Chapter 25: Shadows
==========================
Hospital Non-Emergency Ward
==========================
Enjin stepped over the dead orderly, a stoic, masked facade staring at Aria Blaze as it approached. The shadowy mass comprising its body peeled back slightly from where a sternum would be, revealing a growing light. The eerie glow swelled, Enjin's chest opening up like a mass of tentacles. One tendril lashed out, snapping around Aria's wrist and jolting the siren out of her petrified state. Aria grabbed onto the bed rails and kicked out to try and gain a purchase, attempting to fight the biting cold that was starting to draw her into itself. Her necklace, almost as if aware of the danger, started blinking rapidly at the monstrosity's approach. Enjin closed in for the draining.
A surge of power tore out of Aria's necklace, a golden-hued brilliance briefly shooting across the necklace and into its host. All around her gravity altered, causing her hair to briefly flow as if in a breeze. Enjin tilted its head at the peculiarity that Aria still hadn't noticed. The power surge hit its peak when the panicked siren screamed. A blast wave of energy blasted outwards with her shout crashing wave, breaking off Enjin's hold over her and sending the aspect rocketing back and through a wall. Dislodged drywall and wood chips scattered across the floor, the glow around the siren rapidly dying down as she looked at her necklace with a flabbergasted face.
Down the hall Adagio Dazzle and Sonata Dusk waited inside the elevator after the doors closed on its way up. Ignoring the ungodly generic elevator music, the duo busied themselves impatiently checking the time and humming a tune respectively while their ride started on its way up. The small chamber had just chimed out its first ding, signaling they had just passed the first floor when outside noises began to filter in. Adagio warily looked around, snapping back at Sonata.
"SSSH!.. You hear that?"
The racket grew in clarity and magnitude over the annoyingly calm elevator music. Voices, lots and lots of voices all sounding off at once. All screaming at once. There was a virtual chorus of shouting and yells filtering in front of and soon to the left side of the elevator, growing in pitch as the vehicle reached the second floor, the non-emergency ward. Adagio bit her tongue and took a breath in as she faced the opening doors, Sonata nervously pulling up beside and behind her. The doors opened just in time for the duo to see everyone in the ward, staff and the recovering alike, rushing past them to file down the stairs and access ramp like a fire alarm had just been pulled. A flash of purple behind the departing mob caused both to rush out of the elevator.
Aria grunted after being thrown against the central desk, skidding across its surface and hitting the back wall. Shaking her head clear of any blurriness, her eyes quickly caught sight of the stairwell door just as the last person rushed out it. The siren rolled to get her feet under her, only to have her view of an escape blocked by chilled air and solid shadow. Enjin grabbed hold of the edge of the desk, hauling itself over the obstacle to get at its prey. It reached out towards her, small tendrils of shadow beginning to emerge from his form, only for Aria to lash out and try to plant her foot inside Enjin's skull. Briefly jostled by several kicks the head, Enjin retracted the tendrils back and cocked a spiked fist into place.
Aria grimaced and threw herself to the side, just barely ducking away from the haymaker that tore out part of the wall. Enjin gripped the desk with its free hand, its inhumanely strong fingers crushing down into the wood as it pried it off the ground to clear it out of its way. It had just managed to when a metal rack meant to hold an IV smacked into the back of its head. Enjin whirled around just as Sonata brought the impromptu weapon up again. Despite nailing it directly between the legs hard enough to snap the joints of the racks off, success didn't arrive for the blue siren. Enjin hardly even budged upon getting struck, looking down at the siren through an eyeless mask. Sonata's eyes widened slightly and she clenched her jaw.
-... Well phooey that worked last time...-
-No kaiser energy detected, refocus on prey-
Enjin grabbed the pipe, lifting it and Sonata up and away. Sonata's face fell as she soon found herself dangling a foot off the ground.
"Oh fffffffu-"
Was all she managed to get out before Enjin snapped its shoulder and tossed her across the room screaming. She likely would have hit a wall headfirst had a sprinting Adagio not intercepted her. Still, the kinetic energy was enough to send both sirens skidding several meters across the hall. Adagio gritted her teeth, shrugging off her jolted nerves and putting a hand on her spinning head upon sitting up.
"Urg! Stop swinging and start singing. Back me up!"
She snapped, pushing herself and Sonata to their feet. Enjin meanwhile had dropped the pole and loomed back around. Aria had risen to her feet and backed up against the wall as Enjin approached, clutching her siren heart in one hand and the dropped pipe in the other. She frantically rattled and clung to her necklace, desperately trying to repeat the energy surge that saved her life several minutes prior. But no matter how much Aria mentally demanded, swore, and begged amongst her yelling; no power came. She was just about to do the inverse of Adagio's recommendations when a soft melody flooded the air.
"Haaa aaahhaahh.. haayaaah haaa haaaa~"
A glow down the hall ushered Enjin to turn back around and track the growing power source, locking on to Adagio and Sonata as they sang, about to warm up into lyrics. Enjin homed in on their necklaces as a melody that could command a small horde of humans flew past and through it. It was so focused on studying the pair that it didn't notice the tiny energy spike behind it. Aria knew the tune and was about to join in when Enjin off handedly backhanded her as she swung the pipe, knocking her to the ground in a slump.
Adagio and Sonata meanwhile increased their volume after noticing Enjin not throwing itself out the window like they were commanding it to. Adagio glared, remembering Sonata's words about how peculiar Sonata felt upon trying to control her attacker from days past, but refusing to follow her into failure. But try as she may at directing her magic, even with her sister backing her up, it felt like trying to shackle smoke. Their eyes began to widen as the tendrils covering Enjin's torso uncurled and began to reach out, the glowing heart of the demon pulsing in tune with their necklaces. It had come for the kaiser energy, but seeing as the local signature was unconscious, Enjin was a generalist predator.
Aria Blaze lay still on the floor, leaning back against a wall with her head hung low. Blood dripped from her forehead and onto her slowly pulsing necklace. The crimson ichor filtered into the heart, which began to pulse more rapidly for a few moments before going out. Small arches of gold hued energy crackled within it and jumped out into its host's core. Aria's body stopped bleeding and the heart began to grow tinges of gold on its edges. For a brief moment her irises bled red hues.
The Aspect just started advancing upon the duo as their song began to falter when a new energy spike tore its attention away. The kaiser energy source was strong again, and it was coming up right behind it. A strong-
"HIIYAAH!"
-rang out over the dying song and pointed metal speared through Enjin's shoulder. The enraged revenant silently thrashed, forcing the revived Aria to hang on for dear life. She grunted, twisting at the pipe with unnatural strength despite attempts to dislodge her, shouting to her family.
"Argk! Trust me it doesn't work on these things! Do something else! Anything!"
Her cousins took her advice, lips falling silent and eyes darting across the ward. Sure enough, Adagio spotted something promising and rushed over it, grabbing Sonata along the way.
"Help me with this slowpoke!"
Aria Blaze meanwhile gritted her teeth and shifted her hold when Enjin slammed itself back first into a set of dry wall in an attempt to either rip her off or crush her, not seeming to care that it hit the pipe, impaling it hard enough to drive the metal all the way through. Now half covered in powdered drywall and more than a few splinters, she could only hang on through the pain when Enjin started bucking and snapping around in frustration. It stumbled away from the wall, reaching back with its unimpeded arm and voraciously grabbing at the siren so much it would have been twisting out its own shoulder if it were human. Enjin thrashed and clawed at the air to try and grab her, the siren starting to lose her grip when Sonata's voice chimed in.
"Ari'! Hop off!"
Still having half the wind knocked out of her from getting shoved into the wall, Aria did so as Enjin thrashed, jumping off just as Adagio and Sonata threw two pads with peeled back wiring over the pipe. Adagio cranked up the defibrillator's dials to their maximum and mashed at the controls. Enjin wasn't able to rip the wiring or pipe out of itself before thousands of volts coursed through the metal conductor and into it. The Aspect spasmed and sparked, barely able to keep its footing through the convulsions. Aria shook her head to stop the spinning, Adagio and Sonata sprinting over to pick her up. Slinging their half delirious member's arms around their shoulders, the duo was quick to run away from their attacker and back to the elevator.
Amongst the chaos, the electronic doors had closed. Setting Aria on Sonata, Adagio frantically bashed at the “Down” button, practically punching it. The moment she looked up was the moment she mentally swore. The elevator wasn't on their floor and was taking its sweet time getting up to them. The three stole a glance back at the struggling Enjin, who at this point was powering through the shocks to get to the machine electrocuting it. It wasn't going to be held off for long.
Sonata quickly yanked on Aria and Adagio, motioning for the stairwell.
"No time! Stairs! Now!"
She shouted, letting go and reaching for the door handle. Had the blue siren been half a second quicker she might have taken her last step. A bolt of half twisted metal flew past Sonata, a sharpened point stabbing through the slack of her sleeve and impaling itself into the seam and locking mechanism of the doorframe. The pipe rattled to a halt, shaking off the connected wires and thoroughly wedging itself into the frame. Sonata yelped and winced from the impact. The pipe's jagged edge had cut into her arm, but it was mercifully shallow. What was unmerciful was the growing, bronze glow starting to encompass the room.
Adagio and Sonata looked down the hall with horrified expressions to see Enjin, freed from the impromptu shock therapy and looking right at them. Rather than approaching however, the demon's torso opened up, tendrils of shadowy energy flowering out like a grotesque parody of a ribcage. The growing light that had been shining outwards sparked and crackled into a blinding flare. Jolts of energy radiated amongst and down from the tendrils. A ball of light formed amongst the rib-like tendrils, a sound akin to a flock of birds screeching gnawing at the air. Enjin drew its hand over the orb, pulling it out and holding it amongst its fingers while closing its chest back up. Enjin balled a fist, compacting the sphere of energy before silently charging with it in hand.
Adagio and Sonata ripped at the latter's sleeve to try and free her amongst frantic yelling as the monster closed in, but to no avail. Amidst the sea of panic, Aria's gemstone sparked. The jolt of energy revived the half delirious siren and she looked out as the world around her spun down to the milliseconds. Pulses of might from her siren heart fueling more adrenaline as Enjin got within five yards of them. For a brief moment, an unnatural color slithered into her sclera. Aria grabbed Sonata and Adagio and snapped her hips around as hard as she could, tearing to duo off their feet and ripping Sonata free from the pipe.
Both sisters flew off several yards behind Aria as Enjin crashed energy sphere first into the wall right next to Aria. For several moments the hall became blotted with dust and debris. Adagio and Sonata, half hyperventilating and trying to process just what happened, looked to the cloud of debris. Neither siren was looking well. Adagio's cheese puff hair was matted with chunks of drywall and wood, and she was now sporting a maturing bruise across her forehead due to Aria having thrown her hard enough to hit a wall. Sonata was clutching her now bare arm as blood trickled out from several shallow cuts along her forearm. But as the dust cleared, Aria was probably the worst off. She was the one being choked.
Enjin stoically pulled its hand free of the shattered pile of rubble that had once been a doorway, hoisting up a struggling Aria by the head with its other hand as two shadowy tendrils coiled around her neck. It stepped forward in front of the elevator, more dark tendrils folding out from its chest and snaring the siren. Ice cold grip numbed the purple siren's throat and gnawed at her core when they touched her gemstone. Enjin tightened its grip around her throat and Aria Blaze choked. She gasped as the pressure built, before the deathly cold forced away her conscious and she fell limp.
Adagio and Sonata felt their own throats constrict as they looked at Aria's body, feeling a frozen spear impale them through their cores. Watery glaze started to overcome their vision. Enjin's tendrils began to wrap around Aria's dimming necklace. But the silence in the hall was soon disrupted by a single chime.
Enjin entered the ward at 12:07.
It was currently 12:12.
The elevator dinged and opened up.
Monster X grumbled as the elevator's climb seemed to slow more and more by the second, half cursing himself for not trying to force his way up the crowded stairs. Still, he remained focused and on target. He could smell the energy coming off the building as soon as he got within its perimeter. The sirens were here, he knew that from the energy's signature, it's scent for lack of better terms. Still, some curiosity had crossed his mind and that was why he subjected himself to what he was quick to declare the slowest transport in history.
The sirens were still here, not running out of the building or going into lock down like everyone else, and he cared not why. After all, being out of public view just made his task easier. No more beating around the bush like before with that purple one. A stray thought crossed the xilian kaiju's mind as the elevator clicked to a halt with a chime.
-What was that purple witch's name again? Daria? Narica? Hmm...-
The doors opened up and Monster X spotted a familiar purple face, correctly recalling her moniker.
-Oh yes, she called herself Aria... Wait a minute...-
X looked out into the world outside the elevator. Sonata and Adagio were looking over at him with frozen faces, the former's eyes widening significantly more than the latter's. X swung his head around slowly and soon found himself looking upwards at the masked Enjin, who was still holding a limp Aria. The kabuki masked monster tilted its head in an almost confused manner, seemingly surprised at the newcomer's sudden arrival. X looked the situation over for several moments before shrugging away any festering befuddlement.
"That's mine..."
He grunted under his breath before lashing out too quick for Enjin to react. Moving in a blur he caught the Aspect off balance with a hook kick to the back of its knee. Enjin lurched down, falling onto its knee and right into an uppercut X had thrown at its throat. Enjin stumbled back, dropping its prey and attempting to counter attack but was still thrown off balance. X tucked himself in, weaving under a backhand to grab Enjin by the arm. Anchoring the balls of his feet into the ground before rotating on them under Enjin's momentum, X spun around and tossed the shadowy demon out a nearby window. Shattered glass, twisted frame, and wisps of shadow fell out everywhere as Enjin fell several yards and hit the pavement. Monster X leaned over and glanced out the window. Even moments after taking a fall like it did however, Enjin's body showed movement. X might not have known what this creature was, but a simple factor was becoming abundantly clear. It didn't know when to die and it would be back up here soon. Too soon for his original objective.
-Well, at least the theory that it's an ally of the sirens is debunked...-
A calm respite was momentarily granted to the hallway. X turned back around after catching his breath. He crouched down beside the still Aria before Adagio and Sonata could sprint over. X ignored them, hooking an arm under Aria's shoulder to lift it up and tilt her head back. Not knowing any other quick options to try and yank her back to the conscious world, he looked at her limp necklace and lunged an open hand towards it to test something. Sure enough, an invisible bubble of energy quickly shoved his limb away. As planned, a kinetic shock surged through the purple siren and she lurched up, coughing and gasping for air. X sighed as he started to get to his feet.
-Good, she is still alive after all.-
Adagio and Sonata, not caring who was holding up their cousin, rushed over at the sound of her life. Aria groaned after catching her breath, being more than a bit shocked when her vision refocused enough through the lucidity to recognize who had her. X shook his head slightly as he stood her on her feet.
"Can't stay out of trouble, can you witch?"
The other two sirens managed to get to them and pry Aria away from a noncombative X's grip just as a shadowy hand grabbed a hold of the window railing, partially crushing it in. Enjin, still unfettered despite having the equivalent to a broken spine in several places, began to claw its way back inside with limited success. Monster X glared at his opponent, facing it with the sirens behind him. He tilted his head sideways slightly, speaking in a controlled, if not threatening tone.
"I'll deal with you three later. Get away from this thing. You are of no use to me dead."
Adagio narrowed her still tear stained eyes and snapped, all the events of the past five minutes clearly having worn her to a limit. With that expression it looked almost like her hair was on fire as much as her voice was.
"Hey! Just what the hell are yo-"
Adagio's wildfire met an avalanche. X whirled his head around, the look in his eyes and roar in his voice were strong enough to split steel.
"LEAVE!"
He threw out his fist and backhanded the elevator's 'Down' control hard enough to break the button and dent in the panel. Sonata's eyes grew in comparable scale to dinner plates.
"YouHeard'Em!"
She piped before grabbing the other sirens and rushing into the closing doors. X turned and faced Enjin, readying his stance into a guard and whispering under his breath.
“I’ll keep you covered…”
Enjin hauled itself into the hall on half-broken limbs. The strands of animate shadows writhed and it burst into motion. The demon rushed past X and made for the elevator doors. Enjin reached out to seize its prey when X wrapped his elbow around its throat and halted its advance. All three sirens pushed up against the back wall, Adagio crouching down and rapidly mashed at the ‘Door Close’ button with Enjin’s arm flailing over her head. X gritted his teeth, bracing his foot up against the outside wall for an extra purchase. He kicked off and yanked back in unison, pulling Enjin away in time for the door to close and elevator to depart.
Both kaiju were snapped back and away, Enjin refocusing from one target to another. Snapping its still damaged joints back into place, it reached for its throat and grabbed Monster X by the wrist. Prying its attacker off, the Aspect whirled X over its shoulder and tossed him across the room. X righted himself in the air, managing to skid his feet across the ground to slow himself down enough that he only dented in the drywall he hit, rather than smashing through it. He fought off the ensuing daze, clearing his vision partially just in time to duck to the side and avoid a spiked fist stabbing into the wall behind his head. One of the wall's beams creaked and bent over with a copious amount of falling tile and drywall following it, momentarily burying Enjin's arm.
It had just pried its limb free after several yanks to receive a returning blow, a pivoted roundhouse kick to the mask from X. The solid wraith stumbled back due to the hit knocking it off balance, X giving it no chance to recover. The alien flew into a flurry of blows aimed at the head, both pressuring the assault and avoiding taking any hits he could. Diving around a hammer fist smash that split the floor tiles under them, X lunged at Enjin with a quick kick to the knee chased by a flurry of jabs and crosses to the face. Crouching down to duck under a grab, X finished his combo with a jumping uppercut that hit hard enough to numb his hand and knock Enjin off the ground slightly. X kicked back off the ground to clear some distance, panting through his nose to recover his breath.
Enjin stood still, half lopsided backwards from the hit with its neck craned back. Slowly it rose back up. Its face, if it had one, shifted under its mask and there was a crackling pop, as if shattered bone was being resettled. The kabuki mask serving as its facade was noticeably cracked in several regions, a dim bronze-hued glow along with tiny strands of shadowy wisps trickling out from behind the cracks. Enjin rolled its shoulders, popping its joints as the mask resealed and reformed its cracked mass. In moments, Enjin hardly looked like it been affected by the assault to begin with. It suddenly lunged at a wide eyed Monster X as the latter only managed to partially dodge the next attack, mentally swearing words no human would know as Enjin's spiked knuckles tore shallow grooves across his right arm and torso.
Monster X's mind raced as he found himself ducking, weaving, and jumping out of the way of an assault that refused to slow down.
-Alright, it has a healing factor that can counter striking wounds. Maybe breakages with more severe bone trauma will slow it down?-
He sidestepped a right hook, grabbing hold of the broad limb as it passed and ignoring the biting cold Enjin's skin gave to the touch. He yanked his attacker off balance and repeated the move he'd used most recently on Gaira. Pulling the arm out flat, he tore it downwards while putting a rising knee and a plummeting elbow strike above and below Enjin's elbow joint respectively. Sure enough, a crackling pop rang out as Enjin's arm bent over the wrong way. Unfortunately, as X soon found out, while the surplus of incoming strikes was cut in half, Enjin itself wasn't slowing down. Not even registering that one of its arms was flopping around useless, Enjin swatted, grabbed, and punched at a surprised X with its good arm. After being forced to half dodge and half block a cross he could feel bruising his forearm just to deflect it, X grabbed hold of Enjin's other limb. Seeing no reason not to, the Xilian kaiju repeated his patented limb breaker.
Except he didn't manage to, though not for lack of trying. Despite hitting the arm's weakest points dead center hard enough he stunned the nerves in his leg from the knee strike, Enjin's elbow refused to give. X yanked it down against the Aspect's pulling and tried to do it again, but the surprise and Enjin's immense strength fighting back against him forced X off. Skidding away on his feet, X glared at Enjin as he tried to figure out what just happened.
-What the hell?! I'm sure I hit the limb the same way as before and it has a symmetric body plan, that should have worked!-
Seeing the animate shadow begin to fiddle with its broken arm, pulling it back into place in some attempt at what X could best guess was to reset and heal the snapped joint, he brushed aside his confusion. Charging forward, he leapt up while twisting around and grabbed a hold of Enjin's head by the back and chin, beginning to twist it. Opposition or competition of his master or not, this opponent had proven to be incredibly stubborn to subdue alive and he had no reason for it to keep being so.
Maneuvering himself as to land on his feet, X let his body flatten back out and twist Enjin's neck along with it. Except X then heard a sound that stopped him cold.
The silence when Enjin's neck refused to be craned back past a certain point, and the sensation of being snapped back around when Enjin grabbed him by his hand and lunged its upper body downward. Monster X was thrown over Enjin's shoulder and into the cold tile floor hard enough he cracked several of them. His world in a spinning free fall, he wasn't able to land a defensive punch or kick to free himself before being lifted back up by his shoulders and smashed into the wall repeatedly. Hoisting its prey up, Enjin stared at the human-transformed kaiju through an eyeless mask before throwing X into a partially opened doorway. X grunted after slamming into the wooden frame, sliding across the floor before stopping against a hospital bed. He struggled up to his feet, panting to catch his breath through endorphin-numbed pain.
A swelling glow crossed his vision and Monster X heard an uproar of noise like the air was being torn apart. The chorus rose to an ear splitting screech and X, while unable to see clearly yet, instinctively dove to the side. The action likely resulted in him keeping all of his limbs, a sphere of energy the size of a beach ball sailing past him and ripping the hospital bed to shreds. X shielded his eyes from the debris flying about, hopping back to his feet. Enjin stood in the hall just outside, the tendrils of dark energy folding back up across its chest. The Aspect slowly advanced into the room as X's eyes narrowed.
X caught his breath and stood firm.
-Alright, striking doesn't work too well. Breaks just slow it down and are shoddy. I'll just have to blast it apart...-
The kaiju focused his thoughts and energy. Gravity was a near universal part of matter. It was all around him, and he could be its master. Swells of energy began to form around X's eyes, red turning to gold. Small particulates of dust halted in midair, and his long coat and scarf began to levitate and flap. The glows reached their proper peak, giving Enjin some momentary pause. But, just as he was about to fire, something went wrong. X winced and grabbed at his head, the energy collection flying out of control.
The vision of the demon was blotted out by a rapid series of images so brief X couldn't even see all the details. Eerily familiar, and yet foreign sights of a ruined city dotted by pillars of smoke, a battered and pulverized King Ghidorah pinned underneath the point of view, frozen wastelands with howling gales, Aria and then Enjin inside a thicket of woods. X gasped and yelled in pain, practically feeling something clawing at his head from the inside. There was a momentary flash of gold and black, and the well of gravitons he'd been collecting unchecked through the pain detonated.
A smoking X was thrown back from the explosion with enough force to shove him out the cracked window, falling a story down and landing back first on a parked car. The car's alarm sounded off amongst its flashing lights, X lazily slumping over and falling off the roof. He was already unconscious by the time he hit the ground. Enjin stepped out to the edge of the window, not even paying attention to the burn marks splotching its entire front. The Aspect of Land looked at the downed quarry before climbing down from the window. It moved towards the unconscious X, its external ribs beginning to unravel in anticipation of a mission completed.
Then a pair of headlights engulfed Enjin's form, the shadow robotically looking up just in time to see several thousand pounds of minivan slam into it before halting. Enjin's body crushed in, flying back into the hospital and crashing into a window. Enjin doubled over through the shattered glass, disappearing over the edge. The driver clicked a button, opening the passenger door beside X's body.
"Is he still alive?!"
"W-Well he's breathing."
"Good enough, pull him in."
Adagio practically flew out of the front passenger seat, one hand grabbing the steering wheel and the other motioning out the side door. Her tone was anything but placid.
"WWWWHAT!? One! How are you well enough to drive, and two-"
Aria Blaze snarled, shrugging off the pain she still felt ripping into her back and shoulders, looking back at Sonata.
"I said pull him in! That big one is probably going to be getting back up!"
Sonata unbuckled herself and started reaching out. But upon seeing that familiar pale mask and black scarf, even without a pair of blood red eyes glaring at her through them, she recoiled slightly. She looked forward at Aria.
"Are yo-"
"NOW SONATA!"
She roared and Sonata froze up. While the blue siren wrote it off as a trick of the light later, there was something terrifying about her cousin's eyes. For a split second, she could see pinpricks of red amongst the usual violet. It got her moving fast enough, reaching through fear and pulling the still knocked out Monster X inside.
"Ew Ew! He's bleeding!"
Aria refocused and looked forward, putting the van into reverse. As the van began to turn away from the hospital, they caught a glimpse of a pale mask rising out of the broken window. Enjin got back up, stitching its shattered form back into one piece and climbing out of the window as the van sped off with four inside. There were several long minutes of silence before Adagio stopped rubbing her temple and looked over at Aria.
"What, was that 'thing'?" She muttered, punctuating the first word. She tilted her vision up to the rear view mirror, seeing a skittish Sonata trying to prop the other monster up, recognizing it from the description she'd been given of the last encounter.
"And why did you insist on putting one of them in the back seat?"
Aria stayed focused on the road, turning onto a back street.
"Because we don't know what is going on. But,"
She stole a glance in the mirror.
"-he does."
======================
Appeloosa Train Station
======================
"Phew! That there's the last of it!"
Applejack huffed after throwing off a haul of luggage nearly twice her size onto the train station docks. A second haul dropped onto the load from above, a pair of red wings flapping over to the Element Bearer's side before tucking in and dropping Rodan to the ground next to her. With Appeloosa back onto its feet, it was move out day for the relief teams. Still having a few hours to kill until the train showed up and having little else to do, the duo had opted to move all the luggage around for the teams.
"So when we get back to this Ponyville place on the way to Canterlot, sure you're alright with me roosting at your place?"
Rodan quipped, perching atop the small mountain of cargo. Applejack smirked, leaning her elbow against the pile and looking up on the gryphon whilst fixing her hat back to the proper tilt.
"Sure I'm sure! Yah said you weren't much of an urban kaiju anywho, so I figured a big farm would give you some elbow room. Just oooone promise Ro'."
"Hm?"
"If Apple Bloom asks yah for a flight ride, and she will, no dropping her like you did that one colt."
"Hey! I caught 'im before he hit the ground, it was all part of the show!"
Applejack cocked an eyebrow, tilting her hat's brow up at the defensive kaiju, pulling an unimpressed look that hid her smirk. She knew a lie when she heard one.
"You mean where you rotated 'nough midflight that he slipped off your back?"
Rodan rolled his eyes, hovering up into the air and crossing his arms.
"He slipped off! Not my fault we got this thing called gravity."
"Soooo what was that you just said about it being part of the show?~"
"Yes it- Just a- ARRG! Stop doing that weird magic pony lie detector thing! Still freaks me out."
"Said the formerly giant, fire breathing lizard bird to the earth pony."
Applejack chimed with a laugh. After snorting a puff of flames out his nostrils, Rodan shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes before he joined in with a low chuckle. The station clock struck the hour and rang out, both taking note.
"Alrighty then, train should be rolling in by 2. Sure yah gonna be okay with your plan to stay outside?"
Rodan hovered over and dropped down next to AJ, running down his ploy in his head again.
"Yeah, I can just fly around outside and trail the train just fine."
"Won't ye' get tired after awhile?"
"With plenty of sun and heat in these parts to recharge? Meh, not likely. I could fly cross-continent no problem back on Terra."
Applejack gave Rodan's head a gentle bap with her hoof. Past few days been more than enough for the two new friends to swap stories, so she'd come to understand a lot about the gryphon's life. Still, processing something that big being able to fly that fast was a finicky thought she hadn't quite grasped fully.
"Yeah ye' could, back when you had a crosstown wingspan. If you get tired out at any point, you land on the end of the train to hitch the ride back. Ye' hear me mister?"
"Aaaah but I like a challenge!"
"'Ah mean it! Don't make me have to climb onto the roof to lasso you and reel you in !"
Rodan offhandedly waved a raised forepaw at AJ, speaking in an annoyed groan.
"Yes 'mooooom'!"
"Oh don't you 'mom' me!"
Applejack barked, lunging to her left and catching Rodan by surprise. The previously mocking gryphon chirped, quickly taking to the air. The mare had just managed to put Rodan into a headlock, grinding her hoof into his headcrests amongst mutual laughter when a new voice joined the conversation.
"Delivery TO Appeloosa for a-"
The half crosseyed mailmare who was hovering in front of them turned the letter back around to reread the sending information.
"D-Dame Applejack and... Radar? Radon?"
Rodan lowered them both back to the ground, Applejack hopping off and holding out her hoof for the letter.
"Yah got her, and its Rodan."
Applejack was handed the letter and started opening it as Rodan cracked a raised eyebrow at the mail carrier. She looked familiar and his mind trailed back to probe his memory.
"Hey, weren't you the same one from the castle?"
She nodded with a beaming smile before saluting and flying off. Rodan glanced over to Applejack with a still confused look stretched across his beak.
"How did she get all the way out here? I didn't see her on the train."
Applejack, having just now gotten the letter free, merely shrugged.
"It's Derpy Hooves, don't question it."
She'd gotten the letter straightened out and instantly locked her eyes upon the gilded seal atop it. A sun and moon encircled by a dark and light alicorn. The royal seal of Canterlot Castle. Her eyes dug into the text.
"Thought something was up with the 'Dame' titlin'! It's from the Princesses! Looks like you're rearing for a summoning."
Rodan snapped to, popping up in the air to try and peek over Applejack's shoulder.
"Uh oh! Got a situation back at home base they need me for?!"
"Uuuuh, looks like they want to deploy you and Rainbow Dash to Neighagra Falls soon."
"What's going on? Who's attacking? More gyaos or someone else?!"
Applejack's head tilted a bit lopsided when she read through the last paragraph, eyeing it over a few more times just to be sure she read it right.
"Actually... No. Everythins' holding up right fine. They wanna enter you two in an airshow."
There was a long silence between the two. Applejack regained her wit and looked over at Rodan. The expression upon his face was a tad hard to read due to lack of lips, but best she could gander from the way he was holding his beak and eyes, it seemed to be a unique blend of confusion. The gryphon looked like he'd just been asked to construct a giraffe out of sardines and fly it off a cliff. Anguirus once said a simple phrase to best express his first meeting with Derpy Hooves, one Rodan parroted in tone and significance.
"....W'at?"
==============
Crystal Empire
==============
All was quiet in the Empire despite the excitement a few days past. Officially, word from the castle was that a dark magic-using criminal managed to break into the palace and targeted the royal family. While the news did cause quite a stir at first, steady work by the crown in a rebuilding effort as well as assurance that the situation had been dealt with helped ease tensions. Only Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armor, and some of the staff who'd been there that night knew how to make the description of their attacker a bit more specific; but kept word from leaking as to avoid a panic that would eschew their ongoing efforts.
There was just one problem. The ambassador who'd received a pardon for his efforts in thwarting the attack hadn't been seen during all this time.
Colonel Blade Dancer trotted up the stairwell leading into a familiar wing of the palace with Key Ring in tow.
"And you say he hasn't left his quarters since the fight?"
He grunted after climbing the last steps in half a dozen flights of stairs. Blade Dancer sighed as she looked at a certain door in the long hallway ahead, shaking her head.
"No. I've heard creaking and hoof steps so I know he's in there, but he hasn't taken a step out since I walked him in."
"And has anyone tried stepping in themselves?"
Blade Dancer stopped at the crystalline doorway leading to where Xenilla had been quartered to. By this point she'd lost count of just how many hours she'd stayed outside the door with barely a hint as to its occupancy. One could probably see the hoof marks she'd ground into the floor from her pacing.
"Have a look, Princess Cadance tried earlier and this stuff formed."
She muttered, pawing at the seam of the door. Key Ring leaned in closer and adjusted his glasses. Grown into the door's seal were thousands of tiny quartz crystals, the minerals pinning and fusing gateway and gate together.
"All the window curtains are pulled in and nailed shut with the same stuff. Anything you could do?"
Key Ring sat back and puzzled for a moment, rubbing at his chin as he looked the door over. He nodded slowly as he ran through the possibilities.
"Well, we could get a few crystalmancers up here to try and counter the quartz. Or we could try shattering the door. Or I could try hexing the door into opening up with my talent. Buuut it's not the locks that's stopping me there."
"What is?"
Key Ring shrugged his shoulders and motioned at the door.
"I could try half a dozen magical methods to get inside there that would likely work, so could the royals; but it wouldn't change the reason that Xenilla sealed himself in. If he goes to all this trouble, then the guy wants to be left alone and I don't think he'd respond well to us barging in there. Real question for all this is why?"
He glanced over at Blade Dancer, rubbing the back of his head in minor befuddlement.
"Never took him for the shy type, so why now? You've been around him more, any ideas?"
Blade Dancer looked at the door, putting her hoof to its shimmering seal. Her expression and wings drooped slightly.
"Xenilla is... a weird card to read. Slightly reserved, smug, brutally honest, and more than a bit rude at times. But not really a recluse. He seemed... off, after the battle. I don't know what happened."
"Well, just in case crystal magic is involved, here's the medicine you asked for. Whipped it up with my students this morning."
The unicorn's horn glimmered and reached inside his saddlebag, retrieving a shimmering sapphire hued glow from them. A blue, energized crystal floated over to Blade Dancer and settled down on her hoof. The guardsmare looked the brilliant gem over, letting it roll in her hoof as memories trailed back to the jail. When Xenilla patched up her gash wound, the gem he made had an uncanny similarity. Unconsciously she reached up with her free hoof and ran it along her cheek, feeling at the thin scar masked by fur.
"Aerenths are nasty little things. For all their uses in dark magic, they can make someponies sick, mentally or physically. If he's got any bit of aerenth poisoning, this should do the trick."
Snapping back to focus, Blade Dancer tucked the medicine crystal into her satchel and shifted back into the conversation.
"Thanks Key, how's your end of all this going? Surveys find anything?"
Key Ring rolled his eyes into a drawn out shrug. Ever since the attack, he was fairly quick to put two and two together as to who exactly attacked the palace, and oh how curiosity tended to rope him into things. After meeting with the royals to vouch for Xenilla, he dropped one tyrant's name and was then asked if he'd join in on the search effort.
"The prince and princess have been out with us in shifts. We've been trekking around the whole of the city interior to its outskirts and beyond. Had to cancel classes yesterday for a run over to the mountains. Found some aerenth crystals here or there, but nothing younger than the attack."
"Any idea how he came back yet?"
"Well there was this odd spot outside of the city limits where we picked up a weird energy signature next to aerenths and a dug out hole in the ground. Given how old the aerenths were, we think it was the first spot Sombra was at. As for how? Oye... Dark magic is some crazy stuff, maybe the first time with the Crystal Heart just didn't put him down completely and he pulled himself back together? We've sent our findings to Canterlot and Princess Celestia should get it in a few days. She's more an expert in dark and ancient magic so maybe she'll know something?"
"Let's hope second time's the charm."
"In light of there being a hole burned into the mountain he was standing in front of, let's."
Blade Dancer held herself up a bit higher, looking forward at the locked door and letting her eyes trail along its shimmering seam. In time, Key Ring did the same, puzzling over the "ambassador's" handiwork. There was a long silence before he broke both the quiet and the secret.
"... He's one of those kaiju, isn't he?"
Blade Dancer flinched at the word. Her hair drooped with her quiet words.
"…How long?"
Key Ring shook his head with a shrug, his horn drawing out a newspaper he began unfolding whilst he continued on.
"So you did know. To be honest, I had a feeling something was weird about that guy since the first visit. Then after everything that followed, I looked it all over again. Huge size, weird horn and rare nasal ridge, being stronger than any unicorn I've ever seen has any business being. So I took a look back at the Canterlot papers-"
The newsprint unfolded to an image circulated across the whole of Equestria at least several times by now. The reptilian kaiju called Godzilla, unconscious and being carried into Canterlot Castle after reverting back to the form of an oversized unicorn. Blade Dancer looked upon the picture for several moments, before a bizarre sensation trickled down her veins and made her glance off to the side with shut lips. Key Ring retracted the paper, looking it over again.
"Resemblance is uncanny. Same nasal ridge, colored patch on the back and shoulders; about the same size. Common traits of the species?"
Blade Dancer, still staring off to the side in a void, responded with a half hushed voice.
"Brothers actually... Xenilla is that one's.. is his big brother."
The tone wasn't lost on Key Ring. Quickly stuffing the paper back in his bag, he nudged the tall mare's shoulder.
"Hey, I won't tell a soul. Got one secret on me, I can handle two."
He hopped back up to his hooves, looking up to the wall mounted clock and minding the time.
"Almost 1, time to head out for that last sweep. You gonna be okay?"
Blade Dancer shrugged, getting back to her hooves and shaking off any lingering strains that stretched upon her. She gave her friend an assured smirk, playfully punching Key Ring in the shoulder while rolling her eyes.
"Oh save your worry. I'm a big mare 'Doctor' Ring, I'll be fine."
Key Ring cracked a smile and nodded, trotting past her and heading for the stairs.
"Atta' mare, keep your chin up! I'll be back later if we find anything."
Blade Dancer waved goodbye to the unicorn with a self assured smile on her face. She kept waving for a good five minutes, eyes trailing from the stairs and back to Xenilla's door. She stopped waving and her smile slowly flattened out. The guardsmare shrugged.
"Guess it's back to you and me, huh?"
Silence was the response, ushering Blade Dancer to dutifully get back to work and walk laps along the hall. In time, she stopped pacing, just sitting herself down with her back against the door. She waited for any noise, any vibration of movement, any muttering of voice.
The hour came to a close in an eruption. A tremendous yell ripped through air and foundation alike, followed by a thundering crash so immense it was like the room had an explosion go off inside it. The force was big enough to smash into the door, halfway tearing it out of its frame as spires of quartz crystals tore out through the cracks. Blade Dancer, half thrown up from the door getting smashed into and half taking to the air upon beating wings, took flight and spun around with fright stenciled across her face.
"XENILLA?!?!"
Fearing an attack, Blade Dancer whirled around and repeatedly smashed her hoof into the door. Despite her armored horseshoe actually managing to crash through the door itself, when the pieces of shaped crystal fell away all she could see was a thick mass of quartz braced up against it. Mentally swearing, she redirected her efforts elsewhere, rushing down the hall and throwing open a window. Taking flight after throwing herself out of the castle, the nimble pegasus whipped around to Xenilla's window. Any hopes that the window would have less of a blockade than the door was quashed upon almost running into a sheet of quartz jutting out of it.
Not one to give up easily, the guardsmare spun around, grabbing hold of the balcony rail as an anchor point and bucking into the window. While she did manage to kick through the window and the first few sheets of quartz, it quickly became clear it wasn't fast enough. Blade Dancer huffed after another buck, spinning back around and pawing at the quartz to try and scout out a weak spot.
"Xen?! Xen?!"
Spying a dying red glow through the layers of crystal, Blade Dancer's mind flew into a rush. Spying a cleavage point, Blade Dancer slipped off one of her wing blades and stabbed it into the edge. A few spreading cracks cluing her to some success, she drilled it in as deep as she could by hoof before flying back. Flapping her wings to ascend upwards and outwards, she stalled in mid-air to turn herself around, letting gravity and her own wing beats accelerate her. Either this works or she was about to give herself a concussion on impact.
Fortunately her aim proved true, the pegasus snapping back and dive kicking the base of her blade to drive it into the quartz. The fractures along the cleavage point tore through the structure and it shattered. Momentum carrying her through the explosion of crashing shards, Blade Dancer tucked herself in and rolled across the floor with her other blade at the ready.
The room was half eviscerated, broken crystal and wood furniture assaulted by quartz crystal spires that either pinned them against the walls and ceiling or just impaled them outright. Occasionally, arcs of red energy jumped from crystal to crystal as they swam through them in a brilliant, if not eerie display. The quartz erupting from the ground radiated out in waves, their creator at the eye of the ripples. Xenilla set down in an isolated portion of the room with his back to Blade Dancer, having not even seemed to notice her entry. The room's appearance was echoed onto him. While unwounded he was clearly haggard, with his already jagged mane and fur fraying out erratically. Blade Dancer stepped over the shattered remains of what had been a desk, warily approaching with hushed words.
"X-Xen?"
If the kaiju registered her voice, he didn't show it. Instead he kept all attention focused on something in front of him. As Blade Dancer approached a few feet closer she could hear him muttering incoherently. Taking in her breath, Blade Dancer rose her voice.
"Xenilla."
Xenilla flinched and froze. After a few second's breath, he slowly craned his head around to look at her. He hardly looked any better from the front, frayed bangs and darkened patches around his eyes making the stallion look both exhausted and erratic. His eyes widened and quickly looked more like the latter description. Xenilla curled his lips back, flashing his elongated fangs while rapidly taking in breaths. After puffing his chest out to its maximum capacity, he let it all out in one word. The air splitting yell was trailed by a very unequine roar, similar and yet distinct from one Blade Dancer had heard in Canterlot.
"LEAVE!"
Blade Dancer could feel air rushing past her, but made no effort to follow it out. When she left her home city, the call of a kaiju is what drove her out. It wasn't working on her twice. Pulse and instincts still pounding, Blade Dancer dropped her remaining wing blade and hardened her face.
"NO!"
She shouted, stomping her hoof, angrily ripping off her helmet and pointing her hoof at Xenilla.
"What is up with you?! First you lock yourself in here and now you half destroy the place in a tantrum! I've been patient and waited for you, wanting to give you your space because I gave a damn if you were alright. But I'm not waiting anymore, YOU are going to talk!"
Xenilla's eyes and mane ignited with red radiance as he tore himself up to his feet, several of the crystals around him cracking from the death grip his telekinesis was giving them.
"YOU WAITED FOR NOTHING!"
The shout was trailed with a star's corona, red plasma spiraling out from between Xenilla's fangs and rocketing at the pegasus. Blade Dancer flinched and braced, closing her eyes and grimacing. But just when the air around her was beginning to heat up to scorching levels as the milliseconds ticked by, nothing happened. Blade Dancer cautiously opened her eyes and peaked past her raised leg. She didn't have a mark on her.
The corona beam continued to spill out of Xenilla's jaws for several moments, the expression on his face going slack. Telekinetic strands had redirected the plasma safely around Blade Dancer and sent the beam out the window. Xenilla cut the energy stream off. Both ponies looked at each other after the plasma dissipated, huffing for breath.
Blade Dancer's mind rapidly tried to catch up to what just happened. Amongst feeling her pulse pounding inside her ears, it took a moment for her to notice the expression on his face. What she saw was the exact same expression she saw on his face the last time she'd seen him. Unexpressive, staring eyes with a flattened jaw and lips. A broken stare that could carry on for a thousand yards. She hit a eureka moment that was as desired as it was dreaded. Why he'd quickly pushed her back the night after the fight, why he'd just fired upon her just to try and scare her off.
-He doesn't want anyone to see him when he's vulnerable..-
The guardsmare's expression softened to a slight, concerned frown. Xenilla just shifted back around put his back to her in silence.
"You're not scaring or pushing me off Xen. You haven't been acting like yourself since fighting Sombra. I've been waiting outside your door because I'm your bodyguard, and like it or not I do worry about you."
The voice that replied was so unlike Xenilla's normal one that it took some time for Blade Dancer to even register it as him. Gone was any sense of smug pride or calculative wit, as well as any booming magnitude. What she heard could be described as a pained whisper as Xenilla went back to what he'd been doing before.
"... Please leave me, Miss Dancer."
The wind hissed outside from the broken window as the silence passed. Blade Dancer carefully stepped forward, treading over the last few yards to close in on him and sit down next to the kaiju. She said nothing, only putting herself beside him and looking at what her protectorate was up to as he ignored her presence.
What was sitting in front of Xenilla could best be described as a flattened board with colored crystal pieces atop it that he was moving via telekinesis. Not sure if Xenilla had given up on trying to drive her out and was electing to ignore her or if he was just too focused on the weird game he was playing, Blade Dancer stayed quiet and watched. The meaning as to what was going on was lost to her, but it seemed the two dozen or so pieces were arranged into several groups.
One piece caught her attention, if only for familiarity. Larger than many others and at the front of its group, the piece was colored a brilliant hue of neon blue that reminded her a lot of Godzilla's beam after she saw it stretch across the skies multiple times during the Canterlot attack. As soon as that piece moved up, Xenilla started to pick up his pace. Making multiple moves a second, he'd move other pieces up against the blue piece and they would clash with the blue piece as well as its group. Some pieces started to fall, but the attacking group swelled in number with more pieces from across the board trying to move in, assaulting both the blue piece's group as well as others'. Picking up a piece that had apparently fallen off the board, Xenilla placed it down. Almost identical to the blue piece, except bright red in color, Xenilla moved it around the most. What followed next was what Blade Dancer could best describe as some bizarre version of four way speed chess, Xenilla murmuring to himself as he raced piece after piece around the board. The guardsmare noticed some patterns. Three out of four groups had a larger piece or pair of pieces at their lead. All except for the first group to attack the blue piece. It's leader piece, the red unit, was flying around the board and primarily stayed at the front of its group. However, whenever a large amount of those pieces went towards the blue group, the red piece came to push them back or even knock one over before going and attacking someone else.
For every attack the red piece lead against the blue piece, it was pushing another one back no matter what team that attack was coming from.
Xenilla's movements began to quicken, his murmuring becoming loud enough that Blade Dancer could hear a few words under his breath.
"set".."my".."up".."right".."too much".."fault"..."failure"
More and more pieces began to fall. While the red piece was off attacking a group with a gold hued lead, more of its group moved around behind it. Cutting off the blue piece from its team, they surrounded it and attacked while the red piece cut off its attack and rushed them. While both red and blue were knocking over piece after piece, the blue was overwhelmed and knocked over; much to Xenilla's panic. All of the attacking group save a violet hued piece was knocked over and the game master frantically reset the game.
The scenarios played out again and again, all with the same reactions. If a piece fell, Xenilla barely reacted. There were even a few times that the red piece fell and the game played on. But when the blue piece fell, he frantically reset the game and tried again with growing strain. Eventually his telekinesis, both from his horn and shoulder pads cut out and the panicking stallion resorted to trying and failing to move the pieces with his hooves. Pieces fell off the board in droves, and now Blade Dancer knew what Xenilla had been up to for days. After Xenilla fumbled to try and place the blue piece back up and reset, Blade Dancer put her hoof on his trembling one.
"Stop..."
Xenilla froze. Carefully picking up a fallen red piece with her free hoof, Blade Dancer placed it on the board and lifted Xenilla's board hoof away from it. She kept her voice quiet and collected.
"You're only stressing yourself, Xen. Keep this up and you'll pop something worse than your room..."
Xenilla said nothing, only hanging his head low to look at the board. Blade Dancer looked over at him. Through a mask of frayed bangs and flustered fur, she could see a glimpse of his eye. There was a reflecting glisten building up on its lower point, and the fur below them had a darkened, damp line going down it.
"Key Ring told me one of Sombra's biggest fortes was a hex that made you live your worst fear. He really did something that got under your skin, didn't he?"
Xenilla remained silent, looking away slightly before a tiny nod followed. Blade Dancer sighed, stretching her wing out to curl it around his midsection best she could. The unicorn's hoof stopped trembling.
"Wanna speak your peace? Let it out?"
The lack of response after a long while gave her his answer. Blade Dancer sighed, reaching into her saddle bag and drawing out the healing crystal.
"Here, courtesy of Key Ring. It will help. I'll be right outside, okay? You best take it within the hour, or else I'll have to come back in here."
She placed it in his hoof and got up. Starting back to the window, she only got several steps away before a familiar sensation wrapped around her body. Blade Dancer smiled as the strands of telekinesis lifted her up and carried her back to her protectorate. Gently moved around, she was set on her haunches in reverse of Xenilla, the kaiju pressing his back to her's. Blade Dancer knew this position all too well from Captain Frost. Back-to-back, leaning on each other slightly, giving the two of you a view from almost all angles. It helped give a sense of security.
Xenilla finally spoke, in a hushed version of his usual tone.
"I believe... the good empress assigned you as my bodyguard."
Blade Dancer's smile grew slightly, shifting into a teasing smirk one could practically hear in her voice.
"I thought you said big powerful kaiju like you didn't need protecting."
She expected a retort of any kind. She didn't expect a nickname.
"Thank you, Blades."
Feeling a tad warm in the face, she reached over and put her hoof against his own; sighing contently.
-It'll all be okay Big Guy...-
Stats
Page generated in 0.029 seconds
Total duration
814 users online
642,636 hits today, 2,205,040 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Happy to be of help, Tarb. Keep up the good work! ^_^
6533255
Thanks bud! Hope you enjoy Enjin's look
6533259
I do indeed. Time to update his profile!
dawwwww
BRILLIANT chapter as always
well worth the wait.
so...Xenilla is softening up eh?
keep up the good work as usal
I don't know if I should say good chapter or a shipping Xenilla Blade Dancer joke... how about both!
The fight between X and Enjin was very entertaining, especially with how much better X dealt with Enjin than Kaizer did. Too bad, that X learned that Enjin can adapt to the damages done by X's martial arts. The Surens helping X by rescuing him and momentarily attacking Enjin was a good part. Lastly, I like Blade's strength of character from her efforts to comfort Xenilla even to the point of standing up to him. The little moment at the end was very cute, especially with Xen giving BD a nickname, BD blushing, and ending the chapter by holding his hoof (be prepared to have many shippers going after you, you magnificent trolling bastard [no disrespect meant, just calling you by the trope])
Was wondering what happened to Space Godzilla
For the shipping case all I got to say I go with the whole JuniorXLuna and XenillaXBlade Dancer thing lets just hope that it doesn't do the thing like Masashi Kishimoto did in Naruto
6533491
I am the direct descendent of Grendel, I have no qualms of being called a troll
so glad a new chapter came out today.
1. That fight with Enjin was good
2. since the preview from the last chapter, I just knew Rodan was gonna be in an air show.
3. Bladey and Xeni D'AWWWWWW~
Great Hospital seen it reminds me of the game of Metal Gear Solid v The Phantom Paint hospital level.
Nice chapter.
I know it will probably be revealed in the pictures, but my dirty mind has to know, was Aria wearing a hospital gown this whole time?
On a more serious note, didn't see Enjin's tentacles coming. That was really creepy. Also, Key Ring got 20% cooler and Xenilla and Blade Dancer's moment was really sweet.
Question: Is Junior ignorant of the fact he could use telekinesis and magic with his horn or does he know but is uninterested in learning it?
Holy Shit did the Siren Bitch absorbed a portion of Kaiser Ghidorah's Power?
THE EPIC TALE CONTINUES hope your doing well Tarbtano
6534199 Yes. They specifically pointed this out in the previous chapter, Chain of Memories.
This was amazing! Enjin VS X was an amazing fight! And Xen was calculating different ways that the war against Bagan could go, he wants to protect his brother/uncle.
He wants to protect him so bad that he don't care if he dies in battle. That's amazing and sad. To know that he cares about JR. But this one only sees him as a threat.
I love your story so much!
I hope one day i can show you my fanarts when they're done. For the moment it's only inked sketches of kaijus
Nice chapter, especially X vs Enjin after Enjin got a heart shocking jolt from the Sirens. Rainbow and Rodan in an airshow... this is gonna be good!
While I still want Junior to end up with both Luna and Blade Dancer... Xen seems to be warming up to Blade Dancer as well and that's acceptable if they end up together.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
6534238 Actually, I think his board game was representing the event known as Godzilla Unleashed. Take note of the four side and the colors of the leaders. Plus the fact that they have no idea that Bagan is really around doing things.
Wow zen sad didn't see that coming he needs a hug
Well, it looks like that fight with Sombra had some lasting effects on poor Xen.
Also, will the sirens key on on Monster X's anger and force the Kaizer transformation? That'd be one heck of a plan; using their singing to infuriate X enough into transforming.
6534411 Yup.
6533739
As someone who's been in the hospital multiple times (I broke a loooot of bones when I was younger), the typical hospital gown thing actually is pretty inaccurate. If you aren't in emergency care or going through multiple tests that require you to take your trousers off, most hospitals let you wear your own cloths. I'd imagine she'd had to have taken her hoodie off for that X-ray of her shoulder, but otherwise no, no gown.
As for Junior he's probably aware of unicorn telekinesis by this point, but either has no interest in it or just hasn't bothered to give it a try yet. Even if he's a pretty sharp guy, I'd imagine he'd have more difficultly than Xenilla did due to not having a comparable power in his true form.
6534411
Nailed it.
6534256
Well just know that while I'm an equal opportunity kinda guy when it comes to love (I'm straight as a laser but 'long as no one's being hurt and its between consenting adults, who loves who ain't my business), I'm not big on polygamy or polyandry.
Xenilla really does love his brother, family is the strongest bond out there
The feels. Oh the feels! The feels are so incredibly strong with this one!
6534650
Give it time, they'll come.
I suddenly feel like a crack addict who still hasn't gotten his full fix.
Here's to hoping those illustrations come in a soon-ish but not stressing for the artist manner.
Dat monster X dough, jeebus.
ehehehe.
And Awwww, that was sweet near the end
Nice job you gaiz~
6534590 i say Bladedancer and Junior would be the best way to go mainly cuz they met first and hit it off really good till the attack but hey she fell for him once she can again plus it makes it really interesting for us all to see Bladedancer crushing on Junior and him being totally lost on the idea of love
Well then that happened
The ship has sailed!
ICEBERG RIGHT AHEAD!!
...or not.
Might be a crystal clear relationship.
Can someone please tell me what Enjin is? I can't find anything online.
Nobody messes with X's Waifu and gets away with it.
Joking aside, that whole fight scene was incredibly intense. While it was going for action, I can't help but feel a really strong horror vibe with this opponent. He's tough, violent, and has no morals to speak of. The whole thing just gave me the biggest goosebumps and I loved it.
And that ending scene. That ending scene was just so emotional. It moved me in ways I didn't think I would with Xenilia and I just wanted to hug him. {Of course, he's got Blade Dancer there to hug~} You know, the more and more you go on about with him, the more I can't help but think the dynamic between these two is some of the best I have ever read, even in published works. They often go too fast, or too abrupt. You found a balance that is just so beautiful and I adore it. Thank you for this. Made my day.
Wonderful chapter as always. The fight was well done, the transition scene with Rodan was humorous, and Blade Dancer's interaction with Xenilla leads me to think they may be growing closer. One odd question, though. Xenilla's speed chess... did the four "sides" represent the four factions (Earth Defenders, Mutations, Ailens, and Humans) present on Earth? Did Xenilla from his faction to keep the members from attacking Junior? ("No one may kill him save me" type of command?) And finally, what will it take for Junior to believe Xenilla has his best interests at heart? Would Blade Dancer telling him about the "speed chess" help do the trick, or would it take some sort of mental attack gone wrong (putting Junior into Xenilla's mind and memories) to clue him in?
I expect the biggest obstacle to these two settling their differences would be that, in a way, Xenilla made Trespasser's mistake: he deliberately targeted one of Junior's parents in his presence. The closest any other Kaiju has come to doing this was Destroyah, and Junior started that fight himself.
6535399
Enjin is an aspect of Bagan, who was once known as Reijuu. The linked blog entry should answer your questions.
6534590 I was in the hospital once for repetitive vomiting, they gave me a gown, but I only had to take off my shirt, not my jeans.
That was some hardcore chess.
6535501 Thank you, that was driving me crazy.
6535486 Yeah the four-way speed chess was most likely Earth Defenders, Aliens, Mutants, and Humans/Bagan's Forces.
After reading the chapter the first thing that pops into my mind is such: WTF does it take to KILL Enjin!?
Also, dat character development for Xenilla!!
6536144
Y̑ͣͥ͋ͦ͒ͮͥ̿̍͛̀҉̭͓͖̼̪̦̩͞ō͚̹̫ͧͨͪͪͬ̓̏̔͐̚͞͝ͅȕ̵̼̱͉̮̝͇̲̘̩̟͎̠͌̽͒ͬͧ̀ ̵̧̨̤̜̙̫͍̺̙̣͓̱̦̫̳̣͔̱̼̫ͪ͋͐̾̈́̉̆̃͗ͩC̶̶̛̩͉̬̪̮̭̯̬͉̬̖̘͒̔͌̅͋̉̉͑͆̒̓̀̽ͫ̿̎̍ͫ͞ͅa̔ͯ̓͐̃̀̒ͪ͋̉̃̋͊͌̍͐͗͜҉̴͓̭̭̹̬͢n̴ͭͭͮ̉͋́҉̶̨̠̻̹͙̲͈̦̻'̨͕͍͙̦̎ͦͣ̍̍̂̇̚͝͝͝t̶̶̷̻̤̳͎̰̩̲̤̥͉͖̩̗̯ͭ̊̅ͯ͌̊̃̏̽̓̓̆͊͊ͤ̀ ̴͚͍̠͇̯͈̘̻͚̰͐̄̀ͬͥ͋̒ͯ̓ͫ̎̇̄̐͊̕͡ͅͅͅK̸͇̭͚̞̲͇̫̩̖͖ͫͫ̇ͨ͗ͦͭ͟͝͞ͅi̷̡͎̦̟̖̙͚̘͇͔̺̬̳̭ͯ̽̃̄̉̓̇̈́̔ͮͧ̾̚l̾͒͒̋̓̊̉̚҉̵̖͈͉̬̟̤l̆͌̽̎̾ͫ͐̉̽̊ͬͦ͐ͦ̇̍͐҉͎̖̺̜̕ ̴̢͉̳̠̖͉̪ͬͧ̿ͭ̿̋́̌̾̐̿̂̓͜͞W͂ͥ̓͒ͯͣ͂̌̄͏͏̴̵̲̥͓̩h̻̹̬̺͍͔̘̩̫̲͕̬͔̱͓̱̄̀͗͒̂ͮ̑ͩͫ͊ͤ̈́̍̏̾̽̔͌͜å̵̧̛̪̝̖̩̱̭̜͎͙̪̻͉̰͕̜͊ͦ͋ͫ̀͊̋̌̉͋ͩţ̴̹̖̩̪̦̒ͬ͊͋͆̔ͫ̐ͬ̂ͫͩ̂ͨ̆̏̆̑͢͢͠ ̢̢̇̿̈̓ͥ̃ͦ̈͏̨͔̦̝̰̝̱̣̩̲Į̯̺͕͓̲̫̪̫̮̤̫͈̞̮̞̞̯̱̼̇̽̅̅ͨ̕͡s̶̛̃̓ͭͣͦ̈͑̀̚҉̲̣̤̞͍͍̮̟̺͉̦͉̖̭ṅ̷̢̹̼̪̺͔̟͍̩̱̩̲̣̖̜̗͓̠̓͆̔͐̕͡'̸̜͍̘̰̤̞͓͕̣̦̣̙̪̹ͣͭͦ̊͂ͨ͋ͮ̍͒̍ͯͯ͘t̢͖͇͍̬̹̬̘͉̯͈̱͆̇̍ͥͩͪ͛͋̎ͬͨ̓̀͢ ͛ͥͦ̌̏̎ͤ́͏̲͇̮͖͇͈͇̲̪̦͓͕A̔͆̓͌̐͋̄́̑̐͛̎̔̓̐͋̊͏̜̩͖͢͞ḷ͙̰̟̳̱̲͕̝͍̣̤̼̻̺̎͐̆̋͒̏͐̎̆͊͋̍̓̓̉̑̾̂́̚ͅi̸̧̗͔̹̅ͧ͐͒͗͌ͪͤͫ́̍ͭ̀̔ͫ̏͒v̯̼͈͓̩͔̹̬̌͌̆̋ͧͦ͊͂͊ͫ̾͗̾̊͐͆͒͋̚͘͜͞ͅe͌ͤ̒̑͑ͨ͏̴̢̪͈̠̤̜̜͖̼̫̀͡
6536161
No, you can't. However, that which is physical can be destroyed and that which is made can be unmade. How completely must this physical aspect be destroyed to be stopped? Would an RPG to the chest do the trick, does he need to be cremated with the ashes scattered, or must magic be involved so that no two atoms remain in contact?
Yo opino lo mismo respecto a la pareja. JuniorxDancer me parece perfecta, no le veo muy bien que lo emparejes con Luna. Respecto a Xenilla me parece bien la forma en que demuestra su preocupación por su hermano y por la batalla que se avecina, sobre todo por el gran desafío que Bagan representa para el rey de los monstruos. Me gustó este capítulo, sobre todo la parte de Rodan con Applejack casi me pareció que eran pareja, gracias por el capítulo.
Most interesting! I really enjoyed this! Keep it up!
6534590 Fair enough. That's pretty much my view, though I've read enough harem manga and seen enough series like Ranma 1/2 and Tenchi Muyo to appreciate and laugh at the guys stuck on those situations even though they don't want to be.
Loved the reaction Rodan got when he learned that he's going to be in an airshow. I didn't expect the Sirens to end up saving X when he was at the mercy of Enjin following his tumble out the window, let alone that X would end up being taken for questioning. The Scene where Xen had Blade Dancer stay with him and gave her a nick name made me smile. Can't wait to see how Xen's character development continues when he next has some spotlight.
Yes! Yes yes oh yes! More Xenilla! Also, Xeni x Blades forever! Lulu seemed like a better match for Junior anyways.
So when can we expect to see the illustrations? I've been looking forward to them and I'd like to know when you estimate they'll be done. It would be very useful to me.