TNTOS

(NOTE: For those who don't know what these series of blog posts are, read the introduction here.) Continued from this blog post. #6: Toa Oggakia First appearance: The Recruitment of Axonn (cameo) Quote: Nailed it . . . Ive been lying and deceiving everyone, even Jokao, all this time. Almost everything I have said is a lie; every single bit of it. I have lied about my past, my connection with the Tuikas, and many, many other things that you dont even know about. And if I tell you or anyone else the t-truth . . . Everyone will hate me. B-but if I say nothing at all. . . . ("An Unlikely Alliance," Chapter 18: Truths & Falsehoods) As her quote indicates, Toa Oggakia always had trouble trusting others. This is primarily due to how she was raised. She spent a good chunk of her life on Daxia in seclusion from the rest of the world. When you factor in the Order's policy of strict secrecy, it's no wonder she never learned how to trust or open up to others. Even when she did get real friends who loved and trusted her, she still kept secrets from them. She learned to become less secretive, of course, but she still has this habit of keeping secrets from her friends even when they would benefit from knowing those secrets. In all likelihood, she will probably be this way for the rest of her life, although she can always get better While I believe she's one of the more fleshed out characters from the Shikaverse, I do wish I could have explored her guilt a bit more. It's subtle, but if you pay careful attention to her dialogue in An Unlikely Alliance, you can tell that she still feels guilty about betraying her people 100,000 years ago. Even though she was justified in betraying the Kra-Matoran tribe, Oggak still considers herself one of them and so continues to feel guilty about betraying them, although it's not as severe as it once was. Like Kiriah, I liked her so much that I decided to use her in more epics. She was a main character in The Ghost King's Tragedy and played a small role in Dawn of the New Century. She will also make an appearance in In the End, where her final fate will be revealed. #7 Toa Teivel First appearance: Tapestry of Evil Quote: "Freedom is a fickle thing. You never appreciate it when you have it, and when it is taken away from you it becomes almost an obsession to have just a taste of freedom. That is how I feel now; I, along with every other blasted inhabitant of this land, wish to be free to roam the universe once more, as I did 100,000 years ago." ("Tapestry of Evil," Chapter 1: Shodios) Out of all the characters on this list, Toa Teivel is the one I wished I could have explored the most. He was the most mysterious of the Shodios, the Shikaverse's all-Toa of Shadow Toa team, and the evilest as well. He didn't start out evil. He was originally good. I honestly would have loved to explore exactly how he went from being a generally good Toa to a cold, calculating villain who cared little for the welfare of others. I do have an idea for a prequel epic focusing on the rise and fall of the Kra-Matoran Empire, in which he surely must have played an important role, but with In the End coming, I highly doubt I will ever write it. One thing I am certain about, however, is that he, out of all of the Shodios, really wanted to be free. He despised Wyoko with every fiber of his being. He believed it was the right of the Kra-Matoran tribe to rule the Matoran universe. Wyoko is basically an external manifestation of his failure to lead his people to victory. #8: Toa Darranas First appearance: Dimension Hoppers Quote: Yes, although thief is a term I do not prefer to use. I would call myself a hero, a crusader of righteousness and light who was chosen by destiny to purge the multiverse of evil. Any sane person can see that. ("Dimension Hoppers," Chapter 16: Questions Answered, Questions Raised) Here's one of the few characters in the Shika Trilogy whom I feel justified in calling evil. Out of all the antagonists and villains in the Shikaverse, I'd say Toa Darranas was easily the most dangerous, in part because of the scope of his plans, but also because he was absolutely convinced that he was the good guy, no matter how many evil things he did. Other villains, like Makuta Hajax and Toa Teivel, were at least capable of recognizing that some of their actions were not wise or moral. Darranas, on the other hand, was so convinced of his own righteousness and perfection that he thought that anything he did was good. Unlike some of the villains on this list, I don't believe Darranas could be redeemed. Redemption is only possible when you believe you need it. Darranas did not believe that he needed to be redeemed from anything. That is also what made him so interesting. Darranas's black and white view of the world meant he did not believe anything was off limits if it brought him closer to his overall goal. Whereas Kiriah and to (to a slightly lesser extent) Isarot dealt frequently with their own self-doubt and uncertainties, Darranas never doubted his own righteousness for even a second. He was probably one of the scarier characters for me to write because I understand how alluring the certainty that a black-and-white view of the world brings, even if I wholeheartedly reject it. Darranas didn't start out this crazy, but even before he turned, he always had a tendency to view his enemies as unrepentent villains who deserved whatever they got. I think it's too easy for someone with that personality to cross the line from justice-seeker to revenging crusader. Though Darranas spoke often about punishing villains, in the end, I think he became just as bad as the people he fought, if not worse. And that is always sad. #9 Raider First appearance: An Unlikely Alliance Quotes: "I may very well have to take this island all by myself. Oh well . . . I did it once. I could so easily do it again." ("An Unlikely Alliance," Chapter 21: Target Locked) Raider was a Dark Hunter, one of the best and oldest. His personality was professional and efficient. He did not allow himself to be distracted by emotion or petty quarrels, at least while working. All he cared about doing was getting the job done, whether its putting down a possible Dark Hunter rebellion or investigating the theft of an object that the Shadowed One had his eyes on. His personality, I believe, led him to become a sniper. While he can hold his own in a fight, he is absolutely deadly with a sniper. Looking back, I probably should have named him Sniper or something. I tried to justify his codename in An Unlikely Alliance, but the explanation always seemed a little too incredulous to me (he raided whole islands by himself? Really?). I guess Raider is a pretty cool name, though. What I like best about Raider, however, is the role he played in An Unlikely Alliance. To me, he was that kind of character whose mere appearance is enough to jack up the tension in a scene. He didn't succeed in killing any of the protagonists, but every time he appeared I was never sure who he would kill (or try to kill, at least) next. Unpredictable characters like Raider are awesome to read and write about. I can confirm that he will appear in In the End. I felt like I needed to bring him back one last time before the Shikaverse's end, considering that several of my other favorite characters have all appeared in the Dawn Duology so far. #10 Kafor First appearance: Dimension Hoppers: The Other Tale Quote: Do you wonder why I live here? Its because the Dark Hunters never come around here. I am safe as long as I keep quiet." ("Dimension Hoppers: The Other Tale," Chapter Four) Kafor is an interesting example of a character. While writing Dimension Hoppers, I knew she was going to play a large role in Dawn of the New Century. So I introduced her early on in Dimension Hoppers: The Other Tale, primarily to foreshadow Dawn with her future-seeing ability. She is definitely one of the more cowardly characters I've written, although she would probably describe herself as shrewd. Due to the fact that the Dark Hunters have been on her tail for many years, she has a hard time trusting anyone except her sole friend, a bartender named Barc. Looking back, I wish I could have figured out exactly how the two of them became such good friends in the first place. Maybe I will figure it out in In the End, though that seems unlikely to me. Due to living most of her life on the run, Kafor has always had a difficult time thinking longterm. She thinks as far ahead as is necessary to protect her life from the Dark Hunters. This is one aspect of her personality that I tried to explore in Dawn and will hopefully bring to a satisfying conclusion in In the End. In the Dawn Duology, she now faces the possibility of a Dark Hunter-free future, the implications of which she is just starting to grasp. I like writing her dialogue. She's extremely sarcastic, which annoys pretty much everyone else. Even better, she doesn't see a reason to apologize for her sarcasm, either. When most of the people around you are stupid or hate you, why should you treat them considerately? Of course I cannot say what her final fate will be. You'll have to read In the End to find out that. I have a couple of announcements about the Shikaverse I'd like to make. First, I just finished the third draft of In the End. All that I need to do now is go through and do the usual three rounds of editing that I do with every epic. I still cannot give a release date any more specific than early/mid 2014, though. Second, because some readers have requested it and because it is currently no longer available on BZP, I will be reposting the entire Shika Trilogy right here on the BZP forums. Instead of doing three separate topics for each epic, however, I will be posting the entire trilogy in one topic, which will be called "The Shika Trilogy Omnibus." Expect to see the omnibus in the Epics forum on Wednesday, January 1st, 2014. See y'all later, -TNTOS-

I got Pokémon X a couple of days ago and have been playing it for several hours a day every day since. It's been so long since I last played a Pokémon game (since the third generation, I think) that I almost forgot how fun these games are, although I managed to get back into the swing of things pretty quickly. Currently, I am in Cyllage City and have just defeated Grant, the second Gym Leader. My current team is (nicknames in parenthesis): Floette (Navi), Level 27 Frogadier (Kermit), Level 27 Ivysaur (Bub), Level 27 Pidgeotto (Falco), Level 27 Combusken (no nickname because I got from the Mystery Gift promotion), Level 31 Pikachu (Pika [i know, it's so original]), Level 27 This is probably not going to be my final team, but so far I am quite pleased with all of them. Especially Combusken, who is leveling up like crazy and is the heaviest hitter on the team. I'd have to say that my favorite new feature (or new to me, anyway) so far is how your Pokémon get experience even if you capture a wiid Pokémon. It gives me a lot more incentive to catch 'em all. I also like Super Training and Exp. share quite a bit as well, for obvious reasons. -TNTOS-

I got Pokémon X recently, too, but you're definitely farther along in it than I am. -TNTOS-

Chapter Fifteen: Friendship IS Magic! (It is Also Explosive) “Tahiti. It's a magical place.” -Agent Phillip Coulson, after no one asked him about Tahiti With a twirl of her cape, Sunset Shimmer disappeared, only to reappear right behind Twilight and Mata Nui. Twilight, however, had been expecting that, and bucked Sunset in the face with the power of the volcano coursing through her back hooves. The blow sent Sunset staggering backwards, but Mata Nui gave her no time to recover, running at her and slamming the butt of his gun into her face. That sent Sunset flying, but she immediately righted herself in midair and floated there, looking displeased and angry. “Your existence displeases me,” said Sunset. “So begone, mortals!” She waved one hoof through the air and Mata Nui and Twilight were suddenly surrounded by trillions of laser beams. The lasers immediately started flying at the two, but our heroes managed to block every single one using a combination of Mata Nui's gun and Twilight's horn. They moved extremely fast, almost teleporting, not allowing a single laser beam to pass them in their quest to survive. When the lasers were finally gone, Twilight and Mata Nui stood triumphant, neither of them even panting from the physical exertion of having blocked so many lasers. Shocked, Sunset said, “How did you block all those lasers? That is impossible. I designed them to be impossible to block or dodge.” “Nothing is impossible as long as you believe,” said Mata Nui. “And seeing as we believe in your death, there's nothing you can throw at us that we can't take. Eat this!” Without warning, Mata Nui seized Twilight, stuffed her into his gun's barrel, and fired her at Sunset like a bullet. The goddess pony created a thick magical barrier around her body, which Twilight slammed into with her horn. She immediately charged a powerful energy burst into the barrier, causing it to shatter into billions of pieces as Sunset went flying away screaming. As Sunset flew through the air, Mata Nui dashed along the ground below her at the speed of light. He leaped into the air until he was above Sunset, then slammed both his feet into her chest, sending her crashing into nothingness with a loud boom. Twilight and Mata Nui landed near the crater together, but before they could act, Sunset flew out of the crater and snarled. “I will crush you both!” she cried as her horn glowed briefly. The next moment, a full-sized planet appeared above her head, which she hurled at Mata Nui and Twilight. Twilight tried using her magic to slow it down, but it was ineffective. So Mata Nui launched himself into the air and, channeling just a portion of his might, punched the planet directly in the center, causing it to split in half neatly down the middle. The two planet halves fell through the ground and disappeared into nothingness once more. Mata Nui, however, was still flying through the air, his fist aiming directly for Sunset's smug mug. But she ducked to avoid it and slammed her head into Mata Nui's abdomen, sending our hero flying away out of control. Twilight jumped into the air, however, and caught Mata Nui before he vanished into nothingness. “Thanks,” said Mata Nui as Twilight lowered him to the ground. “No problem,” said Twilight. “Now if you'll excuse me. . . .” Flapping her wings, Twilight rocketed into the air at the speed of impossible. She went so fast that when she struck Sunset, it was like the goddess had been hit by a supernova, creating a massive explosion that engulfed both ponies before dissipating. Before Sunset could recover from the supernova, Twilight smashed their skulls together, sending the goddess flying even higher into the sky. Without hesitation, Mata Nui jumped onto Twilight and then jumped off her after Sunset. When he got close enough, Mata Nui started pummeling Sunset with both of his fists, punching her so fast and so hard that it looked like he was hitting her with a cosmic hurricane of fists. And with a final kick, Mata Nui sent her crashing to the ground once again. This time, however, Sunset was prepared, because she created a springy sponge to catch her fall, thus saving her from a devastating fall. Rising to her hooves, Sunset fired an energy blast from her horn at Mata Nui, but Twilight intercepted it with a magical blast of her own. Mata Nui, seeing an opportunity, grabbed both magical blasts and absorbed them into his being, causing his armor to turn from yellow to gold in an instant. “I am gold!” Mata Nui roared, sending shock waves from his body. The shock waves struck Sunset, sending her tumbling off her sponge. Twilight took advantage of this to rush at the goddess pony, but as soon as she got close, Sunset stood up and bucked Twilight with her back hooves, sending the alicorn spiraling out of control through the air until she crashed hard into the ground. But Twilight wasn't out just yet. She immediately jumped to her hooves and charged at Sunset. The goddess likewise charged at her even as both of their horns began glowing with repressed energy. And when their horns collided, it created a massive explosion of energy and color that would have destroyed Mata Nui had he not created a massive energy shield around his body that took the brunt of the blast. When the explosion cleared, it revealed Twilight and Sunset's horns were locked together, the two ponies pushing against each other, growling and snarling more like feral cats than ponies. Twilight wasn't budging even slightly under the pressure of Sunset's goddess powers, like they were equals rather than a goddess and mortal clashing. “Why do you insist on your own destruction?” Sunset demanded, pushing hard against Twilight. “I am a goddess; in fact, I am the Goddess, the soon-to-be creator of all. As long as you stand against me, you have no hope of survival, neither you nor your friend.” “Shut up, Sunset,” said Twilight through gritted teeth. “You don't understand. Friendship is greater than any other force in the universe. Even the gods themselves must bow to it . . . and that includes you.” Sunset laughed. “The Goddess does not need to bow to your silly little abstract concepts. You will fall, you and Mata Nui, and there is nothing either of you can do about it.” Just then, Mata Nui landed behind Sunset and seized her tail. With a yelp of pain, Sunset stopped pushing against Twilight, causing the alicorn to stumble forward as Mata Nui lifted the goddess above his head. He began spinning her in a circle, slowly picking up speed, until they were going so fast that he and Sunset were nothing more than a blur of red and gold in a sea of nothingness. Then Mata Nui let go of her, saying as he did so, “So long, Sunset Shimmer!” The goddess went flying so fast that she couldn't stop herself even if she wanted to. Twilight calculated the exact distance and speed at which Sunset was flying and immediately teleported herself in her path. With a burst of magical energy, Twilight created a brick wall which Sunset crashed into. She crashed into it so hard that a huge shock wave exploded from the impact, knocking Twilight out of the air. She managed to right herself fast enough to land on the ground safely, however. Sunset ripped her face out of the brick wall and shook her head as Mata Nui and Twilight gathered together underneath her. “Darn you,” she hissed. “Darn you both to heck. Enough fooling around. This fight has dragged on far enough. It ends NOW!” With a roar of power, Sunset grew bigger and bigger until she was at least as tall as Canterlot Castle, if not bigger. Twilight and Mata Nui looked up her huge legs at Sunset's face, which was smirking quite evilly. “Now I will crush you both like insects, just as I promised,” said Sunset. “Welcome to die!” She raised one hoof and brought it down on them as fast as lightning bolt. In fact, when it struck them, it sounded like a thunderbolt had struck the ground and electricity shot out in every direction. There was no particular reason for that, other than Sunset thought it looked cool. “Looks like I win,” said Sunset, her smirk now so big that it would have been illegal had there been any legislature to pass laws. “Now nothing can-” She was rudely interrupted when her hoof began rising of its own accord. In actuality, it was Mata Nui and Twilight underneath her gigantic hoof who were pushing back against it, Mata Nui with his hands, Twilight with her front hooves. They were putting all of their physical strength together to avoid getting crushed to death, pushing up so hard that Sunset could not keep them down. “You mortals have such spirit,” said Sunset. “It will be a pleasure to crush it like an ant.” But Sunset's threat was shown to be nothing more than the vain boasting of a cliched villain, because with one last burst of energy Mata Nui and Twilight pushed the giant pony over. This caused Sunset to fall to her side hard, so hard that her body shattered into millions of little pieces, revealing Sunset's smaller form. Sunset staggered to her feet as Twilight and Mata Nui landed on the ground before her. She looked at them with hate in her eyes as she growled deeply in her throat. “You will not succeed,” she gasped. “I, Sunset Shimmer, am the Goddess of All. You shall bow before me! Kneel before Sunset!” “Sorry, but I don't kneel before anyone,” said Mata Nui. “Except myself.” “The only pony worthy of being knelt before is Princess Celestia,” said Twilight. “And, I'm sorry, but you don't look anything like her.” “Foolish fools,” said Sunset. “You have both put up a good fight, but you must realize that it is hopeless. Whereas I am eternal, you are both temporal. Eventually, your bodies will give out and then I will strike and win once and for all.” Twilight bit her lip and said to Mata Nui, “I think she's right. I can already feel myself getting weaker, losing energy. We very well might not be able to beat her after all.” “In that case,” said Mata Nui, “we need backup.” “But Mata Nui, we're the only two beings in existence, besides Sunset,” said Twilight, shaking her head sadly. “We are on our own.” “Not unless we have this!” said Mata Nui, whipping out a very familiar-looking crown from nowhere. Twilight gasped. “Mata Nui, that's my crown. Where did you get it from?” “Sunset dropped it when me and Kiina kicked her butt earlier,” said Mata Nui. “I picked it up because I thought I could sell it on eBay to some bronies and make millions of dollars. Since the universe got destroyed, though, I haven't been able to do much with it.” Without responding to Mata Nui's babbling, Twilight ripped the crown out of his hands and placed it on her head. “Mata Nui, with that single act of greed, you may have just saved the entire multiverse.” “Really?” said Mata Nui. “Well, I guess that makes sense. After all, I am the awesomest hero who has ever lived.” “So you have your pretty little crown,” said Sunset with a sneer. “So what? It is useless without the other Elements of Harmony, good only for appearances, if even that, as I have seen prettier crowns in my time.” The crown on Twilight's head began sparking and glowing with energy. At the same time, Twilight's eyes glowed until they were nothing but twin white lights. She could feel the magic of friendship flowing through her veins even as she tapped deeper and deeper into its essence until she could feel nothing but pure friendship all around her. “You're wrong, Sunset Shimmer,” said Twilight as energy swirled around her and Mata Nui. “This crown is not useless. As long as the magic of friendship exists, it will always give me power. The magic of friendship dwarfs that of any other power in the universe, even that of a goddess.” “Impossible,” said Sunset. “Stop speaking such stupid sayings. You are nothing more than a mortal deluded by a placebo.” “No,” said Twilight, shaking her head. “You are the one who is deluded, Sunset, if you think you can defeat the magic of friendship. Friends! Come to me!” Twenty bolts of white lightning fired out from her crown. Each white lightning bolt hit the ground and left in its place one being; Spike, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor, Cadence, Discord, and Princess Celestia, all of whom looked ready to fight. But they weren't the only ones brought back by Twilight's crown. The other ten lightning bolts left behind Kiina, Berix, and Bucket-head, in addition to Gresh, Tahu, Oris, Tera, Likus, Ackar, and Takanuva. They looked just as shocked to make an appearance in this story as everyone else did, but due to their unimportance we shall ignore them for now. “What?” said Sunset, taking a step back as she looked upon all of the assembled friends. “No way. You are all dead. Equestria and Spherus Magna are no more.” “You still don't understand, do you, Sunset?” said Twilight. “Absolute, raw power is useless without friends. Because Mata Nui and I have such strong bonds with our friends, I was able to bring them all back to help us defeat you once and for all and save both our universes.” “They must all be illusions,” said Sunset, although she sounded unconvinced in her panicky state. “You're using your magic to make me think you have brought back your friends. I know the truth. You can't fool me.” “They're all as real as you, Sunset,” said Twilight. “But I understand wanting empirical proof of a phenomenon before you're willing to believe it. So let us give it to you!” Acting as one, every assembled being -- pony and biomech alike -- raised their hands and front hooves and unleashed a blast of energy. When the ponies' energy beams combined, it created a rainbow of friendship, while the biomechs' combination beam created a stream of protodermis. Both beams combined in midair to create what could only be described as the personification of Friendship itself, an entity who was a perfect blend of biomech and pony, radiating such powerful energy that even Sunset looked wimpy in comparison. “What . . .?” said Sunset, actually stumbling backwards in a weak attempt to flee. “I don't understand. What is this?” Friendship looked down at Sunset with disproving eyes. “Sunset Shimmer, you have never been a good friend to anybody. You treated your servants as trash, you consistently harmed anyone who got in your way, and you were rather rude. For these crimes, We, the Spirit of Friendship, the One that Transcends all Bonds and Time, The One Who Gathers Together, The Great Unifying Principle, the Ground of All Being, The One Who Ascends and Yet Exists in All, The One Made from All, the Multiverse Itself, do hereby banish you into the Great Unknown, from which you shall never return!” Friendship pointed a single finger at Sunset and unleashed a laser beam at her. The goddess tried to fight back, shooting a powerful beam of energy at Friendship that was probably strong enough to destroy an entire universe a hundred times over. But Friendship's own laser beam cut through Sunset's like butter and struck the unicorn goddess directly in the horn. Sunset had time enough to let out one last scream of agony before she abruptly disappeared, like a chalk drawing that had been erased by a child. And thus Sunset Shimmer was no more. As soon as Sunset disappeared, Twilight's eyes returned to normal and everyone stopped glowing (they had been glowing because of the magic of Friendship, by the way). She almost collapsed, but before she did, she was mobbed by her pony friends, who gathered around her and gave her a big group hug. Even Discord partook of the group hug, which was kind of awkward but Twilight decided it was okay for now. Nearby, Mata Nui's friends had gathered around him, giving him high-fives or fist bumps. Only Kiina hugged Mata Nui, but even Bucket-head shook Mata Nui's hand, saying as he did so, “You know, I never realized just how much I missed existence, even though everyone hates me.” Then the two groups stopped congratulating among themselves and looked at each other. There was a dead silence in the air for what felt like an eternity and Twilight was afraid, for some reason, that things were about to get violent and messy. But then Friendship floated down to the ground and said, “What are you all waiting for? The only reason we exist is because of the amount of friendship coursing through your veins like giant rubber pants. When we exist, there is no such thing as stranger or enemy.” The first to heed Friendship's words were Pinkie Pie and Berix. The hyper pony and the hyper biomech hopped over to each other and immediately began hitting it off like old friends. “Hi, I'm Berix.” “I'm Pinkie Pie. What kind of pony are you, anyway?” “Oh, I'm not a pony. My psychiatrist says I am a sociopath, though.” “What's a sociopath? Is that a fun person?” “Well, I think so. Are you fun?” “You bet. I'm the funnest pony in all of Equestria. You know what we should do, now that everyone here is friends and everything?” “What?” “Throw a huge, multiverse-wide PAR-TAY!” “OMG that sounds awesome! I'll get the streamers and lampshades!” That single conversation broke the ice, causing everyone from both groups to come forward and talk to one another. While their friends mingled, Twilight and Mata Nui walked over to Friendship, who stood watching the intermingling of the two groups with a wide smile on their face. “It is wonderful to see two different groups of people learning to mingle and appreciate one another's differences,” said Friendship with a sigh. “We have not seen such friendship since the beginning of Time itself.” “Yeah, that's nice and all,” said Mata Nui as he waved off the entity's words, “but what about our homes? I'm going to miss the next episode of my soaps. How else will I learn if Becky really is Veronica's twice removed stepmother?” “I, too, would like to return home,” said Twilight. “But is that even possible? Didn't Sunset Shimmer say that the universes have merged or tried to, at least? Do we even have homes to return to?” “Twilight Sparkle, Mata Nui,” said Friendship gently. “Do you think that we forgot about that? Of course not. Your sense of friendship is so strong that both universes have been resurrected, as well as all of their inhabitants. Go through these doors to return home.” Friendship waved their hand and two doors appeared. One was labeled 'Equestria.' The other, 'Spherus Magna.' “Once you and your friends pass through those doors, you will be back in your homes,” said Friendship. “But you will never forgot each other. You will always treasure these memories in your hearts, even after you die. For the magic of friendship can transcend even death.” “Okay,” said Twilight. “I guess that makes sense.” “It does,” said Mata Nui in agreement. “So now we just have to get everyone else to come with us. Which means this is pretty much good bye.” “Oh, yeah, it is,” said Twilight, somewhat awkwardly. “Well, um. . . .” The two just stood there awkwardly for a while. Friendship's presence didn't really help, especially because they was smiling so wide that they made Pinkie Pie look like a perpetual frowner. Twilight really wanted to hoof them in the face, but as she understood that to be wrong, she refrained from doing so. “Well, I might as well leave, now that you know what to do,” said Friendship brightly. “Good bye, my friends. Remember that I exist everywhere and am everything and am above everything. So if you ever need me, remember: Friendship is magic!” And with that, Friendship disappeared. That made the situation slightly less awkward, although it didn't help Twilight figure out what to say to Mata Nui. What was she supposed to say to someone she had never really liked? Yeah, she could just say, “Good bye” and be done with it, but after everything they'd been through together, somehow that didn't seem enough. Yet it didn't seem like Mata Nui was going to make the first move. For all his bravado and boasting, he certainly didn't seem like an overly-confident hero to her now. He looked just as uncomfortable as anyone else would be in this kind of situation. And it was that realization that gave Twilight the words she needed to say to him. Twilight sat down, wrapped her tail around her hooves, and looked up at Mata Nui. “Mata Nui, you and I never really got along. I mean, like, ever. We've always gotten on each other's nerves and have never really understood each other. It's led to a lot of conflicts between us.” “Yeah, I know,” said Mata Nui, folding his arms. “What of it?” “Well, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry,” said Twilight. “Sorry that I constantly belittled you, that I never sat down to understand you, and that I was never really a good friend. Because that's what we are: Friends. I mean, if we weren't, how could we have summoned the embodiment of Friendship itself?” “You make . . . a good point,” said Mata Nui reluctantly. “I accept your apology. And . . . I'm sorry for not always being exactly a perfect friend to you, either.” Twilight gasped. “Did you . . . did you just apologize?” “Yeah, I did. So?” “It's just . . .” Twilight shook her head, smiling. “Maybe there is hope for you after all, Mata Nui.” “I'm already good enough the way I am,” said Mata Nui. “Which is to say, I am pretty much near perfection. I'd say you're the one who has hope; after all, you kicked Sunset's butt just as much as I did. Someday, maybe you will be a kick-butt warrior like me. Not exactly like me, obviously, because no one is, but more like me than you are now.” Twilight hoped that she would never become like Mata Nui someday, but she nodded politely anyway. “Thanks, I guess.” Then Mata Nui looked over at Twilight's friends and cocked his head. “So . . . I didn't realize there were so many of you.” “Well, of course there are,” said Twilight. “There's an entire universe of ponies just like me, in fact. Why does that surprise you?” “I dunno,” said Mata Nui with a shrug. “'Cause I was hoping there wasn't really a universe full of pansy ponies, I guess.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, how's about we get our friends and go home now? Remember, the universes need to be balanced.” “Wait . . .” said Mata Nui, stroking his chin, as if deep in thought. “If the universes must remain balanced at all times . . . then that means we may never see each other again.” “Oh, yeah,” said Twilight. “I never thought of that. So this might be the last time we see each other.” “Yeah,” said Mata Nui, still stroking his chin. “You still have that magic mirror, though, don't you?” “I think so,” said Twilight. “But I was thinking of smashing it to bits when I got home. 'Cause, you know, of all the craziness that happened and stuff.” “Sounds good to me,” said Mata Nui. “I don't want any girly ponies coming over to visit me anyway. I'm too manly for that.” “Are you sure?” said Twilight. “I mean, the magic mirror is, as far as I know, the only link between our worlds. If it's shattered, then it may be impossible for us to see each other ever again.” “Don't you worry your absurdly large pony head, Twilight,” said Mata Nui, ruffling her mane. “If I ever want a word with you, I can probably find a way to Equestria myself.” “Because the magic of friendship will lead you back to me?” Twilight said. “Nope,” said Mata Nui. “Because I'm awesome and can ignore the laws of physics. That's what makes me so awesome.” Twilight sighed. “Shouldn't have expected anything different from you, I suppose.” “What was that?” “Nothing,” said Twilight. “So . . . I'm just going to gather all of my friends and go home now. Really starting to miss Equestria.” “Same here,” said Mata Nui. “I'm tired of standing in nothingness. I mean, it's really boring. Seriously, there's not even a pizza place around here. What's up with that?” Twilight shrugged. “Maybe it's because this is a place of nothingness?” “Nah,” said Mata Nui, shaking his head. “Doesn't make any sense. Maybe I'll open my own chain of pizza parlors. They'll be called 'Pizza Mask' and I'll open the first one right here. I'll make millions.” “Sure,” said Twilight with a sigh. “Good luck with that.” It took them a while to get everyone together, as the two groups had intermingled and had become quite fond of each other in the short time they had gotten to know each other. In particular, Berix and Pinkie Pie seemed to have become inseparable friends who promised to send each other letters to keep up with what was going on in the other's world, although Twilight wasn't sure how trans-dimensional postal services were supposed to work. Perhaps she would ask Derpy about that back in Equestria. So the two groups waved good bye to each other as they returned to their worlds. The last two to step through the doors that led back home were Mata Nui and Twilight. As Twilight didn't have any hands, she had to use her hoof to 'fist bump' Mata Nui, as he called it, which closely resembled the 'bro hoof' gesture back home, generally made among ponies who were close friends. “Bye, Mata Nui,” said Twilight, waving at him as she stood before the Equestria door. “May we meet again someday.” “Bye, Twilight,” said Mata Nui, waving back at her. “May you someday become as awesome as me, although if you don't . . . I suppose that's okay, too.” And so they both stepped through their doors at exactly the same time, knowing they may never see each other again. Yet they would always remember each other; after all, when you team up with someone to summon the physical embodiment of Friendship itself to defeat a goddess and bring back two universes, it's rather hard to forget about that person. -TNTOS-

Darn straight it is. -TNTOS-

Oh yeah. I saw the bloopers online. Simply fantastic. -TNTOS-

Howdy, y'all. I had a great Christmas yesterday and I hope the rest of y'all did, too (at least those of you who celebrate Christmas, anyway). I thought I'd share my loot on my blog here, as everyone else seems to be doing. I didn't get boatloads of stuff this year, but what I did get was pretty awesome: -"Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Complete Collection Volume One" on Blu-Ray. FMA:B is my favorite TV show of all time, so to have this DVD set is pretty awesome, and on Blu-Ray, no less. I think I'm going to have to get the second volume, though, in order to complete the series. -"The House of Hades," by Rick Riordan. This is probably the best book in the "Heroes of Olympus" series yet. I eagerly await the next book in the series. -A new electric razor. My old one broke, so I'm quite happy to have a new one, especially because I haven't shaved in a while. -A pack of twenty Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Unfortunately, I didn't get anything good or useful for either of my two decks. Oh well. -One of those collectible Lego minifigures. To be specific, I got the Elf figure. I think that's everything I got. If I remember anything else, I'll be sure to edit this blog post later. -TNTOS-

Chapter Fourteen: Nothingness (Deep or Pretentious? You decide!) “Nothingness . . . is eternal.” -Xemnas, from Kingdom Hearts II, making a statement that is either profound or stupid, depending on your point of view Non-existence felt strange to Twilight. It was so different that she couldn't describe it with words. She tried to, but found that every comparison she thought of utterly failed to capture the reality of what she was experiencing. Am I dead? Twilight thought. Is this what our world is like now? Is there nothing from here to the end of creation? What does that even mean, anyway? How can nothing exist? It makes no sense. Recreating her memories of what had happened before -- if 'before' was even a plausible concept anymore -- was nigh impossible. She dimly remembered Sunset Shimmer's ascension to godhood, but beyond that everything was a blank. A huge, ugly, colorless blank. And it frustrated Twilight immensely, as she had always prided herself on her great memory. Wait . . . frustration. That was a genuine emotion. She grasped tightly onto it, her only proof that she still existed. She followed her frustration to its source: Mata Nui. God that guy was stupid, Twilight thought. Condescending, arrogant, ignorant, stupid, and bigoted in every way. He's like if Rainbow Dash didn't have any friends to curb her vices. Even now that she knew she existed, even remembered a couple of people, it didn't really help her. As far as she could tell, she was the only thing in existence. She felt lonely. She wished her friends -- most of whom she couldn't even remember -- still existed, but alas, they did not. She was on her own and would likely remain that way for all eternity (although she wondered if the concept of 'eternity' even still made sense in a world of nothingness). Still, a small part of her insisted on existing. It was the small, defiant part of herself, a part of her personality that showed itself whenever her friends or herself were in danger. It was thanks to this small part of her personality that she ever managed to convince herself to keep going even when logic made it clear that struggling was useless at this point. And so, with a blink of her eyes, Twilight found herself standing in what appeared to be an endless sea of nothingness. Or maybe it was a room. Either way, Twilight saw nothing but whiteness for miles around in every direction. She glanced at her hooves and flapped her wings; her body was apparently okay. What do I do now? Twilight thought. I'm completely on my own. No one from either Spherus Magna or Equestria survived Sunset's destruction of all reality. Am I doomed to wander the endlessness of nothingness for as long as I live? Or will I simply cease to exist again at some point? How can I exist in nothingness, anyway? With a sigh, Twilight lowered her head onto her hooves. No matter how insistent Twilight's defiant half was, her cautious, logical half told her that she had simply came back into existence for no reason. It was not as though there was anything she could do to bring back her friends or either world, after all. She was no goddess. Just as Twilight closed her eyes -- whether to take a nap or prepare for non-existence again, even she wasn't sure -- a familiar female voice said, “Chin up, Twilight.” Twilight's eyes snapped open and she was back on her feet in an instant. She whirled around and saw Sunset Shimmer, back in her pony form, standing not far behind her. The unicorn looked different, however, because she wore a black and white robe with an intricate checker design stitched into it. “I thought you were dead,” said Twilight. “Didn't you destroy Spherus Magna and Equestria?” Sunset smirked. “I didn't destroy Spherus Magna and Equestria. What happened was that the two universes merged at the same point that I achieved godhood. Or, at least they tried to. I am not sure what went wrong, but when they tried to merge, it resulted in . . . nothing.” Sunset gestured at their environment with one hoof. “I only managed to survive thanks to my godhood. The real question is, how did you survive, Twilight Sparkle? You're just an ordinary pony. An alicorn, true, but a mortal nonetheless.” “I don't know,” said Twilight with a shrug. “I think it's because I remembered how frustrated I felt toward Mata Nui. That feeling helped me justify my own existence.” “Justify? To whom? I certainly didn't bring you back.” “I can't say for certain,” said Twilight. “But I think that whoever or whatever I was justifying myself to, thought my justification for continuing my existence made sense. So I returned, even though you and me appear to be the only two beings left in existence.” Sunset Shimmer cocked her head. “Well, it doesn't matter. I am still a god. I can use my immense power to take this nothingness and organize it into a new world, a world I will rule with an iron hoof. It will be greater than Equestria, greater than Spherus Magna, and I will be its god. And you will not be able to stop me.” Twilight's heart told her that Sunset spoke the truth, but she ignored that. “Oh, yeah? What if I stop you?” “You can't,” said Sunset simply. “I am a god and you are a simple mortal, as I said before. If you try, I will simply erase you from existence as simply as though you were a word on a blackboard. Besides, what will you gain from defying me? It's not like fighting me will bring back your friends, who are all dead.” Twilight began pawing the ground. “Maybe they are dead. Maybe I am delusional, thinking I can take on a god. But that doesn't mean I have to give up and let you ruin a new world that hasn't even had the chance to not be ruined. That would be wrong.” Sunset shook her head. “And here I was thinking of possibly sparing you, perhaps making you my avatar in the new world, who would enforce my rule and punish any dissenters. Alas, I was too naïve to realize the stupidity of that theory. Prepare for non-existence, Twilight Sparkle, for its sweet embrace is the eventual end of all things.” Sunset's horn began glowing brightly. While Twilight wasn't sure what kind of spell the goddess was going to use, she bet it would be enough to kill her in one hit. She contemplated teleporting out of the way at the last minute, but realized that would accomplish nothing more than putting off her death. She had to face Sunset right here, right now. Running was no longer an option, especially because she had nowhere to run to. Just as Sunset's horn was about to fire, a refrigerator fell from nowhere and landed next to her. Before either pony could properly react to this new arrival, the door blew open and a fist flew out of it, hitting Sunset directly in the face. The punch sent Sunset flying far away, crashing into the ground with enough force to cause a small tremor that nearly knocked Twilight off her hooves. Regaining her composure, Twilight looked at the fridge, wondering who was inside it or where it had come from, when a familiar yellow biomechanical being climbed out of it. Twilight's jaw dropped. “Mata . . . Nui? No way. It can't be you.” The yellow being dusted off his armor and then looked at Twilight. “Of course it's me, Twilight. Who else could I be? Michael Dorn?” “I have no idea who that is,” said Twilight. “But how did you survive the merging of Equestria and Spherus Magna? I thought everyone was dead.” Mata Nui jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the fridge he had climbed out of. “I managed to hide inside that fridge at the last possible minute. I saw it in a movie.” “How the heck is that even possible?” said Twilight. “I don't think you understand, Mata Nui, but all of reality was destroyed. All of it. We're literally standing in nothingness right now. That fridge should have been destroyed along with everything else.” “I see you have no appreciation for the wonders of modern technology,” said Mata Nui, folding his arms. “Hmph.” At this point, Twilight's brain broke. “Okay, you know what? You've done enough insane things over the past few days that I don't think I am going to question them anymore. Nope. Just accept that there are certain things you can do that no ordinary, sane person could ever hope to pull off without dying horribly or completely and utterly annihilating the laws of physics and logic.” “Well, duh,” said Mata Nui. “I'm the awesomest guy ever. How could I not survive the destruction of reality? Only a wimp would get killed by that.” “Did anyone else survive?” Twilight asked. “Anyone fit in that fridge with you?” “Nope,” said Mata Nui, shaking his head. “Wasn't enough time. I just barely managed to find a plot hole big enough to pull this fridge from before everything stopped existing.” Twilight's ears fell. “So everyone really is gone.” Mata Nui's fridge had been her last hope. So she let herself cry, tears welling up in her eyes, tears that she no longer had any desire to control. If everyone was truly dead . . . if she, Sunset, and Mata Nui were the only beings left in existence . . . then maybe she had no further reason to continue existing anymore. A slap to the face brought her back to reality. Blinking hard from the blow, Twilight looked up and realized Mata Nui stood before her. How he had gotten so close to her so quickly, she wasn't sure. Perhaps space and time didn't work the same way in nothingness, if they worked here at all. “Why did you hit me?” Twilight asked, rubbing the aching spot on her face with one hoof. “That wasn't very nice.” “'Cause I hate it when people cry,” said Mata Nui. “Liquid pride is okay, but crying is not. You just gotta man up sometimes, Twilight, or maybe pony up for you. I don't know. All I know is that crying never brought anyone back to life.” Mata Nui had a point, she realized. Though her feelings of sadness were by no means wrong, she couldn't sit here and grieve her friends as long as the one who killed them -- Sunset Shimmer -- was still alive and kicking. She had to act. “All right, Mata Nui,” said Twilight, standing up straight and wiping the tears out of her eyes with one wing. “I'm ready to save both worlds. We have to stop Sunset Shimmer.” “Oh, I think I already took care of her with that sexy punch,” said Mata Nui, glancing over at where Sunset had fallen. “She's probably- dang it she's still alive.” Mata Nui was right. Sunset had staggered back to her hooves, shaking her head and readjusting her cloak. The mere fact that Mata Nui had been able to harm Sunset at all impressed Twilight. And if Mata Nui could do it, then maybe there was hope for their worlds, after all. “You got a lucky shot,” said Sunset, wiping some blood from the edge of her mouth. “Just one. I wasn't expecting that. But now I am going to destroy you both. You two are the final test standing between me and my new world. And I always ace my tests. Always.” Mata Nui pulled his 40k MGA out of nowhere and said, “Well what a coincidence, so do I. Since we can't both kill each other, however, that means you're going down, Sunset.” “I fight for my friends,” said Twilight, taking a battle position. “For Spike, Princess Celestia, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and everyone else you destroyed. Even if they no longer exist, their friendship will continue to fuel my very soul no matter what you throw at me.” Sunset smirked. “What a cute, sentimental little speech. Prepare for oblivion.” -TNTOS-

(NOTE: For those who don't know what this is, you can read the introduction here.) To kick off this series of Looking Back posts, I will start off with my top ten favorite characters from the Shikaverse. Due to the length of this post, it will be split into two parts, with the first five characters in this post and the last five in another. Also, there be spoilers ahead. If you don't want my stories spoiled, then I suggest not reading this, at least until you've read my works. I chose to start with characters because the Shikaverse was written without any outlining or extensive planning. Therefore, it was crucial I had strong characters capable of carrying the stories they starred in from beginning to end. They range in variety from heroic Toa to evil Makuta and everything in between. I hope that by the end of this two-part post that you, my readers, will understand why I like the characters on this list so much. With that out of the way, let's start the list with: #1: Toa Barilo First appearance: The Tales of Shika Nui Quotes: "You know, Nastan, you and Nonzra always used to argue, but it was friendly arguments. I, however, think you're holding the team down with your morals, so I figure I ought to get rid of you now." ("The Tales of Shika Nui," Chapter 11: Not A Hero Anymore) "Okay, Nastan, I admit, I did try to kill you under my own free will. I didnt do it just because I was going insane (though for the record I was slightly out of my mind at the time). I did it because I was angry, I had the power, and I was willing to do it, too. But now. I have seen my mistake and I ask you for your forgiveness. Please, Nastan, find it somewhere in your heart to forgive your fellow Toa for wronging you. Please." ("Tapestry of Evil," Chapter 20: Wanderer's Mission) "This is the only way to stop him. I have realized this. I dont care if I die in the process; so long as you take him out, Im fine. Just hit me with everything you got now and no holding back!" ("An Unlikely Alliance," Chapter 29: A Hero's Sacrifice) Out of all the characters I wrote in the Shika Trilogy, Toa Barilo, Toa of Gravity and deputy leader of the Toa Shika, probably got the most character development out of them all. Over the span of the trilogy, he went from being a self-centered thief to redemption-seeker to unashamed hero, which can be observed in the three quotes I chose above. What makes Barilo a remarkable character, in my opinion, is that his development was not planned at all. When I first stared the Shika Trilogy, I had no idea Barilo would become so central to the story. In my opinion, I believe his character developed the way it did because of his interactions with another character from the Shika Trilogy: Toa Nastan (who is not on this list). Nastan was your typical do-gooder Toa who often held the rest of the team to high standards, which initially annoyed Barilo. They got along so badly that Barilo even tried to kill Nastan at one point. Though the two were ultimately reconciled after that, that act haunted Barilo afterward and was probably what caused him to begin his journey from selfish thief to humble hero. In the end, I consider Barilo to be the true hero of the Shika Trilogy. While there were certainly other heroic characters in the trilogy, it was Barilo who ultimately saved the day in the end, despite his rough beginnings as a selfish thief who cared for no one other than himself and his small group of friends. #2: Makuta Hajax First appearance: The Tales of Shika Nui Quote: "One day, I would like to visit Destral and give my brothers a surprise welcome . . . after I have gotten an army big enough to crush that island into little more than fine powder, of course." ("An Unlikely Alliance," Chapter 18: Truths & Falsehoods) Makuta Hajax, Makuta of Shika Nui, was an interesting character. He was a Makuta who hated other Makuta. Technically, he only hated Teridax, who he saw as desecrating the name of the Brotherhood of Makuta, but his feelings toward his brothers and sisters who served Teridax were negative all around. Like Barilo, Hajax got his share of character development. Originally, he wanted to overthrow Teridax and turn the Brotherhood back into a force for good. His methods were often questionable, but at heart he did have good intentions. So you could plausibly consider him a hero of sorts. Unlike Barilo, however, Hajax became worse as time went on. He eventually came to the conclusion that he not only needed to take over the Brotherhood, but that he had to rule the universe itself, too. His reasoning was that Mata Nui was in no shape to rule anymore and that he probably wasn't all that good of a ruler anyway if he had been defeated so easily by Teridax. In order to accomplish this goal, he often manipulated the Toa Shika. In particular, he focused on Barilo, whose vices made him more susceptible to Hajax's machinations than the others were. He was so successful at playing with Barilo that he even ended up possessing the Toa's body, a move that advanced Hajax's plans more than anything else. Due to the scope of his plans and his close relationship with Barilo, I would call Hajax the true villain of the Shika Trilogy. In some ways, he was a tragic villain. He started out with noble intentions, but they eventually led him to becoming the very thing he had fought against (like another character on this list, in fact). #3: Toa Kiriah First appearance: Dimension Hoppers Quote: "Oh, I forgot about that. Um, sorry." ("Dimension Hoppers," Chapter 13: The Expedition Begins) Kiriah is awkward, overly apologetic, forgetful, and quite clumsy. Because of that, she is one of my favorite characters to write for, though she only makes number three on this list. I loved writing for her in Dimension Hoppers so much that she went on to play a major role in The Ghost King's Tragedy and, more recently, Dawn of the New Century. She will also appear in In the End, as you may have guessed. She had an interesting history as a character. She wasn't even in the first draft of Dimension Hoppers. I only added her in the second draft because Greg confirmed Psionics as a Toa element and I thought it would be cool to have a Toa of Psionics character in one of my fanfics. In addition, Isarot was boring by himself, so I thought throwing in a second protagonist would spice things up, which was a good move on my part, if I may say so. One reason I like her so much is because she is partly based off myself. In particular, I gave her my absentmindedness. She is the only character in the Shikaverse who comes closest to being my self-insert, though she's different enough from me that I think most people who read about her wouldn't guess that I had based her off myself unless I told them. I cannot yet give a final verdict on her character as a whole, however, because I have not yet finished In the End. I hope to give her a good ending, though, whatever it might ultimately be. #4: Isarot First appearance: Dimension Hoppers Quote: "We promised to protect the Time Stone with our lives, even if it was stolen by some dimension-hopping thief. Even if our sanity was in danger of being destroyed, we would have no excuse for letting some thief get away with it without even trying to retrieve it." ("Dimension Hoppers," Chapter 1: A Decision is Made) If you asked me which of the Three Virtues best describes Isarot, without hesitation I would at the second virtue: Duty. Isarot was consumed by duty. Duty to the Time Stone, duty to his people, duty to his Baiji (elder, for those of you who don't speak Tagiki), and duty to his best friend. As a result, he was probably one of the best guardians of the Time Stone ever, considering how seriously he took his guardianship. Yet I'd hardly call Isarot a mindless protector. He had a strong sense of right and wrong and utterly despised dishonest people. He would always try to keep other people around him honest. His honesty would even compel him to call out his superiors when he thought they were lying, something he might never do under other circumstances. Although Isarot was a loyal and honest friend, he was by no means perfect. He could be highly judgmental and unforgiving towards people he didn't like or trust. His desire to put the safety of the Time Stone above all else meant that the only real friend he had was Kiriah. (It is interesting to note that, despite their wildly differing personalities and tastes, both Isarot and Kiriah generally felt out of place among members of their respective species.) He was not always patient with dumb or slow-witted people, either. In general, I think Isarot is one of those people who, in real life, you would either love or hate. He was not particularly cuddly and lovable, but he was extremely loyal to those who he considered friends. He never cared about universal popularity. He only cared about doing what he thought was right. #5: Masqouth First appearance: Dawn of the New Century Quote: "I just cant believe it. The Kra-Matoran are free and people will die and I will be just like my parents. It's amazing." ("Dawn of the New Century," Chapter XXVIII) Masqouth is a fun character to write, probably because he's different from other antagonists I've written. Other antagonists, like Hajax and Darranas, were cold, calculating, cruel, and cynical. They may have had some redeeming virtues, but in the end they lived their lives causing more harm than good and so are easy to hate. Masqouth, on the other hand, is warm, spontaneous, fun, and idealistic. He is rather childish and naïve and rarely feels hatred for his enemies. Unlike other antagonists, Masqouth is hard to hate, which is what I think makes him an interesting character. His biggest flaw is probably his naivety. He easily trusts other people to the point where they can manipulate him, often without him ever being the wiser. He often jumps to conclusions and acts hastily, much like a child. His understanding of good and evil is extremely simplistic. He honestly does not see anything wrong with manipulating tensions between species to start a world war (although that does not excuse what he did). Like Kiriah, his final fate will be revealed in In the End. Out of all the characters in the Dawn Duology, his is the character arc I most wish to give closure to. The next part will probably come before the end of the year (EDIT: Read Part 2 here!). I will also make a special announcement about the Shikeverse in that post, so keep an eye on this blog for that, too. -TNTOS-

As of today, Premier Forum Assistant and overall awesome guy GSR turns 22. Let's all wish him a happy birthday today! If I had cake, I would give him some, but unfortunately I don't so I can't . -TNTOS-

Chapter Thirteen: Apotheosis (and Other Big, Pretentious Words) “Never gonna give you up/Never gonna let you down/Never gonna turn around and desert you.” -Rick Astley, rickrolling some poor sap In the blink of an eye, Sunset whirled around and bucked the air with her hind legs. A chunk of solid air went flying toward Mata Nui and Kiina, forcing the two to separate to avoid being hit. The air chunk crashed into the floor and exploded, which Mata Nui grabbed and stuffed into his 40k MGA and fired back at Sunset. The unicorn, however, easily teleported out of the way of the oncoming explosion. She accidentally ended up in front of Kiina, however, who grabbed the pony by the tail and smashed her against the floor again and again. Kiina did it so ferociously that Twilight was sure Sunset wouldn't survive. But Sunset, apparently, was far stronger than she looked, because she lashed out with all four of her hooves and struck Kiina. The resulting blow sent Kiina flying through the air, but not before letting go of Sunset, who again teleported away to a safer distance. It looked like Kiina was going to crash into the barrier, but she did some flips in midair and landed on the shield with both her feet. Then she launched herself through the air toward Sunset, but the unicorn unleashed a burst of electricity that sent Kiina flying backwards again. This time, Mata Nui caught Kiina before she could slam into the shield, did a front-flip in midair, and landed on the floor with a flourish. After depositing Kiina on the floor, Mata Nui turned to face Sunset and said, “You meanie! How dare you hit my girlfriend! Take this! Triple finish!” Somehow Mata Nui began firing bullets at the speed of a machine gun, even though his gun was a rifle. With a smirk on her face that would make Loki proud, Sunset teleported several times to avoid the oncoming bullets, which bounced off the barrier and landed harmlessly on the floor. Mata Nui would have kept shooting, but Sunset activated a spell that locked his gun's trigger. Then her horn flared and the next moment all of the fallen bullets rose up into the air and aimed themselves at Mata Nui and Kiina. “I think these are yours,” said Sunset. “Since I'm such a nice person, I'll return them to you without expecting anything in return.” The bullets shot toward Mata Nui and Kiina with the speed of bullets (obviously). The couple swung their weapons, however, and created a massive burst of wind that knocked all of the bullets out of the air, which clattered to the floor. And with a single snap of Mata Nui's fingers, all of the bullets rolled toward Sunset as though remote controlled. “What's this?” said Sunset, taking a step back from the bullets. “What are you trying to do, trip me up?” “Nope,” said Mata Nui. “You gonna explode good.” Sunset's puzzled expression was visible for only a split second before all of the bullets exploded. The resulting explosion was so huge that it cracked the barrier, completely enveloping all three of the combatants in flames. Yet even through the fire, Twilight could see Mata Nui and Kiina standing their ground, apparently not at all bothered by the intensity of the heat. “No way she could have survived that,” said Spike, pumping his fist. “Mata Nui and Kiina won, right?” “I wouldn't celebrate too soon,” said Bucket-head. “Bad guys here have a bad habit of recovering from supposedly fatal attacks.” When the explosion dissipated, Sunset Shimmer looked terrible. Her mane and coat were burnt black, her horn was smoking, and she looked like she was using all of her willpower just to remain standing. “Ready to give up?” said Mata Nui. “Because if you do, I might think about sparing your life. Might.” “You are much stronger than I anticipated,” said Sunset, shaking visibly. “Much, much stronger. It looks like I will have to reveal my true form, then. Hi-ya!” With that, a pillar of green and black fire enveloped Sunset. Tendrils of green energy shot out from it toward Mata Nui and Kiina, but our two heroes just smacked the tendrils away. “Oh, no!” said Berix. “She's killing herself!” “Don't be stupid,” said Bucket-head. “Didn't you hear what she said? She's going to reveal her true form.” “Oh,” said Berix. Then his expression changed to horror. “You mean she's a zombie?” Bucket-head sighed. “No, Berix, that's not what I-” A loud screeching sound cut off Bucket-head's (stupid and unnecessary, I might add) explanation. It was coming from the pillar of green and black fire, which immediately dissipated. Now there was no pony standing there at all; instead, it was a tall, humanoid creature, similar to Mata Nui and the others, except it was completely organic rather than biomechanical. Its hair, dress, and tail were the same colors as Sunset's mane had been, but that was where the similarities ended. The new creature had long, dark, bat-like wings that extended from its back, the insides which were as red as its skin. In addition, it had really long, sharp clawed fingernails, which made it look really ugly and stuff. “Holy me,” said Mata Nui. “What the Karzahni is that?” The demon creature looked at its hands and body, as if admiring its new form. “My, I look sexy.” “Your body makes me want to tear out my eyeballs and eat them,” said Mata Nui. “But I won't because I need my eyeballs. After all, how can I kill you if I can't see you?” Then the demon looked up and smirked just like Sunset. “Now you see my true form. I am Sunset Shimmer, Queen of the Demons!” “But I thought you were a pony,” said Mata Nui. “How can that be your true form?” “It just is,” Sunset insisted. “Now die!” Sunset unleashed lightning bolts at Mata Nui and Kiina, but Mata Nui just punched them out of the air. “Lightning bolts are so last year,” said Mata Nui. “Try something original for once.” Sunset snarled and stomped her foot, sending a tremor through the floor that almost knocked over Mata Nui and Kiina. But the two managed to jump into the air and deliver a devastating flying kick to Sunset, knocking her flat off her feet. Our two heroes back-flipped off of nothing and landed several feet away from the demon just as Sunset scrambled awkwardly back to her feet. “She's not used to her demon form,” said Twilight in realization. “She's so used to being a pony that she doesn't know how to handle the body of a biped. It makes perfect sense.” “Biped?” said Berix. “I didn't know she swung both ways.” “That's not what it means, Berix,” said Bucket-head. “What does Berix mean?” said Spike. “How can Sunset swing both ways? I don't see a swing set anywhere.” “It's an expression,” said Bucket-head. “Ask Twilight about it.” “Twilight, what does 'swings both ways' mean?” Spike asked. “Ask Bucket-head about it,” said Twilight, her eyes focused solely on the fight. While Spike was confused, Sunset Shimmer had summoned a sword made of green flames from nowhere and was now sword-fighting with Mata Nui and Kiina. Well, okay, technically it wasn't an actual sword-fight, as Kiina had a trident and Mata Nui a rifle, but they used them like swords and it looked really cool and stuff, so I think it counts. Besides, I'm just the Narrator, so if you want to complain about it, go to the author. He's the one who is writing this stuff, not me. Mata Nui and Kiina swung their weapons at Sunset at exactly the same time, but Sunset blocked them both with her overly long sword. She pushed back, staggering them both, and attacked with frightful speed. She tried to knock their weapons out of their hands, but Mata Nui and Kiina held onto them tightly. Kiina spotted an opening in Sunset's defense and stabbed, but the demon managed to dodge her attack. Unfortunately for her, however, she merely ended up putting herself in Mata Nui's way, earning a Falcon Punch from our hero, sending her flying all the way to the other side of the barrier. She crashed into it so hard that she created dozens more cracks in the shield, although it still held despite that. Sunset leaped to her feet even as Mata Nui and Kiina ran at her. She tossed her fire sword to the side and, doing complicated hand movements that Twilight couldn't follow, created a massive wall of flame whose heat even the people outside the barrier could feel. “Fry!” Sunset bellowed. “Fry like fish! Mwahahaha!” But then Mata Nui and Kiina did the unexpected. They leaped straight through the wall of fire, smashing through it as though it were made of solid brick. Surprised, Sunset just barely managed to duck to avoid the two heroes crashing into her. She rolled away and was back on her feet instantly, watching Mata Nui and Kiina prepare their weapons again. “You will never defeat me,” said Sunset. “Even in this form, I am all-powerful. With but a simple flick of my wrist, I could end all your lives right now.” “Funny,” said Mata Nui. “With a simple flick of my wrist, I could kill you dead.” To prove his point, Mata Nui flicked his wrist, sending a powerful gust of wind at Sunset. The gust of wind transformed into a tornado halfway there, striking Sunset so hard in the chest that it sent her bouncing around the barrier like a pinball. Everywhere she hit created another crack until finally the barrier could not take the beating anymore and shattered into trillions of pieces. Sunset hit the floor hard, but she didn't get a chance to do much else, because Kiina grabbed her and hurled the villain at the ceiling. Mata Nui leaped into the air at the same moment and smashed the butt of his gun into Sunset's face, sending the demon crashing through the floor. She just kept going, crashing through floor after floor after floor until she reached the Coliseum's base with an explosion, from which she was unlikely to ever return. Mata Nui landed next to Kiina and fist-bumped her as the others ran over to them. “Man, that was the awesomest thing I've ever seen ever!” said Spike. “First she was like, 'You can't defeat me!' and then you were like 'POW!' and she was like 'I am going to become a demon now!' and-” “Okay, Spike, we get it,” said Bucket-head, bored. “You were very excited.” “Barney's right,” said Berix, nodding. “It was so cool. I wish I could have been part of it. Then I could have ripped out Sunset's spleen and eated it like cake!” “Well, it wasn't that awesome,” said Mata Nui, blushing. “Well, okay, it was, but I already knew that. If you want to keep feeding my ego, however, I'm happy to listen.” Twilight peered into the hole Mata Nui had punched Sunset into. “I don't think that's the last we've seen of her.” “Nonsense,” said Mata Nui, shaking his head. “She's dead. There's no way she could have survived that. And even if she did, I'm sure we could take her down. She's probably so weak at this point that even Bucket-head could beat her.” “Thanks a lot,” Bucket-head grumbled. Twilight looked over her shoulder at Mata Nui and Kiina with a fearful expression. “Oh, that's right. You guys didn't hear Sunset's plan about apotheosis.” “I don't see what veterinarians have to do with this, Twilight,” said Mata Nui. Twilight rolled her eyes. “I mean her ascension into godhood. She mentioned a chamber beneath the Coliseum that would allow her to do that. And I am afraid you may have just hit her into it.” “But she said it wouldn't active for several more hours,” said Bucket-head. “So we probably have more than enough time to go down there and retrieve her body before-” The Coliseum shook and a nearby grandfather clock started chiming dramatically, causing everyone to look at it. “That pony,” said Bucket-head. “Either she lied to us or even abstract concepts like time want to prove me wrong now.” “What's going to happen?” said Mata Nui. “So what if she becomes a god? We've beaten worse.” “Problem is, she's going to get her power from both Spherus Magna and Equestria,” said Twilight. “Our universes are going to merge. And when they do. . . .” “Power shall be mine!” A voice echoed throughout the room; in fact, echoed throughout the entire universe; no, the entire multiverse. It was as though the very fabric of reality itself had gained the ability to speak, because Twilight could even hear it in her mind as clearly as she could in her ears. It was so powerful that she was nearly brought to her knees because of it. The worst part of it all, however, was the familiarity of the voice. Though slightly deeper and grander now, there was no mistaking that for the voice of anyone but Sunset Shimmer. “You fools!” Sunset roared, echoing like a gun shot in a cramped place. “You've given me exactly what I wanted! I win! I WIN!” And on that depressing note, everything ceased to exist. -TNTOS-

Doctor Jackstraw is an awesome name. DC should use it for a new Batman villain or something. Where did this come from, anyway? A magazine or something? -TNTOS-

Figured that would happen to someone. All right, then. Two people. That's more than I thought I would be interested in my stuff. Maybe it will be worth reposting the Shika Trilogy, then. -TNTOS-

HH said it was okay to repost epics from the Archives (see this topic for more info). As for why I haven't done it already, well, I just didn't think there was interest. Also because they're not nearly as good as my newer works, so I wasn't sure if I wanted anyone to read them. But hey, if you're interested, maybe I will. If I do repost them, it will probably be in 2014. Will have to think about that. Thank you . It's a useful ability to have whether as a professional writer or as a fanfic writer; after all, many writers labor in obscurity for years before anyone reads their work. In order to make it as a writer, you kind of have to have a love for the craft itself, not for any feedback or fame you may receive from other people because of it. Thank you again . You've been a good friend and reviewer of my works. When I publish my first novel (which should hopefully happen sometime next year, if all goes according to plan), I'll be sure to tell you. If you enjoy my fanfics, you'll probably enjoy my original works just as much. Have you checked out Constellations, per chance? It has four original science-fiction short stories written by me. You might enjoy them. -TNTOS-

As most of my readers know, I am in the process of writing a sequel to my most recent epic, Dawn of the New Century. It is currently titled In the End and will be released early or mid 2014. It will also be my final epic in the Shikaverse and my final epic on BZP in general. For those of you who don't know, the Shikaverse is my Bionicle fanfiction universe. Nearly every epic and short story I have written and posted on BZP is set in the Shikaverse, starting from my earliest works all the way to my newest. I've been writing in the Shikaverse for a little over five years, I believe, which is a pretty long time when you think about it. Only my comedies do not take place within the Shikaverse, although I did write a comedy parodying one of my Shikaverse works once. The name "Shikaverse" comes from the name of the very first story set in that universe, my first epic called The Tales of Shika Nui (which you can't read on BZP anymore due to the deletion of the Archives). The island of Shika Nui is a defining feature of the Shikaverse, even though it does not appear in every story. As a result, I can think of no other name more appropriate for that universe than the Shikaverse. When I started writing The Tales of Shika Nui, I had no idea that it would grow into this sprawling, complicated, and (I'll be honest) sometimes contradictory universe. I have had no other collaborators to help me keep the facts straight or write my stories. Aside from showing a few of my works to friends and family for feedback before posting, the entire Shikaverse has been written, edited, and posted by me. So I take full responsibility for every word I have written: the good, the bad, and the just plain strange. And I honestly would not have it any other way. As much as I love the Shikaverse, I've known for some time now that I can't write in it forever. In order to pursue my dream of being a professional writer, I have to stop writing fanfiction. While I am currently juggling fanfiction and original fiction, I know that only one will get me published, only one will make me money, only one will help me build my platform, and only one will help me grow in ways that the other cannot. And that one is original fiction. Because I knew this, I am determined to end the Shikaverse on my own terms. I will not simply abandon it to rot in the darkest corners of BZP. I love it too much to simply abandon it. I have to give it a good ending. More than anything else, I need a sense of closure, which I cannot get if I do not write and finish the Dawn Duology. I planned Dawn specifically with this in mind. I had hoped for Dawn itself to be the Shikaverse's ending, but the story ended up being too big for a single epic, so I have made it into a duology. I was aware that could happen, as I tend to write organically, but it does make ending the thing a bit more complicated than I had thought it would be. I am convinced it won't become a trilogy, however, so don't worry about that . I have no idea if anyone else really cares about the Shikaverse. My works have never been very popular. I have certainly built a reputation here (I think?), but I don't consider myself one of the big time BZP writers like, say, GaliGee, for example. As I said above, I am writing this to give myself a sense of closure more than anything. If there are any readers who have been following my works from the beginning, then they, too, shall receive closure. Over the next few months, leading up to In the End's release, I will be talking more about the Shikaverse. I will be talking about favorite characters, favorite stories, favorite moments, and lessons I have learned from the Shikaverse. It won't be all sunshine and rainbows, though. I will probably also talk about my least favorite moments, stories I wish I could have rewritten, characters I felt I should have developed more, and even stories I regret writing at all (all writers have works they regret writing and I am no different). Consider this post an introduction to a series of posts about the Shikaverse. There will be no regular schedule. I will try to get it all posted before the release of In the End, but there is no guarantee for that. I have no planned number of posts to put up, although if I had to guess I'd say it will consist of seven or eight. But again, no guarantees. I doubt this will appeal to many people and I don't expect a lot of people to follow this little series of blog posts. Certainly I would be happy if people read and commented on this series, but ultimately I am writing this for my own benefit and enjoyment. If anyone else enjoys it, well, that's a bonus. Posts in the "Looking Back" series: Looking Back: Top 10 Favorite Characters from the Shikaverse, Part 1 Looking Back Top 10 Favorite Characters from the Shikaverse, Part 2 Looking Back: Top Four Favorite Stories from the Shikaverse That's all for now, so see ya, -TNTOS-

Hey, did anyone see that iTunes and Google Play have the series' official soundtrack available for download? It only has songs from seasons 1 and 2, but they sound excellent. I've downloaded Becoming Popular and Love is in Bloom and they both sound fabulous. -TNTOS-

Looks awesome. -TNTOS-

Chapter Twelve: The Evil Plan Revealed (Attack on Exposition!) “My evil plan was better.” -Makuta Teridax, pouting, after being asked about Sunset Shimmer's evil plan “Poke, poke, poke, poke. . . .” “Stop poking her, Ahkmou. I, Sunset Shimmer, Supreme Ruler of the World, demand that you stop.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” “Then why are you still poking her?” “It's some kind of psychosomatic disorder, according to my doctor. From the war, you know.” “You don't have a doctor.” “Darn it. How'd you know?” “Plot holes. They're magic.” It took Twilight's groggy, half-asleep brain a long time to make the connection between the voice of the female and the name Sunset Shimmer. Right now, her head felt like it had been bashed in by a pile driver and she couldn't remember why. But when Twilight realized just who one of the people talking was, her eyes snapped open and she tried to jump to her hooves, only to realize with horror that she was tied up with Spike and Bucket-head. That by itself wouldn't have been so bad, had they not also been suspended above a tank of green acid by a very flimsy, very old rope that felt like it was about to break any second now. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Twilight saw two beings standing on the floor below. One was a brown Matoran carrying a long stick, which he was using to poke Twilight. The other was a yellow unicorn with a red mane that had a yellow streak running down it. Though she had never seen her before, Twilight knew who the pony was. “Sunset Shimmer,” said Twilight. “Am I correct?” Sunset smirked. “I see you're awake, Twilight Sparkle. Excellent. Having my enemies witness my upcoming glory will make it that much more glorious.” Beside Twilight, Spike stirred and shook his head. “Whoa . . . Twilight, where are we?” “You are about to die,” said Sunset. “I am going to lower you three into that pit of acid below. Rather simple, isn't it?” “I suppose in comparison to ways past villains have tried to kill me, it is,” said Bucket-head, who had also apparently awaken. “Although I don't see why you didn't just shoot us.” “It's more dramatic this way,” Sunset insisted. “Not that you dirty Skrall would know anything about drama, of course.” “Hey!” said Spike. “Only we get to insult Bucket-head. Not you.” “Shut up, dragon lips,” said Sunset, flicking her mane to one side. “Or I'll have Ahkmou here lower you into the acid, ah, 'accidentally' too fast.” The Matoran, whose name apparently was Ahkmou, had one hand on a lever that was attached to a pulley which held their rope. Considering how weak the rope looked, however, Twilight doubted that Ahkmou would need to lower them in at all. “Did Celestia send you after me, Twilight?” said Sunset. “Surely she didn't think you could defeat me.” “Yes, Celestia did send Spike and me to retrieve the crown you stole from the castle treasury,” Twilight said. “I'm also supposed to bring you back to Equestria so you can face justice.” “Justice? What a joke,” said Sunset with a laugh. “I guess Celestia must be getting senile, that old hag. Not that it matters. Soon enough, not even Celestia will be able to stop me.” “Hey, I just thought of something,” said Bucket-head. “If Twilight can teleport, what's to stop her from escaping these bindings right now?” “Magic,” said Sunset. “The magic of this universe . . . if it can indeed be called that, as chaotic as it is . . . works in ways even I, in my amazing power, do not understand. I understand it well enough to know how to block Twilight's magic with it, however, making her as useless as a Skrall.” “I resent that,” said Bucket-head. Spike's eyes lit up. “I got an idea, guys! I'll use my fire to burn our rope and-” “And kill us all,” said Bucket-head, gesturing at the acid below them with his foot. “Yeah, no.” Ignoring those two, Twilight said to Sunset, “You can't stay here. Neither can I or Spike. The universes are collapsing. Spherus Magna and Equestria will both be no more very soon. If that happens, then even you will die.” Sunset smirked. “The universes, collapsing? That may be what it looks like in Equestria, but I can assure you that appearances can be quite deceiving, especially on a cosmic scale.” “What do you mean?” Sunset's horn glowed and Twilight's crown appeared on her head out of nowhere. “The universes aren't collapsing. Instead . . . they are merging.” Those three words were enough to silence everyone in the room. It took only a second for the implications of that to sink in for Twilight. And when they did, she was horrified beyond words. “No way . . .” said Twilight. “You're lying. You're the bad guy. That's what bad guys do.” “I am being completely honest,” said Sunset, looking at Twilight coldly. “What I speak is the truth. Tell me, haven't you noticed, during your travels, the ways in which this universe and Equestria appear to be overlapping? Have you not met some people who reminded you of your friends back home?” Twilight remembered seeing Berix as Pinkie Pie, but she had just assumed that was this universe being illogical again, as usual. But if there was an actual reason behind it . . . “Let me tell you a little story,” said Sunset as she started pacing back and forth in front of the acid pit. “Many years ago, there was a simple unicorn who was discovered to have a great aptitude for magic. In order to train this young one up so she might someday become a great Princess, Princess Celestia took her under her wing -- not literally, mind you, but figuratively -- and trained her. This pony seemed to have a bright future; in fact, there were even rumors that she would one day take over the throne from Celestia herself.” There was a wistfulness and bitterness in Sunset's tale that captured Twilight's attention. She had an idea where it was going, although she refrained from stating her theories aloud. “But then this student began experimenting with and studying magic Celestia didn't want her to study,” Sunset continued. “Eventually, Celestia decided her student had gone mad with power and no longer could be in the running for future ruler of Equestria. The student, angered by this, escaped through a certain magic mirror to this world, where Celestia decided to let her be, as the world to which the student had escaped to was unknown, meaning any rescue party was doomed to failure. It was believed by all that the student would never return and so everypony forgot about her. “The student, however, survived. She found a new world on the other side of the mirror, a world unlike Equestria, yet in some ways very similar. She devoted herself to studying this world, learning how to control its physical laws, so she may one day return to Equestria to get her revenge on Celestia, that old hag who had tried to limit the student's potential.” “That's a sad story,” said Spike. “I wonder who it was about. Whoever it was must be pretty terrible.” “I am that student,” said Sunset, stopping and looking up at her prisoners. “I, Sunset Shimmer, was once Celestia's personal student, just as you are, Twilight. I was the one who tried to study magic Celestia did not approve of. And it was I who escaped through the mirror into this world, where I have lived ever since.” “Why didn't Celestia ever tell me about this?” Twilight wondered. “Isn't it obvious?” said Sunset. “For being Celestia's top student, you really are quite the dim one. She never told you the story in order to keep you from repeating my actions.” “Even if your story is true, I don't see how you're going to get revenge on Celestia,” said Twilight, shaking her head. “She's an alicorn and you're still a unicorn. Even if you are a powerful unicorn, you still can't take her in a fight.” “You're assuming I plan to stay in this puny pony form forever,” said Sunset. “That is a terrible assumption to make. Terribly inaccurate, that is.” “So you plan to get a power boost?” said Twilight. “How? Gathering the Elements of Harmony and using their power to boost your own? That might work, assuming you can somehow convince my friends to work with you, of course.” “I don't need the Elements of Harmony for the power I seek,” said Sunset. “Compared to the power I will soon receive, the Elements of Harmony are but children's toys designed for nothing more than to entertain. No, the power I seek is greater than all six of the Elements of Harmony combined. It surpasses the combined powers of Celestia and Luna. It even dwarfs the abilities of the inhabitants of Spherus Magna . . . and I do not say that lightly, considering the feats that these people are capable of.” “Then tell us,” said Bucket-head, “what your plan is. How do you intend to get that much power? However much it may be, it can't be that more than Teridax's. I mean, he was a freaking planet-sized robot. I'm pretty sure you're going to be smaller than that.” Again, Sunset smirked (she must like smirking, Twilight thought). “Teridax was cunning, but a fool. He limited his vision to only conquering universes. Even if he had sought more, he would have failed, as he did not have sufficient power to accomplish more. No, I seek power above and beyond his.” “Above and beyond the power of a planet-sized robot?” said Bucket-head. “Okay, I'm lost.” “It's simple, the power that I seek,” said Sunset. “It is the combined power of two universes: Spherus Magna and Equestria. When the two universes finish their merge, it will result in a new world, one unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. Ponies and biomechanical beings will exist side-by-side, yet that is but one of the new features of the New World and not even the most important one, either.” “Even if the universes do merge, I don't see how that is supposed to help you, personally,” said Twilight. “How silly you are, Twilight,” said Sunset. “And stupid. Has your slow mind really failed to understand my goal? Or, rather, the method by which I intend to get the power of the universes flowing through my beautiful body? Think. Prove yourself as Celestia's protege.” Twilight frowned. She had always liked pop quizzes (a fact which had horrified Rainbow Dash, who apparently hated them). But this was a question she hadn't hadn't prepared for at all. It required some unknown variables that she couldn't access right now, no matter how hard she thought. And yet at the same time, the answer seemed maddeningly obvious, as if it were floating right there in front of her face and she just couldn't see it. Finally, something clicked in Twilight's mind and it all made sense. Of course, she had no idea if it was true or not; yet it was the only answer that accounted for all the facts. But if it was true. . . . “Apotheosis,” Twilight muttered under her breath. “That is your ultimate goal.” “Apotheo-what?” said Spike. “Why does Sunset want to become a veterinarian?” “Not an apothecary, you stupid dragon,” said Sunset, shaking her head. “Apotheosis. I am going to ascend to godhood. That is my ultimate goal.” “You want to become a god?” said Spike. “That's stupid. Nopony can become a god.” “That's what you think,” said Sunset. “But it is quite possible, I have discovered. You see, when I came to this universe, I too panicked at the thought of the merge when I learned of it via my own research. Who was to say I would survive? What if I died? I almost returned to Equestria, thinking I would rather take my chances with Celestia rather than the merging of two universes, but then it occurred to me what a silly thought that was.” “You should have gone back,” said Twilight. “What you're doing now is reprehensible. We like our universes just the way they are, thanks. We don't need your interference.” Ignoring Twilight, Sunset continued, “So I stayed and studied. And I finally learned that I was not the only one who was aware of what happens when beings travel between dimensions. A long time ago in this universe, another civilization discovered the same thing. This discovery allowed them to rise to the height of their power, a global empire that spanned the entire planet, but unfortunately the civilization ended after a certain incident involving milk drank directly from the carton. “But this people left behind many artifacts built by them. The Coliseum itself is built upon one of these artifacts, a chamber deep beneath the earth, close to Karzahni itself. That chamber -- known as the Apotheosis Chamber -- was designed to allow the civilization's Emperor to rise to godhood on his thirty-fourth birthday.” “Why thirty-fourth?” Twilight asked. “No one knows,” said Sunset. “Anyway, after much digging I discovered this chamber, but I have not been able to use it because I am not yet thirty-four-years-old. But in a few hours, the clock will strike midnight, at which point I will become thirty-four-years-old (tomorrow is my birthday, after all), enter the chamber, perform the necessary spell, and then become Goddess of the New World, as that is the hour I have calculated when the universes will complete the merging process.” “That's impossible,” said Twilight. “Impossible, impossible, impossible. You're bluffing. You're just trying to shake us up.” “Actually, the mistress is telling the truth,” said Ahkmou. “I have seen with mine eyes the power that lies beneath the Coliseum and it is enormous. Sunset Shimmer promised me dominion over my planet when her plan succeeds, hence why I am her faithful servant who will never betray-” A bolt of energy from Sunset's horn struck Ahkmou in the back and he exploded, leaving behind nothing but a pile of ash that smelled strangely like orange soda. “What . . . why did you do that?” said Twilight in alarm. “I thought he was your loyal servant.” “You mean you really didn't see how traitorous he actually was?” said Sunset. “Ahkmou is a snake. Unlike some villains, I am not going to spare my obviously traitorous minions. Anyone who even jokes about betraying me will immediately find that their life coming to an abrupt end.” “You truly are a monster,” said Twilight. Sunset laughed again. “A monster? No. But I will be a god, higher and more powerful than the rest of you puny mortals put together. And then Celestia -- no, the entire multiverse -- shall tremble at my might.” Twilight struggled to break free of her bonds, but they were too tight. “We'll stop you. Even if you kill us, Mata Nui, Kiina, and Berix are still out there. They'll defeat you.” Sunset smirked. “I doubt it. Those three buffoons may boast great power, but they have no brains with which to use it. Axonn and my other guardians will slay them long before they ever-” The chamber door at the other end of the room exploded open, like it had been blown apart with a bomb. Sunset whirled around just in time to see Axonn -- who now more closely resembled a ball of scrap metal than anything -- fly over her head and through the opposite wall into the city below. Axonn's screams of pain lingered in the air just long enough to cause Sunset's expression to change from smugness to fear. “What . . . who is there?” said Sunset, trying to see through the smoking doorway. “Show yourself.” From out of the smoke walked Mata Nui, Kiina, and Berix. Mata Nui held his gun on his shoulder, Kiina was spinning her trident around as she walked, and Berix's pistols were spinning in his hands like crazy. None of them looked like they had fought their way through an entire city to get here. They merely looked like they were ready to kick butt and take names, as they were always prepared to do. “Impossible,” said Sunset. “How did you defeat Axonn? I granted him invulnerability. He should have crushed you beneath his fists.” “That only works onscreen, Sunset Shimmer,” said Mata Nui as he and the others stopped. “And since that battle took place off-screen, Axonn didn't stand a chance.” “Darn it,” said Sunset, stomping one of her hooves. “How did I not take that into account? Curse you, fourth wall!” Then Berix pointed at Twilight and the others and said, “Hey, guys! We didn't know you were here. How'd you get up there? Is it a game? Can I play?” “No, Berix, it's not a game,” said Bucket-head. “We were kidnapped. Didn't you guys know that?” “Nope,” said Mata Nui, shaking his head. “We just came here to kick Sunset's butt.” “Well, at least they're here,” said Twilight. “I thought we were goners for a second.” Sunset looked up at them with an evil smile. “But you still are.” She pushed the lever forward and Twilight, Spike, and Bucket-head started dropping toward the lava pit at a million miles an hour. Their friends were not close enough to save them. Was this the end of three of our heroes? Will the bronies get angry if Twilight and Spike die? Will the author get hate mail for killing them off rather lamely? Wanting to avoid the wrath of the bronies, Mata Nui picked up Berix and hurled him like a spear straight at the falling captives. Berix knocked them out of the way of the lava pit and they landed on the floor in a confused heap. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, even though she was currently being crushed underneath Bucket-head's weight. “No!” Sunset hissed. “They were supposed to die. That is impossible!” “I don't even know what the word 'impossible' means,” said Mata Nui. “No, seriously, I don't. What does it mean?” “It doesn't matter,” said Sunset. “Soon, I will ascend to godhood and crush you mortals beneath my cute little hooves. And then the multiverse itself will be mine.” “I have no idea what's going on here,” said Mata Nui. “But I do see the butt of a certain stuck-up pony that needs to be kicked. Kiina, let's double-team her.” “Way ahead of you, Mata Nui,” said Kiina, raising her trident in a battle position. “I'm already thinking of all the ways I'm going to rip her apart.” “I may not yet be a god,” said Sunset as her horn glowed with energy, “but I understand the physics of this universe well enough to be able to harness the same kind of power you two wield.” By this time, Berix had untied Twilight and the others, setting them all free. Pushing Bucket-head off her, Twilight immediately got to her hooves and said, “You're gonna have to take on all six of us if you want to ascend to godhood, Sunset.” “Sorry, Twilight, but I'm not stupid enough to take on all six of you in a fight,” said Sunset. “You stay out of it.” A gigantic bubble of magical energy erupted around Sunset, Mata Nui, and Kiina, completely cutting off the others from them. Spike, Berix, Bucket-head, and Twilight immediately began attacking the barrier, trying to pierce it, but none of their attacks did any good. “Now,” said Sunset, returning her attention to Mata Nui and Kiina. “Let's have some fun, shall we?” “Indeed,” said Mata Nui, “it will be fun kicking your butt straight to the moon and back. Hi-ya!” -TNTOS-

Takanuva's intro is just awful, while this is hilarious and awesome. So I'd say Takanuva's intro is. You're right. I didn't notice the handles. That just makes this all the worse. -TNTOS-

Dang. I hope the play goes well regardless, but dang. That really does suck, like Tex said. -TNTOS-

I posted this on this blog back in September for Mask of Light's tenth anniversary, but it was deleted in the hacking, so I thought I'd repost this gem for everyone to see again. Watch and be amazed. Or cringe in horror. Both reactions are appropriate, really. -TNTOS-

I agree with this.This would be amazing to see. YES. Watching the staff play the best game ever* would be great. *Sarcasm. -TNTOS-

Agreed. PahrakxKairi OTP! -TNTOS-

That explains why some of my longer posts look like huge walls of text (including, unfortunately, some of my fanfics). I've been forced to fix them myself and it's slow-going, but at least no permanent damage seems to have been done to any of my stuff and the BBCodes are completely unaffected. It's just the paragraphs that have suffered for some reason. Anyway, hope y'all fix the problem soon. I had no idea it was a problem until I saw that the forums were down, though. -TNTOS-

As of today, National Novel Writing Month is officially over. I already deleted my NaNoWriMo content block, but will undoubtedly bring it back next year when I participate again. I had a lot of fun with this year's novel, probably more so than any of my previous years' novels. Part of the fun was finishing so quickly. It's like the novel just zipped out of my fingertips, as if my brain had already written the entire thing and was just waiting for my fingers to start typing. How about my fellow Wrimos? Anyone else have fun? What do you plan to do with your NaNo novel now that NaNoWriMo is officially over for this year? (Also please please don't kill me for the stupid pun in the title of this blog entry. Please?) -TNTOS-