//------------------------------// // A White Among the Black // Story: Changing Flows // by ChaoticHarmony //------------------------------// Chapter 9: A White Among Black A black blur was all the warning he had. He moved his head quickly to the side, a rush of wind and a small touch telling him that he had succeeded. Without hesitation, he jabbed out with an attack of his own, smashing it into his opponent’s chin and knocking him to the ground. A rustle of wings from behind alerted him to the other threat, and he dived forward. A loud thud came from where the changeling had dived into the stone. Both of the fighters groaned to themselves as they recovered. He merely watched them calmly as he examined his own hoof, jagged and pitted with holes. “I’m sorry, were you trying to hit me?” Laughter came from the ring of gathered changelings, all of them wearing some kind of coat of arms on their body to denote their rank. Of course, in things like this, rank pulled no weight. Both of the lings before him were nearly at the top of the military, he himself a simple grunt soldier. They growled at him and spread apart, using the typical strategy of flanking to distract him. As one, they leapt towards the place where he had been moments ago, smacking into each other with a loud cracking noise. More laughter came from the ring of soldiers, intermixed with the occasional cheer for him. He allowed himself a small smile as he watched the two squirm on the ground for a few moments before managing to get to their hooves. “Hrm. You win this round Saber.” The older of the two smiled grudgingly at him, still grumbling with a gravely tone. “But don’t think we’ll be done. Tomorrow, same time.” He nodded, producing a grunt from the younger of the two. “Come Blade, we must hone our skills further. It is unacceptable that soldiers of our stature were defeated by a grunt.” The younger, Blade, was reluctant to move, but a hoof being dug into his side made him stand up and walk away reluctantly, fire still burning in his eyes. The room was silent until they had left, erupting in cheering after the sounds of their hooves on the stones faded away. He smiled as the other changelings patted him on the back or bumped their hooves to his. Smiles all directed at him were set below questioning eyes. Why aren’t you an officer? You’re good enough. they all said. He ignored the silent questions as usual and continued on his way to the shower room. Of course, they didn’t’ have real water, but rather heated jets of air. Scalding heat did the same thing scalding water did, burned a lot and cleaned you up. Of course, he could just do the job with his magic, but he had always preferred more physical methods. He was nearing the door when suddenly a Juvenile hopped into his path, his wings flared and his horn lit with green flames. A quiet fell over the crowd as they watched. “You. You’re the one.” The little creature’s body was trembling slightly as he looked up to Saber. “I-I-I challenge you, t-to a Dance of the Flame.” A large gasp came from the gathered lings as they heard what he had said. Saber himself couldn’t believe his ears at first. A Dance of the Flame? From a Juvenile? I should take him back to his mother, the fool has no idea what he’s demanding. As if he could hear his thoughts, the smaller ling angrily spoke. “I know exactly what it is, if you’re wondering that. I know what I’m doing, and,” He snorted angrily, stomping his hoof into the ground. “I’m going to kill you.” The eyes from the soldiers shifted to him suddenly, waiting for his response. “Look-“ A hoof smashed into his jaw, cutting off whatever he was about to say as he flew backwards into the fighting ring. Years of training kept him from snapping a wing as he landed on his back, using the momentum to roll backwards onto his hooves. His wings flared as anger surged up inside him. The little spawn wants to fight? So be it. He crouched low as the child leapt into the field, his horn glowing with fire. He wasted no time as he leapt forward, his hooves extended to tackle his opponent and end the fight quickly. Suddenly a wall of flames leapt into existence before him, driving him back away to his side of the ring. A scarred changeling stepped out from the crowd, his horn maintaining the shield as he cleared his throat, looking straight at Saber with his old eyes. “You heard him, Saber. A Dance of the Flame.” He opened his mouth to object, but as one the crowd stamped their hooves. “Dance the Dance of the Fire, emerald and crimson. Dance the Dance of Flames, flickering and roaring. Dance the Dance of Death, red and black.” They chanted it over and over, their horns glowing as they formed a large dome over the field. Once it was complete, they all stomped one last time and shouted the last mantra. “The Dance of the Flames has begun!” Before he could react, a lance of fire pierced his leg. He shouted out in pain as he crumpled to the ground in agony. Small hooves walked up to him, and he looked up into the grim child’s face. “I expected more from you. I honestly did. Goodbye.” Fire lashed over where he had been, his training taking over as he launched himself into the air. He placed his hooves on the shield, using the surface to give more force to his attack. Turning around, he leapt at his opponent. His hoof passed through nothing but air and he tumbled to the ground after landing on his injured hoof. More fire lashed out at him before he could stand, cutting into his body with ease. He lit his horn, the green fire flickering weakly. Fight fire with fire. A shield appeared in front of him as he stood unsteadily, brushing away the green blood that leaked from his wounds. “You should probably take this seriously, I mean, if you don’t want to die that is. Actually, you’ll still die anyway.” The child’s voice was cold, no emotion leaked into the words as did so many other changeling children. The thing’s eyes were like black chips of ice, its smile as cold as death. “Let’s begin shall we?” Without another warning, the changeling disappeared, wind announcing his departure. Saber spun and blocked with his hoof just in time, the jagged edge inches away from his face. “Come now, surely you can do better.” Where did he learn such vocabulary? He’s nothing more than a child! His idle thoughts cost him, another blow landing on his chest and sending him backward into the wall of energy. Ropes of fire wove around his hooves and pinned him to the wall. The small changeling walked up to him slowly, as if savoring the next moment. His vision filled with black dots as his head jerked to the side. He turned his head to look at the enraged child before him. “Quit fooling around. I want a fight.” Another hoof connected with his stomach. “Fight. Me. Quit. Wasting. Time.” Each word was accented with another attack, driving home the words with force. Rage built up inside his body, flickering under his heart and roaring to be released. It flowed through his veins, blanking out his mind as it screamed inside his body. Time seemed to slow as he pulled his hooves from the bonds and grasped his opponent’s head, flipping over him and shoving him into the wall. “That’s more like it.” The words barely registered in his mind as he lit his horn. He drew back his hoof, surrounded in green energy, for the killing blow. The limb seemed to elongate past the jagged edge, green flames forming into something resembling those things that ponies swing around in their mouths. Swords they were called, except theirs were steel, and his was made of rage. With a shout, he drove his hoof forward, aiming for the neck of the stupid creature who had dared challenge him. A loud clashing noise came from the point of contact, the cold energy passing through nothing but the past as it stabbed. He turned around swiftly, bringing the blade up to deflect a bolt of green away from his chest. He lowered his blade slightly as he scanned the now-empty field. He was alone, alone with a strange rushing noise all around him. Without a word, his hoof shot out and jerked backward, catching on the body of the child. Spinning with a grace known only to experienced fighters, he slammed his blade onto the black form, relishing in the scream of agony that came from it. He jumped away from the dying creature, flicking his blade to clean it of the blood. After his hooves connected with solid stone again, the pained words hit his mind. “Finally. I got my wish to fight you. Goodbye…Father.” The words brought a shock that washed away his anger in an instant. The green shield dissipated as the ground watched with a silent vigil. He slowly turned away from the group and walked out of the door. Green light lit up from behind him, followed by an intense heat. “The Dance has been finished, the music has ended, and the partners have broken the bond.” The old voice was weary with pain as it completed the ritual. Saber pushed fire into his horn as he walked, surrounding himself in its emerald glow before letting it take him anywhere besides there. He was only a child. The look of pain from the hybrid changeling filled his vision, engulfing his pained soul with agony. Only a child. Author's Note Time! Yes, yes, I know this is a little short for a chapter. I'll increase the lengths for the upcoming ones I hope. Hard habits are hard to break y'know?