Of Magic and Machines- An Undying Will
Crystal Empire
It was just about an hour or so after the sun had set upon Equestria as Faith was taking some time to play around with some of the things that were in her room to try and distract herself. However, something about today was not like any of the normal days. Usually around now, one of the servants, Molly, Pinkie Pie or her father Anson would come to her room and tell her that dinner had been made and that she needed to come to the dining hall. That was not the case though. There was a lot of movement outside her room though like it was all hands on deck… and it did not sound good.
“Ms. Faith…” She looked up to see Moby and Remy floating by her desk as the code queen noticed them. Faith had asked the drones to find out what was the source of all the commotion, but what they found though wasn’t exactly good. “We found out why there were many ponies moving in and out of the hallways earlier… I’m not sure though if you would like what we have to show you.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Faith asked, partially confused and a little worried. “Did something happen?” Both drones looked at one another for a moment before one of them pulled up a holoscreen, showing footage from one of the camera’s Molly had set up just a few days ago. What she saw though… startled her.
The entire room was filled with injured ponies of different species. Some with minor cuts and scrapes, but a lot with worse injuries. There were children crying, patients bleeding out and a lot of injuries. “W-what happened!? Was this here? I thought Molly said that this place was safe!”
“It is… These are refugees from Canterlot… Slide to the next screen and you’ll understand what I’m referring to.” Moby told her. Faith did so, wanting to know the answers to why this was happening. What she saw on the next screen startled her even more. Her father was there with Princess Cadence and Molly… but Princess Celestia and Prince Artemis were injured and almost looked like they were on the brink of death with the extent of injuries they had. But the first few words that she heard Anson say set the tone for the rest of the conversation she was about to hear.
“Woah woah woah, hold up… What do you mean that Canterlot was attacked?”
“I mean what I am telling you right now. We had our guards stationed out around the entire city for extra security purposes with the Grand Galloping Gala, but they swarmed us and easily broke through the barricade that was set up. Many have died already and my sister and I expended our magic to get all the ponies we can out of the city.” Artemis told them, now sounding even more concerned than before. “The leader of the demons has broken himself out of his cell in Tartarus… now his army is planning on exacting vengeance on all of Ponykind and all of Equus. I fear that other cities may soon become targets… and with how fast they came… I fear the worst.”
“So Ran, the same guy who stole the Dark El Shard from Amy, corrupted Sombra AND drove Eric mad as hell is on the loose… Dammit and we haven’t had the time to put up the security protocols we have here in all the other towns.” Anson cursed as he looked back at the two members of Royalty. “The only other towns that have proper protection like the Crystal Empire at this stage are Ponyville and Cloudsdale.”
“I fear it may be worse… Ran used to be clever and manipulative, but he always has a lack of patience… waiting for his release has fueled him with anger and hatred to where he’s not even the same anymore.” Artemis coughed for a moment, looking back at them as he tried to get up from his bed, even though he was weak and hurt from earlier.
“You’re staying here Artemis. In the current condition you’re in, you’ll be more of a burden than help.” Molly said as use her dynamo to stop him from getting up.
“You may be right, but there are still those that need our help… Where is everyone else?” Artemis asked. “We need all the strongest fighters we can get if we are going to win against them.”
“Leo is with Caliburn, Jane and a couple of others in Ponyville, Amy is supposedly in Cloudsdale and I haven’t heard from Nicko in the last three days. Even with his skills and power, I’m worried for him. He is my brother and not hearing from him like this is unheard of.” He said before turning to Molly and asking her a new question. “How should we proceed though going forward? I know that we still need to take care of the refugees, but we also need to find people who can fight.”
Molly was seen scratching her chin before taking a moment to answer the Infinity Sword’s question. “The ponies in the Crystal Empire will take care of the refugees. Right now you need to get to where your brother is. I would go myself, but I’m a bit busy with important stuff here at the moment.” The conversation between both of them continued on for a while, but Faith no longer wanted to listen. At this stage, she was worried. Better yet, scared. No one had any clue where her uncle was and the thought of him being out there alone with what was happening scared her. So, taking a moment, she sat the token that she was looking at on her desk and closed her eyes, praying for whoever was listening to make sure that Nicko was safe.
As the tears down her face fell… they landed on what was to be the tear of an almighty dragon that was in her hands… and someone who could hopefully help.
Meanwhile…
Upon completing his final trial, many things went through the mind of the young rune slayer. At first, he wondered about Eris and Moondancer. He did not know how long he had been separated from them due to the trials he had to undertake, but he had a bad feeling that something major had happened while he was away. He had new strength and abilities to take on whatever opponent he had to face, which was true… but the real question in his head was if he actually had changed at all. Was he the same person as he was before… or was he different.
There was only one person that he knew that could answer that question for him… But he was unsure if Ryu had recovered enough since he last saw him. He didn’t want to nearly kill him like the last time they fought each other, but he didn’t want to look like he had gone soft either. It was a tough decision to make… but he couldn’t exactly make it upon landing back on his feet and in another dark forest.
“Glave, did you put me in the Everfree Forest somehow?” Nicko asked, turning to see his displacer with his arms folded.
“No, you are in another forest. This one is specifically known as Hollow Shades-.” The Displacer said, before looking to notice that Nicko wasn’t paying attention… instead, his focus was on the fires that lit the sky ablaze… and the monsters prowling around on the castle walls. To Glaves worst fears… those monsters were demons. His intentions were to complete Nicko’s training so he was ready before the demons would break out of tartarus… They had only just completed his training now, yet it appeared that demons had broken out only a few moments prior. However, the expression on the Rune Slayer’s face was different.
He was calm once before. Now though, he was beyond furious and his anger matched how he felt. To the spellsword, he wasn’t there to protect the people and those that he cared for, including his friends and family. Before Glave could even get the chance to calm him down and think for a moment, the Rune Slayer took off, using runes at the souls of his feet in order to accelerate himself forward.
“That idiot!” Glave growled to himself. At this rate, Glave knew that it was possible that Nicko could get himself killed. The demons that he faced against in his trials were lackeys and nothing compared to the ones that were locked up in Tartarus. But there was also the feeling that Nicko could power through and defeat them… but he couldn’t do so alone. “Hmm… he was thinking about needing to see his teacher… guess I could bring his teacher to him then. Hopefully, that can have him calm down and think straight.”
Using the two cubes that he had in his hands, the displacer began to channel the energy from deep within the void. The reflection of the Dragon’s Tear from before came into view as Glave spoke. “Ryu… I fear that your student may be in trouble… Come quickly and I will explain everything upon your arrival.”
Ryu looked up from the the procession of Celestia’s funeral in Hakumen’s world. He stood on one of the balconies’ above the event, one hand over his shoulder and gripping the sword that hovered over the right side of his back.
He heard the call, but he was having trouble associating the name to himself.
“Ryu…” he said, “Right, that’s my name. Or was it Hakumen?” he cringed and held his head. Dark rings rounded his eyes as he stared into space for a moment. Two conflicting memories ran rampant in his mind, threatening to tear his psyche in half.
“You should answer the call.”
“Right.” Ryu nodded. “I should. People might need my help. Though… who’s Nicko again?”
“Your student. He needs you.”
“Right.” he nodded again. “He needs me. It’s my duty as his teacher to help him.”
“Remember your purpose. You are the White Void.”
Ryu didn’t think. The words simply spilled from his mouth without a conscious thought. “The Vast and Empty, the all consuming.”
“You are the Cold Steel.”
“The Frigid and Strong.” Ryu recited. “Uncaring and Unfeeling.”
“You are the Just Sword.”
“The Sharp and Righteous. The Avatar of Judgement.”
“With blade in hand, reap this world of its sins…”
“To balance the scales of Harmony and Discord, of Chaos and Order.”
“And cleanse this world in the fires of Destruction.”
“So is my Duty, and so is my Purpose.”
With his hand gripping the sword in his back, Ryu looked into his shadow and let himself fall into it. The weapon pulsed and Ryu felt his emotions dull. There was no distraction, no turmoil. He would do what was asked of him.
“We are the Unlimited.” he whispered the final mantras to himself. “We are the Endless; and so, I answer your summons.”
As Glave waited for the summons to work, he hoped that the person he had called for was indeed the right one. When searching for him, he felt two conflicting entities within one token, but nevertheless, he called upon him anyways and watched as the Kaiser landed on the ground in front of him.
“Oh good, I was worried I called upon the wrong person,” Glave sighed in relief, looking back at Ryu before noticing the weapon that he carried with him. Sensing something was different than before, the displacer spoke once more. “But to be sure… you are Ryu, yes?”
“Yes. I mean, no.” Ryu rubbed his head and grimaced. “It’s complicated. Right now I’m in the process of assimilating more than a thousand years of Experience. Memories are overlapping and things start to get confusing when I feel two different emotions for some of the individuals that I’ve met in my life, or is it ‘lives’ since it feels like I’ve lived two different existence? Ugh… please don’t ask, thinking more than just basic actions make me feel like my head’s going to split apart.”
“That, and you are currently in the process of creating a separate identity. That being me.” said the voice inside Ryu’s head, made from the remnants of Hakumen’s mind.
“Still, you are Ryu in appearance… and I don’t need to ask since I already know… However, my concern is not with you, but of your student.” Glave said to him, looking towards the smoke that was rising in the distance and the smell of burning ash. “Over the last few weeks, I’ve put him through numerous trials to prepare for when a demon general named Ran was to break out of Tartarus. However, when we came here, we found out that he had broken out earlier than I had hoped and because of it, your student rushed in blindly. He may have fought against demons and also been trained by you, but the ones he faced are… inferior compared to the actual threat at hand. There was a reason why Starswirl sealed him away originally.” He took a breath, looking back at the Kaiser. “I need your help in tracking him down and knocking some sense into him… the same way that he did to you if it gets to that point.”
Ryu nodded, still rubbing his head. “Find Nicko, intercept him, and beat some sense into him. Simple enough to do, but accomplishing it might be another story.” he said before he dipped his hand into the pouch hanging by his belt and fishing out Nicko’s Token. “With you here, your presence might interfere when I use Prana, but if I used this to hone into Nicko’s power, then I might find him easier.”
Ryu grimaced as he closed his eyes. His head began to pound harder, but he gritted his teeth through the pain and successfully opened his Prana. The light on his forehead hovered over Nicko’s token for a moment before it shot off into the distance, hopefully in the direction of his angry student.
“That’s it.” Ryu gasped, his eyes snapping open. “Hopefully that’s him. Anything else before I go?”
“Yeah… His training and recent Transcendance puts him at the level of power Starswirl once had… or stronger than you for that matter. There also may be a reason for why he departed so quickly that I might not know… But I hope that you could be able to help him the same way he helped to you… But it’s more than just me who’s asking you apparently…” Glave said as he snapped his finger, causing Ryu to hear another voice.
Whoever you are… wherever you are… Please… Please make sure my uncle comes back safely. I know he can handle himself but… I know that I’m not the only one who’s worried. I know that his fiance Eris and Moondancer are also worried for him. Just please… please help make sure he comes back safely.
When the voice ended, Glave looked back at him and closed his only eye. “His niece is asking the same thing… Now, I’ll leave you to it… Good luck, Kaiser.”
Ryu twitched at hearing the Dragon Emperor’s name as another stab of pain went through his head. “Thanks.” he nodded before turning to where the light of the Prana shot off to and braced his legs.
A memory flashed in the forefront of his mind. Legs tensing, power gathering, and shooting off dozens of yards in a single bound. Ryu grasped onto the image, broke down the mechanics behind it and then jumped.
[Might] increased his muscle output and he soared into the air. From there he started detonating explosions under his feet with [Simoon] for every step that he took, propelling him forward in the sky.
“Let’s hope we find Nicko first before something else, yes?” said the voice in Ryu’s head.
Canterlot
By the time Nicko had reached the castle, the entire royal city was beginning to burn. The smell of the smoke from the fires drifted in the air along with the smell of the burning and charred bodies of the victims that weren’t able to make it out of the city in time. Those that he wasn’t able to protect… something that he saw as unforgivable. These demons were monsters who savagely rip and tear apart anything that they saw as inferior… until it was all done.
Now they had another thing coming. From the highest point in Canterlot, he summoned his blade Ebalon, took a deep breath… and jumped. Many of the demons that saw him while he was in the air chased after him while the Rune Slayer used a set of runes on his feet to help himself with balance as he ran along the side of the tower. Using his swords and his skills to cut down and destroy all of them that tried to stop him and using Luna Blade to pierce through several of the demons that lunged at him while he made his downward descent. Landing on the ground as it formed a large crater underneath his feet.
The initial entrance caught the attention of all the other demons that were there. Now though, he felt ready as he smirked as them, letting his blade burn with the flames of his magic. “Is that really everything you got?” All the demons that were there, ransacking the stores and buildings were now focused on him as he held his sword tightly and began to attack them. Despite being severely outnumbered, Nicko knew that he had faced greater odds before… Yet, there was something off with this.
That something was now seen once he saw something that was on the ground that he recognized… It was the jacket that his father had as a Dreadlord… along with his knives and his mother’s cloak. All four of them were covered in blood… and that soon set off something inside him… First… a feeling of sorrow… but then, it was anger and rage that overtook him. “You… YOU BASTARDS!!!” He roared, his magic channeling around him as he prepared to activate his awakening. “ALL OF YOU WILL BURN FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!! PHOENIX TALON!!!!”
High above Canterlot, Ryu soared as he ran on the air. His head throbbed at the sight of the city in flames, but he ignored the images summoned by it and stared at the swarm littering the streets.
“Kill them.” said the voice. “These demons are a stain to this world.”
“Shut up.” Ryu muttered. “I’m here to find Nicko. I can sate your thirst for justice later, he’s my priority here.”
Just the one of the streets erupted into a gore of demons. Ryu saw someone in the middle of the slaughter, cutting down the beasts left and right with an overwhelming power.
“Help him. Clear this place of their ilk, and help him.” the voice said. “You can accomplish two objectives in one act.”
“Nicko.” Ryu muttered as he looked at his student overcome by his rage. He needed to talk to him, but these demons would only get in the way.
“CLEANSE THIS WORLD OF THEIR PLAGUE!”
Ryu roared in the sky and descended down onto the earth. Nicko looked up at the source and saw the other Displaced unsheath his sword and hammer down on the first demon as he landed.
Dust and concrete erupted into the air and the demons were sent flying. Ryu gripped his sword with both hands and it began to gather magic from the air and from himself. “[Empty Sky Form]” he said, raising his arms into the air. “[SUMMER’S SQUALL!]”
The sword fell and a wave of pure destructive energy washed over the area, ripping up the street and destroying the demons that were swallowed in.
Ryu jumped over his student and repeated the move on his other side, effectively clearing the area around them. He turned and looked at his student, surprised and still seething in anger. “Hello, Nicko.” he said before forcing a smile in his grimace as another set of memories assaulted him. “As much as I’d like to talk with you, right now isn’t really the right time for that.”
The two Displaced beings turned and saw the other demons coming from different sections of the city, crawling, running and generally making their way towards them. Ryu wasn’t sure if he could fight for long given the state of his mind.
“Let’s get out of here.” Ryu said through gritted teeth, one hand coming up to grasp his head.
“Do not run! Stand and Fight!” the voice roared, adding to the pain as more memories of a war assaulted him. “Let them come to their demise!”
Ryu fell to his knee and closed his eyes in pain. “Shut up.”
“I’m not running… not after what those bastards did…” Seeing that his teacher looked like something was affecting him, he channeled a rune in front of him. “Sorry Ryu… But this is for your own good… Step aside.” The Rune detonated, pushing Ryu out of the way as he drew his blade. “So… Who wants to get burned first!?!”
The demons that were there all charged at him, causing the Rune Slayer to grin as he gripped his blade. From where he was at, Ryu could see the silhouette of a dragon appear above his student as he began to tear through each one of the monsters that came to him. The first few monsters that attacked were nothing to him. But then, the stronger warriors came and with it, made things difficult for the Rune Slayer as he had to manage attacking his opponents, staying on his guard… and keeping an eye on Ryu. But he knew for sure that these demonic horrors were going to pay for the ones that they killed. Even with some wounds and scars on him, he simply shrugged it off as he prepared to channel the flames around him.
“I wanted to save this for when I get to spar with you again, Ryu… But I guess you’re just going to get a sneak preview.” The spellsword thought to himself as he channeled his magic and flames through his sword. Slamming it down forward with all of his might as he released his strength and power. “OVERS GEYSER!!” Upon slamming his blade to the ground, dozens of swords out of fire and magic rose from underneath the demon’s feet as they were turned to ash. When the skill was done, all of the demons he could see were now turned to ash as he tried to calm himself down. “That was for my parents… You heartless monsters.”
A roar to the side caught Nicko’s attention, just in time to see Ryu’s weapon cleave through a row of demons in a single swipe. What was odd, however, was that Ryu was still struggling to stand up while still clutching his head, his free hand was on the ground and keeping him balanced. His sword was swinging in the air and cutting down whatever demon was unfortunate enough to come close without anyone holding it.
“Come demons,” roared the voice inside Ryu’s head. “Come to me and meet your end!” This, unfortunately, only intensified the pain in his head. The separate mind was controlling the sword through Ryu’s telekinesis ability.
“Too much noise.” Ryu said through gritted teeth, his fingers starting to dig through the stone ground as they clenched tighter. “Too much distraction. I can’t focus.”
But he heard what Nicko said. Through the demons’ cries and wails, he heard his student’s words and understood now what fueled the rage in the Rune Slayer.
“For family.” Ryu said, feeling the pain in his head slowly receding. “For his loved ones.”
Another demon up behind the Ryu as his sword had wandered away from him. It raised it’s claws to strike his back, but the Brood was on his feet in a flash and grabbed the demon by it’s face.
“That’s right.” Ryu said with a grin mixed with rage and happiness. “If it’s for your family, then you should be willing to do anything for them!” The demon’s popped as the hand gripping it’s head clenched.
“YES! Do not fight me, but work with me!” said the voice. “You needn’t push me away, accept me as part of yourself! You and I are one and the same!”
The Ryu’s sword twirled in the air before it shot back into his hands. He gripped the sword firmly, now more sure than before. “If it coincides with what we want, then the pain lessens. We’re here for Nicko, but he won’t come with us until he’s had his fill of kills. We can’t force him away from what he wants or else it might becomes a resentment against us.” Ryu said. “But to be honest, I don’t really feel like leaving yet. Not after hearing what these things did to my student.”
“Then come! Let us bathe in the carnage!” shouted the voice. “For Justice!”
“Yeah, for justice.” Ryu said. “And for me, Justice means VENGEANCE!”
With a roar of effort, Ryu swung his arms and brought forth another wave of destruction. The streets were cleared once again, and he could now see Nicko clearly. Ryu lifted his head and opened his mouth summon forth a roar so loud it echoed throughout Canterlot. Along with that roar came a wave of Ryu’s suddenly overwhelming Presence expelling out from his body, an ability he obtained from Hakumen.
By combining the skills of [War Shout] and [Howling], Ryu sent forth a psychic wave inside the magic carried by his voice. All of his allies would be empowered by [Might], increasing their strength. His enemies, however, would be assaulted by confusion and fear if their wills were weak enough. He didn’t know if they would affect the demons, but they weren’t Ryu’s focus. He was aiming to aid Nicko in his revenge.
“You don’t want to go yet, Nicko?” Ryu asked his student as he looked at him. “Then fine! Slice, Stab, Kill, Slaughter! Go, have your fill, but after that we’ll talk.” He raised his hand and aimed at the Rune Slayer, where a ray of gentle light descended over Nicko. The light began to heal his student of his wounds and began to revitalize him. With that done the Brood leapt away, far enough so that he wouldn’t get in the way but close enough to help if needed.
“Why does it feel like there’s no end to them?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just how it looks to us.” Ryu said, readying his blade as the demons surged towards him and Nicko. “But does it matter? We’re here if that’s the case.”
“Yes” the voice chuckled. “For we, too, are Endless.”
However, before either of them could attack the monster that was lunging towards him, they heard a loud shot go off as the demon turned into ash. Turning around, The Rune Slayer’s eye’s widened at who it was that took the shot… and some tears almost began to stream down his face.
“Good to see that you’re still okay, son.” The figure said.
“O-oh my god… Dad? DAD!!” The Rune Slayer shouted. “B-but I thought you were-.”
“Dead? Not quite,” His father told him. “We left our old clothes there as a diversion. In addition, for us to fight demons… we became demons by switching job classes.” Turning a bit, he soon noticed Ryu by himself as he looked back at him. “Who’s your companion here?”
“His Teacher/Master Instructor/Friend, take your pick.” Ryu said, eyes slowly going over the guns on the new person’s body. He’d never thought of firearms before, being that such things never existed in his Equestria’s time. But now, though… “I’m on your side, just in case you’re wondering about pointing those things at me.”
“Why do I feel as though the flow of battle has been disrupted?”
“It’s nice to meet you… You are strange, but then again, strange things happening are normal around here.” He responded back. “Though… my concern would not be of you… or the voice in your head… but instead of my wife Ciela.”
“Why are you concerned about mom?” Nicko asked.
“Well, when she and I both changed our classes… she decided to immediately take the new skills she learned and test them on the demons… look for yourself.” The Demonio pointed out as he looked farther down the street. There were four demons running for their lives… and then another individual chasing them.
“Aww come on now, does this look like the face of mercy to you?” She asked them. “All I want to do is give you a hug… and brutally TEAR YOU APART FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO THIS CITY!!!”
“Yeah… because of the new change, not only is she at her strongest, but it also causes a strain on both of us. Since we fight in unison, the amount of power she uses can affect how I fight too…” Luke explained, just as she burned those monsters to shreds.
“Well, that was fun.” She smirked, going over to where Luke was and noticing Nicko, hugging him tightly before looking at Ryu. “Oh hey there cutie… what’s your name?”
“I am the MILF Hunter.” the voice said inside Ryu’s head with an audible leer in his tone. “Nice to meet you, Beautiful.”
Ryu’s eye twitched. Hakumen was more or less just a walking piece of armor with no organ, which probably explained the repressed libido. Seeing the he now has his memories, the repression was passed on to him. Ryu tried his best not to let his interest show. “My name is Ryu.” he said before abruptly turning around and walking away. There were demons to kill. He was definitely not running away from his libido.
“Dear… you’re hitting on Nicko’s teacher.” Luke pointed out to her, causing Ciela’s cheeks to flush.
“Oh… crap. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you were his teacher,” She apologized. “I mean, Anson told us about you and everything, but I honestly thought you would be… different.”
“Mom, don’t we have a job to do?” Nicko then asked. “I mean, there are probably still more of demons lurking around and whoever lead the attack may be here too.”
“No, not necessarily,” Luke told him. “We saw two of their commanders leave earlier, letting their pawns and lieutenants do the work. Now though that you and Ryu dealt with most of them along with us, the only demons that are left are the stranglers hiding out like rats… fortunately though, your mother and I have an ability that can take care of them. Afterwards, we need to get you two to Ponyville… Eris has been worried about you since you… left unexpectedly.”
That had Nicko’s eyes widen for a moment once he realized that. “Oh crap… I almost forgot about that.” He groaned, facepalming himself as he looked back at her. “I’m really going to have to apologize to her for this…” This made Ryu rather… curious. First, his student was eager to fight back against the demons that resided here. But at the mentioning of Eris, his attitude and facial expression changed rather suddenly.
“You ever wonder what it’s like to be in a relationship?” the voice asked Ryu.
Ryu sighed and palmed his face, keeping his senses open just in case of an ambush. He did wonder how far Nicko’s relationship with Eris was, last time he was asked for advice it wasn’t like he was much help.
“Don’t you just envy the people who could commit themselves to Love?” said the voice with a sense of melancholy.
“Why do you keep asking questions that you already know the answers to?” Ryu whispered to himself. It wasn’t like Ryu could commit himself to a pony, no matter how cute they were. He wanted a family one day, but there wasn’t really anyone back Home to make a family with. Not unless he decided to use the [Fusion] gene to become a dragon/pony hybrid to do it.
“I ask so that you may start considering.”
“DIABOLIC DISASTER!!!” Ryu and Nicko turned around to see the duo that they were originally talking to use a powerful form of magic to conjure a black hole to tear space apart with the demonic energy that resided from both of them. This pulled in all of the demons that were still trying to hide from the group as the attack soon finished and both the Demonio and the Diabla turned to Ryu and Nicko. “Now with that settled, let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Right.” Ryu nodded. “Lead the way, then.”
“And please,” the voice in his head purred. “Ladies first. We’ll be right behind you to make sure that nothing attacks you from the rear.”
Ryu’s hand came up and slapped his face, earning the attention of everyone else. “Ow.” he grumbled, feeling the pain in his head returning gradually. “Sorry, I just thought of something stupid. You three showed me some pretty amazing skills, by the way.”
[Overs Geyser] looked pretty simple enough. It may not be as powerful as Nicko’s if Ryu used it, but he could probably change some of its elemental properties if he wanted when he makes use of [Combo]. That black hole spell, however, was probably way beyond his abilities.
“Thanks, Ryu… a lot of the things I learned were first from your teachings, then just having to take it a step further once I reached Transcendance,” Nicko replied, taking a minute to extend his hand outward and had all the burning flames around him subside. From it, the Rune Slayer was able to place a rune at the highest point in Canterlot, which might’ve looked simple enough. But this one had a caption underneath that read ‘the time is now’. “Transcendance though required me to take what I knew already and forced me to go beyond them in order to gain those abilities… But enough about that, let’s hurry on back.”
A few minutes later…
By the time that the group was able to return back to Ponyville, the four of them found the small town under a shield of magic that allowed them inside and focused on repelling the demons attacks. What might have been surprising to Ryu, but normal to Nicko, was the sight of all the anthropomorphic ponies that were around the town as they passed by a few stallions of the royal guard that had suits of armor from head to hoof.
Of course though, what was actually surprising soon came when they met one human that was in the town… but his entire left arm was metallic. “Holy crap, Nicko! You’re back!!” He responded at seeing the group of four… but was a little confused upon seeing Ryu. “Hey… uh, not to be rude, but who’s the hitchhiker?”
Before Ryu could respond on the matter though, Nicko playfully punched him in the shoulder. “Leo, that’s my teacher you’re talking too. His name’s Ryu and his teachings have been helping me out a lot.”
“Define ‘Teaching’.” the voice snorted in Ryu’s head.
“So this is the Ryu guy that Anson keeps mentioning?” Leo said, scratching his chin a little. “He’s kind of…… different from what I expected. Still though, it’s good to see that you’re all okay. Especially with what happened in Canterlot.”
“We noticed… I ran into mom and dad there and they helped us with the last of the stragglers inside the city. Placed a marker for you that could help.” Nicko pointed out to him as Leo turned around and was able to see the glowing rune from this far away.
“That… is rather helpful,” The Reckless Fist answered, thanking the Rune Slayer. “Well, with that in mind, I need to talk with Applejack and Caliburn on a few things. Eris and Moondancer are back at your home right now, so the sight of you should put their minds at ease.”
“Sure, but before that though, where are Anson and Faith?” Nicko asked him as Leo began to walk towards what was assumed to be the Barracks.
“They’ve been staying up in the Crystal Empire along with Jane and Molly in order to help keep things under control. Celestia and Artemis combined their magic to escape and teleport all of those who were hurt in the attack on Canterlot, so right now it’s all hands on deck.”
“Okay thanks,” Nicko replied back before looking at Ryu and his parents. “Well, let’s go see Eris. She’ll be excited to see us still in one piece… and also probably to see you again, Ryu.”
“I quiver in anticipation to meet with the Daughter of Chaos.” the voice said, driving a sharp pain in Ryu’s head making the man stumble for a moment.
Ryu stopped walking and shook his head. The pain was back again, and it was distracting him immensely. “I’m… looking forward to seeing Eris as well, Nicko.” Ryu said, feeling a sense of uncertainty well up inside him. That, and guilt. He recalled, from Hakumen’s memories, of how he stood over the dismembered corpse of Discord and plunged that world into a path of a completely different timeline from the Original Canon.
“Will you apologize for something you did not do?” the voice snorted in contempt. “You were not the one to end him, and this one is nothing more than a spawn of another Discord in this world. You have done nothing wrong.”
That may be so, but the memory still haunted Ryu to this day. From Hakumen to Ryu, the guilt was merely passed over.
Ryu grunted and continued walking, waving off the look of concern in Nicko’s face as well as the curious ones shot his way by the others present. “Let’s go, shall we?” he said, unconsciously reaching up over his shoulder to grab the hilt of his sword. It pulsed silently in reply, and he felt his emotions dull as well as sharpen his focus. The Rune Slayer personally just smiled a little as he walked to the door and opened it, allowing everyone to come inside as he closed the door.
“Eris, I’m home!” Nicko spoke up, placing his coat on the nearby coat rack as he saw the Draconequus swiftly come into the room and latch onto him in a big hug.
“Nicky, you’re okay!! I was so worried about you!” She replied, looking back at Luke and Ciela before noticing Ryu as she smirked a little. “Oh my… I didn’t know that we would be expecting company.”
Ryu tried to not make it obvious that he was staring at the draconequus, but he couldn’t help but make some comparison between her and her father. It was almost as if they were meeting each other for the first time. “Hello, Eris.” he said, trying to smile, though only succeeding in making it look like a strained grimace. The voice in his head wasn’t helping any better.
“My… look at those curves,” it said. “Look at those corners as well. She’s quite the exotic specimen, isn’t she? Pity she’s taken. By your student, no less. Ah well, it’s not like we’re not allowed to look. Speaking of: let’s look back to Nicko’s mother, shall we?”
Ryu was starting to think that this voice in his head was some kind of horrid fusion of all the emotions and urges that he’s pushed down all these years, mixed with the ones that were in Hakumen as well. He wondered if he was some sort of repressed pervert.
“Yes.” the voice answered him unhelpfully. “That, and you miss the company of humanoid beings. Anthro doesn’t cut it, even if they have the right assets that we can leer at. But no, you still miss humans even after giving up on returning to your home world.”
That meant that after seeing Anson’s daughter and Nicko’s mother…
“Why hello, Repressed Libido. How kind of you to join us since so long. Hm? What’s that? Why yes, even lolis are permitted. Feel free to indulge yourself.”
Ryu started staring blankly at the space above Eris’s head. Was this what they call insanity? Or was this called madness? Ryu didn’t know, but he didn’t like it one bit. Eris noticed him staring off into space as she smirked a little.
“What’s the matter, Ryu? Is the voice in your head driving you nuts or are you surprised by what you see?” She giggled. “Because from the looks of it, you’re just as shy and silly as Moondancer.”
Ryu’s head snapped over to Eris, eyes wide. The voice in his head sounded surprised as well. “Ah… we forgot that Discord and Pinkie had that little tendency to breach reality, didn’t we? So it shouldn’t be a surprise to find out that little Discordette here could do the same” it said. “Hello, Eris. I dearly hope you don’t mind if I start spouting out some random commentary during our stay here. Being nothing more than emotions and urges with a mind of it’s own, I can hardly do a thing without a body. And Ryu’s too much of a prude to act on my suggestions.”
Ryu grabbed his head and grimaced. No point in pretending that there’s nothing wrong now that he got called out on it. “I should start calling you by a name.” he said. “If only have something cuss at.”
“And what would you call me?” it asked, honestly curious. “I’m an entity caused by the fracture of your soul due to one thousand years worth of conflicting memories now in your head. I’m not Hakumen, not fully. I’m still you, only with a few added quirks due to said memories.”
“I’d call you Fou-lu, but that would be an insult to the man.” Ryu said. “I rather like him. I feel like I could relate to the Tyrant Emperor Dragon.”
“Of course you would, you reclusive, antisocial brooder.”
“I’d call you asshole, but that would be pretty much insulting myself since you’re more or less me.”
“I’m rather impartial with Handsome, myself. But that would be just a bit too narcissistic.”
“So I’ve decided to us the most unimaginative name I can think of right on top of my head.” Ryu decided. “Ryong should do it.”
“Which is pretty much translates to Dragon in a different language, same as Ryu.”
“Different word, same meaning.” Ryu grunted. “Which pretty much explains us: Different thoughts, but same person.” Eris giggled in response, looking at Nicko who seemed a little confused by what was going on.
“You okay Ryu?” He asked.
“Oh he’s alright… Ryu here is just trying to get adjusted to the fact that he has a new friend inside his head. Kind of like when I’m inside yours, but this resolves around conflicting memories… Now they’re arguing over what to name his other half.” Nicko himself scratched his chin a little as Eris went on a little bit more. He did remember noticing his master’s sword glow earlier in Canterlot, so he was lead to assume that this other half of him was inside that blade… and that made him only think of one word.
“Ryuken.” That had Eris look back at him along with his teacher as he looked back up. “I may not hear him right now, but I believe Ryuken would be a suitable name. It means ‘Dragon Sword’. Might not exactly be what you had in mind, Ryu, but it’s the thought that counts.”
“Ehh, let’s let them decide on it. Both of them remind me of you and Anson. You’re similar to one another, but other then that, you like to hang out and also get on each other’s nerves whenever the opportunity presents it.” Eris’ comment was followed by a thought that she had in her head at the time as Luke and Ciela decided to leave the room to give the three of them some privacy as the Draconequus playfully smiled and took a seat next to the Rune Slayer. “I just hope ours don’t turn out the same way.”
“Isn’t that a nice thing to watch?” the voice said. Ryu was slightly surprised at how close Nicko and Eris were. Not in a friendly sense, but closer. He was happy and slightly envious of his student, seeing now that he had a partner.
“I’m getting nostalgic.” Ryu said, rubbing his temple as he sighed. “And sad.”
“Cheer up, chum.” the voice said consolingly. “You’ve got a goddess waiting for you back home, remember? She’s pretty hot herself.”
Ryu growled and rubbed his temple harder as the pain in his head spiked. Not only did he have his Dragon Genes on the loose, but there was also his other problem with the goddess, Myria.
“I’m sorry to ruin your moment, Nicko, but is there anything else you need me for?” he asked, not impatiently, but to ask for something to do to keep his mind off the pain in his head. “A masked man summoned me to stop you from making a mistake. Now that I think that the danger’s passed, is there something else I can help you with?”
“Deciding my name would be nice.”
“You’re staying as Ryong.” Ryu said as he glared at the side so as to not expose anyone else to it. “Though Ryuken sounds like an impressive name, I don’t want you to be impressive at all.” And though it was a sound deduction on Nicko’s part, Ookami, the sword on Ryu’s back, only dulled emotions for Ryu.
“Glave summoned you? Heh… figures that my Displacer would bring you here… Though, I would want to talk a bit more, but I had a feeling you had things to do…” The Rune Slayer replied, going into his room to grab something that might help his teacher. “Let me give you something that might help.”
Before Ryu could ask what it is, Nicko flicked something towards his teacher like he was doing a coin flip. When he caught it, his teacher was surprised that what he found… was actually a black dragon scale. “A while ago, I met a displaced named Ken Ahkrin that has his soul linked to that of an Onyx dragon. That scale is a copy of the token which he gave me when I last saw him. If you need help getting those dragon genes and I can’t lend a hand because I’m too busy here, I’m sure he can help…”
During this though, the Rune Slayer could notice that his blade was doing something to his teacher. Even after the last time they met and Ryu’s resolve for finding the genes he lost was restored, Nicko was still a little concerned for Ryu because he still seemed to act… different from his usual self. Not like before… but like he didn’t want to accept something he had seen. Maybe that was the case with Ryong? But he wasn’t so sure. “Ryu… are you okay?”
“He’s in denial.” said the voice, though only two people in the room heard it.
“I’m not in denial!” Ryu snapped to the side, surprising Nicko as he didn’t hear what the voice had said.
“Yes, you are.” the voice said patiently. “You remember that spirit in the Breath of Fire 3 game, the one that appeared after gaining the [Shadow] Gene? She called the original Ryu a True dragon. We thought that it meant that he was simply the inheritor of his clan’s power, but she actually meant something more.”
Ryu kept his silence in response, though he started looking angrier by the second. It didn’t help that the pain in his head was escalating the more he got worked up.
“In the Breath of Fire lore, the dragons meant something more. They are Power, they are Destruction, they are the Heroes and Villains, and most of all they are the ones who shaped their world.” the voice said. “You’re not Human anymore, Ryu. Accept it.”
Ryu closed his eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. “I will remain Human as long as I wish it.”
“And that will be your downfall.” the voice said. “For that is the reason why your own Genes rebelled against you: You kept pushing them away.” That made Nicko sigh a little, just as Eris did a small tap on his forehead. Upon taking a deep breath, The Rune Slayer looked towards Ryu and sighed.
“Ryu… You really need to get a hold of yourself…” He started to speak. Ryu was going to protest and say something, but Nicko cut him off before he could make a word. “Because right now… you’re acting a lot like I had before I met you and before I was displaced and I am sick of it. You are pushing away people that want to help you and that is just going to make the problem worse… And the thing is… You only think you aren’t human because you don’t see yourself as one… When the fact of the matter is that even if you aren’t one in appearance…” At this point, one of his hands curled up into a fist as he held it near his heart. “You are one here… You are one with an Undying Will to do what is right and one with the Pride of a Dragon that keeps you going… You may not be who you used to be… but I’m asking you to please remember who you are… Before you took on the Name of Ryu.”
“Says here that his name was originally Clyde Pierce,” Both of them turned to Eris, who appeared to be reading what was a book… that really was Ryu’s diary. “What? I was bored and wanted to help somehow… So I thought that Ryu would’ve wanted to feel more human if he knew his original name.”
Ryu sighed helplessly, but there was a kind smile tugging on his lips. He reached over to gently take his Diary back from the draconequus, not at all surprised that she could take it without him knowing. He looked at the name that was on it’s page with an expression of melancholy.
“Clyde Pierce…” Ryu whispered. He closed his eyes and shook his head, chuckling slightly. “I remember some things when I was still human, even though they’re mostly echoes now after so long. Clyde Pierce, the Soldier of Fortune. Kouya Kurokami, the Hunter in Training. Koydenshu, the Demon Slayer. And Ryu… the Demon.”
“I remember those…” the voice said. “Back when we were filled with nothing but dreams and fantasy…”
“I was a dreamer.” Ryu said. “I liked to believe that I was something that I wasn’t. I made up stories, doodled a few pictures, made a make-believe life in the back of my high school notebooks…”
Eris and Nicko shared a look.
“Clyde Pierce isn’t my real name. It’s an alias of a character I made up.” Ryu said, before looking at his student. “You need to work a bit on your speeches, Nicko, but that didn’t mean that I missed what you wanted to say.” he sighed. “You’re right that I push away people because of acting childish. The problem isn’t because I don’t see myself as Human, but because I. Am. Not.”
A blast of magic surrounded Ryu’s hand, creating a distortion. When it came back into view, it was now covered in white scales.
“In my heart and soul, I believe that I’m still Human. I don’t want to believe that I’m something else. I deny what I’ve become. I deny being a Dragon.” Ryu sighed once again, looking at Nicko sadly. “And… how can I remember who I was before becoming Ryu when I don’t remember much of who I was in the first place. Time has done its course… I’m barely the teen that I remember I used to be.”
Nicko’s heart was in the right place. He wanted to help Ryu with his issues, but he just didn’t understand why Ryu denies himself so strongly. Nicko was Human, with the power to use magic. Ryu… wasn’t. He was only Human in appearance, but deep down inside he was a Dragon.
A human that can turn into a dragon, or a dragon in the guise as a human. That had been one of the things that Ryu had wondered about himself. He dreaded the answer, but now he knew.
After years of denial, centuries of reluctance, he unfortunately found the answer to the question. He was a dragon in Human guise. Even after refusing to turn into a full dragon without at least some semblance of his humanity, it didn’t change the fact of what he was. It broke his heart just thinking about it.
But more than that, it took a toll on his sanity. He simply did not wish to let go of his Humanity, his only link left to his near forgotten past.
Nicko sighed, looking back at Ryu. “When I said remember who you are, I did not mean before you were displaced… I meant as to who you are in the eyes of those who care about you. There’s no point in chasing a past that you cannot remember… but there is always a purpose for fighting for a better future. And to me, you aren’t what you say you are when you call yourself a dragon that can disguise as a human or a human that can turn into a dragon. You’re both. A hybrid of the two so to speak… Applejack is counting on you in order to be yourself again and told Anson that in person. Please don’t let her down… because if you keep on putting this off, who knows what the future may hold.”
Ryu grimaced. It was a bit unfair to throw out his family’s name like that to guilt him. “But then again, being the Master of Procrastination that you are, it had to be done.”
“I’ll try--” Ryu said before he was cut off by a stray thought.
“There’s no such thing as Try for you, Lord Procrastinator.” the voice snorted in Ryu’s head. “It’s Do or Don’t.”
Throwing his hands into the air, Ryu said. “Fine. I’ll do it.” before sighing and slumping his shoulders.
“That’s better. Now, what’s next on the agenda?”
“What’s next is getting you two home,” Nicko interjected, getting up before looking back at Ryu. “Oh and yes, thanks to Eris, I can hear your… accomplice. Don’t worry about asking me how I’m going to get you back. I got that part covered.”
Ryu nodded and sighed, his hand rising up to rub his temple again. “Okay, then. I’ll probably spend a few days to a week meditating and getting my thoughts sorted out after leaving.”
“After that, we’ll see about finally tracking down those genes.” the voice said. “We’ve already gotten more than enough moves and techniques from Hakumen’s memories. His moves, as well as everyone else in the Blazblue series.”
“All that’s left for me is to recreate them somehow.” Ryu nodded. Nicko chuckled in response to saying that as he stepped outside, summoning a new sword that was not like one of the ones that Ryu had previously seen when in Canterlot. It was a curved blade with part of it being a crystal that was the same color as the void. Taking Ryu’s token, the Spellsword attached the dragon’s tear to the bottom of the crystal and let the object sync with his weapon. Then, one slash was all that he needed to do as he swung fiercely.
For a moment, it didn’t look like the blade did anything to Ryu. But a few moments later, a crack in reality was formed and a doorway that lead to his own world was created. He could see Applejack’s farm on the other side of the opening as Nicko placed the blade on his back. “Out of the three blades I have, this one called Void’s Edge has helped make traveling back through the void easier… I wish you luck on your journey home.”
“Hopefully nothing makes a grab for us on the way back.”
“Don’t even joke about that!” Ryu snapped to the side before a shiver went through his body. He looked at the portal, now filled with trepidation. “Here’s hoping that nothing really does.” he said before jumping through.
As the rift closed, all the Rune Slayer could think of that was on his mind what he needed to do for his next move. But of course, the Rune Slayer remembered that he had just recently returned from wherever the hell Glave had sent him before coming back and that before he could go off to fight, he needed to plan his next move. They did not have any other people who could fight besides himself, Anson, Faith, Leo, his parents, Caliburn, Amy, Molly, Jane, Yuri and Jade. Besides them, Twilight and her friends and the princesses, they barely had any form of resistance against the invading demons in order to fight back.
However, what he did not know was that someone was already on top of that.
As Faith stared out of her room into the evening sky that night, one thing immediately caught her attention. Something that quickly had her hopes up and made her know for sure that her prayers were answered. She could see a glowing red rune from the highest point in Canterlot… with the words “The Time is Now” emblazoned underneath. And with it, a newfound determination inside her was awakened alongside it as she got up and began to walk out of her room and down the hallway. Surprising both of the drones that stood watch over her.
“Moby, Remy, prepare a Nasod courier to send to Beacon,” She ordered them. “Asphyxious promised us that they would provide support for when the demons began their invasion and that time is now.”
“What about you, Ms. Faith?” Remy asked, watching her eyes narrow as she changed code once more to enter her Code: Battle Seraph mode.
“Ready yourselves,” She told them. “We’ve got a war to win.”
End Log 28
