The Mata Nui Warby SuukorakChaptersPrologue: Discovery1: Camouflage2: TrackingPrologue: DiscoveryA lone Roporak scurried through the dark stone corridors. Most Roporak were used as snipers, but this one had been assigned to scout a minor island. The horde couldn’t be bothered with every island it came across, so it sent scouts out to find the worthwhile targets. The Roporak wasn’t pleased by the change of scenery; the whole island it had been sent to explore was deserted. Not even Rahi lived here anymore. Still, there was the matter of this construction it was now exploring. What remained of the huge building was built like a castle, but its function seemed to have been closer to a lab. So far, the Visorak had found little sign of what was being researched. For that, it was thankful. It cleared its mind with a snap of its mandibles, and continued its exploration. Another tiny room. This design seemed inexplicable. Along these corridors were dozens of rooms barely larger than the Roporak itself, separated by thick stone walls and even thicker metal doors. Many were locked; the few that were open seemed empty. It glanced down the corridor. Only four doors to go. It reached up to the handle of the next door with its mandibles, and pulled hard. The door slid slightly outwards, then began to resist. It was even harder to open than the other doors had been, but it was clearly unlocked. As the Roporak pulled harder, it heard a squelching rip and the door swung open a little further. The Visorak peeked through the crack of the doorway, and saw… vines? The Roporak heaved again and tore a few more vines loose. The door swung open and slammed against the stone wall. Both were so heavy that there was no noise other than a soft thump. The Visorak redirected its attention to the room. Vines had clearly been growing on the door for decades, with only its immense weight holding them back from consuming the entire building. But they seemed to lead to a black, swirling hole in the wall – possibly through it. Cautiously, the Roporak poked its foreleg into the hole. Nothing happened. It reached its whole leg through – besides disappearing, nothing. It could still feel the leg, and – after pulling it out to check – it was still there. The Roporak hesitated for a moment, but knew its duty. It leapt headfirst into the hole. It immediately decided that its jump was a mistake. It felt itself warping, folding and unfolding, stretching and shrinking and rotating; but the sensation was short-lived. It emerged a moment later and fell on its side. Dragging itself upright, the scout tried to find its bearings. It seemed to be in some sort of cavern, overgrown by immense vines that stretched out the cave entrance not very far away. Behind it was the same swirling black hole, suspended in the cave wall, with a few thinner strands of the vine reaching through. Uncertain of what to do, the Roporak walked slowly towards the outside. As it approached the light, it camouflaged itself and tried to move slowly to stay invisible. The Visorak emerged slowly into a forest of black trees. Insects buzzed everywhere, and there were signs of abundant larger Rahi – damage to the trees, nests, even a faint smell of excrement. Before it could try to make sense of its observations, it heard a howl and footsteps. It retreated quickly to the edge of the cave and kept its camouflage up. A few small, strange-looking Rahi darted past the Visorak’s cave, followed by a larger one, a predator – made out of wood? The Roporak withdrew further into the cave, coming back to the portal. This place would need many more scouts, the Visorak reasoned, and Sidorak would need to hear of this as soon as possible. Bracing itself, the Roporak leaped again through the portal and out into the world it knew. It quickly started back towards Sidorak’s camp and the rest of the horde. Sidorak pored carefully over his map of the surrounding area. One by one, his scouts were coming in; they had found these islands barren. The Visorak were on their way to the northern continent, but the horde had had to cross great expanses of blank sea to get there, interrupted only by barren dots of land. The boredom, and, more importantly, the hunger, was making them restless. Their next bloodlust would be formidable. If he kept them waiting much longer, they might devour a Zivon in their frenzy. The Visorak’s king was beginning to get restless as well. The Visorak were intelligent, but even Sidorak would hesitate to call them civilized. He wondered how hungry they would have to get to eat each other… or him. He was in dire need of good news. A knock at the door drew Sidorak out of his thoughts. “Come,” he called. An old, wiry Visorak pushed open the door and bowed as best a Visorak can, stiffened by its thick ebon shell. “Angasorak,” Sidorak said, and he nodded even though he knew the spider could not see him. Angasorak was one of the cleverest of the Oohnorak – just enough to be effective, not too much to control. It was just as loyal as all the Oohnorak; this one had once infiltrated a dissident group, of its own initiative, to destroy a mutiny. To better infiltrate, it had allowed itself to be blinded. Angasorak was Sidorak’s most trusted advisor, his bodyguard and doorman. “Angasorak,” Sidorak called. “Speak.” It clicked out a message in the spiders’ metallic language. Another scout, Sire. Sidorak frowned. The scouts hadn’t been bringing him good news lately. “Bring him.” The Visorak scuttled back through the door, and reemerged a moment later with a Roporak in tow. They both bowed, making their obedience. Sidorak crossed his arms. “You’re late,” he remarked, and though he was more or less indifferent, he enjoyed the shudder he saw overtake the Roporak. “What have you found?” It is difficult to describe in full, the Roporak explained, but to be brief, I found a portal. It led to some kind of forest filled with strange creatures, Rahi of flesh alone. “How large is this forest?” It was difficult to tell, but judging from the Rahi I saw, it would have to be of considerable size. If I may make a judgement, Sire, I believe it is worthy of more than a single scout. Sidorak gestured for the Roporak to rise, and beckoned him to the map, carved, to scale, into a table. Sidorak stood and walked over to the map as well. “Show me this portal.” Buried deep beneath the snows surrounding the Crystal City, an ancient mind stirred. I’ve been away too long, it thought. After a thousand years, they remembered me. Yet it’s only been two more and I can sense great change. The tiny shard of horn began to grow, softening and sprouting a thin coat of fur. Turmoil is coming to this world, and I will take center stage once more. The horn grew larger, and sprouted into a full pony body, pushing the snow away. I will reclaim my kingdom, and extend it to the ends of this world. Snow began to melt around the body as it warmed up. It reached up and began to dig its way out of the snow. Sombra shall rise! 1: CamouflageThe Timberwolf stared silently at its prey. The armored crystal pony, pinned underneath the living mass of wood, looked away. The pony could tell by the shadow that the beast had leaned close; he was all the more frightened to notice that it had no breath. Suddenly, the wooden wolf leapt back, and another armored pony stood above him, holding a torch in one hoof. She reached out the other hoof and helped him up, without looking at him at all. He shook the snow off his armor, too relieved to be embarrassed. “Captain! Uh… thank you.” The Captain of the Crystal Guard nodded, her eyes fixed on the wolf. “Sergeant Stalwart.” The Captain never spoke much. Here her two words served as a greeting, a response to his thanks, and a reminder to pay attention to the matter at hand. The Sergeant wasn’t sure, but there might have been a hint of reprimand in there as well. He fumbled in the snow and found his glaive. “Blast these ceremonial weapons,” he commented, more to quiet his mind than anything else. “They’re only effective at saluting.” In response, Captain Ironheart simply stared at the wolf. The beast pulled back a few paces through the muffling snow, then charged again. It stopped short as Ironheart waved her torch in its face, and started to walk backwards again. The Captain followed it closely, keeping the same distance between her torch and the wolf’s flammable body. She gestured with her head for the Sergeant to follow. He made a few probing lunges with his glaive, and the Captain waved her torch again; the wolf had finally had enough and turned away. Captain Ironheart held up a leg to stop Sergeant Stalwart from pursuing it further, but the two stood and watched it silently until it had disappeared behind a mound of snow. The Captain extinguished her torch in the snow and dropped it in her pack. “Rearm the Guard with torches,” she ordered, “and double the external sentries. Use their leisure shift if you have to.” Stalwart looked down at the snow, just beginning to clear as they approached the Crystal City’s boundary. “Is it that bad?” “There are many more out there.” Ironheart hadn’t answered the question directly, but it was clear that the guard was stretched. The Crystal City was large, with no walls, and the Crystal Heart didn’t seem to dissuade these Timberwolves. She paused for a moment, and looked up at the Sergeant. “Go,” she finally said. “And thank the Sun that those Ursae haven’t joined in.” Stalwart was about to turn away when a question occurred to him. “Well… where are you going, Captain?” “I have to report to the Princess,” she answered. “And… I’m going to recommend an evacuation.” “A what?” called a voice from behind them. The Captain turned around, and immediately bowed. “Prince Shining Armor! An – evacuation, your Highness.” “It’s that serious…” the Prince said darkly. “All right, come with me. We’ll talk to Cadence together.” The Sergeant began to walk back towards the barracks, but when the Captain was out of sight, he stopped. He slid stealthily into a shadowed corner of a back alley, and in a swirling flash of green, he reverted to his usual form. His body was black, pitted and sometimes pierced completely through at the ends of his legs. He had a twisted and pockmarked horn, and worn, insect-like wings. He hunched slightly as his horn began to glow. Under the strain of the magic flowing through it, the horn also seemed to warp and twist. An image shimmered into focus in front of the changeling, and he bowed to it. “Queen Chrysalis…” “Nergaz,” she responded. “Forgive the intrusion, but it is important –” “or you would not have broken cover,” she said grimly. “Speak.” “I… the beasts are gathered, but – they’re attacking.” “Already?” “I could find no signs of your trappers, Majesty. And the attacks are too intense. Even now, Armor and Cadenza are considering evacuation.” “What? Evacuation? No!” There was a long pause before she spoke again. “I will send tamers and scouts to deal with the animals. Discourage the evacuation, but don’t break cover… stay with them. Find out what’s going on.” “Yes, Majesty.” Nergaz let the spell dissipate and shifted again into the shape of Sergeant Stalwart. “If I can.” “Evacuate?” Cadence shouted. “You slept for a thousand years; we fought, every one of us, harder than we’d ever fought before; we lived here two years so we could evacuate?” Shining Armor backed up a few paces. Even through her pink fur, he could tell his wife was livid. He could also tell why: she was afraid. She knew Captain Ironheart was right. He cleared his throat and tried to be gentle in the face of the Princess’ anger. “Cadence… we have to think of the safety of the Crystal Ponies. They have always been our first priority. And if we let our pride in the terrain of this city overshadow our care for its people – we will have failed.” Sergeant Stalwart burst into the room, bowing as he did so. “Your Highness, I must protest. The Crystal Heart is our best line of defense, and it only works in combination with the Crystal Tower. If we leave, we may never be able to return; and we’d be even more vulnerable than now while en route to Canterlot, or… Trottingham.” “I understand, Sergeant,” Cadence responded darkly, “but my husband is right. We have to get the population to safety.” She turned to Captain Ironheart. “At whatever cost to the Guard. Not a single Timberwolf can be allowed through. And there can be no retreat. If need be,” she explained, “you fight to the death.” Sergeant Stalwart raised a hoof, objecting again. “But – we may all die! We’d be – ghk!” Captain Ironheart cut him off by grabbing him by the neck and leading him out of the throne room. “Sergeant!” Cadence called, then bowed her head. “I know what I’m asking. But there’s no other way.” “Now do your duty, soldier!” Shining Armor added. “You took an oath.” With that he closed the door behind the guards and turned towards his wife. She slumped in the throne and he came up to her, crouching down to look her in the eyes. “It’s hard, I know. But we need you. The whole Crystal Empire does. And they need you to be confident, to have courage. They need you to believe that things will be all right.” Cadence nodded as tears began to trace a path down her cheeks. “I know… but I don’t believe that.” She curled up, sobbing, as her Prince embraced her. “I don’t, I don’t…” The Keelerak severed the strand of web it had spun with a click of its mandibles. The Oohnorak next to it rolled the cocoon over, gluing the strand to its surface. It climbed to the ceiling of the cave and hung the cocoon there, next to two smaller ones of similar construction. Zarsorak, a white-shelled Suukorak and leader of the surveying squad, entered the cave. He glanced around, pleased with the visible progress. The cave, once filled with old, dying vines, had been stripped bare. Some of the larger vines still sat outside the cave entrance. In their place, the cave had been covered in Visorak webbing. The floor was covered in strands weaving a symbolic map of the area. Inspired by the webs themselves, Visorak maps were point-to-point, marking features of interest, but also high points as good candidates for the nexus of a web network. On the walls, web strands led to traps set around the forest for wild creatures. If nothing else, this world was teeming with food. On the ceiling, then, were the first captures. One was a large predator that seemed to be made of the same material as the local plant life. It was mostly inedible, but valuable as a specimen for analysis. Two smaller, fleshy creatures had also been captured, and they hung in the cocoons, dissolving for consumption later. The Keelerak and Oohnorak turned and bowed before their squad leader, clicking a greeting. The Keelerak stepped forward and delivered its report. Zarsorak. The maps have been updated, as ordered. The Vohtarak and your Roporak are hunting to the west. The scout Roporak is leading the Boggarak to a body of water it saw for mapping. Zarsorak clicked his mandibles, climbing up to the cave ceiling to check on the food. Nelerak, why won’t you use their names? It’s much simpler. You have earned your name, Zarsorak, the Keelerak replied sternly. But I will not disgrace the horde by taking a meritless one. There is no disgrace in it, Zarsorak replied. But now is not the time to debate this. I need to examine the map. Has anyone found the forest’s edge yet? No, but a few more caves have been found. They haven’t been completely explored yet. Have you memorized the map, Nelerak? Yes. Then go. Report to Sidorak. The Keelerak bowed and walked off towards the portal. Zarsorak turned to the Oohnorak. Andorak, I’d like you to explore those caves. He gestured with his mandibles to one of the points on the map. Start with this one, please. The Oohnorak bowed and left, but was nearly trampled at the cave entrance by a Boggarak and the Roporak who had discovered this world. The two rushed up to Zarsorak, the Boggarak chattering excitedly. We’ve found a village, Zarsorak. The Roporak infiltrated and – Slow down, Zarsorak interrupted. Roporak, you were there. You will report. Where is this village? A short way up the river, the scout answered. The river leads quickly to the edge of the forest, and the village is visible from there. I camouflaged and walked the circumference. And who are the inhabitants? More fleshy things. Quadrupedal, but they can fly, and have some telekinetic powers. There are about a hundred of them. But there may be more villages elsewhere. Did you map the village? Yes. The scout clicked its mandibles together in laughter. It is defenseless. 2: TrackingAuthor's Note I know it's been a really long time (about 9 months, I should think), and I'm really sorry I haven't updated. School got in the way, etc., etc.. Anyway, I am back for the moment, and I hope to make some more chapters soon. I'll be able to write over the summer just fine, but when I go back to school in the fall, I'll probably have to stop again. I'll be taking a creative writing course, and I don't think I'll have time for that writing and this writing in conjunction with normal school. Whatever my state is with respect to writing, I'll be sure to let you guys know rather than just falling silent for months on end. None of that matters right now, though! Now, there is reading to do! (or in my case, writing!) 2: Tracking Queen Chrysalis sat brooding, silent amidst the insectoid flutterings of the Changeling Hive. Her scouts had completely lost control over the beasts she had been planning to use. More than a few had died upon discovering that fact. The rest had died upon her discovering it. This was a major defeat, threatening catastrophe if the Crystal Empire was evacuated. The Changeling Queen was a long-term planner. She had worked nearly a decade to get herself into Canterlot, only to be thrown out in a day by the magic of her own food. But she had recreated her plans, prepared them, aged them to perfection… only to be foiled again. What angered her was not the setback - she was patient, and had many centuries still to live. What she couldn’t stand was that she had no idea who had defeated her. Without that knowledge, she couldn’t adapt. She did have an idea of how to get that knowledge, though. “Grez!” She called, and her scoutmaster was instantly by her side. “Muster another company of infiltrators.” “What would you have them do, Majesty?” Grez asked, bowing. “I want sleeper agents all across the Equine Empires. Sooner or later, they’ll figure out what’s happened to the animals. And I will know before they do. Understood?” “Yes… Majesty.” The scoutmaster backed away and launched himself into the chambers of the Hive. A moment later, Chrysalis felt a tingle at the tip of her horn. She sat and cast a spell, and the image of a changeling appeared in front of her. “Nergaz,” she said coldly. “Again.” “Majesty. I was unable to stop the evacuation. It begins tomorrow morning.” “I see. Stay with them. See what you can learn.” “Yes, my Queen.” An armored fist slammed down on a boulder, shattering it. “Blast it, where are they going?” “If we knew that, we wouldn’t be tracking them. And breaking rocks won’t get us any further.” The Toa of Fire stood up. “Let’s get moving.” The Toa of Stone reached over to lever himself up against a rock, only to stumble forward as he realized he’d already shattered it. As he recovered from his fall, he shook his fist at the Toa of Fire. “Norik…” A Toa of Ice approached him from behind, laying his hand on Pouks’ shoulder. “We are all angry, brother. But we must save our fury for the horde.” Pouks breathed a sigh of frustration. “You’re right, Kualus.” He straightened a little and approached the Toa of Fire. “Right behind you, Norik.” “Lead on, brother,” Norik said, gesturing to Iruini. A call came from behind. “Brothers, come back!” Iruini turned around. “What is it, Bomonga?” “It’s Gaaki! Her mask!” Iruini activated his mask and teleported by his sister’s side. The Toa of Water had apparently collapsed, though Bomonga had caught her in mid-fall. Her mask glowed brightly and she seemed to have gone limp. He looked up worriedly at the Toa of Earth. “Let’s lay her down.” Norik approached at a lope. “Is she all right?” “It’s fine, brother,” Bomonga replied. “I caught her. But I don’t like it. Every time she does this, we find nothing but trouble.” “That may be true,” Norik answered, “but this time, we’re looking for trouble.” The other Toa quickly returned and gathered around Gaaki. They waited in anxious silence for an endless minute before the Toa of Water began to stir again. She propped herself up, and looked around for a moment, disoriented. When she got her bearings again, she looked up at Norik. “I’ve found them.” Princess Celestia frowned as she reread the letter from Princess Cadence. Evacuation! It was very sudden, and completely unexplained. Canterlot’s best zoologists assured her that these attacks were inexplicable, massive, and highly organized with respect to these creatures’ normal behavior. That could only mean an external force was at work, most likely a magical one. From what it had wrought on the Crystal Empire, it was unlikely to be benevolent. Though Equestria had a larger population, with more and better-equipped guards, it was also much larger than the Crystal Empire. If these creatures followed the crystal ponies in, she would have a border too long and too empty to be defensible. She needed to ask for help, and her best option fell far short of trustworthy. Yet she had asked all the same, and he was expected any minute. A puff of smoke appeared noisily in front of her, quickly dissipating to reveal a top hat and cape separated only by squinted red-and-yellow eyes. With a swirl the cape flew back to reveal the Master of Chaos. “Your Royal Highness!” he proclaimed ostentatiously. “To what do I owe the honor of this summons?” “Discord…” “Ah, ah!” he interrupted, advancing towards Celestia’s throne. “Allow me to guess. Had a little too much cake? Trouble with a tummy-ache? Escaping angry mobs demanding Princess on a stake?” “Discord!” By now he’d made it up to the steps, and he continued, heedless of the Princess’ calls. “But I’ve always wondered why it’s still Princess. Isn’t a millennium and a half enough? Aren’t you ready to be Queen? Or maybe, you think the title makes you look younger.” Celestia found herself nose-to-nose with the Master of Chaos, staring her expectantly in the eye. “Discord!” He stretched back, and in a single flip, returned to his original position. “What can I do for you, Majesty?” “Discord, this is serious. Princess Cadence is evacuating the Crystal Empire.” “Yes, yes, rogue Timberwolves, Ursae, all that. Your messenger explained. What do you want me to do? Reconquer the Crystal City?” “No,” Celestia sighed. “The Crystal Empire is lost. We need to think of our own defense.” “Defense? As in… border patrol? You realize I’m the Spirit of Chaos.” “You’re the only one who can, Discord. I don’t have an army.” “You have three other alicorns, Princess! And – oh yes! – a country.” “Cadence is with the crystal ponies, Discord. My sister is clearing the way for their arrival, and I am needed here to ensure they have food and shelter when they arrive. Princess Twilight I will ask to investigate these attacks. Discord… we need you. Please. Help us.” Discord hesitated for a moment, then began to smile. “Consider it done,” he said, and disappeared.
Prologue: DiscoveryA lone Roporak scurried through the dark stone corridors. Most Roporak were used as snipers, but this one had been assigned to scout a minor island. The horde couldn’t be bothered with every island it came across, so it sent scouts out to find the worthwhile targets. The Roporak wasn’t pleased by the change of scenery; the whole island it had been sent to explore was deserted. Not even Rahi lived here anymore. Still, there was the matter of this construction it was now exploring. What remained of the huge building was built like a castle, but its function seemed to have been closer to a lab. So far, the Visorak had found little sign of what was being researched. For that, it was thankful. It cleared its mind with a snap of its mandibles, and continued its exploration. Another tiny room. This design seemed inexplicable. Along these corridors were dozens of rooms barely larger than the Roporak itself, separated by thick stone walls and even thicker metal doors. Many were locked; the few that were open seemed empty. It glanced down the corridor. Only four doors to go. It reached up to the handle of the next door with its mandibles, and pulled hard. The door slid slightly outwards, then began to resist. It was even harder to open than the other doors had been, but it was clearly unlocked. As the Roporak pulled harder, it heard a squelching rip and the door swung open a little further. The Visorak peeked through the crack of the doorway, and saw… vines? The Roporak heaved again and tore a few more vines loose. The door swung open and slammed against the stone wall. Both were so heavy that there was no noise other than a soft thump. The Visorak redirected its attention to the room. Vines had clearly been growing on the door for decades, with only its immense weight holding them back from consuming the entire building. But they seemed to lead to a black, swirling hole in the wall – possibly through it. Cautiously, the Roporak poked its foreleg into the hole. Nothing happened. It reached its whole leg through – besides disappearing, nothing. It could still feel the leg, and – after pulling it out to check – it was still there. The Roporak hesitated for a moment, but knew its duty. It leapt headfirst into the hole. It immediately decided that its jump was a mistake. It felt itself warping, folding and unfolding, stretching and shrinking and rotating; but the sensation was short-lived. It emerged a moment later and fell on its side. Dragging itself upright, the scout tried to find its bearings. It seemed to be in some sort of cavern, overgrown by immense vines that stretched out the cave entrance not very far away. Behind it was the same swirling black hole, suspended in the cave wall, with a few thinner strands of the vine reaching through. Uncertain of what to do, the Roporak walked slowly towards the outside. As it approached the light, it camouflaged itself and tried to move slowly to stay invisible. The Visorak emerged slowly into a forest of black trees. Insects buzzed everywhere, and there were signs of abundant larger Rahi – damage to the trees, nests, even a faint smell of excrement. Before it could try to make sense of its observations, it heard a howl and footsteps. It retreated quickly to the edge of the cave and kept its camouflage up. A few small, strange-looking Rahi darted past the Visorak’s cave, followed by a larger one, a predator – made out of wood? The Roporak withdrew further into the cave, coming back to the portal. This place would need many more scouts, the Visorak reasoned, and Sidorak would need to hear of this as soon as possible. Bracing itself, the Roporak leaped again through the portal and out into the world it knew. It quickly started back towards Sidorak’s camp and the rest of the horde. Sidorak pored carefully over his map of the surrounding area. One by one, his scouts were coming in; they had found these islands barren. The Visorak were on their way to the northern continent, but the horde had had to cross great expanses of blank sea to get there, interrupted only by barren dots of land. The boredom, and, more importantly, the hunger, was making them restless. Their next bloodlust would be formidable. If he kept them waiting much longer, they might devour a Zivon in their frenzy. The Visorak’s king was beginning to get restless as well. The Visorak were intelligent, but even Sidorak would hesitate to call them civilized. He wondered how hungry they would have to get to eat each other… or him. He was in dire need of good news. A knock at the door drew Sidorak out of his thoughts. “Come,” he called. An old, wiry Visorak pushed open the door and bowed as best a Visorak can, stiffened by its thick ebon shell. “Angasorak,” Sidorak said, and he nodded even though he knew the spider could not see him. Angasorak was one of the cleverest of the Oohnorak – just enough to be effective, not too much to control. It was just as loyal as all the Oohnorak; this one had once infiltrated a dissident group, of its own initiative, to destroy a mutiny. To better infiltrate, it had allowed itself to be blinded. Angasorak was Sidorak’s most trusted advisor, his bodyguard and doorman. “Angasorak,” Sidorak called. “Speak.” It clicked out a message in the spiders’ metallic language. Another scout, Sire. Sidorak frowned. The scouts hadn’t been bringing him good news lately. “Bring him.” The Visorak scuttled back through the door, and reemerged a moment later with a Roporak in tow. They both bowed, making their obedience. Sidorak crossed his arms. “You’re late,” he remarked, and though he was more or less indifferent, he enjoyed the shudder he saw overtake the Roporak. “What have you found?” It is difficult to describe in full, the Roporak explained, but to be brief, I found a portal. It led to some kind of forest filled with strange creatures, Rahi of flesh alone. “How large is this forest?” It was difficult to tell, but judging from the Rahi I saw, it would have to be of considerable size. If I may make a judgement, Sire, I believe it is worthy of more than a single scout. Sidorak gestured for the Roporak to rise, and beckoned him to the map, carved, to scale, into a table. Sidorak stood and walked over to the map as well. “Show me this portal.” Buried deep beneath the snows surrounding the Crystal City, an ancient mind stirred. I’ve been away too long, it thought. After a thousand years, they remembered me. Yet it’s only been two more and I can sense great change. The tiny shard of horn began to grow, softening and sprouting a thin coat of fur. Turmoil is coming to this world, and I will take center stage once more. The horn grew larger, and sprouted into a full pony body, pushing the snow away. I will reclaim my kingdom, and extend it to the ends of this world. Snow began to melt around the body as it warmed up. It reached up and began to dig its way out of the snow. Sombra shall rise!
1: CamouflageThe Timberwolf stared silently at its prey. The armored crystal pony, pinned underneath the living mass of wood, looked away. The pony could tell by the shadow that the beast had leaned close; he was all the more frightened to notice that it had no breath. Suddenly, the wooden wolf leapt back, and another armored pony stood above him, holding a torch in one hoof. She reached out the other hoof and helped him up, without looking at him at all. He shook the snow off his armor, too relieved to be embarrassed. “Captain! Uh… thank you.” The Captain of the Crystal Guard nodded, her eyes fixed on the wolf. “Sergeant Stalwart.” The Captain never spoke much. Here her two words served as a greeting, a response to his thanks, and a reminder to pay attention to the matter at hand. The Sergeant wasn’t sure, but there might have been a hint of reprimand in there as well. He fumbled in the snow and found his glaive. “Blast these ceremonial weapons,” he commented, more to quiet his mind than anything else. “They’re only effective at saluting.” In response, Captain Ironheart simply stared at the wolf. The beast pulled back a few paces through the muffling snow, then charged again. It stopped short as Ironheart waved her torch in its face, and started to walk backwards again. The Captain followed it closely, keeping the same distance between her torch and the wolf’s flammable body. She gestured with her head for the Sergeant to follow. He made a few probing lunges with his glaive, and the Captain waved her torch again; the wolf had finally had enough and turned away. Captain Ironheart held up a leg to stop Sergeant Stalwart from pursuing it further, but the two stood and watched it silently until it had disappeared behind a mound of snow. The Captain extinguished her torch in the snow and dropped it in her pack. “Rearm the Guard with torches,” she ordered, “and double the external sentries. Use their leisure shift if you have to.” Stalwart looked down at the snow, just beginning to clear as they approached the Crystal City’s boundary. “Is it that bad?” “There are many more out there.” Ironheart hadn’t answered the question directly, but it was clear that the guard was stretched. The Crystal City was large, with no walls, and the Crystal Heart didn’t seem to dissuade these Timberwolves. She paused for a moment, and looked up at the Sergeant. “Go,” she finally said. “And thank the Sun that those Ursae haven’t joined in.” Stalwart was about to turn away when a question occurred to him. “Well… where are you going, Captain?” “I have to report to the Princess,” she answered. “And… I’m going to recommend an evacuation.” “A what?” called a voice from behind them. The Captain turned around, and immediately bowed. “Prince Shining Armor! An – evacuation, your Highness.” “It’s that serious…” the Prince said darkly. “All right, come with me. We’ll talk to Cadence together.” The Sergeant began to walk back towards the barracks, but when the Captain was out of sight, he stopped. He slid stealthily into a shadowed corner of a back alley, and in a swirling flash of green, he reverted to his usual form. His body was black, pitted and sometimes pierced completely through at the ends of his legs. He had a twisted and pockmarked horn, and worn, insect-like wings. He hunched slightly as his horn began to glow. Under the strain of the magic flowing through it, the horn also seemed to warp and twist. An image shimmered into focus in front of the changeling, and he bowed to it. “Queen Chrysalis…” “Nergaz,” she responded. “Forgive the intrusion, but it is important –” “or you would not have broken cover,” she said grimly. “Speak.” “I… the beasts are gathered, but – they’re attacking.” “Already?” “I could find no signs of your trappers, Majesty. And the attacks are too intense. Even now, Armor and Cadenza are considering evacuation.” “What? Evacuation? No!” There was a long pause before she spoke again. “I will send tamers and scouts to deal with the animals. Discourage the evacuation, but don’t break cover… stay with them. Find out what’s going on.” “Yes, Majesty.” Nergaz let the spell dissipate and shifted again into the shape of Sergeant Stalwart. “If I can.” “Evacuate?” Cadence shouted. “You slept for a thousand years; we fought, every one of us, harder than we’d ever fought before; we lived here two years so we could evacuate?” Shining Armor backed up a few paces. Even through her pink fur, he could tell his wife was livid. He could also tell why: she was afraid. She knew Captain Ironheart was right. He cleared his throat and tried to be gentle in the face of the Princess’ anger. “Cadence… we have to think of the safety of the Crystal Ponies. They have always been our first priority. And if we let our pride in the terrain of this city overshadow our care for its people – we will have failed.” Sergeant Stalwart burst into the room, bowing as he did so. “Your Highness, I must protest. The Crystal Heart is our best line of defense, and it only works in combination with the Crystal Tower. If we leave, we may never be able to return; and we’d be even more vulnerable than now while en route to Canterlot, or… Trottingham.” “I understand, Sergeant,” Cadence responded darkly, “but my husband is right. We have to get the population to safety.” She turned to Captain Ironheart. “At whatever cost to the Guard. Not a single Timberwolf can be allowed through. And there can be no retreat. If need be,” she explained, “you fight to the death.” Sergeant Stalwart raised a hoof, objecting again. “But – we may all die! We’d be – ghk!” Captain Ironheart cut him off by grabbing him by the neck and leading him out of the throne room. “Sergeant!” Cadence called, then bowed her head. “I know what I’m asking. But there’s no other way.” “Now do your duty, soldier!” Shining Armor added. “You took an oath.” With that he closed the door behind the guards and turned towards his wife. She slumped in the throne and he came up to her, crouching down to look her in the eyes. “It’s hard, I know. But we need you. The whole Crystal Empire does. And they need you to be confident, to have courage. They need you to believe that things will be all right.” Cadence nodded as tears began to trace a path down her cheeks. “I know… but I don’t believe that.” She curled up, sobbing, as her Prince embraced her. “I don’t, I don’t…” The Keelerak severed the strand of web it had spun with a click of its mandibles. The Oohnorak next to it rolled the cocoon over, gluing the strand to its surface. It climbed to the ceiling of the cave and hung the cocoon there, next to two smaller ones of similar construction. Zarsorak, a white-shelled Suukorak and leader of the surveying squad, entered the cave. He glanced around, pleased with the visible progress. The cave, once filled with old, dying vines, had been stripped bare. Some of the larger vines still sat outside the cave entrance. In their place, the cave had been covered in Visorak webbing. The floor was covered in strands weaving a symbolic map of the area. Inspired by the webs themselves, Visorak maps were point-to-point, marking features of interest, but also high points as good candidates for the nexus of a web network. On the walls, web strands led to traps set around the forest for wild creatures. If nothing else, this world was teeming with food. On the ceiling, then, were the first captures. One was a large predator that seemed to be made of the same material as the local plant life. It was mostly inedible, but valuable as a specimen for analysis. Two smaller, fleshy creatures had also been captured, and they hung in the cocoons, dissolving for consumption later. The Keelerak and Oohnorak turned and bowed before their squad leader, clicking a greeting. The Keelerak stepped forward and delivered its report. Zarsorak. The maps have been updated, as ordered. The Vohtarak and your Roporak are hunting to the west. The scout Roporak is leading the Boggarak to a body of water it saw for mapping. Zarsorak clicked his mandibles, climbing up to the cave ceiling to check on the food. Nelerak, why won’t you use their names? It’s much simpler. You have earned your name, Zarsorak, the Keelerak replied sternly. But I will not disgrace the horde by taking a meritless one. There is no disgrace in it, Zarsorak replied. But now is not the time to debate this. I need to examine the map. Has anyone found the forest’s edge yet? No, but a few more caves have been found. They haven’t been completely explored yet. Have you memorized the map, Nelerak? Yes. Then go. Report to Sidorak. The Keelerak bowed and walked off towards the portal. Zarsorak turned to the Oohnorak. Andorak, I’d like you to explore those caves. He gestured with his mandibles to one of the points on the map. Start with this one, please. The Oohnorak bowed and left, but was nearly trampled at the cave entrance by a Boggarak and the Roporak who had discovered this world. The two rushed up to Zarsorak, the Boggarak chattering excitedly. We’ve found a village, Zarsorak. The Roporak infiltrated and – Slow down, Zarsorak interrupted. Roporak, you were there. You will report. Where is this village? A short way up the river, the scout answered. The river leads quickly to the edge of the forest, and the village is visible from there. I camouflaged and walked the circumference. And who are the inhabitants? More fleshy things. Quadrupedal, but they can fly, and have some telekinetic powers. There are about a hundred of them. But there may be more villages elsewhere. Did you map the village? Yes. The scout clicked its mandibles together in laughter. It is defenseless.
2: TrackingAuthor's Note I know it's been a really long time (about 9 months, I should think), and I'm really sorry I haven't updated. School got in the way, etc., etc.. Anyway, I am back for the moment, and I hope to make some more chapters soon. I'll be able to write over the summer just fine, but when I go back to school in the fall, I'll probably have to stop again. I'll be taking a creative writing course, and I don't think I'll have time for that writing and this writing in conjunction with normal school. Whatever my state is with respect to writing, I'll be sure to let you guys know rather than just falling silent for months on end. None of that matters right now, though! Now, there is reading to do! (or in my case, writing!) 2: Tracking Queen Chrysalis sat brooding, silent amidst the insectoid flutterings of the Changeling Hive. Her scouts had completely lost control over the beasts she had been planning to use. More than a few had died upon discovering that fact. The rest had died upon her discovering it. This was a major defeat, threatening catastrophe if the Crystal Empire was evacuated. The Changeling Queen was a long-term planner. She had worked nearly a decade to get herself into Canterlot, only to be thrown out in a day by the magic of her own food. But she had recreated her plans, prepared them, aged them to perfection… only to be foiled again. What angered her was not the setback - she was patient, and had many centuries still to live. What she couldn’t stand was that she had no idea who had defeated her. Without that knowledge, she couldn’t adapt. She did have an idea of how to get that knowledge, though. “Grez!” She called, and her scoutmaster was instantly by her side. “Muster another company of infiltrators.” “What would you have them do, Majesty?” Grez asked, bowing. “I want sleeper agents all across the Equine Empires. Sooner or later, they’ll figure out what’s happened to the animals. And I will know before they do. Understood?” “Yes… Majesty.” The scoutmaster backed away and launched himself into the chambers of the Hive. A moment later, Chrysalis felt a tingle at the tip of her horn. She sat and cast a spell, and the image of a changeling appeared in front of her. “Nergaz,” she said coldly. “Again.” “Majesty. I was unable to stop the evacuation. It begins tomorrow morning.” “I see. Stay with them. See what you can learn.” “Yes, my Queen.” An armored fist slammed down on a boulder, shattering it. “Blast it, where are they going?” “If we knew that, we wouldn’t be tracking them. And breaking rocks won’t get us any further.” The Toa of Fire stood up. “Let’s get moving.” The Toa of Stone reached over to lever himself up against a rock, only to stumble forward as he realized he’d already shattered it. As he recovered from his fall, he shook his fist at the Toa of Fire. “Norik…” A Toa of Ice approached him from behind, laying his hand on Pouks’ shoulder. “We are all angry, brother. But we must save our fury for the horde.” Pouks breathed a sigh of frustration. “You’re right, Kualus.” He straightened a little and approached the Toa of Fire. “Right behind you, Norik.” “Lead on, brother,” Norik said, gesturing to Iruini. A call came from behind. “Brothers, come back!” Iruini turned around. “What is it, Bomonga?” “It’s Gaaki! Her mask!” Iruini activated his mask and teleported by his sister’s side. The Toa of Water had apparently collapsed, though Bomonga had caught her in mid-fall. Her mask glowed brightly and she seemed to have gone limp. He looked up worriedly at the Toa of Earth. “Let’s lay her down.” Norik approached at a lope. “Is she all right?” “It’s fine, brother,” Bomonga replied. “I caught her. But I don’t like it. Every time she does this, we find nothing but trouble.” “That may be true,” Norik answered, “but this time, we’re looking for trouble.” The other Toa quickly returned and gathered around Gaaki. They waited in anxious silence for an endless minute before the Toa of Water began to stir again. She propped herself up, and looked around for a moment, disoriented. When she got her bearings again, she looked up at Norik. “I’ve found them.” Princess Celestia frowned as she reread the letter from Princess Cadence. Evacuation! It was very sudden, and completely unexplained. Canterlot’s best zoologists assured her that these attacks were inexplicable, massive, and highly organized with respect to these creatures’ normal behavior. That could only mean an external force was at work, most likely a magical one. From what it had wrought on the Crystal Empire, it was unlikely to be benevolent. Though Equestria had a larger population, with more and better-equipped guards, it was also much larger than the Crystal Empire. If these creatures followed the crystal ponies in, she would have a border too long and too empty to be defensible. She needed to ask for help, and her best option fell far short of trustworthy. Yet she had asked all the same, and he was expected any minute. A puff of smoke appeared noisily in front of her, quickly dissipating to reveal a top hat and cape separated only by squinted red-and-yellow eyes. With a swirl the cape flew back to reveal the Master of Chaos. “Your Royal Highness!” he proclaimed ostentatiously. “To what do I owe the honor of this summons?” “Discord…” “Ah, ah!” he interrupted, advancing towards Celestia’s throne. “Allow me to guess. Had a little too much cake? Trouble with a tummy-ache? Escaping angry mobs demanding Princess on a stake?” “Discord!” By now he’d made it up to the steps, and he continued, heedless of the Princess’ calls. “But I’ve always wondered why it’s still Princess. Isn’t a millennium and a half enough? Aren’t you ready to be Queen? Or maybe, you think the title makes you look younger.” Celestia found herself nose-to-nose with the Master of Chaos, staring her expectantly in the eye. “Discord!” He stretched back, and in a single flip, returned to his original position. “What can I do for you, Majesty?” “Discord, this is serious. Princess Cadence is evacuating the Crystal Empire.” “Yes, yes, rogue Timberwolves, Ursae, all that. Your messenger explained. What do you want me to do? Reconquer the Crystal City?” “No,” Celestia sighed. “The Crystal Empire is lost. We need to think of our own defense.” “Defense? As in… border patrol? You realize I’m the Spirit of Chaos.” “You’re the only one who can, Discord. I don’t have an army.” “You have three other alicorns, Princess! And – oh yes! – a country.” “Cadence is with the crystal ponies, Discord. My sister is clearing the way for their arrival, and I am needed here to ensure they have food and shelter when they arrive. Princess Twilight I will ask to investigate these attacks. Discord… we need you. Please. Help us.” Discord hesitated for a moment, then began to smile. “Consider it done,” he said, and disappeared.
