What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story)

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 22, 2016 16:40:58 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2016 16:40:58 GMT -6

Alright. Before I begin, full credit for the inspiration goes to Rahaga806 and ArghYeMatey, unquestionably the best authors still writing here. I honestly feel a little bad that I've done this to tread upon their canon -- I just had to try my hand at this style that was pioneered by them and imitated by a few other users -- so for their sake this is quite definitively set in another reality.

What I have here below is, I suppose, ah... a "prologue," if you will. A small introduction to my story. With luck, I'll post on a regular schedule, and I hope that this is generally accepted by the users on this forum.

Today, when I read the tales woven by my once-called “heroes,” I gag. Perhaps their fault was in the universes they were forced to inhabit, perhaps it was the side that had taken them. Regardless, there was something on which both agreed: Shadow. I hope to dissuade you from their illogical absolutes and moral justifications. Their hatred is unfounded, for they never did see what lay beneath the surface of their sandbox Mata Nui. They never saw Destral.
Argh also attempted to write about swordplay and used actual medieval combat instead of the sport of saber fencing. That was also an unforgivable offense, probably. I’m sure Makuta has a special place for those Apprentices.

Last Edit: Jul 22, 2016 16:44:14 GMT -6 by Deleted

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 22, 2016 16:43:05 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2016 16:43:05 GMT -6

Chapter 1

I remember the night very well. It made a striking, indelible image, so how could I forget? The rain, the thunder. If this had not been reality, I would have discarded that night as cliché. After all, everyone knows that “monsters” are born on dark and stormy nights. An author once said something this in a novel of his: “From even the greatest of horrors irony is seldom absent.” How relevant.

    I apologize. This is my first attempt at recording the history of my life. I may digress often. It was a dark and stormy night. The rain came down on the roof with the force of furious deluge, and the wind battered a branch onto my window, creating an eerie ratta-tap-tapping that only served to remind me of the machine guns. Being the military history enthusiast that I was, the rain and the tapping combined spelled two distinct words for me: “the Somme.” Inspired by the moment, I went to the Wikipedia page for that legendary battle, idly looking for names or weapons that would carry me off through a “wormhole.” As I did this, I would occasionally turn my attention back to that BIONICLE Roleplay, or the Apprentice stories. Not that either of those were accurate, not to what lay below. I remain glad that Inharax was not real; he was far from a true Makuta.
    Before I got very far (I had only reached the Battle of Verdun subsection and responded to some Toa Team’s attack on an RMS base), the power went out. This was a frustrating moment. My life had been interrupted by a storm! My games, my fanfiction. This was an affront to me, and I would declare war on all of reality itself for the infraction. My first assault was made by selecting Panzer Commander and continuing my journey through the autobiography with a flashlight. Perhaps my attack on reality had been pacified for now, but I would be back to have my revenge…
    I believe I have explained to you the atmosphere well enough. There was a storm. There was a power outage. I was reminded heavily of a very big battle in a very big war. The stage was set for some horrifically typical darkness.
    It should have been no surprise, then, that darkness was exactly what happened. Lightning struck the tree beside my house, and with a weight that it should not have had, it crashed into my room and demolished that wall, leaving a gaping mess for rain to enter. I hurriedly bookmarked and shut my reading, tucking it someplace it would hopefully stay dry. I put on my trench coat to protect myself from the rain and wind, then began a mission of preserving everything I could, taking my electronics and water-sensitive items and putting them under my bed or in the closet. While in the process of saving The Prince, an inexplicable wind pulled me out of the house and sent me flying to the ground nearby. I tumbled several times in the mud, losing both my peaked cap and Machiavelli. It hurt so much; I probably broke multiple bones. Like the idiot I was, I still reached out a hand and recovered my hat, doing my best job to clean it of dirt and wear it in the downpour. Uneasily, I rose to my knees, surveying the area for my book despite the low visibility. It was too far away. I remained there, on my knees, just hoping this was some kind of cruel dream. Too much of the night was a stereotype, both of literary elements and my own character. This could not possibly be real. The night was too ironic for it to end like this.
    In answer to my hopes, the Makuta arrived. “You’re right,” the deep voice affirmed. “It would seem reality has retaliated.”
    “What the… heck?” This was where cliché began to somewhat be substituted for reality. I am sure that, at this point, a protagonist would have fainted, or otherwise succumbed to the pain and fallen unconscious, or perhaps the Makuta would use Sleep and carry me into the storm. Not so. He just extended a hand, and I recoiled, staring at it like it was a weapon.
    “Relax,” commanded the Makuta, though I remained tense. “I intend to heal you.”
    I huffed in derision, characteristically forgetting my place before a person of far greater power. “Wouldn’t be the first time you lied through your teeth.” My stomach tightened, expecting a final blow from the Makuta. While I did receive a blow, it was a relatively soft strike to the face; all it did was knock me to the ground. However, even as the left side of my face stung, I could feel the broken limbs healing. I smirked. He had channeled Quick Healing as he struck me.
    “I have punished you and healed you, brat.” That term stung. I was more adult than that. “Now, you’re coming with me.” Before the meaning of the words registered with me, the world disappeared.

Last Edit: Jul 23, 2016 18:25:31 GMT -6 by Deleted

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 23, 2016 18:41:14 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2016 18:41:14 GMT -6

Chapter 2 – I was expecting Mangaia!

    I never remembered waking up. The next thing I remembered after it all turned black was that I stood in a room. The room was dark. Not the lighting, but the walls, the floor. They were black like obsidian, but they seemed to drain the light from the bowl of flame next to Teridax’s throne. The throne itself was empty, but the Makuta of Metru Nui’s weapon rested upon a stand on its other side, so I felt as if I was being watched. If so, this was probably a test. No better way to figure that out than to fail. “So,” I began without thinking, “is it all going to be torches and blackness now? I think you caught the wrong kid. I’m more of a red guy, when I pick villainy. Black’s a stereotype. Kinda like Shadow. Is that why you never actually destroy your opponents with Shadow? Nahhh, it’s always Disintegration, Gravity, Magne—” I hissed in pain and fell to my knees as something in my body constricted. I assume today that it was a forced contraction of abdominal muscles, though how a Makuta could have achieved such delicate control was beyond me at the time – I was too busy trying not to scream, anyway.
    “Shut up.” I was released, and I rose to my feet. “This is not a test. This is an appointment. Do you not remember?” I thought to myself and came to the conclusion that I did not remember. This was a problem I faced regularly. Back on Earth, I was told that I was often given commands that I did not carry out, and not simply that I forgot – it was more like I genuinely believed I was never told. It was usually a sign that I needed more sleep.
    The voice evidently could tell that I was having trouble. I heard metallic footsteps approach me from behind, then pass me and walk to my front. I remained looking down the whole time, asking myself why I was taking everything so normally. Most human beings would be bewildered, would ask questions. Maybe the Apprentice stories had prepared me too well for this. And… Why haven’t I even considered fighting back?
    “Look at me.” My eyes met the Makuta’s red-orange eyes. Antidermis behind tinted eyepieces. He was wearing the Kanohi Kraahkan, and unlike the movie, he was wearing it the right way. For some reason, though this somewhat contradicted Cheryl Price’s description of the characters, I was unfazed. “My name is Maku—”
    Like the idiot I was, I interrupted. “Makuta Teridax, I know. You could point me at around ten Makuta and I could name them for you. You’re a toy line where I come from, you know. Chirox’s arm is a little cracked, and I had to replace several parts of Antroz using – you won’t believe this – a Glatorian. Oh, that’s right. You don’t know what those are. Not real in the Apprentice world, or just—ack.” The cramp returned, this time in both my calves. I did not rise from my knees this time. I just stared at Teridax.
    “I don’t care what you know from your world. It is probably all wrong. Instead, we will teach you of our world ourselves. You will learn from us and become a servant of the Makuta. Do you understand?”
    I tried to pull the brim of my cap over my eyes, but to my horror, it was not there. I could not stop my eyes from widening (I loved the cap, okay?), but I quickly corrected the error and stood at attention. “I understand.”
    “Excellent.” The Makuta approached me. “I am called Teridax. Your name is Kepler Sh—”
    At the risk of pain, I interrupted him again. “Yes, it’s lovely that we know each other’s names. Can we please get to something substantial?”
To my surprise, I did not receive pain. The Makuta instead stopped and looked thoughtfully upward, appearing to actually take my words into consideration. “Something substantial, you say. Then we can provide that.” My shadow rose from the floor and appeared to take on three dimensions. I looked at it and shivered. “Do you know why you were selected to become a servant of Makuta?”
    “No, I do not.” I stared into the shadow, and despite it being featureless, I could tell it was staring into me.
    “You were chosen for your ambition,” began the Makuta, orange eyes flaring on my Shadow’s face. “For your ego.” My Shadow’s coat turned bright red. “For your dishonesty.” The rest of the Shadow turned dark red. “And for your domineering nature.” My Shadow then donned a peaked cap like my own, though it remained black as pitch. I winced at that last accusation. I had been accused of being domineering before in social groups on Earth, and it was my fear that I always appeared to be controlling my friends rather than leading or working alongside them. “These traits are admirable in a Makuta, and you exemplify all of them together better than any other human child could. This is why you were selected.”
    “What, my intelligence isn’t on there?” That was a legitimate question. I hold my intelligence in high regard.
    “That is a given,” Makuta deflected curtly. “What is the intelligence of a Makuta, do you know?”
    “Even the dumbest Makuta has the equivalent of a Ph. D. in multiple fields within physics, chemistry, biology, and Great Being technology,” I instinctually recited. Oh, how often I had reminded those kids on the LMBs.
    “Good enough. You will be assigned to Makuta Icarax.” Teridax then took to his throne and sat upon it, glaring at me with icy eyes. “You are dismissed.” I nodded and turned away, somehow knowing where I was going. The Shadow crumbled and returned to my feet. As I left the chamber, Makuta spoke to me through the mind. I trust that your ambition will unseat his.
    Walking back to my quarters, I allowed some thoughts to pass through my mind. The Apprentice stories are set on Mata Nui – the canon ones, anyway, not the spin-offs. Why would the reality put me on Destral? I mean, it’s logical, but given the correlation between Rahaga’s story and this, it leads me to believe that Rahaga actually experienced it. That means Mata Nui is up there… but Teridax should be, too. If the Great Cataclysm happened, Teridax wouldn’t be here. So… am I back in time? Illogical; besides, how would this universe flow backward in time from ours? Maybe this is just a different universe. No Cheryl Price, no Sebastian, no Arc, no Matt. Well, this sucks. I’m alone in this universe. That was something I had always dreaded: no human company. Admittedly, back on Earth it meant no intelligent company at all, but how I longed for somebody who understood humanity. Preferably someone my age, who wouldn’t leave me behind in the short span of a few decades. That led to an awful contemplation of how short my lifespan was compared to a Makuta’s, and I shut it away just as my quarters came within sight.
    I will not say the Makuta gave me Spartan accommodations, but the furnishings were far from excessive. There was one bed with my mattress from home, with a Brotherhood of Makuta emblem carved at its head. How artistic. There was a desk with a chair, and on it was The Prince and my cap. I breathed a sigh of relief; thanks to Makuta science, it also appeared to be in better condition than when I purchased it – it was a Cold War-era cap, and had some almost indistinguishable signs of age that were now nonexistent. A modest wardrobe stood against one wall; within it was my West German trench coat (I was wearing the civilian coat) and some other articles of clothing, as well as a set of dark armor that I only assumed could be Protosteel. I tried to don the armor, but found that I did not know how it all worked. I should have learned something about medieval armor while I was home. Oh, well. I left it in a heap in the closet and opened Machiavelli at random. “Of those who become princes through wickedness.” My stomach turned. The title of that section bore too great a resemblance to my current situation, and though I knew that the substance of the chapter was not so, I put down the book. I decided instead to wander Destral.

    Destral was typical. It was everything I had expected, really, though the layout was nothing like the Destral that Inharax commanded. There were barracks, yes, and there was a headquarters, but one thing stood out prominently: no dedicated laboratory. They must have been concealed underground, or within the main building.
    I had expected there to be many Rahkshi on Destral, with a heavy Visorak presence, but the truth was quite the reverse: there were more beings of species like Brutaka’s and Johmak’s – you know, useless, nameless species – than there were Rahkshi. It seemed that the Brotherhood Army was not so homogeneous as I had assumed was canon. Hah. The Rogue Makuta Strikeforce were correct, after all.
While I was looking everywhere except in front of me, I ran right into a Makuta that was looking everywhere except below him. “Ow…” I rubbed the area around my eye and looked up at a silver-black Makuta. Chirox. He sneered at me, standing a full eight feet to me five feet, ten inches.
    “You are the ‘Apprentice’ that Teridax has summoned? Our ‘great secret weapon’? Hah! A small thing of flesh! You possess no qualities that a Makuta does not!” I simply looked up at him, unflinching and hoping I looked more confident than stupid. Chirox did not cease. “Do you have weapons, human? A Kanohi? Knowledge of viruses?” I shook my head at all three. I had not even touched a weapon in nearly a week, and that was my fencing saber. “Pfah!” spat the Makuta. “I doubt you can even use powers! You’re likely a fraud, unable to emulate any Toa’s ‘Apprentice’!”
    I could taste the implied quotations around “Apprentice.” It stung. Even if I was a servant of the Makuta… I was still worthy, darn it! “I’m not a fraud!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I caught the attention of all nearby, and I knew it. “I do have powers!” Did I? “I’LL SHOW YOU!”
    Chirox’s eyes widened in surprise as I reeled back, pressing my hands together to create a powerful build-up of Gravity. I then cast out my arms, intending to send the Makuta scientist sprawling. He did not move, to his own surprise. He remained there, staring down at my empty palms. Fear turned to derision, and my futile attempt was laughed away by his thunderous voice. It continued for what felt like an eternity. All the bystanders joined him, mocking my failed attempt to preserve my own integrity. When the laughter died, Chirox looked me dead in the eye, a dangerous glint in his own. He adopted a grin much like a tiger’s at the sight of injured prey. “I am going to beat you senseless a thousand ways. Nine hundred and forty-one of them are excruciating to your kind.”
    Fear, Poison, Hunger, Elasticity, Heat Vision, Illusion, Teleportation, Laser Vision, Gravity, Electricity, Chain Lightning, Weather Control, Sonics, Vacuum, Plasma, Magnetism, Shapeshifting, Darkness, Plant Control, Molecular Disruption, Insect Control, Power Scream, Slow, Rahi Control, Sleep, Silence, Confusion, Density Control, Cyclone, Stasis. Twenty-nine powers that he used in various combinations, with his own weapons and mastery of sciences, to make the next hours miserable. All with applied Quick Healing so that I was not lost halfway through the session.
    Makuta Chirox had broken me, destroyed me before the Brotherhood of Makuta. If I wanted to ever gain their respect, I would now have to work exponentially harder.

    Bang. Bang. Bang. The sound came less like a knock at my door than a Protodermis battering ram attempting forced entry. Given the nature of my hosts, both were probably the case and very much intended. Destral was unique in this universe in that it had doors to begin with. Just play MNOG, or watch something set in Metru Nui. Unless the room in question is a prison, rarely is there a door built on the wall. Fortunately for my privacy, Destral was inhabited by paranoid schemers who had taken all possible precautions to prevent snoopers and eavesdroppers. Doors were part of the package.
    And, as I have told you, I digress. I do this all too often. I leapt from my bed, hastily dressed in some new, dry clothes, and opened for my visitor, who by this point had knocked hard enough for some chips of wood to fly from the door. My visitor was not Makuta Icarax, though I had expected such. It was a Rahkshi, colored aquamarine. I had never acquainted myself with the colors of the thirty-six non-primary Rahkshi before then, and at first it struck me as a discolored Guurahk; I would later learn this was a Rahkshi of Fire Resistance. A voice emanated from the Rahkshi, though it had no jaw: “You are to follow me to Makuta Icarax.” I supposed it was a Shadow Kraata, which could speak Matoran… which I suppose I was also speaking? Unless Matoran is horrifyingly close to English. It mattered little to me at the time, so I nodded and set out with the Rahkshi.
    I met Icarax within a chamber of the main quarters, where he was looking over a map of the Matoran Universe. Maybe I entered just before he attempts to conquer the universe on his own? I hoped not. “Makuta Icarax,” the Rahkshi announced, “the Apprentice.”
Icarax perked up and turned, shifting his attention to me. He was wearing the Great Mask of Scavenging – shaped, arrogantly enough, like a Kraahkan. “So you are the Apprentice. Curious. I have never seen a human before.” He put a hand to my head and took hold of some of my hair between his finger and thumb, inspecting it closely. I adopted a perplexed and slightly pained look; my hair was pulling. “What purpose does this serve?”
    “Well, at some point it was probably intended to keep us warm; body heat escapes in the greatest quantity from the head, and before we had heating—”
    Icarax cut me off, releasing my hair and moving on to my glasses, which he outright removed from my face and regarded closely. “And these… eyepieces?” He held them to his mask and squinted through them.
    “They help me to see. My eyes a—” I held my tongue, considering a Makuta’s response to the sentence, “my biological parts need fixing.” I opted for a more circumspect statement. “They enhance my vision.”
    It was apparently too late. That or Icarax read my mind. He returned my glasses, saying, “I will see how to fix that. One should not need a crude instrument of glass and a thin, metal frame in order to read at any appreciable distance.”
    “Um…” How do you approach this? “Makuta Teridax already used Quick Healing on me earlier, and I still have imperfect sight.”
    The name “Teridax” caused hatred to flare in Icarax’s mask, and my foolish statement inflamed that passionate hate. “Do you take me for some kind of fool, Apprentice? Quick Healing would not even work on such an ailment! Never approach me with such stupidity again!” Icarax glanced at the Rahkshi of Fire Resistance, which was still standing at attention. “Leave us.” It obeyed and Icarax locked the door with Magnetism. “So,” he began as he strode to the far side of the table. He placed both hands upon it and leaned toward me. “You are meant to possess the powers of a Makuta.” I inhaled sharply, but deeply. “You – as short, intellectually limited, and squishy as you are – are meant to become a Makuta. And if that wasn’t enough, you supposedly possess some quality that Makuta can never attain. Beyond inhabiting the most fragile, vulnerable body in this universe, I am unconvinced. I do not know for what vile scheme Teridax took you.
    “I do not believe in schemes, Apprentice. I will not turn you into a counterspy, as I am sure Teridax made you his spy.” I felt my face redden, but I attempted to appear impassive. He rose to his full height. “Instead, I will teach you to use your powers, and you will become a servant of the Makuta. We will use you as a tool to conquer this universe through brute force, and no more will we play at Teridax’s shadow games.” He clawed into the table at Teridax’s name, though I doubt he noticed the irony of the place he had perforated: Destral.
It became apparent that if I let Icarax speak unguided, he would only speak of his own frustrations. “So when do we start?” I hoped I sounded more eager than annoyed, and not too eager as to seem childish.

    “We will begin immediately. We can start with a power that I know you have demonstrated some interest in already.” I knew what he meant, and glanced down in a bout of internalized anger. Icarax’s response was not encouraging: “Good, Apprentice. You are already consolidating your anger and your pride. That will improve your willpower by many times. Makuta powers are based on willpower.” I nodded eagerly, wishing him to get to the point. I knew this basic stuff. “Of course, you want to actually wield it.” Did I, Icarax? I couldn’t tell. “For Makuta, this is very simple. Instead of using any power, it only requires an understanding of the laws governing the power. Do you understand?” I nodded; simultaneously, I saw the difficulty in using powers like Plant Control or Heat Resistance. I figured it would be safest to ask.
    “Uh, what about other powers? Like, ah, passives or control powers?”
    “We will get to those next,” Icarax snapped. “First, demonstrate Magnetism on the lock. Slide the bolt from the wall.”
    I knew how magnetic fields worked, and raised my hands to manipulate them. “No,” Icarax corrected, shaking his head. “You don’t need to use your hands to channel your powers. A Makuta’s strength comes from not needing to wave his hands to conjure a storm, unlike a Toa.” I nodded and lowered my hands, my confidence just barely scratched. I reached out with my mind and created opposite poles on the end of the deadbolt and its slot in the door. The bolt retreated into the door, and as a final touch I tried applying a Gravity field to open it – only managing to tear the door off its hinges and send it flying past Icarax. The Makuta glared at his new wall décor – now artistically implanted in the wall, slickly cockeyed. “We’ll work on that third,” he said. Abruptly there was a feeling that sent a shiver through me, and the world disappeared.

    We materialized in a landscape so hellish that I did not at first believe my eyes. Statues of agonized Matoran sparsely decorated the rocky place, and I could hear disembodied screaming echo at every turn. Dust poured from a cliff, imitating a waterfall. I saw a volcano spew forth ice as though it were magma; the frozen chunks pelted some of the statues and one softball-size piece struck me on the shoulder. It left a smolder on my trench coat that I quickly patted. All this time, Icarax just surveyed the view, taking in the backward horror. He smiles under his mask, I think. It appealed to him, the suffering.
    “Ah, home.” He tried to imitate breathing, as though inhaling good country air and exhaling satisfied. “Welcome, Apprentice, to Karzahni.”

    An author once wrote, “the world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind.” I believe he spoke of Karzahni, the place where every step I took caused the ground itself to loose a blood-curdling scream. Icarax had brought me to his hidden lair here, presumably to teach me more away from the presence of other Makuta. It was an expansive lair, with room for him to create Rahi, store his prized armory, master his sparring technique, and of course watch over the realm of Karzahni.
    It was this first room into which Icarax led me, where there were three cages. One held a plant reminiscent of a thorny Morbuzakh, and another contained a sleeping Muaka. One was a solid box of stone. Ever the genius, I asked, “So, the block of stone there…”
    “It is hollow,” Icarax replied. “There are Fireflyers within it.”
    I knitted my brows and gave Icarax a skeptical look. “But Dust Darters are common around here. Why not them?”
    Icarax grinned evilly and leant toward me. Punctuating his statement with a conspiratorial nod, he said, “Because Fireflyers don’t care whether you’re made of Protodermis or not.”
    I took a breath and watched Icarax approach the box, holding his rotating blades over it. “You merely need to use Insect Control to keep the Fireflyers at bay. The alternative is receiving exactly four hundred and seventy-two burning bites.” He lightly tapped the box with his blade, Shattering it. “Begin.”
    The Fireflyers were clearly enraged – probably a result of Icarax’s Anger – and sought out the nearest available target. Fortunately for the purposes of this exercise, I was the only viable option, and the Fireflyers rushed at me, biting my arms and legs before I had a chance to do so much as throw out my hands. You will forever have the privilege of never being bitten by a Fireflyer. Even one bite feels like the sun concentrated all its power onto a patch of your skin that measures one square millimeter in area. I was receiving dozens, and panicking.
    Just stop! I commanded, apparently assuming Fireflyers spoke English. They did not. I tried instead to just project my thoughts toward the swarm, will it to leave me alone. This also failed, though I received praise from Icarax: “You are close, but not close enough. Remember, this is a power of the Makuta. Makuta do not merely project their power, or request – Makuta control. Exert true dominance over them. They are insects, and you are above them!”
    I heard Icarax crush a rock in his fist as he finished his pep talk.
    Well, it was control he wanted. I reached out to exert control over the swarm, having them all drop their activity to obey me and only me. I willed the swarm to fly into a sphere at it did. I called for them to war with each other, and they did, and I controlled both sides. I never liked insects. Now they would rid themselves for me.
    After the Fireflyers were gone, Icarax scoffed. “So destructive. Do you feel powerful, crushing insects?” I growled in response, but it was ignored. “Perhaps the warmth of power will be even greater when you conquer this.” The Muaka’s cage turned to dust, and it groggily rose from its slumber. I looked to Icarax, expecting more boastful commentary, but all I saw was energy gathering around him before he was enveloped by a flash of light. All that was left of him then was an afterimage.
    Well, Apprentice? I am no longer there to help you or harm you. Be the architect of your own salvation.
    The Muaka seemed more awake now. I brought forth my will again, intending to crush the tiger’s mind like I had the minds of the Fireflyers. This one did not relent. Instead, it paced in diagonal motions, coming closer to me with every step. I could tell that this Muraka fully intended to finish me for waking it up… even if that was actually Icarax’s fault. I fought harder, attempting to enter the beast’s mind. No progress. I clenched my fists; my nails dug into my palms. Try harder! I can break its mind!
    I could hear Icarax’s laughter in my head. “What?” I asked the absent Makuta. “Can I not break its mind? How would that even be possible? It’s not like it’s…” It dawned on me that perhaps this Rahi was mentally shielded; a clever, if cruel, trick of Icarax.

    The Rahi was not sharing my moment of enlightenment. It had presently closed the distance between us and was ready to lunge forward. No Rahi Control, no weapon. In this room was nothing but the potted Morbuzakh.
    … The Morbuzakh. In a burst of inspiration, I reached out to the Morbuzakh plant and willed it to grasp the Muaka. Just as the fearsome beat extended its neck, the thick vines of the Morbuzakh embraced it and squeezed. The Muaka was subdued.
    Icarax reconstituted within the laboratory, and without ceremony caused the plant to wither and the Muaka to disappear. Maybe the Muaka was an illusion, maybe he channeled Molecular Disruption through the floor and caused it to vanish. I only knew that he did not teleport it. He announced, “You have mastered Rahi Control, Insect Control, Plant Control, and demonstrated an understanding of Magnetism and Gravity – an understanding that I shall expound upon. These are seven out of forty-two powers you possess: you have demonstrated a sixth of powers.” Icarax marched to the pot of dried Morbuzakh and disintegrated it with Heat Vision, scattering its dust. “Thus far, you have only used powers where control relies on basic knowledge of physics and psionics. You have yet to use powers like Laser Vision, let alone hone true combat skill. You have survived this test, which is good enough for me. Practice the others that require nothing more than simple knowledge.” Icarax spread his arms wide, inviting me to attack. “Practice them on my armor.”
    Alright, let’s try Chain Lightning. I gave Icarax a lopsided smirk and lifted a hand, fingers curled as if holding a ball. Tendrils of electricity leaped between my fingertips, and without warning one shot to Icarax’s armor, leaving a black scorch mark on his red armor. Icarax nodded, so I moved on to Cyclone. It seemed simple enough: according to BioSector, I could just create and control them at will. I willed a cyclone into being, let it pick up dust and debris. Within seconds, my cyclone was fueled by the shards of the Fireflyer box and the dust of the Muaka cage and Morbuzakh. The cyclone was now easily ten feet tall, and though it was shorter than Icarax, it still carried power. I thrust it in his direction, forcing him to lose balance and dissipate it with his own power. He glared at me after all the dust fell around him. “Amusing, Apprentice.” I chuckled a bit, finding the dust-covered Icarax as amusing as he did not.

Last Edit: Aug 16, 2016 16:58:06 GMT -6 by Deleted

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 26, 2016 11:34:51 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 11:34:51 GMT -6 This is pretty good.

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 26, 2016 18:17:24 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2016 18:17:24 GMT -6 I forgot how to read.

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 27, 2016 2:43:02 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2016 2:43:02 GMT -6

Using Gravity's gonna be pretty hard, considering like literally nobody IRL has been able to figure out how it works

unless using a power only requires a rudimentary understanding of the governing principles? Hmm....

anyway, this story is amazing.

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 27, 2016 16:44:02 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2016 16:44:02 GMT -6

Jul 27, 2016 2:43:02 GMT -6 @mechboard said:

Using Gravity's gonna be pretty hard, considering like literally nobody IRL has been able to figure out how it works

unless using a power only requires a rudimentary understanding of the governing principles? Hmm....

anyway, this story is amazing.

Aye; I cannot profess to be any expert of electromagnetism, but I knew it well enough to know you had a south side and a north side. I was less well-versed in gravity theory, and as a result, I had next to no control over it. I will be receiving a crash course in post-21st-century physics in order to fully understand my powers.

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 27, 2016 17:15:45 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2016 17:15:45 GMT -6

Jul 27, 2016 16:44:02 GMT -6 @argai said:

Jul 27, 2016 2:43:02 GMT -6 @mechboard said:

Using Gravity's gonna be pretty hard, considering like literally nobody IRL has been able to figure out how it works

unless using a power only requires a rudimentary understanding of the governing principles? Hmm....

anyway, this story is amazing.

Aye; I cannot profess to be any expert of electromagnetism, but I knew it well enough to know you had a south side and a north side. I was less well-versed in gravity theory, and as a result, I had next to no control over it. I will be receiving a crash course in post-21st-century physics in order to fully understand my powers.

Ah.

...With powers like Confusion and Fear, you're going to come back with basically a doctorate in psychology and neuroscience

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 27, 2016 17:28:29 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2016 17:28:29 GMT -6

Jul 27, 2016 17:15:45 GMT -6 @mechboard said:

Jul 27, 2016 16:44:02 GMT -6 @argai said:

Aye; I cannot profess to be any expert of electromagnetism, but I knew it well enough to know you had a south side and a north side. I was less well-versed in gravity theory, and as a result, I had next to no control over it. I will be receiving a crash course in post-21st-century physics in order to fully understand my powers.

Ah.

...With powers like Confusion and Fear, you're going to come back with basically a doctorate in psychology and neuroscience

Yes.

Yes I am.

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 28, 2016 12:38:01 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2016 12:38:01 GMT -6

Jul 27, 2016 17:28:29 GMT -6 @argai said:

Jul 27, 2016 17:15:45 GMT -6 @mechboard said:

Ah.

...With powers like Confusion and Fear, you're going to come back with basically a doctorate in psychology and neuroscience

Yes.

Yes I am.

Purrfect...

Hmmm, I wonder what the likelyhood of being chosen to be an Av-makuta's apprentice would be.

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 28, 2016 18:38:31 GMT -6 Keplers likes this

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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2016 18:38:31 GMT -6

Jul 28, 2016 12:38:01 GMT -6 Rocketracer7235 said:

Jul 27, 2016 17:28:29 GMT -6 @argai said:

Yes.

Yes I am.

Purrfect...

Hmmm, I wonder what the likelyhood of being chosen to be an Av-makuta's apprentice would be.

It would be very, very bright

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Jul 29, 2016 9:33:57 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 9:33:57 GMT -6

Jul 28, 2016 18:38:31 GMT -6 @leoxandar said:

Jul 28, 2016 12:38:01 GMT -6 Rocketracer7235 said:

Purrfect...

Hmmm, I wonder what the likelyhood of being chosen to be an Av-makuta's apprentice would be.

It would be very, very bright

Hurray

probably like 50% of those altverses...

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Aug 6, 2016 12:30:18 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2016 12:30:18 GMT -6 beautiful I need more feed me chapterzzzzzzzz

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Aug 7, 2016 20:34:21 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2016 20:34:21 GMT -6 Aug 6, 2016 12:30:18 GMT -6 Rocketracer7235 said: beautiful I need more feed me chapterzzzzzzzz chapterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Aug 7, 2016 23:15:27 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2016 23:15:27 GMT -6 Aug 7, 2016 20:34:21 GMT -6 @mechboard said: Aug 6, 2016 12:30:18 GMT -6 Rocketracer7235 said: beautiful I need more feed me chapterzzzzzzzz chapterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I'll be adding more very soon.

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Aug 9, 2016 1:10:14 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2016 1:10:14 GMT -6 Aug 7, 2016 23:15:27 GMT -6 @argai said: Aug 7, 2016 20:34:21 GMT -6 @mechboard said: chapterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I'll be adding more very soon.

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What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Aug 21, 2016 3:38:29 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 3:38:29 GMT -6

(Original post was getting long for me. This is the second half of chapter two.)

    Alright, let’s try Chain Lightning. I gave Icarax a lopsided smirk and lifted a hand, fingers curled as if holding a ball. Tendrils of electricity leapt between my fingertips, and without warning one shot to Icarax’s armor, leaving a black scorch mark on his red bicep plating. Icarax nodded his approval, so I moved on to Cyclone. It seemed simple enough: according to BioSector, I could just create and control them at will. I willed a cyclone into being, let it pick up dust and debris. Within seconds, my cyclone was fueled by the shards of the Fireflyer box and the dust of the Muaka cage and Morbuzakh. The cyclone was now easily ten feet tall, and though it was shorter than Icarax it still carried power. I thrust it in his direction, forcing him to lose balance and dissipate it with his own power. He glared at me after all the dust fell around him. “Amusing, Apprentice.” I chuckled a bit, finding the dust-covered Icarax as amusing as he did not. “Continue,” he commanded.
    How about Density Control? Followed up by Fragmentation. I approached Icarax. He remained still, allowing me to come closer and place my palm upon his armor. I first chose to visualize the event. In my mind’s eye, Icarax began fading and drifting apart. At one of the smallest levels of matter, Makuta Icarax was unbound as his molecules floated freely. His armor, even the brightest red, and even the darkest black of his mask would become colored as mist. Even, so the Makuta would curse me for–
    “Apprentice!” The very solid, brightly-colored form of Icarax returned to being. It was no longer an enjoyable experience, toying around with Icarax: I had awakened an ancient and angry god. “Rule number one: do not attempt to exploit your lessons.” Electricity arced from the wall and struck me in the chest, throwing me to the ground and knocking the breath from me. How I even managed to survive such a shock is beyond me. “If you intend to use such a destructive power again, direct it somewhere other than me.”
    I hastily nodded. “Yes, Icarax.” I returned to my feet and returned to my attempts, confidence broken only slightly. Icarax wanted another target in an empty room. I chose the wall.
    Fragmentation (or Explosion, feel free to debate the name) supposedly took only willpower, and I could destroy anything within sight in a violent eruption. The question I asked myself was, Does it require any knowledge of combustion? As I stared at the wall, a debate raged in my mind.
    Of course not. Panrahk cracks the ground with every step. Besides, it’s called Fragmentation, not Explosion.
    On the other hand, it is called explosion and Stage Six is described as exploding objects, not shattering them.
    Remember when Teridax shattered Tanma? How could I forget? I was reading about it just before I disappeared. Shattered, not exploded.
    Fair enough… So I just will it to break? – I snapped out of my thoughts and flinched as the wall opposite from me violently fragmented and exploded, sending dust and debris everywhere. A lot of dust in this room, I know. Between everything disintegrating, burning, and exploding, you are bound to have dust.
    Icarax, meanwhile, only calmly turned and watched the wall explode, revealing another room through the hole. He nodded again and declared, “Very good. That room is where you shall be staying. You will find everything from your Destral quarters has been brought here.”
    “Oh, cool.” I advanced just one step closer to the room, hoping to peer through the gap and see the interior of my quarters. One step too far for Makuta Icarax, apparently.
    “We’re not done yet, Apprentice.” He glared into my eyes. “Ten of forty-two. There are thirty-two powers left. Continue.”
    Even I could not hold a staring contest with a Makuta. Those evil, red-orange eyes with white pupils. Were they even pupils, or just the light reflecting on his eyepieces? Why were his eyes red when Antidermis was yellow-green? Again, tangents. They were soul-piercing trapezoids. Good enough reason for me.

    “Alright.” Let’s take it a step up, then: Disintegration. I scanned the room, my only problem now being that there was nothing left to destroy. Icarax and I had made short work of whatever was left here. After surveying my surroundings too many times (and receiving impatient quips from Icarax), I gave up.
    If I could not destroy anything Protodermic, perhaps I could create something Protodermic. Plant Control. Does it work like the others? Can I just stare at a crack in the ground, will a large weed into existence, and it –
    A thick, bright green stalk emerged from the floor, quickly overthrowing the stone that once trapped it. Icarax stared at it. “What’s wrong?” I asked his statue. “One stalk not good enough?”
    Still expressionless and nearly motionless, he turned his head to face me. “What does it do, Apprentice?”
    I shrugged. “It photosynthesizes. Duh.” For that, I received a crippling psionic attack, tricking me into feeling an intense pain in my calves and forcing me down again.
    “When you create something, Apprentice, it should be with a purpose. A stalk alone is a waste of resources. Destroy it.” I was released.
    “Yes, Makuta Icarax,” I hissed through my teeth. I returned to my feet, sliding up from one knee at a time. Now I can do some Disintegration. Allowing myself some drama, I raised my left palm and loosed a transparent blue cone of destructive energies. The plant was reduced to ash in an instant. I turned my hand over and chortled to myself. I had barely given any thought to the power, and in a flash and science-fiction “byew” sound I had destroyed a living plant. Maybe I had played Inharax far too much, and did not need as much conditioning for this power as for others.
    I received no praise from Icarax regarding this event. He instead curtly commanded me: “Recreate the plant. Make it useful.” I nodded as I always did and let a new sprout grow, one that began drawing in heat from its surroundings. The room was cold as a Ko-Wahi winter in seconds.
    Icarax nodded, pleased. “Remember, Apprentice,” he began as his ever-authoritarian eyes flashed back to me, “all creations of the Makuta serve some purpose. Whether that is to serve the ecosystem, to improve the ease of living, or war – all of our flora and fauna exist for a specific purpose. Not one was brought into this world for no reason.”
    “Yes, Icarax.”
    He snapped to attention and announced, “Twelve out of forty-two. You have thirty powers remaining, but for now you may rest. In six hours I will brief you in psychology so that you may hone your powers over Fear, Anger, Confusion, and Sleep. You are dismissed.” The trademark energies of teleportation drew themselves to Icarax and he vanished, leaving me alone in a room full of young dust.
I kicked up a cloud of it and walked through the destroyed wall to my quarters, flopping on the bed. I complained aloud, “When Teridax kidnapped me to become an Apprentice, I was really expecting Mangaia. You know, the one with Cheryl and Matt and Arc.” Nobody heard me.

Last Edit: Oct 9, 2016 20:02:21 GMT -6 by Makuta Inharax

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Mar 1, 2017 21:48:33 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2017 21:48:33 GMT -6 Nice. I kinda am disappointed there is no Inharax or RPverse Makuta..Oh well..I wanna see Gorast

Tmanofdoom Craftsman Or else Posts: 789 Species: Hm Kanohi: Olmask Weapons and Equipment: Mechanical pencils are the superior writing implement.	What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story) Mar 26, 2018 9:24:39 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Tmanofdoom on Mar 26, 2018 9:24:39 GMT -6 I take it this is not getting finished?
	"Evil is cool! It has spikes and stuff."

Gen 1 RP

What of Shadow? (An Apprentice Story)

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