//------------------------------// // Episode 24: Fighting Family // Story: EoH Evolution: Season 4 // by Bahamut0 //------------------------------// Akage had never been more thankful for the benefit of not needing much sleep given to him by his lifetime of ninja training than now. Up until a few minutes ago, he was sound asleep in bed with his now goddess girlfriend holding him tightly. Was being the keyword when Pinkie Pie woke up with a start. "Ohmygosh!" Pinkie Pie blurted out as she jolted awake and squeezed her ninja boyfriend so tight it instantly woke him up! "I never told any of my family that I got a boyfriend or turned into the goddess of laughter! Oh wait. Maud's coming to visit! I can just have her tell them!" For a few seconds, it seemed like sleep would once again claim the couple. This was not to be as within those few seconds that had passed, Pinkie Pie's eyes once again snapped open at another realization. "MAUD'S VISITING TOMORROW!" Pinkie Pie hollered at the top of her lungs! Making the roof nearly fly off Sugar Cube Corner in the process! "C'mon Akage! We got rock candy to test out!" "Coming dear." Akage said with a nod. "Just let me change into-" The Element of Levity didn't even get to finish his sentence or change into his usual garb when Pinkie Pie yanked him by his sleeping shirt down to the shop portion of Sugar Cube Corner! The young ninja in awe at what could only be a quarry's worth of rock candy piled around the shop! "Uh, Pinkie?" Akage asked nervously. "You don't expect the both of us to test ALL of this rock candy, are you?" "Nope!" Pinkie Pie said with a shake of her head! "I'm bringing our friends to help too!" Pinkie Pie spread her new wings and tried to take off, but her wings flapped about before she fell back to the ground. "Huh. Looks like I'll need to have Twilight and Rainbow Dash give me some lessons in magic and flying. Welp. Looks like I'm doing this the old fashioned way!" Pinkie Pie dashed out the door, and soon returned not a few seconds later leaving the door wide open for her friends who were lagging behind her. "Come on everybody! There's not a second to waste!" Pinkie Pie chirped as she threw herself towards the nearest pile of rock candy! It took a few hours, but Pinkie Pie had finally made the perfect pair of rock candy necklaces for herself and Maud. "Now all we gotta do is wait a few more hours until Maud arrives!" A collective groan sounded from most of the group that had assembled with the exception of Akage. Seeing this new kind of excitement coming from Pinkie Pie made the young ninja remember happier days from his youth. Unconsciously putting a hand on his scarlet scarf as he reminisced about past times. Sure enough, Maud had arrived in town. But when the rest of Pinkie's friends saw her, she wasn't exactly what they were expecting. Where as Pinkie Pie was a bundle of living excitement, Maud was drab and grey with a simple outfit by comparison. Furthering the contrast between the two was the fact Maud's voice was incredibly monotonous. Though none of them said anything for fear of injuring Pinkie Pie's feelings. "So you're an Avatar now." Maud noted as she saw Pinkie Pie's wings and magic. "Does this mean we can swear by your giggle now?" "Ha ha ha!" Pinkie Pie laughed! "No! It's all good! Oh! And I forgot to show you something else special!" Pinkie Pie grabbed Akage by his shoulders, and shoved him in front of Maud! "This is Akage Strider! My boyfriend!" "Hi." Akage said with a wave. "I'm the one in charge of keeping your sister happy." "And here I thought she couldn't get any happier." Maud said plainly. None of the others could pick up on it, but Akage could see the barely visible smile on Maud's face. "The two of you seem like a rock-solid couple." "We don't take each other for granite. That's for sure." Akage answered with a smile. Upon seeing Akage getting along well with Maud, Pinkie Pie pulled the two of them into a hug and wrapped her wings around them. Proudly declaring she'd be spending today with her two favorite people. "You think we should find a way to get more emotion out of Maud?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight. "No." Twilight said with a shake of her head. "I think that Maud feels plenty. We might not see it, but it doesn't always have to be visible. Besides, I know what it's like to have a sibling as great as Pinkie thinks Maud is. Come on. let's leave them to their fun." Sure enough, Maud's visit came to an end. Pinkie Pie's parting gift to Maud being the rock candy necklace she'd made her. The sisters shared a hug before going their separate ways. However, Pinkie Pie was surprised when she saw Akage packing his bags. "Akage? What's up?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I'm headed back home for a visit." Akage replied with a smile. "Seeing you and Maud together kind of made me realize how long it's been since I spent time with my own family. The last time I ever contacted my father was when I let him know that I'd accepted by the Elements of Heroism and had awakened as one. This will be my first time home in a long while. I won't be gone for too long." With a flash of a peace sign and the drop of a smoke bomb, Akage left the room he'd shared with Pinkie Pie and made his way to the nearest port to board a ship back home. The length of his journey home was of little concern to the young ninja. Such troubles were easily brushed aside at the thought of seeing his family again. Well, my biological family specifically. I guess one of the positives of growing up in a tight-knit ninja clan is that everyone is pretty close. I guess that's why a lot of stories relating to ninjas depict such a powerful force of motivation when their clan is attacked. Akage thought with a small smile. It'll be great to see dad again. I bet he'd be pretty happy to have me drop by. Especially after Ronin left. . . A few less happy memories stirred within Akage's mind, but he shook them out quickly. Dwelling about his departure won't make him come back any closer, and it won't make him think of coming back. Akage reminded himself. Still, that doesn't make the fact he's left the clan any easier. Deciding that he was finished thinking, Akage drifted off to sleep. Clutching his scarf close as he closed his eyes. The days when all of us were together were the best. . . Morning soon came, and Akage awoke to the sounds of passengers disembarking. A quick stretch later, and Akage disembarked and started walking towards the familiar path to his clan's compound. Going down a familiar, secret path that he'd traveled down countless times before. But when he neared the homestretch of his village, he froze when a few figures blocked his path! Akage's hand hovered over the handle of his sword, but he froze when he saw who the figures in his path were. Fellow ninjas from his clan. "Young Master Akage!" One of the ninjas greeted with a bow. "Forgive us, but we have been maintaining a constant guard over this path and other openings!" "It's alright." Akage said with a nod. "It's been some time since I was home. All this means is that you take great pride in protecting our clan's home!" But the second Akage mentioned the village, he saw his fellow ninjas stiffen. "A task we have failed in Akage." One of the other ninjas said with a clenched fist. "For not long after you had joined the Elements of Heroism, the village was attacked. Our assailants knew the location of our home, and they effortlessly took down our defenses. It pains me to say this, but we are the ones who were struck without warning. And by the end of the battle, we few who were still able to fight were ordered to retreat by your father. Any other warriors were captured. If anything, we can count ourselves fortunate that our attackers did not come with the intent to wipe us all out." "Then what's happened to the village?!" Akage demanded! "What's the status of my father?! And who led this attack on our clan?! Who dared to strike at our family?!" "The answers you seek lie within the village young master." A female ninja replied. "But we must warn you: what awaits you will inflict a wound more painful than any physical attack." "Don't worry about me." Akage said with a nod. "They won't see me coming." "I'm afraid they will young master." The lead ninja said. "Because their commander has been waiting for you." The lead ninja produced a letter from the folds of his garb, and handed it to Akage. The message indeed entailed the fact that whoever was responsible for this attack was waiting for Akage. "We dared not try and strike back ourselves for they threatened to harm the villagers if we intervened." "Don't beat yourselves up for considering the safety of your loved ones." Akage said as he crumpled the letter and threw it to the ground! "Whoever is responsible for this wants me, and me alone. And with all that's on the line, how can I afford to lose?" With a speed never seen before, Akage dashed towards the gates of his home! Upon arriving at the gates, the enemy sentries watching over the gates seemed to nod in acknowledgement of his appearance and let Akage in. Akage took a good look at their armaments. The enemy were equipped with hi-tech armor and weapons. Almost looking like modern-day samurai. "Our boss is waiting for you." One of the samurai said with a smirk. "Says he's been waiting a long time for you to show up. He also said you'd know where he'd set himself up." Silence was the only response from Akage as he headed towards the house of the clan's leader. The house of his father, and the same dwelling that he'd once called home. Upon reaching the door, Akage threw the door open! But what he saw waiting for him nearly made his heart stop. There, sitting on the floor, was his father tied up and staring at the assailant standing over him. "Long time no see, big brother." The enemy leader said with a cold smirk as he stood and turned to face Akage. "I was wondering when you'd get my letter." ". . . Ronin. . ." Akage whispered. But the silence was so prevalent that the words sounded like they had been screamed at the top of Akage's lungs. The appearance of his younger brother could be said to be fairly similar to Akage's own with a few notable exceptions. Ronin's hair was a brilliant azure and flowed in long, straight locks that he'd tied into a ponytail. "Ronin. . . why?! Why did you attack our village?! Our home?! Why did you betray us?!" "Isn't it obvious?" Ronin asked coldly. "You. Dear old dad didn't quite take to the idea of making our clan known to the world. I was so sick of hiding in the shadows while our homeland went about blissfully unaware of its hidden protectors. We exist in little more than stories or rumors. I wanted them to appreciate us for all we've done. But father refused to let me do so! At least, until YOU decided to step out of the shadows by joining the Elements of Heroism! Why?! Why was I denied entrance into the light when YOU freely stepped into it?!" "Because he didn't do it for the recognition you so desperately craved." Akage's father said sadly. "Akage made himself known because his duty required that people know he was there to protect them. It was out of necessity." "Save it old man!" Ronin spat as he drew his sword! Pointing it right in Akage's direction! "I'm willing to put this all behind us big brother. All I ask is one duel. You and me. One-on-one. But whether you win or lose, I shall release my hold over the village." "And if you win?" Akage asked as he grasped the handle of his sword. Narrowing his eyes as he got into a fighting stance. "Or for that matter, what if I take you down?" "If you win, I'll go quietly." Ronin said calmly. But that calm was betrayed by the intensity in his eyes. "But should you yield to me, our clan steps out from the shadows with me as the head. You can go back to your little circle of friends, and act like nothing's changed. Either way, you don't have to make me a part of your life." "Who said I ever wanted you out of it?" Akage said sadly as he drew his own sword. "Let's take this outside. I don't want dad getting mad at us for trashing the house." The brothers, now turned enemies headed to the center of the village. Their swords drawn as they circled each other. They were about to move towards each other when a burst of confetti interrupted them! "AKAGE!" Pinkie Pie screamed as she mowed down the enemy fighters under Ronin's command! "My Pinkie Sense was going off like crazy! It told me you'd be in a ton of trouble, so where are the meanies that are giving my boyfriend trouble?!" "You. . . just knocked out most of them." Akage pointed out. "And how did you manage to teleport here so quickly?!" "Twilight gave me some magic lessons." Pinkie Pie said with a shrug. "Maybe I can fly you home after we're done here!" "So not only are you a known hero, but the lover of a goddess as well?!" Ronin snarled as he gripped his sword and swung at Akage! "How much longer must you blatantly insult me Akage?!" "I never insulted you!" Akage snapped back as he blocked Ronin's blade with his own! "And she only just became an Avatar!" Sparks showered forth as the brothers' swords clashed against each other! The entire village becoming their arena! Both Akage and Ronin swung at each other with great speed, force, and intensity! The clanging of their blades ringing out like furious shouts as their duel took them across the streets, walls, and rooftops of the village's buildings! "Why do you need to have our clan go public?! What do any of us stand to gain from becoming known?!" "What do I gain?!" Ronin growled as he shoved Akage back! "I gain the fulfillment of mother's wish! She always wanted the world to know it had us watching over it! To keep it safe! Even Princess Celestia herself has expressed her gratitude for our clan's work! And yet still we remain in the shadows! Unknown! Unappreciated! No more! Enough of the past!" As Ronin said this, he slashed at Akage! But while the strike had failed to do any harm to Akage's body, what the sword had struck was far more crippling. Both Akage and Ronin were frozen in place as they saw Akage's scarf fall to the ground in pieces. Akage's eyes were wide with shock while Ronin's were filled with horror. Silence reigned supreme for a full minute before it was broken by a sound no one had expected. Akage's chuckling. "Akage, have you gone mad?!" Ronin asked as he looked at the ruined scarf and his now laughing brother. "That scarf was mother's greatest gift to you! You wore it every day since she first gave it to you! How can you laugh after it's just been desecrated?!" "Because. Mom always warned us that I'd ruin it if we got too rough playing swords." Akage said with a small smile and teary eyes. "And here we are. Playing with swords and running around the entire village. It's ironic. You say that you're through with the past, and we were just doing what we always used to when we were kids." Suddenly, Akage's sword began to glow with a blinding light! The young ninja shielded his eyes as the light enveloped his entire body! When the light faded, Akage saw that his sword had transformed! Its hilt resembling a tonfa while its blade and size resembled a broadsword! Another new addition to Akage's arsenal was a bow and arrow with a bowstring that seemed to be made of energy! "And it looks like I got a brand new toy." Akage said as he admired his new weapon. "So? Care to settle this like we always did?" While Ronin hesitantly got into a dueling stance, Akage readied himself without hesitation. The two came at each other with great speed, and each let loose a single slash from their blades! Both combatants were completely still, but the silence was soon broken by the blade of Ronin's sword clattering to the ground! A burn present where the tip of Akage's sword had struck! Plasma crackling around the tip of Akage's blade! "You want to know why I was able to laugh so easily?" Akage asked. "Because that scarf can never compare to how much love she gave us. You. Me. Dad. That love is something we'll never lose. So long as I have that, I'll never stay sad." ". . . I guess I'm not as through with the past as I thought." Ronin said with a defeated smile as he saw his former grunts being rounded up by the villagers and transported to the nearest jail. He soon found himself being bound by the village's guards. "You can reflect while you're under house arrest." Akage and Ronin's father announced. "Just think of it as the ultimate form of being grounded since you're feeling nostalgic." He then turned his attention to Pinkie Pie and smiled. "So it looks like the old Strider Charm is strong with my son since he was able to bag a goddess." "She's the one that charmed me Dad." Akage said with a smile as he put an arm around Pinkie Pie. "She's got a great laugh. Just like Mom." Akage picked up his damaged scarf, and smiled. "Hope she won't be too mad about the scarf." "What about the scarf?" A woman with red hair like Akage's asked as she popped up behind the couple! Her outfit being that of a shrine maiden. "So. Who's the lovely lady who's snagged my son?" "I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie Pie greeted! "Unityville's chief party person, and Element of Laughter!" "Name's Rekka Strider." Rekka said with a grin. "So. When can I expect grandkids?" "MOM!"