Dimensional Chronicles

This chapter is more of a slice of life for the characters to help transition into bigger events.
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Dimensional Chronicles Chapter 7: Trial and Error.

Three Weeks Later.
It was a hazy dawn in the Everfree Forest, the kind that made you wonder where all that water came from. Not that the creature waking beneath the earth knew or cared. with a simple flick of its power the creature blew away the cage that had imprisoned it for the past ten years to be greeted by its two best and only friends. A grinning red pegasus stallion with scars over most of its body, ragged feathers and dull black shark-like eyes, and a preened yellow pegasus stallion with ice blue eyes mirrored only in coldness by the rest of its demeanor. The red one’s cutie mark was a copper upside-down five point star, the yellow one’s was a gold and silver cross surrounded by blue flames.

“Good morning Andromeda.” The red one said warmly.
“We’ve lost valuable time thanks to your little nap.” The yellow one spoke. The only word able to describe its voice was frigid, you would have expected frost to form around its mouth. “The next stop is two miles to the north.”
“Well Raphael woke up on the wrong side of the bed… again. Good morning to you as well Beelzebub, glad to be welcomed back warmly by somepony.” Andromeda shook the dirt off its wings and took off, followed closely by Rafael and Beelzebub.

“Lets start with a school, I always like doing schoolfoals.” Beelzebub asked eagerly. “If I remember correctly the last time we got to do foals was that family the Pie’s, that was what, twelve years ago? And we missed the pink one with the balloon mark. What do you say Ralphy?”
“I say that as always, children is never the place to start. You judge the parents first, only then can you make the proper decision about them.”
“Doesn’t the teacher count?” At that moment two things happened, first the three figures cleared the forest to view the half rebuilt Ponyville and Andromeda was struck with a high frequency sound that sent its mind reeling along with its body into the dirt.

“Will you ever learn to fly properly, mare?” Raphael set down beside her as Beelzebub fell on her other side laughing. Andromeda picked herself up, growling.
“Who dares strike the great judge?” She yelled angrily in the direction that the inconvenient burst of sound had come from. Standing there was a mint green mare in an intimidating white and blue mask.
“Andromeda Morningdew; you are under arrest for breaking from your cell prematurely. you have the right to remain silent and a lawyer, although just the fact that you’re not in your cell means that you’ve already been found guilty.” Beelzebub and Raphael took one look at each other and said.

“Guilty! This mare is guilty of striking and then threatening the great judge, kill her.” Andromeda rose to her hooves materializing a great energy axe and glaring at this mint master of sound.
“Well they did warn me you wouldn’t go quietly.” The mare stood on her hind legs brandishing a clawed gauntlet which she flicked at Andromeda, sending another blast of sound at her. Andromeda dodged, striking with the great axe which the green mare sidestepped and struck back out with four wires that sprung from the claws, wrapping around each of Andromeda’s wings and her neck, bringing her back down to the earth, they then started to vibrate at such a rate which made it hard to even think about anything other than the need to breath.

The great axe evaporated into sparkling silver energy before disappearing completely.
“Raphael, Beelzebub… help me. Please.” Raphael turned up his nose and Beelzebub just shrugged before running strait through her masked assailant.
“You’re pitiful, talking to imaginary friends; how could something so delusional be considered a threat to the kingdom?” The mare tried to walk close enough to stand above her only to recoil, grunting in pain as she hit an invisible wall that shocked her. A wall Andromeda knew just surviving that much contact with while she was conscious was a feat to be proud of. “Oh right.” The green mare snapped her claws and the cords vibrated in a way that somehow rendered her unconscious.
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“So Celestia, what case could be so important that we both had to be called in to judge?” Luna yawned, she and Celestia were walking through what they called the Law and Order section of Canterlot towards the great courthouse that stood in the center of the district. "I should be in bed right now."
“Well Luna, it appears that a very powerful convict has broken free from her cell before her parole.” Celestia opened the courtroom door and strode with Luna beside her up to the podium in the back of the room. They turned back to view the jury and those who came to view the law and order process, mostly students but today they were both very surprised to see both Makuta’s Krika and Vamprah along with the shadow pony Gavla in the audience.

Those three were supposed to be back in Ponyville aiding with the repairs. But Celestia proceeded according to protocol. Luna looked at Vamprah’s nervous, sightless, eyes and Gavla whispering to him, he was worried that he was about to stand trial, Luna chuckled inwardly. “Bring in the prisoner.” Celestia said loudly. The side doors that led to the impound were swung open; from there a silver coated mare with a purple mane was wheeled in, her limbs, wings and neck bound to a frame to prevent any sort of movement, beyond observing her surroundings and speaking. Her cutie mark was a red nine point star that had a blue cross within all surrounded by a gold ring. The mare stared out at them all coldly with cruel judging eyes and an angry sneer; her feathers were ragged, she had five scars marked by black fur, one across the base of her neck going around to her right shoulder, one on her left wing, one on her right foreleg, another around the right side of her stomach, one more on her left hind leg and a hunk missing from her right ear; this mare had seen brutality, but even beyond the impressive battle scars the biggest surprise was this, she had a horn. Her horn and wings were bound by magic blocking braces. She looked the surprised Luna right in the face and said teasingly.

“Don’t look so surprised by the scars princess, your sister gave them to me.” Luna turned to her sister.
“Celestia, she’s one of us?”
“No Luna, you with your shadowsight should be able to tell this even better than I.” Luna brought her shadowsight to bear, peering past all illusions surrounding the mare. The wings were made of restrained fire and lightning and two previously unseen beings hovered about her, every now and then leaning in to whisper something; the mare’s soul was surprisingly intact for a convict with only a single mark in the shape of a broken heart over her scowling brow-line, marking that compassion was a dead thing to her, something never to be given to another and never willingly received, it was a rare mark indeed, known as the Heartless. Luna was about to turn off the power when something happened, the two beings came into focus both staring right at her, Luna recoiled in disgust; both bore the Heartless but one was terribly scarred, smiling maniacally with dead eyes and the other glared at her with a coldness to match prince Blueblood on an off day. She cast away the shadow sight.

“She bears the Heartless, that is not a mark given to an unwilling host; The Heartless can only be accepted by or given to one who will gladly bear it for the rest of their life.”
“Gladly; does she look happy to you?”
“No, but her red friend does.” At this Andromeda’s angry expression was replaced by one of surprise and malefic joy.
“You see them too?”
“Why yes I do; I ha-”
“They’re Real!” The mare cackled evilly “They’re Real! I told this exact court that ten years ago and none of you believed me. You called me mad Celestia but look now. They’re Real!” She cackled some more.
“No.” Luna spoke firmly and the chained mare stopped trying her best to hop in her restraints. “They are not real; they are outlets of you, the constructs of a deranged mind.”

“What, but you said?”
“I said I could see them, I see such constructs every night; although I will admit yours are the most hostile I’ve come across so far. They are not real, you are mad.”
“I’m not crazy! I am the true judge of this world, the guilty cannot stand in my presence, I’ve crushed entire cities just by walking through them, all fall to dust at my hooves, you think you can hold me, I showed you how pathetic that notion was last time you had me here. Raphael, Beelzebub give me your power!” Several seconds passed and nothing happened. “Guy’s a little help here, we discussed this back in the cell.” There was another pause, at this point even the sightless Vamprah had his face trained on Andromeda with an eyebrow raised. “What do you mean you're already doing it?!” She shook her head. “Nonononono what trickery is this, these are the same sorts of bonds I was in the first time, why isn’t it working you hydra?” Andromeda’s gaze was fixed on Celestia with a fury that could, and Luna was starting to bet had, melted through steel.
“I had these specially made for you Morning Dew, my little pony.”
“I am not yours! And neither is anypony else in this room. I refuse to be addressed by that name!”
“Why? Because it was your grandmother’s?”
“That mare was a fool! And she was only the first to fall under my judgment. The whole of Equestria is still unclean and I‘m the only one with the guts to clean it.” Celestia lifted a large stack of papers.

“Morning Dew, you are hereby charged with breaking sentence, resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer, on top of your previous charges of, repeated arson, mass murder, foal killing and the list goes on. How do you plead?”
“Not guilty.” Luna cast her a puzzled look. She had just admitted to murder. “None of these acts were committed against those who had not received the death sentence; I was simply carrying out the punishments.” Celestia rolled her eyes seeming to know what the answer would be to the question protocol required.
“Who sentenced them?”
“God.”
“God?” Luna spoke up. “Or your two constructs?”
“God gives the sentence, they deliver it, I carry it out.”
“You really are insane. They are part of you, they know nothing you don’t already; much less the commands of a divine being.” Luna felt her shadowsight ripped open.
“Who does she think she is? We wouldn’t lie to you. Even if we did, what would we get out of it? Ralphy is never happy.” The red one was yelling.

“Why would they lie to me?”
“Judging from the charges I would say because they are a manifestation of bloodlust.” Luna addressed the prisoner before turning to whisper to Celestia. “Are you sure imprisonment is best for her? She needs help, I would suggest an asylum so she can be rid of those two ‘things’ attached to her mind.”
“Well I guess that seeing as we now have strong enough power braces we could do that.” Celestia turned to the jury. “What is your verdict concerning the first charge?”

“Guilty.”
“Then Morning Dew I hereby sentence you to be held in the Canterlot Asylum until further notice, your braces will be stitched into your skin so that you cannot remove them. You are dismissed.” The frame was turned back towards the door as Andromeda screamed.
“You can’t do this to me! I will have my retribution on you all!” The guards rolled her out, rolling their eyes as they went.
“Well that was… different.”
“She did that last time when I buried her too.”
“Buried her?”
“Her cell was underground.”

“An old friend of yours?” Krika approached them with an enthusiastic Gavla in tow. At least she was enthusiastic until she noticed Luna was looking at her, then she started glaring daggers at the Lunar princess. Gavla considered the twenty-four hour warning test unforgivable. Krika stepped between the two. “Your highnesses.” He bowed low.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that.” Celestia shallowly bowed back.
“Oh you know how aristocrats are; one wrong move and they’ll think we’re engaged.” All four of them laughed. “Ahh. That’s not my joke.”
“Than whose was it?”
“Makuta Tridax I believe." Krika scratched the back of his head. "It was originally a jab at the Skakdi; a race of spiny primates with outrageous greeting customs, at least at the time the joke was made. It was sadly true at the time, one wrong move and you could find yourself being chased out by an angry mob for everything from public indecency to attempted rape.” Luna chuckled.
“This isn’t what you’re here for and we both know it.” Celestia had regained her regal posturing, suddenly terrified by the upper class ponies that were shuffling out of the room. Krika looked over his shoulder at Gavla.

“Say Gavla why don’t you take Vamprah out to see the rest of the city? Being in a courthouse obviously has him nervous.” Gavla looked skeptically up at Krika before looking back to Vamprah. He looked ready to jump out of his skin, every noise that was larger than the sound of hooffalls was making him jump, especially if the sound involved metal.
“Oh my! I need to get him out of here before he hurts someone, or himself.” Gavla ran up to a twitchy Vamprah.
“I have a feeling that you don’t want what I have to say to get out into the public eye.” Krika looked around the room. “So I suggest that we go somewhere more private.” Celestia cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Come with me.” She led them down a hallway to the left of the courtroom. They stepped inside the central Security room, dismissing the guard that had been monitoring the crystal feeds.

“Now what could you have possibly found out in Ponyville that we wouldn’t want getting out?” Luna questioned Krika directly.
“Well I have some good news and some bad news, which do you want first.” Krika said while soundproofing the room.
“Bad news; if the good news goes first the bad always ruins it.”
“I was doing some research into pre-exile Equestria, it all added up until the point of the actual banishing. I’ve been pouring over the texts and although the Nightmare Moon account and the previous three years of text say that they have the same author they do not. The Nightmare Moon account is a fabrication, a well done fabrication but a fake none the less. Although the author either had access to ponies who were inside the castle, or they were there through the entire thing, because in order to fabricate history this well it cannot be far from the truth; it is a subtle lie.” The sisters stared open-mouthed at Krika. “That was both the good news and the bad news.” It was Luna who broke the sister’s silence.

“Wait so the good news is that the lie was well done?”
“Well I figured that in order for it to have lasted this long without either of you correcting it meant that you wanted the fabrication to be seen as the truth. The bad news was that I saw through it.” Celestia and Luna looked at each other for a moment before turning back to face Krika. “I would like to know what really happened.” Luna’s eyes went cold.
“Collect Vamprah and meet us at the castle.” Krika noted her reaction.
“Thank you.” He dropped the wards on the room and left.
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Krika found Vamprah and Gavla in a doughnut shop called ‘Pony Joe’s’ where she was doing her best impression of an angry drunk and he was scooting his stool away from her just slowly enough to not be noticed. Krika and Vamprah had to drag Gavla out kicking and screaming.
“I don’t want to go see Luna; she’s awful!”
“It’s a royal summons Gavla; you don’t really have a choice in the matter.” Krika was beyond irritated with her at this point.
“I know but was it really necessary to tie me to Vamprah’s back?” Gavla tugged at her restraints.
“Pony Joe was threatening to call the authorities on you so yes, yes it was.” Krika snapped, Gavla pouted.
“Fine.” Vamprah chuckled beneath her. “What’s so funny.” He didn’t respond. He hardly ever did in public and it didn’t get much more public than Canterlot Castle. “Oh come on Vamprah; they're aristocrats you had to deal with them all the time on Odina right?” Vamprah flinched.

“Those usually ended in riots.” He whispered. Gavla shuddered, some memory or emotion running through her mind.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself Vamprah. All you have to worry about is not making the same mistake twice.”
“Which one? The incident with Toa Dekal or joining Teridax?” Vamprah almost bucked her off; Krika could see him trying to restrain himself as they walked.
“Becoming so attached to you, you little saddlesore!” Krika retorted. Vamprah looked at him with an expression that no doubt meant ‘thank you.’
“Why are you doing that?” Gavla cocked an eyebrow.
“Doing what?”
“Saying things like saddlesore, it’s weird for one of your species.”
“I’m adopting native customs; it helps you seem more approachable and makes it easier to talk with ponies.”
“I still say it’s weird.” Gavla grumbled.
“And in case you hadn’t noticed, we seem to have become a species similar to the native.”
“Still weird.”
“I can’t say anything to sway you on the matter, can I?”
“Nope.”

“Well you are insufferable.” Luna walked up to them. “This is your new home after all. You should probably follow Krika’s lead.”
“In your twisted little dreams ‘princess.’” Gavla snarled, Krika rolled his eyes at her.
“Come with me.” Luna led them through the halls, drawing many curious stares from everypony, the waitstaff to the guards. They came to a large doorway leading up to Luna and Celestia’s personal armory.
“The closest thing to a war I’ve seen around here or even in your records for the past five-hundred years was Vamprah’s attack. Why do you have an armory?” Krika asked looking around at the intricate ceremonial pieces and plain utilitarian armor alike.
“It used to be purely ceremonial but ever since the Kenpachi incident last month we’ve been adding pieces.”
“Why weren’t you wearing any when you battled me?” Vamprah tapped a silver piece, wincing at the resulting sound. “Never mind. This stuff couldn’t protect you from a Makuta if it was a mile thick.”
“As I said, most of it’s decorative I only have two functional pieces. Good blacksmiths are hard to come by in Equestria. One of those pieces is actually why I called you here.”

“To see a piece of armor?” Gavla sounded incredulous.
“Without it there wouldn’t need to be a story.” Her horn lit up and the re-forged Nightmare Moon helmet sped towards her from the other side of the room. The blue metal of the helmet had been gilded around the edges with silver. It floated around the room to face the Makuta and Shadow. Vamprah reached out and tapped it, he was rewarded with a sharp shock. Krika leaned in closely, examining it. “The metal itself resisted enchantment so we had to gild silver onto the edges, as silver is easy to enchant. The metal is known as-”

“Protodermis?” Krika snatched the helmet out of the air. “What is protodermis doing in this dimension?”
“Well…” Luna said hesitantly. “Here we called it beforeskin.”
“Same thing.” Vamprah stated bluntly.
“My brother is right, Proto is the root for before and dermis is the root for skin. More importantly; where did you get this? And why did you need to enchant it?”
“It fell from the sky as a meteorite about seven thousand years ago. We had to enchant it because it has some sort of extraphysical properties. It opened my mind to an old imaginary friend; he was what caused me to become Nightmare Moon. It gave me great power but the price was dealing with a burning hatred.”
Krika looked long and hard at the armor.
“That must be some sort of allergic reaction, other than the silver this armor is powerless; it will flow to match the form of the one wearing it but other than that it’s just normal metal. It’s the same stuff Vamprah’s wing-blades are made of, along with Gavla’s and my blades.”
“Well the Enchanters said the same thing, but even if it is a placebo than at least it’s working.” Luna carefully put it up on a shelf. “He enhanced my anger and frustration; if anything good came from my ‘episode’ it was that it actually helped Celestia mellow out.” Gavla decided to speak up.

“Yeah, yeah; I’m real happy for ya and all but did I hear you say that you needed blacksmiths?”
“Well yes.”
“I used to assemble toa, pony armor for me would be a snap.”
“Gavla, are you offering your services to me of all ponies?”
“Yes.”
“And here I thought you didn’t like me.”
“Just you wait; I have conditions. Firstly I want a room in the castle for Vamprah and myself, secondly I want to be able to choose an assistant, thirdly, in case you haven’t noticed I have fangs, meaning I want some meat, enough of the vegetarian crap, and fourth I’ll need analogies for outfitting, living or otherwise.”
“Done, although I can’t promise anything on the meat problem.”
“Fine. Now if you need me I’ll be outside teasing upperclassmen. Come on Vamprah.” Vamprah turned to leave the room.

“She’s quite the little hellion isn’t she?” Luna asked smiling.
“You have no idea. We had to drag her out of a doughnut shop after the owner threatened to call the police on her.” Krika sighed.
“Why?”
“She threatened to stuff him into a giant jelly filled.”
“Oh my.” Luna brought a hoof up to her mouth, Somepony shrieked outside. Krika poked his head out the door.
“Is that prince Blueblood?”
“What?” Luna looked out. Prince Blueblood was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, bumping into walls, furniture and other ponies. “Yes that is. What in Equestria is he doing?” Krika looked to the left and saw Gavla laughing her flank off. He gave an exasperated sigh.
“Gavla.” Krika spoke curtly, he had run out of patience for her. She looked away from the still blinded Blueblood.
“I want that one.” She pointed at him, smiling mischievously. Luna looked over at her then back to Blueblood.
“Are you doing that?”
“Oh yeah!” Luna looked back at Blueblood.
“Gavla, what exactly does ‘assistant’ entail?”
“I get to give him all the crap I want and mess with his head as much as rationally possible.” Luna looked up and mouthed something that looked to be “Thank you god.”
“So it’s more like the court jester… deal!”
“Is he really that bad?” Krika had heard the story from Rarity but even that didn’t seem worthy of Gavla’s worst.
“Yes.” Blueblood started running towards Vamprah. Gavla cut the ropes binding her to him and jumped down right as Blueblood passed. She landed on his back, driving him to the ground and apparently released his sight. She pulled his head around to look at her.
“You and I are going to have so much fun together.” He shivered.
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Later that night
The Doctor spent his first day off from the recovery team with Ditsy Doo and so far it had proved rather awkward between them. Oh well, at least dinky had been enthusiastic to see mommy's friend ‘Doc’ for the first time. She had spent the day playing with him and was at the current moment asleep in her room. Ditsy broke the silence between them.

“You’re so much different from the last time I saw you.”
“I regenerated. Twice, I had wings a few years back.”
“It’s been twelve years for me. How long has it been for you?”
“Thirty.” The Doctor rubbed his shoulder nervously, Ditsy was starting to look angry. She grabbed a wax grape from the centerpiece on the table.
“You haven’t visited them for thirty years?” Ditsy crushed the wax into the polished wood of the table. The Doctor realized that he’d made a mistake in telling her that. “One of them isn't even living here anymore. How many companions is that?”
“None.” The Doctor hung his head a little. “I tried but they always ran.”
“Understandable.” Ditsy managed to wrangle her lazy eye in to look at him. The Doctor could tell she was pissed.
“You know why.” The Doctor spoke calmly, Ditsy’s face fell a little.
“Maybe they’ll be different. They are yours after all.”
“It’s happened before but they never are.” Ditsy looked hurt. This was about more than just ‘that’. “You know why I had to leave.”

“I know; you can’t get attached.” Ditsy said hurriedly. “But you did.”
“I thought I could die.” Anger at no one in particular glinted in his eye, Ditsy bristled.
“I wouldn’t care!” Ditsy yelled, the Doctor hung his head.
“Has it ever happened to you?” The Doctor almost choked on the words, Ditsy stopped bristling.
“What?”
“Have you ever had to stand by and watch as everything around you, everything you love is destroyed by time?” He raised his head to look her in the eyes. “Do you have any idea what that’s like? Knowing that you will probably never see them again; mortal beings have the ‘afterlife’ but I am immortal, I can’t go anywhere! I’ve seen it happen so many times… I can’t do it again. I- I can’t.” He hung his head again. “I wish I could be mortal but I’m not. I’m sorry, I know it hurts you too but I can’t.”

“I’ve been lying to them.” Ditsy leaned over the table, trying to catch his eye. “Can I at least tell them the truth?”
“If you can figure out how.”
“They’ll hate you.”
“I know. But that will make it easier. Can I take you for a ride before I go?”
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea.”
“Come on; anywhere, anywhen in the universe. It gets lonely without someone else there.”
“Promise to keep me away from other creatures?”
“How about Sephilon 4?”
“The crystal seas?”
“Probably.” Just then there was a shifting noise from upstairs.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t either.” Ditsy gave him a look that was a mix between vengeance and sadness, The Doctor slumped, defeated.
“I understand. I’ll see you tomorrow at the rebuilding right?”
“I’ll see you.”
“Whatever happened to making it easier?” Ditsy opened the door for him.
“Being alone is almost worse.” He closed the door behind himself.
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“Is this truly necessary?” Blueblood pleaded as he was dragged through the streets. “Really there must be a better way.” Gavla had Blueblood on a leash and was currently dragging him to her and Vamprah’s temporary shack in Ponyville.
“Well yes but none of the other options let me put you on a leash or use you as a pack mule. Now could you just go with it? Thanks to your straining it’s taken all night to get here.” Gavla chuckled. “I asked Krika to bring over a very special guest just for your arrival.”

Blueblood straitened marching along next to them with all the royal grace he could muster while on a leash.
“Really, who is it?”
“Oh, you’ve met.” Blueblood went to open the door and Gavla pulled him back. “Bad boy, master goes in first.” He glared at her from the ground. “Now roll over.”
“I will do no such thing! I am not some dog!”
“You will if you don’t want to walk in there feeling around like a beggar.” Blueblood growled but gave in to his tormentor. Gavla laughed. “Okay that’s enough.” She opened the door yanking Blueblood in after her rather unceremoniously, driving him down onto his chin.

“Prince Blueblood?” His eyes went wide. He knew that voice. “Oh this is too perfect.” A white hoof entered his field of vision and he looked up. Rarity stood over him sporting one of the most evil smiles he had ever seen; his pupils became dots of fear.
“As your prince I-gag.” The leash was pulled tight.
“That’s not what you are here.” Gavla taunted him.
“I demand-Gnk.” Gavla was having more fun with this than she should have. “I respectfully-hurk.” “If you don’t- glak.” “Please don’t hurt me!” He curled up in a ball with his hooves over his face.
“Vengeance is sweet.” Rarity mused over him. “But I have no intention of hurting you. Krika told me to bring the worst color to go with a white coat.” Blueblood shrieked as he realized what exactly was about to happen.
“Not green!”
“Yes green.” Gavla slipped a ring over Blueblood’s horn.
“Nooooooo!” Gavla used the rest of the leash to immobilize him as Rarity got the water ready. “Please no, please! Gavla I beg you!”

“Awww but I’m having fun.” Blueblood looked into her eyes. This mare was mad! Rarity walked up to him with a bowl, not only was the dye inside green, it was almost vomit like. She, without flare, dumped it over his head so that instead of getting a solid color, it would come out in patches.
“I will have you both arrested for this.” Blueblood snarled, Gavla laughed manically.
“But I have permission to do this.” She took out a roll of paper. “You signed yourself over this afternoon.”
“But the only thing I signed was the deal to be adviser for the new smith.” His face went blank as he slowly realized what was happening.
“And who do you think that was.” His jaw hung open. “Silly aristocrats, never do check the fine print. Do you?” She pulled out a paintbrush and dipped it in some blue paint. “Hold still or I will make this hurt.” She drew a stylized G on one of the still white spots on his neck. “You signed over your freedom pal. And it is against the contract to quit. The only way to get out of this is to make me get tired of you.”
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Krika was writing in a blank book he and Twilight had discovered in the basement of the library while searching for the original blueprints for Sugarcube corners.
“Krika, whatcha doing?” Sweetie Belle sat down next to him.
“Oh, just writing down the history of my world.” Krika said absentmindedly, adding the finishing touches onto a sketch.
“But I thought you didn’t like it there.” Sweetie Belle leaned against him, the gale-like howling noise his gaseous insides made relaxing her.
“I’m writing it as a reminder to anypony who might read it.” He finished the drawing with a sigh.
“Reminder for what.” Krika stared down into her innocent eyes, trying to judge just how much he could tell her.
“So they don’t do what we did.”
“What did you do?”
“We fought, far too much. It tore our world apart. Many died for nothing.” Sweetie Belle was familiar with the concept of death because of her and Rarity’s parents passing.

“Did you know them?” Sweetie Belle stared at her hooves.
“Many.” Krika looked back at the drawing, it was of Gorast, in those last seconds that he could see her; as much as he despised that little wench he worried about her. There were few Makuta who started out like that, he wondered who had driven her off that last bit of road into the wastes of malevolent madness. Was Teridax the only one there for you as well? I wish I could have been there for you, before all that.
“Do you remember how it felt?” Sweetie Belle looked up at him cautiously.
“Felt to what?” Krika was snapped out of his worry and regret, realizing what he was thinking about was futile.

“Lose them.” Krika cocked an eyebrow but his mind recoiled from his memories. “I can’t remember when my parents died, I look back and there should be something. Instead there’s just nothing. I can’t even remember mom’s face.” She hung her head. And her voice choked a bit. “There’s just an emptiness.”
“That’s what it feels like.” Krika reached out with a claw, pulling her close. “It never gets easier; but it gets more manageable.”
“Is that why you cry at night?” Sweetie Belle asked, all innocence, Krika went stiff. “When you think nopony else is awake.”

“Yes.” They sat there a moment, just looking at each other. “How about I tell you a nice story from my world?” Sweetie Belle perked back up and nodded; she loved to learn about where Krika came from, even if it was a shadowed place. “How about ‘Takua and the Mask of Light?’” Sweetie Belle nodded again. Krika started reading, he watched her emotions change through the story. During the Kohli tournament she was excited, she was frightened at the mention of the rahkshi, she beamed when he told of the toa nuva’s heroic, if doomed, stand in Ono-Koro, but she was always confused at the mention of the evil Makuta.
“Why is the Makuta the bad guy? I haven’t met any bad Makuta.”
“This is Makuta Teridax.” Krika stated coldly. “If there was ever an evil creature, it was him.”

This answer was good enough for her as he continued the story. She whimpered when Jaller died, she cheered when Takanuva defeated the rahkshi of fear, as he told the last bits if the story he heard a quiet snoring beside him. He looked down at Sweetie Belle, she was asleep. “They turned and beheld a great city, floating in a sea of protodermis, Turaga Vakama pointed to it and said ‘At last we are home.’ They boarded the boats and set out to whatever the future held.” He closed the book and got up, grabbing a blanket off the couch next to them and tucking her into it.

The front doorbell jingled and Rarity walked in, looking very pleased with herself. “I take it you enjoyed your visit with Gavla’s new assistant.”
“Oh darling it was marvelous.” She picked up a cupcake from the counter and bit into it delicately. “Vengeance, is sweeter than this cupcake.” She took another bite before continuing. “You know, Gavla is quite the artisan. She drew this beautifully stylized G on his neck in blue dye. After that snooty stuck up thing had just resigned to his sobbing, we sat back and went over her designs for armor. They were beautiful; elegantly designed for maximum protection with maximum maneuverability, and it seems that she’s gotten her hooves on some rare ultra-lightweight durable metal. Her designs were marvelous, rivaling even my own; I’m just glad she’s not in the fashion industry, I would never sell a dress again. She calls for soft and ridged lines through the armor, making her proposed pieces intimidating and at the same time captivating.”

“Well she did used to construct armor for toa.” He held up a sketch from the book of Toa Iruni. “The Toa Haga in particular were some of her favorite creations.” Rarity studied the sketch for a moment. “My, my; she was part of some high end work.” She looked up at Krika. “Is it alright if I take this book to base some work off the armor?”
“By all means. I just finished writing to the point when I came here.” He smiled at her. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll get some sleep.” He sat back down. Rarity walked around to the other side of the couch. Krika was curled, his nose touching his tail-tip protectively, around Sweetie Belle’s sleeping form. Rarity leaned over him and kissed Sweetie Belle on the forehead.
“Good night little sister.” She whispered to her. “And goodnight to you too Krika.” He lifted his tail and waved before settling back down to sleep.
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Far away a portal opened glowing blue, seven figures stepped out. The leader had luminescent blue eyes, trained on the land before him like a great trophy. He held a small device up to his face, it showed each of the races of Equestria and their worth.
“Tell the troops. We wait one week then we eliminate the entire earth pony population, they're worthless, ten percent of the pegusi and unicorn population, do the same to the griffins, and just kill off the dragons, I have enough great beasts at my disposal.” The other six Bowed. “Oh and before you go, the parasprites need to be destroyed.” Before turning and stepping back through the portal. The malevolent blue eyes stared out over the land; to him it was just another bauble that needed to be collected, that’s all a universe is. He started laughing, he loved this tactic; it always made his entrance a bang.