because, about a week before I was supposed to report to the local Draft Office, a bomb got dropped on it. Fortunately, this meant that I could go ahead and wear the costume I'd been putting together since late 2018. It was, uh, supposed to be a sort of self-insert Toa OC. Completely overpowered, too, since it was based off the 'Knight of Space’ classpect, but I figured I might as well get the itch to do that out of the way for my first con.”

“Yeah… that vendor is known by many Displaced as the Merchant. He’s responsible for the majority of the Displaced in the Multiverse.” Sebaste explained before he realized something. “Wait, did you say it was 2018 back where you came from?”

“No, I said I started my costume late that year. It’s currently 2020, which is kinda funny because, in hindsight, we never should've allowed Trump or Hillary to run for President in 2016, or allowed the former to keep office after Russia tipped the elections in Trump’s favor. Not with that war they started.” Caldoric said. “Er… it is 2020, right? Or, was? Oh, he better not be yanking people from multiple points in the timeline… that never ends well in stories.”

“It was 2013 when I was Displaced…” Sebaste said. “Obama was still president.”

“2015 for us.” Sebastian put in. “Trump was still running in our timeline. Wait, what do you mean Trump and Hillary started a war in your time?” He asked.

“Maybe we can discuss this when there isn't a legion of Shardlings outside the castle?” Viktor spoke up, looking towards the nearly shattered window, where everyone could see Shardlings patrolling the streets, trying to find a way in.

They were quite obviously staying well out of range of the castle’s newly-acquired defenses, occasionally tossing a spell toward the structure. The crowd of recently freed ponies were doing their best to try and help take out what few Shardlings came too close, but there was little else to do.

“I have to agree,” Caldoric said, rising from his crouched position, “but what can we do? They have us surrounded, as far as I can tell. I doubt we could get out through the crystal caverns below, since Chrystalla probably remembers those from last time she was here. Actually, we should probably seal those off, if possible. And without some sort of “deus ex machina” type of superweapon squirreled away in the castle somewhere that can target a specific entity’s signature or whatever, I'm not liking the odds of facing her full force head-on. Yes, even with the assembled Element Bearers, the Toa Mata, and ourselves.”

Sebaste smirked under his helmet. “You seem to forget what my team and I are capable of. Vik, Sasha and I can summon different vehicles, be it land or… air support.” He said. “Sasha has access to tanks that put the Scorpion to shame, while Vik and I can switch between UNSC or Covenant vehicles. I believe you got a glimpse of that during that warm up fight in here when Vik summoned that Cyclops. But Sasha recently unlocked a new ability that allows him to actually turn into a type of vehicle.”

Caldoric cocked his head to one side. “Whaa--? No, nevermind,” he said, almost to himself, then shook his head to regain focus. “Alright, improbable as that sounds, it might be useful. I’m just… I'm not sure I'm ready to go to war. Like, if I'm psychologically able to. Killing other living things, risking my life, potentially failing to save someone in danger… not to mention I’m not sure of my own powers, among other things…”

With a blur of green, Lewa was abruptly amongst the circle of former humans. “Do not worry-fret too much, brother,” he said, placing a hand on Caldoric's shoulder, “the answers will be reveal-shown in time.”

Caldoric smiled gratefully, then abruptly seized the Toa of Air in a tight hug. Lewa, surprised, gingerly returned the gesture.

Sebaste chuckled as he and the others watched. “Alright… Let's teach those bugs not to mess with a Displaced and his home turf.” He said as Sebastian’s form began to glow brightly and he began to shift into his Contemptor Dreadnought form. In seconds, a massive walker armed with a massive rotary cannon and a fist that had twin gun barrels poking out of its palm. A single helmet could be seen in the head opening.

“Mata Nui!” Lewa exclaimed, backing off a few steps as Caldoric released him, and turned around.

“I totally second that…” Caldoric muttered, as the ponies and other Toa in the room noticed it too. “That… holy fucking Gadunka, that thing’s huge as fuck. Couldn't we have done this at the front door though? I’m not sure it’ll fit through the halls… unless you're just going to bust through that wall again.”

++ Erm…++ Sebastian's voice had gotten deeper as a result of his vox unit. ++Well, I was thinking of keeping them occupied while you guys snuck out and flanked them.++

“Whatever you think-say,” Lewa said, holding his hands up placatingly, “just don't step on us.”

“Agreed,” said Rarity, coming over with the rest of the heroes.

There was a snort from Sebastian. ++ Trust me, there are walkers called Titans that are way bigger than me. In fact… Just one Titan would be as big as the mountain. ++

With a faint “eep!” Fluttershy fell over, unconscious.

“Wow,” commented Caldoric, “Attack on Titan, much?”

“Ah’m not sure whatcha mean by that,” Applejack supplied, “but it seems like it’d be a darn good distraction, if’n we e'er needed one.” Tahu merely eyed the giant mech with envy.

Sebaste chuckled. “There’s a reason the Imperium call Titans ‘God Machines’. They have enough firepower to wipe out entire armies.” He said. “Sasha is one of the smaller walkers called a Contemptor Dreadnought, a devastating force in its own right. They’re piloted by injured Adeptus Astartes-”

There was a large explosive sound that shook the castle, followed by a loud groan, an unusually deep silence, then a huge crash as something hit the ground outside.

“I think they knocked off a tower…” Rainbow said, a trace of worry touching her normally confident voice.

“Yeah, how about we get out there while there’s still a city to save?” Asked Pohatu.

“Yeah,” added Pinkie, “the readers are probably getting a bit restless with all this Blood Gulching…”

Caldoric looked at her questioningly. “Wait, we’re being chronicled?” He asked, but got no further with his inquiry.

“Can we just go and save this city already?” Demanded Tahu.

++ Right, I’ll go and draw their attention, you guys go and flank them! ++ Sebastian yelled before he smashed through the wall, the barrels on his weapon spinning to life.

“Right, front door’s this way, everypony!” Twilight exclaimed, leading the way.

“And another thing, I think that term needs to--” Caldoric began.

“No time!” Several others interjected. Soon, they were at the front doors, where they paused.

“So, what’s the plan?” Kopaka asked.

“Seriously?” Caldoric asked. “When have any of the plans we put together ever worked? We plan, we get there, everything goes to hell. I say we just say 'fuck it,’ and attack stuff.”

“Vik and I can provide armored support. And if we get into a spot where we can switch to aircraft, you’ll have some air support.” Sebaste said. “Alex, you and Rainblade are with Caldoric and his gang.” The two nodded in response.

“Alright,” Caldoric replied, his voice taking on a steely quality, “but we’re essentially gonna just wing it. Don't go looking to me for strategies. I want this over with so I can go home...” And with that, he slipped out the doors and charged into the fray, lightsabers drawn and humming.

“Vik, Scorpion Tanks on three.” Sebaste said, “1…2...3!” The two Spartans slammed the doors open and charged out before two tanks materialized next to them and, after the two had jumped in, the group then advanced, with the two tanks leading the way.

Caldoric turned momentarily, after dealing with a few stray Shardlings, and made a mental comment to himself about the viability of picking up chicks in the metal monstrosities, before snapping out of it.

Spotting what looked to be a small group of imps nearby that seemed in a hurry to be somewhere, he followed their trail. Unfortunately, he soon discovered that it was actually part of a rather large group of the Stygian menaces, which quickly had him surrounded. It was also only then that Caldoric realized that the small objects they had been carrying were large-bore flintlock style pistols and rifles.

“Oh, quiznak,” he said, and prepared to fight.

++ FOR THE LION! ++ A hail of Adamantium-tipped bullets tore through the group, catching the Imps off guard. A few seconds later, Sebastian came charging in from the left side, the massive gun that served as his right arm spewing bullets at an incredible rate. ++ What are you waiting for, Naming Day?! Get a move on! ++

“I thought you were supposed to keep the main force busy so we could flank 'em!” Caldoric shot back, going to town on the imps. “Yet here you are, leading it right at us! Did things really go to hell that quickly?!” He then did his best to gather the intangible “grist” the imps dropped on death, (they were game constructs, after all,) as well as picking up and storing a few green-edged Strife cards. To his satisfaction, they’d already been allocated to various Gunkind settings.

++ Well someone had to save your ass from becoming a strainer, and besides, you’re a bit far from the others to help flank them! ++ the Astartes retorted. ++ Besides, if I know Seb, he already has a battle plan. ++

With a smile that would've set anyone on edge, Caldoric swapped out his lightsabers for his bruteshot, flipped its switch to “∞,” and opened fire on the now very worried imps. ♪Boom, boom, boom!♪ He sang, barely to be heard, ♪I can't stop singin’ this bloody tune, tune tune! It’s gonna make my brain go boom, boom, boom! I can't stop singin’ this bloody tune, tune, tune! I’m the volatilest sort! What a violent force, that’ll frighten Spartans! Hark and hear Leonidas talk when he sees me: Tonight, we dine indoors!♪

“It’s official, a ballistic missile couldn't get this ‘rizzle’! I blow through 'lings like a seven-foot chisel! Think you better shiver when you hear that sizzle, fo’ ‘shizzle!’ Caldoric continued his mad rant as he ran off in search of more foes, oblivious to anything else at this point. “Take a listen! It’s a premonition of my mission: death by demolition! If I don't come home, there’s a sign in my kitchen to describe why I'm missin’: gone fission!”

Meanwhile, the Toa Mata had split ways with the Elements, with each group taking a tank as they sought out strategic positions, from which to flank their foe.

*Vik, what's your situation?* Sebaste radioed as he and the Elements, along with Alex, sat on a small hill overlooking the battle going on below.

*The Toa and I are in position to engage. Sasha and Caldoric are in the thick of it at the moment. * Viktor replied from where he, Rainblade and the Toa were. *Awaiting orders to engage.*

*Not sure how I'm able to hear you guys’ radio transmissions,* Caldoric's voice suddenly cut in, amongst distant explosions, *but I say strike while the iron’s hot! Fill our quarry’s souls with dread, and their bodies with lead! Hyaaaaaaa--!* His voice then cut off mid yell.

*You hear him, let’s engage!* Vik said. Sebaste sighed before he said to the Element bearers, “Alright ladies, let’s kick some bad guy butt!” With a roar, the engine gunned to life and the Scorpion rumbled forward. Its turret turned to target a large mixed group of Shardlings and Imps before a massive BOOM emanated from the single 108 mm cannon, and a sizable chunk was instantly vaporized by the blast. There was a clang as the shell casing ejected from the back of the turret and clattered onto the ground behind it.

“Hey, watch it with that thing!” Rainbow said, as she hovered over to the cockpit. “Some of them are still ponies, remember? I mean, we could do with a few less of the snobby nobles, but that’s no way to go about it!”

“I have my scanners set to target the Shardlings that aren't ponies, so don't get your tail in a twist!” Sebaste retorted. There was a second boom in the distance as Viktor’s tank advanced with the Toa. A second later, more Imps were vaporized by the blast caused by the tank shell.

*Bullseye!* Viktor shouted. *Alright guys, pick your targets with ‘Imp’unity!* There were groans heard on Vik’s end as a few of the Toa caught the pun.

Sebaste chuckled before the built in machine gun next to the main cannon opened fire and mowed down a few more imps. “Okay guys… CHARGE!” He roared before the tank vanished and a Mantis Walker replaced it. But what caught the eyes of the mares was the glow coming from the barrel of the weapon on its left arm and the orange and blue color scheme.

Twilight charged up her horn for a particularly powerful blast, ready to support him, with Rarity not far behind.

“For the Emperor and the UNSC! FOR EQUESTRIA!” The Spartan yelled as the Gauss Repeater opened fire, the slugs flying at hypersonic speeds. Alex summoned a Missile Launcher that had a red and white color scheme and when she pulled the trigger, a single Missile fired before four more shot out of the projectile, and caused untold mayhem among the enemy ranks.

*Now that's what I call a High Five!* Viktor radioed. Alex groaned at the pun.

*Really Vik? You had to make a joke about the weapon?* She asked.

*Cut the chatter, you two. We still need to deal with these mooks.* Sebaste said as he caused the Mantis to stomp its foot and sending a few Shardlings flying from the shockwave. The cockpit then swiveled and from the weapon on the right arm, six missiles screamed out before the warheads spat out multiple munitions before they impacted, saturating the area in a massive conflagration of ordinance that wiped out a good majority of the enemy forces. Alex smirked at the dumbfounded looks on the six mares faces.

Just then, as they began to close in on the Shardling army, a heavily-armored silver and black figure came stomping across their field of view. It had its left arm raised, and a device mounted on it was firing what appeared to be 12-inch wide balls of light back the way it came. The four-meter-tall being, who they soon recognized to be Caldoric in some form of mechatronic armor, was soon followed by several mutant Shardlings of various shapes and sizes.

“Fucking die already, Makuta-spawn!” He cried. With a brief flash, the armor’s lower left arm and the device mounted on it glowed and changed into a long, blunt-nosed device, which fired off some form of rocket at his pursuers. The resulting explosion took out two or three of the monstrosities, and damaged a few more, but there were still others coming his way.

++ Oy, get back here you blasted scions of Slannesh! ++ Sebastian's voice yelled behind the creatures before a Shardling was incinerated by a blast of heat. Two more suffered the same fate before the Astartes-turned-Dreadnought charged in, his Assault Cannon having switched to a twin barreled gun that fired a blast of heat hot enough to melt metal.

Caldoric, for his part, turned to face another mutant 'ling that had tried to sneak around and flank him, and thrust his right arm forward with a punching motion. The forearm of the suit seemed to fragment, revealing a complex extension mechanism that landed the attempted punch directly between the eyes of the monster… from more than 20 feet away. The heavily stunned abomination was thusly sent flying over a nearby roof, disappearing from sight.

Returning his attention to the main crowd, which had been thinned slightly through the combined efforts of the other heroes, the right arm of Caldoric's armor glowed. Seconds later, it had switched to a normal-looking hand, holding a giant sword that looked like an explosion of lightning and flattened crystals that had been frozen in time, and subsequently plated in gold. He gave it a swing, embedding the tip in the ground, and a storm of lightning-laced fire swept down the road, engulfing the crystalline calamities.

++ I cast FIST! ++ Sebastian growled before he smashed his power fist into another Shardling and blasting another with a gout of flame from the heavy flamer that had replaced the Combi-Bolter inside his palm. ++ Burn in hell! ++

“What do you think this is?” Caldoric demanded, momentarily turning to look at his fellow armored behemoth. “D&D or something? C’mon, let’s get some real trash-talk going!” He was then pounced on by another of the monsters, which sent the two rolling down the street. Caldoric came out on top, his right arm having returned to the clawed punching configuration and raised to strike.

“Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep, GO TO SLEEP…!” Caldoric told the monster as he hammered its face several times in quick succession. Unfortunately, the creature's face had become too concave to successfully comply by the time he stopped.

++ Hey, not my fault I heard that Text to Speech meme so many times! Besides, if you want to talk trash, tell it to these guys! ++ Sebastian retorted as he tossed an Imp into a nearby trash bin, which spontaneously caught fire.

“Gah, why did I have to be so careless with those Kanoka disks?” Caldoric roared at no-one in particular, as a final mutant latched onto his back. “Note to self, never go slinging 'Reconstitute at Random’ disks around without proper foresight!” He then reached over his shoulder with his left arm, and fired off another rocket in his aggressor’s face.

“No, Spike!” Twilight suddenly cried, catching everyone's attention. As they turned to look, they found that the brute Caldoric had punched over the rooftops not a minute before had shown up again, and was holding the young Drake by three of his spines.

«If you don’t surrender immediately,» it said, it’s mouths moving unsettlingly as it related Chrystalla's voice from wherever she was, «then this little lizard will be the first to die! Meet me in the city center in five minutes, or…!» The creature didn't get much farther, because Spike managed to turn his head just right, and spat a massive gout of emerald flame that left behind little more than a charred pile of crystals. Twilight gently caught him with her magic as he fell, easing his descent before clutching him tightly to her barrel.

“So she wants us to meet her in the city center… that has the word ‘trap’ written all over it.” Alex said as Viktor ran up to them.

“Shiny! Then let’s spring the trap,” Caldoric said simply, dismissing the armor and landing heavily on his feet as the Toa Mata rounded the corner behind their Spartan chaperone.

“I simply must agree,” Rarity said, trying to comfort the shell-shocked Spike, “nopony threatens my little Spikey-wikey and gets away with it!” There was a noticeable smile of appreciation from the young dragon as she said this.

“Yeah, 's time somepony put that overgrown salt lick down fer good!” Agreed Applejack, stamping her hoof.

Sebastian stomped over, but as he did so, his form began to shift back to his power armored form. As he completed his shifting, he suddenly stumbled, falling to one knee. “Gah… forgot how much of a drain becoming a Dreadnought has on me…” He said in an exhausted tone. He grunted as he slowly stood up. “Seb, I think we can pull off a ‘Flight of the Valkyrie’ attack now.” Sebaste nodded before turning to the others.

“Hope none of you guys are prone to airsickness, because we're about to take to the skies.” He said as a single massive aircraft armed to the teeth appeared next to Sebastian, with missiles everywhere, two gun turrets on both the front and the wings, two wing-mounted laser cannons, and a single cannon on the back. It was also the same color as the Astartes and on either side of the vehicle was a symbol of a winged sword.

“I’m so sorry,” Caldoric said, chuckling a little, “but, not to offend, that looks like a brick with wings. Can it actually fly, or does it just… fall with style?”

“I hate to agree,” Pohatu added, “but even the bulkiest of statues made by Hafu, a master carver in my village of Po-Koro, would be more aerodynamic than this… transport.”

“Hey, don't disrespect the Thunderhawk! This is one of the most heavily armored dropships in the Space Marine arsenal, hell, it’s a tough nut to crack! And for your information, it does fly.” Sebastian said in a offended tone. He then smirked under his helmet. “And it's capable of carrying up to 30 passengers. So imagine 30 of me charging out from this, guns blazing.”

“Thirty robo-Hulks, eh? Sounds like something you wouldn't see everyday…” Caldoric snarked. “Shotgun, by the way. Now, let’s go.”

“Astartes, not the bloody Hulkbuster!” Sebastian muttered as the front troop bay door opened with a hiss of hydraulics. “Seriously, how no one in the multiverse besides Ahriman and his gang knows about Warhammer 40,000 is beyond me…” With a shake of his head, he walked into the Thunderhawk, muttering under his breath.

Caldoric smacked his fist into his open palm as he made to sit in the co-pilot’s seat in the cockpit. “Warhammer 40K! That’s what it was called! I could never remember the name of that particular game… I was more into D&D, myself, though I never played either of them.”

“Glad you’ve heard of it, I used to play it a lot back before I got Displaced. Now I'm stuck as an actual Adeptus Astartes, or as they were called, Space Marines.” Sebastian said. “It's… kinda hard to get used to having the secondary heart and the other stuff that these guys had.” Looking out the cockpit window, he saw that both Sebaste and Viktor had gone with Hornet gunships and were already in the air, the VTOL engines keeping both aircraft in the air.

“Oh, you think having two hearts is weird, mister Timelord?” Caldoric asked, leaning back in the chair. “Imagine trying to sleep, but every time you move, you’re jolted back to wakefulness by the motors and servos in your own body. Last night wasn't a fun first experience, let me tell you. And then, when I woke up this morning, I found myself as a human again… for about ten seconds. Well, mostly human. Freaked me the hell out.”

“Wait, you mean you turned back into your original human body before changing back into a Toa? Huh…. That is odd.” The Astartes then flipped a few switches before the whine of the engines could be heard. “Alright, everyone strap in, and brace yourselves…” He warned. “We’re taking off in 10…” He began to count down.

Caldoric did his best to figure out how the various belts and buckles of the seat were supposed to work, before giving up entirely and just tying them together.

“3...2...1…” The countdown finished, Sebastian threw the throttle forward and the Thunderhawk blasted into the sky, engines (and Caldoric) screaming. He then heard startled yelps from the others in the troop bay at the sudden acceleration. He pressed a single button and activated the comlink. “Everyone alright?” The Astartes asked as he slowed the gunship so that Sebaste and Viktor could catch up and escort the massive aircraft to their destination. As he did so, he readied the weapon systems, and a rattle was heard as the autoloaders on the heavy bolters loaded mass reactive shells and a clang as the massive cannon on the back of the Thunderhawk primed a single massive shell.

There were various exclamations along the lines of “sweet Celestia!” and “Mata Nui!” but everyone seemed to be ok. Caldoric, though, was sunk several inches into the chair he was occupying.

“You alright there Caldoric?” Sebastian asked, looking at the Human-turned-Toa.

“I…” Caldoric's expression somehow managed to convey just how startled and unsettled he had been by the sudden motion. “I wasn't expecting to jump halfway to lightspeed just then…” He finished.

Sebastian snorted. “This thing's capable of going into space, so it needs those powerful engines to punch through the atmosphere. And you’ll get a taste of how much firepower this thing packs soon.” He said, an amused look hidden under his helmet. “There's a reason why the Astartes had better weaponry than say, an Imperial Guard. They're literally genetically enhanced super soldiers.”

“Well, if those weapons are half as loud as this tub is fast,” Caldoric said, eye twitching as he looked out the front windshield, “then I'm about to go deaf in two seconds, because we got company!” He then pointed toward the large swarm of Shardlings that were coming up towards them in midair.

“Pfft, target practice..” Sebastian chuckled before the four twin linked heavy bolters opened fire with a muffled roar, 8 streams of mass reactive death smashing into the swarm, assisted by machine gun fire from the two Hornets. Two lances of light then streaked from the sides of the Thunderhawk and cut a line through the swarm, their bodies cauterized by the searing beams.

Once the carnage was complete, and the few remaining survivors had fled the way they'd come, Caldoric spoke up. “Remind me not to make you guys mad,” he said. “Though I’m pretty sure we’re gonna find more than a few dead ponies when we get through this… or if. If is good.”

“The only ones that would tick us off would be those that would harm innocent lives. So you don't have anything to fear from us.” the Astartes replied. “But I’ve seen Seb get angry before… and the last guy who got him mad was lucky he didn't kill him outright.”

“Are we going to hover here all day, or are we going to take out this Chrystalla character?” Tahu demanded, from the cargo hold.

“Hey, chill, hot head. We’re arriving right now.” Sebastian retorted as he brought the gunship to land, Sebaste and Viktor staying in the air. With a soft thump, the Thunderhawk landed, the landing gear taking the impact. Getting up, Sebastian summoned a weapon that Caldoric had never seen before: it was a bolter that had what looked like an energy coil on the top and two barrels, the bottom one glowing with energy. “Right, let's see what Chrystalla has to say, but don't attack unless she engages first. So for the love of Dorn, please tell Tahu to keep a lid on his temper.”

“I heard that!” Came the reply. “You left the voice boxy thing on!”

The Astartes facepalmed before switching the comlink off. “I'm never gonna get used to meeting actual characters from other series, and the only other Bionicle Displaced I’ve encountered was a Makuta Teridax…” he muttered.

“Dear Lord,” Caldoric said, as he struggled with getting the straps untied. “He can hop dimensions? That sure as fuck complicates things… and I don't think I'm ever getting out of this chair either.”

“What? No,no,no,no! Different Makuta! He’s not the one from the Bionicle universe!” Sebastian said, as he pulled out a combat knife. “Hold still for a sec…”

“Eep!” Said Caldoric, pulling away slightly. With a precise slash, Sebastian cut through the knot, barely scratching the Toa's armor in the process. “You know…” Caldoric began, shakily, as he stood up from the chair, “in hindsight, I probably could've just used my mask… sorry about the seat. Let’s go.”

“Hey, power to summon any Space Marine vehicle remember? That seat will be good as new the next time I summon this bad boy.” Sebastian chuckled as the two of them climbed down to meet with the others at the troop bay door. Both Alex and Rainblade were standing to the side, waiting for Sebastian.

“Alright,” Caldoric nervously addressed the 14 other heroes in the bay, “los gehts, and all that, I guess.”

The ramp lowered with a hiss, and the group walked out, weapons relaxed, but at the ready.

“Ah,” came Chrystalla's voice as they came into her line of view, “so you actually did come to surrender. We didn't think you had it in you. And you’ve brought us such mighty ships to swell our forces, too… how quaint.”

“Actually, we came for your surrender.” Sebastian retorted. “This isn't a battle you can win, Chrysalis.”

“Yeah, and that’s not the only point you got wrong,” Caldoric added, as the giant Thunderhawk vanished, “we have a saying back on Earth: ‘beware of Spartans Bearing gifts,’ right?”

Sebastian nodded before he looked at the Queen. “You've already had a taste of what my friends and I are capable of. And that was just us going easy on you. We have more powerful weapons and vehicles that can reduce your entire army to ashes in just seconds.” He growled.

“I ain't even touched the Homestuck stuff yet, either,” Caldoric added, holding up the ring with four alabaster orbs from before, “because I theoretically could level at least this city with just this ring, assuming it works.”

“An’ Ah’ll say ya got yersel’ a beatin’ comin’ yer way,” Applejack added.

Chrystalla just laughed. “Oh, we almost hoped you’d say that. Of course, we also planned for you to come and start making threats, it’s so typical of you hero types. Which is why we aren't really here at all…!” And with that, she vanished in a flash of green light as Caldoric lunged forward to try and stop her. “Enjoy this in our stead, however,” her voice echoed, as the lone Toa backed off and two other Equestrian figures appeared in Crystalla’s place: Nightmare Moon, and her fiery-maned sister.

“Oh bugger me with a plasma gun….” Sebastian groaned. “Seb… we need some backup here!” He voxed.

*On it, Vik, light em up!* Both Hornets opened fire with both weapon systems, a storm of bullets and missiles streaking towards the two princesses. With barely a glimmer of energy on each of their respective horns, the twin Alicorn nightmares erected reactive partial bubble shields, which appeared only where they were needed to intercept an incoming projectile and annihilate it.

“Such control, such power…!” Twilight remarked, fearfully. “Even Celestia couldn't normally do that on her best day! What…?”

“Then allow me to introduce you to her dark side: Solar Flare, or Nightmare Star, as she dubbed by the fans on my world…” Caldoric replied, gesturing at the fallen Celestia.

*Okay, that didn't work… Vik, desummon your Hornet, we’re engaging on foot!* Both Hornets suddenly vanished, causing both Spartans to fall, only for the thrusters on their armor to arrest their flight. They both executed a combat roll as they landed, assault rifles in hand.

“Gali, Kopaka! Remember your visions! You’ll know what to do!” Caldoric cried, readying himself to face the threat. “Together we stand, but united we soar! Three shall become Wairuha, and walk the path of wisdom! Three shall become Akamai, and walk the path of the warrior! Only by uniting will the Toa find the strength to triumph!”

“Meanwhile, the Spartans play tag with Solar Flare and Nightmare Moon!” Sebaste yelled as he dodged a blast from Nightmare Moon. “Gah, next time I see whoever came up with the Nightmare version of Celestia, I'm gonna send them through a wall!”

“Ooh, ooh! I love tag!” Pinkie exclaimed, effortlessly keeping away from the thaumic bursts and beams of the dark duo. Seconds later, she popped up next to Nightmare Moon and booped her on the nose with a forehoof. “Tag, you’re it!”

“I thought it was supposed to be a semi-canon idea, with everyone having a Nightmare side!” Caldoric retorted to Sebaste, as he vainly tried to get close enough to land a blow. “So blame Faust for that!”

“Hey Nightmare, what has wings, a horn and is black and blue?” Viktor's voice asked from behind Nightmare Moon, but he was nowhere to be seen.

There were two flashes of light from where the Toa Mata were standing, and suddenly a new voice cut through the chatter.

“Ah, it’s good to be back!” One of the two new giant biomechanical figures exclaimed. “How 'bout you, Wairuha?”

The other figure shrugged and chuckled. “I’m not so sure I'd define it as 'good’ that we were needed again so soon, Akamai…”

“Dear Celestia!” Rarity exclaimed, momentarily distracted.

“Vik, whatever you have planned, now's a good time!” Sebastian grunted as he ducked a blast from Solar Flare. Nightmare Moon suddenly flew into the side of a building while Solar Flare was sent sliding as Viktor appeared from thin air, a Gravity Hammer in his hands. “Sorry, didn't see you there!” The Spartan snarked.

“Hold, little ones,” Wairuha said, “my brother and I can take it from here. The rest of you should worry about the mass of foes around us.”

“Though the largest of you warriors and the golden-domed one are welcome to stay.” Akamai suggested.

“If it’s alright with you, I’d rather have my whole team with me.” Sebaste said. “Rainblade, help the girls!”

“You got it Seb!” Rainblade saluted and flew off to where the Mane Six were fighting. Alex walked up, her sword drawn and a magnum in her left hand, while Sebastian had summoned the pair of lightning claws he had fought with in the castle. Viktor appeared next to them after having used his active Camo to retreat, his Gravity Hammer in his hands while Sebaste had gone for dual energy swords.

“Hey, toss me one of those, will ya?” Caldoric asked of Sebaste. “I’ve always wanted to use one with a Lightsaber…”

“Don't you already have one?” Viktor asked.

“Everything vanished when I summoned you!”

Rolling his eyes, Sebaste tossed one of the energy swords to Caldoric, summoning a Spiker to replace it. As he did so, a single song began blaring from Viktor's external speakers.

Caldoric caught the blade, its energy turning from bluish-purple to a lime green as he drew a lightsaber. “Thanks man, and good luck. Shit’s 'bout to get real with those two around!” He said, before he rushed off to help the Elements.

Sebaste chuckled before he looked at the two princesses-turned-Nightmares. “Okay, Caldoric said they're being controlled by that armor they're wearing. Remove that, they go back to normal.” His eyes narrowed, as the two Toa Kaita engaged the fallen sovereign sisters. “I'm so gonna make Chrysalis and Sombra regret doing this to the ponies…..” With a roar, the four charged, their battle cry ringing through the air: “For the Emperor and the UNSC! FOR EQUESTRIA!”

“Blood for the blood god!” they heard Caldoric's distant voice answer, unhelpfully.

The two Kaita, aided by the Spartans and Astartes, were a worthy match for the two dark Alicorns, and this time, the battle raged on more furiously than ever. Nothing less than victory would satisfy these proud warriors.

Dodging between the two Kaita, Sebaste fired a burst from his Spiker, the iron spikes smashing into Solar Flare’s armor, causing her to turn and leave herself open to a strike from Viktor's hammer, sending her flying towards Akamai. The armored titan, for his part, delivered an airborne roundhouse kick that sent her flying through a building.

“What, you scurry away like a tiny Hoto bug?” He taunted her, shaking his sword in her direction and then mimicked the delivery of several powerful blows with his fists.

“Do not taunt them, Akamai,” Wairuha warned his brother, as he dueled the younger of the two sisters. “Remember, that they are unwilling servants of darkness. We should finish this quickly.”

“Agreed.” Sebastian said as he blindsided Nightmare Moon, delivering powerful slashes with his weapons, before his backpack changed into a jump pack, and he leapt into the air as a blast of arcane energy from Alex smashed into the moon goddess, sending her skidding before Sebastian slammed into her as his jump arc intercepted her.

Showing a remarkable dexterity for a being of her general build, Nightmare Moon quickly recovered, and then leapt an impressive distance straight at the foe she deemed most dangerous: Wairuha. She delivered a mighty flying kick with her hind legs.

Despite his immense strength, the strike sent Wairuha staggering back a few steps as she enclosed him in her telekinetic grip. Using all his might, he barely managed to rip through the thaumic envelope, and then sent her flying into a wall with a blow from his shield.

“Get ready, they're gonna be very ticked off…” Sebaste warned. No sooner had the words left his mouth, than Nightmare Star blasted apart the building she's been knocked through, and slammed into Akamai, sending them both back several meters along the square as she summoned multiple spectral halberds to strike him with. Nightmare Moon, however, slowly began advancing on Wairuha once more, several stellar swords appearing around her, which then entered into a hypnotic weaving dance.

“I don't know why you have chosen to oppose us, ancient ones,” the fallen guardian of the night said, “but for your treachery, you shall pay.”

Turning towards her once more, and raising an eyebrow, Wairuha sucked in a deep breath, feeling his powers -- of ice, water, and wind -- expand and merge within him. A moment later, he let it out in her direction, and a raging blizzard exploded around them all, encompassing the square, then the city, and finally the mountain itself.

“Brrrr, who turned on the cold?!” Viktor asked. Alex gasped as the abysmal temperatures started to freeze the gears in her prosthetic arm.

“Shit! Wairuha, you big idiot, your blizzard just handicapped Alex! The gears in her arm can't withstand the freezing temperatures!” Sebaste snapped as he used his thrusters to slam into Nightmare Moon and sending her tumbling into a rock wall.

“Then allow me to turn up the heat! Head’s up!” Akamai said, as the ground beneath them began to rumble: he, too, had begun to use his combined powers. A giant crater exploded where the fountain had once stood, spraying stone, earth, and lava in every direction. Soon, another appeared elsewhere in the square, and another, more and more of them erupting into existence throughout the area and driving the two sisters together, finally encircling them in a moat of lava. They couldn't safely take to the air, for fear of being hit with chunks of flaming stone: they were trapped.

Wairuha focused his energy into the blizzard, bending it to his will, controlling it. He concentrated with every fiber of his being, everything he had -- logic, instinct, and impulse, guiding him all at once. Soon, he had managed to compress the might of the massive storm into a single, narrow beam of pure, cold energy.

He turned it towards the two sisters, who in turn fired their own beams of energy, meeting his just shy of the moat. The very air around the longer beam crackled with frost, as the sister's power was slowly pushed back. With a flash, Solar Flare vanished, leaving her sister to fend for herself, as the beam washed over her, freezing the younger sister in a huge chunk of ice. The elder sister reappeared elsewhere in the square, only to be tackled by Akamai.

“Well that's one way of getting your enemies to chill…” Viktor joked.

Suddenly, Nightmare Star blasted a gout of fire from her mouth, straight into her aggressor’s golden-masked face. It did little more than annoy him, however, as he tightened his grip on her windpipe ever so slightly. “She’s wiley, this one.” He stated.

“Hold her still, brother!” Wairuha cried, as he slowly, laboriously turned the beam in the fallen Alicorn's direction. Akamai moved just in time to avoid being frozen in place with her, and soon, an uneasy peace had settled over the courtyard. Fighting could still be heard throughout the city as the blizzard slowly dissipated, indicating the rescued ponies from the castle had joined in the fight as best they could.

“Well, that was a fun warm-up, what’s next?” Asked Akamai, stretching his shoulder.

“I’ll get the armor off Luna. Sasha, you get Celestia’s armor off.” Sebaste ordered as he leapt over the moat and landed in front of Nightmare Moon's frozen form. Using his energy sword, he carved an opening large enough to remove the armor from Luna.

Being adapted to the cold of space, she put up a little bit of a fight as they tried to remove the armor, but eventually they got it off. Celestia proved far less troublesome, even with her fiery mane starting to melt the ice ever-so-slightly. She mostly just held still and shivered, her coat having taken on a slight blue tint from being in the ice.

Once they had freed both princesses, Wairuha held out his massive hand for the armor. “Give them here,” he said, calmly and politely.

Both the Spartan and Astartes tossed the armor to Wairuha, before heading over to Celestia and Luna.

Wairuha carefully pried the largest crystal from the chestplate of both sets of armor, and handed them to Akamai. He then crushed both sets of armor into one solid lump of metal, and dropped it into the lava moat. Akamai, however, looked at the gems in his hand: one flaming crimson as the desert sun, the other the midnight black of a solar eclipse. “Strange,” he commented, “that something so small could be infused with such evil… some other dark force is at work here.” And with that, he, too, crushed the gems, and scattered their dust into the lava moat.

“Well, it seems that takes care of that,” Wairuha said, brushing off his hands.

“Not quite, brother,” Akamai disagreed, before he bent down and laid a hand against the ground. With a much softer rumble than before, the edges of the lava moat and the various other magma-filled holes that had appeared throughout the city shrunk and closed, like scars healing over. “There,” he said at last.

For now, the square looked normal once again, if you didn't count the shattered fountain, mounds of ice, and occasional snowdrift.

Sebaste meanwhile had stopped in front of the princesses, a symbol appearing on his left shoulder pad. “Are you two okay?” He asked gently.

“Ungh… whaa?” Celestia asked, groggily, her mane now back to its normal pastel-rainbow appearance.

“Did anypony get the number of that haycart?” Luna asked, sitting up and rubbing an eye with a fetlock.

There was a sudden clanking and grinding of gears, almost on a level with the sound effects of a Michael Bay Transformers movie, which drew everyone's attention. Where the two massive Toa Kaita had once stood, there were now two multicolored, biomechanical Dragons, each looking eerily similar to Wairuha and Akamai.

“Princesses, it has been a long time…” the green, blue and white one began, with Wairuha’s voice.

“Yes, perhaps a millennia, if not more,” agreed the red, black, and brown one, sounding like Akamai.

Sebaste gaped under his helmet. “What in Tartarus?! That… that's not even possible!!!” Alex, Viktor and Rainblade also had shocked expressions, while Sebastian chuckled quietly.

“It is good to see you, old friends,” Celestia said, standing up awkwardly, “we thought you and your constituents lost aeons ago, before we found the Elements and went to challenge Discord. What happened?”

“Wait, hold it for a sec!” Viktor interjected. “You mean you encountered the Toa… before they even arrived on Mata Nui?!”

“We are not sure what you mean by 'Toa,’ but if you are referring to the six Elemental Guardians,” Luna said, “then perhaps there has been a misunderstanding. We did not meet them…”

“We created them, as an insurance policy against Discord.” Celestia finished. “But, when we needed them most, they vanished, and we had to find something else.”

“Whoah, wait, what’s going on here?” Caldoric asked, arriving with the Element Bearers, Spike, and a disheveled-looking Lyra. “I thought that they came into being under the eye of the Order of-- um, nevermind…!”

Sebaste chuckled as Rainblade landed next to him. “That would be wise. But it does bring up a question… just how exactly are they able to… shift?” He asked, looking at the two princesses.

“Shift?” Both Princesses asked, looking at each other.

“Perhaps we should show them?” Akamai suggested. His brother nodded.

“They would find out sooner or later,” Wairuha replied. Then, with the same clanking of metal as before, and some Michael Bay-worthy mechanical transforming effects, there they both stood, humanoid once more.

Both princesses backed up several steps with startled sounds escaping them, as Caldoric stood there slack-jawed.

“H-how?” Celestia asked. “We never designed that to happen!”

“Agreed, and I'm sure I saw at least five pieces moving through each other as they did that…” Luna added.

“It’s because they're from an alternate universe.” Sebastian spoke up, the clank of his heavy boots heard as he walked up.

“Uhhhhhh… not exactly,” Akamai said, holding up a finger. “We’ll have to keep this brief, we don't have much time.”

“Indeed, I too feel the Toa within me beginning to seek individuality once more.” Wairuha said. “From our scattered memories, we can tell you this. Both stories are true. You two created these Elemental Guardians ages ago, in this world, and the Toa were created by the Order around the same time, in their world. Something happened, however, when they were finally deployed in that other reality…”

“Yes, perhaps when Teridax caused the Great Cataclysm,” Akamai continued, “or perhaps not. But whatever it was, your Guardians were yanked from this world, and their discorporeal forms latched onto their then-unconscious alternate selves. Or, so we surmise…” Suddenly he began glowing, as did his brother, and they both vanished, replaced by the Toa Mata, who staggered momentarily.

“Wh… what was that?” Tahu asked.

“That was the six of you becoming what we called you back on earth, the 'Toa Kaita’.” Sebaste replied. “Your most powerful form ever.”

“Well, there's always the possibility of a Toa Nui, but that's only hypothetical.” Caldoric added. “Nonetheless, these are the Toa Mata, heroes of the tropical island of Mata Nui.”

“And… who might you be?” Celestia asked. “You look so like them, but… so unlike them at the same time. And these others, they are wholly unfamiliar to us.”

“I am called Caldoric, for the time being.” Caldoric replied. “I kinda summoned these other guys a while back, though I'm not sure how… the smaller ones are Spartans and the big dude is an Asta… Astra…” he struggled to remember the word. “A Space Marine. Sorry.”

“Astartes…” Sebastian corrected. “It's alright. It’s not exactly the easiest thing to pronounce.”

“Yeah, especially since his author has never actually heard it pronounced,” said Pinkie as she bounced by them, her frazzled mane a little scorched, and still bearing a few bouldering embers. “He’s only ever seen it in writing…”

“Oh, come on, enough fourth-wall breaking.” Caldoric demanded. “As much as I hate to play this trope, we’re not fictional characters in some story, as much as I wish that were true right now. Sure, someone somewhere in some backwater reality may be chronicling us, but stop implying we’re not real.”

“Anyways… You mentioned that you had questions for my team and I?” Sebaste asked Caldoric.

“Now’s the best time, ah reckon,” Applejack said, pointing at the skies as cheers rang out through the city. Clouds of Shardlings were seen fleeing the city, retreating for the time being.

“Well, that's convenient…” Twilight said.

Caldoric narrowed his eyes. “I’m a bit suspicious about their sudden retreat, but I'll let it go… for now.” He then turned back to the four visitors he’d called upon back in the castle. “Perhaps we all have a few questions for you guys. My first, however, is this… have you four considered trying to replicate that Halo Forge weapons glitch? The one that makes a weapon have the attributes of something else?” The Toa, princesses, and Elements looked at each other in confusion.

“Not exactly… I have been toying with the idea of doing that, but with the war back home going on… I haven't really been able to test it out.” Sebaste replied.

“Ah. Well, you’re welcome to try here, for as long as you’re willing to stay.” Caldoric said, then paused. “If… it’s ok with the Princesses, I guess…”

“I need to get back to our Equestria… I don’t exactly like leaving it unguarded, and right now, Ponyville is under threat from rebel forces.” Sebaste said. “But I guess I can linger for a bit. Unless… Alex, mind opening a portal?” She nodded before her gauntlet glowed and a vortex opened up in front of the two. Sebaste seemed to concentrate before a hardlight version of himself appeared next to him. “Tell Twilight that me and the others are gonna be awhile.” He said. The hologram nodded before walking through the portal, which closed with a hiss.

“What was that, a Shadow Clone?” Caldoric asked, sitting down and stowing the green energy sword. He had a feeling it was about to be a long story. He was also tired.

“Hardlight copy. It's an ability I’ve had since I was first Displaced, but I didn't use it until…” His tone darkened. “You see, I’ve been Displaced not once, but twice. The first time I had been Displaced, a friend of mine and I fought a group called the New Black Legion, lead by a Displaced named Ahriman. The Equestria we had been living on… was devastated, and we lost both princesses and Applejack. Rainblade was kidnapped by Ahriman's version of Rainbow Dash and became what she looks like now. A few years later, I was sent the Equestria I live in now by a being called a Displacer. But my past is not something I like remembering.” The Spartan sighed. “Next question?”

Caldoric sat there for a moment, taking it all in as Rarity came up to the Spartan and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. Caldoric was about to speak, but Lyra beat him to it.

“What’s ‘Displaced’? And where are you five from, exactly?” She asked, eagerly.

“A Displaced, or Dimensionally Misplaced, is a human that's been sent to Equestria as a character from a game, movie, comic book, or any fandom, by either a being called a Void Dweller, or as the four of us found out, a being called the Merchant. You're familiar with the Multiverse theory, right?” He asked Caldoric.

“Pretty much…” The Toa started, before Lyra made a 'Squeee’-ing noise, and fell over from excitement. “So, we’ve been shunted to different versions of Equestria to aid in their defense against various evils, and if we mess up bad enough, we get 're-displaced,’ yes?”

Sebaste sighed. “I was a special case, but yes, there are multiple versions of Equestria, each with its own Displaced. And each Displaced is different, you have some good, and some… I personally wish I could teach them a lesson. We come from one such Equestria. But the way we contact each other is through objects called tokens. That's how you called us over. You basically choose something that relates to you or the character you’ve become, and after saying a phrase, you send it into the Void, or the space between universes.” He explained.

Caldoric nodded. “Sounds… simple enough. Unfortunately, the items that I found kinda, y’know, vanished before you arrived. I think I mentioned that… so, if I need to contact you again, how would I get in contact?”

Sebaste chuckled, before the assault rifle that served as his token appeared in his hands and he tossed it to Caldoric. “Nice thing about this power, you can summon your token at any time. And don't worry about it disappearing on you the next time you call on me or the others.” He said as he took his helmet off, revealing his scarred face.

“It better not,” Caldoric said with a playful smile, “though I was wondering if I could get another one of that whip-blade? There was a type of character in a game I used to play, called 'Maplestory,’ that used a similar type of weapon, and I wanted to see if I could try and… recreate some of the skills they used.”

Alex stepped up and drew her sword, but then a copy of her weapon appeared in her gauntlet. She then embedded the blade into the ground. “It's actually called a snake sword. But I guess a whip-blade is also accurate.” She said as she stepped back. She also took her helmet off, allowing her raven colored hair to whip in the wind.

“I’ll make sure to remember that…” Caldoric said, stepping forward and carefully pulling the sword from the ground.
“Although I've also heard of this type of blade being called a ‘chain sword.’ The more you know…”

Luna finally broke the silence that she and Celestia had been sharing. “Where are you from, exactly? And… how did you come to be here, in our land?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain… the short of it is that we come from a entirely different universe, from a planet called Earth. It's very different from Equestria, being we don't have magic and rely on technology, and that the human race is known for one thing only… war.” Sebaste said, a note of steel in his tone.

“Yup,” Caldoric agreed. “We humans can be rather violent, although I think that’s mostly to do with our genetics. We’re descended from primates, like gorillas and other large Simians. We kinda get it from them. As to how I got here… I came through the mirror, kinda, after it was 're-dialed’ to the Toa’s universe. I can explain later. But we’re all from different points on our home timeline, and from different places on Earth.”

“Anyways, any other questions for me and my team?” Sebaste asked, as Rainblade stood next to him. The Princesses shook their heads, a slight look of worry touching their regal faces. Twilight seemed interested, but refrained from asking anything just yet. Lyra, on the other hand…

“Tell me everything about your history!” She demanded. Caldoric facepalmed.

“Geez, and I thought Twilight was the egghead…” Rainblade remarked with a smirk, shifting her metal wings.

“Oh, she still is,” Rainbow replied, “but she’s toned it down a smidge since everything went down the drain. Especially after her niece, Flurry Heart, was kidnapped…” She looked away awkwardly.

“Believe me, I intend to have Chrystalla and Sombra pay for what they've done. But that's for another time…” Sebaste growled, his eyes turning hard. “Do any of you have anymore questions about the Displaced?” He then asked.

“Um… any jerks I should be wary of, or just avoid in general?” Caldoric asked. “Like, any particular tokens I should or shouldn't use?”

“I would advise caution if you encounter Ahriman. He’s an Astartes like Sasha, but more… corrupted. He usually has a reunite of three, a Khorne Berserker named Khârn, his version of Rainbow, who is a more heavily augmented version of Rainblade, and a Dæmon Princess version of Twilight.” Sebaste warned. “And he’s also a Void Dweller, after he and I had a little… spat in my old Equestria.

“Oh, joy,” Caldoric said, sarcastically. “Got a picture so I know what this Horrorterror-wannabe looks like?”

Sebaste activated the hologram projector on his helmet, and played the most recent encounter with Ahriman. A massive figure with blue and gold armor appeared in front of him, equipped with a staff that carried a gemlike eye between its twin prongs, and a helmet like Sebastian's, though with a different design that bore multiple horns, before it shifted to the same figure, but in much bulkier armor, with both a massive mace and a claw that had what looked to be a twin-barreled gun mounted on top of it. “This is Ahriman, leader of the New Black Legion.”

Lewa gave a low whistle from behind Sebaste, startling him with how silently he’d moved, then spoke. “That’s one nasty-ugly guy. Not even Makuta could love-cherish a face like that.”

“Looks sorta Egyptian in design…” Caldoric muttered, gesturing to the armor. “Though that could just be the color scheme.”

“In a way, it actually is. The Thousand Sons were actually made to look Egyptian in the 40K lore.” Sebastian explained.

“Anyways, some Displaced I do recommend you meet are an Anubis Cruger Displaced, a Spiderman OC of sorts, and a mother/nephew duo that got Displaced as the two main characters from SAO.”

“Ooh, I like that last one.” Caldoric exclaimed, his body language showing that he was starting to fanboy ever so slightly over the idea. “But yeah, that about sums it up for me… any news on if your world’s in danger? I’d hate to keep you too long, cool as you are.”

“One of us can head back. Besides, I need to report to my Celestia and Luna and give them an update.” Sebaste chuckled, before he remembered something. “Oh yes, if you're interested, a guy who got Displaced as Sun Wukong is opening up a school for Displaced to help train them to better control their powers. I'm actually one of the combat trainers there, but there are other classes.”

“Sounds fun, I might just swing by sometime.” Caldoric admitted. “Maybe I'll bring the Toa Mata with, if they're willing… how would I get there?”

“Talk to Sun, he might be able to admit you.” He tossed what looked like a gold coin to him. “This is his Token. Just… be prepared to see a ton of RWBY Displaced there.”

“Well, if that’s all,” Pinkie interjected, “I think it’s time for a 'we-just-kicked-Chrystalla's-flank,-retook-Canterlot,-and-survived’ party! Yeah!”

“Oonnn second thought…!” Caldoric responded, clapping his hands together and looking at his new allies with a nervous smile, “why don't we see if we can find the Crystal Mirror and get it up and running again? Then I can give you lot a tour of Mata Nui--!”

“Ohhhhhhhh, no you don't,” Pinkie said, tackling him, “you’re not getting out of one of my parties, mister grumpy-gills.”

“Help.” Caldoric groaned from the cobbles.

The four humans and Rainblade roared with laughter at what had just happened, soon followed by the others in the small crowd. “Sorry, but once Pinkie starts a party, there's no getting out of it.” Sebaste said as he caught his breath. He then looked at Alex. “Alex, open the portal. I'm heading back.” She nodded and a portal opened up.

Meanwhile, Caldoric used his Mask power and vanished from underneath Pinkie’s friendly pin, reappearing on a nearby roof. “Can’t stop what you can't catch!” He called, and vanished again.

“And you can't outrun what’s already here! It is on!” The party-planner replied, before she, too, disappeared in a blur of pink and a cloud of dust.

Sebaste chuckled before he gave a salute to the remaining Elements, Toa and the Princesses. “It was an honour meeting you all. I hope we see each other soon, and may Faust and Mata Nui protect you all.” He said.

“I agree,” said Celestia, as Luna nodded along, “though I hope our next encounter would be under less… pressing circumstances. Perhaps young Pinkie is right, though: a small party would do wonders to raise everypony’s spirits, and provide some relaxation. You are all welcome to join us, if you wish.”

“I would, but a soldier's work is never done. Especially one that's the leader of the Royal Guard reserves back in my Equestria.” Sebaste chuckled before he gave a nod to his companions. “You four have fun, you honestly deserve it.” He then walked through the portal and vanished, the portal closing after him with a hiss.

Seconds later, Caldoric reappeared in the courtyard, said “Catch!” and tossed several identical items at the three before vanishing again, with Pinkie appearing hot on his trail. As they caught the small trinkets, they each heard his voice as if he was speaking right in front of them.

”I am Toa Caldoric, Knight of Space. If you need a mountain moved, or an island lifted, then I'm your guy. Merely solve this small logic puzzle and I'll be there… or, if you're in a hurry, chuck it on the ground and call my name. Either way, I'll be there in a flash.”

Taking a closer look at the items they had received, they were revealed to each consist of a bronze Möbius loop bearing several long bumps along it’s length and a tiny cut near one side, and a silvery coin with a cut most of the way through it that allowed it to move somewhat freely around the loop itself.

Soon, everyone had made their way back to the castle, where a party was already in full swing, with Caldoric trussed up and hung from the ceiling like a piñata.

“I have no idea how this happened, honestly,” he said, as the Toa, Elements, Princesses, Rainblade, Spartans and the single Astartes entered the Throne room.

“It's Pinkie, you don't question it.” Viktor and Rainblade said at the same time in a deadpan tone.

“I question everything. How do you think I'm still alive?” Caldoric retorted.

Just then, four small figures burst into the room, three of them panting and scared. The fourth, while mostly composed, gave off a slight air of concern as she adjusted her yellow propeller beanie atop her purple hair.

“Oh no…” Alex whispered.

The three scared young fillies turned to her, gave a shout of shock, and zipped off to hide behind a pillar.

“Well, there goes the CMC, the brave leaders of the Canterlot rebellion,” remarked the fourth filly with a facehoof, whose flank bore an image of a large screw alongside a baseball.

“And that's the second Screwball I’ve met…” Viktor muttered as Alex knelt down near where the CMC were hiding.

“Hey, it’s alright.” She said gently, “There aren't anymore Shardlings to hurt you three.”

“Ah’m more concerned about you…” Applebloom said, her voice shaky as she backed away a bit.

“Applebloom!” Came Applejack's excited and relieved voice.

“Sweetie!”

“Scoots!”

In a flash, Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack were there, comforting their respective charges and holding them so tight it looked like they’d never let go again.

Alex gave a sad smile as she remembered doing the same thing with her parents whenever she had gotten scared. A stray tear streaked her left cheek as she watched.

The party lasted long into the night, with the Displaced humans occasionally offering up music to the DJ, Vinyl Scratch, who had also survived the fight. Caldoric’s “music privileges” were revoked by Pinkie, however, after the third or fourth time he tried to use it as an opportunity to escape. Didn't stop him from continuing to try, though.

The next morning, after everyone had gotten caught up and the visiting Displaced had almost finished saying their goodbyes, they were approached by a five-foot-two human wearing grey cargo pants and a white long-sleeved T-shirt under a short-sleeved black one. His long, dirty-blonde hair was tied back in a single braid, and he had a single piercing in his right ear. He also had some robotic elements to him, but otherwise looked normal.

“Caldoric?! Dang, you weren't kidding!” Sebastian said, his own armor having vanished thanks to the spell that the Twilight of his Equestria had put on it, revealing the shirt and jeans underneath. The other two were also out of their armor and, like Sebastian, were in the clothes that they had worn underneath the armor.

“Yeah, but it gets cold when I'm like this…” replied Caldoric. “At least, it’s been cold the last two mornings, so that's nothing to go on… and I'm rambling. I wanted to give you something.” He then held out four identical cubes, each one having something different sticking out of each side.

“They're called ‘Fidget Cubes,’ I thought you might find them useful if you get bored or whatever… or need to contact me without summoning me with my Token. They’re the ‘gamer’ color scheme.” He then took one and fiddled with it a bit, demonstrating his next point. “Just enter that old cheat code: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, A, B, A, B, start.” He mimicked the sequence on the cube, using first the joystick, then two of five buttons on one side, then clicking the lone ball bearing on a third. He then passed them to the others.

Sebastian nodded as he took his, before he summoned the single sword that served as his token, Viktor doing the same. “We never got to hand you the last two tokens that’ll summon us. If you ever need our help or Seb’s, don't be afraid to call us. And as a bonus…” He pulled out what looked like a floating blue crystal. “Seb forgot to mention the two that have this token. They’re old friends of mine that got sent to their Equestria as characters from a game called Brave Frontier. But don't underestimate them, they’re quite nasty when their friends get threatened.”They're known as the Blade Queen and Thunder Phoenix.” He tossed the crystal to Caldoric. “Who knows, you guys might encounter each other sometime soon.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, then. But, one last thing...” said Caldoric, catching it. He then held out his hands, and four silvery metal rods appeared in his grasp, one of them thicker and longer than the others. “You might have need of these. They’re lightsabers, except for the big one, which is technically a light club, and they should adopt a hilt design, blade style, and blade color that suits you upon the first activation… I had Twilight's help on making them last night, so use them well. Now… group photo, for the memories?”

The four nodded, Alex giving the Toa a small grin.

And so, Caldoric pulled out his phone and took a selfie-style picture of the five of them, four mostly-humans and a cyber-pegasus, then took another with everyone in their armor.

“It’s been fun having you guys,” Caldoric said, “and I hope you can visit soon. Just remember…” He then slipped into a song from “The Road to El Dorado” for a moment.

♪Friends never say goodbye… never say, goodbye…!♪

“...that, and if that ‘hairy-man’ guy shows up again, you’ve got a potential God-Tier Space player on your side.” Caldoric then hitched a thumb at himself.

Sebastian smirked. “We’ll see. Hope to see you at Beacon!” He said as Alex opened a portal. With a wave, he walked through the portal.

“See ya then!” Caldoric called. “Also, if you run across a young woman dressed like someone from Ranger’s Apprentice and calling herself ‘Lucid’ or ‘the Mage of Breath,’ tell her that her brother’s looking for her! I don't know if she was Displaced or not, so keep an eye out for me!”

Alex frowned as Viktor and Rainblade walked through the portal. “Seb mentioned that Displaced that are family or friends are usually sent to the same Equestria… so she may be in this universe. But we’ll keep an eye out all the same.” She gave a small wave. “See you guys then!” She then walked through and with a hiss, the portal closed.

Caldoric gave a wan smile and crossed his arms as he stared at where the portal had been. He had a feeling it was going to be a long and hard time before things started looking up for him, but it was easier to bear now he knew he wasn't alone in being Displaced. Now, to find that mirror, and see if he couldn't get it up and running again…

~~~~
Meanwhile,
With the Spartans...

The four burst out of the portal, only to be confronted by a scene of chaos. Rainbow and Rarity were lying on the floor unconscious, and what looked like electricity arced through their armor. Nearby, Pinkie and Applejack were in a similar state. Fluttershy was the only one that had managed to survive unscathed, while Twilight laid next to her, blade slashes scoring her armor and a few deep wounds on her unarmored parts. She shakily looked up as the four ran up. “Twilight, what the hell happened?!” Sebastian asked, looking around. “And where’s Nyx?”

“She's -nnng- in her room. As for what happened… while you guys were gone, a new human suddenly appeared in the castle, and it had armor like yours, but instead of shoulder pads, it had rings on its arms and its helmet was more ornate. When Sebaste asked who it was, it suddenly pulled out a gun and opened fire on us… it also shot lightning and used what looked like claws for close combat. All I know now is that Sebaste went after it, but he’s badly wounded after the two clashed while they were in here.” Twilight winced as Fluttershy wrapped a bandage around one of her wounds.

Sebastian frowned. “Did this human look like he or she was panicking?”

Twilight blinked. “Yes, actually… it did look like it was trying to get away.”

“And whoever that was just got away.” Sebaste's voice came from the doorway. “It's like he or she vanished…” The Spartan limped in, and Rainblade gasped. He had ruptures on his armor that looked like claw marks, and blood leaked out from them. There were also scorch marks that showed where he had been hit by lightning. He took a single step and collapsed. Rainblade quickly flew over to him while Alex ran over and began healing him.

'Whoever just showed up managed to rupture a high tech armor system… just who is this guy?’ Viktor thought.

Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of Ponyville, an armored figure landed gracefully behind a building and looked around, before removing its helmet to reveal a feminine face. 'Great, trapped in some sort of whacko pony world and nearly got killed by a Spartan… At least those martial art moves came in handy…’ she thought. 'But… how exactly did I even get here? All I remember was picking up those Venka claws from that Merchant at Tennocon, and next thing I know, I'm in some kind of room! I just hope that Alex and Vik are okay…’ Teresa thought, her thoughts going to her two younger siblings. '...and I need to figure out what exactly is happening here…’

Caldoric's Chaos, With A "Capitol" C

View Online

Ian gave a wan smile and crossed his arms as he stared at where the portal had been. He had a feeling it was going to be a long and hard time before things started looking up for him, but it was easier to bear now he knew he wasn't alone in being Displaced. Now, to find that mirror, and see if he couldn't get it up and running again…

Abruptly, his face clouded with frustration as he remembered something, and he slammed a hand against its respective hip in anger with a clank. "Dammit!" He muttered to himself, pinching the bridge of his mask. "I was going to ask what happened to the guy that that Eliteslayer dude was Displaced with... nothing good, I'd wager, given his tone when he mentioned his re-displacement. Argh."

Looking into his Strife Specibus, (the newly-acquired Gunkind abstratus, to be specific,) he summoned the Orbital Spartan's Token, the modified Assault Rifle, then paused. Would it really be worth it to summon him again, less than a minute after they'd left for home? No, Ian decided, he would be better off leaving his new allies to their own devices for now, and allow them to summon him first, should they need his assistance.

Ian then dropped his hands to his sides and turned his face to the skies, de-summoning the AR as his eyes screwed shut. "And I was going to ask for a sniper rifle... I knew it was too early for me not to forget something like that. Oh well, there's bound to be other Spartans out there who can summon weapons. There is a whole Multiverse out there, after all. Now, what was I doing?" He stood there for a moment, tapping his foot and mentally reviewing his train of thought since the others had left--

He snapped his fingers. "The mirror, that's right," he said, "time for me to go a-splorin' through this castle." He put a bit of a Southern twang on the word, an eccentric habit he'd picked up from his dad. Turning, he began to head through one of the Throne room's many exits, when another person's voice caught his ear.

"Caldoric! Wazzup, my human broski?"

Lyra. Of course it'd be her. She'd barely let Ian out of her sight since the previous night's party had started, and the human-obsessed mare was actually a major part of why he'd been so unsuccessful at trying to sneak away from it. Only Celestia's firm stance on the matter had kept Lyra from spending the night in the same room as him, where she probably would've stayed up watching him sleep.

"Yo, Equestria to the mythical alien dude!" Lyra suddenly said, standing on her hindlegs in front of Ian and waving her forehooves as close to his face as she could. So, he took the opportunity to firmly poke her in the soft underbelly, which caused her to double over with a snort and thusly faceplanted against his lower chestplate.

"Smooth," Ian commented, as he sidestepped around the mare and left her massaging her muzzle. "Wish I could stay and chat, but I've got a mirror to find, and an entire castle to turn upside-down in doing so."

"That's ok," she said, as she trotted over to his side and fell more-or-less in step with him as he walked. "We can walk and talk together! I'm sure you have nearly as many questions about us as I do about you, so why don't we alternate? Y'know, you go, then me, then you, then--"

"I know!" Ian shouted, stopping to turn and stare down into her startled face. "You know. I know... You know. I get the concept." He then took a deep breath, and continued walking, looking into the first room he came to. It didn't have anything resembling what he remembered the Mirror from the show to look like, so it was obviously not the "right" room. He closed the door, and moved on.

"Sooooooo... What's your first question?" Lyra asked, sticking her head in the door of the second room as he opened it, so he had to wait a few seconds before closing it again, lest he do so on her face.

"What's wrong with your head, that you're so obsessed with a fictional species that had literally no chance or premise for existing in your world?" Ian asked, sharply, as he peeked into another room, and quickly shut the door as something monstrous rushed it, and scrabbled to get out. "And what are they thinking, keeping something like that in the castle?"

When he looked back at the mint-green Unicorn, he saw her looking back with anger and a bit of hurt in her eyes. "Because," she said, ears pinning back, "there's something about you that we here in this world don't have: unity. Sure, everypony here is special, and has a talent for something or other, and everything here is just so magical and fantastic, and I'm sick of it. I want something a bit more... normal, with only a small hint of variety, where everypony's not so in-your-face different all the time." She then pointed at Ian's hands, as he opened yet another door.

"Also, I want something like those. They seem pretty handy."

"Har har," Ian replied, looking into another room, then continuing down the hall. "That joke is older than my grandmother."

"Anyways," Lyra continued, rolling her amber eyes as her ears drooped sideways, "I never said that it was possible for humans to have a chance of surviving here under normal circumstances. You just assumed it was possible. Your kind has never existed in this universe, but I was pretty sure that you existed in another universe somewhere. At least, according to Pinkie Pie..."

Ian scoffed, though whether it was directed at the locked door he'd just found, or at Lyra's statement, was hard to tell. There were some muffled sounds from the other side, but nothing immediately recognizable. "Mind unlocking this?" Ian asked, hitching a thumb at the door.

"Ah, ah, ah! That's another question!" Lyra admonished, wagging a forehoof. "And it's not your turn, because I haven't asked my first question yet."

"Oh, screw this, I'm drilling the lock," Ian said, throwing his hands in the air. He then summoned the Assault Rifle again, and held the end of the barrel about an inch from the door's keyhole.

"What, can't your robo-eyes just see through it with, like, X-Ray Vision or something?" Lyra asked, a bit concerned. Ian just gave her a flat look.

"Of course not, I'm a Toa, not freaking Superman," he said, as if that were an obvious fact. He then paused, and a thoughtful look crept over his face as he stowed the weapon again. "I can, however, summon a mask of X-Ray Vision. This is gonna take some getting used to..." He then held his hands out as if holding an open book, concentrated, and a silvery Kanohi Mask with three lenses on the right side appeared in his grasp. "Sweet." He held it up to his face, and--

"How'd you do that?"

Ian looked at Lyra, whose head was cocked to the side, her eyes wide in curiosity. "That's another question," he replied, and placed the mask over his face. He recoiled slightly as it's power rushed through him, and then continued speaking. "And you said we only get one per 'turn,' if I remember."

"You asked two on your turn. Technically three, if you wanna split hairs." She replied, skeptical. "So there."

"Actually, the first two were technically rhetorical, with the second being more for my own benefit, whilst the third was a request." Ian said, looking at the door, "so there-- Jegus!" He turned his attention away from the room he'd just been facing, closing his eyes and covering the mask's optics for good measure.

"Ohgodohgodohgod, I did not need to see that...! Seriously, they need to put a sock on the doorknob next time..."

"What?" Lyra demanded, looking between him and the door, concern evident in her voice. "What'd you see?"

"The less you know..." Ian said, vaguely, as he walked stiffly and purposefully away from the door. "New objective: find Brain Bleach..."

A slow smile slunk across Lyra's snout, then mutated into a superior smirk. "Oh, I can probably guess. Got an eyeful, did we, Caldoric?"

"More than I ever wanted." Ian said flatly. "But seriously: Brain Bleach, now, before it leaves a scar."

"Before what leaves a scar?" Kopaka asked, stepping around the intersection before them. "And how did you get that mask?"

~~~~
Caldoric deadpanned as he switched back to his Kualsi, the mask of Quick Travel. "What mask? This mask? I made it at home, before I ended--"

"No." Said Kopaka, drawing his sword and pointing it at Caldoric's chest. Even through his armor, the monochrome Toa could feel the sheer cold radiating from the split blade. "The other mask... The Akaku. It looks like the one I'm wearing."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." Caldoric said, holding his hands up slowly. "And even if I did have one, which I don't, why would that be an issue? All I'd be using it for is finding that Mirror we came through, and--"

"We came through a portal, not a mirror, if I remember correctly." Kopaka countered, calm, cool, and pointed as a freshly-sharpened icicle. "Unless you 'remember' something else that no one else does... something important." It better not have something to do with what's behind that door..." He leaned to one side, and the optics on his mask adjusted themselves, focusing in and out like camera lenses.

Caldoric pushed the point of Kopaka's sword to one side with one hand, and clamped the other over the right side of Kopaka's Kanohi as Lyra watched nervously. "Don't... look. It's not polite..." Caldoric pleaded.

"Neither is it polite to have your hand on my mask." the Toa of Ice retorted, shoving Caldoric aside and glaring at the door. Half a second later, he squinted and craned his head forward as one lens zoomed in as far as it would go. "What are they doing?!" He asked thoroughly confused enough to let his guard down.

It was all Caldoric needed to surge forward, seize Kopaka's Golden Mask by the lenses, and yank it off his face. Doing so, however, he found the freezing sword's point directly under his own chin.

"Give. That. Back." Kopaka demanded, his face now bare, and very angry. Caldoric was worried for a moment, seeing as being at swordpoint was a new experience, until he remembered something. He smiled.

"You wouldn't kill me." Caldoric stated, relaxing slightly. "I mean, not to sound like a villain or anything, but it'd go against everything the Toa stand for. Against the Toa Code itself. You can't kill me, not over something as simple as a Kanohi, or over me keeping you from seeing something you don't nee--"

The mask was abruptly ripped from his hands, enveloped in a golden-yellow aura that pulled it towards Lyra, whose horn was glowing the same color. "Seriously," she said, "can you two not fight? If Caldoric here says whatever he saw was bad enough that he needs Brain Bleach, and that you shouldn't have looked, then he's probably right."

Kopaka Shifted abruptly into his Runner form, his fluffy-feathered wings spread wide and threateningly from his biomechanical body, his mane and tail once more seemingly made of icicles and slices of blizzard. Without his mask, his now-equine face looked almost skeletal, and more than a little scary. "Give me... that mask..." He said, breathing heavily, "or you'll... regret it..."

Caldoric blinked forward with his own mask powers, grabbed Kopaka's Golden Kanohi, and hopped once in place as he looked over Kopaka's wings. With a flash, he was at the other end of the hall, and off running. So, too, was Lyra, hot on his trail, followed at length by a much slower, yet far angrier, Kopaka. As the raging Pegasus trailed his quarry, the area's ambient temperature dropped fast. Ice began forming on the stone and marble floors, and frost collected on the walls and windows. He might have been weakened without his mask, but he still had some form of control over his element deep in his Protosteel bones.

He would get his mask back, and find out what Caldoric was up to. No force in the universe would stop him, come Karzahni or high water.

~~~~
A floor above,
Canterlot Castle

Ian was seriously starting to have some regrets. Like, more than what had become "normal" over the past 48 hours or so. This issue with the Mask was just the icing on the cake. He ran, and ran, and ran, trying to outstrip Lyra's magic and equine speed with his own untested Toa power and augmented endurance, as well as a healthy dash of pure DETERMINATION.

He swung around a corner, using a handy pillar to swing his momentum the necessary amount, almost collided with Fluttershy and Gali (also in Runner form,) then sprinted past them as they tried to ask what was going on. Hearing a rush of water approaching from behind, Ian quickly teleported left at the next intersection, then warp-spammed up a flight of stairs to the next floor. There, he nearly bowled over Lewa (also in Runner form,) and Pinkie.

"What's the hurry-rush, brother?" The Pegasus-Toa of Air asked as he adjusted his wings, a few pine needles and other bits of plant matter falling from between his leaflike feathers. His mane and tail were like thin, wispy contrails, moving under their own wind, with the occasional bit of leaf or other skyborn debris fluttering through it and coming to rest on the floor. They moved like he was standing in a wind tunnel, but with everything in slow motion.

"Yeah, where's the fire?" Pinkie added, bouncing excitedly. "I wanna roast some marshmallows!"

"We're playing keep-away with Kopaka!" Ian said, bullshitting on the fly. "We gotta keep his mask away from him, the one with the longest running time wins and if he gets you, then you're out. You're it!" He then shoved the Kanohi in her hopefully more-than-capable hooves and booked it. As he barely registered their calls of confusion, Ian realized he was jittering all over from the adrenaline. So, he shifted from his normal running speed to the bounding, ground-eating strides he occasionally used if he was in a hurry. Like, a real hurry.

He then took a left at the next hallway intersection, and kept up with his combination running/teleportation method of flight.

~~~~
"What was that about?" Lewa asked, turning to his fellow prankster, and honorary Le-Matoran party-er, Pinkie Pie.

"Oh, he nabbed old Icy-Pants' mask off his face, and ran with it, and now Kopaka's angry. C'mon, let's show that stick-in-the-mud how to have some fun!" She replied, continuing to bounce with excitement, Kopaka's mask placed squarely on her own face.

"I'm not sure that's very wise-smart," Lewa admitted, scuffing a metal hoof against the flagstone flooring, knocking a small chip out of it.

"Oh, pshaw, who cares about smart? We do fun, remember?" She then tapped her forehoof to Lewa's nose, said "Boop!" and vanished down the hall in a cloud of pink-ish smoke.

Lewa smirked, adjusted the mask on his own face, then spread his wings and took off after his friend, just as Gali and Fluttershy crested the top of the stairs. "Lewa, have you--" Gali began, as he zoomed off. "Lewa! Come back here!"

"Nope!" He replied, and chuckled maddeningly as he activated his own Golden Mask's power of Speed, and promptly almost smashed into a wall.

"Oh, where's Pohatu when you need him?" The Unicorn-Toa of Water asked, shaking her head.

~~~~
Pohatu, walking next to Tahu through the castle, suddenly sneezed. Bringing a forehoof up to his face, he paused to rub his nose a bit, then shook his head to clear it. This caused his mane and tail, made of pebbles and small rocks held together by a mesh of interconnected coppery wires, to rattle against his dirt-brown Protosteel armor.

"Bless you," Tahu said, turning to look at his brother, his own fiery mane flowing gently with the motion. Where Celestia's mane and tail the previous day had been more akin to a raging inferno, throwing off light like a quasar having a fit, Tahu's were presently softer, more under control, almost like a candle's flame in comparison. Also like a candle, they gave off a soft, flickering light that was only outshone by the blueish-white flame-shaped light source on Tahu's long, glassy black horn, which looked almost like it was made from obsidian.

"Bless you," echoed Rarity and Rainbow, who had been walking alongside the two Toa, deep in discussion up to this point.

"Many thanks, brother, cousins," replied the large earth-stallion of Stone, adjusting his Mask of Speed. "What were you asking about again?"

"Oh, nothing much," Rarity said, waving a forehoof, "just wondering if you wanted help rebuilding a few of the houses out in the city later... or maybe a few creative pointers for your armor?" She tapped a hoof to her chin. "I mean, there's not much to work with, fashion-wise, but we could possibly add a piece or two to fancy you up a tad..."

"Ah, generous as always, cousin Rarity," Pohatu replied, touching a forehoof to his barrel, "I am touched. And your creative influence is always welcome. I'm proud to have gotten to know someone so artistic as you over the past week... I just wish Hafu would get along better with you."

Rainbow rolled her eyes, and mimed a gagging motion, whilst Tahu closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his blazing mane and tail momentarily blazing a bit brighter with his impatience.

Suddenly, Caldoric came barreling around the corner and pulled off a spectacular and unexpected two-handed vault over Tahu's head, passing nary more than an inch above the latter's horn, before landing and rolling under Pohatu. If the situation had occurred in a y form of cartoon, it definitely would have happened in a slo-mo, multi-shot scene, with extra focus on just how close the vault had been.

"I regret nothing!" The newest Toa exclaimed as he rounded a far corner and disappeared from sight. Seconds later, Lewa passed through the hallway, gliding above the heads of everyone present with a whoosh, and vanished down the hall Caldoric hadn't taken.

There was a distinctive missing element in the area's general illumination now that the two of them had just passed, which Tahu was quick to notice.

"Whoah, is my mane out?" He asked, swiftly bringing a hoof to the back of his neck, which was indeed devoid of flame. With a woomph! the flames returned, and he directed a glare in the direction that the two troublemakers had gone. Rarity and Pohatu chuckled softly, and Rainbow took off after Caldoric in a blur of Technicolor light to figure out what was up.

~~~~
Ian continued his flight through the castle, though he had slowed down a fair bit from exhaustion, and a feeling that he had gained some definite ground. So, he took a moment to pause by a bust of some theoretically important or prominent member of pony society, or perhaps a major historical figure. He was tempted to push it off its plinth, but decided against it.

Out of the blue, Ian was tackled from out of left field by none other than Rainbow Dash, and they ended up in a heap a little ways down the hall.

"So, what's the rush, big guy?" Rainbow asked, casually, from where she was laying on his back.

"Prank gone wrong," he said getting up and causing her the Pegasus to slide off of him, "Kopaka's mad. Like, really mad. At me, too. Think you can get him off my tail?"

Rainbow snorted. "Please. I've had more pranks go wrong than anypony else has pulled off pranks, combined. So, yeah, I can get him to... chill..."

Ian smirked. "That's the spirit. Now, up and at 'em! Bye!" With that, he was off again, with Rainbow going back the way she'd come in order to head off Kopaka... or maybe prank him in her own way. Anything to see that cold, emotionless face do more than give the barest hint of a smirk, or frown slightly at something he disapproved of.

This was gonna be so worth it.

~~~~
Kopaka was furious. Livid. Raging. He ran through a mental list of every word he could think of that was synonymous with "angry," and unfortunately for Caldoric, that spawn of a Brakas Monkey, it was a very long list.

"Hey Kopaka!"

He looked up from where he had been staring at the floor , eyes unfocused, as he had stalked through the castle halls. Before him stood that annoying pink mare, currently waving at him, who had made him flip his lid on her first day--

She had it. She had his mask. And she had the gall to be wearing it?! ON HER ACTUAL FACE?!?!

His expression contorted into a new mask of its own, one of an anger so pure, a fury so righteous, that it could possibly freeze its way straight through the very fabric of reality itself and into a new universe, fresh for the loathing. He let out an almost feral growl.

"Uh-oh," Pinkie said, eyes shrinking to pinpricks, before she zipped off in a blur of pink that left the mask spinning comically in the air for a moment. Just as it began to fall, though, she zipped back, grabbed it, and visually dopplered back down her chosen hallway.

The scream of rage that tore from his throat at that moment, which would probably leave him hoarse for a few days, echoed throughout the castle, signifying one thing, and one thing only: his calm demeanor had gone out the window. He had snapped, flipped his shit, officially done an acrobatic fucking pirouette off the handle and into the goddamn deep end of the highest member of the Noble Circle of Horrorterrors' backyard pool.

He. Was. Beyond. Mad.

Pure adrenaline flooded his system, and his eyes went from a blue glow that had nearly matched those of the unfortunate party-mare to a solid white, with wisps of super-cold steam beginning to curl away from his joints, in addition to his mouth and nose as he huffed and puffed. Then, without further ado, he surged forward, chasing after Pinkie, his rage lending him the strength and power needed to stay practically on her tail, slowly closing on her.

Less than a minute later, after zooming throughout the castle, Kopaka finally cornered Pinkie in a dead end. He breathing was quick, yet laborious, like a steam train trying to take a steep grade in the wrong gear. There were sheets of frost forming and sloughing off his armor with every breath, leaving a mess of ice beneath his intensely intimidating form. His mane and tail, however were... were...

Ok, let's put it like this: imagine that the mother of all blizzards had the unholiest of offspring with the father of all supernovas, alright? Now, take that, multiply it by about 1,000, and the result would be... approximately half of a melting snowflake in Hell compared to the hot, hot mess Kopaka's mane and tail had become, and that's being generous. Also, read "hot" as "so cold that Absolute Zero looked like the core of the Mangai Volcano back on Mata Nui."

"Kanohi... Mask..." he growled, barely coherent, "mine... all mine... give it... give it to me...! Now...!"

"Hey, back off!" Rainbow Dash said behind him, hovering in midair as she was often wont to do. Kopaka merely turned and looked at her for a moment, which shut her up and filled her with dread.

"Rainbow, catch!" Pinkie yelled, "it's keep-away!" Kopaka's head snapped around to his quarry in time to see her recovering from tossing--

He whipped around again, fury once more coming to a head as he saw the cyan Pegasus catch his mask. He growled, and her eyes, too, turned to pinpricks.

"Wh-- Ohhhhhhhh..." Rainbow said, and her heart seemed to freeze in her barrel-chested torso as the irate Pegasus-Toa of Ice reared up on his hind legs and spread his massive wings almost to the walls and ceiling. Fortunately, her auto-stampede instincts kicked in, causing her to nearly hit Sonic Rainboom speed as she vanished up the hallway, leaving behind an unusual rainbow trail in her wake. It was unusual in the fact that it had a streak of gold at the top, just above the red band, and that there was also a second, independent band of transparent yellow just below the indigo level.

Kopaka dropped from his rearing position and slammed his forehooves into the flagstones as hard as he could, simultaneously snapping both wings forward at the retreating form of Rainbow Dash with a shout of blistering rage. The motion sent a sub-arctic blast down the hall, freezing everything in its way, including her rainbow trail. Fortuitously, her instincts kicked in just in time, directing her to turn down a handy perpendicular hallway mere moments before the rush of cold energy would've frozen her solid. The frozen Technicolor trail lost all color as the captured photons slowly escaped, save for the secondary yellow streak, which fell to the ground and shattered. It was followed by the formerly gold-and-rainbow wake half a tick later.

With another roar of rage, Kopaka was off, and Pinkie was left alone, severely concerned for her friends, and no longer entirely sure this whole thing had been a game. On the off chance that it actually wasn't, however, she figured she ought to tell somepony. Probably good ol' Celestia, since she always knew what to do. So, hair flat, (due entirely to the ambient temperature, and having nothing to do with Kopaka's startling display of rage-fueled cryo-kinesis, regardless of anypony's claims to the contrary, no-sirree-bob,) Pinkie scurried off to find Celestia... and maybe a warm coat or twelve.

~~~~
Elsewhere in the castle:

Ian took note of Kopaka's latest rage-roar, and commented on it to himself as he made his way into one of the tower attics in this section of the castle. "Did you feel that?" He asked himself, only to immediately reply in a (marginally) different voice: "I could taste that...!"

Then he shook his head to clear it, and took a look around. "Verdammt," he swore, seeing no trace of the Crystal Mirror, "and I was so sure it'd be here..."

His ears, or whatever biomechanical equivalent he now had as a Toa, suddenly picked up the sounds of someone large coming up the stairs to the attic. So, he hid behind a sofa or something (he wasn't sure, what with the dim lighting, and his less-than-stellar knowledge of furniture terminology--)

"I can see you over there, behind that loveseat," came Onua's bass rumble of a voice. "You may not know this, but even as well-lit as the Onu-Koro plaza is lit, it's still much darker than this attic, and I can see in the darkness of the deepest mines just fine."

Ian relaxed. "Oh it's just you," he said, stepping out from behind the furniture. "What's up? What brings you up to my office?"

"I heard that our icy friend was on a rampage, and I was wondering if you perhaps knew anything about it." Onua shrugged, gesturing with a foreleg as he stepped fully into view. "Especially seeing as young Pinkamena told me something about a game of 'keep-away' involving his Kanohi, and how you're seemingly hiding up here, in one of the most unobtrusive locations of the castle."

Ian chuckled and shrugged in return. "Ok, I'll admit, it seems suspicious when you put it like that. But really, I'm just looking for the Mirror so we can go back to Mata Nui."

He would have said more, if there hadn't been a series of disturbances somewhere below. It kicked off with a crash, followed by Rainbow's voice giving a startled shout and Kopaka's now slightly hoarse voice yelling in anger, and ending in another crash that sounded like breaking glass.

Ian and Onua rushed over to a nearby roof-access hatch, and they shoved it open in time to see their Technicolor mutual friend hovering between their tower and another, holding Kopaka's mask between her forehooves, her body bearing several bruises and scratches, and there was a piece or two of glass stuck to her frame as well. She jerked to one side, and the two ebon-armored Toa were privileged with watching their alabaster ally crash through the already broken window a few floors below, streaking through the spot where Rainbow had just been.

He wasn't able to maintain his glide, however, and he fell several stories, leaving him to crash through a second window in the nearby tower.

Ian looked around as Onua muttered sympathetically about the rough landing Kopaka must have just experienced. The Human-turned-Toa spotted a series of windows that looked familiar, grabbed his Bruteshot, and jumped out the window into open air.

"Caldoric!" Onua cried, holding out a foreleg as he watched his friend leap, seemingly, to his own death. Ian, however, had other plans.

Aiming carefully, he fired off a single shot, which arced through the air and landed roughly on top of one of the normal windows, leaving the stained glass ones on either side untouched by the explosion. The afflicted one, however, was shattered, leaving a clear, unobstructed view into the hall beyond. With a flash, Ian was no longer falling in open air, instead landing on a hard floor covered in broken glass.

"Note to self," he groaned as he got up, glass crunching beneath his weight, "don't do that again."

He got up, scattering shards of glass as he did so, only to stop when he felt something small and blocky beneath his foot. Further investigation revealed it to be some sort of small circuit-breaker-like switch, made almost entirely out of the same brass-like material as Ian's own Token, only... cleaner-looking. The head of the switch itself was scooped, like a spoiler on a sports car, or the front blade on a bulldozer. It also had a blue-ish square of paint on the "front" of the device's main body, just beneath a small red arrow, the former of the two spots of color bearing a white "2" in its center.

As Ian held it in his hand, he heard a new voice speak in his mind: "If you need aid, call on the stars and Switch On!" It said.

"Well, that sure was a short message..." Ian muttered, eyeing the small device. Against his better judgement, he wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the device, and gave the scooped lever an experimental toggle with his thumb.

And oh, what a glorious toggle it was. There was just the right amount of resistance and stiffness behind the switch, up until it hit that magical point in the center where the internal spring took over and moved it the rest of the way... and the slight rattle of the click itself, that ambrosial ca-chk! sound it made, it was music to his ears. He gave it another flip... And another... Soon he was rocking it back and forth with wild abandon.

Click, click, click, click, click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click-click-click-click-click Oh, sweet Jegus, he just couldn't stop. That is, until he remembered that this was a Token, and not some toy, which meant that someone should be showing up shortly. Right?

No, apparently not, as his short-term memory kicked in and reminded him that the device had said to "call upon the stars and Switch On" in order to summon the speaker... which meant he was fine playing with it to his heart's content until such time as he needed it to work. So, he resumed clicking.

Ian smiled contentedly, slowing his switch-clicking to a more manageable rate, and began to take stock of his situation...

"Caldoric!" He heard Onua calling from the tower attic he's just left. Oh, right, forgot about that, Ian thought, and leaned out the window he'd just blown out.

"Yo!" He called, giving a single wave to get the Toa of Earth's attention. "I'm over here! I'm fine!"

"Mata Nui!" Onua called back half a second later, after Ian's own echo had come back to him. "Don't do that without warning someone first next time! If that had gone wrong, you'd be gravity-bones right now!"

"Could've been, but I'm not!" Ian replied, then sidestepped as Rainbow came up to the window at speed. She airbraked with her wings in mid flight, coming to a hovering stop just before she would've smashed through the opposite window.

"Hey, just thought I'd give this back to you..." She told Ian breathlessly. "It's more trouble than it's worth, both taking care of this fouled prank or whatever and keeping that mask out of Kopaka's range... So I gotta drop one or the other. I mean, I could totally handle it for, like, another few hours, but I still gotta take a breather some time. Don't wanna... pull a muscle, yeah. That's it." She reared back and mimicked a few punches with her forelegs, using her wings to keep herself upright, then settled back down on all fours. "Gotta keep in tip-top fighting shape and all that. Can't let those Shardlings get any ideas about getting the drop on old Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer around. As if it's ever happen anyways... 'KThanksBye!" And with that, she zipped off the way she'd come, out into the open mountain air...

Maybe that's why it's so cold here... Ian thought to himself as he clutched the mask, looking out the window again. We're up on a mountain around cloud level, in what's almost literally a cloud city. Nice to finally figure that out.

"CALDORIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC!!!!" Ian heard Kopaka's normally quiet voice shout, as he looked down a tad and saw the Toa of Ice glaring at him from an open window. His teeth were bared, his ears pinned back, his stance was aggressive, and his wings were spread wide. "Give me that mask right now, or else! You've gone too far with this!"

"I don't know, I'd rather not toss it and risk having it fall and break on the ground far below." Ian said. "You're just going to have to come and get it."

"No, I know you can teleport, so get over here right now and give me that mask!" Kopaka demanded, stamping a hoof against the windowsill.

"Yeah, when Hell freezes over," Ian replied, realizing his accidental pun, "you're just anxious to beat me to a pulp first!"

"Trust me, this Hell of yours will be in an ice age by the time I'm done with you, whatever the Karzahni 'Hell' is..."

"Later, popsicle-breath!" Ian called, rolling his eyes. "You know where to find me." With that, he walked away from the window, and headed towards an elaborate-looking door at the closer end of the suddenly familiar hallway. The stained glass windows... they depicted the various times that the Elements of Harmony had been successfully utilized against some of Equestria's greatest foes, as well as some of the events leading up to their use.

Which meant that the door before him, with three large pale gems on either side of it, and a giant eight-pointed starburst in its center, was... oh, what had it been called? The Vault? Eh, it didn't matter. If he remember correctly, it was (or, it had been,) protected by an enchantment that only Celestia and Discord could break. So, Ian decided to give it a shot.

Summoning the strange sword he'd bought from the Merchant, he unsheathed it, only to stop and look at the blade for a moment. It looked, at first glance, like a simple saber, though with a blade made of Specular Hematite. However, when one actually looked at the blade, they would find it to be quite unusual indeed: it appeared to be made of some form of crystal containing a field of stars... only upon moving it was its true nature hinted at. The "stars" appeared to stay in place as the blade moved, with the sword seeming to provide a window into the void of space beyond the planet's atmosphere, even catching a glimpse of the Sun itself if you held it in the right place.

Ian, having already experimented with it the previous night before sleeping, found this to be nothing new, and chose to stick the blade up to its hilt into the single cylindrical hole in the door's otherwise flat surface, then turn it 90° clockwise. Nothing happened, short of a grating sound as the sword's blade scratched the inside of the "lock." He tried the other direction, with the same result.

Ian frowned at the door, leaving the sword in its place, and thought for a second. With a half-formed idea that was more instinct than any real form of a plan, he reverently grasped the sword's handle with both hands, closed his eyes, and then...

He just kind of... reached out with his mind, and... imagined exerting his will through the blade, using it as a focus for his very essence--

"Alohamora," he whispered, half subconsciously.

With a glow, the door split into six sharpened wedges, which retracted into the rectangular frame with a heavy grinding sound, unsettled dust cascading to the ground. The sword tip dropped to the floor, held loosely in Ian's hands. He removed one from the hilt and stared at it for a moment. Had he really just bested a super-powerful sealing spell by himself in one go? Or was somebody else playing him for a fool, setting him up to fall from a distance?

"Probably the latter," he muttered darkly, stowing the sword once more and setting Kopaka's mask against the wall just outside the doorframe. Looking beyond the entryway, as magical torches ignited themselves after years of darkness, he raised an eyebrow. Yep, this was simply one hell of a vault, all right. Probably bigger on the inside, too... Though there wasn't much in it. Mostly objects that looked to be mere trinkets...

The occasional pendant or necklace, a few weapons (both broken and whole,) some coins and gems, clothing and accessories, etc. And all of it was from Earth, no doubt about it.

"What is this?" Ian asked himself, before noticing a flash of light from deeper within the Vault. Sidestepping the first pedestal just inside the door, which had once housed the Elements themselves, he scurried over to the source of the flash, before tipping his head in confusion. Why was there a bronze Möbius loop, which was identical to the logic puzzle Ian had used for his Token, sitting on a pedestal of its own, with the slotted coin removed and set to one side?

Sudden realization dawned. All these nick-nacks, these trinkets... "These are all tokens, aren't they? Cool..." Ian breathed, before noting a few empty pedestals down the line. Some had plaques bearing descriptions of the items that were meant to be there, including their messages, whilst others had no such distinction. These last were obviously set aside for new arrivals...

And at the back of the room was the Crystal Mirror, leaned against the wall, each of the eleven gems along its outer rim bearing a different and unique color. The little mirror set at the arched mirror's apex bore a silhouetted image... But not of a rearing pony.

No, it bore the Bionicle logo itself, the one that had later come to symbolize the shattered world of Spherus Magna... Ian decided to take a moment to snap a photo with his phone, just in case, and then put it in his pocket.

"Wow, looks like you've caused some real chaos..." Someone said from behind him, near the door. Ian turned and saw, silhouetted in the doorway, the form of a filly wearing a propeller beanie, her hair curled and poofy. "My dad'd be impressed, if he were still himself." She then walked farther into the room, winding between some of the pedestals, while giving others an obviously wide berth.

"You..." Ian said, looking at her as she walked by his leg, where she paused for a moment. The filly tilted her head back, looking him straight in the eye, with a manic smile on her face. "You're Discord's daughter... Screwball, I think Sebaste's friends called you." He made sure to avoid looking directly at her spiralling irises, on the off chance hypnotism was a thing that could happen with her.

Screwball then resumed her previous trajectory, walking up to the Crystal Mirror and laying a foreleg on the lavender horseshoe-shaped frame, stroking it gently. "Yeesh, daddy sure did a number on this old thing... I'm not sure it'll ever be the same." She said, then continued talking in a bit of a sing-song voice: "I sure feel sorry for you now..."

"Wait, what? Why?" Ian asked, a bit confused. Screwball then turned and fixed him with a creepy stare, complimented by a totally unnerving smile. As a song by Celldweller that Ian recognized spontaneously began playing from his phone, Discord's daughter opened her mouth and began singing along:

♪Your luck is sliding like a bat out of hell;
♪You're empty-handed at your life's show and tell,
♪And you've no idea what's coming now...!♪
Screwball intoned, beginning to pace around Ian's legs. He was unsure what to make of this new, vaguely menacing behavior, unsure if it was usual or not for her.
♪One million voices call from the other side,
♪If you could hear them then you'd be terrified!
♪Good luck... you're f_cked.
♪Yeah, I'd hate to see you go, man, but anyone knows you're screwed.
♪Good luck... you're f_cked.
♪It's like a losing game of hangman, the letter we need is U
♪U, U, U!♪

Just then, as she finally came to a stop and sat by one of his feet with a chuckle, the doors at the far end of the hall burst open, allowing Ian an unprecedented view of Kopaka's full, cold fury. The Toa of Ice was now so angry that he had descended into a stare of deadly calm, though he was still blowing cold steam from his nose as he pawed the ground.

"Good luck!" Screwball said with a smile, before dissolving into a cloud of lavender smoke that quickly dissipated.

"Give me my mask..." Kopaka demanded once again, moving forward into the hall. This allowed everyone behind him, from Spike, the CMC, and the Toa Mata, to Lyra, the Element Bearers, and the Princesses, to fan out.

"Um, it's right there..." Ian said, gesturing back to the doorframe. Kopaka then proceeded to pounce on his mask, quickly smashing it onto his face, then stood up straight. There was a new intensity in his eyes, one that Ian wasn't sure he liked.

"Well, looks like the trail's gone cold, Caldoric." Kopaka said, advancing slowly. "Time for you to cool your heels in the cells downstairs."

"Chill out, Kopaka," Ian replied, holding his hands up placatingly, "I have a perfectly reasonable explanation..."

"Indeed," added Celestia, "I believe that the decision to do that is up to myself and my sister, with the guard temporarily out of commission."

"Princess!" Twilight interjected, "Discord's still under Chrystalla's control, and Caldoric was just talking with Screwball immediately after causing a series of events that generated chaos throughout the castle. Shouldn't we be at least a little pragmatic about this?"

Ian raised a hand, about to reply, when he felt a sudden pull in his lower abdomen... a sort of jerk, like someone had attached a hook to the backside of his navel...

~~~~
As everyone watched, Caldoric abruptly doubled over, clutching his midriff, before the space he was occupying flashed black, then white, and then finally seemed to become a Caldoric-shaped hole in space and time that opened onto intense green fire and yellow lightning, all in the space of a fraction of a second. It then seemed to expand to fill their entire field of vision over the next half second as everything else that wasn't part of the "hole" became a solid, matching shade of green.

Just as suddenly, everything was back to normal, as if nothing had happened. One thing had changed, however: Caldoric was gone, with no chance of tracing where (or when) he had disappeared to, though several of the more lightweight objects in the room rocked slightly, as if his disappearance had caused a minor spot of air displacement.

Kopaka blinked momentarily, then rubbed his eyes. "Where'd he go? Where is he? I have unfinished business with him!" And, with that, he charged from the room, Shifting back to his bipedal form, his expression making it clear he was prepared to turn the whole of Canterlot upside down to find his target.

Upon The Olethros (Or, "The Fuck's A Space Hulk?")

View Online

Author's Note 1:
OK, bear with me for a bit. Things are gonna get a bit wierd in this chapter, but there are reasons as to why that is so. So... enjoy!

Hakann groaned, his eyes slowly opening, before adapting to the darkness of the hallway. Massive pipes moved across the hall, mixed with stone walls and metal walkways. A dim blue glow from below was the only source of light in the hallway, and the Crimson Piraka heard the dripping of water nearby.

“Where in Mata Nui…..?” He groaned, getting up from the uncomfortable floor. Glancing around, he found the rest of the Piraka laying on the ground as well, only just beginning to stir from their slumber.

“Hey, you idiots, wake up!” Hakann growled groggily, kicking the closest one, Vezok. “We ain't in the base anymore.”

3 Minutes Later

“So where the hell are we?” Zaktan asked, once everyone had gotten up.

“Hell if I know. This place looks like some sort of industrialized castle catacomb or something.” Hakann replied, looking around again.

As he did so, the world seemed to freeze in place for a moment. As they watched, what could only be described as the three-dimensional outline of a humanoid clutching their lower abdomen seemed to shrink into existence from everywhere at once in a fraction of a second. As it did this, everything "outside" of it became obscured by a wash of emerald green light, though everything directly on the other side of it from the viewer seemed completely normal.

This lasted until the inverse silhouette had reached the size of a Piraka, at which point it immediately ceased shrinking and turned a completely opaque black. This new darkness quickly faded into the form of a new Toa, who was indeed clutching his abdomen, whilst the wash of green light turned white for an instant, then faded.

All of this had taken place in less than the blink of an eye.

This new stranger, whose armor's color scheme matched no element recognized by those present, was similar in build to the old Toa Mata, though there were some noticeable differences. His torso, mask, feet, hands, and left shoulder were midnight black, with his Mask of Quick Travel bearing a stylized green image of an eye over the left eyehole. His legs,
hips, and fingers were a dark gunmetal grey, while his arms were a stark white below shoulder level. The only things that broke the aesthetic were the silvery plate seemingly bolted to his outer right forearm, and the silver plates on the same arm's shoulder.

His eyes and heartlight were a pleasant lime green, which closely matched the color of the symbol emblazoned upon his mask.

The newcomer blinked and looked around a little. "Ohhh..." He groaned, facepalming, "what now?" His gaze finally settled on the six other occupants of the unfamiliar hallway, and his glowing eyes filled with fear and… was that recognition?

“Gyaaah!” He cried, skipping backwards a few steps before he finally managed to trip over his own feet and fall on his back. “P-Piraka…!”

“Oh great. Like we didn't just get done with a bunch of Dark Toa.” Reidak groaned, rolling his eyes. “So, who in Mata Nui’s name are you?” The other Piraka aimed their respective weapons at the newcomer.

“Um…!” He said. “I-I’m Caldoric… I'm familiar with you guys, though; you’re a bit famous amongst a certain crowd where I come from…” 'Caldoric’ then clamped a hand over his own mouth.

“Oh, he's another one of those ‘Displaced’.” Avak sighed, and lowered his weapon. The others did the same.

“So, you're familiar with us former humans running around the Multiverse?” The Toa asked, hands held in a sort of “I surrender” gesture.

“Well yeah, we are also Displaced.” Hakann replied, examining Caldoric. “Though I thought we were supposed to ‘summon’ you for you to appear.”

“You mean… you didn't summon me?” Caldoric asked. “That might explain the lack of a portal appearing under me back in the vault… but why am I here, then?”

Before the Piraka could reply, a sudden burst of light appeared between the Piraka and Caldoric, illuminating the dark corridor and temporarily blinding the group. When the light faded, there was a tall and heavily armored humanoid standing there. His armor was black and bulky, likely strong enough to take a tank shell with little more than a dent. His head sat in a little sort of box area, while a amber eye was engraved in the chestplate area. He was also bald, his eyes white, with an odd ripple pattern around the pupils. He was taller than anyone else there, maybe two meters tall. His left hand was encased in a massive claw, with a large gun-like box on top, while in his other he held a massive mace, with a light energy field surrounding it.

When he spoke, his voice was deep and seemed to carry the weight of age with it.

“Greetings, Piraka.” The being said, before turning to Caldoric. “And greetings to you, Toa Caldoric. I am Ahriman, Warmaster of the New Black Legion, and the reason you are here.”

Caldoric made a choking sound as what seemed to be a Bruteshot from Halo appeared in his hands, before he disappeared in a flash of light. Seconds later, he reappeared behind Reidak, using him as cover while he half-heartedly pointed his unusual weapon at the newcomer.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Reidak growled, glaring at the Toa behind him.

“That’s Ahriman…” Caldoric said, crouching. “He’s bad news, or so I've been told. Not to mention, I'm getting some massive bad vibes off this guy, and he’s bigger than I expected.”

“That's not the point.” Reidak growled, grabbing the Toa and placing him in front of him. “I'm asking why you are using me as a meat shield!”

“You looked like the friendliest of the bunch, and I seem to remember that you’re impossibly strong. And you adapt to anything that’s thrown your way, correct?”

“Only if it defeats me! And I'd rather not test if I can survive a Void Dweller!” The black Piraka growled.

“Oh.” Said Caldoric, as the weapon in his hands disappeared again. “I forgot about that. We’re screwed.”

“Worry not, I'm not here to fight you.” Ahriman interrupted, waving his power claw-encased hand. “I'm here to give you a little….mission, of sorts.”

“What sort of mission?” Caldoric squeaked, his voice cracking a bit.

“It's sort of a recovery mission, though it's also helping another group save an entire system. But that last part isn't important.” Ahriman explained, walking around the group, though his armor made the hall slightly cramped. “Right now, you are on the Sanctum Imperator, a ship that belonged to a group known as the Black Templars in this galaxy. This ship is currently part of a Space Hulk, which is a large combination of lost ships within the Warp-”

“Get to the point.” Zaktan groaned.

“...Anyways, there is a relic somewhere aboard this vessel. I want you to find it.” Ahriman finished, giving a slight glare towards the emerald Piraka leader. The vessel shook for a moment, then went still again.

“Ok… two questions…” Caldoric said, hesitantly. “What are we most likely to run into on this… Space Hulk, or whatever? I mean, I've seen enough movies where there turns out to be some sort of freaky alien genotype running amok on board the long-abandoned ship, and fate likes it’s tropes…”

“Well, besides the constant swarms of Genestealers running amok in this Space Hulk, not much. Though there is the chance of running into the Deathwing Terminator squadron….” Ahriman replied, waving his claw dismissively.

”Well, there goes the old neighborhood…” remarked the lone Toa. “Second question: if you're one of these mystical void dwellers, why can't you get this unidentified relic by yourself? Purely out of curiosity, that is.”

“Hmmm. I have two answer for that one.” Ahriman replied. “For one, where's the fun in that? And secondly, I want to see how well beings from one reality battle against creatures from my own origin.” He smiled. “I have an interest in experimenting on these things.”

“Alright…” Caldoric gulped. “Though it would be nice to know what it is, exactly, that we’re looking for. Unless any old ‘relic’ will do…?”

“Hmmm….” Ahriman was silent for a moment. “I believe the Relic in particular is a Warhammer of sorts, with a odd power inside. Of course, any other relics you find along the way are yours to keep.”

“And what do you want with this Warhammer, whatever it is?” Caldoric asked.

“That, unfortunately, is not required information.” Ahriman replied, before three spherical objects appeared around him, floating over to Caldoric, Thok, and Avak. “These contain maps of the Sanctum Imperator section you are currently in. Use them to navigate the ship. It also has a motion sensor, so you can identify where enemies are coming from.”

Caldoric hesitantly took hold of the grapefruit-sized sphere, while the other two did the same. The Toa began turning the device in his hands, trying to figure out how it functioned.

“Press the bright red, and obvious button.” Ahriman said, as a red button popped out of the top. Caldoric did so, and the device opened up, revealing a holographic map of the area they were in, which sprung upwards. Up ahead was a large, cylindrical room, with odd cylinders all around the center. Pings popped up all around the area, which Caldoric guessed was movement.

“Shiny…” he muttered, distractedly. “Let’s be bad guys…”

“Well, if that is all, I shall be on my way.” Ahriman said, a vortex appearing behind him. “Word of warning though, if you encounter anyone somewhat similar in armor to myself, do run. They will kill you, and I doubt you want to be a corpse riddled with bullets.” With that, Ahriman vanished.

Caldoric visibly relaxed, though was still a bit tense, since he was in the presence of six of the most devious non-Makuta beings the Bionicle universe had to offer, short of Roodaka, the Barraki, or the Shadowed One. The fact that they used to be human only served to make things worse.

“All right then, let's get a move on!” Reidak said, moving towards the door at the end of the hall. He found a button on the side that said ‘open’, and the metal door slid up, revealing the area beyond.

However, Reidak instead got a close-up look at a creature not even a Makuta could dream up, though they’d certainly appreciate it greatly.

It's head was somewhat like an egg, if that egg was rotten and fleshy. Four tiny, yellow eyes glared at the Piraka, as four arms waved in the air, appendages with razor sharp claws at each end. A mouth covered in teeth hissed angrily, a tongue hidden behind them. The creature was hunched over, a large, armored carapace on its back. It's skin was a grey-blue color. Reidak closed the door suddenly, looking back at the group with wide eyes.

“What in Mata Nui’s name was that?” The black Piraka asked, backing away from the door. Suddenly, the door was sliced into bits as the creature lunged at Reidak, only to be split in half by the black Piraka’s buzzsaw, the opposite sides falling behind Reidak, smashing the split halves of its head against the wall with an audible squish of flesh meeting solid metal.

Caldoric had stood, silently frozen in place, eyes wide, through the whole encounter. Seconds later, he blinked and turned his head away, looking almost as if he was about to test whether or not Toa could puke. “Good thing I'm not still human at the moment,” he muttered, “otherwise, I would've just shit myself…”

“Okay….” Reidak growled. “I don't know what the fuck that was, but I think there are a hell of a lot more coming. Put on your big boy pants, grab a weapon, and beat the shit out of everything that isn't us!” With that said, the Black Piraka launched a series of explosive Zamor spheres out the door, before rushing in with his buzzsaw screeching through whatever was outside.

The other Piraka glanced at each other.

“I don't think we’ve seen him like that before….” Vezok said, prepping his Harpoon.

“Most definitely not. But hey, he can handle himself pretty well, but let's give him some help, eh?” Hakann replied, his Magma Launcher at the ready. The Piraka rushed outside to find Reidak burying his Buzzsaw in the chest of another of the creatures, raising it in the air before throwing the corpse at an oncoming group of enemies, it’s blood dripping off of the black Piraka’s weapon as it smashed into its brethren. Hakann launched a ball of magma at the fallen creatures, melting them even as their screeches of pain echoed through the chamber. Thok took notice of their surroundings.

Walkways lined the sides of the chamber, while massive, bullet-like cylinders sat in the center, going down into the abyss below.

“Must be some sort of Missile launch silo…” the white Piraka muttered, freezing an incoming Creature, which he guessed was one of the ‘Genestealers’ Ahriman had warned them about.

He noticed more of the creatures crawling down from tubes leading up to the ceiling.

“Of course they can climb…” he groaned, switching his Freeze Gun for the Ice Pick to block a Genestealer from digging it’s claws into his head. He then blasted it with spell-binding vision, before kicking it into the abyss below.

“Caldoric! Hurry up or else we will leave you behind!” Avak yelled, using his Seismic Pickaxe to fire into the Genestealers coming from the right side of the room. Energy blasts shot into the creatures, ripping them apart. “Mata Nui, why couldn't Avak have had better eye powers!”

“No,” Caldoric muttered to himself, trying to fight the overwhelming fear, “this is not my fucking ending. I have the blood of Vikings in my veins, I’m not just going to let these Xenomorph wannabes take me out.” With that, his fear was replaced with determination and righteous fury, and two narrow metal cylinders appeared in his hands. “Twelfth Legion, Fulminata!EULALIAAAA!!!” he cried at last, charging full-on into the fray as a blade of pure plasma erupted from each of the rods he was holding: one was an almost eye-watering, radioactive lime green, whilst the other was an orange so deep it was almost red.

He surged forward into the chamber, wounding a couple Genestealers with a few careless swipes as he ran, before he jumped up and used Hakann’s shoulders to springboard into a good-sized cluster of the monstrosities. He rolled upon landing, only to pop back up and seemingly blossom into a flurry of seizure-inducing strikes as his blades sought flesh all around him, then began cutting a path through the morass, following a random catwalk. Said catwalk quickly dead-ended against a wall.

“Well that's one way of doing it.” Vezok said, looking at the carnage indifferently. “Not sure why you needed the speech, or the DBZ style scream though.” He shrugged, walking through the door.

The other Piraka followed, Thok examining the map, which happened to show them their location, as well as movement pings in a 15 meter radius. So far, there was none in the vicinity.

Caldoric rejoined the group seconds later, covered in alien gore, and looking like he had something uncomfortable weighing on his mind. “I really hope there’s a working locker room somewhere around here, because I need a shower.” He muttered.

“Might be, might not.” Reidak shrugged. “I'm guessing that the relic would likely be in that massive room beyond the one up ahead. It's a hunch, anyway.” He shrugged, before narrowing his eyes. “Something's….not right.”

Before anyone could say anything, a loud shriek erupted from in between the group members. A spot of the air shimmered, and a genestealer appeared, slashing one of its claws at Zaktan. The claws simply passed through Zaktan’s body, his protodites shifting out of the way, before his triblade was rammed into the creature’s gut. He lifted it up into the air, staring at it as it struggled against his weapon.

“Next time, pick a better target.” Zaktan growled, his eyes glowing. Twin beams of energy launched out, piercing the genestealer’s head, killing it. Zaktan dropped the now dead corpse to the ground, staring at it.

“Well, guess some of them can turn invisible.” Thok groaned, ripping off one of it’s arms. “I'm guessing some sort of gel substance that reflects light. Keep your guards up.” The white Piraka guessed, tossing the limb aside as the group continued.

After another encounter with a Genestealer swarm, which was just barely fought off, Avak glanced around the door, examining the cathedral-like room.

“Looks like some Genestealers managed to arm themselves with some weapons.” He stated, noticing some shorter-looking versions, with some sort of robes around their bodies, with four arms clutching some sort of heavy assault rifle, while others held obvious missile launchers.

“My turn…” Caldoric sighed, and a Bruteshot once again appeared in his hands. As he twisted the firing mechanism, he closed his eyes and turned his head away slightly. An unusually long streak of explosive projectiles spewed forth, peppering the area with detonations and forcing the alien freaks to fall back a bit.

“That was…” the Toa said, “not as effective as I had hoped.”

“Well, let's try clearing it out.” Hakann sighed, readying his magma launcher. As he rushed out, the creatures poked out and let loose a large torrent of bullets, their weapons similar to machine guns. Multiple bullets smashed into Hakann, knocking him off his intended course and into the side of a pillar, the crimson Piraka groaning.

The other Piraka sighed, dispersing through the room and into cover. Then the firefight began, the Piraka taking potshots at the creatures, and even managing to take down a few, but the constant stream of bullets, and the occasional missile, kept them pinned. Zaktan had the most luck, dispersing into a cloud of protodites and reforming behind the Genestealers, cutting into them from behind, before dispersing again. Eventually, however, the Genestealers all fell to the ground, dead.

Caldoric looked around the doorframe, which he’d used for cover whilst providing occasional support with the Bruteshot. “Y’know, I'm kinda surprised how effectively you guys work together as Piraka, given the original group's lack of unity.” He said as he rejoined the group. He then stiffened briefly, before turning around and thrusting the bladed end of his current weapon back the way he'd come.

With a slick squelching sound, it pierced something unseen, which quickly turned out to be another one of those invisible Genestealers. “...How did I know you were there?” Caldoric muttered to himself, his gaze focused far behind the monster as the light died in its eyes. He removed the blade from its throat, letting the corpse fall to the floor and faintly flicker in and out of visibility.

Taking a few steps back, he fired off a round at the dead alien, removing the top half of its body, and hopefully any chance of it recovering and biting them in the ass.

“Well, we know just how badly the Piraka worked separately.” Zaktan said, stabbing a dead Genestealer to make sure it was dead. “And we don't want to end up dead or captured because we can't work as a team.”

Before any more conversation could be made, an ear splitting roar split the silence of the cathedral. A massive Genestealer beast marched towards the group, and a fresh wave of Genestealers crawled down from the pillars supporting the room. This new beast was hunched over, it's massive scythe arms tucked in as it walked. Before anyone could move, it changed pace, roaring as it ran straight towards Avak, extending it’s scythe arms and swinging them into the brown Piraka’s side, sending Avak flying into a wall. The beast roared again.

“Avak!” Hakann roared, launching flames from his claws, burning the other Genestealers to a crisp. He focused a mental blast on the larger Genestealer, distracting it with a splitting pain in it’s mind. Thok rushed forward, swinging his Ice Pick to jump over the Genestealer, latching the Pick onto it’s head. He pulled, struggling as the Genestealer thrashed and tried to knock him off of it. The Ice Pick slipped into the beast’s mouth as it roared. He pulled again, hearing the sound of the monster’s flesh tearing. The top of it’s head flew off, and the monster dropped to the floor, dead.

Once the rest of the Genestealers were dealt with, the group reconvened, Hakann supporting a limping Avak.

“I'll be fine in a bit. I think that thing broke an arm and maybe the leg.” Avak growled beneath gritted teeth.

“You’re lucky to be alive.” Hakann replied.

“This is the room. Where is the relic?” Zaktan asked. Reidak glanced to the other end of the room. There was a massive statue of what looked like a man in bulky armor, holding a sword. A blue-green energy field glowed behind it.

“Probably back there.” Reidak pointed. The others sighed.

Thok’s map began beeping, and an image of Ahriman’s face appeared, looking at the group.

“It appears that the relic is behind the energy field. I detect three Power Generators within the area currently active. I'm guessing these are what is powering the energy field. Deactivate the generators and retrieve the relic. I must warn you that our scanners have detected a squadron of Deathwing Terminators aboard the Sanctum Imperator. You are in fact helping their cause here, but they do not know you exist. And they kill anything not human without hesitation, so avoid them at all costs.” The image faded, and three new blips appeared on the map, noting the three generators.

“Huh. Wonder what the Deathwing are.” Hakann shrugged, accidentally dropping Avak on the ground. The brown Piraka groaned in pain. Caldoric jogged over to him, sliding the last few feet on his knees.

“Eagle Scout, coming through.” The Toa said, slowing to a stop by Avak’s side. “Alright, I'm gonna try something stupid here, since we’re in a hurry. And if those ‘Deathwing Terminators’ are anything like what Viktor turned into yesterday, then I'd say they’re not fun to be around.” Then, before anyone could ask what he meant, Caldoric closed his eyes and bowed his head in concentration, holding his hands in front of himself, about a foot and a half apart. His brow furrowed and his jaw set itself into a teeth-grinding snarl as he focused harder, the electricity of his determination becoming almost tangible in the air around him. In fact, this was literally true of the space between his hands, as sparks of energy leapt to and fro in the gap betwixt his palms.

Suddenly, with a decently-loud BAMF!!, a Kanohi that none of those present had seen before appeared in Caldoric's hands. “Behold, the Mask of Healing,” he proclaimed, placing it over his own face, “I hope.” With that, he rocked backwards on his knees as the power flooded through his frame, then returned to the task at hand. He closed his eyes again, running his hand through the air a few inches above Avak's leg as the Mask began glowing gently. After a moment, his hand stopped over a portion of the Piraka's shin.

“A minor fracture, thankfully nothing serious. It’s fixable, but it’ll smart a bit.” The Toa said, before the mask glowed more intensely, and a beam of golden light surged forth from his palm, bathing the afflicted area and causing Avak to tense for a moment. The beam faded, and both Avak and Caldoric relaxed.

“Now, for your arm.” Caldoric remarked, and turned to the other five human-turned-Skakdi, who made up the remainder of the Piraka. “This is the point where shit hits the fan, and something shows up while I'm trying to heal Avak here. Protect us as best you can… uh, please?” He then turned back to Avak and resumed his ministrations, Mask glowing gently, hands seeking the break in the Piraka's arm. “So, Avak, two questions: first, what're you guys’ real names? Second, d’you guys really trust this Ahriman guy?”

“Of course not.” Zaktan replied, examining the architecture. “I'm quite certain he contracted us before, but I cannot seem to remember. But he is definitely someone you should never trust.”

“Huh? I thought he looked familiar, but I don't remember him contracting us.” Hakann said, turning to the emerald Piraka.

“That must’ve been when you guys fought for him in the War of Shadows or whatever, if what Sebaste and his crew told me is accurate.” Caldoric suggested, taking the opportunity to set the break in Avak's arm whilst said Piraka was distracted. “If I live to see them again after this, I'll tell 'em y’all said hi. I’ll probably omit the fact that our meeting was arranged by a certain crazy, sociopathic, hopped-up space-wizard from the future with a God Complex and an Egyptian iconography fetish… OK, Avak, you’re all set.” Caldoric stood up, helping the Piraka to his feet, then turned to the energy field and statue.

“Now, how’re we gonna get through that…?” He muttered to himself, walking across the room. He reached out to touch the field, only to jerk his hand back as an arc of electricity discharged from the field, momentarily grounding itself in his arm. “Ok, not fun.”

“Egyptian Iconography..?” Vezok asked, scratching his head. “Anyway, Ahriman did tell us that there were some generators that needed to be deactivated to disable the field. Why don't we just go do that?” He snatched the map from Avak, examining it. “Oooh, there's some sort of armory nearby.” The other Piraka grinned. “I think we ought to make a detour…”

Heading over to the the specified area, Hakann kicked the metal door open, his feet busting through with surprising ease. Inside, rows upon rows of large, assault rifle-looking weapons lined the small room. Up ahead there were storage racks full of ammunition, likely for these weapons. Ammo boxes were scattered throughout the place, too big for the Piraka to carry. Grinning, Hakann grabbed one of the assault rifles and some ammunition for it. Inserting the ammo clip into the gun, he took aim, and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

“The hell?” Hakann asked, looking at the gun curiously. Avak snatched the gun from the crimson Piraka, examining it in detail. His eyes widened.

“Wow, this gun has a device in the grip that only allows people with a certain genetic signature to use it. That's some impressive technology. I'll have to study this for later, try to reconfigure the guns genetic signature to us.” He grabbed a couple more of the rifles, as well as some clips, and stored them away. Checking the map again, he shrugged. “Well, we would have had to go through here to get to the generators, so let us continue!”

When they returned to the chamber where they’d left Caldoric, they found him hunkered down, investigating one of the three field generators Ahriman had mentioned… from inside the semi-transparent field itself. “Hey guys!” He said, as he noticed them returning. His voice was slightly distorted by the field as he spoke. “Turns out this Mask lets me teleport through anything I can at least see through, like windows and stuff. Going off of what limited technical knowledge I possess, it seems these generators appear to run on some form of electricity. Good news is, I can have 'em offline in half a tick. Nice guns, by the way.”

And with that, as well as a smile, he touched the generator before him, which vanished. He then used his Mask power to teleport to both of the remaining generators in quick succession, each of which disappeared as he placed his palm upon them. No sooner had the third one vanished, then the field itself cracked and shattered into thousands of small, glowing shards of floating energy, which soon dissipated. “Best part is, I now have three functional forcefield generators for Twilight to look at once I get back h-- to Canterlot.” Caldoric said, pulling a strange brown-edged card with what looked to be a missing corner seemingly out of nowhere. On its face, the Piraka could just barely see an image of the three missing generators. A second later, the card itself seemed to vanish back into thin air.

“Huh. Well, all right then.” The Piraka walked over, looking around the statue to find a large warhammer. The handle was gold, with red cloth in the middle, while the hammer part itself was grey with an outline of gold. In the center of it, the image of a skull, with wings waving out from the skull’s sides, was carved proudly, daring all who would oppose the wielder of the hammer to come and die. The group could almost feel the power contained in that Warhammer, energies emanating from it.

“Well done.” Ahriman said, appearing behind them. “I'm surprised you found the relic so quickly, or that you lowered the field in so quick a time.” Glancing up, his eyes narrowed. He snapped his fingers, and the energy field came back to life as a group of humanoids in marble white armor entered the room. “The generators should keep them busy for now. We don't need them shooting us to pieces.” He turned back to the group. “I shall take the relic, now, and you will all be able to return to your home universes.” He held out his hand. As the Piraka turned to remove the glorious weapon from its resting place, Caldoric sprung into action.

Utilizing his Mask power, he warped himself right up next to the ancient hammer and seized it. The Toa then began spinning it somewhat awkwardly, ending the gesture by extending his left arm forward, now holding a single fearsome spear instead of the now-absent hammer; the new weapon’s tip bore a sharp, wickedly curved blade that the Piraka (especially Vezok,) immediately recognized as the Spear of Fusion. Caldoric held it with his grip choked up near the blade, his thumb hovering over a few controls built into the shaft.

In his other hand, however, he now carried what seemed to be a strange, swoopy fusion between a sniper rifle and a harpoon gun. The main part of the gun's body was a deep, slightly purplish blue, whilst the harpoon-shaped “barrel” itself was a translucent, brilliantly-glowing magenta. This weapon was known as Ahab’s Crosshairs, a legendary rifle capable of punching a hole in theoretically anything, in addition to being able to take down an angel (given a full minute of sustained fire, that is.)

“It seems you’ve mistaken me for a simple pawn in your little chess game, Ahriman.” Caldoric challenged, a sort of three-part mouthguard sliding into placr on his Mask as the ivory-armored Terminator Astartes began trying to break their way through the field around them all. “Or have you forgotten that I'm a Knight of Space? Either way, I'm not letting you have that hammer.” His focus was directed almost entirely towards the Void dweller before him, with the remainder dedicated to the six Piraka nearby in case something crazy happened.

“Heroes.” Ahriman sighed, a Rahkshi spear with arrowhead-shaped caps on each end appearing in his hand. “I have done my research on the universe of Bionicle. Hell, I'm good friends with a Makuta Teridax Displaced. So I am guessing you know what this is.” Ahriman pointed the spear at Caldoric, rings of pure hatred flowing from it and into the Toa. “Do you think that someone who once served the Architect of Fate himself would not learn to anticipate or predict any possible event? In fact, even before then, as a Legionary of the Thousand Sons, it was my job to read the Great Ocean to learn of potential futures. Do not test me.”

Caldoric took a single step backwards during Ahriman's brief monologue, head momentarily dipping as he looked at the floor. “Please, sir, may I have some more?” He sarcastically asked as he looked up again, a slightly crazed look in his eyes, both of which now had an orange tint at their core. “I would like to rage…” And with that, he fired off an anti-fusion blast from the spear and took a pot-shot at Ahriman with Ahab's Crosshairs. As the Void Dweller dodged both attacks, (the Spear’s beam nearly clipping Vezok,) Caldoric switched the rifle to its widest beam setting and swung it around in an arc behind himself annihilating the three new field generators in what he would've called “one swell foop,” allowing the small crowd of elite alabaster Space Marines to mob the previously safe area.

This proved to be a bad idea on their part, for Caldoric then dismissed the Crosshairs and made a sweeping gesture towards Ahriman, after which the Terminator-Armored Astartes found themselves literally falling towards the crazed demigod: the anger-fuelled Toa had changed the personal gravity for each and every one of them in less than a second. That done, he made his escape towards the door, taking impossibly large leaps and bounds as he crossed the room. On an unrelated note, the various weapons that the Piraka had left in the armory vanished in a brief flash of orange-tinted green light. The Terminators, meanwhile, suddenly vanished, teleported away by Ahriman.

Several cards appeared in his hand, the staff vanishing. “I sacrifice my three monster cards to summon Obelisk the Tormentor.” Dark energies spiraled out of the cards in his hand, three of them vanishing entirely. A glowing white figure appeared between Ahriman and Caldoric, before the white light broke into pieces, and a massive blue monster rose, red eyes glaring at Caldoric. A red gem sat in it’s forehead, while the rest of it’s body was a dark blue. It was massive and bulky, it's blue body rippling in muscles.

“Surrender now, or be crushed.” Ahriman growled, his patience gone.

Caldoric stopped, one hand on the doorway, and turned around. His eyes, now completely orange, widened at the sight of the cerulean monstrosity. “Really?” He asked, incredulity momentarily setting his rage aside as he subconsciously sized it up. For a brief moment, he found himself longing for his own deck of Yu-Gi-Oh cards back home. “An Egyptian God card? I mean, you could’ve at least used the Winged Dragon of Ra, but I guess that's the luck of the draw… nevertheless, if we’re playing games of chance, be warned: I make my own luck.” And thus, he held out one hand, in which appeared eight identical cerulean d8s. He dropped them on the ground, using his newfound control over his abilities to ensure they all landed on “8”.

The words “Ancestral Awakening” appeared over his head, and he was momentarily surrounded in flashing lights. Once the seizure-inducing display had abated, the Toa stood physically unchanged for all present to see, save for the form-fitting Pirate-style outfit he now sported, including a rather splendid tricorn hat on the top of his mask and an impressive-looking saber at his side. “Sir Francis Drake: Vice Admiral, sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician, at your service.” Caldoric then bowed deeply, and drew the saber as he straightened. “How may I fuck your shit up today?”

“Obelisk, destroy him.” Ahriman growled, pulling up another card. “I activate the Spell Card: Mist Body. I equip it to Obelisk, making him unable to be destroyed by battle.” The massive creature raised it’s fists, smashing them down where Caldoric was, destroying the door. As Caldoric jumped out of the way, he felt the presence of an intense heat. Flipping over, he narrowly dodged the flaming Greatsword swinging towards him, and he got a look at the person holding it. The being was encased in charcoal black armor, with black and gold limbs stretching from his back, blazing with wings of fire. His hair flowed like the flames that coated his massive Greatsword, which he held with one hand. A red cape flowed beneath his wings, seemingly immune to the flames around it. His red eyes glared underneath a helm piece protecting his forehead, and he hefted his Greatsword once again, ready to strike.

He hovered above the ground as Ahriman chuckled. “Caldoric, meet Vargas, the Hero of the Agni Empire, and the one I have chosen as my Champion.” The flaming warrior bowed slightly. “Vargas, use Dandelga and destroy this warrior!” Vargas nodded, shifting into a combat-ready stance, his flaming sword poised for an attack. He launched forward, his blazing wings speeding him along as he brought his greatsword low, scraping against the ground as he grew closer to Caldoric.

The Toa, for his part, tried something desperate. Readying his saber, and drawing a second blade that, at first, seemed to be made of Specular Hematite, he entered into another flourish, spinning at the last second and bringing both blades forward in a scissor-cut, aimed low. With a clang, both of his blades met Vargas' Greatsword near the hilt, effectively stopping it. “Nobody ever considers leverage,” Caldoric sighed, and then nutted Vargas squarely in the nose, sending him staggering back in mid air a couple of yards.

Shards of blue crystal had earlier burst from the point where their blades met, before floating into Vargas, vanishing as they were absorbed.

“Vargas.” Ahriman said, a small grin on his face, “Ragna Break.”

Vargas quickly recovered, lunging forward once again, though this time his entire body was covered in flames. He brought his sword down again, slashing upward before he ran into Caldoric. The flames rushed forward, enveloping Caldoric in flames before he could react, and while he was distracted by the flames scorching him, Vargas rushed down, his sword seeking Caldoric’s head.

The Toa, his new clothes little more than charred tatters at this point, his shiny Tricorn hat still ablaze, vanished from the inferno just as Vargas was about to make contact. “Alright,” Caldoric said, from outside the ring of fire, “you’re annoying me, flameboy.” With that, as Vargas turned to face his target, Caldoric swapped out the pirate saber for a thinner, longer sword and unleashed a new series of attacks.

“Gravity pillar,” he muttered, making a motion similar to an uppercut, as Vargas was suddenly thrust upwards into the air. “Diagonal chase.” Caldoric shot forward and upward, the new blade in his hand seeming to fragment into a chain of sharpened pieces just before he took several slashing strikes at the airborne foe, who blocked most of them. “Combat switch,” Caldoric declared, green energy arcing along the whip-blade as he entered a near-blinding flurry of swirling strikes before he backed off for a moment.

Setting both swords aside for the briefest of moments, the dark-armored Toa cupped both hands together in a sort of cage, then slowly began drawing them apart. Bands of distorted air arced between his fingers, forming an oblong sphere that stretched with his hand motions. A similar ethereal-looking construct had appeared around Vargas, who began visibly gasping as the air pressure radically dropped inside the cage. Even as his flames began flickering, trying to keep from dying out from lack of oxygen, Vargas raised his sword to try and somehow disrupt what Caldoric was doing.

“Nope!” Caldoric admonished, brow furrowing, and both of Vargas’ arms dropped to his sides, held by orangeish-green energy. “I admire your determination, but the only place you’re going is dreamland. Nice sword, by the way, though I think I'll take it for safekeeping.” With that, Vargas’ Greatsword was ripped from his failing grasp and flew to Caldoric's side, where it vanished.

The Toa then waited a few seconds for the blazing youth before him to stop moving, then dispelled the energy cage that held him. “Telekinetic Anchor,” Caldoric remarked coldly gazing at Vargas as he fell to the floor, probably unconscious, before the human-turned-Toa made a seemingly ineffectual palm-heel strike in the direction of his own feet. “Now, Ahriman, stop this madness. I’m not letting you have the hammer, and if you kill me, you’ll never find it again, immortal though you may be.” He then glared at Obelisk the Tormentor, as if concerned about something.

When he looked back at Ahriman, he barely got out of the way of the massive Lightning Claws rushing down to skewer him alive. Ahriman rose, lifting the claws out of the metal floor with ease. Caldoric met Ahriman’s eyes, which had an odd ripple pattern to them, before suddenly the world went black. Immediately after, sight returned to him, and he found himself and Ahriman in a different location, with an empty sky, and a white, blocky floor, with some blocks rising above others.

“Do you think I would allow a pathetic hero defy me?” Ahriman growled, his mouth morphed into a sinister grin. “I have already sent the Piraka back to their universe, with a copy of your token.” He rose to his full height. “But really, did you think I wouldn't be able to find it? It will be simple enough to do. But now, I am going to settle this, by crushing you.”

“You can try, but hear you me; there will be a Reckoning.” Caldoric said, as a white scepter appeared in his hands, bearing a strange, glowing orb at its top that seemed to hold a world of clouds. As he held it up to the sky, he said, “So you read up on the Bionicle universe, yes? Then let me tell you about Homestuck…”

“There has been enough talk.” Ahriman growled. He blinked, sighing. He lowered his hand. “What am I doing? I don't need to fight so pathetic an ant.” Before Caldoric could say anything, Ahriman suddenly appeared in front of him, smashing his clawed hand into the Toa’s chest, before opening fire with the Combi-Bolter built into it, the explosive bullets pounding Caldoric and sending him flying back. Ahriman’s grin was almost maniacal. “But it's been too long since I've done anything entertaining! He reappeared above Caldoric mid-flight, smashing his the Toa with his Lightning Claws, which had been curled up into a fist. The blow sent Caldoric right back into the ground, leaving a decent-sized impact crater.

“I'm going to enjoy this.” Ahriman grinned. His armor vanished, and as his skin slowly turned bleach-white, eight black orbs formed around him, lazily circling behind him. He remained floating as the transformation completed itself, and he waited patiently for Caldoric to get back up. “Come on, Toa. Give me a good fight.”

Caldoric awkwardly and slowly climbed out of the small crater, coughing, with a small trickle of silvery-red “blood” dripping from his mouth. His eyes had reverted to their original radioactive green glow. “There is no good or evil…” he muttered, “only beings with power: those who use it for the benefit of those around them, and those who abuse it for their own ends. Obviously, we’ve both got power coming out the wazoo, but… what’s the point of using it like this?” Caldoric shook his head, and stood up shakily as he raised his voice to a more audible level. “Let’s end this peacefully. I’m no real hero, I'm just a guy who bought the wrong stuff in the wrong place at the wrong time while dressed as an overpowered OC. Despite the stories I'd heard of folks vanishing at Conventions, I never asked to be Displaced, and I'm pretty sure you’re in the same boat.”

The Toa staggered slightly, even though Ahriman could clearly see with his Rinnegan that Caldoric was slowly recharging his elemental energies. Nonetheless, after a few coughs, Caldoric carried on. “But, if you’re just going to allow the character you were dressed up as to control who you are, whispering in your ear and driving you to destroy the Multiverse or whatever, then who the fuck am I to stop you?” He asked, his guard completely down. “As far as I'm concerned, you can have your damn hammer, on one easy condition: I’d like to have your assurance that you’ll let me go back, and that you’ll leave the particular corner I've been ‘assigned’ to ‘protect’ alone until after I've found a way back home… back to 21st-Century Earth, that is. Scout’s Honor.”

As he finished this request, Caldoric held up his right arm, elbow bent at a crisp 90°, his index, middle, and ring fingers extended in line with his vertical forearm, whilst his thumb and pinkie formed a loop over his palm, facing Ahriman. It was a textbook Scout sign, usually used when reciting the Scout Oath and/or Law, in addition to making a promise.

“And here I thought I could actually find a real challenge beyond Sebastian….” Ahriman sighed, lowering to the ground. “Though you have clearly misunderstood a few things regarding me.” He grinned. “Right from the moment I was displaced, my memories of whatever life I lived were gone, replaced by the memories of Ahzek Ahriman.” He sighed again. “But one thing I don't understand is why you would wish to return to Earth.” He stepped forward. “You are no longer human, and are likely presumed dead by your family. You have no ties left, and I doubt humanity will welcome you back with open arms.” At this point, he was stood face to face with Caldoric. “So, I ask, why would you wish to go back?”

“Let’s just say I'm somewhat hopelessly optimistic.” Caldoric said, nervous at being so close to such a powerful being. “From what I've been told, time flows weirdly between dimensions, and I've only been Displaced for less than a week, so if I find a way back before too long, perhaps I can return before I even left, and can help end the war back home. However, if you're looking for a fight, I'd probably be happy to oblige at a later date, once I've fully figured out how to actually use my powers, instead of relying purely on raw emotion like I was doing before you hit me just now. In the meantime, have you considered fighting the Merchant? After all, he did drop us here, and I think that perhaps it’s high time someone dumped a can of whoopass on that asshole's pretty little head.”

Caldoric then sat down abruptly, his head spinning. “That said, your last attack would've killed an ordinary man, and I myself barely survived it at my current power level or whatever. Hell, I probably need a hospital as is. Not to mention the fact that I'm not normally a fighter, but hitting me with that Kurahk staff flipped some sort of switch in my head, shoving my mind into the back seat and allowing something else to take control…” He looked up into Ahriman's disapproving gaze. “I don't want that thing in control ever again, lest it do something I'd regret later. If we do fight, one-on-one, it’ll be me behind the wheel. After all, you want a real fight, don't you? Then let me go, let me get stronger, and I'll make it more than worth your time.”

Ahriman was silent for a while, glaring at the Toa. After a full minute had passed, he sighed. “Very well, I agree to the terms of this contract. It wouldn't do for me to have what could be a good fighter slaughtered long before he reached his full potential.” Ahriman looked up to the empty sky. “But I suggest you give up your hopes to fight the Merchant. As I have stated, a normal Displaced such as you couldn't hope to defeat a Void Dweller. I know not his power, but I know better than to start fights with Void Dwellers I know little about.” He sighed. “Keep the Daemonhammer. I can get it from other places. Perhaps God Splitter will do well in the hands of a hero.” Caldoric’s vision faded, and they once again were in the Space Hulk, though it seemed much more quiet.

“I have lifted the dimensional barrier keeping you and the Piraka here.” Ahriman said, a vortex appearing behind him. “I will be keeping an eye on you. But for now, I have a war to end, and a Chaos Warlord to defeat.”

Caldoric raised an eyebrow, head slightly cocked to one side. “Really?” He asked, deadpan to the world, but incredulous on the inside. “Heh. Well, you certainly are a strange one. Nonetheless, good sir, I thank you for your generosity. Best of luck, safe travels, and, uh… watch out for stairs, they can strike at the worst of times. Also, be wary of involving pumpkins in any of your plans, because they have a nasty habit of vanishing at strange moments.”

Ahriman raised an eyebrow at his odd advice, but still left through his vortex. The vortex vanished soon after.

Caldoric was left standing, alone, in the room where he’d first made off with the warhammer and caused so much trouble for himself. Obelisk the Tormentor had vanished, in addition to Vargas, though the dented and scorched deckplates from earlier were, alas, still dented and scorched. The Toa gulped, and wrapped his arms around his midriff, taking in the environment. “Looks like a good place for a horror game,” he idly remarked, before being interrupted by a familiar jerking sensation behind where his navel had once been.

For a microsecond, the space he was occupying abruptly flashed a shade of black so deep, one would swear he had just become a Toa-shaped hole in reality itself. The next, his silhouette flashed a brilliant white, then became a window to a raging field of neon green plasma and yellow electricity, and everything outside his silhouette was bathed in a brilliant emerald light. His physical outline seemed to swiftly grow, and had anyone been there to witness the occurance, they would have noted that everything seemed to return to normal once Caldoric's outline had expanded beyond their field of vision… except that there was no longer anyone in the room.

All of this happened in less than half a second.

A few moments later, during which time one could hear the sound of dripping liquids and the creaking of the massive ship, a grating in the floor popped up, revealing the head of a Genestealer, which swiftly crawled up and into the room, where it looked around furtively. Seeing that it was alone, it uses one of its four hands to reach behind its back, and pulled out what looked like a saxophone. Placing the reed to its lips, it began to play a short, not-very-well-practiced bit of music that was, nonetheless, a bit catchy.

As it finished, the heads of hundreds of Genestealers suddenly popped out of numerous unlikely places, all of them exclaiming “Hey!” and startling the one with the sax. Moments later, they were all on the ground, dancing, as the tune the musically inclined Genestealer had played began to ring out from nowhere, only more refined, and in an almost orchestral style. A few seconds later, they all exclaimed “We are number one!” and proceeded with dancing in their weird manner.

Meanwhile, a few Terminator Astartes stood by the doorway into the room, cautiously peeking in on the impromptu party. “Brother,” said one over the Comms to his squad leader, “What in the Emperor’s name is this?”

“I know not, Brother Barachiel. All I know is that they are filthy Xenos, and must be purged.” The Librarian growled, and the Terminators began purging the filthy xenos from the room.

Wonder And Might, Horror And Fright: For Sale, Cheap!

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With an imploding wash of green light, Ian rematerialized, almost immediately slumping against what he was pretty sure was a lamppost. He let out a shuddering sigh and clutched his bruised side, his armored back scraped against the metal pole as he allowed himself to slowly descend into a sitting position. Once he'd taken a moment to readjust his mask, the Toa of Space looked around. He definitely did not recognize his location from personal experience.

He appeared to have shown up on the kind of abandoned side-street one would find in the average city slums back on Earth. If asked to give his first impression as to where on Earth it was, however, he would've been hard-pressed to say. Something about the general architecture around him (and the harsh, sulphurous-yellow light from the streetlamp above) made Ian almost want to say it was far East-Asian, probably Japanese, save for the fact that what few words he could see were in English.

It was also raining.

"Where the hell am I now?" Ian idly wondered aloud, then succumbed to a minor bout of coughing. As he ran a hand over his mouth, beneath the mask, he felt a small spattering of warmth smear against his fingers, and when he pulled them back to look, he found his digits adorned with silvery-red 'blood.' "Shit..." was all Ian said to that. Looking up, he saw a bit of blue, flickering light coming from under a closed door just across the street. Figuring that it was probably someone's TV, Ian decided he'd get up and try knocking on the door.

Easier said than done, though, seeing that his entire body felt like one big bruise. Yes, even the mechanical bits. He would've even sworn that his mask ached, but that would've sounded stupid. Not that there was anyone else nearby to care. And, speaking of Masks...

Ian leaned his head back against the pole as, with a bit of concentration, his mask began glowing, and then seemed to melt and reform into another, familiar shape: the Mask of Regeneration. Using its powers, he was able to fix the better part of his armor, and other inorganic parts of his body. It was a patch job, to be sure, but at least he was able to breathe a bit easier, and the headache had faded once he'd pulled a bit of stone shrapnel from between two plates on the back of his head.

Ian got up, slowly and unsteadily, leaning against the lamppost for support, then paused. "Dammit," he cursed under his breath, "why'd I have to go and piss off what amounts to a physical god like that? Not to mention, I missed the opportunity for a perfect one-liner. 'Sebaste and co. send their regards...' Yeah, that would've been brilliant. Suicidal, admittedly, but still brilliant." He looked both ways up and down the street before he crossed.

As he did, he idly noticed a bit of graffiti on a nearby wall, and faintly recognized it as having come from the second instalment of the "watchdogs" game series. It's amazing how popular that got after Trump took office... he thought. Wait a sec, if that's here, then that means... more humans are around! Great! Maybe I'm even back on Earth! With that, he found himself standing before the curtain-backed, mostly-glass door of the storefront, his eye drawn to four symbols hung on a sign at about chest-height on a human: a triangle, a circle, an "X," and a square. They seemed familiar to him, though he couldn't remember why, and they definitely seemed out of place amongst the various posters and flyers and such that were plastered up and down the alley and all over the darkened window to the left of the door.

Ian knocked, politely, and waited a few seconds. There was the sound of something shuffling around inside, and whatever was casting the blue light beneath the door shifted locations.

"Come on in... it's unlocked..." Said whoever was inside. Ian did his best to shake off what rain he could in the small shelter the doorway provided before opening the door. As it creaked open, allowing him to duck under the lintel, (he was slightly more than seven feet tall, being a Toa,) he was treated to the sight of a man of mid-to-far Eastern descent, who was about 5'6" and standing behind a counter of sorts. Behind the man were a couple of nice shelves, made of a beautiful dark-brown wood and bearing several interesting items. The person himself was holding open what seemed to be a ledger or large tome on the counter with his left hand, and idly toying with a radiant sphere of blue, gas-like energy in the other. The latter subject, which seemed to be the source of the flickering light Ian had seen under the door, seemed to hold more of the man's attention than the tome, as he appeared to be regarding this strange creation rather fondly, smiling gently as it slowly turned above his uplifted hand.

In fact, in Ian's opinion, the man looked not too dissimilar to the character in Iron Man III that had been "hired" to portray the "Mandarin" for Extremis' various schemes.

The man snapped the fingers of his left hand, and the glowing sphere collapsed into nonexistence with a piff! as he turned his smiling gaze upon Ian, seemingly about to say something. The smile quickly faltered, however, as a look of startled recognition took its place and the words died on his lips. "You..." He muttered, before raising his voice to more audible levels. The man's words carried an accent that was strange and unfamiliar to Ian's ears, but it seemed fitting somehow. "You...! You're not supposed to be here! How did you find this place?" With that, he snapped his fingers at something on the other side of the door from Ian.

The injured Toa, for his part, stepped around the door, closing it as he attempted to see what was going on. All he saw was a revolving panel in the wall, bearing an extended coatrack on the side that was swiftly being concealed from the room at large. There had been a number of outfits or costumes on the various hooks, though the two that caught his eye were: a heavily-used medieval-style cloak, with many pockets bearing untold wares, and...

A very realistic Slenderman outfit.

The panel finished its rotation, leaving the wall looking as innocent as any wall could, and completely devoid of a coatrack. Ian looked back at the man behind the counter, raising an eyebrow. "Ok... that was interesting..." he said. "Where am I? I mean, I'm pretty sure that this isn't Earth, since we don't have magic there. Also, no offense, but even though you seem to recognize me, I don't remember you."

The man inhaled deeply and opened his mouth, his face a mask of anger, only to pause momentarily. "Of course you wouldn't remember me, I'm a man of many faces. But that doesn't answer my question of how you found your way to my... humble abode."

Ian sighed, then winced and clutched a hand to his abdomen. "Y-yeah, I really don't know. I was supposed to be on my way back to... well, to the place I've basically been strong-armed into protecting, after nearly getting pancaked. It's complicated, and I'm not sure how much your civilization knows about trans-dimensional--"

"I know everything about trans-dimensional travel, and Multiverse Theory." The shopkeeper interjected. "After all, I was the one who thought it would be mutually beneficial for you and that specific pair of worlds to be... introduced, shall we say?"

The Toa blinked at the shorter being for a moment, then seemed to make up his mind. "But then... You know who The Merchant is? The guy that I saw dressed in the Slender... man..." His head snapped to the right again, looking at the revolving wall panel as something in his mind went click. "...Costume. He's here somewhere, isn't he? The Merchant?" He asked, looking back at the presumed salesman, who merely facepalmed in response.

"Ugh. You're a bit dense, aren't you?" The man behind the counter asked, rhetorically, as he slid his hand down his face. "I'm actually starting to think you may not have been the best choice..."

"In my defense, I did just barely survive getting bitch-slapped into the ground at mach-'fuck' by a Void Dweller a few minutes ago, so I probably have a concussion..."

"Touché," the man replied with a sigh, "though that does bring up the fact that you tried to convince said Void Dweller to try and come after myself not a moment afterwards. I'm glad he refused the idea, because I hate having to kill previous customers. Gives me a bad-- or, well, worse,-- reputation than I already seem to have amongst you 'Displaced,' as you call yourselves."

"Wait... You're the-- ohhhhhhh, shit..."

"Yes, 'Oh shit' indeed." Said The Merchant, his presence suddenly oppressive to the much taller Toa. "Try to get anyone to kill me again, and I might just put out a recall on every item and power you acquired at that convention, then dump you in the most unpleasant location that I can think of in either of your two worlds. Naked."

Ian was about to hopefully suggest Artakha, the Matoran equivalent of "Heaven on Earth," but then thought better of it: it could be a dangerous place, if the island's ruler wanted it to be.

"Good man." The Merchant stated. "Now, about your particular situation..."

"I honestly have no idea how I got here." Ian reaffirmed, holding his hands up placatingly. "I was supposed to be sent straight back, as far as I know."

"Yes, quite..." Replied The Merchant, tilting his head back and giving the ceiling a "what am I going to do with this one?" look.

"Sooo... You're the Merchant, yes?" Ian asked, drawing a look from the Merchant, which threatened to become an angry glare. "I mean, not just 'hey, it's the dude that sells people one-way tickets to Equestria,' or 'oh, it's the shady guy from that one Resident Evil game.' No, it's more than that. I'm talking, like... merchant with a capital 'M', top-of-the-line, best of the best, better than all other merchants, end-all/be-all, THE Merchant. The guy whose stock makes all other vendors look tame in comparison, y'know? So, what I'm wondering is... when you're not at conventions, what do you do? What do you sell?"

The Merchant cocked his head slightly to the side, giving the taller figure a strange look. "You're trying to flatter me: trying, and failing. But you do have an interesting question there. If there's one thing about myself that might be considered a flaw, it's that I appreciate curious minds like yours." With that, the Merchant turned to a door set into the wall behind him, giving Ian a look and jerking his head towards it as he did.

"So... 'What do I sell?' you ask?" The Merchant asked rhetorically, opening the door. As he and his 'guest' entered the high-ceilinged room beyond, several harsh blueish-white overhead lights snapped on, one by one, illuminating the space below and revealing it to be populated with glass-sided display cases, each containing several items. Ian recognized some of them from recent pop culture back home, (and not-so-recent, given the pockmarked, carbon-scored Packer's helmet and its matching raygun,) but most of them remained a mystery. It was hard to pin down exactly how much stuff was around, because the sheer quantity and diversity was sending his ADHD into overdrive. "What I sell... is glorious pandemonium. A glimmer of Oblivion." The Merchant continued as he gestured idly towards something mounted on the far left wall, then turned to the right-hand corner nearest the door and began climbing the wooden spiral staircase to the second floor.

The mounted object seemed, to the Toa, like it was a cross between some alien space-gun thingy and a robotic head. As he glanced at it, he saw two red lights flicker to life on one side of a silvery orb near the "face" of... whatever it was, and said orb swiveled slightly to track his progress across the room.

"Mastery over Time and Space," the Merchant stated, prompting Ian to hurry along and catch up with him. As the displaced human reached the top of the staircase, he saw his host gesture at what seemed to be an old card-filing cabinet, like the kind you'd find in a pre-internet library. Several of the drawers were partially open, revealing some sort of enticing golden light spilling from their depths. "Instant immortality," commented the Merchant, and the drawers all snapped closed, rattling an elaborately-colored, faintly glowing glass ball that was set on top of the wooden construct, and nearly dislodging a nearby coppery sphere that seemed to have been carved with a similar level of intricacy. In fact, Ian could've sworn he recognized the latter object.

"Hey, is this... the map from Treasure Planet?" He asked, carefully picking it up. As he did, he noticed a nearby typewriter, which began typing all on its own, though it appeared to be out of ink. On a whim, he typed "Hello?" on the keyboard, and was surprised to find that, this time, there was ink on the letterheads. But only for a moment, as the typewriter began typing a short message on its own again, once more without ink.

"I'd rather you not touch that," the Merchant suggested, turning from the railing he was leaning on, "it's connected to an old friend of mine, though I'm sure you can guess who he might be. But yes, that orb in your hands is the very same map made by Captain Flint."

"Cool," Ian replied, looking excitedly at the alien treasure map. He nearly dropped it when he returned his gaze to the Merchant, though. Or, rather, at what was behind him, floating gently in midair in the alcove beyond the railing he'd been leaning on. Slack-jawed, Ian crossed the few meters separating himself and the railing, still holding the map. Behind the railing, hovering above a drop into endless space and spinning oh-so-slowly, was what looked like the distant cousin of Star Wars' iconic X-Wing. A very distant cousin, at that.

"Th-that's... that's one of those fighter thingies from Battlestar Galactica...!" Ian said in amazement. "I went and saw one of these things at an exhibit they had at the Science Fiction Museum back in Seattle one year... I remember that the supposed 'Cylon scanner' that they had set up was broken that day; kept going off every five seconds..." He trailed off at the memory, staring at the slightly grungy starfighter as the Merchant hummed in understanding behind him.

"As a matter of fact, the 'fighter thingy' has a name: it's called a Viper Mark II, and it's from the 2004 reboot series." The Merchant said. "And it's not the only one-man fighter I possess. Though, before we possibly continue, I'd like you to put that map back. I'd rather you not break it."

"Is it... available for purchase, perchance?" Ian asked, perking up suddenly. "And d'you have a Wraith dart, or a Puddlejumper? Or even an F-302?"

The Merchant was momentarily taken aback, raising an eyebrow at the Toa's question. "It... might be available, but it depends. As for your other questions: yes, I have some of each of them." Ian very nearly squee'd at the thought.

The Merchant, for his part, merely rolled his eyes, then turned and walked down a hallway to the left of the railing, gestured to the void beneath the Viper, and began speaking again. "As I was saying: I sell a peek at the abyss," he began, with his 'guest' soon hurrying to catch up. A moment later, Ian found him opening a door that led off their current hallway.

The now-open doorway revealed yet another hall, the walls covered in many weapon-laden pegboards. Off to one side, there was some sort of flaming, short-handled warhammer floating above a table, whilst further down the hall there was a Keyblade from Kingdom Hearts. Hanging next to it were the Elucidator and the Dark Repulsor from SAO, along with some razor-swords from Attack on Titan and a bigass Buster Sword. On the opposite wall, there was a selection of "blades" that might've made any Power Randers fan happy, though there was something off about them. There were also other melee weapons, most of which were unfamiliar to the Toa, in addition to countless guns and such.

There was also a door partway along the hall, which was slightly ajar. There was a noticeable growling coming from it, as if some monster hid within the adjacent room. There was also a faint "Zuuuuul..." if one listened closely.

"A catalogue of quests..." the Merchant said absently, gesturing to the hall in general as he bustled over to the door, then closed and locked it. "And the occasional nightmare." He then turned to his visitor, pocketing the door's key and giving him an expectant look.

Ian, for his part, had found some that he definitively recognized: a small, "S"-shaped, snake-like device, which gave a few beeps and sprang to life with the touch of a button on its side. "Cool, a Zat gun." He said, pretending to fire it off down the hall with a childish smile. "Pew, pew...!"

"Yes, that's a Zat'nik'tel, please be careful with it." The Merchant cautioned the taller figure. "I'd prefer it if you didn't actually fire that in here, because it can and will fry any electronics it hits. Remember; you break it, you buy it."

"Oh, believe me, I'd be more than willing to buy it. And the map." Ian smiled at his host, who merely sighed and resumed walking. Moments later, they passed through the door at the far end of the hall, which opened onto an enclosed space behind a suspiciously familiar spiral staircase...

Hang on, Ian thought to himself, looking about at the room beyond the stairs, this looks like... yeah, it is! Damn, trust someone like the Merchant to have a home that refuses to conform to standard fourth-dimensional Euclidian geometry...

"What I sell," the Merchant declared, in a tone that suggested some sort of finality, "is Life, and Death, itself." Standing in the middle of the first room that Ian had been shown, his host spread his arms wide, gesturing at just about everything in the vicinity. Off in the opposite corner of the room, Ian noticed a tan robotic suit moved to following the Merchant's movements. If he remembered correctly, which he probably wasn't, that suit was from Titanfall or something similar.

As Ian's attention was drawn by whatever the thing was, the Merchant stepped towards a nearby display case and began rifling through a drawer. He pulled out several items, including what Ian recognized to be a Ghost from the Unity franchise, which was set to hang in midair momentarily. At last, the Merchant seemed to find what he was looking for: a knife with three holes spread somewhat equidistantly along its length. The Merchant began idly contact juggling with it in one hand, as he put everything back with the other hand.

"Thus, the real question is: what are you looking for?" He then spun the blade on his fingers and launched it towards another corner of the room. Whilst in midair, it caught fire, and then became embedded blade-first in a hitherto unseen door, right above another occurance of the four symbols from the front door. "That door will take you back to the universe you were summoned from, once our business here is done." The Merchant said, leaving the still-burning blade in the door.

"Um, the knife's still burning..."

"It's fine; I designed this place to be almost completely fireproof." Came the reply, the Merchant waving his hand dismissively at the perceived danger as he leaned against a nearby display case. "So, you wished to purchase the map and the Zat'nik'tel, yes?"

"Wh-- ah, yeah, I did." Ian confirmed, beginning to pat himself down as he searched for his wallet. "I was also considering the possibility of getting one of those ships I mentioned... but I can't seem to find my wallet. Damn..."

"Have you tried the Sylladex I gave you? Or the pickets on your hips?" The Merchant asked, his voice deadpan as he raised his eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah... stupid me. Just a sec... yeah, here it is!" Ian said triumphantly, pulling out the battered wallet he'd had on him at the convention. He suddenly realized just how long ago that felt, despite it having been merely two days prior.

"I'm not sure why you're pulling it out, though," the Merchant commented, smirking ever-so-slightly, "I still have your information from when I sold you the last batch of 'souvenirs,' if you'll remember. You'll be charged as soon as you walk out that door."

That's a scary idea... I wonder if I have enough to pay for everything, The Toa thought to himself as he put his wallet away again. What he said, though, was: "Ok... how much for the map, the Zat, and... the Dart, I guess?"

"About $950," answered the Merchant. Ian sucked in a breath through what passed for his teeth in response.

"Well... I could probably do that. And if I were to get the Puddle Jumper as well?"

"Seventeen hundred, flat." The Merchant supplied, and Ian winced. "I'm pretty sure that'll clean you out, too."

"Yep. Yep, that'll about do it. Not like I need or can even use Earth currency anywhere anymore, but still..." Ian rubbed the back of his head, and took a slow, deep breath. At long last, he spoke again. "Yeah, it's a deal, I guess," he said, extending his hand towards the Merchant, who merely smirked.

"Alright," came the reply, and they shook hands. A moment later, the Merchant reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small keychain bearing two exotic-looking key fobs.

The first was a sort of zig-zag shape, made almost entirely out of what seemed to be a clear plastic. Through its outer shell, one could easily see a strange circuit board that perfectly matched the shape of the mini remote. It had three buttons arranged somewhat vertically along its length, each one labelled in an unfamiliar pixelated script.

The second device was, by contrast, entirely organic in origin, looking like a small diseased scale from an unknown reptile. It had a purplish-maroon color that was so dark, it was nearly grey, and bore several blisters on its upper surface. The two largest were an unpleasant pus-like color, whilst the other, much smaller ones were more of a sickly green hue. Around the two large blisters were a few painted designs, presumedly in the Wraith dialect from Stargate Atlantis. It had been a while since he'd last watched the show, after all...

The Merchant tossed the keychain to his guest, who almost dropped them in surprise. "The top buttons on each of those will activate or deactivate the cloak on their respective ships, and the second buttons will open and close the vehicle's primary access point."

"And the third button?" Ian asked, holding up the relevant remote.

"That locks the door, like on a car." The Merchant stated, simply. "Make sure not to lose those, however: I won't be giving you new ones if you do."

"Noted..." Ian replied, chewing what passed for his lips. "So, is that it? Should I just... go now?"

The Merchant nodded and crossed his arms. "Indeed. All you need to do is walk through that door, and you'll be sent on your merry way."

"Back to the version of Equestria that I was summoned from, you mean?"

"Yes, that's basically what I said." The Merchant supplied, less-than-helpfully. "It'll take you where you need to be."

Ian gave him a suspicious look. "I find your sudden lack of specificity disturbing... what aren't you telling me?"

"The knowing will come. Besides, knowledge is something that's best appreciated when it's hard-earned." The Merchant shrugged and grinned. "So, live a little! After all, when Wisdom and Valor fail us..."

Ian's shoulders slumped. "...All that remains is Faith."

"And...?"

"And... Faith can overcome all." Ian conceded, shoulders slumping as he completed the mantra.

"Attaboy! Now, get going, whilst the going's still good." The Merchant encouraged. And, with that, Ian gave a somewhat polite little nod in his direction, then turned and made his way over to the door with the flaming dagger still embedded in its unmarred surface. When he opened it, however, it swung out into an infinite source of pale blue light, which was almost blindingly bright.

"I swear," he said, squinting and shading his eyes with a hand, "if this drops me in the land of the Teletubbies, or somehow turns me into a girl, I'mma fuckin' murder-ise somebody. A lot of somebodies." And thus, without further ado, he stepped through the doorway and vanished into the light.

A few seconds passed, in which time the door closed and the flaming blade extinguished itself, before the sound of a typewriter was heard typing by itself from upstairs.

Tik tik-tik-tik tik, tik tik tik DING!

"Yeah, that was him." The Merchant sighed, reluctantly, seemingly speaking to no-one and nothing. "Sorry he got involved earlier."

Tikkita takkita takkita tik, tak-tak-tik-takkata DING!

"Of course he will! Everyone I send through is a problem, in some way or another." The Merchant replied sharply, glaring in the general direction of the typewriter. "And they mostly resolve themselves with a bit of guidance. This one'll be a bit of a challenge, to be sure, but it should work itself out."

Tak-tak-tak, tikkita-tikkita tak-tak-tik--

"Yes, I know you're the self-proclaimed 'perfect host,' I've heard that line umpteen times before. And you know what? I don't care. I played my part perfectly: I'm the perfect salesman! I have whatever someone wants or needs, whenever they want or need it, and at a price they're capable of, and usually amicable about, paying. The important part is that the transaction occurs, and the merchandise is given its new ownership promptly." The Merchant sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, let's just get back to running that thing again, shall we? We were so close before he came barging in..."

Returned, yet Restless: Nothing is Easy

View Online

Pohatu fidgeted on his chosen bundle of cushions, idly toying with a small bit of masonry and using his powers to make it float between his hands. His brother Kopaka sat to one side of him, with his sister, Gali, on the other. Across the relatively short table sat Twilight, Princess Celestia, (Pohatu was still trying to wrestle the concept of royalty into his mental image of social order,) Spike the dragon (who was taking notes,) and an unfamiliar stallion sitting stiff and upright in what seemed to be decorative, (if somewhat dusty,) golden armor. The latter figure had a pure white coat, the hair in his mane and tail was a pleasant, if militant, navy blue, bearing a streak of cyan each. On each hip was the image of a shield, the same navy color as his mane, bearing a pink-ish six-pointed starburst, and above the shield were a trio of light grey five-pointed stars: his "Cutie Mark," if Pohatu remembered the term correctly.

"Why have we been summoned?" Kopaka asked, shifting his position amongst his cushions.

"Because there are some things we need to discuss," Celestia replied, calmly, a cup of tea held in her magical grasp as she lay on her side. "Mostly, I am curious as to your thoughts about our present circumstances, and any ideas you may have when it comes to fighting Chrystalla."

"But, why just us, and not the whole team?" Gali asked.

"Yeah," Pohatu added, "I mean, if you wanted the full package of strategists, you could've grabbed Onua, instead. He and Gali are the wisest among us, with Kopaka providing the remaining intellectual support. Tahu's more of the type to charge in, swinging his sword, while Lewa is... well, he's Lewa, you know, in the same way that Pinkie is just Pinkie, and like her, he never stays focused on anything very long. As for me? I'm fast, I control rocks, and I kick things."

"But, from what I've seen, you're honest and loyal." Twilight interjected, sitting up a bit from her position. "You provide your team with support when and where they need it most, like a pillar. That's why I chose you, instead."

Pohatu nodded in acknowledgement, giving her a warm, sheepish smile as he leaned back on his hands a bit. "What can I say? Stone doesn't lie, it just is, and it'll do what it needs to until it crumbles to dust. Thanks, Twilight."

"If you're done flirting with my sister," said the armored stallion, earning surprised looks from the Toa, "can we get down to business?"

The Toa were silent for a moment, before Gali spoke up. "Mata Nui... You sound just like Jala back in Ta-Koro. What's your name?"

"It's... Shining Armor. I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard here in Canterlot, and former Prince of the Crystal Kingdom. Who's this 'Jala' you mentioned?"

The gathered Toa shared a glance, with Gali and Pohatu smiling faintly. "He's one of the Matoran villagers on the island we originally came from," Gali supplied. "I only really know who he is because I sometimes find him talking things over with Hali, one of the Matoran in my village. If I remember correctly, Jala's also the Captain of the Guard in Ta-Koro, Tahu's village. The similarities between you two are remarkable...!"

"In any case," Celestia said, before things could get further off track, "we're here to talk about recent events. If you 'Toa' are anything like the warriors that our Elemental Guardians were supposed to be, then I'm sure you would have at least some idea for facing our foe..."

"To be honest," Kopaka said softly, "I'm more concerned with how we're going to get back home, to Mata Nui. Our Duty is to the Matoran, and we've left them to face Makuta's forces on their own for nearly two days now. As such, I say we should find that Discord character Twilight mentioned, and make him reopen the portal."

"The Matoran should be fine, Brother," Gali replied, giving him a concerned glance, "I'm just as anxious as you about this, but they've faced his dark forces without our aid for a millennia: a few days on their own couldn't be much harm. And to be honest, our Duty is to help those in need, whether they're Matoran, ponies, or something new entirely."

"I disagree," Kopaka remarked, shaking his head. "Makuta only became more ambitious after we arrived, determined to completely annihilate us at every turn. Now that we're gone, who's to say he won't take advantage of our absence and seize control of the island?"

"This is true," Pohatu supplied, "he may well have launched an all-out assault on the various Koros... oooor, he could be waiting to spring a trap of his own on our return. After all, what better way would there be to crush the Matoran's spirit than for him to capture and destroy us before their very eyes, and then conquer the very world we had just returned from assisting?"

The ponies present at the table shared a momentary look of concern, before Celestia spoke again. "So, the die is cast... it appears to be in everypony's best interest to find Discord, bring him back to our side, and then attempt to stabilize both sides of the Crystal Mirror as soon as reasonably possible."

"Um, sorry to interrupt," Spike said, raising a claw, "but, there's just one problem: the portal's only open for three days at a time, and then it closes for 30 moons."

Twilight's eyes went wide. "Oh, no..." She breathed, her forehooves going to her temples as she stared at the table, "we were only able to go through when we did -- or, rather, Discord was only able to toss us in at that time -- because it was during that three-day period! And now, since the device I rigged up to open it artificially is back in my castle in Ponyville...!"

"Then we go and get it!" Kopaka stated, as if the answer was obvious.

"You don't understand..." Shining Armor said, leveling a glare at him. "Ponyville was overrun by the Shardlings a while back, which is why we're here now. We barely managed to get the Mirror out in time; we lost seven Pegasi Guards trying to get it out! And, given the size and complexity of Twily's 'device,' a mana cake would've stood a better chance in Tirek's cell than we would have if we'd tried extracting both simultaneously...!"

Celestia decided to step in. "Calm yourself, Prince Shini--"

"Captain." Shining Armor cut across her, giving the Princess a hurt look. "Just... just 'Captain' Shining: I'm no prince, not without my wife. Not without Cadence... Mi Amore Cadenza, Flurry Heart, I'm so sorry..." He turned his head away, and a faint sniff was heard.

"Oh, Shining..." Twilight hopped to her hooves, trotted around her mentor to her brother, then laid down next to him and put a wing over his withers. Celestia leaned over and wrapped a wing around the both of them as well. "Don't worry, Shiny, we'll find her. I swear, even if we have to go through Tartarus and back to get her, we'll do it. Not just 'cause you're my BBBFF, or because she's your wife: because she's my FS/BSIL/OBFF."

Shining Armor chuckled a bit at that point, giving his sister a confused look. "W-what was that last one?"

Twilight grinned and rubbed her head against his neck. "Foalsitter/Big Sister-In-Law/Other Best Friend Forever, of course! What else would it be?"

Shining merely smiled sadly and sighed, lowering his head a bit as he shook it from side to side. "You and your acronyms, LSBFF. Love you."

"Love you, too."

"I'm confused..." Pohatu said, being as unfamiliar with most of the tableau that had just unfolded before him as his fellow Toa were. "What was that about? Is, uh... is Shining Armor alright?"

"Worry not, my lit-- erm, Toa Pohatu, Gali, Kopaka." Celestia said, doing her best to ignore Gali's unconcealed interest in the touchy-feely display before them. "Everything is going to be fine, I promise."

It was at this moment that a there was a sharp hiss in the air above the table, causing everyone present to jump in surprise, and they looked up in time to see a glowing blue door-shaped hole in time and space had appeared. For half a second, it simply hung there, before--

"...fffFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU--HRKK!!”

With a resounding crash, a dark, Toa-shaped and -sized figure fell out of the glowing quadrangular rift in space-time, landing squarely on the table, which was unceremoniously destroyed by his impact. The glowing rectangular portal contracted into a line, then a dot, then returned to nothingness once more. The figure himself was battered, bruised, covered in scratches and some unidentified, foul-smelling, partially dried substance, and generally looking to be in a sorry state of affairs.

However, he himself was not unidentifiable, partially due to the color of his armor, or the large green symbol on his mask, but mostly because of his long rant of wheezing swears, curses, promises of vengeance, and other such nonsense.

"That's about the fastest something's ever gone sideways after I've let that phrase across my tongue..." Celestia muttered to herself, then raised her voice to normal levels so that the new arrival could better hear her: "Ah, Caldoric, glad you could join us at last. There are some things we've been meaning to speak with you about..."

"What, no 'hello,' no 'how you doing,' no 'welcome back'?" Caldoric asked, for it was indeed him that was lying on what remained of the table. "Just an offhand 'Oh, hey, we need to talk?' Celly, I'm hurt by your lack of obvious concern!"

Celestia rolled her eyes and said, in her 'I'm being polite because the situation demands it' voice, "Hello, Caldoric, welcome back to Equestria. How are you doing?"

"I was actually joking about that part, but I really am hurt." Caldoric said, still lying there. "Like, 'going into shock due to possible internal bleeding or something' kind of hurt: I'm lucky not to be a Protodermis pancake right now, man, and I feel like Tony Stark at the end of Avengers 1. I repaired my armor as best I could, but I just can't seem to fix up the carbon scoring on my right arm..."

Everyone's eyes went wide at that, save for Kopaka, who suddenly seemed somewhat aloof. "And we should worry... why? I've had worse, and walked away unscathed."

Caldoric blinked and gave him a confused stare. "I basically just got bitch-slapped by a physical god a little bit ago." He said, with Celestia and her ponies flinching a bit at his choice of words. "I doubt you could say you've ever had the same pleasure."

Kopaka raised an eyebrow. "Touché," was all he said, then activated his Mask of X-Ray Vision as Celestia lit up her horn and applied her magic to Caldoric's abdomen. "I'm recalcitrant to assist in this, however, after you absconded with my mask earlier." Kopaka then pointed out areas that needed attention.

"Wait, is that what the racket was about?" Pohatu asked, curious.

"So it would seem," Gali said, spreading her hands about a foot and a half apart as a sphere of slightly-radiant water formed between them. "But why would you take Kopaka's mask in the first place?"

"Should... should I be writing all this down?" Spike asked, concerned, as Gali applied the glowing liquid to Caldoric's side.

"No, he can still answer questions while we're patching him up," Twilight said, nervously massaging her lower lip with her teeth nonetheless.

"Agreed," seconded Kopaka, "now, why'd you take my mask?"

"You were kinda being a perv, that's why." Caldoric accused. That got everyone's attention, with various iterations of "wait, what?" or "what did you say?"

"Caldoric, that is a heavy accusation," Celestia said at last, her radiant thaumaturgical aura flickering momentarily with her surprise, "and you would do best to choose your next words carefully."

"Alright, alright, but I gotta explain something first." Caldoric replied hurriedly, raising his hands defensively. "See, the inhabitants of the Matoran Universe, while biomechanical, have no concept of... well, the birds and the bees, to be polite: Like, they don't reproduce. At all."

The ponies present were taken aback at the incredulity of the statement, whilst the Toa were merely confused, Pohatu in particular. "Hate to bring the bad news, Caldoric, but reproducing things is what Po-Matoran crafters do."

"Princess, he's prevaricating in an attempt to get himself out of trouble," Kopaka said, and the expression on his mask was one of displeasure.

"No, you don't understand what I'm saying." Caldoric continued, sitting upright, "Any physical gender characteristics the Toa, Matoran, and Turaga possess are strictly functional, like feminine agility and flexibility, or masculine strength and endurance: beyond that, everything's cosmetic, meaning they have no genitalia. They think of the word 'sex' as an adjective, a synonym for 'gender,' not as a verb."

"That's enough...!" Kopaka growled, reaching for his sword, though Gali grabbed his forearm in an attempt to stop him, her control over the silvery fluid wavering. Twilight and Shining charged their horns, with Celestia joining them in preparing to react in one way or another.

"They can't even feel love the same way as you can, Celestia, or the citizens of Equestria, or even myself." Caldoric rambled on with wild abandon, desperate to make himself understood even as half the healing energies focused on him faded. "The closest 'relationship' they can ever possibly have in their world would basically equate to 'friends with benefits' in this world, but without the actual benefits themselves."

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kopaka roared as he shoved Gali aside and breaking her concentration completely, then drew his sword to freeze her, Pohatu, Shining, and Twilight in place, finally sticking its tip under Caldoric's chin.

"Kopaka, stand down."

Celestia's voice was colder and harder than anything Caldoric had ever heard before, and had it been directed at himself, he would probably have stopped his own heart to comply with that order. As is was, Kopaka was the one on the receiving end, and it only caused him to hesitate for a moment.

Was there a sudden glimmer of green in what was visible of Kopaka's left eye? Could there have been a wisp of lavender smoke curling from under the back of his mask? In the flickering candlelight, and what illumination could be gleaned from the fireplace elsewhere in the room, it was hard to tell...

"Well, excuse me, Princess," Kopaka retorted, shifting into his equine Pegasus-like build and staring her down, "But I don't answer to you."

"When you're on my world, you will!" Celestia declared, about to let loose whatever spell she'd had charged. However, this brief exchange was more than enough for someone else to take action first.

BZAKKT!!

A flickering sinusoid line of blue energy lanced across the distance between the two unrestrained Toa, from Space to Ice, before it began dancing wildly across Kopaka's quadrupedal form, arcing and spitting however it pleased. As it did, Kopaka stiffened for half a second, then collapsed to the floor as the energy dissipated, his body shifting back to its standard bipedal form.

There was a small chirruping sound, and all free eyes turned to Caldoric as he slid something small and vaguely serpentine into the pocket on his leg, then got up and walked over to Kopaka's prone body with a look of concern (and mild pain) on his face. Without warning, he jerked forward and stamped the flagstones near Kopaka's head, then bent down with his hand extended. When he straightened up, he held the Toa of Ice's own sword in his hand as Kopaka occasionally twitched softly.

"Caldoric," Celestia said carefully, as if speaking to a madman, "what was that? And what are you--" With a crackle and a dramatic drop in ambient temperature, a ¾-inch-thick sheet of ice formed over most of Kopaka's body, covering everything below the neck. Caldoric then turned back to face the Princess.

"He's fine, for now, but he needs to rest... Hashtag: HanShotFirst." Caldoric said, tapping Kopaka's sword on the ice-boulder containing Twilight and Shining, which cracked and began crumbling. Soon, all that was left was a very cold pair of pony siblings, holding each other for warmth.

Two more taps on the two remaining ice blocks, and Gali and Pohatu were free as well. With that, Caldoric stuck Kopaka's sword, point first, between two flagstones near the Ice Toa's frozen form.

The Toa of Space sighed then, and turned to Celestia, blinking owlishly. "Sorry, I... Kopaka's fine, and should hopefully be back to normal shortly." He said. "In the meantime, I'm really feeling the need for a shower, so..." He then turned, as if to leave.

"You never explained how their physiology had anything to do with why you removed Kopaka's mask." Celestia expectantly interjected as she dropped her spell, which caused Caldoric to stop in place.

"Oh..." He said, with a grimace, "Yeah. About that... see, after seeing off those guys I summoned -- what was it, yesterday? -- anyways, I saw them off back 'home,' then decided to go looking for that Crystal Mirror and hopefully try to figure it out. Unfortunately, Lyra showed up and started following me: you know how obsessed she is with the concept of Humanity as a whole, and it seems she's become somewhat enamored with me. Anywho, I decided to go looking, room by room if I had to, and when the first door I came across was locked, I summoned a copy of the Mask of X-Ray Vision to see inside. Needless to say, I almost instantly regretted the decision."

"Why was that?" Gali asked, finally speaking up.

"Well... hold on a sec, I need to check something before I continue." Caldoric replied, switching his Kualsi for an Akaku and scanning the room, before settling his gaze on a tapestry hanging on one wall. "Uh huh, like I thought. Girls, get out from behind that tapestry."

"Who...?" Pohatu began, before the CMC and Screwball tumbled out from their hiding spot with a few shouts of surprise.

"But... but..." Scootaloo could be heard saying, amongst the grumbler of the four fillies getting themselves untangled, "how'd he know we were hiding?"

"Indeed," Celestia agreed, suspiciously. "Even I didn't detect them, and I personally scanned the room before we all got here!"

"Call it a hunch," Caldoric said, with a shrug. "The CMC tend to have a habit of finding themselves in places where they shouldn't be at the absolute worst of times, so I decided to take some precautions. Treat everything like it's a trap, and you'll never be surprised when you're right, yeah? As for Screwball... she's a wild card: an unknown, as far as I'm concerned."

"What I'm concerned with," Twilight began, "is how much of our conversation they overheard...!"

"Most of it, I think." All heads turned to Kopaka, who had finally regained control of his senses, and he seemed a tad miffed at being unable to fully view the people he was speaking to. "They arrived shortly before Caldoric did."

"He speaks...!" Caldoric said, raising an eyebrow. "Feeling better? Less angsty?"

"Brother!" Gali added, excitedly. "Are you alright?"

"I believe..." Kopaka began, "yes, I believe the answer to those questions is a definitive 'yes,' with a few addendums we can address later..." Caldoric nodded at this, then turned to the four fillies who were trying to slink off whilst everyone else's attention was elsewhere.

"And you three should probably be elsewhere, as long as it's not here or near a library for the time being," he said, gesturing to the Crusaders. "Screwball's probably exempt, being the spawn of Discord, but still: you're a bit young to be hearing what I have to say next. In fact, it's probably best if the Crusaders stay away from any libraries for the next month, and anything similar to a dictionary for the next three."

"Uh..." Came a voice from behind Celestia, which turned out to belong to Spike: the young dragon had hidden in the lee of the Princess once Kopaka had shown signs of aggression. "Why do they have to leave? We're all friends, here... right?"

Rather than answer him, or most of the questioning looks Caldoric was getting, the Toa of Space turned his attention to Twilight. "Has he had the, um... The Talk, yet? 'Cause it has to do with that." The other Toa present in the room exchanged confused glances, to no avail.

"O-Oh...!" The lavender Alicorn stammered, blushing slightly. "Y-yeah, we, uh... we had that chat after..."

"After I went greed-crazy a while back, and nearly destroyed Ponyville trying to build a hoard..." Spike supplied, awkwardly. "So... yeah, I see what you're saying there."

"...As do I, regretfully," Celestia admitted, her expression tense.

"So, all in favor of my proposition about the Crusaders leaving and being kept away from dictionaries and suchlike for the time being?" Caldoric asked, raising a hand.

"Yeah, definitely...!" Spike said quickly.

"Agreed...!" Added Twilight, followed swiftly by a "Seconded!" from Shining, and a hasty "Motion carried, by way of unanimous decision," from Celestia.

"Objection!" Shouted the Crusaders.

"Overruled...!" Came the unanimous cry of Spike, Screwball, and the adults.

"Sorry, young ones," Celestia added, softly, despite the disappointed looks the Crusaders were throwing her way, "but it's not up to me as to when you learn of... that particular topic: you'll each have to ask your individual guardians to tell you about it, but as of this moment, I feel you are still too young. So, for now, young fillies, I must ask that you leave this room."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaawwww...!" Pouted the Crusaders, to no avail.

"Spike," Caldoric said, suddenly brightening, "if you look after them for a bit, only until I'm given leave to take a good shower, I'll let you take a look at some of the early Bionicle comics. Only up to what's current, mind you, but there'll be more to come...!"

There was much grumbling and complaining, but the CMC left the room regardless, with Spike watching after them, the promise of new comics too tempting to resist. Once they'd gone, the door to the room was shut, Kopaka was released from the sheet of ice he's been under, and the chamber was, for the moment, soundproofed.

"Alright, Caldoric," Shining started, once the spell was complete, "what were you going to say?"

"Well, after I looked into the chamber," the Toa of Space began, "I caught a glimpse of two ponies... well, they were goin' at it, really. I couldn't make out too much detail, because there wasn't much light, but I think it might've been Blueblood -- yes, I know who he is, don't be so shocked -- and some other pony. I couldn't make out the second one's gender or identity, but there were definitely some sort of bindings in play, so I can't say for sure if it was entirely consensual..."

Celestia and Shining's eyes hardened, while Twilight grimaced. "I'll talk to him later about that," Celestia said at last. "Continue."

"Well, I looked away pretty quickly," Caldoric complied, "because I'd already seen more than anyone in their right mind would want to see -- I mean, there were some folks back home who'd be interested in watching, but that's beside the point -- and I turned to leave, only to run into Kopaka."

"And you were still wearing that Akaku," Kopaka commented.

"Yeah, that," Caldoric continued, "and you got confrontational about me having it, and looked into the room with your own mask."

"Yes, I did." Replied the Toa of Ice. "I didn't understand what they were doing, so I tried to get a better look, but you decided to clamp your hand over the lenses of my mask. They're very delicate, and you nearly damaged them irreparably! I had to spend an hour readjusting them!"

"In my defense, I told you not to look because it was impolite, but you didn't listen, so I did the first thing that came to mind. I'm sorry that I had to do it, but I wasn't about to explain the birds and bees to one of my childhood heroes while he watched two ponies getting knocked up...!" Caldoric stood up then. "And then there was a chase, and I wound up in the vault, then you guys showed up--"

"And we found you talking to her," Twilight said, turning on Screwball, who smiled amicably and waved.

"Not a crime to ask a fighter to rescue my Daddy, is it?" The enigmatic filly asked, innocently. "After all, there's no fun trying to cause chaos with the situation all stirred up like this: Daddy and I need folks to be around and available to appreciate our talents...!"

"So we rescue him, and get him to re-open the portal, or whatever," Caldoric finished. "Great idea! Then we have the Toa Mata return to Mata Nui, and he resets the mirror to your version of the human world, and you grab your human counterparts for help...! Bingo, everyone wins!"

"Kopaka already said something similar to the first half of that plan, and I definitely agree with him..." Pohatu chimed in, "but it's the second part I'm not so keen on. We could definitely do some good by helping out on both sides."

"And that's the sign that I'm no longer needed...!" Caldoric replied, making for the door.

"Wait..." Shining interjected, "we have some other questions we need to ask, about the fight in the city yesterday."

"And what exactly were you all being so cagy about with that locked door?" Gali asked.

"Yep, I'm leaving now!" Caldoric blurted, scurrying to the door. "I'll talk to you about your stuff after I get cleaned up, and maybe get a bite to eat... I leave these three Toa in your capable hands, Celestia, so teach them well. Bu-bye!" And with that, he was gone... For half a second.

"Also," he said, sticking his head back in, "could you consider drafting up a restraining order against Lyra for me? I'd rather not have her shadowing me all over the place... 'k thanks, bye...!" And he was gone again.

Screwball was nowhere to be found, either.

"I'm... gonna go check on my tower, maybe reorganize my books..." Twilight said, and vanished in a flash of lavender light.

"And I'll... be around," Shining said with a nod, "seeing how many other members of the guard we have available, and such. Should I send the other 'Toa' in as well...?"

Celestia squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, and briefly massaged her forehead with a hoof. "Yes, sure, might as well. They'll all find out sooner or later, and I'd rather they learn it the right way, rather than as a garbled version."

"Learn what?" Gali asked, reservedly, as Shining Armor left the room.

"Probably what those two ponies were doing behind that locked door..." Kopaka guessed. "This ought to be interesting."

~~~~
Ian walked through the castle corridors, trying to find the nearest room with a shower, or at least a bathtub, so he could clean off his armor to some extent. He wasn't having much luck, and he was reluctant to use the Akaku again, just in case.

His attention snapped back to the present when a small white blur came streaking around the corner at the end of the hallway at about floor level, with the sound of barking somewhere close behind. The blur quickly streaked up Ian's leg and chest with a faint clatter of claws on metal, then came to rest across his shoulders.

The startled Toa barely had time to identify the creature as a rather chubby (and spoiled-looking) housecat before an excited-looking dog barreled around the corner, barking its head off and having a jolly old time. Soon, it too was getting in Ian's personal space, having jumped up and leaned its forepaws against his upper thighs as it stared at the cat.

"...Winona?" Ian asked nobody in particular, and got a bark in response, Winona smiling and letting her tongue hang carelessly to the side. The cat merely hissed in response. "And you must be... the one that belongs to Rarity. Sorry, I can't remember your name, little kitty."

The cat merely stuck her nose in the air, and Ian could've sworn she huffed indignantly. Winona barked again.

"Winona? That you?" AJ's voice came around the corner. "Where'd ya git to, ya rascal?"

"Over here, AJ," Ian called to her, and reached up to try and pet the cat on his shoulders. She wasn't having any of it, though, even trying to bite his hand.

"Oh, hey Caldoric!" AJ called back, coming round the corner. "Ah see ya managed t' calm Opal down a bit."

"Trust me, I think she's only on my shoulders to get away from Winona here," Ian replied, as the countrymare came closer to him. "Otherwise, she'd probably rather roll in mud than be near me."

AJ nodded and took a step back covering her snout with a hoof. "Ah'd hafta agree there, Caldoric. Ya kinda smell, 'n yer covered in... what in Tartarus is that gunk, anyway?"

"Bits of dead aliens that were trying to kill me. And believe me when I say it feels worse to be the one wearing it than to be the one lookin' at it."

AJ took another step back, looking wary. "Right... Uh, not ta be nosey or anythin', but... yer telling me ya killed somepony? Several someponies, even?"

"No, not somepony," Ian corrected, "in addition to the fact that that term is completely racist, I was referring to a bunch of mindless freakazoids called 'genestealers,' whose only obvious intent was to kill (and possibly eat,) me and the other Displaced that I was summoned to help. Now, if you'd kindly direct me to the nearest place where I could take a bath, or possibly even a shower, that'd be great. Amazing even."

AJ chewed her lip for a moment before replying. "Well.. Ah certainly believe yer tellin' the truth about that... or, part of it at least."

"I also got into a fight with a Void Dweller over some ancient warhammer thingy, and nearly died as a result. Celestia and Gali patched me up a bit, though, so nothing to worry about there..."

"Uh... that... unbelievable as that sounds, Ah'm not pickin' up any signs that yer lyin'." AJ then turned her head and nodded back the way she came. "Nearest spot ya can wash yersel' up at's 'round that corner, up the stairs, 'n it'll be the third door on the left. Meantime, Ah'll take Opal off yer hoov-- hands."

"Sure, if you can get Winona to back off a bit, I can bend over a bit." Ian replied, smiling. "And thanks for the directions."

And so, once Opal the cat had been transferred into the custody of Applejack, she and Ian went their separate ways. The Toa of Space soon found the bathing chamber that he'd been told about, and was glad to find that it contained a sort of bathtub/shower combination that would suit his purposes quite nicely. Being that he was used to having to remove whatever clothes he was wearing before bathing back on Earth, he felt wierd stepping straight into the shower without the normal "transition" period. Well, he did pause momentarily to remove the modified Bluetooth he'd discovered to be stuck to his left ear the previous night, and stored it in his Sylladex.

Guess that's one benefit of a society where clothing's considered optional, Ian thought to himself as he turned on the water, then shook his head. No, don't think about that, especially right now. Down that road lies only madness, and I'm not planning on going native anytime soon... A few seconds later, he nearly jumped out of the tub in shock.

"Why the hell is the cold set to the left side of the control knob?!? What the hell, world?" He exclaimed, then turned the water to a more manageable temperature. Everything's gotta be weirdly ass-backwards with these ponies... from their schizo-tech, to their lack of effective methods for controlling bad folks, to the way they set their water mains. Not to mention that they have paved roads in the cities, but nowhere else. I wonder why that is...

Once the water was reasonably warm, Ian grabbed the handheld showerhead thingy and positioned it so the flowing water could reach his entire frame. It admittedly felt wierd for the water to flow both over and under his armor, making its way through areas populated with muscle and machinery with wild abandon, though having no real effect thereon. It seemed to carry away most of the alien gore pretty quickly, save for some lightly dried bits, but he wasn't too worried.

In fact, he was actually quite content to stand there and let the water carry away most of his worries as well. It was the first time he'd really let himself actually relax since arriving. Mmmh... I should probably see if I can find that one library again... he thought, as he set the showerhead in its cradle and absentmindedly began dispensing shampoo out of a random nearby bottle into one hand. I need to make sure that Twilight hasn't tampered with the Alchemiter while I was gone... at least, not too much. God knows what she's try to "upgrade" it with while unsupervised. I really need to move it and the Crystal Mirror thingy to a more secure place so I can get to work on the portal... wait, hold up. What am I doing right now?

Ian took a moment to figure out where his hands were, and what they were doing: without his direct command, they'd gone into the usual routine of hair-washing he'd fallen into over the last few years, once again reminding him of the wires and cables that made up his new "hairdo." What the hell...? I mean, it's not even hair! Why do I even have that stuff back there, anyways? No other sapient species in Bionicle had "hair" like this, especially not Toa. The only ones that came close were Roodaka's species, the, um... the Vortixx, I think... And even then, it was all part of a headdress-type thingy.

Ian sighed to himself, and stuck his "hair" under the running water to clear it of the soap. Who knew what Equestrian soap would do to protodermis if left to its own devices...

"Fuck it," he muttered, shoulders drooping, "what am I even doing right now... who am I trying to fool? I'm no hero." He sat down under the shower's deluge and removed his mask, turning it so he could look at its front. A second later, he scoffed and dropped it at his feet with a clatter, shaking his head. "Useless: that's what I am. A fraud. 'A Matoran in Toa's armor,' as Makuta would say. I mean, I'm not even a proper Toa. I can't consciously control my powers, whatever those're supposed to be. I'm just a hodgepodge of ideas, now, something that was never meant to exist. Heh, talk about a handicap..."

One never know unless they try...

Ian looked up and glanced about, but saw no one else nearby. No visible source for the words that'd just... well, just dropped into his head. "What...?"

Different worlds run on different rules, yes...? So, find the rules of this one, then decide which to follow, which to exploit, and which to re-write. That's what a Knight does, yes?

"Ok, piss off, whoever you are," Ian said, glaring at the wall in front of him for lack of a more suitable focus. "It's not polite to go poking about in someone's head without invitation or permission, and you have neither."

One is glad to be of service, little flame...

"Out...!"

...

Silence reigned once again in the bathroom, save for the sound of the water falling from the showerhead, and, once he was sure that he was alone once more, Ian crossed his arms over his knees, rested his forehead on them, and just let the warm water cascade over his form once more, his mind idly wandering wherever it saw fit. This only lasted a few minutes, however, before the water ran cold, signaling that he should probably get up and face the world once more.

When Ian opened the bathroom door to leave, however, he was greeted by the sight of two royal guards standing on either side of the door, both of whom were unicorns.
"Ah, Caldoric," said the one to his right, "we've been looking for you, and miss Applejack was kind enough to tell us where you were. We have a few questions to ask you..."

"Namely," the other one said, pulling something from one of his saddlebags, "does this rag smell like chlorofo--"

He never finished the sentence, as Ian had quickly swatted the rag in question out of the air, simultaneously bringing his own knee up under the stallion's jaw, which made a distinct click on contact. Ian then shot the same leg backwards into the first stallion's face, and was rewarded with the solid crrrack! of metal meeting stone...

Wait, Ian thought, turning to look at the guard he'd just kicked, stone? What the...?

Instead of the mess of pulped flesh and shattered bone Ian had half-expected to see, he was instead treated to a view of how the area of "skin" he'd kicked had shattered and flaked off of the guard's face, revealing black crystals and a glowing green eye beneath. It was not a happy face, in other words. "Ugh, mother's breath,” the so-called guard exclaimed, glaring at Ian, "a blow like that would've sent most anypony to the hospital... Now I know why she wants you so bad." With that, the guard "shells" exploded off the two Shardlings in twin bursts of green flame.

"Now," said the second one, massaging its jaw, "come with us, and there'll be no problems, eh?" Ian looked between the two, and tried to formulate a response.

At long last, he finally spoke. "I'm... disinclined, shall we say, to acquiesce to your request, but I have a counter-proposal for Chrystalla." Ian spread his arms to the sides, palms up. "Tell her that she and the rest of your band of merry 'lings are welcome to acquire a few shovels, and use them to indulge yourselves in copious amounts of self-procreation, blunt end first." The Shardlings looked confused for half a second, before snarling at him.

"Fine then," the first speaker spat, "have it your way. But know this: once we're done with you, you'll wish we had killed you."

"Bring it on, bug-nuts," Ian countered, then used his mask power to teleport off down the hall. Once again, the chase was--!

He had barely turned the corner before he was tackled by seven or eight other Shardlings, which had been lying in wait for him, and were quick to relieve him of his mask.

Shit, Ian thought as one of them pressed a hoof to his throat, and others began using magic to hold down his arms and legs, this is bad...

Uchu... Kita? Blood on the Home Turf, and Heroes of Space Team Up?!

View Online

A quick warning here, folks... This chapter's gonna be a bit graphic for a short bit. It's no slasher-fic level of detail, (in fact, it's practically tame,) but therecs always some extremely squeamish folks who might get triggered, so... I'll leave a warning before it starts, and a note for when it ends, so you can kinda skip over the worst of it. Hopefully, this is the greatest portion of the dark and/or gore tag...

Ian wasn't sure what to do, given his current position. Held captive by a group of Chrystalla's Shardlings, with no clue how to control his powers, his mask taken from him, and no one else in the castle knew he was even in trouble.

Oh, and he couldn't seem to summon anything from his Sylladex or Strife Deck. Maybe this was the end, for him...

"Wow, no wonder you metal monstrosities wear masks; your faces are a mess!" Exclaimed the Shardling holding Ian's mask. If he remembered correctly, they were one of the two who had first ambushed him... Yes, it seemed the group holding him down were all of the host-held-hostage variety, led by the two who had disguised themselves as guards.

"Yeah, they sure are," the other free-minded 'ling said, agreeing with their compatriot, "but not as much of a mess as his is gonna be shortly."

"Heh, yeah, good point." The first 'ling frowned then. "It's weird, though... He didn't put up that much of a fight. You sure this is the same guy that sucked the power out of all our forces in the castle yesterday?"

"Yup, the resonance tracking spell led us right to the room he was in, and he matches the description she gave us." The second 'ling replied, then stabbed a foreleg at Ian's right forearm. "Yeah, see? The energy's already making its mark on him..."

"Mmh-mmmmph?" Ian gurgled next to them.

"Jeeze, isn't he unconscious yet?" Asked the first of the two speaking Shardlings, (which Ian decided to call "Commanders,") and the non-speaking 'ling who had a hoof to Ian's throat merely shrugged in response. Ian decided that, assuming he survived, he'd start calling those ones "Shells".

"Huh," the second Commander said, thoughtfully, "normally that works... Ah, forget about it, we can just warp back to the hive, with him in this condition. Let him breathe."

The Shell that had been half-trying to throttle Ian finally relented, removing its foreleg from his neck as it chose to sit on his chest instead. This allowed him to speak at last.

"W-what d'you want with me...?" He gasped, though he was pretty sure of the answer he'd receive.

"Well, for one," said the second Commander, off-handedly, "you messed her up a bit more than she'd ever like to admit, so she wants revenge for that, and she'd like to do it personal-like, ya know?"

"Also," added the first Commander, "nopony's ever been able to remove the shardling influence once it had been bestowed upon somepony. As such, we're all pretty curious how you, of all folks, were able to do it. And none are more curious than Lord Somn--hrrk!"

The Commander's throat suddenly convulsed as his jaw snapped shut, and his already huge eyes bugged out from his face. "No..." he choked out, as his companion's expression went from worried to pained and fearful, "I didn't mean -- I wasn't -- please...! Don't kill--!" His cries, whomever they were directed at, apparently fell short of sympathetic ears, as his crystalline horn suddenly became engulfed in a green aura, and then shot backwards through the Shardling's head with a crunch, and a splash of green fluid. His companion suffered the same fate not half a second later, and both their "bodies" collapsed into twin piles of black crystalline shards and green goo.

Ian was stunned. What the heck had just happened? One second be was being threatened by those two, and suddenly they were pleading for their lives before virtually exploding. Was he somehow responsible, or was there another party involved? Were they being watched, even now...? His musings were cut short as he realized that the Shells around him were now acting quite frantic, and as his attention returned to them, things began to take a turn for the worse.

This is where the worst of it starts...

As Ian looked on, one of the panicking Shells stumbled sideways a few steps, then began pawing at its face with its forelegs, apparently trying to remove the crystals there. It didn't gain much progress, however, before it's entire torso suddenly imploded, collapsing in a violent spray of blood and bits of viscera as the rest of it began thrashing. Shortly afterwards, a second, less fortunate Shell had its entire head crushed in an instant, like a submarine that had dived too far below the ocean's surface, followed by a shower of blood, bone shards, and bits of grey matter.

The Shell sitting on Ian's chest took this opportunity to roll sideways off of him, and joined the others in attempting to paw uselessly at their crystalline bodies. This one, however, started off by slamming it's head against the floor a few times, until a small chunk fell off its face. Ian, meanwhile, had scrabbled over to his discarded mask as soon as he was free of them, but once he'd donned the Kanohi and looked back at his former captor, he was shocked at what he saw.

The mare, (for a mare she definitely was,) who had locked her one now-free eye with him, was highly reminiscent of Rainbow Dash, in that her coat was the same baby-blue hue, and the iris of the lone visible eye was that same iridescent magenta. What little of her mane hung out from beneath the crystals on her head was an orange-ish shade of salmon, with streaks of peach peeking through here and there, all of it cut straight and almost boyishly short. Her expression was one of desperate pleading, asking for Ian to help her remove the crystals from her body.

Ian was spurred into action by the death of a third Shell, whose head suddenly spun a full 360° on their neck, sending them into spasms as they collapsed. Ian, for his part, darted forward and began to cautiously (yet still frantically,) pull at the crystals on the mare's head and shoulders. Unfortunately, they would not come off easily; in addition to the almost magnetic attraction that held the crystals together, they also seemed to have partially fused themselves with patches of her fur, making it that much harder to remove them without causing some discomfort to the unwitting "host".

"Please..." The mare gasped, once her mouth was free of obstructing crystals, "do hurry... I'd rather not end up like--" Her soft plea was interrupted by one of the nearby shells suddenly being brutally vivisected, its short-lived cries of anguish greatly muted by the crystals covering its face.

"Like that...?" Ian asked, shaken, and the mare before him nodded, obviously reluctant to speak, lest she lose her lunch as soon as she opened her mouth. Ian couldn't blame her: he was half-feeling the same urge himself. Nonetheless, he decided that things weren't going fast enough, and that some other method needed to be employed for this situation. Closing his eyes, he thought back to the previous day, trying to remember what sensations he'd been experiencing shortly after arrival, when his arm had seemingly acted on its own to release Lyra, absorbing that weird green energy in the process.

That, paired with what he could remember of the conversation he'd had with Twilight about basic spellcasting after Pinkie's party, was apparently enough to get things working. This time, however, his arm itched and burned under the armor, though he tried not to let it bother him, for the mare's sake. "What's your name?" Ian asked her, a slight grimace flitting over his face as he raised his now-glowing hand to her clavicle. The crystals, thankfully, began to fall off of her of their own accord, the energy that otherwise bound them together now being absorbed. He'd have to figure out what was going on with that sooner or later...

"W-windy..." The mare stuttered, rubbing at one slightly bloodied nostril before she returned to scraping crystals off herself. "Windy Whistle. I-I'm from... What used to be Cloudsdale, I guess, before they trashed it. Oh, one of those rock thingies went up my nose about an hour ago, by the way: might wanna take a look at that later..." The two of them winced as another Shell became a short-lived hybrid between Swiss cheese and a pincushion.

Ian tried to push himself harder, and accellerate the separation, but anything beyond the level of effort he was currently putting into the situation caused the painful sensations in his arm to skyrocket almost beyond his tolerance level. "Must go faster..." He muttered to himself, trying to keep calm and push through the pain. "Must go faster...!" As if to emphasize the point, the last remaining Shell (aside from the mare in front of Ian,) had its legs slowly and painfully crushed, one by one, before its head suddenly rolled free of its neck amidst a fountain of crimson blood. "Not to worry, miss Windy: this may look dire, but million-to-one odds like this crop up nine times outta ten, and things always pull through just as they look bleakest."

Windy smiled faintly. "Oh, you..." She said with a short chuckle, placing a hoof on his arm, "you know, you remind me of my daughter, to an extent. From what I've seen, you share the same drive, the same determination to make things happen once you've set your mind to it. And, just like with my Rainbow, I have the utmost faith in yo--" A sharp popping sound interrupted whatever Windy was going to say next, right as her head suddenly turned about an inch to her left. In that moment, her left eye had gone wall-eyed and heavily bloodshot, whilst her right had rolled back slightly, and was already starting to cloud over as her hoof slid off his arm.

Ok, the graphic stuff's over. For those who read it, I'm sorry. For those who didn't, in sorry as well... Read on, and you'll come to understand why.

A faint trickle of crimson was now visible making its way out of the bloodied nostril that Windy'd been rubbing, and the flow of energy between the two of them was almost forcibly severed. As Ian took this in, her body now sagged, lifelessly, and he barely was able to catch her before she hit the ground. Her frame, already small by nature of being a Pony, somehow seemed even smaller now, as he held her in his arms.

"No..." Ian breathed to himself, not wanting to believe what he was already sure had happened. He pressed two fingers to Windy's throat, quickly finding her already faltering pulse. Within seconds, it had entirely faded into nonexistence. "No... No, no, no...!" His arms dropped to his sides in despair, letting Windy's body rest on his knees as his head rolled back.

"FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!"

~~~~
Elsewhere in the castle...

Celestia sighed, and dragged a forehoof down one side of her face. "Alright, now that that's over, do any of you have anything more to ask or say on the subject...?" She asked tiredly, looking Fluttershy, Pinkie, and each of the Toa Mata in the eye. The two Elements had been helpful in educating the Toa in the intricacies of intimacy, allowing for multiple viewpoints on the topic. "I mean, I highly doubt anyone could possibly come up with something that would be worse than anything you all have in the last three quarters of an hour..."

"Oh, silly Princess," Pinkie replied with a chuckle, waving a hoof in her direction, "there's always something that can be taken to eleven, especially when you say something like that...!"

As if to emphasize her point, a lone, drawn-out curse was carried to the ears of everyone present from somewhere else in the castle: "FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!"

"Well, if they say-command it, who am I to resist-fight?" Lewa quipped from on top of a dresser, earning a few nervous chuckles from the other Toa.

"...I stand corrected, then," Celestia sighed, as the head of a now semi-familiar biomechanical reptile pushed itself out from under the table. It was soon followed by the form of a medium-sized bird with flame-colored plumage, and the two shared a glance. "Oh, Philomena, there you are. I see you've made friends with young Caldoric's compan-- where are you two going?" The Phoenix and the Hikaki had rushed through the door and into the hall while Celestia was talking, and the two were soon gone from sight.

"Well, that was unexpected..." Pohatu said, only for Pinkie to suddenly gasp and clasp a hoof to her barrel, just above her heart, then begin shaking and shuddering from head to toe like she was having a seizure. It was over just as quickly as it had started, however, allowing the party planner to collapses to the ground before anyone had a chance to get to their feet.

"Pinkie, are you alright?" Celestia asked as everyone began to gather around her, but Pinkie ignored her. Instead, she leapt up and grabbed Fluttershy by the shoulders and stared into her eyes.

"F-fluttershy...!" She gasped. "My Pinkie-senses are going off the deep end again, and it's worse than that time when Twilight finally decided to stop investigating my Pinkie-sense!"

"Uh, what's going on here?" Onua asked, hand raised in the air.

"I dunno!" Pinkie replied, her head flipping almost completely backwards to face him. "But whatever it is, it's a doozy, it has something to do with that swear a few seconds ago, and it's about to happen right now!" With that, she zipped out of the room, followed by the Toa Mata (using their Masks of Speed,) then by Celestia and Fluttershy.

As they ran, there was a faint BAMF of displaced air, and suddenly Luna was traveling in her elder sibling's wake as well. "Sister!" Celestia exclaimed, glad to have her sister by her side. "Any any idea what's going on? Do you know who yelled a minute ago?"

"Nay, sister," Luna replied, shaking her head. "I know not who, and must assume we both know equally little of the situation, save for this: I feel a familiar darkness growing, even now, and we are presently moving towards it."

"D-darkness...?" Fluttershy squeaked, nearly freezing mid-flight.

"Indeed. It is one I myself have succumbed to twice before, but never have I ever felt it in another pony... not until Celestia and I were overpowered 'ere a week ago."

"You can't mean...?" Celestia gasped, the sentence dieing in her throat as everyone came to a stop at a hallway intersection, shocked into stillness by the storm of darkness filling the passage before them all.

"I'm afraid it is as you think, Celestia." Luna said, a touch of sorrow in her voice. "Somepony else has gone... Grimdark."

~~~~
A few minutes ago...

Ian knelt in the hallway, clutching the lifeless body of Windy Whistles to his chest, slowly rocking back and forth on his knees. Why...? he thought to himself. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't I save her? All his self-doubts from when he arrived on Mata Nui to now began to coalesce, pressing down on his spirit with a greater intensity than ever.

Who did he think he was, anyways? He was only a Toa in name, and nothing more. Not even as threatening as a Matoran masquerading in Toa armor; he was but a young man, playing at war and trying to imitate his childhood heroes. The "powers" that he was "supposed" to have rarely worked properly, assuming they even worked at all! Yes, he'd been able to hold his own in melee combat during the previous day's fight in the streets of Canterlot, but only barely, and not through much of his own skill. For all intents and purposes, Ian had been practically useless, except when he'd done that stupid energy-sucking thing... And then there was that whole thing with the Piraka, and the fight against Ahriman--

Hold on, that's not me thinking those things...! Ian realised, lifting his masked face from where he'd buried it in the dead mare's fuzzy shoulder. As he looked up, he became cognizant of a deep, resonating laughter permeating the hall around him. The various crystals attached to the dead Equestrians around him finally parted company with the corpses, shattering into a fine powder that quickly gathered into a small cloud of darkness with glowing green eyes. Each eye had a red iris, and a trail of purple smoke emanating from their outer edge.

<Oh, how far the mighty have fallen...> a deep, unfamiliar voice said in Ian's mind, seeming to bypass his ears and implant itself directly in his immediate memory. <I could kill you right now, interloper, but I think I'll offer you a choice instead. Come over to our side, willingly; join our forces, and we can give you power like you've never dreamed of. We could show you... eternity...>

"And if I don't?" Ian asked, glaring at the strange cloud. He could swear, from the way the eyes changed shape right then, that the controlling force behind the cloud would've been smiling if it had a mouth.

<Well then... it's your funeral, isn't it...?> The voice asked, before the cloud of crystal dust abruptly surged forward and enveloped Ian completely. In seconds, everything around him seemed to fall away, and he found himself in a dark expanse that was somehow also well lit, for a given value of "lit." He could just make out something beyond his current range of vision, but nothing beyond the fact that there was something out there to be noticed.

"Where the hell...?" He muttered, looking around, but his attention was soon drawn back to his immediate vicinity as now-familiar cloud of darkness swirled into existence nearby. It quickly condensed, solidifying itself into a crystalline figure that Ian only partially recognized.

The newcomer was definitely a pony, with almost Alicorn-like attributes to its frame, though unlike all other Alicorns that Ian had seen before, this one was thicker-built, indicating to him that it was masculine. It wore a brilliant red cape with ermine lining over its back, accompanied by a spiked metallic circlet on its head. Its mane and tail consisted of slow-moving black flames, which nicely offset the purple smoke leaking from its emerald-green eyes, whose crimson pupils were locked hungrily on Ian.

"S-sombra...!" Ian exclaimed, a bit confused. "But... I thought you and Chrysalis-- I mean, Chrystalla, had, like, fused or something!"

"Two things, whelp." 'Sombra' snarled. "First, what made you thing we'd fuse? As if she could stand me permanently inside her head, or I her. Second, call me 'Sombra' again, and it'll be the last thing you do. He died in the Northern wastes... And I was reborn. I am... Lord Somnus. Chrystalla and I share control over our glorious, nigh-perfect army, and we are here to usher in an age of prosperity for our new Empire."

"Your new Empire?" Ian asked, half sarcastically, as they both began to circle each other. "Please. Empires rise and fall at the drop of a hat, and yours is no exception."

"And who's to say that it's not time for Celestia's little hoof-built society to finally come crashing down around her? She and her blasted sister should've just laid down and let me claim what was mine by right."

"Who the hell do you think you are, that you can just declare Equestria's current age of peace to be over?" Ian demanded. "I mean, I may not be fond of this world's normally over-cheerful setting, but at least it was better than what I had..."

"Enough!" Somnus dispersed in a burst of crystal fragments, and reformed about a foot in front of Ian half a moment later. "You have a choice to make. Join us, or die, and allow other innocents to die with you."

"No matter how the wind blows, the mountain does not bow." Ian stated simply, crossing his arms as he took a step back. "My will is as strong as yours, my kingdom as great: you have no power over me."

~~~~
Somnus was shocked. That this... this strange creature had the audacity to not only refuse his goodwill, but to then treat Somnus as an equal, or even an inferior, was nigh unthinkable. So much so, that Somnus actually stepped back a few yards from the sheer shock. "Y-you can't be serious..." He muttered, only for the strange being before him to smile faintly.

"Yes I can," it said cockily, "I just choose not to. Well, usually."

"You fool!" Sombra exclaimed, still slightly off-balance. There was something... off about the mental landscape which Somnus had found himself after invading Caldoric's mind. "You would choose to test yourself against Chrystalla and I? You, who know nothing about war?"

The figure standing before Somnus, the one that called itself "Caldoric" in the outside world, gave a single snort of laughter and allowed its head to drop to its chest, their form shimmering and changing for the umpteenth time since Somnus had arrived. Each time, Caldoric's form had retained a bipedal nature, though the form itself had ranged between organic and synthetic, armored and unarmored, child-like to young adult. But there had always been some level of concealment to Caldoric's shape, as if it were hiding something about itself.

"Heh, typical Disney villain lingo... I don't need to know anything about war on a personal level. My species has perfected war, and turned it into something of an art form. Equine species, like yourself, are descended from prey animals, and lack the natural urge, the primal instinct to kill for your food. But humans, like me? Our ancient ancestors were primates. Apes. We, too, had some of that prey instinct, but we were also predators in our own right. Ponies like you are creatures of light: you merely adopted the darkness of war. But humans?"

Caldoric's head snapped up at this, his eyes now blazing orange instead of the green they had previously been. "We've been living in the shadows between light and dark practically since day one. We've had generations of practice to refine our hand at war. I am personally descended from the Vikings of old, who would plunder and raid costal villages and inland cities alike." His form shimmered and changed again, and this time, something about it seemed more truthful than all the others. He now looked something like a Minotaur in upper body shape, but not as stocky. His legs were straight, his face between the simplistic nature of a wild ape and the more refined, intelligent nature that Somnus had come to see in modern ponies (though it was distinctly flat-ish by comparison). And he was still talking.

"Ponies may have better speed and strength than humans, -- hell, you guys even have magic, -- but can you hope to match our intellect, our durability, our endurance, our drive, or our determination? After all, we can do just about anything we put our minds to, given the right motivation. And given that you and/or Chrystalla killed someone I was trying to save while they were in my arms, I'd say that I'm pretty motivated to kick your collective asses!"

Somnus could see something forming out of the subconscious materia behind Caldoric, and it was large. "Now," it said, as "Caldoric" vanished into nothingness, "get out of my head, you bastard, before I dot your eyes and cross your fucking teeth...!"

~~~~
Canterlot hallway, right now.

"Grimdark?!" Several voices demanded at once, Celestia's being quite prevalent among them.

"Yes," Luna admitted, "a seed of darkness has found root in some poor pony. A seed that, if left to fester without guidance or oversight, could give a new Nightmare the chance to awaken."

"A n-n-new n-nightmare?!" Fluttershy repeated fearfully, then stiffened and fell over with a faint "eeep!"

"Yes, but it should be fine for now. It should, with all probability, never develop into a fully-fledged Nightmare. Not unless the negative emotions that give it life are given an external target upon which to focus, and then driven to conflict with said focus..."

Just then, the storm of shadows and dark particles before them abruptly collapsed in on its center, then seemed to divide into two parts that began fighting each other: one side was compromised of tiny crystalline shards mixed with black smoke and a faint reddish energy at its core, while the other consisted of both shadowy clouds and strangely-shaped "holes" in reality that offered a shifting view of an unfamiliar starscape. In response, everyone backed off several paces, and Rainbow Dash gave Luna a look that practically screamed "you mean, like that?"

"I'll go get the others..." RD said in a hurry, and zipped off, with Pohatu hot on her tail. The other Toa followed suit shortly after.

"Sister, what is--"Celestia began, only for Luna to cut her off.

"This-- this isn't right... There's two sources now, but they're both fighting over something...?"

"What?!" Nothing more could be said, however, because the two warring energies suddenly increased the ferocity of their attacks upon each other, taking on new forms in their intensity. The smoke and grit formed into a large wolf's head, while the shadows and stars gathered themselves into the shape of a distinctively reptilian head bearing draconic accents in places.

There was a brief flurry of blows between them before the wolf's head backed off, momentarily dispersing into its original cloud-like shape and reforming further down the hall as an extremely familiar, and rather unwelcome, figure.

"Fine then!" The Sombra-shaped entity shouted at the remaining cloud of energy in the hall. "You may have gained the upper hand in the subconscious realm this once, but your luck won't hold. If you want your revenge so much, you'll come to Ponyville and face me there!"

"And if I beat you again, Somnus...?" Asked the star-clad cloud of darkness, in a voice like a mausoleum door slamming shut and trapping a living occupant inside.

"Somnus" chuckled darkly. "If you win, I'll surrender, no strings attached. But when you lose... I'll have you as the latest member of my army, fighting for our Empire of Shadows. But know this: if you don't come alone, or if you fail to show up, I'll consider it a forfeit, and collect my winnings myself."

"You can certainly try," the larger entity replied. "Alright, then, it's a date, you fucking murderer. Loser goes home with Destiny." With that, the entity calling itself Somnus dissipated again, moving towards a shattered window, only for the dragon-headed portal to the stars abruptly lunged forward and snapped up the cloud in its jaws. Only a small portion of the dust remained free, floating off in the wind, whilst the rest merely dripped from the remaining creature's jaws.

It, too, began to dissipate a few seconds later, the field of stars and tendrils of darkness shrinking and compacting into the silhouette of a familiar biomechanical figure before going "poof". The figure now standing there in the hall sagged to their knees, hunched over, before slowly allowing themselves to fall over onto their side.

"C-caldoric...!" Celestia exclaimed, as the Toa's pet robo-lizard scurried up to him and began nuzzling him worriedly. Celestia and Luna took this opportunity to look around at the carnage that was now visible in the wake of... whatever had just happened.

"What... is the meaning of all this, Toa?" Luna asked, her words slow and deliberate. "What transpired within these halls?"

"It wasn't me, if that's what you're asking." Caldoric responded. His gaze was directed at the Hikaki by his side, hands idly stroking its neck, though his eyes were unfocused, making it seem as if he were looking through the reptile. "It was a failed kidnapping attempt that, I think, turned into a show of power. These... people, I guess I could say... they were collateral, caught in the line of fire, as it were. After one of the Shardlings commanders almost said Sombra-- I mean, Somnus'-- name, they all started dying. The captive ones seemed to regain their free will, and began trying to get the crystals off themselves... and that's when the crystals started acting on their own, doing what you see here. I t-tried to help one, but... b-but..."

Caldoric turned away from the princesses, taking a few steps towards the closest body to him before falling to his knees and gently lifting its head. "I f-failed her... She d-died in my arms... Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair..." He then bowed his head over the mare's body and began muttering something that neither Princess was able to make out.

"Caldoric, what did you--" Celestia began, only for Caldoric to throw up a warding hand in her direction and continue muttering. Seconds later, he lowered the hand, closed the fallen mare's eyes, and laid a single golden Bit over each eye. He then followed these strange actions with an unfamiliar gesture from his hand: he held the index and middle fingers straight up, in front of his face, then moved the hand and fingers in front of his sternum, followed by his left and right shoulders.

"Perhaps it's some sort of death ritual, where he's from?" Luna suggested softly, leaning towards her sister. Celestia merely shrugged, then turned her attention back to Caldoric as he carefully laid the mare's head back on the ground. The Toa had barely finished standing up, however, when he was abruptly rammed into by a streak of blue with a Technicolor trail. There was a loud CLANNNG! upon contact, after which Caldoric was slumped against the far wall of the distant T-intersection at the end of the hall, while a very angry-looking Rainbow Dash was now crouching where he had just been.

~~~~
Rainbow Dash zoomed through the halls of Canterlot Castle as fast as she dared, desperate to get back to where she'd left Fluttershy and the Princesses to gather her friends. She knew Celestia and Luna could handle themselves, but she still had this awful feeling that something bad was about to happen...

Of course, her fears seemed to have realised themselves while she was gone: as she rounded the corner to the hallway, her eyes were treated to one of the more graphic sights she had seen in her life: there were close to ten bodies strewn across the hall in various states of desecration, and there were splashes of blood in several places. Her friend, Fluttershy, was just rousing herself next to the Princesses, who had both taken rather guarded stances. Caldoric was also there amidst the bodies, carefully lowering one to the ground and accompanied by his Hikaki. She wasn't sure why her attention suddenly snapped to the Pegasus mare's body, but when Rainbow saw her face, her vision became momentarily tinged with red, and her mind cleared of all but a single thought.

Mom...!

Suddenly, she found herself hunched over her mother's limp frame, hugging Windy Whistles' face to her chest and slowly shedding a few tears. Seconds later, the fastest flier in the nation was immobilized inside a familiar golden aura, warm and comforting, but also gently confining her as her mother slipped from her grasp.

"N-no, no...! Mom!!!" Rainbow cried, trying vainly to reach her mother once more as she was lifted away.

"Rainbow Dash, please restrain yourself," Celestia's calm voice asked, as the Pegasus was gently enveloped under one of the Princess' wings. "She's gone, Rainbow. As much as it pains me to say it, there's nothing more to be done for her now."

"Indeed," Luna added, stepping closer and leaning against the two of them. "Not even 'Tia and I, with all our power, could return somepony from the great beyond. Death waits for no mare, and doth not return that which she hath claimed."

"Yeah? Well, what about him?" Rainbow demanded, jerking her head in the general direction of Caldoric, who was just now staggering to his feet and blinking heavily.

"Augh..." He groaned. "Sorry... I do Space, not Life. Besides, as a Knight, I'm a fighter class, not a healer like Sylphs would be. Even then, you'd heed a Hope player on hand to even think of pulling it off with any degree of success..."

Luna and Celestia looked at each other and came to a silent agreement. "I'll take care of him for now," Luna stated, "you comfort her, and get her caught up." With that, she enveloped Caldoric and Jinka in her thaumic grip, and the trio teleported away before Rainbow could begin to object.

"U-um... Your h-highness, what happened here...? I-if you don't mind, that is..." Fluttershy squeaked out at last, visibly at the verge of tears at the sight of so much apparent pain and suffering. Only the Phoenix at her side kept her from turning into a fountain of tears.

"Hey, if anypony needs to be asking that question right now, it should be me!" Rainbow nearly shouted. "Not to step on your tail, Flutters, but I'm the one who just found their mom's corpse on the floor with somepony I thought we were supposed to be able to trust standing over her, and I'm just a little bit ever-so-slightly completely livid!"

At the word "livid," Fluttershy went "eeep...!" and fainted again, whilst the Toa Mata and the rest of the element bearers finally joined the present clusterfuck that the hallway had become. As they all gave their exclamations of shock and subsequent denouncement of whoever had caused the relative massacre, Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. It was going to be a long day...

~~~~
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location...

Darkness. That was all that was visible to the naked eye, for those whose vision was suited to sunlight. For those with nocturnal vision, however, it was an entirely different story: shadowy figures moved slowly throughout a network of tunnels and caverns. In a smaller cave, about the size of the average living room, a figure that had previously been motionless chose this time to move once more.

His head lifted from where he'd let it droop in concentration. His eyes snapped open, revealing his sclera to be a brilliant emerald green, with irises of crimson red. Indigo smoke began to leak from the outermost corners of these eyes as a smile split is otherwise stone-like complexion.

"Well, well, well..." Said Somnus, slowly chapping his forehooves together as he sent a ping through the hive's mental network. "I can see why you like him, my Queen. He may just be the last piece of the puzzle, and be the key to our victory in this war."

«This harebrained little mission of yours cost us several good drones, my "King." Dispensable though they technically were, you didn't need to kill any of them. We're spread thin enough as is right now...»

"Oh, just wait till you hear what I've learned straight from the source, Chrystalla. This will more than make up the loss..."

Silence. And then...

«Well...? I'm waiting...»

Somnus chuckled and smiled, then began relaying everything he'd found to his partner in darkness. As he did, he could sense her beginning to smile as well. Today had just taken a turn for the better...

~~~~
Canterlot Castle

Ian found himself and Jinka cocooned within a field of Luna's magical power, and had one last look at the distraught figure of Rainbow under Celestia's wing before everything went white and fell away...

https://youtu.be/4gfASRSf0NM

With the clatter of metal on stonework, Ian was thrust forwards onto his elbows and knees by an unseen force, with Jinka arriving at his side. He gasped and sucked in a long, slow breath as a sudden chill embraced his form, then slowly faded. His vision was foggy, yet was definitely clearing up as time passed.

"Princess...!" Two voices called out, and there was the sound of armored forms moving to stand at attention.

"At ease, you two." Luna said, from somewhere nearby. "I have business beyond: Caldoric and I must-- Caldoric, get ye up to thine feet."

"Sorry, I've never been subjected to side-along teleportation before," Ian countered, shakily standing up. Jinka's hazy form struggled to its own feet, momentarily looking around before leaning against Ian's hip. "You could at least warn someone before you drop them through a wormhole like that. And, judging by how rough my ride was, your mass calculations or something need some re-working before our next trip." He got a sharp whack on the top of his head for his troubles, though. "Ow...!"

"You will speak with respect when addressing one of the Princesses, you impudent--" one of the guards began, brandishing a long pole-like weapon in a field of orange magic, only for Luna to cut him off.

"True though your intentions are in this matter, Final Sight, his words had a point: in a bit out of practice with multi-entity teleportation." She said. "Also, he is technically an ambassador of his species, seeing as he is one of the only members of his kind we have yet met. Yes, he looks similar to the ones known as the Toa Mata, but he comes from a separate reality than theirs. As such, I would advise you not to strike him again unless circumstances truly require it. Now, please step aside."

"Uh, not to disrespect you, m'lady," said the second guard, "but your sister said nopony was to open the vault unless it was her or under her authority--"

"I am her sister, and fellow diarch...!" Luna cut him off. "As such, I have equal authority to her, and I will be entering the vault. Now stand... aside."

Ian sighed. "It's no use, Princess. Lemme try." With that, he pulled out his Zat gun and zapped both guards. "Fortunately, I'm no pony: I'm human."

"Caldoric, what are you--?" Ian cut her off as he equipped his sword, gave it a couple flourishing swings, and then inserted it for the second time into the hole in the vault's door.

"Alohamora..." he muttered as he twisted the blade, and a faint surge of green energy splashed across the door, leaving behind a few arcs of lime electricity. Just like last time, the door split into six wedges and retracted into the doorframe as he removed the blade. With another flourish, he stowed the blade against his back, where it vanished into wherever it went when not in use, then turned around to smile at Luna. "Just call me the doorman... Wait, what's with the weird look?"

"How came you by that blade...?" Luna asked, her face a mix of many subtle emotions. "And what else aren't you telling us?"

"Um, I bought this from the Merchant, shortly before being dropped on Mata Nui. As for the second question... do you really expect me to just stop and tell you my entire life's story right here and now? I mean, there's a lot of things you all dont know about me or my world. Entire libraries' worth, in fact."

"Caldoric, I'm trying to have a serious conversation here. The very least you could do is try to do the same."

"Oh, believe me, I'd more than love to, but you see, I've got a couple problems." Ian replied off-handedly. "First, I'm firmly situated somewhere on the AD/HD spectrum, so my attention varies wildly in any given circumstance. Second, my life has been flipped upside-down repeatedly over the last, what, day and a half? I dunno, but in that time, I've nearly died at least once, and had to see some serious shit that most normal folks shouldn't have to experience even over several lifetimes. I'm just a civvie, I'm not cut out for this shit! Yes, I wanted magic and adventure and stuff instead of the same boring old shit I had to deal with back home, but I didn't ask to be pulled from the fringes of one war and then dropped into the center of an even worse one as a major player! Which reminds me, why the hell are we up here again?"

Luna stood there with her ears pinned back, slightly shocked at the minor tirade, whilst trying to parse the information contained therein. "Erm... I... My sister and I had decided that, perhaps, it might be prudent if thou werest to attempt to, say, figure out what has been changed about the mirror portal, and return it to a viable condition of operation."

Ian had been already walking into the vault, his eyes on the device in question, but he stopped at the mention of possibly fixing the mirror. "Psssh, who the hell do you think I am? Twilight, or maybe your precious Starswirl?" He asked, hands on his hips. "No. I'm neither of them. Yes, I have working theoretical knowledge of a similar device to this, (which, I'll admit, only existed as an occasional plot device in a work of fiction that I followed,) as well as a decent enough idea of Multiverse Theory and alternate timelines (which probably has more holes than the plot of the average work of fanfiction). Yes, I want to get the hell outta Dodge, despite how nice it's been to hang around here. Yes, reality-manipulation and control over physics are powers I'm supposed to have, if I'm not wrong about how classpects work.

"But I haven't got a single clue as to how things work here in this magical world of yours. Magic isn't a thing where I come from, as I believe I told you all last night. Your best bet would be for you lot to have Twilight get on this, since she apparently got it to work beforehand with nothing more than what she had lying about in her fancy-schmancy crystal-castle-tree thing, in a backwater town no less. This is Canterlot City, the Capitol of the nation, with some of the best materials that money could make and buy just waiting to be salvaged from the wreckage outside, and currently the residence of choice for not just one, but three of the most powerful magic users in the entire nation! I mean, seriously, couldn't you just bamf into Ponyville and grab whatever you left behind when you brought the mirror here?"

"Caldoric..." Luna began, her voice low and steady as she took and aggressive stance and tone, causing Jinka to whimper momentarily. "Get thee into yon vault of thine own volition, forthwith and with haste, 'ere we art made to utilize force, so as to lay restraint to thee and place thee there within."

"I-it's probably best if you just do as she says, man," said one guard, shakily getting to his hooves. "I heard that, last time she got this prolific with Olde Equuish, she nearly tore a while regiment in half, pony by pony. Or, was it, 'tore nearly a whole regiment in half'? I can never remember."

"I heard it was nearly three, and they were completely decimated." Supplied the other. Final Sight, most likely, seeing as he was the only unicorn of the two stallions.

"Wait, we talkin' the old-style definition here, or the more modern one?" Ian asked, only to get blank looks from the guards. "Old-style meant 'to brutally reduce by one tenth,' usually in reference to the ancient punishment for mutinous legions, where they'd kill one in every ten soldiers as an example... Modern dictionaries define it as 'the destruction of a large portion of something'."

"Caldoric! Get. Into. The vault...!" Luna demanded. "Now!"

"No...!" Ian said as he walked around her and away from the vault, to everyone's shock. "I have to go to Ponyville to fight Somnus as soon as possible, or he and Chrystalla will take over everything."

"Thou impudent, ungrateful whelp!" She replied, seizing him in her magic. "Thou willst do as we request like the rest of our little ponies, or thou willst suffer the consequences for thine actions. I am Princess Luna Selena Nocturnes Stellarum, and I command thy respect!"

"No, you demand my attention." Ian said flatly, and the guards swiftly backed into the vault, trying to hide behind various things within. "I am neither yours, nor little, nor a pony. I am also not neither native to, nor a resident of, any of the nations of this world/plane of existence, nor do I hail from any of the adjacent planes or demiplanes thereof. As such, my state of origin falls under the description of "free peoples," meaning that I am allowed to roam wherever I see fit and do as I wish, without being subject to any set of laws belonging to the land(s) I am in at any given time. I've only been cooperative thus far because I'm not genocidal, and said cooperation has been mutually beneficial."

"Aaaaaaauuugh! Enough of thy bile, Knave! Get in the gods-damned vault!" Luna yelled in frustration, before hurling him bodily into the chamber, followed more gently by Jinka as the guards extricated themselves and the vault door began to close. "It's for the best of all that thou remain'st there 'til further notice, mark my words! We will take care of that shadowy bastard and that chitinous witch! And then, there are things we must discuss upon our return!" With that, the vault had finished closing, and Ian was left in semi-darkness. In a flash, he was back on his feet and banging on the flat, featureless inner surface of the vault door, Jinka hot on his trail.

"Oh, yeah?!" Ian shouted. "D'you not like what I said? Or do you just not like me?!?" At this point, faint yet familiar music began to play in the enclosed space, and Ian broke into his first situationally triggered song since his arrival (the songs played at the previous night's party didn't count). It was one he'd heard before, back on Earth, and would occasionally listen to on loop when he was upset with someone: "I'm Just Your Problem" from Adventure Time, as sung by Marceline, the vampire queen. Of course, he decided to change some of the lyrics to fit the situation, and accommodate for the lines he'd forgotten.

♪Well, I'm sorry I don't treat you both like goddesses,
♪Is that what you want me to do?
♪I'm sorry I don't treat you like you're perfect,
♪Like all your little loyal subjects do.
♪Yeah, I know I'm not made of sugar,
♪So of course I ain't sweet-e-nough for you!
♪Is that why your ponies avoid me?
♪It must be so damn inconvenient to all of you.♪

Ian paused his singing, and dropped to his knees with his arms by his sides. Jinka's head butted under his arm, trying to comfort the former human, and the Hikaki started to drool tiny streams of lava as Ian pulled him closer and began idly petting him.

♪But I'm just your pro~blem,
♪No, I'm just "a pro~blem"
♪You've shown that I'm... Not even a person, in your eyes.
♪Because... I'm just "your pro~blem"...♪

Ian paused again, searching fruitlessly for the next line. He nearly gave up, only to decide that he might as well wing the next verse, and work with the moment. Not like anyone else was listening, anyways...

♪Well, I~ don't have to be who you want me to,
♪And I~ ain't gonna just blindly bow to you.
♪I'm forgin' myself from pure nothing,
♪Tryin' so hard to be something,
♪And I~ shouldn't have to do anything for you...♪

Ian stood up and walked over to the defunct Mirror Portal as he finished the hastily improvised lines. If anyone were to be in the room, watching him, they would've seen his entire posture droop as his head came to rest on the upper edge of the mirror's ornate lavender frame.

♪But... why do I want~ to...?
♪Why feel the need to...
♪Seek vengeance for her... mother...
♪But should I try to...?♪

Ian could feel his conflicting emotions shredding the underpinning structure behind the song, bringing something that might've been halfway good to an early close. He placed a hand on the Mirror's flat surface and tried to squeeze out a few more bits of ad-lib music, for better or worse.

♪Ba-dum dum da-dum...
♪Just wanna go back home...
♪Ba-dum dum da-dum...
♪Should leave y'all to your o-o-own...
♪If I could fix this thing, I'd be on my merry way,
♪If I... If...♪

"Fuck... No, no, that's it: it's dead. The moment's passed." He said at last, stumbling to a halt on the musical front. "Seriously, how do these Ponies do it? How do they just ad-lib entire songs at the drop of a proverbial hat? Let alone have it turn into an unscripted Thanksgiving Day parade through the middle of town...!"

Jinka looked up at Ian in confusion, and let out a concerned burble.

"No, no, you're right, Jinka. I need to try and get this piece of shit running again, seeing as it's probably my -- er, our -- only way outta here... No inner lock on the door, no windows or vents to speak of, and no way of forcing myself to be 'summoned' elsewhere. And I'd rather not add additional counts property damage to the probably already growing list of grievances against me..."

Ian glared down at the mirror intently, as if willing it to give up its secrets. When nothing of the sort happened, and Jinka had apparently become distracted by something somewhere else in the vault, Ian started muttering to himself in frustration. For the most part, it consisted of lamentations about: A), his lack of pertinent magical knowledge (or any magical knowledge whatsoever,) B), his additional lack of knowledge about both theoretical and quantum physics, beyond what he'd gleaned from the internet and works of science fiction or fantasy (most of which was probably bullshit, to be fair,) and C) pretty much everything in general.

As was usual for him, he started talking to himself as he looked around, thinking aloud as he tried to piece together some sort of solution.

"Like, seriously, how the fuck am I expected to deal with this shit... Assuming this even functions the same way as the Quantum Mirror, which it probably doesn't, knowing my usual luck, there should be some sort of absurdly hard-to-use remote to change which reality it connects to... If anything, Twilight should be the one dealing with this, since she got it to work outside the normal schedule..." He ran a hand through the wires, cables, and chains that comprised his "hair," and idly wished he had something to tie the stuff back with. "Damnit, I even said as much to Luna just now... I'm going in mental circles here, and it's pissing me off."

Ian shifted his glare to the window-like apparatus mounted above the portal. He found it unsettling how often he was reminded of his new height by everyday situations now: even at around 7.2 feet tall, (which was the average height of a Toa, if he remembered correctly,) the ornamental extrusion was slightly above eye level for him.

The mirror itself was one of those slightly-bigger-than-full-length kinds, just tall and wide enough to squeeze the average person through, or even a pony if they were so inclined. Add to that the two-tiered circular base, with untold quantities of horseshoe icons plastered all over it, the whole thing came off as gaudy and excessive, and if it weren't his only possible way home, Ian would have given some serious thought to just smashing the damn thing out of frustration and spite.

Oh, and despite being an inanimate object, it had this strange air of smugness about it that definitely wasn't there the last time he had visited.

"Damn useless piece of junk, this is..." He grumbled, stowing his hands in his armor pockets as he settled for giving the base a good, solid kick. "...Just like I am, I'd reckon." He stopped his complaining immediately, however, when his eyes caught sight of the almost cartoonishly slow quiver spreading out from where he'd kicked the mirror's base, before it began traveling at a more modest clip up the mirror itself.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me..."

The quaking of the mirror finally reached the peak, before it caused the window-like thing at the top (and the short bar connecting it to the mirror,) to start vibrating right up out of the socket it had probably been placed into when the whole ensemble was crafted. It's a shame they didn't manage to weld it on or something, so this wouldn't happen... some part of Ian's mind thought, as the rest of his attention became focused on catching the small part before it could make a break for... well, breakage, one might say.

After almost comically bobbling it about for several seconds whilst trying to keep it from smashing on the flagstones, Ian finally managed to get a safe hold on the... thingy. I can't just keep thinking of this as a window, He thought to himself, as he noted the Bionicle symbol fading from its surface, in fact, it looks kind of like a hand mirror now, with this little bar thing attached. Yeah, that could be the handle, and the rest is like a mini version of the larger mirror... Gods, this thing is so tacky. Wait, what's this at the base here...?

Turning the mirror part over, he noted something oddly familiar, though he couldn't quite place where he'd seen it before for a second. It's like... like a rectangle overlayed with a block-text letter "X", if the silhouette's anything to judge by... But these odd grooves all up and down the side are just so-- wait. Ian suddenly dove his left hand into the corresponding hip pocket in his armor, bending over so that his arm went in well past the elbow as he reached into the deepest recesses of his "inventory". Seconds later, he pulled something out of his pocket with a cry of triumph that startled Jinka.

Ian had pulled out the brassy switch from --oh, what was it, yesterday? Earlier today? Eh, questions for later -- from whenever he'd found it, and compared it to the other item he was holding. It was a complete match.

Rrrrr? Jinka inquired, suddenly at ian's side, almost startling the Toa into dropping what he was holding.

"Oh, hey there boy..." He said, reaching down and giving the Hikaki a scratch or two on the back of the head. "Nevermind that moping I was doing a bit ago, we're back in business! I may have found something to get us out of here. Or, someone, more like. All I gotta do is just plonk this switch thingy in the hole, flip it, and we should hopefully have company... I think."

"Kraaaaa!" A small voice cried from off to one side. Ian turned to find an airborne Imp headed right towards his face, snarling and primed to attack on contact. A quick dodge and two shots from the Zat gun later, and all that was left was a pile of multicolored gem-like game constructs that Ian knew as "grist", which Jinka was more than enthusiastic enough to pick up.

"Damn Imps..." Ian muttered, as several others stepped out from behind the mirror. "Sucks that Homestuck never covered how and where they spawn..."

A few seconds later, and they, too, had been reduced to grist and collected. There was also a small surprise for Ian.

"Huh, it looks like one of them tried to weaponize a frying pan..." He said, picking up the item in question, along with the corresponding strife card, which read "pankind". "Really? Pankind? I didn't think that one was canon... or, at least, I assumed that frying pans would fall under club- or jokerkind... meh, questions for later. Right now, I should get back to sticking the thing in the other thing, and... stuff. Gods, I'm tired. But, no rest for the wicked, as they say." With that, he reached over and carefully inserted the switch into the slot on top of the mirror.

"Und now, ve flip ze svitch." Ian said with a faux German accent, more to himself than anything, and toggled the lever with a click! But nothing happened. "Oh, vat? Vell, perhaps it must go ze ozzer vey... Nein, es ist not verking in eizzer direction. Vat am I doing wrong?" Ian then tried toggling it back and forth multiple times, in increasingly rapid succession. When next he spoke, he'd dropped the horrible accent.

"Seriously, what am I doing wrong here... I'm sure I'm missing something, but what is it? A power source? Hidden on/off switch? Blood sacrifice to some heathen god? Maybe a secret code word? I dunno..." He scratched the back of his head for the umpteenth time. "Alakazam...! Abracadabra...! Open Sesame. Alohamora? Swordfish! No, wait, that one's too obvious, everyone uses 'swordfish' as the secret password... By the power of Greyskull! To infinity and beyond! Augh, I'm getting nowhere..."

"If you need aid, call on the stars and Switch On!" Said a voice in Ian's head, delivering a familiar message.

"Call upon the stars...?" Ian muttered, confused. "I wonder... Does it mean, like, space stars, or celebrity stars, or something else entirely? Doesn't hurt to try, I guess... Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, Sirius, Polaris, Ursa Major and Canis Minor, and anything else along the way that may be listening: I beseech thee, open yon portal, that I might be aided in righting what hath been made wrong!"

Nothing happened. And it continued to not happen for several seconds.

"Gods damn it! Work, blasted thing!" Ian commanded. "By the Green Sun and the Red Star, I demand that you function!" With that, he attempted to swat the gilded switch that seemed to mock him so, only to inadvertently toggle the lever at its top with a more-audible-than-normal click.

Ian barely had time for a hurried thought of Oh, shit...! before the mirror portal suddenly began emitting the sort of rapid-paced, multi-tone beeping sounds one would hear in cartoons shortly before a given device was about to comedically explode in someone's face. As this happened, each of the eleven gems set into the mirror's frame began flickering through an untold number of color combinations. Ian continued to stand there, stunned, like an idiot.

There was a snap-WHIRRR! followed by the two gems at the bottom-left-most corner (at about the 7:00 & 8:00 positions,) locking onto a deep navy color. This was immediately followed by a slightly higher-pitched snap-WHIRRR! as the two gems at 10:00 & 11:00 caught and lingered on a bright orange. There was a pause, succeeded by an even higher-pitched snap-WHIRRR! as the gems at 1:00 & 2:00 settled on a deep obsidian color, closely tailed by the ones at 4:00 & 5:00 becoming bright yellow to the tune of the highest-pitched snap-WHIRRR! yet.

Arcs of electrical energy had begun crackling all over the mirror by now, and still Ian stood in front of it, dumbstruck. It occurred to him, now, that he should probably take a few steps back... Or even sideways...

THREE...! a deep, sourceless voice proclaimed in a horrible Japanese accent, accompanied by a horn-like sound, while the gem at 9:00 glowed orange, then silver, and finished with a brilliant white.

TWO...! the voice said again, with a deeper horn, as the 3:00 gem mimicked its predecessor.

ONE...! the voice concluded, though it was followed up with a double klaxon sound Ian was all too familiar with from watching Stargate. As such, he instinctively dove to the left, and was soon glad he did. As the gem at 12:00 glowed orange, then silver, and then white, a ball of energy comprised of every color imaginable (and a few unimaginable ones,) formed in front of the . mirror, only to suddenly lance out almost to the door.

For half a second it stayed like that, before falling back to its point of origin, and then the whole thing "splashed" outwards along a vertical plane that ran parallel to the mirror: there was now what appeared to be an active, swirling Technicolor vortex larger than a car hovering in midair, and Ian had no idea what was to happen next.

He certainly didn't expect a giant yellow... thing, which vaguely looked like a cross between heavy construction machinery and the Batmobile from The Dark Knight to come barreling out of it, only to smash into the vault door and break it into countless pieces across the hall outside.

The machine quickly rolled to a stop, and Ian was keenly aware of the faint plink-plink-plink sound of cooling metal that came from its general direction as he and Jinka tried to extricate themselves from the other's grip. As they did, some part of the machine's topmost armor finally opened, and out stepped... Well, to be honest, Ian wasn't sure what it was, but it was definitely humanoid, and human-sized. It also looked like a Power Ranger that'd barely survived wandering through the wrong side of space camp.

Ian turned to Jinka and knelt in front of the smaller Rahi, carefully cradling its head between his hands. "Alright, boy," he said softly, "I need you to stay here for the time being. I'll be heading into danger and I don't want you hurt, 'kay?" The Hikaki emitted a faint rumbling in its chest, then nosed once at Ian's mask and sat down. Ian patted him on the head, then turned back to the new arrival, who was looking around dazedly, and hurried over to them.

"Oi, you. Power Ranger guy." Ian said to the stranger. "Not to be rude, but let's get going. They'll've heard that, most likely, and will probably be on their way here. I've got a dictator to kill, and I can't do that if I'm in a cell for imagined slights against the crown..."

The figure perked up at his words, then turned its teardrop-shaped head to face him, revealing two bug-eyed, fluorescent orange lenses on its dark face. "Ok," the stranger said, it's voice that of a young man somewhere in his 20's, "before we go any further: I'm not a Power Ranger, I'm a Kamen Rider. Kamen Rider Fourze, to be exact!" He then put his fists on his hips and struck a dramatic pose.

"...'Common' rider?" Ian asked with a faint smile, slightly confused. "What, are there 'uncommon' or even 'rare' riders I should look out for too?" Fourze merely sighed and facepalmed, shaking his head at what he could only presume was a terrible joke.

Henshin Heroes! Chaos vs Lunacy, and the true virtues of Friendship and Unity!

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Celestia sighed, ears folded back, and massaged her temples. "So, let me get this straight," she said, "you left Caldoric -- alone -- in the Tower of Elements, with our last method of escape and a large supply of potentially destructive devices, because he spoke 'harshly' to you. Is that correct?"

Luna nodded sharply, her normally serene face distorted slightly by an uncharacteristic scowl. "Tis the most secure locale within all of Equestria. Nothing less than the thaumic power level of an Alicorn, such as you or I, could hope to try and enter that vault. As I hear, you designed it to withstand even the greatest of breaching attempts, be they magical or physical in nature. Nothing could penetrate your enchantments upon that chamber--"

"From the outside, Luna!" Celestia interjected hastily, her ears pinning back. "It was designed to store and contain artifacts, not a living being of unknown capabilities such as him...! You yourself told me that Caldoric breached my security with a sword, and to make matters worse, you're implying quite heavily that it was one of those blades...! If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd gone mad for thinking one of them still existed after all we did so long ago! He could still get--"

Celestia's words were cut off, however, by a spike of phantom pain that shot through her horn and the various thaumic nodes throughout her frame. Her sister obviously felt it as well: somewhere, there had just been a massive, nigh-instantaneous buildup and release of powerful magic. The kind that could only be achieved through infusion into (and storage within) an arcane object of power, such as a precious gem, a staff, a cloak, or...

"The Mirror...!" Luna and Celestia shouted simultaneously as they locked eyes. Not a second later, there was a loud, rumbling crash somewhere else in the castle that could be felt even from this far away. It sounded almost like they had just taken a hit from a long-range siege engine, such as a ballista. This coincided with a sensation that Celestia had come to both recognize and dread over the years, as one of her more powerful wards suddenly failed under enormous strain.

"The Tower's been compromised...!" Celestia gasped, "He's broken out! Luna, we need to move, now." Her tone in that moment brooked no argument from her sister. And with that, the Solar Princess utilized a brief blast of magic to blow out the nearest window (a plain glass affair, thankfully,) and they both leapt out into the courtyard beyond, in search of the errant Toa.

~~~~
Elsewhere in the castle...

Jack sighed and removed his hand from in front of his helmet, and took a good hard look at the... person, to put it lightly, that stood looking back at him. The stranger was rather tall: at least seven feet, by the looks of him. Well, Jack had assumed it was male, if the voice and masculine body shape were anything to go by. The figure seemed more machine than organic, with gears and pistons barely visible underneath his black, white, and gunmetal armor wherever there was a lack of the strange dusty-grey muscle-like tissue. And that was to say nothing about his eyes or... was that his face, or a mask?

After all, it looked to be made of the same metallic substance as his armor, though it seemed to flex and shift in places, almost as if it were flesh and blood. And the eyes, they were internally aglow, almost like old sci-fi representations of robots used to have, though these had a line brighter spot in each one that appeared to serve the same function as human irises, indicating to the outside world where their owner was looking. And then there was the strange symbol emblazoned over and around his left eye...

"Alright, 'Kamen Rider,' enough staring." The stranger said, breaking Jack out of his observational reverie as he walked past. "Name's Caldoric, by the way, in case you're wondering. At least, it is while I'm stuck here. And yes, I'm a Displaced just like you. Now, can you fly or teleport? We'll have to do one or the other if we're gonna get down from this tower..."

“Yeah, flight’s an option,” Jack replied, before pressing a button on his belt.

Rocket On!

Caldoric stared as a large orange rocket manifested on Jack’s right arm, an eyebrow-like ridge on his face raising as he looked on.

“What… the heck.” He said, spreading his arms and dropping them. “I literally can’t… no, no, let’s just get on with this. What d'you want done with this thing?” He then rapped a knuckle on the Powerdizer, absentmindedly.

“It’ll be fine for now,” Jack replied before igniting the rocket and hovering a few feet in the air, “you got wings, or do you need a lift?”

“Oh, I can teleport.” Caldoric replied, then looked back at the massive vehicle beside him. “But really, if you need I can bring this with. It’s just a matter of…” He waved a hand in the general direction of the Powerdizer, and it vanished, to be replaced by a brown-edged card bearing its image that dropped into his hand.

“See?” He asked, holding it up, then turning it for Jack to see the opposite side. There was what looked like some sort of anti-spambot code on the back. “I can 'captchalogue’ just about anything, and deploy it again wherever it needs to be. So, shall we?”

“See ya at the bottom,” Jack said before flying out of a large window down to the ground. But, to his surprise, Caldoric was already there, briefly touching two fingers to his brow in a casual salute as the Kamen Rider approached.

“Hey, man, what took ya so long?” He joked, as Jack landed.

“Hey, put the two of us on bikes, and we’ll see who’s choking on who’s dust,” Jack replied before dismissing his Rocket.

Caldoric smiled and nodded. “True, but I took the cycling merit badge when I was in scouts, which included a 50-mile ride, so… can’t stop what ya can't catch, and ya can't outrun what's already here. Unless you mean motorbikes, in which case…” He rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve never ridden one.”

“If we find one for ya, I’ll give you a few pointers,” Jack replied.

“Finding a bike won't be much of a problem,” Caldoric replied, “I can sorta summon stuff from the fandoms that my current state of being was based off of… finding time will be more of an issue: we gotta get down-mountain before I'm discovered to be loose, and we ain't got time for the train.”

“CALDORIIIIIC!” cried a voice that was strangely familiar to Jack, though he'd never heard it raised in anger quite like this before. “Stop right there! And you there with him, I'm sorry he’s dragged you into this.”

They both turned to see Celestia and Luna landing nearby, both looking less than pleased.

Jack turned to Caldoric while pointing at the princesses, “Did you do something?”

Caldoric shrugged, looking a bit off-put. “Not… not that I remember. It’s been a hectic couple of days since I got my ass kicked off Earth. Lotta shit’s gone down.”

“You caused a decent-sized public disturbance earlier,” Celestia corrected, “when you were running around with Kopaka's mask? We’ll admit it was… somewhat necessary, but rather out of line. Also, we told you we can't just have you going off alone to fight -- what is he calling himself again?”

“Somnus, I think,” Luna replied, shuffling her wings. “Honestly, I think it’s a bit showy. You, there, newcomer. Who might you be, and what has our tentative ally here requested of you?” The Princess of the Night gestured at him with a wing.

“Jack Princeton, AKA Kamen Rider Fourze, good to see the local you, Luna,” Jack said, holding out his fist like he was hoping for it to be bumped.

Luna tentatively touched one of her forehooves to his fist, just as taken aback as her sister. “Thou must forgive us, we’ve not had many… pleasant exchanges, shall we say, with Caldoric to date. He’s been less than cheerful around us, or anyone else here in Equestria, if Twilight's reports are to be believed.”

“Not a fan of Equestria,” Caldoric interjected shortly, crossing his arms. “I like Mata Nui better. It’s a cooler place than the war-torn lot you’ve got here. And, by the way, we’re leaving.” With a wave of one hand and a snap of the other’s fingers, the Powerdizer reappeared on the ground nearby, next to another large vehicle, looking like a red, four-tracked tank, the latter of which he climbed on. “Let’s hit the road, Jack!”

“And don’t ya come back no more no more no more no more,” Jack chuckled as he climbed into the Powerdizer’s cockpit, “I’m in the mood for something decadent, race ya to Sugarcube Corner?”

“Sure,” came Caldoric's voice from the tank-thing, amplified over hidden speakers. “Just don't say it too loud, or the resident comedian will want to join in.”

“You’re not going anywhere, you two.” Celestia stated, as her golden magic engulfed both vehicles. Powerful as she was, it seemed like she was putting more effort into holding them than was necessary for the time being.

“Sister, are you alright?” Luna quietly asked.

“Yeah, I just haven't done this close-range of a telekinesis spell on such large objects in a while…” Celestia muttered in reply. Unfortunately, her moment of distraction offered Caldoric and Jack the chance they needed

“I’ve got the chase music covered,” said Jack as he turned on the Powerdizer’s radio.

“And I'll cut the anchor…” Caldoric added drawing a sword from his back, preparing to slash it at something. To Jack, it looked like the blade was sword-shaped a hole in reality to the stars beyond, but to the two Alicorns, it seemed to be something of importance.

With a brief arc through the air, Caldoric's sword seemed to release a wave of transparent force that shattered Celestia's hold on both vehicles and knock her back onto her rump, before both humans sped off. They left behind naught but a cloud of dust, the fading tune of the Benny Hills theme, and an exuberant cry of “follow me…!” from Caldoric.

“Luna…?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, sister dear?”

“...I think that was one of the blades you were talking about.”

~~~~
Caldoric and Jack sped along the roads of the war-ravaged city of Canterlot, which was definitely looking worse for wear.

“We’ll be going straight off the edge, by the way,” Caldoric called back to his companion. “How good's the suspension on that thing?”

“It’s a moon rover,” replied Jack.

“Fair enough,” Caldoric acknowledged, “now get ready to catch some unreal air…!” And with that, they were smashing through a guardrail and into nothingness. There was a brief sense of weightlessness, before they began to fall like stones to the harsh, unforgiving stone face below. Both vehicles landed with mighty crashes and the jangling of metal, but soldiered on without even a scratch.

“That was fun, any more coming up?” Jack asked cheerfully.

“I don't know!” Caldoric called over, his voice terse as he tried to weather the rough terrain: it seemed that his vehicle had virtually no suspension whatsoever, judging by how it rattled around. In stark contrast, the Powerdizer’s 6 wheels were mounted on large arms, allowing it to ignore smaller obstructions and easily traverse larger ones.

There was a moment of silence, before Caldoric looked back from where he was mounted on the tank-like vehicle. “Um, Jack, it looks like we have company…!” He called over to his compatriot, and pointed. Behind them, doing their best to avoid the massive clouds of dust and debris being kicked up, were Celestia and Luna, charging up a spell each. Once again, Caldoric's rattling voice drifted across the distance to Jack. “Evasive action, maybe?”

“Why do you think I’m playing Benny Hill?” Jack replied before powersliding the Powerdizer into a small copse of trees to avoid Luna's blast, “race is still on, loser buys the first round.” Luna followed after him.

“I ain't got cash here!” Caldoric shouted at Jack and Luna’s vanishing forms, before yanking on a set of hidden handles on his vehicle. This caused it to partially open underneath him, enveloping him in the vehicle's armor as the face-like “decoration” at the machine’s front lifted up and began moving like a real head. The treads began moving as four separate units now, almost like folded legs, as the whole thing abruptly swerved and ramped off an outcropping in time to dodge Celestia's spell. It spun 180° midair and continued moving backwards as a device rose from its back.

“Don't make me use this, Celestia!” Caldoric boomed at the Alicorn, as the newly-revealed turret formed a green, spiky ball of fire at one end. “I’m just out to right a wrong done to one of your people!”

“And I'm not going to let you make a mistake you’ll regret!” Celestia replied, charging up for another attack. Soon, the both of them were firing back and forth, neither giving up as they waited for the other to falter.

~~~~
Meanwhile, with Jack and Luna…
Jack whooped as he dodged another of Luna’s blasts, “This is great, I should do this with my Luna sometime.”

“Thou thinketh this to be sport, interloper?” Luna demanded of him, loosing another stun-spell. “And what mean you by the words 'my Luna'?”

“Every Equestria’s got a Luna, and since I live on the moon I happen to be good friends with the one on mine,” as he popped up on his two left wheels to avoid the shot. “Besides, you have to admit you’re enjoying this too.”

“Whilst 'tis true that I've not had a challenge like this for some time, I seek not to harm somepony who could be an ally.” She responded, settling into a glide and holding back a little more on her spellwork. “Or, rather, to one who art one already, if thy implied knowledge of Multiverse Theory holds truth within it. Frankly, thou seem'st like a more reasonable… being, than Caldoric has been.”

“Yeah, I’ve got some work to do with that one,” Jack cryptically replied. “By the way, fun fact about Kamen Riders,” Jack said before hitting the brakes to pull up beside Luna, opening the cockpit, and doing and odd multi-stage handshake with her, “we’re demons behind a wheel.” As soon as the words left his hidden mouth, the Powerdizer went over a cliff that Luna hadn’t noticed. Before she could attempt a rescue, it transformed into a bipedal robot and slid down safely before launching itself off and landing back in vehicle mode.

Shocked at the unexpected development, Luna came to an abrupt stop midair, pulling back and hovering in place for a moment. She looked at her hoof, then at the retreating form of Jack and the Powerdizer, and made a decision. Mayhaps, she thought, mayhaps they can handle this, and mayhaps their race aren't as bad as we’ve thought…

With that, she peeled off from her former quarry, and headed off to intercept her sister. Besides, if somepony else can manage to survive upon the harsh face of my Moon long enough to call it home, like myself, and befriend someone such as myself in these harsh times… I believe they can be trusted. May luck be with you, Jack Princeton: I pray you fall to no ill will in this.

~~~~
Elsewhere, somewhere on the slopes of Canterlot Mountain…

Ian, currently known to most everyone as “Caldoric,” had long ago given up firing at the eldest Alicorn that Equestria currently possessed. Instead, he had chosen to switch the vehicle on which he rode (known to some as a Skopio XV-1,) into its quadrupedal Walker form, and made it “gallop” clumsily down the mountain. It had been a move that he’d not thought possible, and had definitely thrown Celestia off guard for a few semi-vital seconds. He’d gained just enough time to get back out of nearly point-blank range, and could only hope that what few panels weren't blasted off would hold up.

He risked switching back to tank mode long enough to glance backwards at his pursuer, only to see that he now had both princesses on his tail. However, it appeared (to his eyes, at least,) that Luna was trying to talk to her sister, as if to convince her to do something.

Please just leave me alone, he prayed, to no particular deity, just let me do this, and it’ll make your problem so much easier to deal with…

As if in reply, Celestia slowed, looking long and hard at her younger sibling, then seemed to sag slightly as they both hovered in place. A moment later, as Ian dodged his ride around a cluster of rocks, almost at the bottom of the mountain, both sisters turned and flew back towards their city.

What was that about? Ah, well, as they say: don't look a gift horse in the -- damnit. Stupid horse puns are ruined now… Ian then revved the accelerator, and sped off into the developing forest, looking to find Jack as soon as possible.

~~~~
Soon, the two had managed to run across each other once more, and joined back up into their little convoy. They took a moment to reorient themselves, then took off: Caldoric not hesitating to blast trees out of their way, and occasionally crashing through a smaller one, while jack preferred to dodge around them if possible.

“So,” Caldoric said, skirting a tree, “I'm going to go on a limb and ask: is ‘your’ Equestria at war or something, too? I’m just curious.”

“Not exactly, more like a conspiracy to overthrow the diarchs and recruit an army of monsters from disgruntled ponies.”

“Oh, so a more cloak-and-dagger thing, eh?” Caldoric replied, blasting another tree. “Lemme guess, one of the previous big bads have returned, and are secretly behind it all? Man, that’s an old trope…”

“I have no clue who the ringleaders are,” Jack replied, “at least you know who you’re fighting.”

“Yeah, at least there’s that. But I’ll be the first to admit, it’s been no picnic here.” He sighed, barely audible through the ambient sound of high-speed travel through wooded areas. “Long story short, we’re post Season Six here. Once Thorax dethroned Chrysalis and took over the remainder of the hive, she apparently brought back Sombra, and they teamed up. Used some weird black-magic crystals they both can control to make a new army of mind-controlled crystal-armored slaves. Shit really want south after that.” Caldoric paused then, and looked over at Jack.

“How familiar are you with the lore of this place, by the way?” He asked, suddenly. “And what year were you Displaced? Me, I'm from 2020, and it’s not fun there.”

“To be honest, I’ve got no prior knowledge of MLP,” Jack replied.

“Heh, I almost wish I could claim that…” Caldoric added, barely audible.

“Hey, lighten up,” said Jack, “you need to inject yourself with some positive thinking bud.”

“Oh, I thought positive, once upon a time.” Caldoric replied, then looked around a bit. “Then war happened. After that, I got dumped on Mata Nui and had to help the Elements get back to Equestria, and then it turns out that Equestria's at war too. Long story short, having someone die in your lap as you're trying to save them doesn't exactly do wonders for one’s optimism.” He then began to slow his vehicle down a fair bit, slightly distracted.

“Woah, that’s some heavy duty stuff,” said Jack, “can’t say I can empathize, but you do have my sympathies.”

“Thanks for that, friend,” Caldoric replied, bringing his vehicle to a near stop. “Hey, stupid question, but does any of this seem familiar to you? The forest, I mean?”

Jack looked around, “Looks like it might be the Everfree.” He then pulled up next to a patch of blue flowers, “Yep, the Everfree, don’t touch those by the way.”

Caldoric hopped off his vehicle, and looked over at the indicated patch of local flora. “Oh, yeah, Poison Joke. I’m well aware of the less-than-favorable effects they can have. And, with Zecora gone, I'm not sure if anyone else has the recipe for the cure…” he trailed off, and looked at the trees around them. “...But Poison Joke is a play on poison oak, and a pun at that… and I'm pretty sure we’ve been here before… ah, shit, I think I know what’s going on here.”

“What is it, is it a problem?”

“Quite possibly. You ever hear of the Everglades in Florida?” Caldoric asked. “Well, in this one series I read, which was set in a place filled with more puns than Equestria could shake a hoof at, there was a similar place called the 'Foreverglades’ or something, which had some sort of magic-based, spatial-distortion effect on it. Basically, anyone who got into it ended up stuck in a repeating loop of terrain. You hit one edge of the bubble, and you reappear at the opposite end, and run in circles. I only hope this isn't like that… no, see, there are blast marks on that tree over there, and fallen debris over there...” He placed a fist over his mouth, eyes unfocused and looking back and forth as he tried to think.

“I’m not sure how they got out, to be honest, though I know they did. Somehow.” He added. “I… I think it had something to do with closing their eyes, and traveling like that? I dunno, you got any ideas?”

“Yes I do actually,” said Jack.

Radar On!

Jack popped open the Powerdizer, revealing a radar dish on his left arm. After scanning for a few seconds, he started rolling in a different direction than the one they were going, “Follow me, and don’t trust the landmarks.”

And so, they both began following Jack’s Radar heading. They rolled on for several minutes, before Jack’s Radar suddenly went on a momentary fritz. They had just hit, and passed through, the edge of the looping field, and been transported to its other side… however far a way that was.

“Alright, so, we found an edge. You got any ideas to get past this?” Caldoric said, dismounting. “Because I have one, but I'm not sure if it’ll work.”

“Yeah, I don’t have a Switch for this situation, let’s hear it.”

Caldoric opened his mouth to speak, then paused. “Switch? What d’you mean by 'having a switch' for something? You mean the thing on your, uh… the belt thing?”

“Yep,” Jack said before pulling out his Radar Switch and replacing it with with another that looked like the trigger for a camera, “I can do some analysis with my Camera Switch, but let’s hear what you’re thinking.”

“Alright,” Caldoric said, hesitantly, as he pulled the sword from his back once more. Something Jack noticed about it was the fact that it only seemed to be there when Caldoric was looking to grab it, but vanished otherwise. “I was thinking… y'know back in the city, when I slashed at Celestia's spell, and it broke? Well, I'm starting to wonder if this is more than just a way to channel the powers I'm supposed to have at my disposal -- long story -- and if it also has magic-cancelling abilities of its own… Let’s see what this Camera Switch can do, then. Maybe you’ll find a weak point?”

“Sure thing,” said Jack as he climbed out of the Powerdizer. He also had a metallic briefcase in hand, which he handed to Caldoric. “The output will be routed to this, so mind keeping an eye on it?”

“Alright, will do.” Caldoric looked at the screen built into the lid, trying not to be distracted by the buttons and lights to one side of it. “Gods, this is eerily like Myst IV: Revelations... Ready when you are, Jack!”

Camera On!

A large video camera appeared on Jack’s left arm, which he pointed at the barrier, “See anything interesting?”

“Um, not at the moment,” Caldoric answered, turning the screen so they both could see it. “You got any extra lenses or filters you can switch through on that thing? Maybe we’ll see something that way…”

“Use the buttons on the Astrocase,” said Jack. Caldoric nodded, and slowly began tapping buttons, one by one, until he stopped at one configuration that seemed, to him, indistinguishable from the rest. The screen, however, had gone from the same image they’d seen previously, to one depicting a faint area of shimmer in the otherwise empty air. It was tinted slightly orange, as opposed to the usual bluish-green the field generated on-screen.

“There. I think that’s something important.” Caldoric said. He then carefully began trying to poke his sword at it while looking at the screen for guidance. Seconds later, he felt it “catch” on something midair, and he looked up. “Oh, we got something…!” He gave the blade a sharp twist, and the air before them seemed to shatter in a fifteen-foot radius around the blade, revealing a different forestscape beyond. It was a bit darker, creepier, and generally rather more like the Everfree Forest they were used to.

Caldoric stowed his sword, turning the screen to Jack. “You may want to remember whatever setting this is; it seems to see weakness in magic. At least, if my uninformed opinion is correct…”

Jack just pulled out a labeler and printed out a label for ‘Magic’ that he stuck beside the button before packing up and getting back in the Powerdizer, “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Caldoric agreed, “hopefully before this closes up again or something. Los gehts, and all that!” And without much further ado, they took off through the broken field.

Some time after they had left, unbeknownst to anyone, the field began regrowing to its former state with the sound of a million tiny spiders. The Foreverglades were not happy, but they could allow these two to escape. They’d be back, it hoped.

~~~~
“So,” Caldoric began, after a bit of silent travel, “that happened. What do you think we’ll see next? Your guess is as good as mine, since I haven't gone outside the city since I got here two days ago.”

“Honestly, I have no idea,” said Jack. A few seconds later, they rolled out of the forest and into visual range of Ponyville, “Gotta admit, not expecting that”

What they saw before them was complete chaos. And not just your regular, garden-variety chaos, it was full-blown Chaos, bad enough it deserved its own capital letter. Houses (and their foundations, sometimes,) had been lifted into the air, and were floating at various angles, some of them with stuff falling out in unexpected, non-groundward directions. Other houses were just upside-down in the dirt, or had some weird modification made to their color scheme. The grass was blue, the ponds were tropical-ocean green, and the sky framing the small township’s skyline was plaid, with oddly familiar pink clouds hovering about. Some of them were raining a brown substance that Caldoric was pretty sure was chocolate milk.

“Ok, so Discord’s out and about as well.” Caldoric remarked. “See those black specks flitting about, Jack? I’m preeeeeeetty sure those are members of Chrysalis and Sonum-- Som-- gah.” He paused, shaking his head with a metallic blubbering sound, then continued speaking. “Words: can't talk today. Chrysalis and Sombra’s army of Shardlings, jeeze. There are two types that we know of: one set are ponies encased in Crystal and forced to move against their will, and-- what, why are you laughing?”

“Sorry, it’s just that I kinda feel like I’m in an episode of Animaniacs,”Jack chuckled.

As if on cue, Caldoric placed a hand to his mouth, then drew it away with a “mwah” sound, and said “g’night everybody!” Then his face became more serious. “In all actuality, I'm only passingly familiar with that show, but I know what you mean. To use the common vernacular, 'shit be whack, yo.’ Discord’s presence changes everything.” Then, something that caught Jack slightly off-guard happened.

As Caldoric looked at the afflicted town, his mask glowed, and changed shape. Instead of the swoopy-yet-angular shape it had been previously, with two almost tusk-like protrusions coming off the cheeks, it looked entirely different. Now, it was almost spherical, with an array of three lenses on the right-hand side, each of which glowed as green as the lone eyehole on the left side.

“Yeah…” Caldoric said, as a couple lenses adjusted themselves without him touching them. “Discord's there, all right, but no sign of Sombra. I suspect a trap.” He turned to Jack, then seemed to realize something. “Oh, shit, you probably wanna look. Um… here, use this.” Jack was then handed a telescope that he was sure Caldoric hadn't had in his possession previously.

“In any case,” Caldoric continued, laying down on his chest, “I was telling you about the Shardlings. Two types: first are basically puppeteered ponies, usually innocent civilians, while the second are converted Changelings, made entirely of crystals animated by a central intelligence made of greenish gas. Those ones tend to be like generals in comparison, and tend to order squads and whatnot around.”

“Oh, hey,” Caldoric interrupted himself, and pointed. “Discord is coming into view, down over there.” And indeed, the self-proclaimed God of Chaos was rolling down the street, somersaulting without a care as a handful of Shardlings marched doubletime to keep up.

Jack handed back the telescope, “If you can keep him off my back, I think I know how disable the Shardlings.”

“Right, will do. Some reason, I'm tempted to ask myself how good his hearing is. You know, since we’re spying on him from way out here, sorta like that one scene in Lilo and Stitch…?”

“My hearing's pretty good, to be honest.” Caldoric looked over at Discord, who was lying next to him with a pair of binoculars to his crazed eyes.

“Well, that’s good to-- AAH, SHIT!” Caldoric shouted, rolling away from the Dragonequus as realization hit him. All around the trio, reality began to melt, like a painting splashed with water, before they all found themselves in the town square of Ponyville.

“You two,” Discord said as he pulled a comically overlarge pocketwatch out of one ear, “are late. For a very, very important date. Well, this one is.” He then floated over and ran his hand along the side of Caldoric's mask, before tapping the crown and pendant of pure black crystal on his own serpentine form as Caldoric pulled away. “I’ve got orders to trash this poor, poor fool who calls himself a Toa. I’m afraid you’re just collateral, Jack, unless you step aside.” Discord frowned, then snapped his talons and reappeared in the remains of the broken fountain at the center of the square.

Jack chuckled, “You certainly know how to put on a good show.”

Discord nodded slightly. “I thank you for your compliments, hero. However, you still have not made your choice: Advance, or Abscond? Which will you take?” He then smiled wickedly, his eyes flickering green for a moment.

“I choose advance, with style,” said Jack as he swapped out a Switch.

Beat, On!

A large speaker appeared on his right leg, which began emitting sound waves that hit the Shardlings like actual punches. This caused Discord to raise a bushy eyebrow at the Kamen Rider.

“Oh, I see,” he commented slyly, “using the resonance properties of crystals to make them shatter… almost brilliant, my friend. But how will you counter… this?” He snapped the fingers of his paw, and a shimmer seemed to run over the nearby Shardlings, and they seemed to become somewhat resistant to the soundwaves. Well, as resistant as one can be when when being pummeled by literal waves of eardrum-straining sonic power, but still.

“Change the crystalline structure, and it affects the frequency,” Discord remarked. “They’re set to auto-cycle between various random formations now, so that probably won't work for long. And now, for my next trick…” He snapped the talons of his left hand, and everything below where his wings sprouted from his back began to split and unfold. Mechanical components revealed themselves beneath, and began to expand and snap together, until Discord's upper half was now mounted on a gimbal above a giant pair of treads flanking a large box-like structure.

“Ah, shiiiiit…” Caldoric remarked, backing away, “he’s doing something from Toontown. You familiar with that, Jack?”

“Think I might have heard of it, but either way I need to pin down the pattern he’s using,” Jack said as he swapped another Switch, “so I’m counting on you to deal with him as best you can.”

Radar, On!

“Oh, you’ll both be too busy for that,” Discord remarked, as the front of the box fell open to reveal a crowd of… to be honest, Jack wasn't sure what they were at first, but they looked humanoid. They shambled out of the enclosure robotically, each with a different head and body shape: some were short and stout, others tall and well-built. Some had what looked like greenish cheese wedges for heads, others looked like sharks, and still others were pointed like pencils.

“Cogs,” groaned Caldoric, “why’d it have to be Cogs? As if we have any Gags to deal with this…”

“Go, my businessbots!” Discord cackled, as his treads roared into reverse, backing him away from the impending conflict. “Bring order and boringness to this world! Mwahahahahaaaaaa!”

Caldoric drew two small cylinders from his hips, holding them almost like they should be attached to swords. “You ready, Jack? We may have to take this guy out first, and deal with the Shardlings after.”

“Man, I hate having to stop something halfway,” said Jack as he turned off his two active Switches and swapped out a third, “luckily I have just the thing for dealing with robots.”

Elec, On!

Instead of merely granting him a new piece of equipment, instead Jack’s entire suit changed to black and gold, as well as giving him a sword in his right hand. “What say we check these bots’ voltage rating?” Caldoric was silent for a second, and then…

“Wow, man… I'm shocked that you would suggest such a thing!” He then grinned like an idiot as several of the Cogs groaned and facepalmed, and flicked a switch on each of the rods in his hands. A blade of light sprang forth from each one with a sharp hiss; one lime, one a deep, reddish shade of orange. “Now, let’s kick some bot, shall we? Jokes are their weakness.”

“You’ve got lightsabers? Sweet,” Jack said, before inserting a plug that hung off the sword into the first of three outlets that rested just above the hilt, causing the blade to crackle with electricity.

With that, an unknown voice said “Fight!” in an overdramatic fashion as the word itself appeared over their heads, appropriate fighting music began to play, and all hell broke loose. Caldoric and Jack charged towards the Cogs, who in turn began spreading out to surround them as Discord kept pumping them out. Heroes met robots in righteous and glorious battle, and--

“Hey, narrator, get on with it!” Discord shouted at the heavens, then cackled madly.

Ahem.

Caldoric began slashing at the robots before him with a passion, seemingly eager (in Jack's eyes,) for the fight. Jack, for his part, was fighting in a way that was somehow both methodical and random, switching the plug between the three outlets to change from electrically charged strikes, flying slashes of electrical energy, and electrical rings that paralyzed their targets. Partway through he swapped out another Switch to give himself a shield on his left arm that looked like the nose of a space shuttle.

“Oh, nice one!” He heard Caldoric call from nearby, as a three-tiered birthday cake went sailing over his head and smacking a Cog in the face. The afflicted machine staggered backwards, then began shaking as its upper body began revolving rapidly with a faint whooping sound before it exploded. Just then, there was a mighty quaking in the ground beneath them all, causing Jack and Caldoric to fall on their backsides. “Damnit! Stupid Ambulance Chasers, they always do that!” Caldoric raged, before another Cog was violently destroyed.

Shortly, various sizes of cake (even mere slices, and pie-tins full of greenish slime,) began flying every which way, usually hitting a Cog somewhere on its body. Soon, through their combined efforts, Jack and Caldoric had managed to rout the Cogs, and what few were left sprouted helicopter blades from their heads and flew off.

Jack rolled his neck around, “Didn’t even need a Limit Break there, I’m ready for the next round, you?”

“I think the next round is taking out him.” Caldoric supplied, jerking his head at the currently fuming Discord as his mask switched to its original form. “Maybe that 'Limit Break' thing will snap him outta it? I’ll let you lead, if I'm able to help!”

“We’ll have to see, luckily he doesn’t seem too interested in dodging,” said Jack. In truth, Discord was now wearing an oversized tie with a bullseye on it. Jack removed the Elec Switch from his belt and placed it in the butt of his sword, causing an alarm to blare.

Limit Break!

“Rider 10,000,000,000 Volt Shoot!” Jack said before swinging his sword at Discord, launching a massive flying slash of pure electrical power, the edge trailing the ground leaving a jagged crevice as it passed.

At the same time, Caldoric stowed his lightsabers and summoned two items: on his left hand appeared a silver shield with flamelike designs etched into it, while in his right appeared a purple scepter of sorts that bore three jagged lightning bolts at its functional end. “Thunder on my left hand, lightning on my right,” he said, then thrust both items forward in Discord’s direction, causing large arcs of energy to connect the two beings.

Both sets of attacks connected with Discord simultaneously, blasting him clear across the square and into what remained of the Town Hall. The dust settled, and the two heroes waited with baited breath until they could see Discord's prone form.

“Ssssssssooo…” the Dragonequus said, his voice carrying oddly across the distance between them, his head hanging low as he shakily got to his feet. “You thought to challenge me? Me, the masssster of all disssssharmony?! For your impudence, you sssshall pay, puny mortalssss! Your lives are as of nothing in the shadow of my power…!” With that, his head snapped up, revealing that the crown of shadowy crystals from before had grown to wrap around his entire head, encasing half his face and making him look far more dangerous. His eyes were now fully green with blood-red pupils, and they both leaked purple smoke. He was also becoming surrounded in an ominous, smoky-black aura.

Jack dragged his hand down the front of his helmet, “I’m gonna have to use that, aren’t I?”

“Depends,” Caldoric replied, attention focused on Discord as the nearby Shardlings beat a hasty retreat, “you ever use whatever it is on someone who’s gone Grimdark?”

“I never used it outside of testing,” Jack replied, “it’ll give me a similar moveset to him, but it’s got a few side-effects that’ll kick in when I shut it off that are a grade-A pain to deal with, so I decided to not use it unless I really, really need to.”

Just then, Discord's form shot straight up through the last of the Town Hall, reducing it to little more than a pile of rubble, and then things started getting crazy. “You fools have dared to lay a hand upon me,” Discord said, his voice dripping with anger, “so now I shall reward you: you will be the first -- and last -- to see a fragment of my true form!” He curled up into a ball momentarily, before he went spread-eagled in midair, and his entire body began to change. Limbs of various crearures and organs and other masses of pure flesh began to extrude from his form, until he'd become a veritable abomination as tall as a five-story building, still wreathed in darkness. “S̠̲͓̰o͘҉̜̭̼͖,” it said from its many mouths, it's voice like nails on a chalkboard, but a thousand times worse. “y̮̩͜ǫ҉̰̞ų̫̠̤̹̬͈͡ ͠͠͏̥h̸̭̭̟̼͝a̫̭̟̝͇͜v̛͍̜͓e̡͏̗̲̘̲͇̞̗͙́ ͝͏͍̹̦̤͍̤m̡̝̼͇̞͕͡ḁ̵͟ņ̤̝̀͠ͅa̹͇̳̘̩̕g̴̳̘̥͚̯̦͟é̸͓͉d̳̜̖͉̤̟ ̗̼͍͞t̰̺̤̱̱̰̺o̥͖̖̲̩̕ ̮̝͡n̦͠o̸̠̰̯͜t̲̜̳͙̗̙̤́ͅ ̴͚̠̬̻̠ͅģ̲͓̪̝͉͜o͏̸͖̲̝̰̝̜͕ ҉̫͈͖̺͘i̛̛̻͔͓̫͉ṇ̛̥̞̳̭͓̠͍ṣ̮a͞҉̮͚̥̮̳̬̹̪n҉̣͕̝̯̪̩̖̥́͞e̟̪̦͓̳̳̙̘ ̮͕͙͖f̠̟̥ŗ̨͔̖̱̹o̟̤̠̮̯̙̗̝m͖̜̟͝ ͇̣̠t҉̛̱̱̼̘h͍̪̲͇̜͖̺̬e̞͈̱͖̦̫ ҉͚̱͇̩́͝ḿ̨̥͍͍̲̙̜̱̳̥e͔̝̯̗̳͘͟͞r͖͔̹̲̜̹̙̙è̲̞̘ ͈͚̩̪̯͕͎͚̦s̗̫̻̦i͘͏̶̘̣̲̘͙̦͇g̡̨̳̗͙h͕͕̻̳͓̳̫ͅt͍̫̳̘͝ ̨̛͕̖̤̯̱̫ͅǫ̘̪̮̳̻̪͈͟ͅf̶̘͈͕̞̕ ͖̀͞m͏̟͍͔̭̼͘ͅę̴̻̩̘͓̖̰͉͡.̧͈̤͎̗͙̥̀.̸̶̠͔̜̰̬̙.̛̲̳͜ ̵̖̰͙̻I̘̝͓̹͉'̡̦̭̦ͅl̵̻̳̭͉̫͖͢l͔̫̦ ̶͉͙̫̼͖̭͘h̶̤͍̣̫̩̩̬́a̲̰͡v̩̠̜͈̦̳̺́͟e̢͍̲͙̣̖͔̗̣͠ ̶̷̩͚̙͎̼̲́ͅt̡̞͚̫̣̳͔͚̬̫o̢̗͚̭͇̖̣͘͠ ͓͇̘͕̹̕͢͞g͏̝̦͔͎i̷҉̗̹̳̱͕̝̼v͇̰͎͓̬͜͡ͅȩ̬̙̟͇̮͞ ͉y̯̗̤͎̲͘o̗̥̗̘̘̣͉̞͡u̴̵̬͕͍ ͏̵̱̙̳̱̮̳c̸̻͕͇̟͘͝r̥͓̘̬͓ͅe҉͕̯̣̬̳̺d̶͎͔̮̹̻̣ḭ̷̖̫̲̯̺̞͞t̛͝͏͖̤͕̬̖̣̤ ̤͖̥f͉̯̜̻̖o̡͏̮̩r̶̗̰ ̵̶͉̺̼̘t̜̬͕̺̰̣̟͔̝͜h̖̤̪à̱̗̞̟̮̘̦͜͠t̢͚͚̞͎́:̶̠ ̨͡҉̹͎͍̱̯y̸̱̳̟͙͉̹̦͘o҉̶̗u̡͚r̶̟̟̬̩͖̮͔͝ ͙̻̺͚͉̝̳̀͟s̴̥̜̯̻̤͇̠̳͟͞p͕͙̩̻̥̯ͅȩ̦̝c̷̴̶͕̟̼͉͉ͅi̯̹͕̟̕ẹ̴͘͜s̲̘̪̦͔͓̗̪ ̸͏͙̣̯i̙͚͍̝̟̲̖͉͜͞͠s̛͓͓͎̥̫͢͝ ̛͇̳͖̺̕̕ͅͅa̭̣̭̖̝͟͡l̮̦͟͠͠r̨̝͓͔̦̫e͙̻͚̞͢͡͠a͔͔͉̘̦̠͈̭d̞͖̥̳̤̠̺̮̩͢ỳ̺̥̝͢ ̰͕̟̭̮̥̭n̗̩͢e̴̷̝̮̙̝̙̗̗̫a̢̟̫͔ͅͅr̭̲̳̣ ͍͖a͙̩͙̗̮̺͟ṣ̟̟͖͇͓̣͠ͅ ̧̻͙̲̫̤̹̕c̱͔͓r҉̶̳̜͞a҉͕̹̘z̻͙̯̻̣͎̩͡ý̲̠͠ ͈̩̘̰̝̗͢ạ̵̝͖͉͇s͔͙͈̰͢͡ ̬̯͈̞͘͜m̻̳i̱̞͠n̸̵͚͓͉̝̖̠̺ȩ̶̯̲̠̹͖̫̦ͅ.͏̸̮͓͇̫ ҉̫̤̭̥̀B̭̟ṵ̥̠͕̤̤̖̜t҉̱͙̼͖̜̟̕,͚̣̕͟͞ ҉̡̭̳̦̼̝c̣a͏̝͈̮̫̣͈͔͉͡n̠̫͚ ̴̭̞͔̮̦y̧͍̗͕̠̱̲͚̹͞ơ̸̬̲̫̰̕ú̻̪̱ ̸̱̻͘s͎̟̙̞͔͚̣̺͝u͏͚ͅr̢̞̖͍̥̕v̢̨̭̯̬̘̜̗̬i̶̝͔̕v̵̢̪̝̰̪͡e͇̦̮̯ ̬͕̠̙̜̕ͅṯ͙͕̼͚̖̖͔͠ͅh̜̠̥̗̰͞͠i̹͉̲͙͎̟̣ͅs҉͔̮̥̻̼̱̗?̭̥̪͍͚̳̦̕͘”̹

Jack sighed as he pulled out a Switch that resembled a key in a lock, except that instead of a key was a green wooden mask, “Guess it’s time for Toon State’s official debut, is this ever gonna suck in the morning.” He swapped out for it and turned the mask around, revealing that on the other side was a cartoony lime green face with a massive toothy grin.

Mask, On!

A mask identical to the off side of the Switch, except bigger, appeared on his right forearm, which he then removed and placed on his face. It then turned liquid and spread over his entire helmet, before he suddenly spun around in a tornado as a fanfare played out of nowhere. When he stopped spinning, he was completely different. He was much lankier, was wearing a green suit, black dress shoes, and white gloves, and instead of a helmet was a cartoony, cone-shaped head, complete with actual orange eyes and a mouth. “Well then,” Jack said as he straightened his lapels, “shall we begin this picture?”

Discord looked at Jack with some amusement. “Ş̫͇̣̦̭̮̕o̵̯̤͚͙̩͘͞ͅͅ,͏̢ͅ ̠͎̥̀͘ỳ̹̥͚̺̥̬̝̩͝o̸̷̡̺̯̼̜̮̪͍̰u̢̘͇̝̺̼͉ ̵̢̛̖̠̟̩̩̦ţ̱̱̗̼̳͞r̵̢̧̦͉̙̬̹̙͚̦͇u͏̡͈̞l̢͉̙̞ỳ̨̙̹͚̘̱ ҉̥̼̲̳̙̙͡͝ͅa̹̪͢͟͝r̢̥̻e͏̢͙̙̮ ͉͓͚͠m͉͉͚̰͟ą͖͔̠̺̫̙̲ḍ̛̦,̵͈̜͙̳̰ ̧̩̩̱̞̘̰̰̩͕͟a̗̙͞͠r̴̤̪̀̕e̢̟̳̼̘͙͈̩͝ͅn̷̼̫̬̪͓͜'̛̜̹̺̭͉͟t̴̡҉̗̙̤̣̭̼͇ ҉̻̲̪͓̟̫͔y̴̜̠̰͍͔̱̭̜̥o̸̡͓̙͕u̧̼͖̱̪̜͜?̢̩̖ͅ ̣̦̪͓͔̗̕Í̩͖̙̯̭ǹ̤͜ͅt͉͇e͕̠̳̘̬r̴͈͢e̛̞̪͕̱͟ş̤͍́̕ͅt͖̹̪̙͇̙̙̘̲i̸̤̹̭̪̹̖͞ǹ̷̜͔̭̦̗͓̖̪́g̳͔͚̻̀͞.̨̱͝ͅ.̧͏̖̙̺̙̲̹.̶͉̮͔̪̝͝” The abomination declared, as Caldoric slowly drew the sword he’d used before. This drew Discord’s attention like a magnet. “W̻͎͙̝a͏̶̭͈̫͈i̮̞̙̟t͇̭̦̜̪,҉̷̜̮̣͉̜̞̬ ̲̣̰̞ͅẉ̷̱̘̰͟ͅh̢̨̬̻̱͙̙e̴̗͇̩r̰̱͍̰̦̹͞e̹̺̺͎͖̜̱̕ ̵̭̪͈̲̼̗ḑ̙͖̟̩̟͔̩̠ͅi̳̹ḏ͎͉͈̼͟ ̴̗͎̟͙̠̞͡y̷̻͕͕̝̖͡͠o̶͖̼̺̮͚̻͙̝͓͘u̻̬͍̖͎͇͖̖̥ ̵̣̣̤̯̖͍͡g̞e̴͉t̖̻̖̥͈̜ ͝҉̩̮̦͈̠t͉̙̮̰̰͠h̰a̶̟͔̫̣͙t̷̺̱̞.̸̨͓͉.̙͕̤̭̬͇̙.̫̣̤͍̬̀͘?̘̰̀͠ ̳͔͖͡I̴͚̟̩̝̦̰̺̗ ̜̘̜̩t̤̼̲̪̝ͅh̴̸̹͙̗̯͍̖͍͞ò̮̟̙͎ú̵̠̳̪̯͠g̮͇͔͔̝͇̜h̙̙͈͎͍̙̰̘̀̕͢ͅṯ̞̫̭͈͟ ̷̗̖̤̬͈̣͇͕t̖̣̗͇̥͉̱̝͟h͏̶̡͚͖͔͎͕̯̺̭e͏̫͓̱̀͘ ͖͇̺̜̩̮̯͜s̢̨͓̣̪̻͜i̶͔͕s̼t̡̺̟ͅè̥̗͎r͖̻͖̮̮̬͔͟s̡̢̬̗̦̝̫͙ ̬͇̖̳̲͙̳͠d̢̹i҉̠̟͉͎͢d̶̛͓͉̙ ̪͉à̫̳̤̱͚͡w̷̬͢a̧̯͓̗̝̼̺̟̠͕͟͞y̧͚̞̻̦̼̕ ̻̹̠͖́͠ẉ̯i̸͚̲̱̭͕̳t̫̬̗̠͕͖͉̰͎h̢̝͎͙͙͈̺ ̶̼͡͞t̻̫̳͡͡h̤͇͚̰̗̪͕̭̹ę̸̼m͕̟͎ ͘͏̪̗̫͙̹͇̻̰ͅa̠͔͟l͔̺l̫̝̩̙.̷̷͈̯̯͍̲̙͜.̣̪̻̫͢.̘ ̰̼̣͇N̢̻̙͖̥͚̙̣̟̕͜e̶̡͏̞̲̭̝͇̗̖v̵̷̧̪e̛̪̻̟̰̕͞ͅr̸̩̦̣͖̮̼͕͞m͕̫̤̣̜͇͘ͅí̹̠̦̖ǹ̷̡̞d̷̢͚̻,̮̜̼̗̝͉̭͇ ̞͖̞͘ì̛̬̪͙͖͓͜t͏҉̴̤̦͇͉͉͈̺̳̦'̸̜s̨̞̞̘̰̣̗̗ ̡̗̟͍̹͉̼͓̼͙͘o̦͇̜̭̙͉̩̕͜f̘͙͜ ͕̪̞̤͉̪n̸̙̣͕̦̠o̵̞̜̬̖͎͉̻̼͟ ̛̖͖͓̼̙̳̜͝m̸͚̯̟̘̗̥͕̺͟͝a̶҉̭͕̲̲̘̲t͕̠̞̝̝̣t̨̥̦̣̺ḛ̞̹̪͖͈ŕ̛͓̥̻̫:͏̰̼̘̬̫̖̙̝ ̴̻̫̟̲̠̤͈̪̗͟y̡̧͎̯̼͍̩͈̙͢o҉̮̥͈̱̞̻̗̮u͓̩̟̪̦͙̮'̨̟̳̞̥͡ḻ̠́́͝l͏̲͚̟̣̯̀͞ͅͅ ̕͝҉̟͚̮̱̺̥b̡͙̹͇ͅo̵̵͈͕͓͎̩̩̻̳̲ț̛͘h̟̰̕ ̨̛̪̮̼͉̭̯b̶̡̥͍͇̣̞̻̖͟e҉̳̻̩̬͓̘͠ ͉̖̬̻̪̱̩͚͢d҉̺̰ḙ̴̩͉͚̞̬͖̱̯͢a̲̜̳͙̜d͍͈̥̗͚̦͎̥͝ ̴̡̬͓̻͝ṣ̮͙͎̥̼̳̕͞ǫ̫̼͖̀o͉̼̖͜ͅn̫̮̭̻̱͎̺̹ ̻̖̠̮a̶̧̞͎̰̩͠n̡͓̩͈͍̺̝̜y͎̫̳͙̹̮̼̦͝w̶͝҉͇̜̲̬͔̱͎̖a̡͜͏̖̖y͉͚͔͖̜̤s̤͔.̮̩̟̭͈̕.̟̪̲̹͉̀.̲͎̦”

“I was not expecting to be facing a Horrorterror alongside The Mask today, so excuse me if I'm a bit nervous,” Caldoric said, taking a tentative stance. At that moment, Discord lashed out at both heroes with tentacles and energy beams from various locations. Caldoric dodged and rolled, while Jack… well, Jack was bouncing around on a pogo stick.

“Mad? I will have you know, good sir, that I am loony, not mad,” said Jack in an obviously fake british accent before bouncing up super high and coming down on Discord’s main head, but not before swapping the pogo stick for a jackhammer.

It was a very effective attack, the jackhammer quickly cutting through the flesh and into somewhat important internal fleshy bits. Meanwhile, Caldoric hacked away with his sword, the areas around where he cut turning dark and drying out.

“Ya know, this is getting a bit personal…!” Caldoric said, as a stray tentacle suddenly grabbed him around the ankle and hoisted him into the air, near an opening beak. “I ain't gonna be digested today, Discord!” With a slash, the tentacle was severed and most of the beak disintegrated.

Jack frowned as he worked on the crystaline growth around the mad god's head, wearing a construction worker’s outfit for some reason. “She aint givin’, gonna have to bring out the boomsticks.” He then pulled a large bundle of dynamite out of nowhere, which he duct-taped to the crystal, and jumped down to where a plunger style detonator was waiting, hooked up and ready to go. “Fire in the hole!” He shouted, before pushing down on the plunger, causing Discord’s head to explode. The crystal however, didn’t budge, causing Jack to throw his helmet down on the ground in frustration.

“You’re supposed to lubricate it first!” Caldoric cried, tossing a small, hexagonal device to Jack. When he caught it, he saw that it bore alternating black-and-white stripes and the word “Barbasol” written on it in big bold letters, accompanied by the Betty Crocker logo in one corner. “Turn the knob and chuck it! It’ll go boom rather nice!”

Jack, now wearing a military uniform, turned the knob and stuffed it in a mortar, firing it at Discord’s head. It blew up in an even more impressive fashion, actually causing a few crystal shards to fall. As they did, they were accompanied by drifting wads of fluffy, flaming foam.

“Oh, god…!” Caldoric cried, sarcastically, as several nearby houses caught fire, “who knew shaving cream could be so flammable? And why’re you focusing on that crystal, Jack?!” He was then sent flying by an explosive laser blast from Discord.

“It’s quite simple,” said Jack, now wearing a mad-scientist’s outfit and accompanied by a whiteboard with several pictures on it, “Discord’s aggression is directly proportional to the size of the crystal on his head, therefore one could assume that removal of the crystal could result in a corresponding reduction in aggression.”

“That seems fair, but…!” Caldoric supplied, barely dodging the repeated attacks of another tentacle by rolling side-to-side, “what about his chestplate thingy?! He absorbed that, and there’s no telling how big that is! The only science I know for this situation is that giant robots kick abomination ass! Be right back!” With that, he vanished in a faint flash of light, only to return seconds later on the Skopio tank. He also had the Powerdizer in tow.

“C’mon, Hyde, let’s kick some monster ass!” He said, as he transformed the tank into its walker form, and sank the blades on its front legs deep within Discord’s flesh.

“There is only one appropriate musical selection!” said Jack before hopping in the Powerdizer, switching it to robot mode, and turning on the radio.

“I would’ve gone with Sabaton's Primo Victoria, myself,” came Caldoric's rebuttal over the Skopio's loudspeakers, “but this works! Take this, Discord!” He then let loose with as much firepower as he could from the turret, focusing it all on one spot: the remains of the Crystal embedded within Discord’s frontside. Chunks came off slowly, and flesh peeled back to reveal a larger anchor within the monstrosity.

“S͙̜̮͚̼ͅt̯͜o͚͇̦p̩̞̲ ̢͕ṭ̸̮̭̼͓h̤̣̭̜̫̳ͅaț̡!̹” Discord rumbled. “͙̳͉̬͎͈̻S͉̲̣̤͟u͈b̻͜m͓̪̲̫i̲̥̫͚̳͉͢t͖́ ͕͙to̹͍̪̜̕ ͔͞m̬̥̠ỳ͎̰̗̖ w̗̘͕̬͝i̠͓̝l̶̘l̶̮͕̝̠̤,̬̫̀ ̳̹͚̤̭̜͉a̘͓͖͔͎̖͖n̺̮d̦ ͖̝͎̼̘̖́ͅI͓̻̥̮͓ ͏̪͚s̠̼͉͍h͚̳̝̥͍̬͝a̲͓ll̮̭̣̝̦ ͕̝̪̘g̬̲͇̭̜̙r̘̱̘͍̀a̖͘n͍̱̗̪ͅt̻͉ ҉y̭̜͎̬̰̘ǫ̹͖͇̩u̸͈̩̲͖̼͖͇ ̢a̜ ̬̹̜p̛͉͕̰̞͙̻͓a͢i̗̱̥̖̘̱n̶̘͔̮̼͉̲l͡e̯͖̪̖s̥̮͉̭̘͡s͈̭̥̰̣ ͉͙̯̠d̡ḛ̤̙͍̯͕a̧̯̜͇̪̜̣th̬̳̭͖̭̰̳!̦̥̹́” He then cut loose with his own flurry of attacks, knocking Caldoric back, and leaving himself open for attack.

“Oy, I haven’t cured him of his grumpiness yet,” said Jack before setting his mech into a boxer’s stance and delivering a flurry of powerful yet precise punches to Discord's midsection, cracking off a single large chunk. Caldoric blasted the chunk to smithereens before it hit the ground.

“I wouldn't be grumpy if I wasn't stuck in Equestria!” The Toa added, rejoining the melee. “Especially all alone, without any other humans to hang with!” With that, he jettisoned himself from the tank, allowing it to ram into the monstrosity that currently was Discord, while he sank his sword deep into the flesh near the crystal. In his other hand, he held a long, bluish-purple rifle-like weapon with a large glowy crystal at the end of the barrel.

“Let’s see how you like Ahab’s Crosshairs, ya calamari mutant!” There was a flash of light, and a beam of energy pierced most of the way through Discord's distorted form, the large crystal inside, and knock Caldoric back onto the ground again. The latter of the two then began firing multiple times at a lower power setting, riddling the abomination with holes, almost like Swiss cheese. “Yeah, that’s what you get for letting a low-level player have an end-game level item! Woo, Eridan, eat your heart out!”

As he continued firing, Discord's distorted body began to shrink and reform into something more recognizable.

“No… No! How could you?!” Discord demanded, as the two-pronged onslaught continued. Seconds later, the entirety of the fleshy blob exploded, leaving behind a mess and a half-organic, half-crystal Discord behind. Despite his new look, he appeared somehow… weaker. As if to prove the point, he fled down a side street.

“Ack…!” Caldoric said, sitting up, “that wath dithguthting.” He then spat out a bit of goo, and dry-heaved for a second.

“You should really invest in an enclosed cockpit,” said Jack as he flicked off some of the goop, “shall we chase?”

Caldoric nodded, then shakily got to his feet. “Yeah, but be wary; this is starting to feel like some sort of boss battle, and they usually come in stages. This feels like it’s start to wrap up, so it’s probably gonna get difficult.” He then turned to Jack as he walked. “You gonna turn that mask thing off, or d'you feel you still need it? It’s creeping me the math out.”

“We need it, plus I’m gonna be useless for a good hour when I turn it off,” said Jack as he exited the Powerdizer, “besides, I haven’t had a chance to try out the Limit Break.”

“Well, whatever that ends up being, I imagine it’d be pretty crazy.” Caldoric looked up at the skyline in the direction they were going, then groaned. “Ahhhhh, nooooo… Twilight's castle. That place is a maze, or so I've heard. Let’s hurry and catch him before he gets inside…”

So they both picked up their pace, exchanging some idle chitchat along the way, and soon arrived at the large Crystalline structure. Where there had been a pair of large doors in the doorway, there was now a basketball-sized jar of pears.

“...I get it.” Caldoric said, facepalming, before turning to Jack. “D’you?”

Jack just shrugged.

Caldoric sighed. “It a pun. A pair of doors, which he probably left ajar… became a jar of pears.” Caldoric shook his head. “He’s leaking chaos magic or something; we gotta stop him, and soon.”

And so, they both moved into the castle, with Caldoric picking up and storing the jar for later, and quickly came to a large library, where Discord was poring over several times of magic. Some of them floated in the air, pages turning on their own, while others flapped like birds. Nonetheless, he was evidently reading them all at once.

“I knew you’d come…” He said, his tone one of defeat. “I knew, and yet I hoped you'd just let me be. But, you're heroes, so it doesn't make sense that you’d do that, so…”

“Doesn't make sense?” Caldoric asked, deadpan. “You're the one who once asked where the fun was in making sense; what’s gotten into you?”

“Somnus.” Discord said with a sigh. “Trying to fight him off even now, but his hold on me only grows stronger the closer I am to defeat. The crystals embedded within me? The smooth-cut faces were too orderly, and allowed me to be more of myself even under his orders. But now, the rough broken edges that they have are chaotic enough that they’re melding with my essence, allowing me a last moment of lucidity before he completely takes me over.”

“Tell us where he is, then.” Caldoric offered, trying a reasonable approach.

Discord merely smirked and shook his head. “Sorry, little flame, can't do that…!” He said, his voice not exactly his own. “You waited too long, and now Sombra has set me loose.”

Dͅi̛͍͍͔͙̘̞̗s̰̬̬͕̭po̗͍̳̥̕s̺̮̩e͖͉̭̺͎̥̲ ̞̞̻͕͕̘o͎̖̤͇͍̱f͚͇̠̗̜ ͎̩̜͔̣ţh̯͎̝̻̗ę̭̘̳̻ṃ̙̮̳̻͓͉.̯.͎̺͈̻ͅ.!̯ came a dark, evil voice through the air, one who Caldoric seemed familiar with. ͍ͅD̵̥̪̩͇̞is̛̱͈̖̝̝p̢̯o͓̭͈s̴͎̪͎̘̩̱̬e͔̣̳ ͇̺̺̬͜o̡f̱̬̘̮͘ ̝t͙̲̯͚h̴e͏̖͚̳͕̠̟̝m͕͓̖̺̜̲̹ ̵͚͔n͓̮̳͖̭̗o͖w̻̱̮͢!̳̟̖̘̯̜ͅ

“Gladly, my master…” Discord replied, his expression going vacant.

Jack cracked his knuckles. “Looks like I’m going to have to escalate from Bugs to Conker. Hope you don’t feel inadequate.” With that, he pulled out a pair of what could only be described as belt-fed rotary shotguns with undermounted every-other-kind-of gun-you-can-think-of.

“That’s overkill…” Caldoric said, reaching over his shoulder. However, instead of the sword he'd used before, he pulled out a large-bore weapon of his own, bearing a swooping blade on the back, and a side-mounted twist-knob firing mechanism. “Then again, with an infinite ammo setting, so’s this Bruteshot. Bought it off the Merchant back at Comic-Con, of course.”

“Rule 37: There is no overkill, there is only ‘open fire’ and ‘I need to reload’,” Jack said sagely, before proceeding to dump the average amount of ammunition used by the US Army in a year into the crystalline growths surrounding Discord.

“Uh, rule three!” Caldoric shouted before taking aim. “Go for the Gronk-nuts!” He then fired off a large projectile that hit Discord squarely between the legs and exploded, before Caldoric began firing off more shots in quick succession.

Discord screamed with rage, and snapped his fingers sharply in the hero’s direction. The bullets from Jack’s barrage swiftly began rebounding against an invisible field of force, along with Caldoric's grenades, and cut a swath of death towards their points of origin. Grenades exploded at their feet whilst Caldoric tried to dodge the lead-filled air itself. Jack kinda just stood there, amused, while Caldoric and Discord looked at him with concern and confusion for a moment.

“Don’t worry, I think he missed,” said Jack before pulling out a bottle of lemonade out of nowhere, “thirsty?”

Discord and Caldoric looked at each other, then back to Jack, and shook their heads simultaneously. Caldoric, however, began to worry. He was familiar with the premise of the Mask, whose powers Jack was borrowing at the moment, and was pretty sure something wacky was about to happen.

“Suit yourself,” said Jack before downing it. However, instead of staying inside him, the lemonade leaked out from various bullet holes that were previously unnoticed. “Huh, guess he’s a better shot than I thought.”

Discord’s eyebrows went up so far, they briefly departed from his face before he could slap them back down. Caldoric, for his part, gave a horrified gasp and placed a hand to his mouth. “I-I know that that’s cartoon logic, but… I have some concerns…!”

“Nah, he’s good…” Discord said, absentmindedly, before shaking his head sharply. “No matter: you pests have been a thorn in my side long enough--”

“Ninety-two…” Caldoric murmured.

“And now,” Discord continued, ignoring him, “it’s time I finished you off for good.”

“Sixty-three…” Caldoric muttered.

“And-- ok, what are you doing?” Discord asked, looking at Caldoric, who was staring off into the distance behind Jack.

“N-nothing, carry on.” The Toa said, still shell-shocked.

“Well then… it’s time I sent you two to meet your maker!” Discord declared menacingly, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the interruption.

“Wow, 612,” Caldoric remarked, actually looking at Discord this time.

“Ok, seriously, what’s with the numbers?” Discord demanded, folding his arms in front of his chest and floating up in front of Caldoric's face as he leaned back.

“Oh, I read a lot,” replied Caldoric, off-handedly, “and I've skimmed through so many heroic and villainous speeches and monologues that I started counting how often certain lines popped up.”

“Y-you…” Discord floated away from him, taken aback. “You crazy bastard! And that’s saying something, coming from me…”

“413 and seventy-two, respectively.” Caldoric quipped, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh good, I thought you were counting down to something,” said Jack, “I don’t think we’re at the point where you need to blow yourself up in a heroic sacrifice.”

Discord’s eye twitched. “That’s it!” He shouted, suddenly angry. “Everyone dies, starting with you two!” He then teleported a short distance away, summoned an unstable-looking ball of energy in his talon, then chucked it underhand at them both. As it arced through the air, it went from white-hot to yellow, then a fierce orange, followed by an angry red, all while making an ascending series of “vworp”ing sounds that grew in frequency over time.

Jack quickly went over to it and picked it up. “Looks slightly bigger than my head, Overlord list says I shouldn’t do this but…” Jack then promptly ate it. And by ate it, what happened was that his whole face stretched to comedic proportions as he shoved it down his gullet and into his stomach.

Caldoric sucked in a deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed as he shook his head. Meanwhile, Discord just looked on in disbelief as it disappeared from view.

“Did he just…”

“Yuuuuuup.” Caldoric replied, almost sounding disappointed, then looked at Jack with weary anticipation.

“Not bad, although I was expecting a bit more h…” Jack was interrupted as the sphere exploded in his stomach causing it to balloon outwards. After a bit of panting, he belched a small stream of flame before proclaiming, in the most over the top fake italian accent you’ve ever heard, “That’s-a a spicy meat-a-ball.”

Discord facepalmed, hard, whilst Caldoric pinched the bridge of his nose again, head bent over, and started making sounds that could have been either sobs or small bursts of laughter.

“This is it…” Caldoric said, his tone one of someone who was either laughing at everything, or had just given up all hope. Again, it was hard to tell which. “This is my life now. Hahhhhh, fuck my life…”

“Believe me, it won't last much longer!” Discord declared, snapping a paw that was now wearing a white glove with red embroidering on the back. A reddish-gold spark of energy leapt from his claws and to the space between Caldoric and Jack, setting off an explosion that sent them both flying, books burning, and knocking Jack’s Mask switch clean out of its socket.

“Now, I'm going to kill you both slowly.” Stated Discord, hovering over to them in an agonizingly glacial manner. “Believe me, I hate having to put down great toys like you, but I've got orders to put you two troublemakers down. After all, there’s no funny business involved when it comes to funny business, and I run that business.”

“J-jack…!” Caldoric called, using his arms to elevate his head and shoulders. “You ok?”

Jack just sat up like nothing was wrong. “Well, someone’s been into the dark stuff.”

Caldoric nodded. “I’ve got an idea, if you’re up for it…” He reached into the neck of his chest armor with one hand and pulled out a small chain necklace from underneath, which bore a single, beautifully-cut piece of Specular Hematite: a dark purpleish crystal, filled with glittery flecks that reflected the light. He closed one hand around it and concentrated for a moment, before a faint glow was seen between his fingertips. He then yanked the chain until it popped off around his neck, and tossed the crystal at Jack, who caught it.

“Try using the Toa Energy from that,” Caldoric suggested, drawing his sword as he got to his feet and faced Discord, who was mere yards away now. “I'll hold him back.”

Jack just looked at it before pulling a plain white Switch out of… somewhere. He then squeezed the crystal so that a glowing fluid fell from it and onto the Switch, causing it to change so that it was now the same shade of black as Caldoric’s Kanohi, and the button was the same shape. He then popped the rest of it into his mouth. “That should give enough juice for a Limit Break,” he said as he put it away, “unfortunately we need to make sure he can’t counter it.”

Just then, Caldoric came sliding over on his ass, having been decked by Discord. “...Ow,” he said at length, “has it worked yet? Because I'm gonna want it back when you're done…”

“If we can hit him with a stun debuff, I think I can beat him,” said Jack, “of course… we still have to hit him with the stun so…”

Without a further word, Caldoric reached into a pocket in his hip armor, pulled out a slightly corroded-looking snake-like object, then fired off several blue beams of energy at Discord. Five to six of them hit, causing the mad god to fall to his knees, groaning.

“I think he’s stunned.” Caldoric deadpanned. “Can we try a Kaita now?”

“Wassa Kaita?” asked Jack.

“Unity thing. Temporary melding of souls and minds, usually with three Toa, but it’s just us now so… shall we?”

“Let’s give a try, begin Fusion Dance!”

“Nah, nothing so complicated.” Caldoric said, reaching out a hand. “Just needs a mental surrender to something greater than oneself, and willingness to unite. Wanna try?”

“Hey, I’m Kamen Rider Fourze, the man who’ll befriend the entire Multiverse,” said Jack, “that sounds right up my alley.”

“Alright, let's do this!” Caldoric said, as Discord edged closer, and then took Jack by the hand.

“Just let me sinq us up,” said Jack before swapping out for his new Switch.

Kanohi, On!

A copy of Caldoric’s mask appeared on his left arm, cycling between a few different ones before returning. “Got it, looks like the new Switch I made based on you works well enough.”

“Right! Now, focus…!” Caldoric said, and they both turned their minds towards the idea of unity. Caldoric felt everything fall away, felt himself taking a back seat as something else stepped up to take contr--

Everything started turning inside-out and upside-down as images and visions from Jack’s memory began trying to mesh with his, except something was wrong. They were too chaotic, too raw, too… unreal, perhaps, is the world. There was pain, nausea, vertigo, a deep burning sensation in his gut: it was too much.

Caldoric felt himself slam back into his body, propelled by an explosive force away from Jack, just as the Kamen Rider was forced away from him in kind. Discord, who had been just about to reach down and grab them both by the neck, was blasted to the other side of the room.

“That… was an unexpected move,” Discord said. “I’ve never seen unity like that before, especially not one that failed so explosively. But that reminds me of a phrase…”

Caldoric groaned and looked back up at Discord. “N-no, you don't… gah…” He looked over at Jack, hoping he was alright. Jack was currently holding his head like he was trying to weather a grade-A hangover, and failing miserably.

“It goes a little something like 'divide and conquer,’ if I remember,” Discord finished, then stepped apart: he stepped to the left, yet also stepped to the right at the same time, so that there were now two of him.

“Now,” they both said in stereo, turning to each other and placing their palms on their opposite's hand-equivalents, “cool off!”

Both Discords slid their hands forward along an imaginary plane that divided the room between Caldoric and Jack, and a giant wall of opaque, pinkish-red ice popped into existence along that plane.

Jack’s view of Caldoric was cut off by this, though guessing by how menacingly the copy of Discord on his own side was advancing on him quickly, Caldoric was going to be in for some hurt pretty soon.

“I gave you a chance, whelp,” this Discord said, grabbing him around the neck, just under the chin, and lifted him bodily into the air before slamming his head against a wall with enough force to crack his helmet. “You made the mistake of choosing to fight. You chose to be a hero, like Caldoric over there. Oh, don't worry, my other half’s taking extra care of him.

“Do you know what a hero is? What a hero really, truly is? A hero is someone who gets other people killed, all for their petty ideals!” Discord slammed him against the wall again. “Do you want to be a hero, fool? Do you want to be brave? Or do you want to live? There’s no shame in surrender, trust me: I gave in to madness and chaos long before this reality was even conceived of, or the one that conceived of it had, itself, been conceived of!”

Jack just chuckled, “You want to know the thing about being mad?”

“It’s fun?” Discord asked.

“All the best people are,” Jack replied, before pulling out a massive hammer and slamming it in his face. Discord reeled back half a step, then growled and yanked the hammer from Jack’s grasp and threw it.

“That’s the last straw, maggot,” he hissed, then slammed jack against the wall one last time as he grabbed Jack’s Driver belt and yanked it clean off and dropped the Kamen Rider. Jack’s form shimmered for a brief second as he hit the floor, before his Fourze armor, which had been protecting him since his entry into this iteration of Equestria, evaporated. “See, there’s nothing special about you: all your power lies in this clunky little belt buckle. So intricate, so complicated, so…”

Discord cruelly yanked the newly-minted Kanohi Switch out of its socket, then wrapped his free talon around it. “Fragile…!” Discord crushed the Switch, causing it to emit sparks as it cracked and broke, before tossing the remains over his shoulder and turning his attention to the Driver once more.

Jack looked up, weak and dizzy, but with defiance in his eyes. “A Driver isn’t a Rider’s greatest weapon,” said Jack, as what looked like cosmic dust shot from his hand to knock the Driver away from Discord. “That would be their bonds and tenacity.”

Discord’s eyes snapped to Jack's face, full of rage. “Still, you defy my will…! I’ll beat the defiance out of you, even if it kills you!” Discord then shot forward, lifting Jack up by his throat again, this time with a grip meant to strangle his victim, more than to support his weight. “How did it go again…? Oh, I remember…” He smiled evilly and drew back a clawed talon for a strike, before sinking it deep into Jack’s lower abdomen.

“Kidney shot!” He said, then did it again, and again. “Kidney shot, kidney shot, kidney shot! And pause… stomach punch!” Discord sank his fist into the slot just below Jack’s sternum, causing the human to cough up a spurt of blood, and the crystal Caldoric had tossed to Jack earlier.

Discord caught that midair, and snarled at it. “Specular Hematite, a derivative of iron… you humans do love your iron, don't you? Think it'll ward off the Fae folk, and keep away the bad things. You and your superstitions, they’re one of your worst qualities.” He then squeezed the crystal, too, such that it began to crack, but not break.

Jack glanced at the window, before turning back towards Discord. “You wanna know one last thing we Kamen Riders have going for us?” Discord merely snarled in reply, but seemed to wait for Jack’s answer nonetheless.

“What... is it…?” Discord demanded at length. In answer, he heard the shattering of glass and stone as, bursting in through the window at Mach Fuck-You and dragging debris along in her wake, Screwball came out of nowhere and sank her hindlegs into her father’s head so far, it protruded out the other side. He was then sent spinning across the room and into the ice wall, which began to crack and break.

“When the chips are down, we tend to get really lucky,” said Jack as he wobbled towards his Driver. “Thanks for the save by the way.”

“No prob, still gotta go save my dad,” said the tiny ball of chaos, her eyes actually focused for once. Jack wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing, either. Fortunately, she was focused on Discord, and not Jack. She took of with enough force to crack the floor beneath her, then socked the rising Discord clone in the face and sent him through the ice.

Several things happened next. The ice wall shattered entirely from the shockwave of the impact; Jack managed to grab his driver and slap it on his waist once more; the two Discords collided; and, there was a flash of light that filled the room. When it ebbed, screwball was cradling her father’s head as it lolled around groggily.

Meanwhile, Caldoric was nowhere to be seen on the other side of the room, though there was a battered human curled up in a corner, covered head to toe in Green, raspberry-lime pudding. Actually, so was half that side of the room, centered on the human.

“Looks like we both got de-henshin’d, huh?” said Jack, before collapsing on one knee. The human on the other side of the room didn't seem to hear him, merely shivering slightly and continuing his now barely-audible muttering. Meanwhile, Screwball was experimentally shaking discord’s head, which now had little pegasi flying in circles above it, and then pressing her ear to his eye.

She rattled him again, and then listened. “Yep, yep, I can hear 'em in there… yo, Kamen Rider, mind coming over here? I’mma need somepony to supervise while I get what’s left of these crystals outta my dad, just in case.”

“Just let me get dressed,” said Jack, before flipping the toggles on his Driver.

3!

2!

1!

“Henshin!” In a burst of steam and light, Jack was back in his Rider suit.

Screwball rolled her eyes. “Screw it…” She muttered, then turned back to her dad. With great care, she lifted his still-loopy head, leaned in close, and then…

”WAKE THE FUCK UP, DISCORD, IT’S ALREADY PAST NOON! GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER!” She shouted, then slapped him with a glowing hoof so hard, it knocked all the dark crystals outta his body and caused them to disintegrate, leaving naught behind but an echo of an ethereal scream that quickly dissipated.

Discord shot up into a sitting position, looking around wildly. “Who-- Wha-- Where--?” He babbled, a talon to his head.

“Daddy!” Screwball cried with glee, then glomped him around the neck in the vicelike grip only aligators and small, clingy children can achieve.

“Ah, hey Screwy,” Discord cooed, gently prying her off. “I missed you! How’ve you been since I got brainwashed?”

“Worried sick!” She supplied. “But still looking better than Caldoric over there…”

Discord looked over at the now-shivering human in the corner, and pulled a face. “Yeesh, don't tell me that I… oh, sweet Celestia, I hope he doesn't remember that.”

“Only time will tell, daddy,” Screwball said, wisely. “Only time. And no time-traveling to fix it, either: it might mess with the local Alpha timeline.”

“Not that I'd be up to it right now, I'm nearly wiped!” Said Discord, as he found himself barely escaping total erasure by a giant chalkboard eraser.

Just then, the room became swarmed with Shardlings, some of them moving robotically, while others were more fluid.

“Damn it, we’ve got incoming!” said Jack. Discord, for his part, dropped the shenanigans and snapped his fingers in the general direction of Caldoric, who flinched slightly, but kept muttering incessantly.

The Shardlings advanced, coming closer and closer, each charging their horn for a spell. “You have failed us,” they all droned, with a single low voice. “You have betrayed and dishonored the hive.”

“Looks like it’s up to the Kamen Rider on his last legs to save the day,” said Jack as he swapped Switches, “as per usual.”

Beat, On!
Radar, On!
Beat, Radar, Limit, Break!

Jack raised his right leg into the air, “Rider Resonant Cascade!” Bringing his leg down in a mighty stomp, a visible red-tinted soundwave burst from the speakers in all directions. When it hit a Shardling, they started vibrating rapidly before the crystals shattered, releasing the captive ponies.

The more fluid-moving Shardlings, however, merely shattered, releasing several clouds of greenish gas-like energy. “I got this,” Screwball said, and flicked one of her forehooves at the clouds, which each coalesced into individual Changelings from Chrysalis’ old hive. They were immediately put into devices that wrapped around their heads, and presumably kept them from connecting to any sort of hive-mind.

Meanwhile, the normal ponies (and a couple of Thorax’s more colorful new hivemates,) began sneezing out small clouds of black dust, though this abated quickly.

“Nice move, Jack!” Discord said, raising his paw for a high-five, which the Rider returned. “And, a sorta-decent assist from you, too,” he continued, booping Screwball on her muzzle.

However, right after that, Jack collapsed to the ground, transformation undone. “That’s all I had left, mind taking it from here?”

“I dunno,” Discord said, standing up as Screwball slid down his sinuous form, “I just finished getting beat up, I'm gonna need, like, five minutes to rechar--”

There was a faint *ding* from somewhere in his general area.

“Nevermind, we’re back in business!” He said cheerfully. “Now, let’s see to Caldoric, shall we?”

“I’m currently about as useful as a bag of goop right now,” said Jack, “mind if we continue this in the Canterlot medical wing?”

“Oh, sure,” said Discord. “Lemme just go grab him, and we’ll be on our way.” Thus, with a wave of his paw and a snap of his fingers, Discord dispelled the shield he’d placed around Caldoric, as well as most of the confectionery covering his form. This revealed a young man in his mid-twenties with dirty-blond hair, a white long-sleeve shirt under a black short-sleeve one, and grey pants, though there seemed to be a few burn marks in his right sleeve, exposing a few ashen pockmarks in his skin.

As soon as the shield and goop had gone, he hurriedly dodged under Discord’s outstretched arm, hopped over Screwball, and scurried over to Jack before hiding behind his fellow human. Only now could they make out what he was saying, however.

“...we’re all going to be forgotten…” he murmured, his unfocused eyes still managing to fixate themselves unerringly on Discord. “I wasn't alone. We’re all going to be forgotten: I wasn't alone. I wasn't alone…!”

“I’d ask what you did to him, but I’m afraid to,” said Jack.

“Trust me, you don't want to know,” supplied Screwball with a shudder, before she began casually no-clipping across the floor towards the exit. Discord, for his part, nodded emphatically at his offspring's statement.

“To be fair, though, he was unusually receptive to the somewhat mind-breaky side effects of…” Discord trailed off. “You have to understand, I wasn't in control there: Somnus was. I mean, I had the idea of how to screw with his head the best, but before I could stifle it, Somnus had seen it and struck out. That, combined with some of the bleedover during you guys’ fusion--”

“I remember!” Caldoric suddenly shouted, grasping Jack's face and turning him so they were locking eyes. A moment passed, and then Caldoric suddenly surged forward, his forehead colliding with Jack’s as he shouted “Hail Denmark!” He then staggered off out the door at high speed doing a decent impression of Zoidberg’s escape-whooping.

“Yeah… there’s a reason Toon States alters my brain chemistry,” said Jack, “I don’t think I need to tell you what your full range of sensory inputs would do to a regular organic brain.”

“He wasn't organic at the time, though: he was biomechanical, which means not even I know what effect it had on him.” Discord countered. “Besides… you only made a crack, by comparison. I broke his mind wide open, and… played a little. Or, Somnus did.”

“Hey daaaaaad?” Screwball called out, cautiously, from beyond the castle walls. It was the tone one used to keep someone not involved in the calling from going berserk.

“Coming!” Discord replied quickly, then grabbed jack by the shoulder and teleported them both out by the front doorway, which was still devoid of doors. The duo was quick to see why Screwball had called them out here: the entire castle was surrounded by a sea of shardlings on the ground, with even more in the air forming a sort of wall.

Oh, and Caldoric had apparently faceplanted on his way out, and was despondently repeating the words “...Hail...Denmark…” over and over into the dirt.

At this point, a figure as tall as an Alicorn wreathed in shadows was moving through the crowd towards them. Naught was visible, save for his red-irised green eyes, framed in purple smoke. As he stepped free from the crowd, the shadows surrounding him dispersed, revealing a much taller, and more elfen-looking, King Sombra. Except he was now made of flowing, shifting crystals, and his mane and tail were composed of liquid darkness that .shifted and moved like sails on a sunken ship.

“Greetings…” he said at last. “Come to bow before your new king at last? Or are you here to die?”

“How many guys are gonna show up,” said Jack before pulling a Switch from his pocket and handing it to Discord, “think you can use this? I would but…”

Discord smiled, put the non-functional end of the switch gently between his teeth, then performed a few Naruto-style handsigns. “I can certainly try… Bullshit Improvisation no Jutsu!” He said, then toggled the rocker-style Switch to its on position.

Flash On!

“Wait, what are you…?” Somnus asked, taking half a step back.

A long, thin pillar with a floodlight bulb on the end protruded from Discord's chest as he threw his arms out wide, gathering energy. “Final… Flash!” The dragonequus shouted, then brought his cupped hands together, each full of energy, around the bulb. Half a second later, a beam of pure light and power shot forth, blasting Somnus full on in the face, and nearly blinding everyone nearby.

“Oh gods, I'm coming dooowwnnnnnnnnn!” Caldoric was heard to say, as everything went white.

“Whoa, is my hair out?” Sombra said, after everyone’s vision had returned, and those present snickered as they briefly watched him run a hoof through where his mane of smoke used to be. “Alright, kill them all!” He demanded at last, and pointed at the four heroes.

“How bout not?” Discord replied around the Switch in his mouth, his tone serious, and his expression even more so. With a snap of his talons, everything went white again, only for everyone to suddenly rematerialize within the ballroom of Canterlot Castle.

Well, everything except for Somnus, and the crystalline prison-armor the Shardlings had been trapped in. There were also several of Thorax’s second-generation hivemates among their number, along with a few old-style black-and-blue changelings that were bound in chains.

There was also the notable presence of Celestia and Luna in the room, in amongst the crowd of ponies. They had seemingly been in the middle of having tea when everyone arrived, and were greatly surprised at the interruption. They were looking around like tourists that had just been greeted by an unexpectedly great spectacle. At long last, Luna opened her mouth to speak above the minor hubbub.

“Humans!”

Lyra’s excited squeal took everyone present by surprise. There was a sudden blur of mint and white, and the two humans swiftly found themselves sliding across the floor with the crazed anthropologist temporarily using them as impromptu skis. “Hi there!” She said, waving casually as she looked down into their surprised faces.

“Lyra, get off them please…” came Luna’s voice, laced with faint undertones of exhaustion. “They still need to breathe, do they not?”

“Oh, uh, sorry Princess…” Lyra replied, awkwardly hopping off of them before letting out a faint *squee* of excitement.

“If you don’t mind,” Jack said, “I wouldn’t mind being in a medical bed under the influence of your finest healing magic and enough painkillers to let me attain Toon States without the brain alterations.”

Luna turned to her sister and raised an expectant eyebrow, only to receive a confused and concerned shrug from her.

“I… I'm not entirely sure who you are, stranger, though your voice does sound familiar.” Said Celestia. “Nor are we acquainted with your companion. However, given that you have arrived here unannounced, with a healthy supply of ponies and-- Discord? Is that you?”

“Eeeeeyes, ma’am, it is.” He replied. “I, along with these ponies and Changelings, have been rescued by these two. Suffice it to say, I'm back within my right mind once more -- or, rather, as close to it as I've ever been, really -- and am now ready to fight alongside you once more.” He then tossed Jack the Flash Switch.

“And have you any idea of whom these two… humans, might be?” Celestia asked, rolling a hoof. “It seems that, in light of their efforts, they should at least be acknowledged for their efforts.”

Discord nodded, while Lyra hopped in circles around Caldoric and Jack. “Well, that one over there, with the dark hair, that’s Jack.”

“I’d say hello, but I think I’ll wait until the room stops spinning.” Said Jack.

“And that other one over there, well…” Discord looked a little embarrassed. “He’s not in his normal mental state, possibly as a result of some of my prior actions--”

Celebrated her throat, subtly urging him to get on with things.

“Ah, well… That’s Caldoric.” Discord scratched at the back of his neck with his paw, while his talon lunged into an ear and fished around for a moment.

“What?!” Both Alicorns focused on Caldoric's form in shock.

“But, he looks nothing like… well, like himself: how can you be sure?” Celestia asked. Discord merely shrugged.

Just then, several folks came into the room, momentarily distracting Luna, who took a moment to send off a scroll to who-knew-where.

“Oh, great,” said one of the newcomers, a tall biomechanical biped that, while physically similar to what Caldoric had previously looked like, was clad almost entirely in white armor, and wearing another of the three-lensed masks. “More newcomers.”

“Kopaka, be nice…” said a blue robotic Equine, who was nearly as tall as Celestia, and with a flowing water-like mane and tail to match.

“Yeah!” Chimed the local Pinkie Pie, cartwheeling between the two, “besides, I haven't met the new guy over there yet, with the black hair! Time for a ‘welcome-back-from-a-dangerous-mission’ party!”

“Think it can wait for a bit?” asked Jack, “I need some time in sick-bay.”

“Ooh, yeah,” Pinkie answered, tapping a hoof to her chin, “we’ll have to get you there ASAP, then maybe we can have a mini-party while you’re resting! How ‘bout that?”

“Give me two hours to sleep off this headache,” said Jack eagerly.

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie agreed, striking a triumphant pose.

“In the meantime, we’ll need to speak with Caldoric,” Celestia interjected at last, as her sister nodded. “We have some most pressing questions for him, especially about that sword…” Celestia then leveled a semi-dangerous look at Discord, who then held up his mismatched forelimbs defensively.

“Don't look at me, I thought you got rid of them all!” He protested.

“We did,” Celestia replied, pointedly. Just then, there was a groan from Caldoric as he sat up, a hand over his eyes.

“Argh… did anyone get the number of that donkey cart?” He asked. “I’d like to file a hit-and-run.” He then removed his hand and blinked at everyone for a second, before things seemed to click in his head. “Ah, crap, I'm still here. Why do I feel like shit…?”

After that, introductions were made between the Toa Mata, Jack, and the Main Six as he was carefully transported to the closest impromptu med ward, and put under care. Jack was a bit startled to see that the Toa could transform from bipedal to Equine seemingly at will, and that they each were all about as tall as the alicorn sisters, despite each of them clearly belonging only to one race. Gali, the blue Toa of Water from before, and Tahu, the Red-armored Toa of Fire, were Unicorns, while Kopaka and Lewa, a green Toa of Air, were Pegasi. Onua, the black-armored Toa of Earth with a slight hunch to his back, and Pohatu, the brown Toa of Stone, were both Earth Ponies, rounding out the demographic representation.

As that was happening, Luna took some time to try and talk with Caldoric, and Celestia delegated the task of checking and finding housing for the new ponies to Twilight. Unfortunately, even after Celestia joined her sister in speaking with their guest, they were only left with more questions, because he was severely rattled by the events that had taken place in Ponyville, and refused to talk about any of it. In his words, the memories were “still too new and weird,” and “needed to be reconciled with.”

There was also the fact that he nearly ran out of the room when Discord stuck his head in at one point. After that, they just let him go. His first stop was to visit Jack at his place in the med ward, after getting lost in the castle a few times. By then, a few hours had passed, and Jack was at least sitting up, though still looking a bit out of things.

~~~~
Impromptu Medbay, Canterlot Castle:

Caldoric poked his head inside the room, carefully noting the ever-present smell of antiseptic as he looked for Jack. He was easy to find, given he was the only other human in the hall, so Caldoric quickly made his way over to Jack, and carefully sat down.

“Hey Cal, you’re looking better than when I left ya,” said Jack with a grin.

“Yeah, well, I'm still fully human right now, which is slightly disconcerting.” Caldoric replied. “Previously, I’ve only been pure Toa, or half-and-half. In any case, I just remembered I might be able to summon something that can help with the healing and stuff, so I came over to try it. You up for some cookies?”

Jack just stared at him with a deadpan expression that just screamed ‘did you seriously just ask that question?’. Caldoric, for his part, blinked for a moment before continuing.

“Alright, I'll take that as a yes. One plate of magic healing cookies, coming up!” Caldoric then held out his hands, scrunched his eyes a bit, and a decent-sized platter of slightly-crazy transparent, light blue chocolate-chip cookies appeared in his grasp, and he then set it where they could both get to it. Noting Jack's sceptical look, Caldoric tried to explain.

“See, the ghost of the grandma of Homestuck’s main character ended up coming to life at one point, by way of shenanigans, and was frequently found making these special healing cookies, and apparently they taste delicious.” He paused, and popped one into his mouth. “Well, probably better than a senzu bean…”

Jack just shrugged before grabbing one. “It’ll probably taste better than that exploding ball of magic. Decima’s still yelling at me for doing that.”

Caldoric looked around, confused. “Decima? Who’s that?” He asked. “Alt personality, voice in your head, intangible companion…?”

“Closer to that third one,” said Jack as he stuck the cookie in his mouth to free up his only unbandaged arm and pull out a Switch, chomping it down before continuing. “See, not a bad cookie, in my Equestria, each of the various celestial bodies have their own spirit that can communicate with their respective guardian. Celestia has Furnis, spirit of the sun, Luna has Noctia, spirit of the moon, and I got saddled with the spirits of every single one of the constellations, who bond with my Switches as they come online.”

”It’s a little more complicated than that, don’t sell us short,” said a female voice from the Switch.

Caldoric stiffened somewhat, and his eyes shifted their focus out towards one of the nearby walls. “Was that… one of your switches? Just trying to make sure I didn't suffer some other side effect…” He said, to no-one in particular.

“Technically that was Decima, spirit of the constellation of the Scholar, using the Switch as a walkie-talkie,” Jack replied.

“Oh, well then…” Caldoric gave the switch another of his two-fingered salutes, and nodded to it with respect. “Greetings and salutations, Decima. Nice to make your acquaintance.”

”Pleasure; at least some people can be gentlemen."

“Can we please not do this right now? I’m still recovering from going Toon,” said Jack.

”Speaking of, what were you thinking shoving a highly explosive sphere of unstable magic, in your mouth!?!?!”

“Can’t talk, still got a headache,” said Jack as he shoved the Switch back in his pocket before she could protest.

Caldoric managed to recover from a short case of snickering by this point, and looked at Jack with a grin. “Hey, man, count yourself lucky. At least you got tools that can talk to you. Me, I'm having trouble connecting with just the Toa Mata, let alone the folks here in Equestria. Not to mention that my sword is apparently some sort of dark weapon of old…? Anywho, do you only get spirits from stars around Earth, or are there ones from other starscapes as well?”

“No, my spirits are based on Equestrian constellations, my enemies are based on Earth ones,” said Jack. “But enough about that for a while, I think I may know how to solve your little Toa problem.”

Caldoric raised an eyebrow, interested. “If you can make Kopaka forget about the mask incident, that might fix one or two things… but they kind of don't trust me on principle, because the legends say there’s only supposed to be six Toa. Oh, and they’re aware I know how their future was originally supposed to go, and that I'm not telling them to minimize negative reflections on the timeline, so there’s that issue as well. But I'm listening.”

“Can’t do it on my own though,” said Jack, “gonna need the help of a specialist.”

“DO I SMELL UNAUTHORIZED HAPPINESS COOKIES IN HERE?!” Demanded a voice that immediately had Caldoric on edge, also causing several other conscious patients to jump in surprise. In walked Pinkie Pie, party-planner extraordinare, eyes closed and following her nose. At the foot of Jack’s little bed, she stopped, opened her eyes, and looked directly at the platter of confectionary goodness. “Uh, why are those blue? They’re not supposed to be blue.”

“Yeah they are, they’re the magic healing type.” Caldoric protested. “Made by the revivified ghost of a dude’s grandma.” Pinkie looked at him suspiciously.

“Gimme.” She ordered, making a short grabby motion with one hoof. “Also, hi jack!”

“Hey,” said Jack, “I was just wondering if you ever threw a welcome party for the Toa?”

Pinkie wagged a hoof at him as Caldoric passed her a blue cookie. “Well, duh! Of course I did! What kind of a party host would I be if I didn't?” She paused, and began munching on the cookie. “Of course, it was also kind of a 'we just rescued the Princesses and most of Canterlot today' party too, so… Maybe they didn't all get the right vibe? From what I could tell, the only folks on Mata Nui who know how to party are the ones in Le-Koro, so…” She then gained an expression of contemplation on her face as she considered the flavor of the cookie.

“Hmmm… Ectoplasm, phoenix tears, dash of salt… interesting, I'll have to look at these in detail later.” Pinkie then grabbed three or four more and stuffed them in her mane. “Sorry bout that, Jackie-boy; you were saying?”

“Well, Cal here’s been having some trouble with the Toa, apparently they’re being kind of stand-offish,” said Jack, “I’ve got a few ideas that might do the trick, but I’m gonna need a party guru of the highest order in order to pull it off.”

“Stand-offish?” She asked, tilting her head. “Well, I can kinda understand how they feel, what with him being a super-weird alien from another dimension that seems to know everything about us despite never having been here before while we’re in the middle of fighting off super-sneaky shapeshifty shardlings, but--” she sucked in a breath, “--I’m more able to set that aside than most other ponies, so hit me with your best shot!”

Jack grinned, “We’ll start with a standard type 2, modified for any dietary concerns of course. Once we get in full swing we’ll get them with a Dr Mirror, then when it starts to wind down Cal and I will hit them with an Anime Bonding method #21.”

Pinkie made a face. “Yeah, that'd definitely work, but a wombo-combo like that wouldn't exactly be the easiest to pull off, even for me. I almost wish I had Cheese Sandwich here to help, but I guess we’ll have to improvise. When should we start?”

“Uh, hello, I'm right here you two…” Caldoric interjected. “Besides, I'm not sure we have time for that right now. Two days in an awfully long time to be gone from Mata Nui; Terid-- I mean, Makuta’s probably taken the opportunity to forward his plans while we’ve been gone.”

Pinkie waggled a hoof at him. “Pshaw, they’ve survived there for a millennia without the Toa’s help, they can stand a couple days. They’re not defenseless!”

“Either way, we should get started immediately,” said Jack as three small robots that looked kind of like a hamburger, a pack of fries, and a large cup of soda jumped up from behind his pillow. “Let the festivites, BEGIN!”

“You’re not beginning anything just yet, young… male.” Said Nurse Redheart, cantering up. “You’re still injured. Whatever you lot are planning, I'm afraid you’ll have to sit it out for now.”

“Oh,” Pinkie sighed, her mane deflating a bit. “I didn't think of that.”

“But... I had the Senzu cookie,” said Jack.

“Only just one,” Caldoric replied, somewhat exasperated, “you gotta eat more than one for the full effect to work. After all, there’s no such thing as having just one cookie… besides, you could probably convince Lewa to help; he seems chill, and likes parties too.”

Jack ‘hmm’ed for a few seconds before pulling the plate of cookies over to him, “Pinkie! I require milk!”

“Righty-O!” Pinkie said, suddenly full of energy, before zipping off and returning with a glass of milk in less than a second.

“And then,” Jack declared as he dunked one of the cookies with enough force to cause some of it to splash out, “we Party!” Caldoric and Nurse Redheart facepalmed and facehooved, respectively.

Henshin Heroes 2: Alchemical Antics! And Don't Split The Party!

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“You know, I'm still not sure this is the right situation for a party…” Caldoric said, once again pinching the bridge of his nose as Nurse Redheart relaxed and walked away.

Pinkie just kind of looked at him like he was stupid for a second, then opened her mouth to speak. “♪Every party needs a pooper, that’s why they invited you,♪” she began, in a sort of sing-song voice, “♪party pooper--♪”

“Pinkie…”

“♪Party pooper…!--♪”

“Pinkie!” Caldoric snapped, glaring at her. “Sorry, but this isn't the time.”

“Aww, someone’s sensitive…!” Pinkie replied with a smile, then began inching her hoof forwards as if to boop his nose. Thus began a quick scuffle of poke-and-deflect tactics. Though Caldoric had had some decent practice before his arrival in Equestria, he was still not much of a match for the Grand Master of Cheer herself, and she finally managed to goose him under the ribs.

“Gotcha…!” She proclaimed, as he flinched from the contact.

“Jack, help me out here…” Caldoric begged, turning to the still-horizontal Kamen Rider.

“You forget young grasshopper,” Jack said sagely, “the party was my idea.”

“Young? I’m 25, how old are you?” Caldoric rebutted, fending off another tentative jab from Pinkie.

“26,” Jack smirked.

“...Damn you,” Caldoric muttered sullenly, then swatted away another poke from Pinkie, who was grinning like an idiot. “Will you stop that?”

“Nah, you’re amusingly good at this! Who taught you?” She replied, and made a feint.

Caldoric saw through it, however, and countered with a double-feint of his own before finding contact beneath Pinkie's ribs with his other hand, which had remained idle. “My sister and I sometimes do this from time to time; we’ve gotten pretty good at predicting…” he trailed off, and looked away. He didn’t even react when she poked his head a second later. “I kind of want to go home, you know?”

“Not 100% sure if that’s possible,” said Jack as he climbed out of bed, “we need to make the most of what we have here.”

“No, it’s possible all right.” Caldoric replied, as Pinkie cocked her head and listened. “I've heard tell of folks just appearing on Earth outta nowhere, looking like fictional characters while claiming to be missing folks. They either get locked up, or go into hiding. Or, so I hear. But with the war on… if I could get home, and figure out how to get my powers to actually work, I could put a stop to it.”

“If that’s the case, whether or not it’s my Earth, you can count on my backup,” said Jack, with a nod of his head. Caldoric nodded in reply, and put a grateful hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks man.” Caldoric said. “To be honest, I'm definitely feeling better, talking to another human, than I tend to be when I'm alone with these pon-- yah! Pinkie, stop it!” She had just jabbed him in the ribs again while he was distracted, and now bolted out of the room, cackling like a madmare as she escaped.

“Shhhh!” Nurse Redheart shushed them.

“So, now that the pink one’s gone…” Caldoric began, a little sour, “you feeling better? Like, back to normal?”

“Mostly,” said Jack, “Pinkie swiped a few of the cookies, so I’m still a little sore in places. When I get the Medical Switch, it won’t be soon enough.”

“Hah, if I knew how soreness like that worked, I'd just summon a Mask of Healing, and have you fixed in a jiffy. Unfortunately, it only works on stuff the wearer knows how to heal…” Caldoric trailed off, then held his hands out in front of him again, and closed his eyes. Above one of them appeared about two-thirds of another translucent-blue cookie, and a Windows 98 style error message popped into existence in front of him.

Error:
•Out of Summon Grist(x36): to summon anything more, please go out and kill some enemies. The bigger, the better!
•Out of <other> Grist(s), type(s) include: Build, Ectoplasm, Fluorite, Frosting, Rainbow, Rock Candy, Slime. Go collect some more!

“...The hell? Where’d this come from?” Caldoric said, swiping a hand through the message. “I don't remember there being 'Summon’ Grist…”

Jack rubbed his chin, “Didn’t you say your powers were half-Bionicle, half-RPG? Is there Grist in that?”

“Well, there was grist of various types in Homestuck, which is a webcomic by the way, but the characters never encountered Summon-type Grist…” Caldoric handed Jack the partial cookie and began pacing, a hand to his thinly-bearded chin, “grist is a game abstraction used to manufacture items through Alchemy in Sburb, a game the characters played, and-- Ah, shit, someone's been using my Alchemiter! I knew this was going to happen, but I got sidetracked by those Shardlings…”

Caldoric quickly dashed out of the room, heading who knew where as he called for Jack to follow.

Jack followed along, slightly slowly due to his not-quite-healed injuries, “So, this Alchemiter, I assume it’s what you use to access certain aspects of your abilities?”

“No, no…!” Caldoric replied in a panic, pausing briefly at an intersection before dashing ahead. “It’s an item crafting station with practically unlimited potential! If you put the wrong items together in the wrong way, you can end up making something completely random! You never know if it’ll be trash, or a doomsday device, or anything! Who knows what whoever’s been using it has made!” He then came to a stop, and looked desperately back at Jack.

“Third floor library, West-Southwest wing: know how to get there?” Caldoric asked. “I’m lost, again!”

“Luckily I happen to have insurance against that very thing,” said Jack as the burger-bot from before rolled up, “meet Shutter.”

“Hi.” Caldoric said tersely to the bot, waving as he caught his breath.

”Hi,” said a young, shy voice from it.

“Anyway, remember that Camera Switch from before? Yeah, Shutter is the spirit of that Switch,” said Jack. “She’s also kinda curious, so give her a description of it and we’ll see if she’s seen it.”

“I’ll do ya one better.” Caldoric then reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a smartphone and a card depicting a neon-green cube with a picture of an atom on it. The card, being similar to the one he’d picked up the Powerdizer before, turned into the item it had shown, which Caldoric then put under his arm and fiddled with his phone.

“It does wifi…” he muttered distractedly, then flipped the phone so Jack and Shutter could see the screen. On it was an image of a boy standing next to a large platform-y device with a multipart armature on one side, next to a small plinth. The flat, circular portion of the platform bore a series of triangles that looked vaguely arcane.

“You seen anything that looks like this?” Caldoric asked. “I may have modified it a bit, but this is the basic form.”

Shutter nodded, “Yep, but you won’t believe where though.” With that, Shutter rolled off, prompting Jack and Caldoric to follow.

And follow they did, up and down stairs, through rooms, across halls, and startling a few ambient ponies who'd begun to come out of their shells. Eventually, they came to their destination.

They opened the double doors before them (which Caldoric admitted were somewhat familiar,) they were greeted with a surprising sight: in amongst the shelves of Equestrian knowledge and fiction, there was now a massive pile of muffins. Blueberry muffins, to be exact. The pile nearly reached the ceiling, and the modified Alchemiter that rested beneath it was barely visible.

“I’m not sure whether to be concerned or relieved by this…!” Caldoric said, shaking a bit.

There was a faint cry of “Help…!” from somewhere before them.

“The Schop Switch would also be pretty useful right now,” said Jack before taking a bite of one, “not bad, but I prefer banana chocolate chip.”

“The what Switch? Oh, forget it, there’s someone in there…!” Caldoric took a running jump at the pile, and began furiously digging with his bare hands. Jack joined in from a different area, swiping his arms to scoop away large chunks at once.

Pretty soon, they found a pair of grey legs and a pale blonde tail, the former of which began kicking almost as soon as they were uncovered. A good look at the image of several bubbles on the attached hips cemented the pony’s identity.

“It’s Derpy.” Caldoric stated. “Shoulda figured from the muffins.”

“Um, hey, could you pull me out?” Derpy's muffled voice said from inside the muffin monolith. “I don't wanna die buried in muffins…”

“I suppose the irony would kinda suck huh?” Jack said as he grabbed one of the legs. Caldoric nodded, and grabbed the other.

“We’re gonna pull on three, alright?” He said, for both Jack and Derpy’s benefit. After acknowledgement from both, they counted down and gave a mighty heave, pulling the mare from the tomb of baked goods and causing them all to tumble down to the floor.

“Whoah…” Derpy said, head and eyes spinning momentarily, “thanks guys. Not sure I woulda made it if you hadn't shown up. How’d you find me, anyway?”

“We were looking for the Alchemiter I left in here earlier, because someone suddenly used all my Grist.” Caldoric explained, looking intently at Derpy as her eyes settled. One was looking straight up, while the other was looking down and a bit to the side.

“Alka-whatzit?” Derpy asked, looking confused. “Not sure what one of those is, but I did find this cool platformy thing a little bit ago, along with this weird camera…” She then pulled the camera from somewhere behind herself, and presented it proudly, like a child who found something “amazing”. Caldoric facepalmed immediately.

“Augh, the Captcharoid Camera…” he groaned, “I forgot I left it in here…”

“Capture-roid?” Derpy asked. “Wazzat?”

“Is it kinda like that thing from RWBY?” asked Jack, “you know, the camera that bunny girl uses that lets her create holo-weapons?” Caldoric just stared at him blankly.

“...no.” He said at last. “It… you use it to take a ghost image of something you can't ordinarily pick up, even with a sylladex set to 'large’ items, and it’ll spit out a card with that ghost image on it and a code that corresponds to it.”

“Oh, like this?” Derpy held up a now-familiar card, depicting a greyed-out blueberry muffin, then looked at it curiously. “Huh, this was grey a while back, now it looks like leather around the edges. Ew…”

“Exactly. Wait, you’re the one who made all these muffins?!” Caldoric demanded, concerned.

“Yup!”

Caldoric's head drooped as he sighed, before he turned to the pile of muffins and moved towards the buried alchemiter. “Of course… of course she’d be the one to figure out how to work a contraption this contrived in nature…” he muttered, starting to unbury a portion of it.

“I just… pushed the muffin button…” Derpy said, a little disappointed and embarrassed. Caldoric audibly facepalmed again.

Jack chuckled. “Well, at least it’s only muffins. If neither of you two mind, Pinkie and I will be commandeering this bounty for the party.” Derpy immediately brightened.

“Ooh, yeah! That sounds great!” Derpy exclaimed, clapping her hooves together. “I mean, I meant to make some food for the folks here in Canterlot anyways, which was why I was here in the first place, after getting lost on my way to the kitchens, and--”

The mountain of muffins suddenly glowed with an inner bright light, then condensed into a single ball of energy that was quickly absorbed by the Alchemiter, revealing it in all its glory. It definitely had some similarities to the image Caldoric had shown them earlier, but there were indeed several modifications that had been added. There were at least a dozen slots for more of those strange cards to be inserted, and what looked like the keyboard from a typewriter hooked to an open panel via wires. There was a large armature featuring some sort of downward-facing lens over the main platform, as well as a smaller pedestal bearing a holographic image of a muffin over it, and there was also most of an organic-looking desktop computer embedded in yet another panel with a holographic display of its own.

Caldoric was standing at the latter area, not even paying attention as Jack whistled and Derpy’s lip started to tremble. “You seriously shouldn't have set it to make the maximum possible amount of muffins, Derpy,” he said, moving a few operating windows around as he talked. “Three hundred million is way too many. Now, something like…”

There was another brief flash, and the Alchemiter's platform was covered in muffins once more, but it was a more reasonable amount this time: nothing more than a couple hundred of the small things, at best. “There, that should cover everyone for the time being.”

“I-I just wanted to h-help…!” Derpy said, looking despondent, and started tearing up.

Jack patted her on the shoulder, “I can understand that, but maybe a little bit of restraint and common sense next time, hmm?”

“I agree,” said Caldoric, walking over and kneeling so he was face-to-face with Derpy, before gently lifting her chin and smiling gently. “Please be careful with stuff like this. In fact, I admire what you tried to do, feeding everyone with muffins from a seemingly magical godsend like this, and figuring how it works in the first place. You’re a very kind per-- pony, Derpy, with a heart of gold big enough to hug just about everyp-pony you find. Just make sure you ask next time, alright?”

“A-alright…!” Derpy said, smiling at the two humans through the faint tears in her bi-directional eyes.

“There we go,” said Jack, ruffling her mane. “Now, what say we make like piñatas and party till we burst open?” Derpy positively perked up at that, with a mile-wide smile on her face as she gasped.

“A party? What for? Am I invited? When is it? What should I wear?” She asked, overwhelmed with glee.

“It’s a party Pinkie’s helping me throw to celebrate me saving about 2-3 dozen ponies, and one draconequus, from their Shardling fates,” said Jack, a bit of a smug look on his face.

“Don't talk about piñatas around me, man,” Caldoric interjected, “last time was at one of Pinkie's parties, she had me trussed up like a pig and hung from the ceiling for half of it…” Derpy giggled madly and covered her face with her hooves.

“Hehe, I remember that. You looked so funny up there in your armor, all tied up and wiggling like a caterpillar. Can we do that again?”

“No.” Caldoric said flatly. “It wasn't fun for me.”

“Yeah, we’ll contact Party Central if we need one,” said Jack, before he pulled out a list and began reading it off. “Let’s see, food: check. Venue: 90% sure the diarchs won’t mind us using the ballroom. Music: pretty sure I saw Vinyl around here somewhere. Games: pretty sure Discord owes me a favor. And Pinkie shouldn’t have much trouble with her half of the list. We should be good to go.”

“Good to go?” Asked Screwball, phasing in through a wall, and Derpy waved to her cheerfully. “What’re you talking about in here, all secret-like?”

“These guys wanna throw a party…” Caldoric said, dejectedly. “Me? Not so sure.”

“Stop being such a baby, this is partially for your benefit,” said Jack before turning to Screwball, “Pinkie’s handling the invitations, but you’re at the top of the guest list.” Her eyebrows shot up at that, and she had to scramble to catch them after they bounced off the ceiling. “Then again, the final draft might be in alphabetical order, so you’ll be closer to the bottom,” Jack said, tapping his chin, although his grin let Screwball know he was just teasing. The filly grinned back and nodded.

“At least I'm not this guy,” she added, jerking her head towards Caldoric, “his last name starts with a ‘W’, if you can believe that.”

“Hey!” Caldoric shouted.

“Ah, but everyone knows him as Caldoric, so he might be placed with the Cs, possibly at the top cause the second letter’s an A,” Jack retorted. Caldoric glared at him.

“While I somewhat relish the thought of being above Celestia about something…” he groaned, “I'm still not too sure about this party. Not only am I antisocial, but the Toa aren't like Ponies; they don't just get along after a musical meet-and-greet like Equestrians do. They always have trouble with the four stages of team development, usually getting stuck on the ‘storming’ stage more than anything.” Screwball nodded as if she understood what he was getting at, but the others looked confused.

“That’s what Anime Bonding Method #21 is for,” said Jack, “seriously I swallowed a bomb for you, you’d think that would entitle me to at least a little trust from you.”

There was a long silence as Caldoric and Jack looked at each other, before Caldoric sighed, finally giving in. “Fiiiiiiiiiine, I’ll do it.” He said at last. “But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Also, it was a bit hit-and-miss on the music selection last time. Vinyl was great, letting the other Displaced and I play some Earth music, but some of it wasn't exactly to the ponies’ liking.”

“Yeah, lots of screaming, and harsh sounds and talk of war…” Derpy said, looking a bit down.

“That’s called Metal, Derpy.” Caldoric explained. “Not my fault most of the playlist I have consists of that, though: the guy who I helped make it was rather into metal and war history… I hope you have something better, Jack. I’m practically tapped.”

“Let’s just say that I’m a Texan with a rather traditional taste in music,” said Jack, “would you prefer I open with Brody or Keith?”

“Uh… not familiar with either of those.” Caldoric replied. “I played a bit of Randy Travis, and they kinda liked that, but the religious nature kinda went over their heads… then again, most of our stuff does, since they’re so much shorter than we are.”

There was a pause, before Derpy and Screwball said “Heyyyy…!” in near unison.

Jack just chuckled. “How about I play a sample for you two? See if it’s something you can appreciate?” There were some murmured agreements from the two of them, before Pinkie and Lyra poked their heads around the doorway.

“I’m game for anything humans like!” Said Lyra. “Helps me understand you all better, to be honest. Music is the expression of one’s soul…!”

“I just wanna hear it!” Said Pinkie. Caldoric facepalmed, and went over to the nearest wall to begin banging his head against it.

“No problem,” said Jack as he pulled out the Beat Switch. Switching it on, he said to it: “Tone? Dean Brody, It’s Friday.”

”Excellent choice boss-man, don’t want to blow their minds too hard to start,” said a DJ-esque voice from the Switch, before the sound of guitars emanated from it.

Once the song had finished, the ponies had already given their stamp of approval through their bobbing heads and smiling faces. Heck, even Caldoric had stopped whacking his head against the wall and started tapping his foot to the beat instead.

“Yep, that’s country music,” said Caldoric at last, while the ponies tried to not-so-discreetly pester Jack for more. “Need something faster though, if you’re going for the type of lively party I think you are: that one there’s more for a casual, ‘walk-'round-talkin’-to-folks’ tempo, not ‘cutting-a-rug’ tempo.”

Jack tapped his chin before grinning. “Dierks Bently, What Was I Thinking?” Once again, familiar southern guitar music kicked in, this time with some kick to it.

When it finished, the ponies seemed rather ok with it, while Caldoric was grinning.

“That was rather good!” Derpy said, smiling. “But what’s a 12 gauge?” Caldoric cackled a bit in the background at her question.

“Best you not know,” said Jack, “not that you need to to enjoy the song though, am I right?”

“Ah dunno,” Said Applejack, entering the library as well, “that there sounded like a bit of a tryst goin’ on between two folk that shouldn'ta been together. Not sure that’s appropriate, really.”

“Geeze, if we keep this up, the party'll end up going down here in the library!” Caldoric exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

“And that’s definitely unacceptable,” said Twilight, joining the conversation as she came around a bookshelf, levitating a few dozen books in her thaumic grasp. “First there was that sudden mountain of muffins, now there’s music, and then you start talking about having a party here? Seriously, younger ponies these days…!”

“And now she’s here, too!” Caldoric complained. “Can we move this before anyone else shows up?”

“I’m good-fine right here,” said Lewa, looking over a bookshelf he was hovering next to. Caldoric facepalmed as Twilight chewed the Toa of Air out a little for his antics.

Jack started laughing, “Look’s like you might not need to pack up those muffins. Seriously, one last sample before we go.”

Everyone save for Caldoric and Twilight gave a cheer at that, which drowned out their protests.

“Well then, Tone; Eastbound and Down.”

As the music played, pretty much everyone was bobbing their heads with the beat, including Caldoric, who would occasionally sing along with a line or two of the chorus. When some of those present looked at him questioningly, he simply told them “he’d heard it a few times.”

“That said,” he continued, “let’s get going. If Jack wants to play anything more, we can probably do it on the way there. But first, there’s a song I'd like to play as we begin our little trek. Just lemme…”

He took a moment to store the Alchemiter and the Captcharoid Camera within his Sylladex, which amazed Lewa and the Ponies to no end, then turned and gestured for Jack and Pinkie to lead the way.

“Make sure to watch out for Imps and Ogres as we go, folks,” He warned as they passed, “they can be a mite nasty in tight spaces.”

And so, they began walking through the halls to their eventual destination, slowly picking up more procession members as Caldoric played his song. They were fortunate that Fluttershy wasn't among them, because she definitely wouldn't have found it as entertaining as everyone else there did.

“Who knew that squirrels could be such trouble?” Chuckled Jack. A few nearby ponies giggled along with him, evidently having had their own experiences with the fluffy rodents.

“All right, what’s your next song going to be?” Caldoric asked, his mood having improved somewhat since leaving the library behind. “It’s amazing how much of a crowd you can draw here with a good bit of music…”

“Hey, I need to save some for the party,” said Jack. Several ponies gave disappointed calls of “aaawwwwwww!” at this, while Caldoric just chuckled.

“Please?” Lyra begged, sidling up to Jack and butting her head under his arm as they continued through the halls. “Just, like, one or two more?”

Pinkie popped up next to her, and pulled her back a bit. “No, Jackie-boy has a point, we need to save some for the party.”

“Fine…” Lyra acquiesced. Soon, the party reached a large ballroom, and Jack looked in.

Jack took a look around the ballroom before grabbing a clipboard that Pinkie handed him. “Yes, this layout should do nicely, although you may want to increase the distance between the snack tables by 5%; the Toa are a mite larger than regular ponies after all.”

“Ooh, good point!” Pinkie exclaimed, already hopping with excitement. In a blur of sugar-fuelled pinkness, she had rearrange tables to make sure everyone could fit between them, be they pony or humanoid. Meanwhile, Vinyl showed up and began setting up her musical equipment. Soon, they had some low-key party music going, to keep the present folks occupied while the party itself got truly into full swing.

Pinkie was constantly zipping between Jack and whatever needed doing, while Caldoric mostly stayed off to one side and tried to avoid getting in the way. In fact, Jack and Pinkie had to head him off on at least three occasions as he tried to surreptitiously exit the party room before everything was ready.

“Come on, you know we’re doing this for your own good,” said Jack before turning to Pinkie, “adjust DJ table main speakers 3 degrees outward.”

“Ugh, do I have to?” Caldoric complained. “And which main speaker? There’s, like, seven!” He went off towards the DJ booth with Pinkie anyways, grumbling the whole way as she had to practically drag him along. A few minutes later, and he was back, this time with a valid question:

“How are we supposed to have a party with the Toa (and everyone else,) if they’re not all here?” He asked, and Pinkie immediately tensed up like a fainting goat that had just been startled.

“Ah, snap!” She exclaimed, glancing towards the door. “I forgot to give them their invitations!”

Jack shook his head, “I distinctly remember that being on your to-do list.”

“Not to worry-fret!” Said Lewa, swooping in with a smile on his Golden Mask. “I’ve got the power of the Kakama, Mask of Quick-Speed, already at hand! Together, friend-cousin Pinkie and I can let the other Toa-heroes know-learn that they’re needed here!”

“Yeah, let’s go!” Pinkie cried, perking up immediately, and they both disappeared out the door in blurs of green and pink. Soon, more ponies began filing into the room, quickly accompanied by the Toa Mata, the Elements of Harmony, and, eventually, the Princesses themselves.

“Alright, fillies and colts!” Pinkie exclaimed from the DJ booth once everybody had finally arrived. “Today we’re having a super-awesome-fun party because our friends here, Jack and Caldoric, were able to reclaim my hometown of Ponyville from Sombra's evil clutches!”

There was much cheering from the crowd, especially from those who had been recovered in the expedition.

“Also, for those of you who haven't noticed, we’ve got some more ponies here than we did before, because they got saved in Ponyville as well!” Pinkie continued. “So, let’s party!” And, that said, the party officially began, and music began to play.

Jack leaned in close to Pinkie. “I’ve got Gali, Tahu, and Pohatu, you got the other three?”

“Yep! The harder, the better!” She replied, giving him a knowing grin. “Dr. Mirror is a go!” With nods to each other, they split, still keeping an eye on Caldoric in case he tried to do the same with the party. Fortunately, he was engaged in a conversation with Screwball at the time, so it seemed less than likely.

Jack walked up towards Gali, and struck up a conversation with her. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, honorable Toa of water.”

Gali, who had been sitting to one side in the equine form Jack had first met her in, started slightly at his sudden attention, and turned to Jack. “Oh, greetings yourself, Jack…!” She said, slightly awkwardly, then stood up. “Forgive me for my inattention; I was observing the ponies here. They mingle so freely, both male and female, members from all tribes and… I think they call them ‘social classes,’ yes? It’s soothing, to me, to see such Unity among people, even in these trying times.”

“Yeah, ponies do love a good party, and that goes double when Pinkie has a hoof in it,” said Jack. “I don’t suppose you have anything like this back in Ga-Koro?”

“Oh, we do,” Gali replied with a smile. “The Ga-Matoran and other Ga-Koronans work together well enough, it’s true, and it’s similar in the other Koro, but there’s not much Unity between the various Koro themselves. Not many Matoran choose to brave the distances between villages with Makuta's Rahi beasts running amok. It’s not much better between we Toa, either.”

“That’s a pity, especially since it doesn’t give you much of a chance to visit the other Toa yourself,” said Jack, “although, perhaps a railroad could solve a few problems.”

“A… rail road?” Gali asked. “What is that?”

“Quite simple. Imagine a bunch of carriages, filled with freight and passengers, pulled at high speed by an engine. No more individual Matoran needing to take a risk when traveling to another village, just a smooth and fast train ride. Plus, if you run the tracks underground, you should be able to avoid most, if not all, of the beasts.”

“While the Onu-matoran, and even Onua himself, would probably be more than willing to assist with that,” Gali replied, “I've heard tell of plenty of tunneling and burrowing Rahi. Some are peaceful creatures, who would be displaced from their homes by such a thing. Others, however, are far less than agreeable, and would take umbrage to such intrusions. Or, so Onua and Turaga Whenua tell me. It's still a wonderful idea, though.”

“Well, not all of it needs to be underground, I suppose a little ingenuity could put the tracks high above the ground as well, so perhaps the Le-Matoran could help there?” asked Jack. “Also, if we can get the Po-Matoran to line the edges of the tunnel sections in super dense rock, and Kopaka to scout the route to avoid their nests, we can avoid any hassles in that area. Not to mention the fact that we’ll need Ta-Matoran blacksmiths to craft the actual components, and I’m certain you can think of a way for the Ga-Matoran to contribute. If the railway is going to help all the tribes, it’s only fair that all the tribes help to build it.”

Gali nodded. “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!” She said, and nudged him with her shoulder. “I’d definitely recommend you bring this plan to the Turaga directly, once Caldoric gets the portal working…” she trailed off, her happy expression fading as she looked back at the ponies and sighed.

“...Caldoric.” She said at last, her tone pensive. “Now, there’s a strange being, if ever I've met one. And I've talked to Kapura once: he had me confused for days, and yet... Caldoric is something else entirely.”

Jack rubbed his chin, “I wonder if the Matoran ever thought the same about you?” Gali chuckled, though there was no real humor in it.

“Them? Think us strange? Hah!” She chuckled again, but quieted down a tad as she noticed some of the ponies beginning to give her funny looks. “Heh, anyway… to answer your question: no, they don't think us strange, as far as I can tell. In fact, they practically revere us as the heroes of their ancient legends, come finally to save them from the Makuta. In their eyes, we can do practically no wrong.

“And then Caldoric came along, once we’d nearly gathered all our masks, telling us of how we were heroes even to beings from beyond our very world, and that we were destined for things far greater than we ever imagined… I had been overwhelmed by the near-worship of the Matoran, and the almost unyielding respect of the Turaga elders, but…” Gali paused. “This was different. He implied, either by accident or intent, that there was more to come beyond our approaching combat with the Makuta. It… it’s enough to make one wonder.”

“That’s heavy, but it brings to mind certain words of wisdom that I find most useful,” said Jack. “‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present’.”

Gali raised an eyebrow at him, and gave a brief snort of laughter. Jack could see a twinkle of happiness in her eyes now, however brief it may have been, as she began to speak.

“While that may be true, I still have my concerns as to our future. He told us that this ability we have, our capability to Shift…” Gali paused, looking at her foreleg for a moment, before she gracefully reared onto handles and shapeshifted into a distinctly more humanoid form that Jack recognized. “Caldoric seemed shocked that this, something that was an everyday occurrence for Matoran and the Turaga as well, was something we could do, stating that it should not have been. He said that it was a deviation from -- what did he call it? The ‘alpha timeline’, I believe? If his words are true, and our circumstances are different from those he claims to have known, then who’s to say we are to succeed? Are we still guaranteed victory here, in the same way he claims we had in this so-called alpha timeline?

“You have no alternate counterpart to compare yourself to, so I could understand if you can't comprehend the feelings I am experiencing at present, but…”

Jack put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort the upset Toa of Water. “Hey, that just means that you might have bonuses this so-called ‘alpha timeline’ doesn’t. If you can get that railway working, even Makuta himself might have pause at the Unity it’ll create, not to mention he’s only planning for the 6 of you, not the ponies or Caldoric. Just relax, ‘don’t wait for it to happen, don’t even want it to happen, just watch was does happen’.”

Gali blinked, holding Jack’s gaze briefly, before sighing and looking away. “That makes sense, in a way. Yet Makuta has eyes and ears in every shadow, as the Turaga constantly remind us. He’ll know by now that we’re not alone anymore. But, as you say, we’ll have to cross that bridge when we reach it, and not before. Twilight and her friends will undoubtedly have our backs, yet… I'm unsure about Caldoric. He’s near impossible to pin down: he’ll say one thing, and then do another that's completely contrary. Not even Lewa is as bad as him, and Lewa can barely stand still for a few seconds. Not that I dislike that about my Brother, but…” Gali sighed again.

“What are we going to do about Caldoric? Surely, he’ll balk at the thought of even the rail road you told me of, if it’s something that did not occur in his other ‘timeline’. In fact, the idea seems so far beyond our level of creation on the island, it might take years to get right.”

“Then it’s a good thing that Equestria has a working railway that you can take notes on,” said Jack. “As for Cal, I’m working on it.”

“Perhaps,” Gali replied, a faint bit of hope in her voice, “but I can't help but be apprehensive, despite your comforting words. If it comes to it, we may have to speak with him directly about these things.”

“As you should,” said Jack, “communication is the first step to Unity after all.”

“Strange that you should mention that,” Gali replied, still watching the ponies. “As Shasa, the Weaver, tells us, from Unity comes Purity, and Purity in turn fuels further Unity. And Purity also begets Speed, according to our Shipwright, Marka. Yet, ever since Caldoric arrived, there has been less communication between us all, especially from him to us. His presence… it seems to weigh upon the six of us and our Unity, straining it: slowing us, even, despite his urging towards conflict. There is something not right about him.”

“You just need to learn to adapt to each other,” said Jack. “Although, I have to disagree with Shasa on one point.”

Gali looked at Jack with great shock at his words, as if he'd just slapped her, or suggested that Applejack could fly. “Oh? And how is that?” She asked, concerned.

“Purity implies that all of you become identical yes? That’s not something you should be striving for,” said Jack as he grabbed a few cookies from the nearby snack table. “Now, if this dessert table was pure, we’d only see one kind of cookie. But as you can see, we have several, because not everyone likes the same kind of cookie. It’s the same with people. To build something, you need people who can do different things; some people to draft the schematics, some people to cut the pieces, some people to wire it up, and so on.”

Gali gave him a blank look that slowly morphed into a smile, followed by a giggle, and then the Toa of Water broke into full-on laughter. “Oh, Jack, poor Jack…” she said at last, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, “you are so amusingly misguided. We fully understand that each individual has a unique position within the grand scheme of things. Gali, for example, is one of the Matoran who gather flax, while Kai is our best Sailor, and Nixie is our Astrologer. No, by Purity, I meant like pure water, instead of seawater: Pure water has had the impurities and contaminants removed, making it more useful, and safe to drink.

“Thus, within ourselves, we must seek to be pure, and fight our inner darkness, so that we might be better people as a whole, even with our differences in personality and opinion.” Gali smiled at him as she came to a conclusion. “Now do you understand, Jack?”

Jack merely shrugged, “Forgive my misinterpretation, it’s a good thing you’re the brains of the Toa or I might have looked really stupid.”

“Oh, Jack, I thank you for your kind words, but Onua and Kopaka are more fitting to the description. Onua is the wisest, while Kopaka provide the cool intellect... when he chooses to participate, that is.”

“Well then, what do you provide to the team?” asked Jack.

“I… I’m not sure.” Gali confessed. “I’ve often asked myself that question. But does it matter? With there being more than one version of my reality, and multiple Equestrias, as Caldoric says, wouldn’t there possibly be another Gali -- another me -- who’s better suited to whatever my place is? With all these heroes out there, does it matter what I do?”

“Of course it matters,” said Jack, “let me tell you, I’ve noticed several differences between this and my Equestria’s Lunas: some subtle, some not so much. Although now that I think about it, maybe you’re the glue.”

“The… glue? What is glue? How does it pertain to what I am to the other Toa?”

“Glue is a substance that’s used to stick two objects together,” said Jack, “and perhaps you’re the one who makes sure that the Toa stay a team. You’re a good listener, you’re patient, and you tend not to get worked up easily; all are hallmarks of a good peacekeeper.”

Gali paused, her gaze going off into the distance, and then her brows furrowed as she thought about what Jack had said. “A peace-keeper, you say… perhaps you’re right. I do tend to be the first one to break up arguments in our circle. Usually, it’s between Kopaka and… Tahu…” Her voice trailed off. “Tahu. I forgot, he almost set an entire portion of Le-Wahi ablaze with a careless use of his powers, just to get a Mask out of a tree, and had the gall not to be sorry about it after I put the flames out…! Mata Nui, he’s impulsive… I’m still not talking to him after that. Not to mention that it’s usually him and Kopaka that want to go off on their own the most: it’s about the only thing those two agree on…!”

Jack just chuckled, “Well, it looks like you have plenty to think about, I’m going to go mingle.”

Gali chuckled. “I don't blame you, Jack. You yourself have given me plenty to consider as well, but at least I can now see an end to the dark clouds that had been troubling me before. Hopefully the seas beyond their edge will be calmer to travel. Safe journeys… cousin.” She then held up a fist, as if offering it for him to bump.

Jack bumped it, before walking off and chuckling to himself. “Cousin to a Toa, this trip’s starting to look up.” He said, and went off to find the next Toa on his list.

~~~~
Pinkie looked at the party around her, completely in her Element. Ponies around her were having an amazing time, all within acceptable levels. She moved among them, feeling the ebb and flow of moving bodies and fun music in her very bones, giving folks around her an occasional greeting or compliment to keep them happy. Parties were delicate things, she knew, and needed occasional maintenance to keep them going.

Heck, if she really wanted, she could keep something like this going for weeks, nonstop, and nopony would complain. In fact, she had done just that once, when she was younger. It hadn't ended well.

Pinkie shook her head to clear it of the slowly-encroaching negative memories, and looked about for her quarry once again. Lewa, Onua, or Kopaka? Hmmm, who should I talk to first? She asked herself, nodding and offering a smile to a pony who caught her attention with a wave. Lewa can probably wait, since I get along with him so well, and have spent the most time with the guy. Kopaka’s rather less than friendly, so I'll need extra oomph to melt that icy shell and get him to crack. But once he opens up, it’s bound to be interesting. That just leaves Onua for my opening act…

Her mind made up, (for a certain value thereof: even Pinkie had to admit she was all over the place up there…) she locked onto where the currently pony-shaped Toa of Earth was situated, talking with a circle of ponies that sat down in front of him. Judging by his gesticulations, he was probably telling them a story or joke. She had to get over there, stat!

Pinkie moved with swift, cat-like grace through the crowd, popping through a few of the looser folds of reality when shortcuts were needed, or when she felt like just doing it (which was almost always.) As she did, she briefly reflected on her ability to do so, still unsure how she’d figured out the trick even all these years later.

“And so,” his deep, booming voice eventually carried to Pinkie’s ears, “I came back to the Mining Captain with that handful of parts, and I told him, ‘Dosne, here, I have some widgets for you!’ And then he gave me a funny look, and said ‘Widgets? Those aren't widgets! Those are the missing parts from the South shaft digger! Wherever did you find them?’” The crowd of ponies around him burst into laughter as Onua finished his tale with a smile.

“Ooh, ooh! Are you telling them the story of how you first found Onu-Koro?” Pinkie asked, bouncing up to Onua's side and leaning against him like an overfriendly dog. “I love that story! Did you tell them how you scared part of the mining team half to death that one time?” There were a few snorts and giggles all around. Even Onua managed an honest laugh.

“Hah hah, oh, I was just getting to that!” He said, ruffling her already unruly mane. “Salutations, by the way, young Pinkamena! How’ve you been?”

“Oh, fine, fine, just trying to help cheer up some ponies in these hard times.” Pinkie said, casually. “You know, the usual. Hey, why don't you finish up this tale real quick; I wanna talk to ya, you overgrown pile a’ parts!”

“Sure thing, my fleshy friend,” Onua replied, then turned back to his audience, who were all giggling at their antics. “Now, where was I… oh, yes, I remember. So, there I was, holding the very parts I'd been looking for all along, and so I decided to go deliver them myself. After all, I'm a Toa, and we’re supposed to help the Matoran, yes? So, I started digging a tunnel straight down to the deepest parts of the South shaft. I dug and dug for several minutes, and just as I was sure I was nearing my destination, I was surprised to suddenly find a pickaxe breaking through the stone before me, almost striking me clean on the mask!

“And what do I do?” Onua asked, more rhetorically than anything, though a small hoof shot into the air from the crowd.

“Ooh, did you knock?” Asked the owner of the hoof, still waving it around.

Onua chuckled mightily. “Knock? No, I did something far worse than knock, given the situation. I waited for the pick to pull itself free, then I proceeded to shoulder through the wall like it was nothing, and said--”

“OOGAH-BOOGAH-BOOGAH!” Pinkie shouted, jumping up from behind Onua and startling half the audience. Their fear quickly turned to amusement as they registered her silly face and hilarious gesticulations. Soon, even Pinkie and Onua had joined in the laughter.

“Pinkie,” he admonished her, though the effect was rather ruined by his chuckling. “You shouldn't do that to others, it's not nice.”

“Oh, please, it was too good an opportunity to pass up!” Pinkie said, wiping away a tear. “Besides, Rainbow would never have let me live down a missed chance for a prank!”

“This is true,” Onua admitted, as he began to turn back to his audience. “Now, I'm almost finished: I’ll be with you in just a moment. Alright, ponies, as you can imagine, I broke through the wall and stated as confidently as I could; ‘Behold, Matoran: I am here for you!’ Their reaction, to be honest, was much like your own just now, with small figures running and galloping every which way with wild abandon, screaming about a monster. Of course, covered in earth and rock dust as I was, I must have made a terrifying sight. It took a few minutes to calm them down, but once I had, the parts were swiftly replaced within the digger, and work really got into full swing. And then I had to go explain what had happened to Whenua, and you can imagine how that went…”

There were scattered giggles and snickers from several of the younger members of the audience, remembering times where they’d had to explain similar antics to their parents on various occasions. With Onua's tale finished, they all began to scatter and mingle with the other partygoers, and Onua returned his attention to Pinkie.

“So, cousin, what did you wish to speak about?” He asked, concerned. “Is something amiss?”

“Oh, no, I was just wondering how you've been holding up, big guy.” Pinkie replied. “You liking the party? Anything you need? Something you want to… talk about…?” She began elbowing him gently in the ribs, as if trying to hint at something.

“Erm, no, there’s nothing I can--” he began, then spotted one of the refreshment tables. “Actually, I could probably go for a small amount of that ‘punch’ you had at yesterday's party. It was rather good, and my throat's a bit parched from telling such a long tale…” No sooner had he asked, than there was suddenly a cup of punch in Pinkie's outstretched hooves. “Ah, thank you, cousin.” Without further ado, Onua took a swig from it, sighed, then shivered a little.

“Um, you alright?” Pinkie asked, suddenly concerned.”

“Oh, I'm fine, it’s just… it’s a bit chillier than one would expect here on this mountainside. Even Mount Ihu back home was a bit warmer at this elevation, and there’s snow all over it… it boggles my mind to find such discrepancies.”

“You're so down to earth, Onua,” Pinkie replied, smiling innocently. “You’re grounded in reality, while everypony else is off elsewhere.”

“Why, thank you, Pink-- oh, I see what you did there. Very funny, young miss.” Onua replied, waggling his free digging claw at her. “Now, I can only assume you wanted to talk to me about something other than puns or the weather, so let the topic breathe: even the most fertile soil needs aeration from time to time.”

Pinkie scraped a hoof against the floor a couple of times, trying to format her next words properly. “Well, as Equestria's resident Party Pony, in charge of keeping ponies happy and stuff, I was wondering… is everything going alright with you and the other Toa? Like, anything weeeeeird going on? Lack of harmony, anything that you've got concerns about, members who may-or-may-not be causing problems, all that jazz. So?” Pinkie gave him her biggest, most expectant grin, trying to exude an air of “trustability,” as she would call it. Onua looked at her for a moment, then turned away and tapped his chin.

“Hmmm… well, as you’ve probably noticed, -- and Twilight as well, if her frequent ‘friendship’ talks are anything to go by, -- we seem to be lacking in Unity, and aren't exactly functioning as the team we’re supposed to be just yet. And I guess it’s gotten a bit worse since we came to your world. No offense, of course, Pinkie.”

“None taken!” She chirped, all smiles (and ears!) “Even my friends and I have our off days sometimes!”

“Indeed. But, like I said, having distanced ourselves from our Duty has caused us to fragment more than before. Pohatu wants to go off and explore this new place; Gali is seeming to be less sure of herself now than she ever was; Lewa is, well, Lewa, and seems to have found a new crowd to please with his antics.” Onua paused to look over at where the Toa of Air was doing tricks and flips and other interesting things with his powers, entertaining a large group of local Ponies. “Tahu and Kopaka are squabbling about as noisily as ever about how to do things as quickly as possible, and disagreeing on everything. Caldoric seems to be in almost as much of a hurry as them, but…” Onua sighed heavily.

“What is it?” Pinkie asked, suddenly very interested. “What bats are rattling around that belfry of a braincase you got there, friend?”

“...belfry?”

Pinkie waved a hoof at him. “Tell ya later. You were talking about Caldoric…?”

“Hmm. Well, just like Tahu, he’s almost impulsively eager to fight Makuta, but there’s also a sort of cool intellect guiding it all, like Kopaka has, only with less restrictions.” Onua had begun listing things off on his fingers at this point, still holding the cup in his other hand. “Yet, unlike both of them, Caldoric is nearly demanding, or even outright pleading with us, to work together as a whole. Then he goes off and does something of his own that gets him or someone else hurt, and starts it all over again. Oh, and he's rather clumsy at times: once, I saw him trip and slide for five or six Bio, flat on his Mask.” Onua chuckled a bit. “Not even Lewa could manage that, let me tell you.”

“Anything else you’ve observed on the matter? Particularly about our Human friend?” Pinkie prompted.

Onua paused, taking a moment to choose his words. “Well, there is one thing I've noticed. He’s somewhat smart, or he appears to be so, and given that he does seem to learn from some of his mistakes, we can assume his level of intelligence is pretty decent as well. However, I wouldn't exactly say he’s the wisest one out there, even if we take myself out of the equation.”

“Really?” Pinkie asked. “You’d think he’d be pretty wise, given that he says he knows how the future’s supposed to go.”

Onua shook his head, and gestured in Pinkie's direction with the cup of nearly-drained punch. “No, see, that’s just it. One cannot truly know the future with the accuracy he claims, even if he had seen it or, Mata Nui forbid, actually been there. Turaga Nuju once told me, by way of Matoro, that the act of observing something inherently changes the nature of the observed.”

“Oh, I know this one!” Pinkie exclaimed, almost bouncing in place with excitement. “Twilight told me about this once: she called it, um, I think it was ‘Heiferberg’s uncertainty principle’?”

“Actually, that one’s about the hypothetical behaviours of theoretical sub-thaumic particles, Pinkie.” Twilight interjected, walking up to the two of them. “Hey Onua, glad to see you're here, too! Anywho, Heiferberg stated that we can only ever determine either the location or the velocity of an object, but never both at the same time, even with theoretical mathematology. You meant the Observation Principle, Pinkie.”

“Ah, sorry, I guess I was,” Pinkie paused dramatically, “uncertain about that fact.” Onua gave a short bark of laughter, while Twilight merely facehooved.

“Not like I haven't heard that one before…” the Princess of Friendship muttered darkly.

“So,” Onua began, as he calmed down from a fit of the giggles, “Twilight, you were talking about magic, yes? I’ve been meaning to ask you how that works exactly: it seems strangely similar to our elemental powers, from what I've seen.”

“Oh, I've come to a similar conclusion,” Twilight agreed, suddenly going into her expert-on-all-things-magic mode as she began to exchange techno-babble with Onua.

And that’s my cue to leave… Pinkie thought, as she turned off her social “I am here” signal and allowed herself to fade into the background around the two intellectual giants. Now, on to Kopaka…

~~~~
Jack left the rescued pony he was talking to and went to search for his next target. ‘That should be enough of a buffer to mask my intentions, now where is Mr hothead?’ After searching the crowd for a few minutes, he spotted him over near the chocolate fountain. “Hail, mighty Toa of Flame!”

Tahu’s head snapped around at Jack's greeting, revealing that he had been tasting a bit of chocolate off a finger he’d dipped into the fondue. “Ah, hail there, Jack! Strange stuff, this ‘chocolate’. We dont have anything like it back on Mata Nui. And so much food! This would be enough to feed a Koro for nearly a year, or more, and yet these ponies are going through it in less than an hour! Amazing!”

“Well, we are a purely organic species,” Jack replied, “from what little I know of your biology, food for us is as essential as a Kanohi for a Matoran.”

Tahu blinked. “Really? How strange. If Onua were here, he’d probably say that it was ‘inefficient’, or something like that. Tell me, is there something you require?”

“Straight to the point, I can appreciate that as an engineer,” said Jack. “I’ll be blunt in return: you seem to be a little… standoffish, in regards to Caldoric.”

“Caldoric? Hmmm…” Tahu licked the last of the chocolate off his finger before stroking his chin. “He’s a strange one, to be sure. I’ll admit, even though he says he has no combat experience, he fights well, if our skirmish yesterday is anything to go by. I admire him for that, at least. And he’s definitely got the right idea having me as his favorite Toa: he said as much when we first met! My only problem is, he says he knows everything about us and our world, then he refuses to tell me what’s going to happen next!”

“It’s probably for the best,” said Jack, “messing with the future can lead to all sorts of problems. And the worst part is that you’ll never be able to see them until it’s too late.” Tahu scoffed at the idea.

“Please. There’s nothing that I can't handle. If he'd tell me what the Makuta's plans are, I could preempt that monster’s actions and save Mata Nui myself.”

“Even if it results in a future ally never existing?” asked Jack. Tahu froze, and slowly looked down at Jack, dead in the eye.

“You know something, don't you,” He said: it wasn't a question, and his tone carried a hint of danger to it.

“Not as much as Cal, but yes,” said Jack as he stuck a marshmallow on a skewer and and placed it in the fountain. “I can give you a small piece of it, if you promise not to act on it, or even let anyone know that you know.”

Tahu leaned in close, and squinted at Jack. “On my honor as a Toa, I swear it. Now, spill.”

Jack stuck the chocomallow in his mouth before walking towards a secluded area of the party, motioning for Tahu to follow. Once they arrived, and made sure there was no-one within earshot, Jack began speaking. “First, I need to confirm something. There is a prophecy concerning a seventh Toa, but Space wasn’t his element, yes?”

“Not… not that I know of.” Tahu said, looking doubtful. “It does seem like the Turaga only reveal certain prophecies when they become relevant, such as the fact that we were meant to gather at Kini-Nui, after we’d found all the Masks. And Caldoric did seem to know things that Vakama was rather cagey about. In fact, Caldoric said something to him once that had the elder downright scared.”

“Knowledge is power, and power comes with it’s own responsibilities,” said Jack. “Anyway, mind if I ask what he said?”

“He asked if Vakama had seen any of Makuta’s ‘dark hunters’ lately.” Tahu explained, with a shrug. “But he used a term for Makuta that I've not heard anyone else use, even the Turaga. He called him ‘the shadowed one’, or something along those lines.”

Jack rubbed his chin, “I can see why that brought up some bad memories, and no that isn’t the knowledge I’m granting you. Anyway, as part of this prophecy, two Matoran, whose Tribes and names will not be revealed, will go on a quest. When Makuta learns of this quest, he will send out his own sons -- yes, that’s a thing, -- to prevent the Toa’s awakening. At the end of the quest, one of the Matoran will sacrifice themself to intercept a blow from one of the sons aimed at the other. This grants the surviving Matoran the resolve to accept their destiny and awaken the Toa. As a direct result of this, Makuta is defeated permanently, and Mata Nui is awakened.”

Tahu’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. It wasn't far, to be honest, but it was enough to be noticeable to anyone with eyes. “Well…” he said at last, “that’s more than Caldoric has deigned to tell us… it’s good to know that we will be victorious in our own quest. It is disappointing, though, that we will have to wait for this to come to pass…” Tahu’s expression became grim, and he clenched his fists.

“Now, here’s something I want you to think about,” said Jack. “If you destroy Makuta, or cause his sons to be unleashed ahead of schedule, there's a chance that even if the ball starts rolling on the 7th, 8th including Caldoric I suppose, Toa’s awakening, the final catalyst may never occur. Without that Toa, Mata Nui’s awakening might not come to pass. It’s said that one often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it; I believe that the inverse can also be true.”

“Meaning?” Tahu asked.

“Think on it for a while, it’ll make sense,” said Jack, “at least you don’t have to deal with time travel, that is both incredibly dangerous and headache inducing.”

Tahu glared at him. “This fascination with time and predestination that you and Caldoric seem to share is what's giving me a headache at the moment.” The Toa of Fire snarked. “As depressing as it is, how do I know that what you’ve said so far isn't a trick of the Makuta himself? How can I trust you not to have been sent to sow dissention between us? You could be bluffing, diverting our attention to a false, far-off hope when our focus should be here and now.” He slowly reached up to his shoulder, hand looking for his sword hilt.

“You can’t prove or disprove anything I’ve said, sometimes faith is all you have to work with,” said Jack as he walked away. “And stay away from time travel, I mean it. Changing the past has never worked out, ever.”

Tahu merely looked at him with deep suspicion as he walked away, loosening his grip on the sword. “Maybe I won't,” he uttered, defiant, “or maybe I will. I guess only time will-- dangit. These ponies are getting to me with their puns…”

~~~~
Pinkie sidled up to Kopaka, who was sitting off to one side of the party in his equine form. His eyes were closed, his head was bowed, his wings slightly spread, and ears slowly turning this way and that as he listened for… something.

“Hey Kopaka!” Pinkie said, probably a bit louder than she needed to, and sat down right next to him. Beyond a slight flicker of one ear, there was no response from the icy Pegasus-Toa. Pinkie nudged him a bit, but still he did nothing. Pinkie was now a bit concerned, not to mention somewhat bored, and decided to try and do something about it.

So, she pulled out her party cannon, took careful aim, and… FWEEEEEE! Kopaka was lambasted with streamers, confetti, little dangly shiny things one would normally hang from the ceiling, and a few stray balloons.

Still, he did nothing.

“Wow, talk about a cold wither…” Pinkie murmured, chewing her lip. She had to admit, not many ponies (or other beings, to be honest,) could take a point-blank blast from her party cannon and not have any sort of reaction afterwards: this guy was good. She'd have to up her game if she wanted him to engage in conversation.

And so, she tried everything she could think of to get a response: she started with whoopee cushions, horns of various varieties, feathers to the nose or other sensitive spots, and dumping water on him (which just froze,) among other things. Even stacking various items on him in random ways, like a large-scale game of Jenga, did nothing.

At last, she was down to one of her final, lowest-of-the-low, totally immature jokes. She stuck the tip of one forehoof in her mouth, used her tongue to get it nice and wet with saliva, and then slowly, carefully, reached up towards one of Kopaka's twitching ears.

“Don't. Even. Think. About. It.” Kopaka said, slowly and deliberately. His normally cool demeanor and calm, chilly tone of voice were now practically Arctic. The Toa of Ice abruptly shook himself off, dislodging everything that had been placed upon him oh-so-carefully, then turned to Pinkie. His eyes, usually the soft light blue of a crisp winter sky, were now hard as ice.

“What do you want.” He said: it was less a question, and more a demand for Pinkie to hurry up and finish, so he could get back to whatever he’d been doing.

“Oh, I just wanted to talk.” Pinkie replied, nonchalantly, as she leaned back in her sitting position. “You know, something ponies do at parties…?”

“You only invited me to be present at this gathering.” Kopaka stated, now sounding bored. “There was no mention of participating, or of making idle conversation. So, I am here to fulfill my invitation to the letter, while taking time to meditate. Nothing more.”

“Huh, you’re almost as bad as Caldoric about parties…” Pinkie remarked. “It’s surprising that you two don't get along better.” One of Kopaka's ears twitched, and his eyes narrowed a very perceptible amount.

“Don't compare me to him.” He practically snapped. “He and I are nothing alike. He is impulsive -- moreso than Lewa, if that’s even possible, -- whereas I am more reserved. He acts without thought: I plan ahead. He takes things from others, without permission or quarter: I am self-sufficient, and make do with what I have. And no matter what he may look like, or claim to be, he is no Toa. He is not one of us, and he is not my ally.”

“Whoa, hey there!” Pinkie exclaimed, recoiling in genuine shock. In fact, her ears had pinned back, and her mane and tail flattened almost completely at Kopaka's harsh declaration. “That’s a bit early to--”

“No, I have given the matter much thought, and this is the conclusion I have come to: he’s a hindrance to us and our mission, and therefore should be considered a threat to the safety of everyone involved. And threats need to be removed from the equation.”

“He could also be helpful…” Pinkie suggested, though her posture told a different story to Kopaka's prying eyes.

“You don't seem so sure, Pinkamena.” Kopaka offered. “Have you considered this, though? He himself admitted that he was from another way of life, and if what he looks like now is his natural state of being, then he is physically different to us as well. He is not a Toa like us, and never has been: thus, he has not been subject to our Toa Code. He is not sworn to defend the Matoran, or to defeat the Makuta and awaken Mata Nui. I can't yet tell for sure, but I believe he doesn't share our compunction against… against killing, either.”

“From what I've heard of Luna and Celestia's explanation, he seems to want vengeance on Somnus for killing Rainbow’s mom…” Pinkie commented, trying to help. However, it soon became apparent that her words had done more harm than good, in Kopaka's ears.

“So, he’s sworn to go after Somnus? By any specific means, might I ask?” When Pinkie shook her head, Kopaka’s eyes twinkled with menace. “So, no holds barred, then. And if he’s so desperate, then who’s to say he wouldn't remove anyone or anything in the way of that goal? You saw how swiftly he tore off with Jack to reach Ponyville with not even a promise that Somnus would be there, breaking confinement along the way. And he was quick to blast me earlier today, when I was… emotionally compromised, I guess, but nevermind that. He said I was one of his heroes, and yet he wasted no time to turn on me in a time of crisis. Perhaps he’ll do the same to one of us later, or do something to some unfortunate Matoran, without any real reason. He must be stopped.”

“You’re being a bit unreasonable here…!” Pinkie argued, desperate to find a solution.

“No, I'm not. How can I, or any of us, trust our lives to someone who won't even tell us what he knows of our future, or who would take my Mask so as to prevent me from looking through a closed door?”

“H-he p-probably had his own reasons…?” Pinkie guessed. She was suddenly aware of a guard entering the party, making his way over to Celestia, and engaging her in a hushed, urgent-looking conversation.

“Why are you defending him, anyway?” Kopaka nearly snarled, oblivious. “Oh wait, let me guess: you have your own reasons, too.”

Pinkie tittered nervously, eyes darting all around, before she caught sight of Celestia and Luna now leaving with the guard that had engaged them moments before. The party-planner then fixed her gaze on Lewa on the other side of the room. “Oh, will you look at the time! I really need to be… over there, ish! Bye!” with that, Pinkie abruptly zoomed off at Mach Nope, her form appearing to stretch absurdly as the light reflection slowly caught up with her movement: the speed of light is severely impacted by travel through a thaumic field such as that which permeated the atmosphere of Equestria's homeworld.

Kopaka didn't know this, however, and so when he tried to seize her retreating form, all he grasped in his snapping teeth were photonic echoes and dust. He proceeded to roll his shoulders and fluff his wings a bit before trying to return to his meditative state. Unfortunately, all the talk of Caldoric had riled him up, so he was too distracted to find his center of balance just then.

“Hey, whoa, man…!” Said an unfamiliar, and thus unwelcome, voice. “Nice wings! Your feathers look softer than freshly fallen snow…! How do you keep them so fluffy, with the rest of you all mechanical-like?”

Kopaka snapped one eye open and attempted to glare at the new arrival: a green-coated mare whose mane and tail consisted of matching orange dreadlocks. “How's that working out for you?” She continued, then stuck out her hoof. “Name’s Treehugger, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

Kopaka rolled his eyes and tried once more to retreat from the distractions around him.

“Oh, hey, you were tryin’ to meditate: 's cool, I can totes dig that. Sorry I interrupted, then, man. I’ll just, like, join you over here.”

Kopaka sighed. It was going to be one of those days.

~~~~
Jack wandered the party, not going anywhere in particular, his chat with Tahu on his mind. ‘Hope he takes my advice about time travel. I don’t know if the Mask of Time can do that, but it’s better for everyone if we never find out.’

“Greetings!”

A cheerful voice and a hearty slap on the back startled Jack out of his thoughts, revealing that Pohatu, his next target for a chat, had actually come to him first.

“So... Jack, is it?” Pohatu asked, a smile evident in his Mask and in his eyes. “We didn't get to talk much after you showed up out of nowhere with Caldoric, Discord, and all those ponies. How’d that trip go?”

“I’ll just say this. All those ponies? They were Shardlings yesterday,” Jack said proudly. Pohatu raised his eyebrows.

“Wow, really? Very nice work, then!” He replied, shaking Jack's shoulder a little. “So, how’d you deal with them, by the way? Did you notice that some of them were ponies trapped in shells, while others were their own entities?”

“I was briefed on them, but the solution was conceived and executed by me,” said Jack as he picked up a piece of rock candy from a nearby table and pulled the Beat Switch from his pocket. “You see, everything has something known as a resonant frequency. If you play a note of the same frequency, it starts vibrating.” He turned on the Switch to demonstrate. “Get the volume high enough and…” Right on cue, the candy shattered.

Pohatu gasped, pleasantly surprised, then snapped his fingers and pointed at Jack. “You mean like resonant harmonics in crystalline structures! Genius! Onewa mentioned something about that once, and I've been wondering if I'd ever get a chance to try it out.” The Toa of Stone laughed, genuinely amused. “As a Turaga of Stone, it’s his job to know just about everything about rocks, and he’s been slipping me a few tidbits here and there. Oh, speaking of which, did you know they have rock farms here? I’d never heard of them before Pinkie told me her family owns one. She wanted to show me sometime: it sounds like it’ll be so much fun!”

“To each their own,” said Jack as he put the Switch away and popped the remains of the candy in his mouth. “That has me wondering though, is there anything similar to that in Po-Koro?”

“No, we mostly just have carvers who make statues and other stoneworks, when they’re not crafting other things.” Pohatu sighed. “To be honest, it may be a bit of a simple life in the deserts of Po-Wahi, but there’s plenty of space to run around, or put up… statues…” He rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly.

Jack chuckled, “I’m sure Po-Wahi has its charms. Although, perhaps it might be a good place for sand-sailing.”

“Sand sailing? That sounds fun.”

“It’s basically a cart with a sail and steering, pushed along with the wind,” said Jack. “They’re best used in areas with a lot of flat ground and wind, like a desert. That sound like Po-Wahi?”

“Eh, perhaps. I mean, there are some expanses of dry, cracked rock you occasionally come across, but it’s mostly sand, with the occasional dune or two.” Pohatu hummed to himself and placed one elbow in his other hand as he seemed to consider something. “Not much wind, though, so that may be a problem. Of course, I could always invite Lewa along for the ride, and then we’d have unlimited wind. He’d probably enjoy it, too.”

“Pity there’s not too much flat ground in Le-Wahi from what I understand,” said Jack.

“Not that that matters anyway; Lewa rarely walks anywhere if he can avoid it, and the Le-Koronans tend to get around via vine or branch.” Pohatu shrugged. “Or even on some of the local flying Rahi, if Lewa can be believed. But you look like someone with something pressing on your mind, so tell me: what's troubling you?”

“Just done talking with Tahu,” said Jack, “seriously, I try to give him some good advice and help him get over his hang-up with Caldoric, and he calls me an agent of Makuta.”

Pohatu flinched at the words. “Ouch, that can't be good. Then again, he is the Toa of Fire. He’s usually pretty hot-headed like that. I’m just sorry you had to feel the brunt of his temper. Out of curiosity, what'd you do to get him so steamed up?” He smirked a bit, and Jack realized that the Toa of Stone had made a subtle joke.

“Explained why Caldoric’s so cagey with his intel, and warned him against time travel,” said Jack. “Seriously, don’t do it. Best case scenario if you change the past without thinking is a bad future, worst case is you never existed at all.”

“I believe you mean ‘not ever have existed anymore,’ but that grammar’s more for beings from beyond your paltry three dimensions,” said Discord, suddenly popping up from behind Jack’s shoulder, then looked at him and Pohatu in turn. “Sorry, am I interrupting something?”

“Just a friendly chat,” said Jack, as Pohatu stared, startled. “where’s Screwy?”

“Oh, I'm not sure. She’s a little all over the place, to be honest, and I really don't know where she got that from…” the god of chaos replied, lazily, examining the talons on his claw. “But, if something interesting happens, let me know, alright? I wouldn't want to miss it…!” He suddenly was wearing a dayglow-orange safety vest, a camo hat, and sunglasses, while sighting along a backwards rifle. Half a second later, and he was gone.

There was a beat of silence between Pohatu and Jack, before the former coughed into a closed fist. “So… you mentioned Caldoric being cagey, did you? I have to admit, he has seemed a bit… reluctant, as you said, but I think he means well.” The Toa of Stone sucked in a breath, then continued. “I mean, he definitely knows what he’s doing, which is more than you could say about us half the time, but he could at least clue us in from time to time. It'd be nice to be in the know, you know?”

“It’s for good reason,” said Jack, “imagine knowing if something really bad is going to happen, but not know if trying to prevent it will lead to a better outcome, or one that’s even worse.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s pretty bad.” Pohatu agreed. “So, are you saying that he’s like that, all the time, because he ‘knows what’s supposed to happen’?”

“Pretty much,” said Jack. Pohatu gave a hum of understanding. There was another awkward silence between them, before Pohatu suddenly cheered up.

“So, how bout that rock candy stuff, huh?” He asked, brightly. “I wasn't aware there were beings from other worlds that actually ate stone. I mean, there are some Rahi that do it, but... Anyway, how do you think they make it?”

“It’s not actually rock, but it is pretty easy, if time consuming,” said Jack before explaining what most middle-schoolers would agree was their favorite, not to mention tastiest, science project. Pohatu listened with rapt attention, his only question after the explanation being: “How can I get my hands on some sugar?”

~~~~
Lewa was presently balanced on one forehoof, using his wings for balance as he juggled a few different objects with his three remaining hooves. All the ponies watching him cheered and applauded in their strange way at his skill.

“Do a flip!” One of them called, and Lewa was more than happy to oblige: he tossed all the items high into the air, launched himself after them with a swift thrust of his wings, and engaged in a complicated series of flips and spins. When he landed, he did so on two feet with just enough time to catch everything as it fell, sending it all back up piece by piece in a single arc of pure juggling skill. Everyone cheered and stomped, and he flashed them a cheeky grin.

“Lewaaaa…!” Came Pinkie's concerned voice as she scrambled up to him, before coming to a swift standstill that left her vibrating in place.

“Heya Pinkie!” Lewa replied, still juggling even as he looked away from what his hands were doing. “What’s heat-cooking?”

“I may have, possibly, accidentally, mistakenly, potentially…” Pinkie sucked in a deep, calming breath. “Made Kopaka really really mad.” She then reached up and caught several of the items Lewa had tossed her way while she was talking, and began juggling back and forth with Lewa.

“Ah, don't worry-fret, friend!” Lewa replied, looking to a casual observer like he was without a care in the world, though Pinkie knew him better: the cast of his eyes behind the Mask he wore told her he was all ears, ready to listen to her troubles. “Old icy-breath gets that way once in a time-while. Just let him calm-rest downtree, and he should be back to happy-cheer in no time.”

There were several giggles from the crowd at his unusual mode of speech. Even Pinkie managed to smile a bit, her curly mane perking up again.

“Ah, Lewa, you always know what to say to pick me up. I wish everyone could use treespeak, it’s way more fun!” Pinkie replied. “But I really need to talk to you about something super-duper important.”

“Well then, say-tell what’s on your mind!” Lewa suggested. “I’ll hear-listen to whatever you need to get off your chest!” Pinkie shook her head.

“I mean, we need to talk. One-on-one.”

“Ooh,” acknowledged the Toa of Air, as some of the older members of their audience gave knowing laughs. “That sorry-bad, is it?”

Pinkie gave him a “hah hah, very funny” kind of look, then began artfully catching and securing everything Lewa tossed her way. Soon, the juggling number had come to an end, and the crowd applauded the two of them before dispersing. Lewa chuckled a bit, then stepped closer to Pinkie and leaned down to her level.

“So, what are you ponder-thinking, cousin?” He asked.

“Well, uh…” Pinkie rubbed her nose, sniffed, then rattled her mane a little, causing a few stray party supplies to fall out. “You know what? I’ll just drop the pretenses and be a bit blunt here, best buddy. I wanna ask you about Caldoric.”

“Caldoric? What about him?” Lewa replied, tilting his head in confusion.

“Well, I wanted to ask what your opinion is about the guy.” There was a pause between the two, before Lewa spoke up.

“Well then, if you wish to query-ask, then do so!” He said with calm expectation, his Mask a mask of seriousness… for about two seconds, that is, before he broke into a wide grin. Pinkie scoffed and chuckled good-naturedly at his little jest. This allowed her to catch sight of the Princesses re-entering the party, sans guard, and looking much more concerned than before their mysterious exit. Pinkie desperately wanted to go eavesdrop, but she had more important friendship matters to attend to at present.

“Anyway, you seek-wanted my opinion?” Lewa asked, picking the conversation back up and bringing her attention back to there and then. “True-honest, I sorta like him: we have a lot in same-common.”

“You do? What do you mean? He seemed totally different from you guys, to me.”

“Well, for one, he appear-seems to like my acrobatic skill-moves, and wanted me to help him know-learn to do it too!” Lewa explained. “In fact, he was look-watching me just a second ago, till Rarity snatch-grabbed him and dragged him off.”

Indeed, they could both see Caldoric being fussed over by the aspiring fashionista, who was trying to use hooves and magic to do something with his long, light-brown mane.

It’s not a mane, Pinkie subconsciously corrected herself, I think he referred to it as “hair”... It’s pretty long, though: it goes all the way to his flank. Looks nice, too, if a bit dry at the bottom.

The two of them shared a chuckle as Caldoric made a spirited attempt to fend Rarity off, then began to…

“Wait, is he braiding it?” Pinkie asked aloud. “Wow, he’s really good with those fingers of his: look at him go…!”

“Yeah, Rarity looks shock-stunned as well!” Lewa chimed in, and they both giggled. After they’d gotten a good look at the antics involved, they returned to their conversation.

“So, you said that the two of you were similar, huh?” Pinkie prompted, and Lewa nodded in response.

“Yeah, he can't stay-hold still for long, like me, but he’s better at dark-hiding it. See, right there?” Lewa pointed at Caldoric as he finished up the braid. “His left leg: it’s jig-dancing up and down, and his eyes… they either snap all around-over, slide dark-blind from one spot-place to another, or don't move for a long while-time.”

“And… What does that mean? To you, I mean.” Pinkie replied, fascinated that someone as wild and carefree as Lewa had noticed such details.

“He’s a free spirit-hearted being, like you and me,” Lewa suggested, shrugging, “but he's been down-held so long in his world-home, he doesn't know how to be truly sky-free, or how to self-find now he’s here. So much pain-hurt he’s been through, and it's made him numb, so he won't -- or can't -- friend-make…”

“But… but that's so sad!” Pinkie exclaimed faintly, her eyes glistening as she watched Caldoric stalking away from Rarity, leaving the Unicorn mare looking disappointed, yet determined. “To think that there'd be somepony who felt so alone, even when surrounded by so many others…! I knew he needed help realizing that he’s got friends all around, but I never suspected he was so far gone! Even old Cranky had somepony to call a friend, deep down, but Caldoric…” Pinkie sniffed, her mane flattening momentarily before her personality did a complete 180. “But no, I can't just leave him hanging like this! He needs my help, and by Celestia, I'm gonna help him!”

“What're you think-planning?” Lewa asked, a bit concerned now that his friend had abruptly become so invested in Caldoric's personal life. “Finding him an ally-friend?”

“No, we need to go deeper than that!” Pinkie proclaimed, striking a dramatic pose that briefly drew attention from several nearby partygoers. “We need to find him something better than a friend: we need to find him… a marefriend!”

“Or a coltfriend,” supplied Sweetie Belle, as she and the other Crusaders approached the two party-folk. Her friends gave her weird looks for that particular comment. “What? Rarity said that it was becoming sorta fashionable among the really rich folks here to have a special somepony of the same gender, before Chrysalis came back. Again…”

“Ew…” said Applebloom, recoiling slightly. “That’s just weird.”

“What? Applebloom, love knows no bounds!” Sweetie Belle protested.

“Yeah, and he’s an alien, isn't he?” Scootaloo asked. “For all we know, it could be totally normal for him. Maybe they have, like, five different genders where he’s from, or maybe they’re all the same gender! After all, we’ve only seen a few others like him, and they’ve all been guys so far.”

“Uh, actually, one of those Spartan things was a mare.” Sweetie Belle countered.

“Wait, what?” Scootaloo asked, shocked. “Which one?”

“The one with the long mane and large… chest.” Sweetie said, pausing while she tried to find the appropriate word.

“Nah, he just had really ripped muscles up there. You know, like Bulk Biceps? Besides, Caldoric has a long mane, and he’s a dude.” Scootaloo countered. “Also, there're stallions with long manes all over the place in Equestria.”

“Scoots, you’ve hung out with th’ rest of us on mah farm this whole time: did ya seriously not pay attention t’ th’ cows we had thereabouts?” Applebloom asked, incredulous. “They’re female, an’ they’ve got udders.”

“So?” Scootaloo asked, oblivious, as Sweetie Belle blushed. Applebloom sighed and rolled her eyes, then leaned over and whispered something in her friend's ear. “Wait, what?!”The young Pegasus demanded, taking a couple steps back.

“Alright, girls, that’s enough,” Pinkie said, struggling not to laugh as Lewa proceeded to become completely baffled. “It’s time we launched operation ‘Get Caldoric A Special Somepony’, effective immediately!”

“Ah dunno, Pinkie,” Applebloom interjected, “our previous tries at gettin’ two ponies t’ hook up ain't been too successful-like: part a’ me’s afraid this’ll only end in tears…”

“Oh, c’mon, Applebloom,” said Scootaloo, “where’s your sense of adventure? Ready, girls?”

As one unit, the three young Crusaders slapped their forehooves together in a three-way high-five and proclaimed the official start of their latest mission; “Cutie Mark Crusaders: Human Matchmakers, yeah!”

“And Pinkie Pie!” The Party Pony added, putting a hoof on top of theirs.

“And Lewa, Toa-hero supreme!” Agreed Lewa, placing his own hand on the pile, before they all tossed their primary appendages towards the ceiling with a cry of “Break!”

“Oh, but before we get started on that, there’s something that needs doing to finish this party off with a bang!” Pinkie said. “Lemme just grab Jack for that. Meanwhile, you girls scout out somepony that might be a good match. Lewa, follow them. Watch and learn, and if anypony asks, you’re their escort.”

“Will do, cousin!” Lewa replied, saluting. With that, Pinkie dove into the crowd and began swimming and/or “surfing” her way over to Jack.

~~~~
Jack was startled out of his absent contemplations on the matter of things as he was jumped upon by Pinkie Pie, his partner in crime.

“Howdy!” She said cheerily, covering his eyes with her hooves. “Guess who?”

“Spitfire,” Jack chuckled.

“Whaaaaaaaaat?” Pinkie demanded, swinging her head around Jack’s shoulder and sticking her face into his. “Wow, you’re waaaaaaaaaaaay off, you silly! It's me, Pinkie Pie!”

“I know,” said Jack before shifting to a more serious face. “Report.”

“Well…” Pinkie began, tapping a hoof to her chin as she reviewed her conversations and tried to condense it all. “Onua seemed sorta on the fence about him, with a dash of suspicion. Kopaka downright just doesn't like Caldoric, and I'm not completely sure why: he got kinda aggressive at the end. Oh, and Lewa seemed kinda cool with him, because they’ve apparently been getting on well. Oooh, he also pointed out something about Caldoric as well; something I totally should've noticed, but I guess I didn't because he’s so different from us ponies that I didn't pick up on his body language! Of course, I'll let you talk about your part first, because this is a pretty big bombshell.”

“Fair enough,” said Jack. “Let’s see, Gali was nervous because of differences in this reality and the one Caldoric knows, which is causing her some worries. I managed to quell them, I think, and I planted the idea for a Mata Nui Railroad in her head. Plus I may also have quelled some worries about her place in the Toa as well, not Cal-related but should be helpful. Tahu’s concerned about what Cal’s holding back, I gave him a little teaser, after making him promise to keep it to himself, as well as gave a possible outcome of meddling. He called me a servant of Makuta, but I shrugged it off and told him to stay well away from time travel. Seriously, it never ends well.”

“Oof, yeah, I can imagine.” Pinkie said, cringing. “I know it was bad enough when I found that mirror pool, and I heard about what happened with Twilight's time-travel shenanigans a while back… oh, and with Starlight Glimmer's attempted revenge: that was bad.”

“Yeah, I ever get a Switch that can do that, I’m sealing it unless I absolutely need it,” Jack said. “Anyway, Pohatu was pretty chill. Needed to give a brief explanation of Cal’s motives, he accepted it. Also told him about sand sailing, he said he’ll take Lewa sometime.” Pinkie smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Pinkie agreed, then seemed to realize something. “Oooh, I just remembered, I was gonna go show Pohatu my family's rock farm. I’ll have to remember that after the party. Anywho, like I was saying, Lewa noticed a few teeny-weeny things about Caldoric, and once he told me, I realized what his problem is! He’s lonely, and he’s hurt inside. Like, emotionally and stuff. So, I came up with a plan!”

“Just make sure not to go so far that you spook him,” said Jack. “Anyway, we should mingle. If you see Discord or Screwy, see if you can secure their support for the #21.”

“Well, I see Screwball right over there, talking to Caldoric again.” Pinkie pointed off to another area in the ballroom, where the two were indeed speaking about something. As Pinkie and Jack watched, they saw Screwball pass off something small and unidentifiable to Caldoric, who took it solemnly and stuck it in a pocket with a nod before the two of them split. “Huh, wonder what that was about… eh, whatever. Alright, you go swing by the stage and let everypony know we’re having a thing here shortly, and I'll get Caldoric, Discord, and Screwball. Sound good?”

“Technically a #21 like this is best done outdoors, but I’ve gotcha,” said Jack before heading up towards the DJ.

Meanwhile, Pinkie saluted him as he left, then caught up with Screwball and had her pass the message along to her father. That taken care of, she went after Caldoric, who was now looking around somewhat suspiciously while stuffing paper napkins up his tattered right sleeve.

~~~~
“Hiya, Caldoric!” Pinkie said, easily sliding up next to him as he tried to make his way through the throng of partying Ponies. Her sudden arrival caused him to jump a little, but he quickly recomposed himself.

“Ah, yeah…” he murmured, slightly distracted. “It’s just you, Pinkie. Y’know, I'm really questioning the wisdom of this whole thing…”

“Aw, what?” Pinkie asked, waving a hoof dismissively. “Pfft, this whole thing’s totally cool, you know. We party like this almost all the time--”

“No, you don't get it…!” Caldoric interjected, before looking around furtively. “Look, c’mere…” He then grabbed Pinkie and dragged her under a nearby refreshment table, where they startled a pair of ponies that had been secretly making out while concealed by the tablecloth. Now that Caldoric was alone with Pinkie, he looked her in the eye with a near-frantic expression on his face.

“This whole thing was a really, really bad idea.” He began, then held up a hand to stop Pinkie's reply before it even started. “It’s a complete security risk, let me tell you. Like, you know who I've seen here? All three free Princesses, every single element bearer, Discord, the remaining social elite and governing nobles of Equestria, and a few others to boot. Oh, and just about every free pony left in this nation. All gathered in one place. You know how bad that is?”

“Uh… I thought it was a good thing?” Pinkie replied. “We needed to make everypony happy…”

“Bullshit…!” Caldoric snapped, through gritted teeth. “I was there when you and Jack came up with this harebrained idea! Seriously, there's already been a breach in security with Shardlings impersonating royal guards, resulting in the death of several ponies: you think they’d give up the ripe opportunity to take out almost all their opposition in one fell swoop? Because that’s what you’ve done here with this party! You’ve practically just served up the entirety of your world’s last hope on a silver platter and rang the dinner bell! All it takes is one Shardling with a well-placed bomb, and goodbye free Equestria!”

Pinkie tittered nervously, awkwardly tapping her forehooves together, before she replied. “Can't, uh… can't you just, like, be happy that we’re trying to do something nice for you?” She wondered aloud, her tone nervous yet hopeful. “I mean, we just wanna help! You could at least smile, laugh, or try to enjoy yourself…!”

“Enjoy myself?” Caldoric asked, softly. His tone had gone dangerously flat, his eyebrows knit tightly together. “Enjoy myself? At a time like this? Oh, gods, I can't believe you’re this-- grrrrrah!” His words cut off in a growl of frustration and rage just before his whole body tensed, causing the now flat-maned Pinkie to instinctively recoil.

Before they could continue, Jack’s voice sounded over the PA system. “Hello everypony, hope you’re all enjoying yourselves. Who am I kidding? Pinkie had a hoof in it, of course you are.”

~~~~
Jack waited half a moment for the chuckles that his last comment had generated to die down before continuing. “Anyway, this party is to celebrate our greatest victory over King Sombrero and Queen Sissylis to date, as well as determining an easy and effective way of releasing the Shardling from their evil mind control. So let’s hear it for the heroes of the hour, Caldoric, and me! I don’t care if it’s bragging, the soundwaves were my idea.”

Jack’s words were abruptly cut off by a cry of outrage from somewhere in the party, accompanied by startled Pony noises and the sound of an entire refreshments table being violently overturned. All eyes turned to see Caldoric in the center of it all, giving a cowering Pinkie a look that, if they could kill, would've vaporized half the castle behind her, and maybe scorched a bit of countryside beyond that. Understandably, Vinyl turned down the music that had been playing at that point.

“Look,” he practically shouted at her, “I’ve got far more important things to do than stick around at another one of your stupid-ass parties!” Caldoric then began storming off though the flabbergasted crowd towards the door.

“B-but… don't you like parties?” Pinkie asked desperately, scrambling after him with her mane looking eerily flatter than normal. “I tried to make this the best it could be, just for you…!”

“I'm not a social person, and it's a party: ergo, I have no room to judge on the matter either way.” Caldoric snapped. “Yeah, I know they're your specialty, but you can't just go having one at the drop of a hat! It's immature, and you can't live like that!”

“Yeah you can!” Pinkie argued. “I do parties for ponies all the time, and everypony loves it!”

“Ok, let me rephrase. You can't live like that if you want to be considered a responsible adult: teenagers and eccentric iconic billionaire figures do it, back where I'm from, but they're all completely immature and only do it to be popular. So grow the fuck up!!”

“Why do you have to be so mean?!” Pinkie demanded, still tailing Caldoric through the shocked crowd as parents belatedly began covering their childrens’ sensitive ears. “Can't you just take time to relax while there’s the opportunity to?”

“Pinkie!” Caldoric shouted, rounding on her in the doorway. “If you continue following me, violence will most likely ensue, now get lost: I've got important adult shit to do, like get that portal working again! You can just keep on partying like there’s no tomorrow, like you do best, and who knows? Maybe there actually won’t be!”

“Caldoric!” Celestia shouted from across the room. “That is enough! You need to stand down right now, and--”

“Fuck off, Sunbutt! You’ve got no room to talk!” Caldoric interjected, swinging an arm wide in a dramatic gesture as the crowd gasped. He then uttered a very uncouth comment about the precise whereabouts of her head and the width of her royal backside. This was followed by a sharp arc of green energy that snapped between his outstretched right arm and his phone, which had been plugged into Vinyl’s sound system. The smaller device leapt through the air like a salmon, landing in his hand even as he flinched.

Taking advantage of the utter shock of everyone in the room, Caldoric quickly made his exit while clutching his forearm. He was swiftly followed by Pinkie, still determined to salvage the situation.

“Just a minute!” came Jack’s voice, booming over the crowd.

“Caldoric, return at once!” Luna called out as well, letting loose at an identical volume, before turning to Jack for a moment. “I shall have to ask thee how thou utilized our Royal Canterlot Voice, but not at this moment.” She told him, in a more normal volume.

“Spent time in the navy, but that’s nothing compared to the Bosun,” Jack said before he started to walk towards where Caldoric had gone in the hall outside, raising his voice once more, though not quite as high as before. “This party is a celebration for the first ray of hope these ponies have seen since this goddamned war started, and you have the unmitigated gall to insult it? Pinkie and I worked hard on this in an, obviously unappreciated, attempt to raise your standing with the Toa. As for the safety of the princesses, forgive me if I feel that 7 Toa, a Kamen Rider, and Shardling-shattering sonic emitters scattered at strategic yet unobtrusive points around the room would make for sufficient security, not including the guards at every entrance. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you have left me no choice.” He pulled a yellow work glove from his pocket, and smacked Caldoric’s face with it, “I challenge you, to a duel!”

Caldoric, who had been effectively rooted to the spot beforehand by way of Pinkie clinging onto his leg like a small child, took a deep breath, and let out a long, low sigh. As he turned, Jack noted faint wisps of smoke trailing off of Caldoric at various points, and it may have been a trick of the light, but his skin also seemed a bit greyer than it had been previously.

“A duel…?” He asked, a dangerous yet interested look in his eye. “Perhaps. What are the stakes to be, assuming I accept?”

“You win, you get carte-blanche right to refuse any invitation to a Pinkie Party,” said Jack, “but if I win, you have to attend any and every Pinkie Party that’s either in reasonable travel distance or that you’ve been specifically invited to for the next year, as well as give Pinkie and I a public apology for your behavior.”

“And the challenge itself…?” Caldoric asked. “As many of us as there may be in the Multiverse, ripped from our homes and lives, I'd still rather not rob even one of us of the chance to return to Earth. I may not be useful right now, but I'd still prefer not to kill you.”

“Sporting event chosen by Discord, if you’re not scared of what he might pull out of his hat of course,” Jack replied.

“I want nothing to do with that bastard!” Caldoric shouted abruptly, his defenses immediately raised at the mere mention of the name. He made a vague gesture with his right arm, allowing a few drops of a strange green substance patter onto the ground.

“Fine, Screwball picks the game, satisfied?”

“If thou art to refuse, then thou hast no honor, as per the ancient law.” Luna added, her voice stern.

“Honor has no use in a practical world,” Caldoric replied, turning away again and sticking his hands in his pockets. “It only gets you killed, where pragmatism would save lives. Nonetheless… I guess I'll accept, if only to get you off my back. Not that there will be time for parties, even if you win, Jack: Makuta’s forces come hard and fast, as well you know.”

“Which means the victory celebrations happen that much sooner,” said Jack. “Pohatu, would you do me the honor of being my second?”

“Uh, s-sure…!” The Toa of Stone replied, taken aback.

“Fine,” Caldoric groaned. “Then I'll take Onua.”

“Whoa, Caldoric…” Said Onua, holding up his digging claws. “Don't drag me into this.”

Caldoric gave him a disappointed look, then shrugged. “Tahu, then.” He said at last. “He’s the only other one who understands how much we need to get back to their mission.”

Tahu growled for a second. “Alright, he’s got a point. I’ll do it. But I won't like it.”

“Alright,” Caldoric said, then turned back to Jack and held out a hand. “That arrangement satisfy you, Jack?”

Jack nodded before turning towards Screwball, who was currently munching on some popcorn, “Hope you don’t mind being put on the spot like this.”

Screwball swallowed sharply, sighed, then nodded. “Oh, it’s no --urp…!-- no problem, Jack. Believe me, I've got some ideas that you’ll find extremely fun…! Now, you two gonna shake on this?”

Jack held out his hand. “Last chance to back out.”

Caldoric snorted in amusement, before firmly grasping the proffered hand with his own and shaking it. “Believe me, though I'd rather not be doing this, there are some things that just have to be done officially.” He then let go and stuck his hand back in his pocket.

“And there we go!” Said Screwball, wrapping a foreleg around Pinkie, who perked up slightly. “So, when are we doing this, and where? Any preferences?”

“Nowhere too disruptive,” Luna supplied, “but otherwise, anywhere that suits the challenge itself. As for the time…” She then turned to Jack and raised an eyebrow.

“We can make it part of festivities,” said Jack, “plenty of witnesses, so there's no doubt who won.”

Screwball cackled madly for a couple seconds. “Well then, let’s get started, shall we?” She asked the room at large, before clapping her forehooves together and drawing them apart dramatically. As she did, reality warped and blurred, and suddenly everyone was somewhere else.

Most of those who had been in the hall, as well as those who had still been inside the ballroom trying to enjoy the dying party, were now seated in bleachers that had been shaped around a soccer-sized stone field. Above the field, where all could see, was a large Jumbotron device, with screens that showed Screwball in a booth of sorts, along with two unfamiliar ponies, one of whom was a slightly-chubby Unicorn, while the other was a somewhat nerdy-looking Pegasus.

There was also a secondary set of screens that depicted three very startled figures: the first was a red-scaled teenage Dragon that the Elements of Harmony immediately recognized as Garble, Spike’s rival. The second was Daring Do, famous Equestria-wide for her antics and exploits. The third figure was, quite simply, Derpy.

“Innnnntroducing our judges,” Screwball said, “we have Garble the dragon, from the Dragon Lands; Daring Do~ooo from everypony’s favorite adventure novels; and, last but not least, our own resident mailmare, Miss Derpy Do! No relation to Daring, by the way: I checked that out personally. With me here in the booth today are some of the best commentators far and wide! Allow me to present to you, misters Whirl E. Gig and Nitro Rod!”

As the little ball of chaos introduced the two ponies, a brief snippet of dramatic drum sounds, backed by faint electric guitars, and then the Unicorn began to speak to the crowd, his voice slightly gruff.

“Greetings, Equestria! This first, and probably only, occurrence of the Cosmic Clash is brought to you by pure, unadulterated Chaos! Chaos, which lets anything and anypony be whatever they can imagine, whether they like it or not! Pick some up at a convenience store near you!”

The Jumbotron displayed an image of two metal doors slamming closed dramatically over the pony’s visage, before reopening onto an image of stars.

“Space.” Said a disembodied voice, who it was quickly revealed to belong to the Pegasus. “Some might call it the Final Frontier. It's a very big place to be, well, big in. Normally you’d think of stars, planets, moons, and other such things when you hear the word, but it’s so much more than that.” Images of said celestial bodies panned across the screen, as well as others he hadn't mentioned.

“So very, very much more. One cannot help but wonder if there’s life beyond the thin envelope of oxygen that surrounds our world. And, as has been made quite apparent, there is.” Cue a video smash-cut to images of Caldoric, Jack, and the Toa Mata, as well as the Spartans and Space Marine that had visited previously, and the audience ooh’d and ahh’d in all the right places. The screens then focused on Caldoric and Jack in particular. “Some of them even possess the ability to manipulate space, or certain aspects thereof.”

“Well, some of them do,” the Unicorn cut in, “but some of them appear to be all talk and no show, like this guy, Caldoric, who claims to be a Toa of Space.” The cameras briefly focused on Caldoric in both human and Toa forms, before changing to show Jack both in and out of his Kamen Rider outfit.

“As opposed to Jack here, AKA Kamen Rider Fourze, who actually seems to do stuff with his powers.” The Pegasus replied, before the Jumbotron then returned to showing their faces in the booth.

“He’s Whirl E.Gig,” said the Unicorn, gesturing to his Pegasus companion, and then to himself, “and I'm Nitro Rod.”

“And it’s our job here,” Whirligig continued, “to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills, so that we can give you an accurate description of why and how one of them will win… The Cosmic Clash!”

The Jumbotron did the clashing doors thing again, and then opened up and began playing a combination of still images and video clips related to Jack and his suit. Some were of him in actual action, including him in the process of turning on his driver, while others were of another, unfamiliar human teen of East-Asian origin doing similar things.

“First up,” Whirl E Gig began, “we have the challenger in this duel of honor. Jack Princeton, current wielder of the Fourze Driver belt, and a visiting Displaced from another Reality. With the Driver, he is able to transform himself into a form of legendary hero called a Kamen Rider. Specifically, Kamen Rider Fourze, who uses items called ‘Astroswitches’ to boost and supplement his abilities both in and out of combat. Each one represents a specific scientific concept, law, or field of study.”

“Wait, Forza?” Nitro Rod asked incredulously, backpedaling a bit. “Isn't that the name of that one wagon-racing game we played a while back? Heh, if I remember correctly, you lost to a little colt, Whirl…!”

“No, it’s not like Forza Wagonsport 5,” Whirl replied, his tone a bit clipped. “It’s Four-Zeh, like four-zero. The original Fourze was designed to celebrate the 40th iteration of the Kamen Rider story franchise, as well as the 50th anniversary of their race's first successful space-flight.”

This drew gasps from the crowd, and those with a trained eye could find Twilight suddenly busy scribbling down notes on multiple scrolls and pads of paper at once. Of course, Lyra had her beat for time, having already done something similar when the commentators started talking.

“You heard right, folks,” Nitro Rod said, gathering everypony’s attention, “though they normally can't fly or use magic in any way, they’ve actually managed to get themselves off the surface of their world. How, you ask? Using freakin’ rockets, that’s how! That’s the only way to really do it, and that’s coming from me, a Unicorn!”

“Nitro’s obsession with rockets and explosions aside,” Whirl continued, “those of you familiar with a group of comic book characters known as the ‘Power Ponies’ might find some aspects if Fourze quite familiar. By day, the original Fourze (whose real name was Gentaro Kisaragi,) would go to school like other young adults his age, though he styled himself to be a bit of a ‘bad colt’. He was determined to make friends with everypony in his school, no matter who they were. During his time off, however--”

“Or sometimes even during school hours!” Nitro added, helpfully.

“--He would fight off monsters known as Zodiarts, using the powers of the Driver and the 40 different Astroswitches that fit within it to overpower them and rescue the folks they were possessing.”

“Wait wait,” Nitro said, “possessing? Like, how some of the ponies here were mind-controlled and turned into Shardlings?”

“More like having their desires twisted into their worst possible form and subsequently taking over, while having their morals eroded,” Whirl clarified. “And it was all through the use of a second set of switches which, while similar to the Astroswitches, functioned in an entirely different manner. These turned the unfortunately deluded user into monstrous nightmare versions of specific constellations from their homeworld.”

“Eh, enough about that whole ‘monster-of-the-week’ nonsense,” Nitro said, “let’s get to ‘is powers and stuff! See, each of these switches he’s got will fit into one of four slots on the Driver, each corresponding to one of his arms or legs. And they run the whole gamut of abilities that they grant him.”

There was a visual collage of some of the various additions that the Original Fourze possessed during the show.

“Right,” Whirl agreed, “for his right arm alone, he has a rocket, a ‘magic hand,’ and electrical sword, a morningstar flail, a glorified flashlight, a flamethrower, a scoop, a North-aligned monopolar magnet, a set of claws, and another, special sword that looks like an old-style rocket.”

“Woah!” Nitro exclaimed, shocked. “That’s a lotta combat power. I wouldn't mind having a ‘magic hoof’ of my own, though, if you know what I mean…!”

“Nitro, no, we have foals in the audience!” Whirl interjected, trying to drown out Nitro’s mad cackling. “besides, it still took the original Fourze almost an entire year to unlock all forty of them, as well as some of the special ones. And that’s just the start of his abilities! When the Driver is active, the suit itself allows the wearer to breath in space, as well as accentuating their physical strength, speed, and durability.”

“So, the user can punch and kick harder, jump higher, run faster, and… can they fly?”

“Well, there is a minor jetpack that allows for hovering and short bursts of controlled movement, but for the most part the Rocket switch is the main mode of air transport, as well as providing one heck of a punch. But that’s not even the best part. When the user has any number of the switches active, they can crank the activation lever on the side to unleash a whole new level of hurt on whomever they're facing.”

“Oh, so you're saying it’s like a slot machine of pain, where every combo is a jackpot of misery?” Nitro asked, chuckling. “Wow, combine that thing with my gambling addiction, and I could take over just about anywhere I wanted!”

There were several awkward laughs from the crowd at the comment.

“I think that was a little too soon, Nitro,” Whirl said, nudging his companion. “Especially given the current situation of this particular city. Anyway, this special ability is called a Limit Break, and serves as a sort of ‘final smash’ that can be used to put the average Zodiarts out of a fight, after they’ve been sufficiently damaged beforehand. Of course, there are other special abilities that this Driver can grant its user; with the right switches, the user can achieve powerful new ‘states’ of being that drastically boost their combat capabilities.”

The Jumbotron's screens changed to show the various states that the Fourze suit could achieve, then focused on the first one in the series and began displaying said state in various action poses.

“First up is Switch number ten, the Elek Switch, which sends the user into what’s known as ‘Elek States’. When activated, it turns almost the entirety of Fourze’s outfit a gold-chrome color, and grants the user electrically-themed attacks, as well as resistance to any electricity thrown his way. The sword he wields in this State, called ‘Billy the rod,’ is--”

“Hah!” Nitro exclaimed, then clamped a hoof over his snout as Whirl gave him a dirty look.

“...anyway, his sword is capable of three different kinds of ranged attacks, dependant on which of the three ports the attached plug is inserted into. And they only get stronger when the Elek Switch itself is inserted into the base of the sword’s pommel, in conjunction with activating a Limit Break.”

“Second off,” said Nitro, as the Jumbotron focused on the second state change, “we have switch number twenty, the Fire Switch, which allows the user to enter ‘Fire States’. This gives the user some amount of flame and heat resistance, in addition to being able to both absorb and dispense flames from his pocket-sized flamethrower.”

“It’s called the ‘Hee-Hackgun,’ Nitro,” Whirl added, as his companion giggled at the name. “And in any case, that’s just in one of its two modes. When compressed into its single-piece fire extinguisher mode, it’s capable of putting out wild flames via foam and/or massive sprays of water.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty awesome, I'll have to admit.” Nitro stated. “And Jack’s definitely gonna need that Switch for the first trial if he wants to have any hope of--” Whirl nudged him sharply, cutting him off.

“Careful, Nitro! You don't want to spoil things for the audience, do you?” Whirl asked, then turned back to the camera. “We’re pretty certain that Jack hasn't gotten access to any other States beyond that one, so we’ll just give a brief overview of the other two normal States. Switches thirty and thirty-one are the two Magnet Switches which, when used together, activate ‘Magnet States’ and give Fourze magnetic powers, as well as twin shoulder-mounted railguns.”

“And if you thought that was freakin’ sweet, like I do,” Nitro added, “then you'll love the next one: number forty activates his Cosmic States, putting him into his second-strongest form ever, and giving him access to the powers of all the other switches at once! This is the one he uses to take down the twelve Horoscopes, which are like super-Zodiarts, and were secretly behind everything in the original story.”

“And while Jack’s been having his own problems with Zodiarts in his copy of Equestria,” Whirl continued, “there’s no guarantee that things’ll go down the same way there. Even if they did, Jack seems chill enough to just sort of let things play out naturally before interfering, however that happens to be.”

“Which brings us to our second contestant!” Screwball interjected, mashing a button on a remote as she popped up between the two analysts. As she did, the screens once more displayed the graphic of two metal doors momentarily slamming together. When they opened again, the Jumbotron was showing images of Caldoric in three different states. Two of them were his human and Toa forms, while the third was something halfway in between that looked like it should've been slightly painful for him.

“Alright, now it’s time for Caldoric, I guess,” Whirl admitted, then cleared his throat. “Ahem. Like Jack, Caldoric is a Human from the planet Earth, though he’s from a different time. Or, so he says. Also like Jack, he found himself sent off from his world of origin, and waking up somewhere strange as someone -- or something -- new.”

“Oh, like after you have a party in college and suddenly wake up with no idea what happened the night before?” Nitro asked. “Man, that’s always fun.”

“Nitro, that’s called getting blackout drunk,” Whirl replied, “that’s not healthy. Anyway, Caldoric had one thing different than just about every other Displaced that he's met so far: he showed up not here in Equestria, but on the tropical island of Mata Nui, set in another world beyond our own. There, he met his six childhood idols: the Toa Mata.”

“Enough talkin’ about how he got here, let’s talk about his powers and stuff!” Nitro demanded. “What're we supposed to expect him to pull in this challenge?”

“Well, Nitro, that’s just it: to figure that out, we’re going to have to deconstruct the exact pieces that Caldoric put into the character he’s now become.” Whirl replied. “Some of us have already seen some of what a Toa can do, but let’s go over that portion first, to make sure we cover all the bases.”

“Well, what do we know, then?” Nitro asked. “The Toa are biomechanical warriors with the ability to channel a specific elemental power, and their armor is specifically colored to match. They can control, create, absorb and freely manipulate their element at will, often to great effect when weaponized.”

“Indeed, and their powers only get stronger when they're used together.” Whirl added. “While Kopaka might be able to literally freeze a snowy avalanche in its tracks, or Tahu could turn an entire beach to glass with a single blow, if Lewa and Gali combined their powers, they could create a thunderstorm the size of a hurricane. And with Kopaka in the mix, it could become a full-blown blizzard!”

“Hah, blown.” Nitro chuckled, as cries of shock and disbelief could be heard from the crowd, particularly from many Pegasus members of the audience. “That’s right, folks, these heroes are basically living incarnations of their elements. And though they may not seem like much to look at individually, each of them is more than capable of handling themselves in battle, whatever the odds. Their only limit when it comes to using their powers is their imagination, and they've got more than a few tricks up their sleeves.”

“And that’s about it for the Toa!” Whirl said, eager to move things along. “Now we get to the second part of Caldoric's character.”

“Yeah, the space part…!” Nitro clarified. “This oughta be good.”

“Indeed it is, Nitro.” Whirl agreed. “In a story known as “Homestuck,” which is purportedly about a game that a young boy and his friends play together, said game is revealed to both be the cause of their world’s apocalypse, and the only hope the kids have of saving it.”

“Wait, boy? Kids? Whaddaya mean by that, Whirl?” Nitro asked.

“Those are human terms, Nitro. They call their young ‘kids’ or ‘children’ intermittently. Males are boys, females are girls.” Whirl explained. “As I was saying, after these plucky youngsters managed to escape the barrage of meteors that had begun assaulting their world, they found themselves in another realm, each saddled with a quest of sorts, as well as a type of mythological role known as a ‘Classpect’. This determined what powers they would be able to unlock down the road, and how they would be able to use them.”

“The heck’s a classpect?” Nitro asked. “Y'know, for those of us who don't speak geek.”

“An excellent question, Nitro, and one I was about to answer. A classpect was a combination of a Class, obviously, and an Aspect. There were 12-14 Classes, (depending on the session,) which included titles such as Knight, Heir, and Prince, while the 12 Aspects, similar to the Toa's Elements, included such things as Hope, Rage, Time, Doom, and most importantly, Space. Many details about how most of the Classes and Aspects worked were never covered by the story’s author, though it has been implied that many of those (if not all,) are quite symbolic in nature, and open to interpretation, while others were quite straightforward.”

“Right, like Time. It’s pretty easy to guess what that one involves: hopping back and forth across the timelines, and making sure everything goes the way it's supposed to.” Nitro chuckled there. “Just imagine, loopin’ time to watch somepony eat dirt over and over and over again…! But, on the other hoof, who would've guessed that Princes and Bards would be the two most destructive classes in the game? Or that Heart, as an Aspect, could pertain to souls as well as love, or sense of self? Heh, I guess with how you choose to think about that kind of stuff, perception really is reality…!”

“Which is a great segue into our discussion of the classpect Caldoric claims to be: a Knight of Space. This particular combination, conventionally thought to be functionally impossible by most Homestuck fans, is a definitive powerhouse if actually realized. Knight-class players are usually found in sessions with very little of their natural element: for example, with the main characters of Homestuck, one of them was a Knight of Time, and took part in a session that lasted less than 24 hours. Another person they met along the way was a Knight of Blood, from a much longer session with very little unity between its players. Another session, which served as a predecessor to the one with the Knight of Blood, had a player who was a Knight of Mind, and most of the players there were kind of idiots.”

“So, Knight players are basically there to protect what little of their Aspect there is, using what they have to make even more, if they know what they're doing.” Nitro added. “They also have a habit of weaponizing their aspect to great effect. Another trait that Knights possess, however, is that they also tend to hide their true selves behind ‘masks’ that they present to those around them. These masks can be literal, psychological, or even metaphorical. Not to mention the fact that they tend to have problems dealing with multiple alternate selves.”

“That's right, Nitro. And though we’ve yet to see this latter issue regarding multiple ‘selves,’ we definitely have seen Caldoric using a handful of different masks so far: whether it be actual Kanohi masks, changing between his Toa and Human forms, being cagy with what information he knows about the Matoran Universe, or just his general shifts in attitude when talking to different folks, he’s got this one in spades.” Whirl commented.

“Then again, when it comes to talking with ponies, he’s definitely got room to grow as a decent conversationalist.” Nitro added, drawing several chuckles.

“Which brings us to his Aspect,” Whirl continued. “Space. Typically, those bound to the aspect of Space are more concerned with the big picture, as the name would suggest. For the most part, they tend to be patient, often excelling at the art of waiting to see what comes next, and are usually inclined to take things at face value. Of course, that isn't to say that they're a bunch of easy targets, or remotely willing to let injustices go unpunished -- instead, they tend choose their battles wisely, operating under the theory that, sometimes, you have to let something be completely destroyed before it can begin to be fixed.”

"Because of this, they tend to become great innovators, usually focused on creating stuff and redeeming folks that others have just plain given up on savin’.” Nitro added. “Quite frequently, you’ll find one of 'em taking a bunch of stuff left lying about, adding in some improvisation and a few hare-brained ideas, and combining it all on the fly to make something new, fresh, and sometimes even beautiful. Or unexpectedly useful, let alone downright deadly.”

“That’s right, Nitro,” Whirl agreed. “For the Space-bound, the journey is just as important, if not even moreso, than their eventual destination; the way they go about interacting with or doing something is as important as the very thing they're doing. When they're at their best, they can be steady, impartial, and surprisingly creative. But, catch them at their worst, and you’re liable to find that they can be detached, apathetic, and very vague.”

“Heh, that last part sounds a lot like Caldoric, am I right?” Nitro asked. “But that still doesn't exactly answer the question of what he can do, now, does it?”

“No, but we’ll be getting there in a second,” Whirl replied. “See, the Aspect of Space grants those bound to it the ability to, at the very least, manipulate the size and speed of just about anything in a particular cosmos... assuming they’ve hit what’s known as ‘God Tier’ and unlocked their full power. They can also initiate or change both the rotation and revolution of any object around another. Other Heroes of Space have been seen to teleport themselves and others around at will, stopping a speeding meteor in its tracks, create black holes, shrink or enlarge various objects and people, accelerate objects to near lightspeed almost instantaneously, and even channel the power of something known as the Green Sun.”

“Green Sun? What’s that, like something outta Green Lantern?” Nitro quipped.

“Actually, no, not that anypony here would know what that term means, so… close, but no cigar, my friend. The Green Sun is literally a star, which is green, and fuelled by the mass of two dead universes. Meaning, it’s super freaking massive, exists in a tangled-up knot of unreality situated firmly beyond the physical location of any known dimension, as well as being outside of time as we understand it, and is the end-all-be-all of power sources.”

“...wow, two universes?” Nitro said, at last. “That’s… whoa, that’s depressing. Also, that’s a lotta fire in one place, too.”

“Yes it is,” Whirl agreed. “But there’s more. The thing with the Space aspect is, it’s one of the less explained ones from Homestuck, though there are some specific pieces of information regarding the Aspect that are most definitely set in stone. Most prominent of these is the fact that the Space player, or players, in any given session, were responsible for the creation and well-being of the eventual prize to be earned by all the game’s players: a new universe, over which successful players were given free reign upon the game’s completion. And it is with this information that we begin our brief dive into the pool of speculation.

“It is said by some that a Space player’s realm of influence lies in creation, to be taken however one chooses to interpret the word. Whether that be in literal terms, inferring that it might reference creativity, or instead along more religious terms, with creation referring to reality itself, it’s a true powerhouse of an Aspect. How one perceives the term, and just about everything else, influences their powers, and vice-versa. For them, perception is literally reality.”

“So they’re literally reality warpers once they hit God Tier, yeah?” Nitro asked, almost in disbelief. “Wow, now that’s an overpowered Aspect…”

“And yet it gets worse. When you combine the reality-straining possibilities of the Space Aspect with the fighting and improvisational skills of the Knight Class, you’ve got something completely and almost brokenly powerful: in essence, a Knight of Space is a person who can effectively wield the laws of physics at a whim, if they so choose to interpret things as such. With a few restrictions, of course. And that, combined with the elemental affiliation of a Toa, and it's a wonder he hasn't destroyed everything yet.”

“Wait, doesn't he keep talking about how his powers supposedly aren't working properly, if at all…?” Nitro asked. “I seem to remember that being an issue he’s brought up.”

“We’re not sure what’s going on with that at the moment,” Whirl replied, “and while I'd love to debate theories on that ‘till Tartarus freezes over, (personally, I think it's because he hasn't actually hit God Tier yet,) our analysis time is just about up, so we gotta wrap this quick.”

“Alrighty then, fillies and gentlecolts, you heard the stallion!” Nitro stated, turning to the camera and addressing the crowd. “It all comes down to this: two alien entities, both boasting control over what might be the very fundamental forces of reality itself, set to engage in some of the most extreme sporting events you’ll probably ever see! But who’ll be victorious, and who’ll sink into defeat? Place your bets if you wish, because the pressure's never been stronger, and the heat’s never been higher, than they’ll be here in the first, and probably only, Cosmic Clash! And now, we go to our contestants, already set at the starting line of their first test: Extreme Lavaboarding! So get hyped, because now it’s time… for a ♪Death Battllllllllllllle~!♪”

“Nitro…!”

“What?”

“...Too soon, man.”

~~~~
Elsewhere, in a warm and confined underground chamber…

“Argh, damnit, when are we gonna start…?!” Caldoric demanded, stopping his pacing once again to lean against one of the walls of the chamber he and Jack were now in. They’d been waiting for a while now, hearing occasional loud voices from somewhere distant, accompanied by reactions from a crowd of presently unknown size and location.

“Looks like Pinkie roped in some commentators,” said Jack, while swapping Switches in his Driver, looking for a good combination. “My guess is that we’ll be going after we’re introduced.”

“Yeah, but ‘going’ where? There’s no doors here…!” Caldoric protested. “We’re stuck in an underground pocket of air.”

“That’s where you're wrong,” said Screwball, popping out from behind Jack. “We were just setting up a few things before we could start. And now, I'm here for the last of it…!” She beamed, about as innocently as the offspring of Chaos itself could ever hope to look.

Jack grinned, “I knew having you pick the event would make things fun. So, what’s the challenge?”

Screwball's grin widened even further, threatening to spread all the way around her head and split it in two. “Well,” she said at last, once she'd stopped imitating the Cheshire cat, “it’s a two-parter. You're gonna love the first part, too, I'm sure of it: Lavaboarding down the side of the mountain to where the second challenge will be revealed!”

“Uh, in case you’ve forgotten, I'm not lava-proof…!” Caldoric butted in, concern expressed all over his body. He was, indeed, still human, and sweating profusely in the heat.

“Oh, not to worry, I got that taken care of!” Screwball replied, before doing a flip and striking a despise on the landing, which resulted somehow in her pointing a foreleg at Caldoric. With a flash of light, Caldoric was once more in the form Jack had first been introduced to: a Toa, with monochromatic armor.

“Any questions, before I kick things off…?” Screwball asked, looking at them both.

“You said first part, how many segments will this have?” Asked Jack, as he finalized his selection and slapped his Driver across his waist.

“Just two. Gotta keep this simple, so we can get back to some semblance of normalcy,” Screwball replied, almost disinterestedly. Now, you got any questions, Caldoric?”

“Even as a Toa, I'm not immune to lava,” Caldoric replied, “and I'd rather not have either of us falling in and dying…”

“Not to worry! I have that covered too. See these amulets?” Screwball asked, and held out two amulets. “These'll protect you from the heat, and if you manage to fall off your board, it’ll set you back on it unharmed. It'll only do that three times, though, before it’ll just disqualify you from this part of the challenge. Speaking of which…”

Screwball slammed a hindleg against the floor of the chamber, causing a small quake, and then two large metal objects pushed up through the stone, like plants on fast-forward. They were both identical in shape and size, though colored to match the individual color schemes of the two contestants. They were shaped roughly like Surfboards, but with a thicker, slightly domed bottom, perhaps meant to keep themselves and their riders afloat.

“There. Those’re your boards, guys. And now, for the starting line…!” Screwball reared up on her hind legs, clapped her forehooves together, then spread them towards one wall of the chamber. As she did, the wall pushed back and merged with a previously undisclosed tunnel beyond it, which had a flow of molten magma cruising along its bottom level at a pretty decent clip. The chamber became noticeably warmer and brighter as the bubbling liquid was revealed.

Screwball dropped back to all fours, turned back to her two-man captive audience with a smile. “So,” she began, “shall we begin?” She then flicked a foreleg at a point in the air, causing a small floating contraption to appear there. It turned this way and that, before focusing its “attention” on Jack, Screwball, and Caldoric. As it did, a small red light began to blink on and off, and Screwball turned to address it.

“Greetings once again, audience! Our contestants are now ready to get this ball rolling, and settle their agreement.” Screwball intoned dramatically. “If Jack wins this competition, then Caldoric has to attend every party Pinkie throws that he could possibly attend, especially those he’s directly invited to. And, knowing Pinkie, that’s probably gonna be all of them.” Screwball then winked. “He’ll also have to apologize to her and Jack for bringing down the party earlier, in public. However, if Caldoric wins, then he is granted the right to refrain from attending any party Pinkie throws, at his discretion.”

Screwball then turned to Jack and Caldoric. “Now, we got three judges out there, who’ll be watching you for skill and style, among other things. You wanna rack up points, in addition to getting down first. Bonus points for not using all your ‘get-out-of-lava’ saves, too. There will be obstacles to avoid, jumps to land, and sometimes even split paths and shortcuts! Not to mention the occasional Lava Monster… but that’s to be worried about when you get there. As for rules, anything short of dismemberment, disembowelment, attempted murder, arson, jaywalking, and other such injurious acts are perfectly acceptable. Ready?”

“2 seconds,” said Jack as he flipped the toggles on his Driver.

3!

2!

1!

“Henshin!” Said Jack, as he was encased in his armor before shooting his arms in the air shouting, “Uchu Kita!!! Okay I’m ready now.”

“I'm ready as well…” Caldoric agreed, somewhat less confidently. “At least, as much as I'll ever be…”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaalrighty then!” Screwball exclaimed, jumping into the air and doing a flip. “Now, on your marks…!” She then gestured for them to step up to the ledge by the magma flow. They both did so, with Caldoric muttering something about mountain boarding, and awaited further orders.

“Geeeeeet set…!”

The two contestants placed their boards on the edge of the stone platform, one foot holding the curved tails of their boards against the ground as the other rested on the flat surface. There was a pause as Screwball looked at Caldoric a bit funny.

“What?” He asked with a shrug. “I ride goofy-footed. So what?”

Screwball gave the equine equivalent of a shrug, then smiled. “Ok, then, boys…! GO!”

With that, they both shoved off into the flow of molten stone, skimming swiftly across the fast-moving magma. There was only a few seconds of peaceful surfing before the magma beneath them went over a steeper slope, and they both began what would have been, for anyone else, a fight for their lives. And then the Eurobeat music kicked in, audible to them both, as the first true obstacles made themselves apparent: floating “stepping stones” strewn across a swath of the path, each one tall enough to flip either contestant off their board if collided with.

Caldoric immediately leaned to one side, shooting off towards the edge of the flow, both for a better angle on the approaching problem, and to lend himself space from any tricks Jack might try to pull.

Jack on the other hand went straight down the middle, using one of the rocks as a ramp to leap up about halfway through the field, and on a crash course for another rock. Instead of trying to evade, he placed his board under one arm and used the other to activate one of his Switches.

Hopping On!

A large pink pogo-stick appeared on his leg, which he used to bounce off the rock and over the rest of them, landing on his board with a bit of a wobble, Switch off of course.

“Oh, come on, what?!” Caldoric exclaimed, still weaving his way between stones, before deciding to make a risky move of his own. He began crouching and quickly straightening in rapid succession, causing his board to bob up and down more and more, until he had enough displacement going to hop his board up onto the next stone, scraping across its surface, before bunny-hopping to the next, and the next. By taking this more direct route, he managed to pick up a bit of speed, such that he nearly fell off his board as it hit the fast-moving magma beyond the stones. Caldoric managed to stay upright, however, and caught up to Jack once more in the process.

“That… that was way too dangerous…!” He gasped, looking over at Jack, before quickly straightening up and trying to recompose himself. “I mean, uh… that was totally child's play. Too easy. Three outta five hats.”

“Practice makes perfect,” said Jack as they approached the next section, which involved the lava stream corkscrewing around the edge of the tunnel several times. “Speed or skipping are the only options here I think.”

“Either way,” Caldoric replied, leaning forward on his board, “whatever works goes. See ya at the finish…!” With that, he pulled ahead of Jack and into the new obstacle. As he did, he felt gravity go weird, shifting with the magma to allow for its otherwise bizarre flow up the walls and across the ceiling.

Whilst Caldoric made his way through, he drew his sword and skated close to one edge of the flow, dragging the blade across the stone and throwing up an impressive array of sparks in his wake. This continued for several loops, before he noted a shift in the magma’s flow up ahead.

“Oh, no fair…!” He murmured, noting the transition from corkscrew to a sweeping half-pipe zig-zag.

Meanwhile, Jack dropped low on his board, lessening wind resistance and increasing his speed, and stuck to the middle, one hand close to his Driver and ready to activate a Switch. When he reached the zig-zag, he hit it.

Winch On!

As a tow-hook and spool of industrial-grade wire appeared on his left arm, he hit the edge of one of the zags, using it as a ramp. However, once he got too far from the gravity-shenanigans, he started falling towards the actual ground, until he launched the hook, snagging the edge of the next zig, pulling himself back on course.

Caldoric was massively steamed as Jack speed past him and started with a series of well-timed Spiderman-esque maneuvering with his Winch module. As the self-proclaimed Toa came to the first turn, he gave a roar of anger and swung his back leg to one side. This caused the tail end of his board to swing wide, which resulted in him unsteadily grinding along the outer curve of the turn, throwing up even more sparks and a small wave of magma. To gain speed, he too leaned in close to his board on the straightaway, then drew his bruteshot and began firing into the molten flow behind himself.

The explosions in his wake served to propel him faster, though he had no way of catching up to Jack at the time. Not until the next interlude between obstacles, that is. Nonetheless, he and Jack both successfully made it through.

The next obstacle, as it so happened, was a wide field of magma, interrupted by spouts of molten rock jetting into the chamber from a multitude of openings in the now-distant walls and ceiling, meaning there was no immediately clear path to be seen: they’d have to dodge and weave around untold blind corners in this new maze, and hope they didn't faceplant into a magma shower by accident.

Jack spun his board sideways in a braking maneuver, obviously intending to take the methodical approach with this labyrinth. Caldoric, however, had no such reservations: Jack noted, as his competitor sped almost recklessly by, that the mask on his face had changed to the triple-lensed Mask of X-Ray Vision he’d used before. Caldoric slowed slightly before entering the pyroclastic labyrinth, then hung a sharp right beyond a lavafall and was lost to Jack’s sight.

“First one to hit a dead end loses then,” said Jack, before bending down, taking a good look at the flow of the lava. “Let’s see… the lava would probably flow the fasted on an unobstructed path, which shouldn’t have any dead ends, so… this way.” Jack sped up a bit before traveling down a different route. Through careful planning, and a bit of luck, he finally made it to an exit in the maze, and could see Caldoric speeding away, slightly singed but apparently unhurt otherwise. As Jack noticed this, there were a handful of explosions in the lava nearby, spraying him with a fair amount of molten rock and knocking him off-balance, into the magma.

As he fell, he felt a strange energy against his chest, like a heat so intense that it seemed cold, then there was a flash of light, and he was back on his board, a few meters beyond where he’d been ambushed. He could just hear Caldoric's voice shouting something about “GTA,” but it was unclear.

“I suppose you were due a break after I showed you up twice,” said Jack before sending his hook out to an outcropping of rock up ahead, using it to shoot forward and recover some lost ground, “but one battle does not a war win.”

Caldoric, who had taken a few of his bruteshot’s RPGs and thrown them behind himself in an attempt to slow up Jack, was now faced with a new problem: the flow of magma before him had acquired a definite edge to it, and the tunnel appeared to make a sharp downward turn: to make it worse, both obstacles were swiftly approaching. This meant only one of a handful of things: a lavafall, or an unexpected sinkhole in the flow’s path. Either it was meant to be followed, or avoided. He took a gamble, swinging wide to the left of the main flow before blasting back across to the right-hand edge just as the molten stone fell away. His board ground horizontally against the wall of the hole as he rode on inertia alone, before rejoining with the magma on the far wall. The tunnel curved once more, bending back under the point where it had first taken its downward shift, then leveled out and continued.

“...that was a bit intense,” Caldoric murmured, taking a second to look back before focusing ahead once more.

Jack took to the right side of the flow, doing almost the same maneuver except using his hook instead of grinding, allowing him to take a slightly shorter route while losing less speed, causing him to catch up to about 3-4 lengths behind.

Caldoric took a quick look behind himself as he heard Jack arrive behind him, and scowled in the Kamen Rider’s general direction. “No you don't…” he muttered, “I’m not letting anyone get the better of me again, even if it means playing dirty.” He then flipped his Bruteshot around and began firing blindly into the magma, both adding extra speed from the recoil and setting up additional obstacles for Jack to avoid.

“Gonna have to get creative,” Jack said to himself as he engaged his 3rd Switch.

Chainsaw On!

A large blue chainsaw appeared on his right leg, which he then stuck partially into the magma to use as a somewhat effective motor. Unfortunately, the evasive maneuvers he had to pull canceled out the slight boost of extra speed he gave him, and he had to pull it out not too long after the fact before it had a chance to melt. “Was gonna use that in case we hit a meteor storm or something, but it’s a good thing I’m a proponent of improvisation.”

Caldoric had no reply as he focused on the path ahead of them. The tunnel widened at a particular point, and once again the flow seemed to come to an abrupt stop, though there was no indication that it would be going through another vertical macaroni bend. As he neared the edge, Caldoric dipped down and pushed on his board with his legs, performing a sort of Ollie as he went over the falls. Whilst still in the air, he grabbed the board, brought it in front of himself as if he were jumping onto a sled in the snow, then slapped it under his feet once again as he made contact with the magma river.

Jack decided that his previous showing was enough to keep him ahead in the points department, and decided to do a lazy slalom down the middle, keeping an eye out in case Screwball decided to pull an ‘Indiana Jones/Daring Do’ and drop the ceiling on their heads.

Ahead of the two competitors, there was an opening in the tunnel that let in greyish light from the outside world, which now seemed eerily bright compared to the reddish glow of the magma they had grown used to. Between them and the exit, however, was a thin forest of stalagmites, low-hanging stalactites, and ground-to-ceiling stone pillars. Jack’s lack of a flashy showing-off on the falls a few seconds allowed him to pull ahead of Caldoric by a noticeable amount as they wound between the pillars. This enraged Caldoric, who quickly drew a strange-looking sword from the thin air behind his back and thumbed a gem in the hilt.

The only warning Jack had was the sound of Caldoric screaming “DOOOOOOOOOOODGE…!” before the young Kamen Rider was harshly body-slammed into by his opponent. This sent Jack careening sideways and towards a stalagmite as Caldoric sped away, having stolen Jack’s angular momentum.

Reacting quickly, Jack activated his final Switch.

Magic Hand, On!

A large pink robotic arm appeared on his right arm, which he used to soften the blow. “Someone doesn’t like losing,” Jack said, before using it to launch himself after his competitor. Unfortunately, Caldoric crossed the line a full second before he could. Jack sighed before shutting off his Switches, “Let’s hope I made up for it with my sick tricks.”

He could see Caldoric drifting his board to a stop just before the lava’s edge and hopping onto dry land, with mixed reactions from the crowd. As the Toa’s feet touched stony soil, the ambient music swapped from one of the several Eurobeat tracks that had been playing to an obscure metal-sounding song Jack was unfamiliar with. However, when the chorus came around, he quickly realized why it had been chosen: it had been meant to reflect Caldoric's insane ploy on the final stretch of magma.

♪I’m a fuel-injected suicide machine…!♪ the lyrics went,
♪On the roads I’m a white-line nightmare fiend!
♪I’m a rocker, I’m a roller,
♪I am the out-off-control-ah,
♪Fuel-injected suicide machine…!♪

The song quickly died out to the sound of unwelcoming cries from the audience.

“Alright, alright, folks,” Screwball's voice called across the stadium Caldoric and Jack now found themselves in. “As you can see, Caldoric has made it through the Lava tunnels first, followed closely by Jack. However, as has been stated, there were also points distributed as the judges saw fit throughout the journey, and they will be revealed at the end of the competition so that they may be added to those earned in this next portion. Now…”

Screwball's visage on the floating Jumbotron appeared to turn and look directly at Jack and Caldoric. “This next part is going to be much easier, but no less complicated. We will finish this event with a sport known among certain circles in Equestria and beyond as ‘Rockball,’ though you two and the Toa Mata may know it better as ‘Koli,’ a favored sport of the Matoran. As you rejoin your teammates and prepare for the match, Nitro and Whirl here will go over the details of the game for the audience. Have fun…!” When she finished, she waved a forehoof at them and turned to her fellow commentators.

“...Well, that appears to be our signal to go,” Caldoric said, turning to Jack. “To be honest, I’m sorry about that last bit, I think I went a bit berserk for a second: it wasn't meant to be anything personal.”

“Fair enough, but if you start yelling ‘Blood for the Blood God’, I’m busting out the Gatling Switch,” Jack chuckled.

Caldoric raised an eyebrow skeptically. “What, and proclaim allegiance to that bastard, Ahriman? Sorry, no, he nearly pancaked my ass last time I met him, all because I took this...” Caldoric then pulled out a large, ornate-looking Warhammer that was almost too big for someone of even his stature. He then stowed it away once more, and shrugged. “Then again, he did play me and a few other Displaced into retrieving it for him, so he had it coming.”

“Unless I’m very much mistaken, Ahriman follows Tzeentch, not Khorne, so you could theoretically collect his skull for the skull throne, but I’m still going to shoot you if you go down that road like the Astares main that I am,” said Jack. Caldoric blinked, and was silent for a second.

“Uh, I don't really follow 40K lore,” the Toa said, cautiously, “but… I’m pretty sure the Ahriman I ran into has achieved full-on Void Dweller status, and has started going all Lord English on helpless Equestrias across the multiverse, razing them beyond recognition. At least, that’s what I gathered from Sebaste… I ain't fighting him again anytime soon: not until I’m at least up to par with the other Toa, in terms of power.”

He then winced and clutched at his right forearm. A few droplets of thick, greenish fluid trickled from beneath the armor and fell from his fingers as he did. “...really gotta get that checked out. Anywho, see you on the field, eh?” With that, he turned and headed off towards a nearby arch labelled “Locker Rooms and Staging Area.”

“I guess so,” Jack said as he de-Henshined and went to his changing room. Waiting for him was someone he wasn’t entirely expecting.

“Hey there, Jack…!” Said Discord, moving swiftly from his position on a nearby bench. In seconds, he had wrapped his long, serpentine body around Jack’s frame, effectively pinning his arms to his sides with gentle pressure. “I wanted to talk to you about something, and now that I’ve got a captive audience, I figured now might be a good time…?” The god of Chaos gave a weak smile, hoping Jack would get the joke.

“Not without the presence of my lawyer,” Jack replied, his grin informing Discord that he did indeed get the joke. The latter’s confidence rose, his smile firming up, before discord disengaged his hold on the young rider and standing up.

“Please, I’m a god of Chaos, I write laws of reality as a Saturday hobby.” He intoned, briefly donning a very serious-looking business suit and holding up his paw, as if swearing an oath. “Mere laws of state are barely anything for me to trouble with in comparison. But we’re getting off the subject. I wanted to, ah… apologize, as it were, for breaking that switch of yours earlier…”

“Pft, I made that thing in 5 seconds while in Toon States, it probably wouldn’t have lasted too long anyway,” Jack said, “it would have taken a lot more to break a proper Switch.”

“But still…!” Discord protested, as Pohatu leaned on a locker off to one side and smirked. “Something like that is important to your development and progression as a hero. Even though it’s not what you’d consider one of your ‘original’ Switches, it’s still symbolic, in its own way. And symbols, as both Caldoric and I know well, hold power. Especially in magically-saturated environments. So, is there anything I can do to, say, fix or replace it…?”

“I can make a proper one reasonably easily, all I need is a blank Switch, which I have several of, something to charge it with, which I don’t have, and the proper equipment, also which I don’t have on me.”

“Oh? Well then, if it was so simple, why didn't you just say so?” Discord quipped, smiling once more, before snapping his fingers. As he did, several pieces of large, complicated, and above all, arcanepunk-looking machinery popped into existence, accompanied by a couple of filing-cabinet-sized supercomputers that looked to be of Human make, as well as a large hamster wheel. In short, the whole ensemble was a near-perfect display of Schizo-tech.

“How’s that for equipment and charging facilities?” Discord asked, playfully. “After all, I couldn't just let something created from such a magnificent act of Chaos to remain in a state of destruction. Even Chaos has rules, you know…”

Jack looked over the machinery, twisting a few knobs, “Looks usable, the settings need to be adjusted, but I expected that.”

“Good to hear!” Discord nearly crowed, then turned to Pohatu. “You there… would you mind hopping in that wheelie-doohickey there and running around for a bit to get things charged up? Your speed would be quite handy.”

Pohatu shrugged. “Alright, if you want. Though, if we’re planning on using this ‘Switch’ of yours in the upcoming challenge, wouldn't Caldoric object? Surely the judges would, at least…” He then clambered into the wheel and started it moving.

“True, but just like with me and Jack, here,” Discord replied, “there’s a score that’s been set between he and I, and that’s something I intend to settle as best I can. It’ll take much more than a fixed tool, though, to regain his trust. The path he walks is a dangerous one, for sure. For the time being, he seems to believe in the power of symbols, and stories, which are all too real here.”

“The power of stories? What do you even mean by that?” Pohatu asked, now moving at a speed that would make an Olympic athlete jealous back on Earth, and still accelerating.

“You know how the Turaga back on your island of Mata Nui would tell stories from time to time? For various purposes?” Discord asked. Pohatu stumbled a bit in his stride, nearly falling, but quickly regained his composure. “Yes, I thought you would. See, stories like those, and others, have specific bits and pieces to them that make them work. The hero always wins, because he's on the side of Goodness and Light, for one. Or, in another example, the main villain usually has a deep, menacing voice to instill fear and obedience in his followers. Things like that are like building blocks, but for ideas and literary devices. They’re known, collectively, as ‘Tropes’. Caldoric, for his part, is well aware of this fact, and at least subconsciously seeks to exploit that knowledge to some extent.”

“But how does that affect us…?” Pohatu wondered aloud, his arms and legs nearly a blur. “I mean, stories are just that: stories. They’re verbally related, or carved in stone to be read later, but they’re nothing physical.”

“If you think that, then you truly misunderstand the power of the mind.” Discord countered. “Knowledge, Wisdom, Belief, Religion… Faith. It is said, somewhere, that knowledge is power,but that is only part of the puzzle. Power is energy, energy is matter, matter has mass, and mass can change time and space. Sometimes drastically. I’ve been around for untold ages, and I’ve seen it all happen time and again.”

“And yet, you’re a god of Chaos... if what you claim is true.” Pohatu replied. “If that is so, then how do you claim to know so much about order and logic?”

Discord gave a hearty chuckle. “Because anyone or anything that stands for a concept or belief usually become fascinated with their perceived equal and opposite. Often morbidly so, even bordering on the suicidal from time to time. This, too, is a Trope, in its own right. And as I said before, symbols hold power. Tropes are symbols, of a sort, that find themselves wedged into, or emerging from, the collective unconscious of a given race, which is why one finds strangely similar ideas cropping up in otherwise separate worlds. Especially ones with magic, or other powerful abilities, wielded by the everyday folk of the land.”

“The Toa themselves can be considered symbols as well, and quite powerful ones at that,” Jack said, as he made a few final adjustments, “how many Matoran have become just that much more… hopeful, since you and the others arrived?”

“Exactly!” Discord said, nodding excitedly.

“Well… almost all of them, to be honest.” Pohatu admitted. “Though their spirits sometimes waver in times of turmoil, like that incident with the Comet balls… we still haven't figured out where Akhmou disappeared to, now that I think of it. That said, whenever we show up, they regain hope, and fight harder than before. I’ve even heard a handful asking themselves ‘what would Pohatu do,’ which is a bit concerning in a way, yet slightly flattering…”

“Indeed,” Discord replied. “They inspire you to greater acts, just as you inspire them. And yet, this also places you in a spotlight, as they hold you up on a pedestal. You have much reason, in this case, to stick to the ‘ways’ of ‘light’, as some might put it, and always do the heroic thing. Caldoric, however, has chosen a different route. A darker one. He’s still a hero, in a way, but one whose path places him in contention with the expectations of those around him. It allows him certain freedoms to achieve what is, in the end, ‘right’, though the ends by no means justify the method in some cases.”

“Doesn’t mean he has to be a jerk while off duty,” Jack said while placing the blank Switch into what looked like, for all intents and purposes, a fountain drink machine jointly designed by Agatha Heterodyne and an Ork Mek Boy while they were higher than the ISS, “I hope you can do the final polishing of the rough edges I intend to lop off while I’m here.”

“I can only promise to try,” Discord answered. “However, perhaps it’s a mask of sorts? After all, are there not precedents for such a thing where you come from?” With that, he whisked himself away, re-emerging from behind a locker while wearing a large black cloak, a hooded bat-like cowl, and black body armor.

“Do you know how I got these scars…?” He growled in a deep and brooding voice, holding one edge of the cape over his face, then paused. “Wait, no, wrong character: I’m the hero they deserve, not the one they need…” Pohatu nearly cracked up laughing.

“I was asking Pohatu actually,” Jack said, “he’s got a much better chance as he obviously hates your plaid and polka dotted guts, good suggestion about the mask though. By the way, Animated Series is far superior.” Discord merely shrugged, and dissipated the Batman costume with a snap.

“Heheh… heh… I’ll try, I guess…” Pohatu said, after recovering from his fit of giggles. “It all depends on if he’s willing to work with me, though. He seems to be, of course, but he's rather strongly obsessed with this ‘alpha timeline’ of his, so…”

“We just need to introduce a few more additional variables to make sure he well and truly realises that he’s not there, he’s here, and he’d better focus on the big stuff,” Jack said as he grasped a large and cliche lever, “ready?”

“Ready!” Pohatu and Discord said.

Jack pulled the lever, causing massive bolts of electricity and jets of steam to erupt from the machine, specifically from devices designed to do so for dramatic effect. A few additional, and less ornamental, bolts of electricity struck Pohatu’s golden mask, causing it to shift between all the forms of the Kanohi that it comprised of rapidly, before streams of somewhat liquid-looking brown and gold energy flowed from the mask and into collectors at the base of the wheel. These streams flowed through clear pipes before arriving at the top of the aforementioned madman’s drink machine, where it was then deposited onto the Switch as a rather thick goo with a rather humorous sounding ‘squirch’.

Jack switched the machine off before grabbing a pair of barbecue tongs and retrieving the Switch. As the goo dissolved, the Switch was revealed to be somewhat different from the one it was replacing. Not only was the Kanohi more defined and had details picked out with orange, but it was a completely different one, resembling a Noble Kanohi Rau, (the Mask of Translation,) but with a raised Y taking up a good portion of it.

Discord leaned over Jack’s shoulder, pulling off a pair of safety goggles and putting them into the breast pocket of a lab coat he was suddenly wearing. “Ooh, shiny…!” He said.

“I think we can consider the debt concerning the busted Switch, paid in full,” Jack said while peeling off a few stubborn pieces of gunk, revealing the Switch’s logo, the identification code ‘D-03’ over the Bionicle symbol. However, there was also a second short series of symbols just underneath, consisting of three different circles that each had an unusual arrangement of lines and dots within. “I think that’s the Matoran language, can you translate Pohatu?”

Pohatu, a little winded, came over and looked at the switch, then raised a brow ridge. I don't know what you're having problems with; it says ‘Dee-hyphen-aught-three,’ plain as day, on top of a symbol of the three virtues. Not sure what those ones there mean, though.” He then pointed to the English alphanumerics.

“Same thing in our language, makes sense,” said Jack as he started to put it away, before thinking again and presenting the Kanohi on top to Pohatu, “know what this Kanohi is?”

“Oh, yeah, I have that one…!” The Toa of Stone replied, his golden Mask smoothly shifting form to match, before glowing. “And hey, so it does. Honestly, I keep forgetting that I even have some of these masks, since I rarely have a chance to use them.” He then allowed his mask to return to its normal shape. “There’s mind control, telekinesis, illusion… yeah.”

“Versatility is a valuable tool, so make use of it,” said Jack, “so, this is the Kanohi…”

“So it would appear…” Discord agreed.

There was a faint *pop!* behind them, and they all turned to see Screwball was now standing in the locker room with them.

“Heya!!” She exclaimed, waving, before her eyes settled on Discord and the complicated machinery. “...Daddy, what're you doing in here with all that…?” She asked suspiciously.

“Uh, n-nothing…!” He replied, waving his mismatched hands.

“You weren't helping them cheat, were you? I kinda want them to win too, in all honesty, but I want it legit!”

“No, sweetie, see…” Discord blustered, “I was trying to fix something of Jack's that I broke earlier, but I think it kind of got upgraded a bit by accident, and--”

“Oh, dad, you know I’m just fiddling with you, right?”

“So, is it about time to show just how awesomely I did?” asked Jack.

“Might be for the best,” Discord replied, nervously. Pohatu nodded, though more out of curiosity than anything else. Screwball cocked her head to the side, almost expectantly.

“Take a look at the Mk2 Kanohi Switch,” Jack said as he showed it to Screwball. She leaned in so close her snout was nearly touching it, then flared her nostrils a couple times and raised an eyebrow.

“You gonna try it out, or what?” She asked at length.

“If I get the chance yeah, assuming someone gets around to telling me what the Switch on the top does,” Jack said, casting an expectant gaze onto Pohatu, who quickly raised his hands in a defensive manner.

“Wh-- me? I don't know! I just ran on that wheel thing over there, how should I know? You're the one who does the switches and such!”

“Because you have one of these, you just showed me yours 10 seconds ago, remember?”

“Well yeah, it looks a lot like the Mask of Translation, but that doesn't guarantee that the switch’ll do the same thing…!” Pohatu protested. “I mean, that forked shape on it is weird, but maybe it’s a design element? I’ve seen one or two matoran with modified masks that function just like their normal counterparts… extra lenses and such, you know?”

“Looks like we won't know until we try,” Discord said with a shrug.

“Yeah, go ahead and try it out!” Screwball encouraged. “Let’s see what it does!”

After quickly checking which slot it was supposed to go into, Jack inserted it into the first slot.

Kanohi

However, before he could switch it on, the call for the competitors to return was heard.

“Ooh, time for us to get going!” Screwball said, bouncing up and down in excitement. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!” With that, she began hopping off through the door (which was still shut,) and down the hall. Discord smiled in her general direction.

“That’s my little troublemaker…!” He said, pride evident in his voice.

“Uh, are we still going to try the switch, or are we gonna go…?” Pohatu asked.

Discord shrugged. “It’s up to Jack to decide.”

“We might get an opportunity in the next event,” Jack said as he walked up to the door, looked at the new window, shrugged, and went through it the normal way before Henshining and making his way to the field. Pohatu followed, while Discord vanished from view, probably to get himself a seat in the stadium somewhere to watch the encroaching chaos of the game.

As Jack and Pohatu stepped onto the field, they saw Caldoric and Tahu awaiting them, and the four of them were soon together at the center of the pitch.

“Welcome again, contestants…!” Screwball’s voice proclaimed from the Jumbotron above them. “Now, as I mentioned before this challenge is to engage in a simple game of Koli. First to three points ‘wins’ the match. That’s no guarantee of winning the competition, though, just like with the Lava Surfing! That said, let’s go over the rules here real quick, to make sure you're up to speed! Everyone ready?”

Caldoric and Tahu nodded together, the former seeming to actually follow the latter’s lead for once. Jack and Pohatu did the same, albeit with the addition of them bumping their forearms together.

“Good!” Came Screwball's voice. “The rules are as follows: first, the teams shall number more than one, but not more than six. And, well, since there’s only the two groups of you, it looks like that one won't be broken anytime soon…!” There was mild laughing from the crowd. “Anyway, moving on! Secondly, all teams must have more than one player, and all teams must also have the same number of players as their fellow teams. Basically, equal teammates all around, so pretty simple. Next, uh…” There was the sound of papers rustling and slight muttering as she presumably looked through some sort of document.

“Ok, so, third one’s supposed to have you all agree on the number of goals, but since that’s already pre-established, it's kinda already in motion… ok, number four: obviously, first team to the final number of goals wins, yadda yadda… next, number five: all goals are good goals, provided they are not own goals, as own goals are not true goals… oh, hey, I like that one, we should use that more often around here!” Again, mild chuckling. “Right, number six. All teams are allowed one defender, whom is allowed to carry a shield-- ok, wait, none of you have shields, so this doesn't apply. Next! Number seven: The ball is, and always shall be, the ball, unless it is lost, damaged, or destroyed, in which case a substitute may be put into play. Eight; any number of Koli balls may be in play, as long as the number is less than either the number of teams, or the number of players on each team, whichever is smaller. Nine: any player who strikes another player is to be considered to be not playing well. Shield strikes and ball-blocking strikes are excluded, as they are signs that all are playing well, and are therefore to be expected. Ten! Any who are found to have not played well will bring dishonor to their village. Eleven! Any invasion of the pitch by wild or hostile forces will postpone the rest of the match until the problem has been dealt with.

“And that’s all she wrote, folks!” Screwball concluded. “Well, you're also not supposed to use your hands either, unless you're a goalie or whatever, but yeah. Um. Take your positions, I guess? After that, we’ll start off!”

Caldoric wandered off towards the goal of one end, with Tahu following behind, only for the Toa of fire to stop midway along and turn around. It appeared that he would be the “forward” player for their team.

As for Jack and Pohatu, they did the same thing, with Pohatu as the forward, and Jack taking a defensive stance with his Shield Switch active.

“Alright, everyone seems ready, we’re all in position…” Screwball announced, then paused. “Oh, hey, I didn't know you had a shield, Jack! Good for you, you're free to use it as need be. That said, a final note: mask power's will be allowed, but keep it fair-ish. No mind-control from either Tahu or Pohatu, keep the telekinesis to a minimum, and Caldoric? Cool it with the teleport spamming.” The audience laughed a bit at that, while Caldoric made a sort of ‘what the heck, man?’ gesture.

“Good, good, let’s get this started. Putting the ball in play in three… two… one…” A large brown stone, rounded and polished and half again as large as a soccer ball, shot into the air from the exact center of the pitch. “Go! Play well, boyos!” And with that, the game was afoot.

Pohatu shot forward immediately, knocking the ball out of the air and leaping over Tahu in a single smooth movement. He then activated his Mask of Speed, before kicking the ball to a point on the field and dashing over to it. After doing this two more times, he was in a scoring position, which he then proceeded to do. Tahu dashed over, using the powers of his own Mask of Speed, though because he was less used to its powers, the Toa of Fire was but a fraction of a second too late to intercept his comrade’s primary goal attempt. Caldoric jumped in front of the ball, placing himself between it and the goal, only to go rocketing backwards with the ball cemented to his chest by the sheer force behind it.

Pohatu didn't mess about when kicking rocks around, after all.

Caldoric found himself well inside the goal, the ball on his lap, as the crowd outside cheered. “Damn, I should've expected that…” he said, as Screwball's voice announced the goal’s legitimacy factor. Which was, of course, quite a substantially high value, given the circumstances. He stood, kicking the ball to one side, where it rolled into a small receptacle designed to return the ball to center-field post-haste.

“Alright, round two!” Screwball proclaimed, as Caldoric made his way out of the goal. The ball shot up once more, and this time, Tahu was the one to get the ball first. He used his sword to swat the ball out of the air, to many jeers and boos from the crowd, but Screwball quickly went to work assuring them that it was well within the rules. He hadn't actually used his hands, after all. In the meantime, Tahu was using the momentary advantage to drive the ball up the field towards Jack, albeit a little clumsily.

“You're looking a little slow, brother…!” He taunted, sparing half a moment to throw a glance backwards.

“It wouldn’t be sporting to not give you a chance,” Pohatu replied before leaping over Tahu, using his masks of speed and levitation to get the clearance and come down about a meter in front of him.

Tahu, in turn, tried to come to a halt, or turn, or anything to avoid running into Pohatu. However he tripped over the ball, and sent the both of them sprawling into a surprised heap.

“Ooooooh…!” Everyone watching exclaimed, wincing at the collision.

“And here, we have our first use of the instant replay cam!” Nitro’s voice stated, excitedly, from the commentator’s booth. All parties looked at the Jumbotron (or, in some cases, more portable screens,) as the action unfolded in slow motion. There was Pohatu, touching down in front of Tahu, a confident look on his mask. Then, it cut to Tahu’s surprise, his fumble over the ball, and his loss of control. Next, the camera cut to another view of Pohatu, showing his slowly dawning look of shock as his brother barreled into him with no control.

“Ooh, yowch!” Whirligig said as they made contact. “Well, that definitely wasn't a deliberate strike on either player, merely an unfortunate collision. At least, in my opinion. What do you guys think?”

“Get on with it!” Several voices cried, and the Jumbotron's screen shifted to show the judges from earlier looking unhappily in the presumed direction of the commentator's booth.

“Right, ok, continue playing…!” Screwball said.

Without further prompting, Tahu engaged in a small bout of foot-based hot-potato with his brother as they fought for control of the ball. Without warning or any other prior indication, Caldoric cut through the scuffle, taking the ball with him. What he lacked in Mask-enhanced speed, he somewhat made up for in the steadiness of his footwork as he kicked the literal rock across the field.

“Oh, and there goes the big man of Team Scourge himself! “Screwball proclaimed over the loudspeakers. “There he goes! He has the Koli ball! He’s driving it up the paint! He’s in shooting range! And…!”

Caldoric slammed the ball with his foot as hard as he could towards the goal, trying for a curve to psyche out Jack, but he reached out with his shield arm and managed to deflect it just enough for it to hit the edge of the goal and bounce off.

“Oh… man, that was so close!” Shouted Nitro. “Blocked by Jack of Team Charge, who deflects with a well-timed Theologian’s Digression! Textbook defense, if I've ever seen one.”

“Wait, since when did you know this kind of stuff?” Whirl demanded.

“Aw, c’mon, it’s sports, how could I not?” Nitro replied. “That's not important, look at the game!”

Jack managed to take control of the ball and send it back to Pohatu, who began to charge towards Caldoric’s now undefended goal, however this time he was being chased by both Tahu and Caldoric, the former of which had activated his Masks of Speed and Strength. Tahu picked up Caldoric and, in a desperate move, chucked him halfway across the field so that he could hopefully get in front of Pohatu.

Unfortunately, this left Caldoric sliding practically on his Mask until he was right in front of the goal, just in time to intercept Pohatu's goal attempt… with the ball stopping abruptly against his groin.

“Oh, owch, I don't care what universe you're from,” Whirl said, his voice strained in sympathy, “that’s gotta hurt…!”

Indeed, Caldoric was curled up in a ball for a few seconds, before he loosened his muscles and then looked down his torso with a momentary look of confusion, then facepalmed.

“Oh, wait, did we mention that Toa don't really have anything to hurt down there like we do…?” Nitro asked.

“Uh… no,I don't think we did…” Whirl replied, a bit distracted.

Whilst that was happening, Caldoric had gotten up, a little shakily, and then booted the ball back into play. Tahu managed to gain control over the ball, and sped away up the field as fast as he could, with Pohatu dogging him at every step.

He got to Jack’s end of the field and, summoning the powers of his Mask of Strength once again, alongside his powers of flame, he channeled every bit of energy he could into his foot and kicked the ball. It sped forth from the point of contact with great force, and now covered in flames headed slightly left of Jack’s position. Jack attempted to block, but the awkward position he was forced to take meant he was knocked sideways and unable to block it completely, and it scored anyway.

“Gooooooooaaaaaaaaalllll!” Nitro shouted, with mixed cheers and boos from the crowd.

“Well, Team Scourge scores!” Screwball stated. “It’s 1-1, and still anypony’s game! Play on!”

Once more, the ball shot up from the central dispensary area, looking a tad scorched, and the two Toa Mata once again jumped for the ball. This time, however, they both kicked it from opposite sides, and the ball shattered.

“Ooh, whoops!” Screwball exclaimed, a bit mischievously. “Ball broken: new ball!”

With that, a new ball shot up from the center of the field. Once more, Tahu got the jump on Pohatu, and started driving the ball towards Jack once more. Jack managed to brace himself behind his shield to make the block, but it was deflected up allowing Tahu to head it into the goal.

“Goal!” Several folks shouted, both from the crowd and the Commentator's booth. There were a few cheers and boos as well, though the balance had shifted a bit more towards the positive as the crowd warmed up to the spectacle.

“Alright, that’s 2-1, Team Scourge. Well done there, Tahu, nice way to use your head…!” Screwball announced, amid a few chuckles.

He and Pohatu returned to center-field, and the ball was deployed. Pohatu gained control of the ball, and things began to get intense.

~~~~
The crowd around the Stadium:
Now.

Twilight shook her head as Rainbow dash continued shouting a mix of encouragement and disparaging remarks at the figures on the field. She and her other friends sat relatively close together in the stands, watching the action unfold. This latest round was promising to drive things to a new level of complication, with Caldoric's team just one goal away from victory.

Twilight's mind was taken off of things as a new figure sat down next to her, wearing several bandages.

“Trixie…!” She gasped, shocked to see her pupil’s friend up and about. “What are you doing here…?

Trixie gave Twilight her best amused look, as if the answer was obvious. “Why, Twilight, the injured yet recovering war hero, Trixie, merely wished to partake in the viewing of this glorious display.” She then dropped her grandstanding demeanor and reached out to Twilight for a hoof-bump. “In all seriousness, I was mysteriously transported here, same as everypony else, and I figured I’d stick around to watch. Then I caught sight of you all, and decided to join you in a bit of friendly spectatorship.”

Twilight chuckled and returned Trixie’s gesture. “Glad to hear you’re feeling better, at least. I only wish our search for Starlight was going as well as your recovery: we still haven't turned up any leads. At least, not since we found they’d moved to a location in the wake of your escape.”

Trixie sighed and shook her head. “Twilight, don't worry. We’ll find her eventually: I’m sure of it. We just have to keep trying, and not give up hope.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I have faith she’s still alive, somewhere. In all honesty, I’m still surprised they just let you go so easily, instead of trying to track you down.”

“What can I say?” Trixie asked with a smile, placing a hoof to her chest. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was just too much for such mere insects to handle.” The two of them looked at each other for a second, then broke into a fit of giggles. As they did, the crowd roared at something that had happened down on the field, drawing both unicorns’ attention.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, but, what's all this racket about? And who are those figures down there in the middle?” Trixie asked, with some trepidation.

“Oh, just some idiots settling a challenge,” Rainbow Dash cut in, leaning back over her seat. “Personally, I’m rooting for the brown guy and the mostly-white guy down there. They're teamed against the other two. Honestly, I’m pretty cool with the red guy -- we’re actually pretty tight, you know -- but I really don't like the other guy he’s paired with, so I’m a bit torn there.”

“Wait, why don't you like the, uh…” Trixie scrunched her eyes, peering at the field down below for a second. “The black-ish one?”

Rainbow snorted and turned back around in her seat, staying silent for a couple seconds. “Reasons,” she said eventually, but didn't continue.

“Yeahhhhh…” Twilight said, uneasily, “Caldoric -- the one mostly in black, as you put it, -- was involved in something earlier that hit us rather close to home. Some of us more than others. Rainbow was hit hardest of all…”

“Twilight, can you, like, not talk about this right now?” Rainbow demanded. “It’s still, y'know, fresh.”

Twilight's ears drooped and she ducked her head a bit. “...Sorry,” she apologized. There was silence among the group for a short while, before Trixie spoke up once more.

“So… are they some sort of golem? I mean, they don't look like any creature I’ve ever seen before, except maybe minotaurs.”

“We’re not sure about that, actually,” Twilight replied. “I mean, Caldoric's a bit different, as is Jack, but--”

“Look, can we just watch without the commentary?” Rainbow snapped. “I really don't wanna miss when Caldoric gets what’s coming to him.” Twilight tittered nervously, then leaned in closer to her former arch-rival.

“Look,” she told Trixie, as quietly as possible, “she and Caldoric kinda got off to a rocky start almost right off the bat, and it’s only gotten worse within the last day, for reasons I won't go into here…”

“You… might wanna fill me in on what happened after you got one-upped by Discord.” Trixie replied, skeptically. “Last I heard, there was something about a deserted island…?”

“Yes, Mata Nui. However, it wasn't deserted at all, really, as we soon found out.” Twilight then gestured to the field and continued. “In fact, that’s kind of where this all started.” She then began telling Trixie just about everything she knew about the situation, as quietly as possible given their proximity to Rainbow.

Meanwhile, the game continued...

~~~~
The Field:
Now.

Tahu had finally managed to get hold of the ball, after a heated back-and-forth between himself and Pohatu. He was well on his way towards Jack’s goal, preparing to line up another shot, when he noticed Jack fiddling with something on his Driver. Tahu didn't see what it was, though, as Pohatu sped in front of Jack, his arms outstretched, as he activated his Mask of Shielding. However, it managed to pass around the area of effect and head towards Jack. Jack, seeing no real other choice, activated his new switch.

Kanohi, On!

Tahu watched as the ball went to the goal, only to be incredibly confused as it bounced off of a forcefield. Jack was behind it, with his right arm extended, and on it was a mask that didn’t match the one on his switch: this one was trapezoidal in shape, and looked strangely familiar to Tahu.

What in the name of Mata Nui is going on…?! he wondered to himself as he beheld what Jack was doing.

The mask on Jack’s arm changed to match the one on his Switch. “Good thing a bonus of this Switch is that I know what the Kanohi are: behold, the Kanohi Kotahi, Great Mask of Fusion.”

“Wait, what are you--?” Tahu began, but had no further chance for words as Caldoric called out from his end of the field.

“Come on, what’s he doing now?” He demanded.

“He says he's got a Great Mask of Fusion!” Tahu called back to his teammate, eyeing both Jack and Pohatu. “What's that all about?”

“He what?!”

“Let me show you,” Jack said, his tone making anyone within earshot imagine on his face beneath his helmet. “Pohatu, prepare for Kaita,”

“We’d need a third to do that,” Pohatu replied, uncertainly.

“Not with this,” countered Jack, as the mask started glowing. Soon after, it began emitting many tendrils of pure energy, which quickly latched onto Pohatu, bringing them both together and engulfing them in light before the two of them merged together. After a few seconds, the cocoon of light broke apart as a mighty yell was heard.

“Uchu Kaita!!!”

Where the cocoon originally lay now stood a rather large bio-mechanical figure. It somewhat resembled a much larger Pohatu, save that it was encased in white armor on his chest, forearms, and lower legs. On his back was a rather large jetpack, his right arm bore the faceplate of Forze’s helmet on the gauntlet, and his left bore Pohatu’s Golden Mask. The Kanohi on his face was the Kotahi, the expression on it both confident and calculating. The revelation of this new figure’s arrival drew many shocked cries from the crowd, and all others watching the event.

“Whoa, it looks like things are really heating up here on the field…!” Screwball declared, amidst the chaos.

“Mata Nui…!” Tahu proclaimed, shocked beyond belief. “What is this madness…?”

“I’m Toa-Rider Hoa, Kaita of Friendship,” the figure said in a voice that sounded like Pohatu’s, save run through a voice synthesiser. “Now, let’s do this 2-on-2.”

“Not impressed!” Caldoric called, from the far end of the field. “We can do that too! Sorta…!”

“Wait, what?” Tahu demanded, turning back to his teammate. “Don't tell me you have one of those Masks hidden away somewhere as well!”

“Nope! Just shapeshift, and I’ll handle the rest!” Caldoric replied, running up the field towards Tahu. As he came near, the Toa of Fire shifted from his bipedal form to his quadrupedal robo-equine one, his mane and tail blazing away like miniature infernos.

“Alright, Friendship Fusion technique!” Caldoric cried, vaulting onto Tahu’s back and drawing out a massive and ornately-decorated hammer. “YOLO-Polo formation! Hyaa!”

“What the…? This wasn't part of the plan!” Tahu admonished, turning to give Caldoric a Look.

In response, Hoa, as well as 50-70% of those watching, facepalmed. “Seriously?”

“Oh, hush, Tahu,” Caldoric grumbled, “you just move us around, and I’ll handle the ball.”

“Fine. Let’s finish quickly, I feel stupid with you on my back…!”

Caldoric paid his words no real need, only pausing to shout “Charge!” and point his hammer in a generally forward direction. And thus, Tahu charged.

Hoa reached out towards the ball with his left hand, the mask on it changing from a Great Kakama (the Mask of Speed,) to a Noble Matatu (Mask of Telekinesis). The ball shot towards him, but just before it was in reach, the mask once more swapped to a Great Pakari, and he kicked the ball straight into the air.

“Aaaaand this has basically just devolved into a game of Kalvinball, hasn't it?” Screwball asked over the loudspeakers, her tone making it painfully obvious she was being rhetorical.

“Pretty much, yeah.” Nitro replied. “Nothin’ wrong with that, though; it’s fun.”

Hoa’s jetpack ignited, launching him after the ball which he launched into Caldoric’s goal via flying bicycle kick.

“And now it’s tied up, at 2-all.” Whirl stated, matter-of-factly. “Next goal ends the game, folks, so it’s time for… sudden death!”

At that point, the lights around the stadium dimmed and turned a shade of red as dramatic music cut in. Both teams squared off in the center of the field, and awaited the final release of the ball. And released, the ball was, with a loud KA-CHUNK that spoke of finality.

Caldoric swung his hammer at the ball, small arcs of electricity pinging off it in its wake, as Hoa raised his leg in a kick. However, Caldoric was marginally faster, and managed to knock the ball towards Team Charge's goal. He urged Tahu forward, the both of them trying to keep up with Hoa as both teams jockeyed for the ball. However, just as Caldoric was lining up a final shot, Hoa stepped between the ball and goal, delivering a devastating kick that was both swift and elegant.

The ball soared like a speeding bullet for Team Scourge's goal, but for Caldoric, time seemed to slow. No, he thought to himself, as Tahu’s distorted cry of anger and dismay reached his ears, I can't allow this. This shall NOT come to pass…!

With barely any time for planning, his instincts skipped directly to action; his Mask activated, warping him across the arena to stand before the goal. In a near-Herculean bout of effort, he swung the massive hammer as hard as he could in an overhead strike, making contact with the ball in midair.

“Hammer…!” He growled, as the energies of both objects contested for a fraction of a second. “DOWN!!!”

With a small explosion, the now-fractured Koli ball finally ricocheted off the hammer’s head and blasted back down the field, straight at Hoa. Tahu dove out of the way as the ball struck the heroic fusion in the center of his chest, carrying the Titan backwards into their own goal with a flash of light.

There was silence in the stadium for a few seconds as Caldoric shakily got to his feet, then looked at the Jumbotron's screen. What he saw there scared him. There he stood, panting heavily, an almost murderous grin displayed on his mask, and his eyes were blazing a brilliant orange. As he looked on, he saw his own face falling into one of concern, his eyes becoming emerald-green once more.

There was a sudden outcry from the stadium,full of mixed reactions. There were cheers and jeers, shouts of joy and anger, but altogether it was nearly devastating.

“Well…” Screwball said, dumbfounded, “I don't think we’ve seen that move before…”

“No, we haven't.” Whirl agreed, his voice full of concern. “However, he did just score, meaning… it’s 3-2, Team Scourge. They’ve--”

“Whoo! They’ve won! And what a shot!” Nitro interrupted. “In a shocking turn of events, Caldoric single-handedly turned the tide of the game!”

“Right…” Screwball replied. “Let’s, uh… let's go down and talk with them, shall we?” With that, the Jumbotron shut off and vanished into nothingness.

Meanwhile, on the field, Caldoric had begun walking towards the opposing goal, dragging the hammer behind himself as he went. When he passed Tahu, the Toa of Fire gave him a very cautious look.

“You alright?” Caldoric asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Y-yes. I believe so.” Tahu answered. “We should probably check on the others, though, after that… thing you just did.”

Caldoric blinked for a moment, then gave a slight smirk as he turned his attention towards the goal. “Let’s take a closer look behind that mask, eh?” He then chuckled, shook his head, and continued on. Tahu, confused, decided it would be best not to comment, and followed.

When they arrived, they found Jack and Pohatu staggering out of the goal, leaning on one another.

“Hey, Jack, Pohatu…” Caldoric began, “you, uh… you alright?”

“Let’s just say that the Medical Switch is still at the top of my ‘Switches I can’t wait to unlock’ list,” said Jack.

Caldoric pulled a face, sucking in a sharp breath as he did. “Yeah… sorry about that. You, Pohatu…?”

“Mmm, well… I’m a little sore right now, but I will say this.” The Toa of Stone said. “You really know how to handle a ball.”

Caldoric jerked slightly, as if he’d been punched in the gut, and gave a strangled snort.

“What? What happened?” Tahu asked.

“Heh, handle a ball indeed.” Caldoric answered, chuckling. “Bow-chika-bow-wow…”

Tahu and Pohatu shared an uneasy glance at this.

“Cal, your name is not Tucker, stop it,” said Jack.

“Hey, he doesn't have exclusive rights to that.” Caldoric protested. “It's been around longer than Red vs Blue.”

“It doesn’t mean I won’t go for my newspaper.”

“Har har.”

“Um, if I could interject…” Pohatu began, “what was that about?”

“Oh, remember that chat you guys has a while back?” Caldoric asked. “You know, the one with… oh, I can't remember who it was, but was the whole thing about physiology and stuff, remember?”

Tahu shuddered, while Pohatu's expression went blank. “Oh,” the latter said. “That…? Let me guess, that was ‘Innuendo’, was it?”

“Yep.”

Pohatu sighed and facepalmed. Tahu for his part, gave Caldoric and Jack a disapproving look.

“I will never understand you humans…” Tahu said, shaking his head. He had little chance to say more, though, as they were all enveloped in a brilliant shower of light.

When their vision cleared once more, they found themselves in the same room as Screwball, Whirl, and Nitro, who were all looking at them with interest.

“So,” Screwball said, “time to announce the victor of this little contest, no?”

“That’d be nice,” Caldoric replied, a hint of snark in his voice.

“Quiet, you.” Screwball told him, momentarily dropping her usually super-saccharine disposition. “Ahem. As per the judges’ decisions on point distribution during the Lava Surfing trial, given the parameters set down beforehand, Jack came in the lead. Yes, Caldoric, I know you came in the lead physically, but many of your actions during that race were questionable. Whilst within the letter of the rules, they were not in the spirit of fair competition. Especially that last trick of yours. The only reason you got any points at all is because of him.” Screwball then jerked her head off to one side, indicating the group of judges from before.

“Yeah, man!” Said Garble, standing up and waving at Caldoric. “You got some skills and some real potential, from what I saw! You hear me? With time and the proper training, your lava surfing could be something any Dragon would be proud of!”

“Hey!” Tahu interjected. “I can do far better than him! Mark my words!”

“Oh really?” Garble taunted “Hah, gonna have to put your hoard where your mouth is before I believe it, metal-man!”

“Anyways,” Screwball declared, cutting off the argument, “time to tally up the final points. I won't go into a detailed breakdown of how and where they were distributed, for the sake of time, but they are as follows.”

Screwball turned to Caldoric, looking him in the eyes. “You, Caldoric, ended the Lava Surfing trial with 21 points. You were a bit higher, but as I said before, that last trick of ramming Jack is what cost you the most.” She then turned to Jack as Caldoric’s shoulders slumped. “You, on the other hand, ended with 43 points.”

“So, a morality victory, then.” Caldoric stated, crossing his arms. “Of course that’d happen: your panel of judges wasn't impartial.”

“Hush, you…!” Screwball demanded, and several of the others nodded their agreement. “Anywho, for the Koli match, Caldoric and Tahu actually came ahead just slightly, with five points, while Jack and Pohatu came in with four. You both would've had five, but Jack and Pohatu used a Mask of Telekinesis, which I explicitly stated to not do, but everything had pretty much gone out of control by then, so whatever.”

“Wait, why five points? Shouldn't it have been three or something?” Caldoric asked, raising an eyebrow.

“One, I told you I’m not going to explain the breakdown.” Screwball replied, holding up a hoof. “Two, are you questioning my methods?”

“Maybe I am. What of it?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question?” By now, Screwball had raised an eyebrow of her own, to counter Caldoric's. They stood there like that for a few seconds, staring each other down.

“Uh, guys?” Pohatu asked, breaking the tense silence. “Can we, you know, progress with this? Get it over with, maybe?”

“Agreed,” Tahu growled. “This is beginning to irk me. And I don't like being irked.”

There was a moment of continued silence, before Caldoric shrugged and looked away. “Fine. Whatever. Just do it.”

“Thank you.” Screwball said, then snapped back to her usual, goofy self. “Alright, so, that leaves us at 47-26, in Jack’s favor. Seems pretty much like Caldoric's been well and truly dunked on huh…? Well, news flash, folks. We still haven't accounted for the value of the pendants I loaned them at the start of the challenge!”

There was an audible murmur of surprise from those in the room, and the folks out in the stadium.

“That’s right, folks. Each amulet (or pendant, whatever!) had three charges that would set the bearer back on their board if they fell off into the lava, and an additional charge that would kick in if all the others had been used, which would pull the bearer from the race itself, effectively disqualifying them. Each charge is worth a specific value, with bonus points for not using any of them…!”

“Screwball, I thought you said you wouldn't--”

“Caldoric, so help me.” Screwball cut him off. “Another word out of you, and I’m discounting the points from your amulet-pendant-necklace thingy. Got it?” Caldoric nodded, but it was clear from his expression that he no longer really cared. There was no possible way this unexpected source of points could throw the now-obvious results in his favor.

“Ahem. So, Jack fell into the lava once, at the end of the challenge, costing him both a charge on the pendant and the bonus points. This leaves his pendant with a value of 13 points, bringing his total to 60 points. Well done, Jack!”

“What can I say, versatility is king,” said Jack.

“Indeed it is, Jack.” Screwball agreed, smiling at him. “That said, we still have the other pendant to account for. Caldoric, for all his shenanigans, somehow managed to not fall in the lava, even once. Thus, he gets the full value of his pendant, which comes out to 38, including the 20-point bonus.”

There was a faint choking noise from Caldoric, who gave Screwball a look of shock.

“That's right, folks.” Screwball announced. “This pendant is currently worth more than Caldoric's entire efforts thus far in the competition. How’s that feel, Caldoric? Being outdone by an inanimate object?” She and a few other folks chuckled as Caldoricfumed silently. “Hah, alright, alright. Enough teasing, folks. Now, if we add the 38 points of this pendant to Caldoric's current score of 26, we get a grand total of…!”

There was a short drumroll, before Screwball announced the final tally.

“64 points! Or, a full stack, in certain circles!”

Silence reigned over the stadium for several seconds, as a bit of slow, quiet music began playing through the loudspeakers. Lyrics kicked in shortly after.

♪Not far away lies a storm to the North,♪
The vocalist sang,
♪Whispers of Winter as Death marches forth.
Honor means nothing, and War is unfair,
I’ve come here to battle, and return to nowhere.♪

“...This is bullshit.” Caldoric declared after a few seconds, ignoring the music. “I can't believe you just pulled a freakin’ Dumbledore like that. Deus Ex Machina, much?” He then threw his hands in the air and began moving towards the exit door.

“Wow, do you complain about everything?” Screwball asked.

“No, I don't!” Caldoric snapped. “I’m offended that you think that, actually. I mean, if you're going to do some sort of points thing that weighs heavily on morality and honor, then you should stick with it. Otherwise it makes no sense.”

“Aw, but where's the fun in that?” Screwball playfully demanded. “You should know by now that consistency is the exact opposite of the thing my family does.”

Caldoric did little more than sigh at this before he walked out of the room.

“Well then, that’s it, folks. Caldoric came out on top, beating out Jack by four points. Make of that what you will.” Whirl said, more than a little uncertainly, as the crowd in the stadium began to roar with disapproval.

“Agreed,” said Nitro. “But if he won, then why do I feel like this was a loss, overall?” Whirl just shrugged.

“Alright, well, it’s been fun, folks, but time to go back to want you were all doing…!” Screwball declared, stomping a hoof on the ground. With a flash, Nitro Rod, Whirligig, the panel of Judges, and all the spectators in the stands vanished, presumably teleported back to wherever they were before all this happened. Soon, it was just Jack, Pohatu, Tahu, and Screwball in the commentator's box, alone together.

Jack sighed as he de-henshined, “So close but so far. Hope Pinkie isn’t too upset.”

“What, me?” Pinkie asked dramatically, popping up from behind an unsuspecting Screwball. “Pshaw, no, I’m not upset. I’m fine, I’m fiiiiine, it’s not like I just had a couple vital hopes and dreams crushed or anything…!” She tittered nervously, an obviously forced grin on her face. After a few seconds, her demeanor changed, her expression drooping. “But seriously, I get it. He won, we lost. Perhaps he had a bit of a point…? Eh, who cares. As you said, Jack, he’s got the right to refuse invitation to my parties, but it doesn't mean he won't come around and swing by one sometime!” She was back to her usually chipper self by now.

“I’m not too fond of his methods, to be honest,” Pohatu said simply. “I mean, they got the job done, sort of, but it was all rather unfriendly and unconventional.”

“The worst part is that I wanted to do this kind of thing anyway, but without the honor duel bit, just a bit of fun to try to break his shell a bit,” said Jack.

“Agreed,” Pohatu said, “he could definitely afford to… oh, what was the term? Loosen up?”

“Not too much, I hope.” Tahu interjected. “I must admit, he does seem to have some fighting spirit, which is probably the first positive thing I’ve noted about him since he arrived.” Pohatu elbowed him gently in the chest.

“C’mon, brother, you could stand to be less uptight, too.” Tahu merely rolled his eyes.

“Wellll~~...” Pinkie said, starting to sidestep towards the door, “looks like I should leave you all be for the time being, so I'mma just… yeah.”

“No need to excuse yourself, Pinkie,” Screwball supplied, “we’re pretty much done here, unless anypony else has something they'd like to say?” She then looked around at the others in the room. After a moment's pause, she smiled and nodded. “Alright then, folks. Back you go!”

There was a flash of light, and everyone present found themselves back in the ballroom, where ponies we're all filtering out of the now-defunct party and into the rest of the castle. Caldoric was nowhere to be seen. However, Jack briefly heard Screwball's voice in his head, silently urging him to find the absent Displaced.

~~~~
Canterlot Castle, Tower Vault.
A few minutes later…

Caldoric had spent the last few minutes shoving aside displays of various kinds, each holding one or more Tokens from Displaced across the multiverse. In anyone else’s eye, it would be a veritable treasure trove of potential salvation, but to him, here and now, it was all junk, and it was all in the way.

It did not help that there was rubble from a bit of collapsed wall that had also knocked a few things over, but he cleared that off to one side rather easily. Once he’d cleared a space large enough for his purposes, he nodded, stood back, and made a slight flicking motion towards the spot with one hand. As he did, the Alchemiter from his earlier encounter with Derpy appeared. There was no flash of light, no dramatic sound, or other special effect, save for a rather underwhelming ka-tunk. That done, he turned back to the mirror portal, noting the swirling vortex hovering in front of the dimension-bridging artefact.

Did that not close while we were gone? He thought to himself. That does not bode well…

“Looks like we forgot to turn it off,” said Jack as he walked in, “normally I’m good about that sort of thing, but angry alicorns can occasionally cause you to forget such things.”

Caldoric jumped as he heard Jack’s voice, spinning to face the Kamen Rider. “Oh.” Said the Toa, sullenly. “It’s you. How’d you figure out where I was, and how'd you get here so fast?”

“Short answer, Screwy’s keeping a friendly eye on you,” said Jack. Caldoric merely gave a snort as a reply, and then was silent for a short while.

“Well,” the Toa said at length, his voice tense, “I can only assume she clued you in to my whereabouts so you could confront me about my attitude or something… classic trope. In all honesty, I never intended things to be like this. I had fully intended to apologise to Pinks later, after I’d had a chance to calm down, and then you challenged me, I lost my cool… actually, I’m still rather miffed. I just… just… Gaahhhh…!” Caldoric threw his hands in the air.

“Well, I wanted to do that stuff without the duel, try to get you to loosen up, but then you were going to leave and I had to get it to happen somehow. Hindsight’s 20/20 and all that,” Jack said as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

Caldoric was silent for a moment. “You know, in maybe a couple months’ time, I probably would've been willing to take you up on the offer, point blank. More than enthusiastic, in fact. Like, I’m not sure how familiar you are with the Bionicle timeline, but… after the Toa Mata go and hand Teridax the first ass-kicking he’s had in a millennia, things kinda start happening in really rapid succession, like bam-bam-bam, until just before the Rahkshi arc. They get, like, a week to recover after the Kal’s shenanigans before things get really serious.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Heh, by then, I would've been glad of a break… assuming I survived that long. And I’m the only one who knows that’s supposed to happen, so I gotta make sure things go as close to that as possible.”

“Who says that’s the best option?” asked Jack.

“Clichè and self-centered as it may sound… I do.” Caldoric replied, letting his head drop. “Again, I'm not sure how much of Homestuck you're familiar with, if at all, or how much you understand about alpha or doomed timelines, but it’s something I at least partially get. I mean, my thing is Space, not Time, but this much I understand. See, anything that deviated from the Alpha Timeline, even slightly, is slated to become Doomed, and those trapped within can only wait for their inevitable doom and destruction to eventually meet them. The continued perpetuation of reality itself demands it. After all, reproductive systems are fraught with redundancy for a reason, you know? And this reality I’ve been privy to… it’s so far off from the original, I have no idea when or how things are going to go to shit. So, knowing what I do, I feel like I’m obligated to do what I can to make their journey as successful as possible before that happens. Maybe some part of me wants to repay the Toa for how they, or some other version of them, were a major part of my life. Maybe I’m just being selfish, or meddling because the opportunity presents itself. I don't know. But whatever the reason, I can't not do something. Aaaaand I’m rambling. Again.”

“Yeah, about that… I planted the idea for a railway in Gali’s head, so the Alpha timeline may already be busted,” said Jack, “of course, it already got busted when you arrived, so…”

Caldoric gave Jack a Look that carried a what have you done? sort of vibe. “Rail… way…?” he asked, weakly, then gave a heavy, shuddering sigh and dropped his face into his hands. “Dear lord…”

“Hey, she was worried about the villages not being connected, so I offered a solution,” said Jack. “Besides, isn’t Unity the first Virtue?”

Caldoric blustered for a moment, before managing to find his words. “Th-th-they’re a triumvirate-- no, no, letting that go right now. Setting aside the fact that they don't need an even more outrageous addition to their already worrisome level of Schizo-tech, (made mostly of bamboo, vines, and leaves, mind you,) the timeline was apparently ‘busted’ a long time ago. Something changed so that everyone on Mata Nui can turn into a pony-like version of themself, in case you haven't seen it yet from the Toa. Then, the Eleme-- Twilight's group of friends shows up on the island and, in more recent matters, prematurely opens up the Toa's perspective on civilization. They weren't supposed to know about cities until they rediscover Metru Nui! Seriously, I’m a small handful of unscheduled events away from flipping my shit.”

“You know, I can come back if you two are busy,” said Twilight's voice from just outside the shattered remains of the vault door. As they both turned to look towards the sound, they found that her mane was already frazzled, probably from seeing the door itself in a state of being, not to put too fine a point on it, reduced to rubble. She was also carrying a decent amount of complex arcane-punk machinery in her magical grip. “What the heck happened in here, by the way…?”

“Stuff and things,” Caldoric replied unhelpfully, getting a look from Twilight.

“Minor vehicular incident,” Jack said.

“Yeah, shenanigans, that's exactly what I just said.” Caldoric added.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Look, if you're going to indulge in destruction of public property, or parts of facilities owned by the crown, I suggest not doing it in a vault like-- ooh, is that the thingy Derpy found in the library?”

“Yes,” Caldoric replied, as Twilight zipped over to the Alchemiter, “but it’s called an Alchemiter, and it’s mine, so don't mess with it.”

“Oh, don't worry, I can have it taken apart and rebuilt inside of a few hours, I just gotta know how this thing works…!” The young Alicorn reassured him. “I can even see room for a few improvements…!”

“No.”

“But you’ve already modified it…!” Twilight protested, pointing at the organic-looking insectoid laptop interface that had been set into one part of the device.

“No.” Caldoric said once more. “You came up here with… whatever that stuff is that you have, for a reason. Don't worry about my stuff while you're doing it.”

Twilight growled, frustrated, and turned her attention to the mirror, as well as the giant portal swirling in front of it. “And… what's this about…?” She asked, pointing at the portal with a foreleg.

“Part of that thing with the vehicle and stuff. Shenanigans.”

Twilight deadpanned.

“It’s nothing to be concerned about, just a bit of equipment we forgot to turn off,” said Jack.

“Yeah? What kind of equipment?” Twilight asked, walking around the mirror and portal, only to freak out once she got a full view of the mirror’s top. “What the heck…?! You guys broke the tiny hoof-mirror topper thingy off the top! Oh no, oh no, now we’ll never get this fixed…!”

“Oh, please,” Caldoric said, pulling something out of one of the pockets in his armor, “calm the calamity that is your mammaries, twinklebutt. It actually popped out while I was looking at it earlier.” He then held up the aforementioned topper thingamajig, revealing that where the handle would be on a normal mirror, there was a crude rendition of the boxier portions of one of Jack’s switches. Caldoric waggled the item in question momentarily, before stuffing it back in his pocket. “I’d offer to put it back in place, short stuff, but there’s something currently resting in its place that is holding open this portal, which is, incidentally, Jack’s only ride home.”

Twilight was hyperventilating, for various reasons, and as such, was indisposed as far as talking was concerned, for at least a few seconds.

Jack waved his hand in front of her face, “I think you broke her.”

“Why, thank you!” Caldoric replied, with a cheerfulness that was only partially sarcastic. “I live to defy expectations! That said, what say we do something to get this mirror back in working order…?”

Twilight briefly shook her head in an attempt to clear it, then blinked. “Yeah, that… sounds like a plan. I mean, I was already working on re-installing my custom modifications, like this thaumic hyper-string initializer, the arcane waveform transducer, or--” She continued listing off what sounded like technobabble for a couple seconds before she stopped and giggled self-consciously. “Sorry, I forgot that most of this would be going over your heads…”

Jack just nodded as if he actually knew what the hell she was talking about, supplying a helpful “Don’t forget a DHD.”

Caldoric stiffened and looked at Jack. “Wait, you've seen Stargate? Nice.”

“Mainly Atlantis, but yeah.” Caldoric gave Jack an approving look.

“What, uh…” Twilight began, “what’s a DHD?”

“Dial-Home-Device,” Caldoric explained. “Basically, allows you to semi-remotely select the destination for, in this case, the mirror. Whether it be the high school--”

“Canterlot high,” Twilight interjected.

“Uh huh, yeah, as I was saying. Places like the school and Mata Nui, among other choices.”

“You probably had that in your upgrade list, probably under a different name, but it’s too useful not to have,” said Jack.

“Well, I was definitely planning on something like that, but only once I’d cracked how to influence the quantum destination pointer beyond just the binary on/off function.” Twilight explained. “Even then, I only managed that by using the Journal to override the lunar quantifier that allowed it to open at the default setting of three days per every 30 moons. And that barely worked…!”

“Twilight, trust me, we humans have a knack for adapting and improvising our way through innovative things like this.” Caldoric replied “We can probably be of assistance, though you'll have to talk in more plainclothes terms for this… for my sake, at least.”

“Mind if I take a look?” asked Jack.

Twilight gave Caldoric a look, then nodded at Jack. “Sure. Just keep an eye out while I set this stuff up.” She then proceeded to carefully assemble and arrange the various bits of equipment around the mirror, while leaving room for Jack to maneuver.

Jack whistled which caused the Powerdizer to roll up outside of the room. He then grabbed a toolbox out of the back and got to work looking at the various pieces.

“Um…” Twilight said, “are you actually sure you know what you’re doing with this? I mean, I know you’ve got that big mechanical thingy over there, but… I don't sense anything overtly magical about it. How are you going to deal with the arcane aspect of this?”

Jack just grinned as he pulled out a tool that honestly looked like a cross between a magic wand and a sonic screwdriver. “Ma’am, I’m an engineer, that means I solve problems. Not problems like ‘what is beauty?’, cause that would fall under your conundrums of philosophy.” Jack fiddled with the Alchemiter’s control panel for a bit. “I solve practical problems. Such as how to get this blasted mirror to work more than once every year and a half. The answer?” A large device that looked like an oversized Ayatan Piv Sculpture from Warframe. “Use a generator. And if that don’t work? Use more generators.” Jack wheeled the device towards the mirror. “Such as this little number, capable of generating the magical equivalent of 1.21 gigawatts. Designed by me, built with Caldoric's Alchemeter, and, you’d best hope, used responsibly by you.”

Caldoric blinked for a moment, then zipped over to the Alchemiter's controls, looking swiftly between the various buttons and levers, the in-built insectoid laptop, and Jack, all whilst doing his best “fish gasping for water” impression. If either of them had been paying him any attention, he would have been heard to choke out a faint “How?! How did he do that? He didn't even use the punch-card system! It's not supposed to work like that…!”

“One-point-twenty-one gigawatts? Sounds like a lot,” Twilight remarked, ignoring Caldoric in favor of the new toy. “You think it’ll work? What kind of generator is it? How does it function? Does it use any sort of fuel?”

“Think of it like a windmill, except that it uses ley lines instead of wind,” Jack replied as he pulled out a pin, allowing it to rotate freely.

Caldoric finally set his shock aside, and decided to comment on the device. “Wow… looks like one of those hobbyist-made kinetic sculpture things you’d find back home… only made by aliens. More like a piece of art than a generator…”

“Leylines, though?” Twilight asked. “That’s… dangerous. Those are highly powerful thaumic streams, and you have to set this kind of device up just right, or else you risk blowing it up from an overabundant thaumic influx! I’m not sure that I’m even qualified to mess with something like this…”

“Twilight, you're the Princess of magic, aren't you?” Caldoric asked. “Much as it pains me to say it, you're probably the most qualified… person, I guess, in any measurable distance. Take a swing at it. I mean, you modified the mirror itself before, remember? This can't possibly be more dangerous than tampering with an interdimensional artefact.”

“Ok, first, I’m the Princess of friendship.” Twilight corrected him. “Second, with trans-dimensional mechanics, there’s the issue of the void-induced exponential entropic decay within any given thaumic field that attempts to breach the worldwalls.”

Caldoric froze for a second, his his mouth moving silently. “So, you're saying the void functions as a sort of thaumic power-sink or resistor, which in turn causes a sort of return-loss on the end result, where there would normally be a stable energy gain?”

“Well, it’s more of a bleed-off effect than a resistor, but-- hold up…!” Twilight turned and gave Caldoric a strange look. “You… understood all that, just now? I thought your kind didn't have magic?”

“No, but we do have electricity, and just like water, it flows where it can. Usually where you don't want it to, if you're not paying attention to what you are doing.” Caldoric replied. “It sounded similar enough to what you were talking about that I think I was able to understand, but I can't be sure. I’m no electrician, to be sure.”

“To be perfectly honest, it’s more eddies generated by the flow of the ley lines that it taps into via induction,” said Jack. “Anyway, that should solve the 30 moons problem; I need to get started on the DHD now.”

Twilight inclined her head in Caldoric's general direction. “You there. Tall, dark-ish, and moody. Care to help me put this back together?”

Caldoric shrugged and rolled his eyes. “Sure, why not. Just… tell me what to plug where, or whatever. But if there’s any sort of sub-molecular binding or entangling or whatever, you’ll have to be the one to do it.”

Twilight chuckled. “Of course.”

Shortly, they were entrenched in the process of reconstructing the device she’d created long ago, while Jack worked on a DHD. Caldoric managed to help more than expected in a couple instances, including producing a small woodworking hammer and knocking in a few nails on one occasion.

“Well, then, that’s that part in place…” Caldoric remarked a bit later, setting his small multitool down as he turned to the final loose contraption. The device had a few lightbulbs hooked up to a pair of things that looked like miniature Tesla coils. “Now, where does this go?” He asked, picking it up.

“Actually, I don't think we’ll need that anymore,” Twilight remarked, confidently. “That’s the thing I used to draw power from the Journal to help Sunset Shimmer with the Sirens… it’s kinda redundant now, assuming I correctly understand the concept behind this DHD you two have e been talking about…” She trailed off and looked at Jack hopefully, checking on his progress.

“Simply put, it will allow you to select the reality that the mirror connects to by inputting its coordinates, and you can save your favorites,” said Jack as he finished screwing the cover on the device. The device in question looked like a cross between the hand-pedal-laden Andromeda Galaxy standalone units and the late-80’s-tech Stargate Command unit, with the overall aesthetics slightly shifted to match that of the mirror.

“Well,” Caldoric said, slowly. “I think redundancy can be a good thing. Let’s keep the, uh… this thingy here, for quick-dialing, and incorporate the new DHD.” He then paused. “Uh, d'you think we’ll need to add an iris, and possibly distribute GDO’s to allow access, Jack…?”

“Iris? GDO?” Twilight asked, her ears drooping. “I’m confused…”

“An iris, in this case, is a type of shield, designed to open and close just over the surface of the transportation surface, to either allow or deny access.” Caldoric supplied. “GDO was an affectionate term applied to small devices handed out to approved groups that, when activated, would send a signal ahead of time to let the folks at base know it was safe-ish to open the iris. GDO stands for ‘Garage Door Opener,’ by the way.”

Jack rubbed his chin, “I can probably add a couple of spell emitters to the mirror’s frame hard-coded with a shield spell, half an inch from the event horizon you think?”

“I dunno, the thing may not work the same as a Stargate… I can't exactly be sure, myself, because I’ve never stepped through this thing on this particular end.” Caldoric replied. “I mean, we got dumped into a jail cell via some short-lived spell window or something. There’s no telling if the iris would negatively affect anyone or thing trying to come through, or if they would just run into it and stop. I was only joking when I asked, to be honest, and I’m not sure it’s even necessary. What if someone needs to come through in a hurry after we reconnect this thing to… well, after we reconnect it?”

Twilight sighed heavily, then yanked the device Caldoric was still holding out of his grasp, then magic’d the DHD away from Jack. In short order, she had both entities hooked up on either side of the mirror's less-than-modular additions.

“There,” she said, tossing Caldoric's multitool back at him, “it’s done. I… think.”

“hard to tell, with that portal still active…” Caldoric remarked. “Jack, mind if I unplug the switch and see if the mirror works without it?”

“Uh, wait, we might want to hook up that generator first,” Twilight interrupted, pointing at it. The whole time, it’d just been sitting there, looking pretty, while Jack, Twilight, and Caldoric had been working.

“Right… I’ll let you two do that.” Said Caldoric. “I was fine with the other stuff, but… yeah. Klutz genes run very strong in my family, so… yeah.”

“Need to install a plug in the mirror, but I need to turn the mirror off for that anyway,” Jack said as he flipped off the Bronze Gate Switch and removed it, causing the mirror to shut down.

Caldoric nodded, gently taking the Switch from Jack, and then returned his attention to the Alchemiter, allowing the other two to get on with Jack’s plan. As they worked, they heard some mild cursing from Caldoric's general direction, as well as the occasional sound of him thumping or kicking the Alchemiter out of mild frustration.

After a while, the generator was installed, carefully squirrelled away behind the mirror, and the metaphorical “on” button was pressed. There was a brief flicker of lights from within the gems framing the mirror, but the light quickly died.

“I… I don't understand!” Twilight said, shaking her head slightly. “I’m sure we connected it properly! Did we cross a wire somewhere?”

“Ooh, did someone just try and fire up the old mirror portal?” Discord asked, popping up behind the mirror.

“Yep,” said Jack, “maybe I need to install a transformer to up the voltage?”

Discord was about to reply, only to be stopped by a hammer that flew across the room and smacked him in the face, before landing on the small end of its handle, fully in defiance of the laws of physics.

Everyone turned to see Caldoric crouched behind the Alchemiter, scowling at Discord as misshapen cards fluttered down through the air over the Alchemiter.

“Well, I never…!” Discord proclaimed. Caldoric merely hissed at him like a cat, and gave him twin middle fingers. “Harrumph! Here I am, coming to offer the last bit of the puzzle needed to fix this thing, and you throw a hammer at me? The nerve!”

“Don't patronize me, you Galidor tryhard.” Caldoric spat. “Just do your shit and get out.”

Discord tittered a bit, for all his pompous posturing, then snaked over the mirror and around to the front. Once in place, he tapped out at a series of points on the mirror's surface in quick succession, with each point he poked briefly displayed a glowing white square. Once he had finished, a panel flopped open from the silver surface of the mirror, revealing some form of compartment.

“Behold!” Discord said, delving his claw into a magician's hat that had just appeared. “The one critical piece of technology required for this device to work…!” He then drew his claw back out with dramatic flair, and opened it to reveal a heaping pile of…

“D batteries…?!” Caldoric shouted, standing up sharply. “Are you serious?! Freakin’ D batteries in Equestria? How does that work?”

“Miracles,” Discord supplied, offhandedly. “When I was under Crystalla’s control back there, I ganked these puppies after I chucked old miss Princess and her friends through the mirror to Mata Nui. Uh, sorry about that, by the way, Twilight.”

Twilight merely gave him a non-committal snort in reply.

“Yeesh, tough crowd…” Discord said, pulling nervously at his neck fur, which briefly parted as if it were a shirt. “Anywho, I guess that part of me figured they’d be near impossible to find, because they're only sold at gas stations, and they’re so darn expensive there!”

“We used to sell those at the Wal-Mart I worked at,” Caldoric replied. “Right up front, by the register. Still expensive as hell, but we sold 'em. Now hurry up and get gone!”

Discord recoiled from Caldoric, then carefully stuffed all the batteries into the compartment and slapped it closed. There was a faint hum as the mirror activated, and then the gems glittered and shone with multicolored light. The mirror itself shuddered and arced briefly, before settling down.

“Oh, sweet Celestia, it works…!” Twilight breathed.

Jack took a look at the DHD, which was now displaying data on the mirror. “Huh, looks like the battery powers the control circuits, which are separate from the portal generators.”

“Yes!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down a bit before trotting in place. “Yesyesyes! I need to tell Celestia and Luna that the mirror's up and running again!” She then squeed in delight.

“Mind if I help you along?” Discord asked, holding up his paw, its digits ready to snap.

“Uh, no, I can do it myself. Thanks.” Twilight gave him a final unsure look, then disappeared in a flash of lavender magic.

Discord smiled, then turned to look at Jack and Caldoric, clearly about to say something, but then thought better of it. He closed his mouth and snapped his fingers, disappearing in a flash.

“Well, glad he’s gone.” Caldoric remarked.

Jack just shrugged as he typed on the DHD, “Okay… looks like the mirror and DHD are talking to each other… lucky, Canterlot High’s hardcoded; saving to DHD… done.”

“Ok, now that’s repetitively redundant.” Caldoric replied, then growled and kicked the Alchemiter again. “Stupid thing… no, I don't want to make a copy of Johnny-fucking-five, he’s useless! Freaking…!”

“Hey, I need that for the GDOs,” said Jack.

“Eh, they're practically indestructible, unless you run into them with a rocket pack…” Caldoric said. “You know, I’ve been thinking… the term, ‘Kamen Rider,’ seems to be slowly ringing a bell, the more I turn it over in my head.”

He then turned around and looked at Jack. “Did they… I mean, do you, being one of them and all… like, some reason, I’m starting to see images of folks in similar outfits to yours, and they somehow have something to do with motorcycles, and… maybe dragons? Or, dragon, singular. Long red one, but… mechanical? Am I ringing any bells?”

“Is the guy speaking english or Japanese?”

“I don't remember. I seem to remember seeing that stuff as, like, part of an ad or something? Like, when I was a lot younger. All I remember are images… and I think the guys in the show were Caucasian? It's hard to remember.”

“Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, excellent show, although the guy who canceled it 5 episodes before the finale is an idiot who should be removed from the gene pool,” said Jack.

Caldoric hummed in minor agreement. “Glad to have a title to put with the idea, man. I’ll have to look it up sometime. So, out of curiosity, are there any other options you’d recommend I watch? And… not to sound rude, but, how much like ‘Power Rangers’ is the Kamen Rider franchise?”

“Believe it or not, Power Rangers is actually the english version of Super Sentai, which is the sister series of Kamen Rider,” said Jack.

Caldoric blinked. “Oh, wow. Definitely didn't know that. So, wait, what’s Super Sentai, then? Nationality wise? It sounds like it’s from somewhere in East Asia or something… no offense! I mean, save for the live-action movie in 2017, I never actually watched Power Rangers, so I’m pretty new to this whole thing.”

“Japan; they actually have a bunch of shows like that,” said Jack. “They have a genre name for it, called Tokusatsu.”

“Isn't that the table thing they all sit under during winter?”

“That’s a kotatsu,”

“Oh, shit,” Caldoric proclaimed with some alarm, “there goes my Weeaboo card…! Quick, arrest me, Jack-Senpai; perhaps, then, I shall be noticed!” Caldoric proceeded to hold out his wrists towards Jack in a “cuff me” gesture.

“Do I look like SPD?” Jack chuckled.

Caldoric raised an eyebrow. “What’s the ‘S’ stand for in this situation?”

“Space Patrol Delta, it’s a Power Rangers series,” said Jack.

“Oh, I thought you meant something like ‘Seattle Police Department’, or someplace else starting with ‘S’.” Caldoric dropped his hands back to his sides and shrugged. “I live near-ish to Seattle, so-- er, well, I used to, before I ended up here… anywho, that’s the first thing that popped into my head. Derp.”

Jack just chuckled, and then the two of them sort of stood there in an increasingly awkward silence for a few moments.

“So,” Caldoric said at last, swinging his arms idly before turning back to the Alchemiter. “Anything else you can think of that needs doing, that I might've missed…? I mean, I know I'm the ‘host’ here, but I’m a bit scatterbrained at times.”

Jack rubbed his chin, “Well, we should get the GDOs printed out, and we should get one of the Toa here to get a lock on Mata Nui, their Mata Nui anyway.”

“Yeah, about that… I have a couple lightstones from my time on the island, so we can probably use those…” Caldoric surmised. “Besides, there’s probably some form of internal dialing buffer or something, like the DHDs in Stargate, that record at least the last few dial-outs. I’ll leave the GDO’s to you, since you did… whatever it was to make that generator.” He then waltzed over to the mess of apparati around the mirror and busied himself with trying to sync it all to a small handful of cheerfully glowing stones.

Jack walked over to the Alchemiter and placed the Radar Switch on it, syncing it back up with the the Rabbit Hutch’s computer. “Let’s see, we’ll need a radio… keypad… perhaps a watch for wrist-mounting… loading… converting to Alchemiter code… processing… schematic-card printing.” Jack held out his hand to a slot as a punch card printed from it. On it was a picture of a device that looked like a cross between a walkie talkie and a home-alarm keypad designed to be worn on the wrist. “How’s it coming?”

The answer to his question came in the form of the card being yanked from his hand by Caldoric, who had apparently been hovering just behind him as he’d worked. “What the heck…?” Caldoric asked, flipping the card over and looking at the back. “This is like no captchalogue code I’ve seen before…”

For indeed, looking at the back, one could see a wavy eight-symbol code comprised of more than the usual English alpha-numerics. There were symbols of all kinds sprinkled in, including one that Caldoric was sure was alchemical in nature. The punched holes were also different from the norm, being in unusual combinations of multi-directional bars and shapes.

“Dude, how'd you get the code like this?” Caldoric asked, handing the card back in amazement. “This shouldn't be possible!”

“Digital cloud uplink for the components, you should probably upgrade your gear,” Jack replied, “I’m going to set the gems for the iris now.”

“Y-yeah, um… sure.” Caldoric acknowledged, still looking warily at the Alchemiter. “I’ll get right on that.”

After a few minutes, Jack had successfully managed to integrate an iris into the structure of the mirror. The oblong shape of the device had provided an amusing challenge for him, but he was still able to overcome it rather easily. He was just putting the final bits of the mirror back together when he heard Caldoric go “Yeep!” in surprise, accompanied by a bit of clattering.

“Anything serious?” asked Jack.

“N-nothing serious…!” Caldoric said, a nervous chuckle escaping him. “Just… made some modifications to the Alchemiter, and I got surprised by something that cropped up…!” When Jack looked over, he saw that the alien-looking laptop had been replaced with a hovering green laser hologram of sorts, along with the addition of a small radar dish on one side. There also appeared to be an enlarged version of his Radar switch embedded in one of the device’s panels.

“I think you’ll want this back,” Caldoric said, chucking something at Jack. When he reached up to catch it, he found he was holding his Radar switch, which he came to realize he’d left over by the Alchemiter.

“How’d you tweak it?” asked Jack as he put it away.

Caldoric held up what looked like an old Polaroid camera, but instead of the usual time-yellowed plastic case, it bore an orange-and-yellow color scheme to it. One corner was strangely notched, like the punch card they’d been fussing over earlier.

“Just snapped a ghost image of your radar switch with this,” Caldoric supplied, “then punched the accompanying code into the resulting card and stuck it into one of these shunt ports, and voilà, instant upgrade. I’m just glad I doubled the number of ports earlier, so I still have room to do more things like this…”

He then pulled one of the colorful cards out of its ports, and the recent modifications vanished. Putting the card back in caused the modifications to re-apply themselves. “Gotta be careful what you mod this with, otherwise it ends up being useless. Like, someone once tried it with, like, a bust of Snoop Dogg, and it ended up as a huge metal statue to the guy. How’s it coming on your end?”

“Looks good, all I need is the spell formula,” said Jack.

“Spell formula?”

“For the shield spell that’ll make the iris.”

“Ah. Well, that means we’re just waiting on--”

“Hello, you two!” Twilight said, walking back into the vault. “What’d I miss?”

“Rocks fell, everyone died,” Caldoric supplied, helpfully.

“What?”

“D&D reference, don’t mind it,” said Jack.

“Okay…?” Twilight replied, unsure. “But, uh, anything happen while I was gone? I mean, I’m sorry I took as long as I did, it wasn't easy tracking down the princesses.”

“90% done, just need the spell formula for the iris and the coordinates for Mata Nui,” Jack replied.

“I can take care of the coordinate stuff later,” Caldoric interjected, “so allow really need is the spell thingy.”

“Oh, well then,” Twilight said, “is that all? Pshh, I could do one of those in my sleep. Here, lemme look at it…” She then moved next to Jack and began conferring with him about the spell’s details. After a few minutes (and several bits of conversation that went over Caldoric's head,) the iris was set up, the missing handmirror-esque piece was reinstalled, and they were ready to go.

“Alright, it’s set for Canterlot High for the test run,” said Jack.

“D'you know what day it is over there, Twi?” Caldoric asked. “Just curious. Might be weird if someone sees us walking out of the statue during school hours.”

Twilight nodded wisely. “It’s Saturday, if I remember properly. And, yes, Spike and I got lucky the last few times we had to go through, so it’s rather for the best that it’s the weekend. Actually, I should send Sunset Shimmer a message telling her we’re coming!” She turned to begin writing in the journal, only for Caldoric to stop her.

“Not right now, Twilight.” He objected. “We’re just doing a quick in-and-out to see if it works, not a full-on field trip. Besides, if you contact her now, she’ll probably want to talk for hours, and we still need to get this goofball home.” Caldoric then hitched his thumb over his shoulder at Jack.

Jack cracked his knuckles before his fingers danced over the control panel. “Setting coordinates: ꔌꔾගޥਣ༬ష… locked in. Engaging.”

As Jack punched in the coordinates, the mirror’s gems began glowing once more, all of them turning a brilliant lavender and energy began flowing from the journal in its slot. Power leapt from the journal to the two lightning-rod-esque prongs, causing the attached bulbs to glow, and the energy fed through tubes to a twin-piston pump of some sort. There, the magic power was flattened and sent through a brief series of rollers, then through another pair of tubes to another pair of thaumic lightning rod, which condensed the energy into a glowing ball in front of the mirror’s surface. The ball split into several beams, each of which struck a gemstone, causing color to start bleeding into the mirror's surface, turning it into a swirling pink vortex. The ball of energy drained away, and vanished. The way was now open for any to pass through to Canterlot High.

“Readings are… steady, excursion is go,” said Jack.

“If only I had a camera, I could do a MALP-on-a-stick,” Caldoric remarked. “Well, assuming I could get a decent stick.”

Twilight shook her head at his nonsense. “So, looks like things are good. I’ll just take a quick step through, see what’s on the other side, then be back before you two can say some ridiculous and arbitrary phrase.” She then ducked through the vortex on the mirror.

Caldoric turned and looked at Jack, with a slightly amused look on his face. “A ridiculous and arbitrary phra--”

“I’m back!” Twilight proclaimed, stepping back through the mirror. “Everything’s just as it should be! Or, well, it seems to be at first observation, but things could be a bit more different than expected, which means we’ll have to do a more in-depth bit of reconnaissance--”

Caldoric placed a finger to her nose, causing her to recoil slightly. “Mirror works.” He reported to Jack, matter-of-factly.

Jack nodded before shutting down the mirror. “Alright, time for me to head home, I have the coordinates scanned from my Token. ནఆꔗ玆؎ⲯסּ… inputted.” Upon activation, a process quite similar to that of the previous activation took place. However, the energy being shuttled around was a brilliant gold, and the gems recolored themselves to match the configuration they’d displayed when Jack first arrived.

“Well, that seems to be that…” Caldoric said. “Save for the big mech-thingy over there that you brought with… oh wait!” Caldoric snapped his fingers and rushed over to the Alchemiter, proceeding to fiddle with the device, his concerned chorus of “um” and “uh” growing more distressed as seconds ticked by, until he suddenly gripped the back of his head and swore.

“That’s never a good sign, is it broken?” asked Jack.

Caldoric turned around, holding up a finger and apparently about to speak, only to be interrupted. Above the Alchemiter's main platform, a series of glowing green gearlike rings appeared, each one spinning opposite to the ones nearest it and smaller than the one below. From this strange apparition dropped a box, wrapped in green paper and tied with a large white bow. There was a note tied to the box, which bore Jack’s name on one side, and it was accompanied by a fluttering letter that had “Caldoric's eyes only” written on the outside.

Once both items had landed, the rings of gears vanished without a sound. The entire event took less than 5 seconds, and Caldoric had missed about a quarter of it.

“What… what was that about?” Twilight asked, highly suspicious.

“I have no idea.” Caldoric said, momentarily taking a step back. However, curiosity quickly got the better of him, and he leaned forward to take the letter addressed to him. After reading it for a few seconds, his eyebrows shot up, and he gave a soft “oh…!” of understanding. “Jack, apparently this is for you, from… me. Not, like, current me, it’s from me sometime in the future.” He then held out the box.

Jack rubbed his eyes as he accepted the box, “And here I hoped I could avoid time travel, gives me a damn headache.” Pulling off the note on top, he gave it a quick read. “Well that’s interesting.” The note read as follows, in a slightly hard to read handwritten text:

Dear Jack,
I hope this finds you well, and before you leave to go back to your version of Equestria, which I’ve heard is doing a right sight better than this one, both present and future (from your perspective, that is.) I seem to remember that time-travel related things gives you a headache, so I’ll keep this brief. I was running quite low on grist when first we met, and as such, I was unable to manufacture any form of parting gift for you. Of course, my future self bailed me out, and as such, I am closing the loop, now that I’ve had both time and ample material to do so.
That said, inside this box you will find the following: a customizable lightsaber, (it will adjust its design and color to fit both you and your personality when you first use it,) a portable combination power hub and WiFi hotspot, (should allow you to connect back to the internet of your home time, so you can't spoil any future episodes of Kamen Rider for yourself,) a portable wrist-mounted Alchemiter, (don't show my past self this one: he needs to think of it on his own!) and, last but not least, a new Switch. This is for all the trouble I put you through back then, as well as my… less-than-favorable attitude.
The Switch will allow you access to a great host of powers and abilities, though I would recommend you not try using it until you’ve at least earned at least another couple States switches. I would hope you’d wait for Cosmic, at least, but you’ve told me you tried sooner, so… no point, really.
If you turn the key-like protrusion one way, it will allow you access to the full range of elemental powers that Toa are capable of affiliating with. If anything, I’d recommend fiddling with this side first, if you're going to. It’s less devastating. These powers include the six you've already seen, (stone, earth, water, fire, air, and ice,) plus the “seventh” element, Light. There’s also electricity, iron, sonics, gravity, magnetism, plasma, psionics, plantlife, and shadow. Be wary of that last one, it tends to corrupt the incautious. I mean it!
Turning the “key” the other way will grant you access to the powers of the “God Tier” aspects from Homestuck. A key point to remember is that these are more abstract in their representation, so never take them at face value. They are as follows: Breath, (air, among other things,) Light, (both illumination AND fate/luck,) Time, Space, Hope, Heart, (basically, souls, but can vary,) Life, Void, Doom, Blood, (sometimes represents unity,) Rage, and Mind.
Both sets of powers will give you a holographic display when activated, allowing you to switch powersets at a whim. However, rapid-fire alternation can and will be draining, so use this cautiously.
Thanks again,
~~Caldoric Stormchaser, Toa of Space.
PS: if, er, WHEN my past self asks about the contents of the box, tell him I said he can't see them. If he persists, and I think I did at the time, tell him “stable time loops, brah,” followed by “dead Daves are the enemy.” He’ll understand.
PPS: he’ll need your contact info so you two can occasionally converse. You'll both need it. He’ll know what to do from there.

Jack whistled as he cracked the box open to confirm the contents, “Sweet”. As he went to pack it in the Powerdizer, Cal spoke up.

“Yo, Jack, what’s in the box?” He then paused, and chuckled, muttering something he found amusing.

“I can’t tell you because, just a sec,” Jack flipped the note back open, “‘Stable time loops, brah’ and ‘dead Daves are the enemy’. You know what those mean right?”

Caldoric's face fell. “Yeah, I do…” he said, petulantly, crossing his arms as he did. “I just wanted to see if it was, like, a stuffed bunny or something: that would've been totes ironic. But nooo~ future-me had to be all like Dave, Jade, and Karkat all at once. I can only hope he’s as dissatisfied with this as I am… cuz if he's not, I’m pissed.”

Jack just shrugged, “No clue. He did tell me to give you my number though.” Jack loaded up the box before pulling a business card out of his pocket and handed it him.

“Okay, but… how are we supposed to keep in contact across multiverse like this?” Caldoric said, accepting the card. “I mean, unless you’ve got Pesterchum on one of your computers or something… wait a sec.” He then cocked his head to the side and gave Jack a Look.

“He sent you one of these, didn't he?” He asked at length, pulling out a small green cube, about a foot long on each side, and bearing a cartoonish representation of an atom on each face save for the top. The top bore a single plug slot, of the type used in American electrical outlets. “Should get you endless WiFi and power, and probably access to a copy of Pesterchum. It’s where I found mine… I’ll text you my username real quick.”

A few seconds later, Jack received a short message from what was presumably Caldoric’s number it read, simply, “caldoricStormchaser”

“Point of note: usernames usually come out as one word, with the first letter of the second part capitalized.” Caldoric explained. “Just… shoot me a message, and I’ll try to keep in contact.”

“No problem,” said Jack as he boarded the Powerdizer. “Say goodbye to Pohatu for me?”

“Will do, man. Later.”

Jack gave Caldoric an informal salute as he drove through the portal. Caldoric returned it, and a few seconds later, Twilight shut it down.

“Well then,” she said matter-of-factly, as she turned to look at Caldoric, “that’s that, it seems. Now, since we’re done here, Princess Celestia told me that she and Princess Luna wanted to talk with you as soon as possible. Whiiich probably means now, so we shouldn't keep them waiting--!”

“I’ll be there eventually, don't worry. I just… got a few things to deal with up here.”

“Like what?”

“Like the fact that I can't find Jinka? You know, the Hikaki? Look, you just go on ahead and tell them I’ll be along as soon as I can. Wouldn't want them to think we didn't receive the message and send another messenger, eh?”

Twilight raised a hoof and looked about to protest, but then seemed to think better of it.

“Right, I’ll go do that.” She said after a few seconds of consideration. With a flash of lavender energy and a faint poof, she was gone.

Caldoric heaved a huge sigh and sank to his knees, then flopped over into a nearby pile of junk without a care. “Finally. That was more than enough social interaction for now.” He said. “Though, I actually should be looking for Jinka; I have no clue where he is right now…”

“Not to worry,” said a strange and unfamiliar voice, startling Caldoric. “Your little pet is right here…!”

Caldoric turned and saw the strangest figure he’d ever laid eyes on, and that was saying something, given the last few days. The entity’s head seemed like it was comprised of a hybrid between a skull and an albino scorpion, with five beady red eyes scattered across its face. It wore a large cloak or robe, black and dark grey in fabric, and spruced up with elaborate golden trim and filigree all over. Its hands were clawed, and had something strange protruding from the wide sleeves that guarded the hands themselves. The protrusions looked vaguely like the claws of -- you guessed it -- a scorpion. The stranger’s boots were somewhat elaborate, yet simultaneously unremarkable, save for the single long black spike mounted near the toe. Similar spikes made appearances along the stranger's arms and shoulders, sticking through their robes.

“Jegus, you look like you hit every branch when you fell out of the ugly tree,” Caldoric said, taking an involuntary step back.

“I wouldn't be so crass if I were you,” the stranger replied, gesturing to the bound form of Jinka he held under one arm. “For this one’s sake…”

“Oi, let Jinka go!” Caldoric said. “There’s no call for violence: I was just… startled.”

“And I merely wished to garner your attention.” The stranger released the struggling Hikaki, which quickly escaped its bindings and rushed over to hide behind Caldoric with a low growl.

“Who and what are you, where did you come from, and why are you interested in talking to me?” Caldoric asked.

“You can call me Scorpio,” Scorpio replied, “and I am what’s known as a Zodiart--”

“Wait, like the constellation?” Caldoric interrupted.

“Yes, exactly like the constellation.” Scorpio replied, a little miffed. “In fact, I draw power from the very constellation itself, similarly to young Fourze, whom it seems you’ve become acquainted with. Parallel methods, and such.”

“Oh, you mean Jack? What, you one of his friends, or something? It'd explain the weird getup…”

“Jack?” Scorpio asked, tilting his head. “J-- oh, yes, Jack, yes. Hmm. Indeed, we are pretty well-known to each other. In fact, I was… following him, yes, when he suddenly vanished through a portal in that blast-- er, beautiful yellow machine of his. We were sort of in the middle of something at the time, so I followed him, and wound up here, just in time to see the two of you going off to do… whatever it was.”

By this time, there were a small handful of red flags and alarm bells going off in Caldoric's head, and so he decided to proceed with caution. “Rrrrrright… and, why were you interested in me, again?”

“Oh, yes, that…” Scorpio replied. “You strike me as someone reliable, and as such, I wanted to give you something special for keeping such good care of my good friend. I assume he’s told you about his Astro-Switches by now?”

“A bit, yeah. They're pretty cool, actually.”

“Yes, well… what if I were to tell you that I have a Switch for you?” Scorpio then held up one clawed hand, revealing a small, strange device. “This is a Zodiarts Switch. Use it and, like me, you’ll be able to draw upon the power of a full constellation. That said, there’s no telling which one you’ll get; they’re a bit random, and it’s different for everypony.”

“So, these are basically just McGuffins-of-power that you Zodiarts pass out to folks like cheap cigars?” Caldoric asked. “I mean, there’s a ton of constellations out there, with different sets for every culture--”

“No, we’re not just handing these out like cheap cigars!” Scorpio snapped. “We only give these to special folks. And you, armored one, seem rather special indeed. In fact… I think you might have some potential…”

“Potential for what?” Caldoric asked, sceptically.

“Oh, either you’ll see, or you won't. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise if you do.” Scorpio teased. “That is… if you accept this gift…” He offered the device to Caldoric again, more insistently this time. “Simply take a chance, and… make a wish upon a star.”

Caldoric chewed his lip for a second, then took the small item and turned it over in his hands. It had an unexpected weight to it, and rattled slightly as he moved it. Its profile looked quite like one of those clear-domed slushie cups one finds at gas stations and some food courts. However, the dome on the device was silver, not clear, and had a prominent red button where the straw hole would be. The body of the Switch was deep black, with silver inlay entwined around it in multiple designs. There was something almost ominous about it, despite its seemingly harmless nature.

“Good, good,” Scorpio remarked. “You’ll want to save that for a rainy day. Perhaps, when you need a power boost…?” The sly tone to his words gave Caldoric the feeling he’d just walked into something he was going to regret, but he was sure he couldn't easily back down from it now. “In any case, it’s time I got back to my world, and left you to your own devices. So, if you wouldn't mind firing up the mirror again, and sending me back…?”

“Uh, yeah… sure…” Caldoric nervously typed in the code for Jack’s Equestria, and the portal hummed to life in seconds. With a nod, a salute, and a parting remark of “Goodbye… for now,” Scorpio was gone. Caldoric quickly shut down the portal and activated the iris, just to be safe. Jinka whined behind him

“Oh, jegus… he didn't harm you, did he?” Caldoric asked the robotic raptor, pulling him close. Jinka merely nuzzled him for comfort, though whom was meant to be on the receiving end was unclear. “Gods, that guy gave me the creeps… I’m not sure I shouldn't chuck this thing in the trash… then again, if I do, odds are it'll bite me in the ass. I guess I’ll just have to hold onto this then…” He clenched the Switch firmly, yet cautiously, as if it’d explode if he weren't careful. He turned his head to look at the letter he’d dropped earlier, from his future self.

“Why didn't I write about this…?” He wondered aloud. “Just how important is this…?” He shook his head, and stuffed the switch in his pocket, then froze. When he pulled his hand back out again, he was holding a set of keys on a carabiner. His attention was taken up in that moment by two key fobs on said carabiner, which seemed to drive him into a bit of a fury.

“Damnit, I could've flown us there and back…!” He shouted, shaking the hand holding the keys at the ceiling. “What kind of a fucking idiot am I?!”

Author's Notes:

Dear lord, this chapter turned out way longer than I anticipated it would. Sorry about that...!

That said, I hope you've enjoyed this so far. On a positive note, only a few more chapters and then I'll be ending this first book in what is going to be a series of sorts. Also, I will do my damndest not to make a chapter this long again. I mean, 40K+ words in a single chapter? That's, like, 40 times the minimum requirement for a chapter to be allowed to be published here...! It was so large, I actually had to post this from my new laptop (long story) for it to actually copy-paste properly: google docs on my phone kept crashing whenever I tried!

Anywho, to business: I had a lot of fun working with Cyberlord4444, when one or both of us (mostly me, in all honesty,) wasn't distracted by life in general. The two of us started writing these two chapters sometime towards the start of last October, after my family and I had just finished moving from one house to another. Partway through the writing process, I found myself majorly distracted by the discovery and subsequent involvement in a new fandom, and I'm quite sorry for putting the extra time strain on everyone involved as a result.

I have to say, I'm amazed that Cyberlord4444 managed to put up with my particular brand of shenanigans for an entire SIX GODDAMN MONTHS and stay sane by the end of it: this guy is amazing, lemme tell you. He had so many ideas throughout the process that kept things going, and I can honestly say I'd love to work with him again in the future. In fact, I actually plan on it, to some degree. See, I have plans to utilize crossovers to advance both my own story and the ones that meet it, which is seemingly unusual amongst this genre of the fanbase. It's like we're ninjas bouncing off rocks in an avalanche to reach the top of where they're falling from, except the rocks are also other ninjas who're bouncing off of us at the same time to reach the same goal. By the end, we're all at the top with no real clue how the hell we managed to pull it off, but we're not about to question it.

That said, I may end up splitting this chapter up later because it's so long, so keep an eye out. That's really all there is to say on the matter from me, so for now, I hope you have enjoyed things as they are, have a great day, and stay safe. Hopefully next chapter won't take me so long...!

Peace out for now, folks.