//------------------------------// // Bolitaria: Part One. // Story: Balance // by BioQuillFiction //------------------------------// Walking these stones again felt...memorable. ”This place looks like a dump.” Trixie said. “You should have seen it before...so many corpses just...littering the place.” I said aloud. I was in control, and we were at the entrance to the Boletarian Palace. I fought so many Soul Starved, so much blood spilled on these stones… Before I arrived...and after. ”Oh...well in that case it looks good by comparison.” “Heh, yeah.” The fountain at the entrance was still broken, the Archstone still in its place. The makeshift barricades were gone, and rebuilding was underway. Piles of wood and stone placed around to replaced the damaged ones. Where Miralda the Executioner was, I saw the bodies in a pile. They were all likely to be burned soon. “Hey!” A shout from ahead. I looked ahead, and saw Stockpile Thomas, or rather, just Thomas. He ran up to me. “Who are you, and better question, what are you lass?” “Heh, well last time you saw me I was just a phantom and that saved your scared ass.” I replied, his eyes widening. “Z-Zeke?! Y-You’re a...female...creature?” “My original body was… unable to be reclaimed. So, the Maiden found me this one. The owner agreed. So we share it. It works.” “Uh huh, and she couldn’t find you one...that was human?” “Well this is the race on the world I come from. I told you about it, Equestria, remember?” “Ah, right. When you said horse women half of me expected Centaurs, the other expected women unable to speak...not...this…” “Pony, there’s a difference.” “Yeah…” “Anyway I came to check up o- ARE YOU SERIOUSLY STARING AT MY CHEST?!” “Gah!” He yelped. “I, uh… Sorry…” I rolled my eyes. “Seriously…” I huffed. “So, how’s rebuilding coming along?” “As well as it can be. The few people still left that aren’t soul starved or soul starved but sain are helping out as best they can. There’s not many of us left sadly.” “Yeah, I remember. So, how’s Patches doing?” “He’s been behaving. Whatever you told him before you left really stuck with him. What was it, if I may ask?” “Oh, just some…motivational words.” “Heh, well whatever it was he’s been helping rebuild where he can, but mainly he scavenges for food and materials, and scouts ahead to see if any Soul Starved are wandering here. The Palace and Stonefang Tunnel, as well as the Shrine of Storms seem clear of Soul Starved. The Tower of Latria still has stranglers, and The Valley of Defilement is swarming with them still. We’ve blocked off the roads there best we can, and when Patches checked it out through the Archstone he said it was more filled than before.” “Crap. Well, guess I’ll have to clean up the place...that’s gonna be fun…” I goran. I hated that place with every fiber of my being. The half hazard...everything, constant poison risk, and muchky sludge are just a few of the notable things I hated about that accursed valley. “I’ll see what I can do and I can be back sometime later with aid for rebuilding and such.” “That would be wonderful. Come on, we’ve got a nice little area set up where we sleep and eat.” “Could go for something I guess. So, how’s Ed and Boldwin?” “Talking, sour words but better than none. The dirty man that sold Hard and Sharpstone shards keeps the two from fighting pretty well. They still make weapons in their spare time, but at the moment they are the only two who can make steel and iron for building. Most others are mining in Stonefang for bricks and some ores.” “Huh. Anyone at the resting place so far?” “Yes, that one Soul Starved sane man. He helps rebuilding but also cooks pretty well surprisingly. Come on, let’s see what he’s prepped.” Walking through these stone buildings, walkways and bridges was flooding me with memories. So much fighting. Part of me loved it, the other wondered when it will end. Ten times the world just….reset. The tenth time I had enough and rammed Soulbrandt, Demonbrandt, and Northern Regalia into that pulsating light, and cast God's Wrath. It had to end, and my a miracle, I blew the Old One into firewood. For safe measure I burned all that wood to ashes. The Maiden was speechless, and the Monumental the same. Neither thought the Old One could actually die. I’ve proved a lot of impossible feats possible. Walking into the palace I saw it was the most picked up. That young dragon corpse that was in the hall was removed, some pillars rebuilt. Walking into one of the rooms aside from the main ones was a different experience, but I was met with the Soul Starved nameless merchant...wearing a cooks hat and apron. “Ah! Thomas! Glade you are here! Patches just dropped off Vession if you can believe it! I’m making a stew with the potatoes and cabbages we already had and so far it’s coming along grand!” “You sound happy.” I said, making myself known and making him turn to face me and Thomas. “... Hm...No, it can’t be…” He squinted looking at me. “My...My favorite customer! If it wasn’t for the souls I smell on ya I would have figured ya for someone new. So, is that your body? Then...why’s your soul a man if yer body is that of a female?” “Different body I’m sharing with a soulless person. I act at her soul, we split the body. She’s just taking the back seat for now.” “Ah. Well hope her equin body can handle meat, cause you are staying for stew. Ha! When Patches finds out yer here, oh! He’s gonna drop a cow pie.” “How come your so happy?” I ask, half laughing at Patches expense. “Well, I never talked about life before, but before, I was a cook who worked in the inn just outside the Palace gates. We were a day’s ride from the palace to be precise, so when they were leaving the Palace, it was sundown and they’d have to stay for the night, enjoy the booze and food, tell tales of travels and sing songs from old times. It was grand, and I loved it. Then this whole Soul Starved and Demons business happened. My Beloved Inn was swallowed by the fog, and allass it’s lost forever. But, can’t think too much about the sad stuff. I’m...sort of alive, cooking again, and the Demons and mad walking Corpses are largely no more.” I Took a seat at one of several tables with chairs set out. “So, how’s Saint Urbain and Sage Freke doing?” “Them two? Oh don’t get us started.” Thomas started, taking a seat several chairs away from me. “First off, Saint Urbain and Sage Freke are both trying to turn The Nexus into their own personal places of either worship or a Laboratory. If it wasn’t for the Maiden kicking them out of there they’d be there arguing still. So, Freke claimed the Flame Lurkers old lare in Stormfang, claiming its unique properties and constant warmth are good for research and his aging bones. And Saint Urbain is in the Fools Idol’s old church, redecorating it for God and saying that a defiled place like that is the perfect place to hold a ‘haven for the light and love of god’. Ha! I think he just wanted it cause it’s the only church still around.” “That would be the most practical and is likely the main reason.” I laughed, our chief giving us each a tankard of wine. “So, I never actually got your name?” “Oh, well, just call me Chief. That’s what everyone before always called me.” Chief said, giving a half toothless smile. I smiled, raising the glass. “To Chief, and the rebuilding of Boletaria.” “Here here.” Thomas agreed, raising his mug as we cheered to a brighter future for this world. We drank...why is it bedtime? “Ugh...my head.” I groaned, getting up and having the MOTHER of all headaches. Dear christ am… am I hungover? This is a Hangover? ”Trixie, your body sucks now. I tell her mentally, it hurt to even do that. ”I was never good with booze…” She sounded just as bad. “Great. New body can’t even handle some wine...Ugh.” I groan, taking out some Darkmoon grass from my pouch and eating it fast. It relived the headache some, but not fully since technically there’s nothing wrong with me. I looked down and saw I was in a night gowned. Wait… “Yip!” Someone undressed and dressed me?! ...that’s so fucking creepy! “Sorry, sorry!” I looked to my side, seeing that lady from the Nexus there. She was wearing casual clothes now. Bearly recognized her. “Heh. I’m the one who dressed you...Zeke...heh, wow...what a...unique body.” “...Unique as in species or unique as in…” I quickly felt unter the nightgown… No underwear...and I had some…. She blushed hard. “Hehehe...was a shock… I just thought they were uncomfortable ...then I saw you...have both…” “Care to never talk about it? It’s kind of known only to me, my body’s original owner, and my family.” “F-Fair enough.” She said quickly. “So...not the best with wine?” I groaned. “My old body never got hung over. Family thing… Guess I can’t say I’m blood to them with this new body but...that doesn’t really matter does it?” “Family isn’t who you share blood with, but who you share love with.” She stated, finally calming down and losing her cherry red blush. “Wise words. I never got your name either?” “Oh, right! My apologies. I’m Cathrin.” I nodded. “Alright Cathrin, where are my...clothes?” “In your pouch. It’s why I left it on you.” “Oh. Thanks.” I said, pulling out my clothes, but then started looking threw my collected armors, and found Meralda’s outfit, and it’s several pairs. Shrugging, after putting on underwear and...the accursed bra… I put on her clothing. It was...a bit tight in...the chest, but other than that fit well. I didn’t put on the hood, that won't fit my muzzle. “Well, not a bad fit. So, where did everyone go after I was knocked out from strong wine?” “Chief and Thomas are still downstairs. Patches came by when you were out cold and when we all said that you were, well you, he was happy you were out cold. Gave him time to run to Stonefang.” She laughed. I chuckled. “Yeah, sounds right. How long was I out for?” “About three hours. It’s night now.” “Ah. So, things been going well for you?” “Yes. I’ve been working on building a small farm near the river under the main entrances bridge. So far it’s deing well. Soil is fertile and thankfully the water is clean and safe for drinking. I was worried it might have been poisoned my any corpses that fell into it.” “It’s running water, so it should be safe even if a corpse was there and somehow stayed. Any of the remaining Soul Starved try attacking?” “Once, a week back, but it was a small group that was dealt with easily.” “Cathrin!” Thomas’s voice boomed as he threw the bedroom door open. “Zeke, thank goodness you’re up. You good to fight?” “Is it the Soul Starved?” Cathrin asked. “No. I don’t know what they are, but Patches says they’re taking over Stonefang and Freke is still there. He’s holding his own thankfully but Patches is not sure for how long.” “What do they look like?” I asked, taking out one of my Great Swords from my pouch. “I can’t describe it, they’re like demons but...almost like what a child would see them as if only told they’re scary. Patches says they move fast and have lots of numbers, and vary in size according to Patches.” “Well this will be interesting. You have any armor?” “Well, no I- Ofh!” He huffed as I tossed a Chainmail torso piece at his chest from my pouch, followed my it’s matching leggings and gauntlets. Also tossed him a longsword I reinforced with Dragonstones. “Get armored up. I’ll collect Patches and see what we can do about whatever these things are.” I ran downstairs, snapping Patches out of his panic and once Thomas came down, fully armored I turned X into a glider and had the others hop on. Patches enjoyed the ride while Thomas was terrified. THe ride there was uneventful but once we arrived as Stonefangs main entrance I saw what Patches was talking about. “Unversed?” I thought out loud, landing on the bridge where several Scrappers and Brusers. “Stand back, normal weapons don’t work against them.” I warned, Thomas and Patches staying back but staying ready. As I disbanded X I decided to pull out the Keyblade Ben gave me when I was still a soul. I rushed in, slicing through the Scrappers quickly and then taking out the the Brusers. I looked up where those enemies usually throw boulders at you, and saw Crow. He looked surprised, but didn’t think much as he walked into a DTD he opened behind him. Damn it, why was he here? Just to spread Unversed or something else? The bridge was cleared, but I took a quick look inside and it was filled with Unversed. Shit. I lead Thomas and Patches to Ed’s place, where he and Boldwin were trying to figure out what to do. “I say we craft arrows and pick em off.” Boldwin said. “Bah! You’re a coward! I’ll use my Hands of God and smash em!” Ed said. I walked up and slapped the two of them upside the head. “Neither of those will work, only Keyblades can kill them, and even then they technically don’t die.” “And who are you?” They both asked. I rolled my eyes, summoning X, the two’s eyes widening. “Zeke?!” “You’re a lady?!” Boldwin said. “You’re half pony?!” Ed said. “Pon- oh wait, you got that right.” I said. “Besides the point, only Keyblades, like what I use, can really harm them.” “So, how do you make em?” “You...can’t, at least not without a special forge.” “Ah shit!” “Can’t you make one?” Thomas asked. “I…” I disbanded Cript’s Keyblade and summoned X. “...Maybe.” I aimed it at Ed’s forge. “Come on X, we both know you can do the unbelievable. Let’s see just how much you can do…” X lit up, the whole floor of the room glowing white and black as his forge changed shape. It became shaped like a Keyhole, stone forming around it as two levers appeared on both sides and when the light faded and the room returned to normal all that was there was an unignited forge. “I...think I just made the first new Keyblade forge in… who the fuck knows how long?” I said confused. “Why are their levers on it?” Boldwin asked, pulling the one on the right as darkness began pulsating from it like fire. He pulled it again, and it left. Ed then proceed to pull the right one, light filling the fire where fire would, Boldwin then pulling his as the two began swirling in a mix of conflict and harmony. “Light, darkness, and dawn.” I said. “Great, now what?” Patches spoke. I took his spear and proceed to toss it into the forge, pulling the lever for darkness as it became consumed by it. After a bit, i turned the darkness off, using the proper tools to pull it out and Ed proceed to hammer it. It began glowing with a dark aura, it’s form changing. It’s length stayed the same, but it sprouted a chrome hand guard around it’s lower and upper mid sections, the tip forming more of a small hailbard tip, the tip forming that of a key shape as a short chained Keychain dangled from it’s new found place. It was, fittingly enough, a Hyena. “A Keyblade spear...that’s new…” I said, tossing it to Patches who it flashed white for a second upon him grabbing it. “And it claimed you as it’s wielder. Fitting really.” “Wow...and...you’re just...giving it to me? No catch?” “You all are all that’s left on this world. It’s my job as the X-blade’s wielder to give aid when needed to whoever, regardless of their past.” That’s a half lie. I’m meant to keep Balance, meaning helping the light, or darkness. Darkness for now though, is doing just fine, and it’s the light that will be my primary goal. That, and technically, Trixie is X’s current wielder, I’m just borrowing it and her heart/body. “Ed, Boldwin, let’s forge some more new breeds of Keyblades and armors. This world almost fell twice in its history and I’m not letting it’s third falling end with it’s death.”