//------------------------------// // The Might of a Demon // Story: Dragon Road Season 1 // by FoolMeThrice //------------------------------// Now, Kai had decided to follow the lone Dragon Ball on his radar, knowing it had to be the one Noir had stolen. In his mind, now was the perfect time for some payback, and while he was at it, a visit to Hippogriffia would be nice. …So imagine his absolute shock when the signature of the Dragon Ball led him to Hippogriffia, covered in flames and debris. Landing quickly, Kai sprinted through the main entrance, entering the town frantically. “Stratus!” He called out, recalling the name coming from the mouth of— “Fang!!” No answer, besides the crackling of burning buildings. Everything was burning… Kai shook his head, and continued to run to the castle, not quite sure who to pray to that it was okay. With good reason, as prayers wouldn't have mattered. Turning a corner, Kai was horrified to see the castle, barely standing by a few pillars which looked ready to break right then. Rushing in, the saiyan assessed the inside with quick glances. Destroyed—everything. “Queen Novo! Princess Skystar!! ANYONE!!” But none would answer. Kai made his way to the throne room, where he saw the entire back of the castle blown out. Oddly, the throne was spared… Maybe… just maybe, could that have been a sign that the Queen was still alive? In hiding, but alive? Kai's brow twitched, a glow mixing in with the roaring flames. He spotted it in the center of the floor, so he approached it and knelt to pick it up. “…The three star Dragon Ball…” Kai's body shook in anger. Noir crossed the line, and he would pay… Kai stood, and looked out of the hole in the castle. Water—an ocean. Where was there to flee? He didn't know. What he did know was that he could only do one thing at the moment, and that was to pursue the last Dragon Balls. With a solemn stare, Kai pocketed his newly acquired Dragon Ball and pulled out his Dragon Radar. The last two were together. An easy ending to his quest, if all went well. One could only hope… Chapter 8 The Might of a Demon The ability to fly would have been handy at the start of his adventure, but Kai wouldn't complain. He had it now, and that was all that mattered. The young saiyan flew at fast speeds all the way to the next Dragon Balls, far enough that they seemed out of Equestria, but in the complete opposite direction as the Peaks of Peril. This left for a long journey, but Kai's speed was more than sufficient to make up for what would have been a week-long commute, nevermind the troubles he would face finally arriving. Now, if he gauged it correctly, he would be there in a few minutes. Kai couldn't help but think deeply. After all of this time, he still hadn't figured out his wish. He didn't particularly want anything, but he couldn't just summon the dragon without making a wish. Maybe he could wish for a way to get even stronger… Before he could muse any further, Kai noticed his targets less than a kilometer away, so he lowered down to the field of grass that awaited. He glanced about for the Dragon Balls, but held back a scoff. “As if they'll just be right out in the… open…?” Too much shock lately, but this one was well worth the word. In a single patch of the un-grassy grassland, both Dragon Ball he seeked laid. The first thought on Kai's mind was ‘Finally! Something easy!’, but the next was ‘This is probably a trap.’ The second thought prevelant, Kai glanced all around, waiting for any signs of an ambush, or explosives, or even just a comical pie. But, as far as his knowledge of traps went, there was nothing. No tripwires, no pressure plates, no hidden ki signatures… Kai frowned as he approached the Dragon Balls. He picked them up, knowing they were balls five and six. The nifty thing about this newer coat was that it had deeper pockets, so Kai stuffed the Dragon Balls into his pockets, feeling one clink against the three star from just earlier. “What is this… foreboding feeling…?” With his quest finished in a lackluster way, it felt almost disappointing. But on top of that, he felt something was off. Who was gathering the Dragon Balls, and left them out like this? Not even an idiot could miss them, but then, this area was really out there. Quite frankly, only somebody with the means to locate a Dragon Ball would… Kai's eyes widened. “OH, NO!!” The saiyan blasted off toward Ponyville, as fast as he possibly could. He was set up. Someone distanced him from his larger stash of Dragon Balls, and likely intended of keeping them and hoping he would leave the new ones. Then, they'd steal those, and make a wish. Not on Kai's watch. Besides, his main concern wasn't that he left the balls… it was where he left them. At his home. With his family. Kai only hoped he could arrive in time to stop this unknown threat. Perhaps a half an hour before that, a plan continued in the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, located in Ponyville. A purple unicorn summoned its magical aura, eyes closed in concentration. After a moment, purple eyes flickered open and shot to the ground. “He took the bait… but he's going much faster than anticipated. Luckily, he was already far from Ponyville, so things might work out as planned.” She said to herself. Her gaze fell onto a small, blue, jeweled chest. “Time to get to work.” The unicorn's horn glowed once again, this time the aura covering the chest. A lock began to jingle against it, keeping the chest shut. The unicorn sucked her teeth, precisely attempting to break the lock. After just a few moments of heart-pounding silence… Click Just the sound was enough to bring a dark grin to her face. However, no more than five seconds after the lock was opened, the chest bursted open with a geyser of raw energy. It was everything for the unicorn to not be blown away by the force. She shielded her face with a hoof and used her magic to remain in place, just barely surviving the eventual decline of energy. Wincing, the unicorn looked to the opened chest, only for her eyes to widen at the sight of someone new. Standing in front of the chest was a very tall, green individual. His glare seemed unfocussed, and his slightly opened mouth displayed sharpened teeth. He wore a dark blue gi, the shirt bearing a white circle in the front with a symbol the unicorn was unfamiliar with. Brown shoes adorned the individual's feet. The unicorn stared, unsure how to begin her introduction. This individual finally focussed, and did that for her. “…Where…?” It spoke in a sharp hiss. Its eyes flicked over to the unicorn, boring a hole through her. “Who are you?” The mare gathered her control and spoke. “My name is not important. But I just freed you from your prison.” She replied as calmly as she could. “You are the Demon Cargo, correct?” “Indeed, I am.” The supposed demon replied. An impatient glare fell onto his face. “What do you want from me?” “Straight to the point. I can respect that.” The mare chuckled. “I know you plan to rule over this world. When you do, I expect you'll remember who freed you, and grant them a generous reward.” “Oh? Generous to you and generous to me are most likely different things altogether.” Cargo grunted out, a smirk on his face. “To me, generous is killing someone quickly and painlessly.” The unicorn trembled. She took such an authoritative tone with someone so powerful, he needed to be sealed. She reminded herself to watch her tone, calmed herself, and spoke again. “I was thinking you could grant me… maybe half of the world after you rule it?” Seeing the look of complete offense on Cargo's face, she backtracked. “O-or, just a third, even a fourth! I'd be content with just a small sliver like a tenth!” “Tell you what.” Started Cargo. “I'll spare your life, and we can call it even.” The unicorn's eyes widened, before she glared harshly. “B-but I freed you! If not for me, you would still be stuck in that chest! You OWE me!” She protested. Cargo smirked, knelt low, and held his hand to the mare's forehead. Then, with an air of authority, he flicked her head with his finger. The mare was launched back quite some distance, before rolling to a stop, blood already dripping from her forehead. “I'm in a good mood. I really won't kill you. So sit there and quiet down. I have something to look for.” As Cargo lifted off the ground to fly off, the mare could only sob in agony. In an instant, he was off towards the closest cluster of energy. In other words, Ponyville. Twing! Kai's eyes widened, his senses alarming him to a sudden burst of power. His teeth ground tightly together. ‘That power… It's not Noir, but it's still huge…!’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘I can make it there on the double, but be a bit out of breath for the fight, or take my time and possibly be too late to save Ponyville…’ He clicked his tongue. “I might hate Ponyville, but I'll be damned if I let my family die 'cause of my grudge!” With that declaration, Kai charged more ki to speed towards Ponyville. He should get there in about five minutes. Too long to him, but compared to the fifteen it would have taken, he supposed it was sufficient. Rather, he hoped it was sufficient. “Come on… Make it in time!” Meanwhile, Cargo had made himself known to Ponyville's inhabitants. The green demon casually strolled through town as if he owned the place. In a few minutes, an hour at the most, he would. He pushed passed a pony who was in his way, and gave a short glare back to see if they would say anything. “O-oh, I'm sorry.” The yellow pegasus was quickly dismissed, Cargo walking off. This demon knew the location of a particular item he seeked. How, and what? His counterpart created what he needed, and was it not obvious? He was seeking the Dragon Balls. He had but one single wish… Cargo came upon a rather large and colorful building, unmarked as it was. He knew this was where they were, and he would take every last Dragon Ball, and any lives that stood in his path. Using his large right hand, he shoved the wooden door, forcing it to burst and splinter. In this building, Rarity immediately shot up from her worktable, eyes widening and breath hitching. She glanced over at her sister Sweetie Belle who was similiarly startled. The older unicorn put a hoof over her mouth, silently shushing the younger. Taking a breath and being as calm as possible, Rarity spoke. “Who's there!?” As soon as she finished, she gave Sweetie Belle a gesture towards the stairs. The filly understood, and quickly took the way to the stairs that were out of sight of the door. “Do you plan on making your new ruler walk all the way to you?” Rarity may not have met very many high-class ponies, but she knew the tone, she knew the attitude, and she dearly wanted to be famous enough to use both. Ergo, it was more than clear that this individual's tone was above high-class, and into royalty. Keeping him waiting would be foolish. Rarity took quick stomps to her doorway, partly to confront the intruder, partly to mask her sister's hoofsteps as she escaped to safety. Greeted with the sight of the tall demon Cargo, Rarity's eyes narrowed, and she knew she was in trouble. The demon grinned darkly at her. “Who… are you?” She spoke slowly, ensuring none of her fear was on her sleeves. “The Demon King, Cargo. You may call me ‘Lord’.” Despite the situation, Rarity rolled her eyes. “No thanks…” Cargo frowned. “I mean, of course, my Lord!” Rarity cleared her throat, and glanced about. Not a fighter by any means, she searched for any means of escape. Unfortunately, the front door was all there was, and Cargo was blocking it off. As cordially as she could, the unicorn made an inquiry. “Can I help you?” “You can. Show me where the Dragon Balls are, and I may spare you.” ‘Yeah, right.’ Thought Rarity. Her brother spent nearly two months gathering the Dragon Balls, and was nearly done. She wasn't going to help lose his progress to some green demon. Green was such an unappealing color, anyway. Speaking none of those thoughts, Rarity put her acting skills to use. “Dragon… My, how vulgar!” Rarity chided, deepening Cargo's frown. “I've no clue what you mean, good sir, but if you wish to see a dragon, you'll have to look elsewhere.” Before she could even think to try not to crack a smile at Cargo's expression, Rarity suddenly found herself against a wall, held up by her throat. She struggled against the large hand grasping her neck, her reddening eyes meeting Cargo's angered ones. “I'll put it like this. I KNOW the Dragon Balls are here. When I find them, whether or not you assisted me will determine the outcome of your life. Am I understood?” All Rarity could do was nod rapidly, putting a smirk on Cargo's face. “Good.” He released her, and Rarity coughed and sputtered as she hit the ground. “Come now. I don't have all day.” “R…right. My apologies, my Lord.” Rarity stood to her hooves, and decided to stall this out by a bit. On the off-chance Kai was on his way, it would give him time to arrive. If not, it would annoy Cargo, and that was a win for Rarity. “Right this way.” After stating that, Rarity forced a limp, and made her way to her worktable, knowing the longer-legged demon would be following. Cargo glared at her back, but could say nothing. He wagered the limp was from dropping her, so it was his own fault. After about a minute—that should have been a few seconds—Rarity directed Cargo to the satchel in the corner of the room. “My Lord.” Cargo barely even heard her, knowing the satchel would contain what he wanted. All he had to do was— “GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!!” Get kicked in the face! …Wait, what? No! Not that! Definitely not that! Throwing a wrench—and a foot—into his plans was none other than Kai, flying in through the doorway with precision and kicking Cargo off to the side. The force was great enough that it launched him though the walls and all the way outside. “K-Kai!” The saiyan looked down at Rarity, sparing a moment to show concern. “Are you hurt?” Rarity shook her head. “No… I didn't expect you to be back so soon.” “Me neither. This bastard must have set me up.” Rarity flinched. The only times Kai ever cursed was when he was really angry, but completely serious. Kai reached in his pockets, and took out the final three Dragon Balls. He gave them over to Rarity. “Hold onto these, will ya? I've gotta take out some trash.” With that, Kai dashed out to follow Cargo. Cargo, meanwhile, was just ending his launch by controlling his ki to fly. Suspended in the air, he glared down harshly at the house he was forcefully ejected from. All of the time, he was denied getting what was his. He recalled nearly conquering the world, but somepony managed to not only learn to use ki, but also create a technique that would trap him inside of a chest forever, even managing to lock it with a ki-enforced lock before shutting it for good. Cargo was none to happy about getting sealed, and even less so at being attacked before he could collect HIS Dragon Balls. The demon planned to destroy the house, but the very individual that struck him rushed out to face him. Kai glared back at Cargo, fists clenching. “Who are…” Kai's brows rose. “What are you, Kirin's brother or something?” Though, a better look made it clear that he was nothing like Kirin. The demon before him appeared youthful, while Kirin had looked more aged. He shook his head. “Doesn't matter. Get lost, green bean. Or I'll blow you to smithereens.” “You dare to threaten me? The Demon King Cargo?” Cargo cackled, crossing his arms. “You do amuse me. Little boy, I'd suggest you sit still and make this easy on yourself.” Kai frowned. “Y'know, when I read books about villains and their ultimatums, it always annoyed me. That hasn't changed, green bean.” The demon glared at those words, uncrossing his arms. “And now you mock me. Very well, I'll kill you right now!” Obviously a segway into combat, Kai poised himself and watched his foe closely. He forced himself from showing surprise at Cargo's sudden rush. Not because it was fast or strong, but because of how sluggish it was. Kai easily guarded the incoming punch with his hand, causing Cargo's eyes to widen. “What's this…!?” Having easily guarded, Kai sought to retaliate with an uppercut, going at half speed to match the demon. It struck the surprised demon, adding to his shock and knocking him higher into the air. Cargo regained his balance, and rushed back at Kai. Kai, however, was a step ahead of him, and spun around his obvious blow. With Cargo overextended from his missed punch, Kai slammed a left punch into his gut, forcing him to retch loudly. Capitalising on the brief moment of weakness, Kai lifted his arms over his head, and slammed his fists onto the demon's head, sending him to the ground. The saiyan watched Cargo crash into the ground, sending dirt and rocks everywhere, but luckily damaging nothing. Kai lowered down to the ground in front of the demon. “You're slow. Way slower than others I've fought.” As Kai taunted him, Cargo fumed from his small crater. “Never in my wildest dreams had I guessed there could be a being that could rival…” Cargo looked up with a sadistic smirk, unnerving Kai. “…a fraction of my full power.” As Cargo stood to his feet, Kai let out a short grunt. “I thought so. That's why I held back, too.” He admitted, taking another stance. Cargo laughed. “You jest in the face of your demise. A fool, through and through.” “Maybe…” Cargo frowned, and took his own stance. The air stilled, and the streets were already cleared of any ponies. The only one around to view the battle was Rarity, who watched from the doorway on her home. “Is that Kai…?” “Ah!” Rarity turned quickly, only to see Fluttershy standing behind her. “Fluttershy? Where did…?” “The, um, hole in your wall.” Rarity raised an eyebrow, still not understanding why she was here. “The green one bumped into me, and I guess I was a bit curious, so I followed him a bit.” Fluttershy paused, giving a look that Rarity had come to know the meaning of. It was her silent way of asking the situation, usually applied when seeing each other casually, but it was applicable in this situation too. “The green one claims to be a Demon King. Cargo, it seems.” Rarity spoke. “He wanted these relics Kai had been gathering, and well… here Kai is to stop him.” Fluttershy nodded, and looked to the battle with Rarity. Cargo took the initiative of going first, and dashed in faster than before to connect a devastating right cross to Kai's face. Kai saw through the attack and tapped it to the side with his left hand. More serious than before, Cargo retained his balance, and spun around to kick him instead. No good, as Kai was already ducking out of the way. It was Kai's turn to strike, and he chose a familiar uppercut to do the deed. Cargo grabbed the fist mid-flight, and instantly retaliated with a left hook. Kai was struck, but he recovered quickly enough to avoid the follow-up punch, the kick following, and the final palm-strike that left Cargo open himself. However, avoiding the palm-strike with a backstep was Kai's undoing, as Cargo fired off a large blast of energy from his extended palm. Kai formed a hasty cross-guard, and managed to escape the exchange with only scratches. Cargo clicked his tongue in frustration, while Kai stood to his full height. “I can't believe you weren't bluffing. I commend you for keeping up with me.” Kai lifted a brow. “Here's a little reward.” The demon sneered. “My full power.” Not wanting to seem like a liar, Cargo poised, spreading his legs and arms, and flexing his body. With a loud roar of exertion, Cargo began to draw out his true power. A dark orange aura surrounded him, as the very ground began to quake around everyone present. Kai gasped, never expecting such power. Rarity winced, recalling long ago when Kai would flash his own power for a show of confidence. This power dwarfed that power by a serious degree. Fluttershy shut her eyes, feeling tears of fear forming in her eyes. She had never felt this kind of power before, and it shook her to her core. “I understand now…!” Kai expressed with wide eyes. “This is the powerful demon from the legend…!” The saiyan gripped his arm tightly, gritting his teeth. He trembled slightly, trying hard to keep his emotions in check. “S-so this is it… The might of a demon!” Finally, Cargo finished charging, the entire world seeming to halt in an instant. The aura had mostly dispersed, little wisps of orange flowing from his body from time to time. A sickly grin met the demon's features, causing Kai to flinch and hurriedly take a battle stance. “Don't try too hard, boy. You may be dead before you can even blink!” It was no longer time to hold back. Kai calmly unleashed his own full power, choosing to unleash it in a way that wouldn't shake the ground. With that done. Kai narrowed his eyes and focussed. This was more serious than Noir. If he lost here, his precious little sisters would be harmed. He could not have that. The air was still, silent. A pin could be heard dropping in Canterlot. Breaths would hitch in the Peaks of Peril. Teeth would grind in the Dragon Lands. This opponent was stronger than any before. But Kai still faced him; scared, but brave. Then, Cargo darted forward. Kai's eyes widened, utilizing every bit of perception his eyes could muster in order to track the attack. Truly, the demon wished to end it quickly, for if Kai had not averted this attack with his hand, Cargo's hand would be through his chest. No room to breathe, Cargo continued the assault with a mach jab, three snap kicks, an overhead punch, and a rising knee. Kai managed to guard the jab and the kicks, but the power behind them left him unable to recover to guard the overhead, which set his face up perfectly for the knee. Kai went flying upwards, gritting his teeth as he tried to regain his balance. He recovered just in time to lower himself under a savage sweeping high kick. Kai spun, deciding it was time to give back what was dished out to him. Going all-out from the start, Kai assaulted Cargo with rapid punches, sure that at least one would make it to his face. Sure enough, three of the ten punches hit their mark, and on the final one, Kai connected a mean axe kick onto Cargo's skull, sending him down to the ground. Kai had assumed that the impact would give him some seconds of recovery, but a sudden knee in his gut told him otherwise. Working past the pain of the blow, Kai snatched Cargo's face in his hand and pushed him backwards. Cargo nearly laughed at the futile attempt, before he felt a burning on his face. He only had time to think one incomplete thought. ‘Oh, son of a—’ Hopefully he planned to keep it family friendly, not that it mattered. Kai exploded his ki from his hand, sending the demon back into the ground in a crater. Guessing he wouldn't get a reprieve, Kai bolted forward, arm reared back. His preemptive strike landed true, pushing Cargo further into the crater. Again and again, Kai punched the demon as hard as he possibly could, hoping to end it all now. The saiyan took to the air, and let fly dozens of balls of ki, each surely hitting his target. A cloud of dust rose, and Kai finally stopped blasting the demon. He huffed, but was sure he had won. Demon King or not, that was an assault that would be nearly impossible to survive. …Nearly. Before he could truly register what had happened, Kai found himself consumed by a rather large torrent of orange ki. His cross-guard could never be fast enough, and only ended up slightly delaying his eventual launch to the ground. The blast blew away most of his new coat, making hitting the ground even more painful. Kai winced, trying to find his opponent from the ground, but he was found instead. A deadly hand nearly pierced Kai's heart, but he just barely managed to catch the limb and hold it just shy of the demon's sharp fingernails piercing through his skin. The saiyan grit his teeth, while the demon grinned wickedly. “Well, you did well to survive against me for so long. I think it's time to end this!” Cargo lifted his hand free of Kai's grip, and thrusted down to impale the saiyan. “Hm…?” He would have, but a rock suddenly struck his face. The demon glared over, and met the defiant eyes of Rarity, another rock in her magical aura. Cargo had clear plans to destroy Rarity, but a fist suddenly met his chin, knocking him away. Kai jumped to his feet, sparing a smirk at Rarity, who returned the smirk with her own. Ready to continue with a new plan, Kai focussed on Cargo, who was wiping a trail of purple blood from his chin. “A new challenger approaches, you bastard.” Kai taunted, confusing the demon momentarily. He shook off the confusion, and rushed the saiyan immediately. However, before he got too close, another rock struck him right in the eye, slowing him to a pained stop. “Agh!!” The demon screached, only to find his face filled with the ground. Kai and Rarity's team effort did the trick, and Kai wasn't about to let up. He stomped the demon's head several time, raising dust, but not in great enough quantities to lower visibility. After about fifteen stomps, Cargo finally had enough and grabbed Kai's foot. The saiyan shook his foot free, and jumped back for distance. Cargo stood, glaring with his face stained with scratches, cuts, bruises and dirt. He rushed once again, expecting outside interferance. The demon swatted away Rarity's projectile rock with his left hand, but the action left him too open for Kai to send a right kick to his exposed left side. Cargo was launched, and skidded across the ground several feet. Cargo growled agressively, punching the ground to assist in standing. ‘These fools… are actually causing ME trouble! How dare they!’ Teeth grinding together, the demon shook his head and struggled to a knee. Kai noticed this and lifted an incredulous brow. “Oh, get up. The demon king can't be too badly hurt from a kick.” Cargo growled again and stood up. “To think the demon king would resort to trickery. Is this boy and a fashionista too much for you?” Kai taunted, a smirk on his and Rarity's faces. As could be expected, Cargo was none too happy about being insulted. “ENOUGH!! I'LL DESTROY YOU, YOU FOOL!!” Cargo rushed forward, only to halt momentarily as the nearly perfectly time rock sailed past his face. Rarity clicked her tongue in frustration, as Cargo continued forward. Kai was just fine with this, having dealt significant damage already. He could handle this easily. True to assumption, Kai was able to repel each punch and kick Cargo tried throwing. The bite behind the demon's strikes was gone, though he was still powerful. He really had weakened him with those few assaults. Kai caught both of Cargo's fists and quickly kicked him in the jaw, knocking him to the air. Before Cargo could recover, Kai was already above him with a double hammerfist. For yet another time, Cargo hit the ground, but this time, it was much more severe. Cargo laid, unmoving. This time, he truly looked incapacitated, his body limp and and eyes half-lidded. Kai lowered to the ground to look down at the defeated demon. “…It's over.” He declared, loud enough for the spectating mares to hear him. Fluttershy was understandably hesitant to get anywhere near the battleground, but Rarity had participated briefly, so she was just fine walking to Kai to look at the demon, as well. “In the end, not even a demon could match the bond we've formed. Right, Kai?” Rarity asked with a smile. “Right!” Kai agreed. Cargo breathed heavily from the ground, meeting the gaze of Kai. “…I lost… because this girl was with you…?” He wheezed out. Kai nodded. “Obviously. Not only did she support me in spirit, but she even distracted you so I could land some good hits. You lost 'cause of our teamwork.” Cargo let out a short chuckle, closing his eyes. “Is that so…?” He sighed. “Well, so be it.” Cargo opened his eyes, and met Rarity's eyes now. “I'll just have to kill you.” They couldn't even register what was just said. There was no time. It was too fast for Kai to properly react to. By the time they noticed, there was already a large hole in Rarity's chest, the blast of ki finally fading. Eyes wide, all she could do was fall backwards and let out a short squeak of agony. Kai's eyes widened when he finally caught up to what had just happened, and he rushed to Rarity's side immediately. “RARITY!!” On his knees, all his hands could do was hover over the huge hole in her chest, knowing there was nothing he could do to help. “K-KAIIIIII!!” Was all Rarity could scream out, trying hard to catch her breath. She could feel it leaving her, and her vision started to fade. Her pain slowly faded, and all she felt was… “…C…cold…” “No—Rarity, stay with me! Y-you'll be okay! I-I…!” Kai was stopped by Rarity's hoof on his cheek. Against all logic, Rarity smiled at him. “…You always… were terrible at lying…” Kai felt her hoof quivering, and knew that it must have been taking tremendous strength to keep it there in the first place. He held her hoof, making it easier on her. “…I can't help… but think of… of everypony that will… miss me…” Rarity glanced to the side, Kai never even noticing that Fluttershy had rushed to her side as well. The pegasus could only sob in disbelief. “But… I think of you… Kai… and I know…” Rarity took a very shaky breath as she looked to Kai with a loving expression. “Everything will be just fine without me…” Rarity's eyes closed very slowly, her smile falling, and her body becoming limp. The remainder of the breath she had left her lungs. Fluttershy stared. Kai stared. Both wide eyed. Then, the dam bursted for Fluttershy, and she was instantly in hysterics. “WAAAAAHHH!! R-R-RARITYYY!!” But Kai still stared. All he could think of were the memories of Rarity, and their interactions over the years. Their first real conversation… “Huh? Say, wasn't that dress ripped just a bit ago?” “Oh, um… yes, it was. But I sewed it together.” “Woah, you can fix that kind of thing!? I never even knew! You're amazing!” “Th-thank you! If you want… I can show you how…?” “Yes, please!” Another conversation he could just recall. “What's all that stuff?” “Make-up. It's for when a lady wishes to feel more elegant and beautiful.” “…Doesn't suit you.” “Pardon me?” “It doesn't suit you. You're plenty pretty already, you don't need that stuff.” “Oh! Well, aren't you just a gentlecolt!” And more came to mind, in fractured bits and pieces. “Fashion show? Let's have one here!” “One day, my dresses will be the hottest thing in Equestria!” “Oh! I think this is the name brand one, right!?” “Only THE most renowned photographer EVER!” “These clothes fit me like a glove!” “Remember to be careful when you pull the needle—” “Owwww!” “…through…” And then, one final memory. “Um… Kai?” “What's up, Rarity?” “I know I don't say it very often, and… because we aren't blood-related, it feels a bit odd. Know that… I don't mean this in THAT way, or anything—” “Rarity, it's okay. What is it?” “…I…I love you, Kai.” “Heh! I love you, too, Rarity!” That memory running through his brain, and holding his dead sister's hoof in his hand… Seeing her corpse… Kai snapped. “RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHH!!” An explosion of power radiated from Kai's body and he shot to his feet. Fluttershy, who had been right by him, was taken by surprise, the burst of energy blowing her away. She flapped her wings, a thought in her mind. She knew being blown away meant Rarity's body would be blown away, too, so she quickly caught her deceased friend and flew away to safety. Fluttershy normally felt compassion and mercy for everyone, but right now, she knew what Kai was going to do, and she approved. While she fled, Kai's energy flooded out like a dam, never stopping for even an instant. His sapphire ki began to take on a yellowish tint. His black hair rose and wavered, flashing between black and blonde. His onyx eyes were flickering to a teal color. His muscles pulsed and expanded by a degree. And of course, his aura grew larger and larger. Cargo shielded his face from this energy. It was potent, threatening to knock him off of his feet. All he could do was stare. “What is this… this power!?” With an almost audible snap, Kai finally ascended and powered up to a newer, more powerful form. His hair was suddenly spiked up and blonde, his deadly eyes teal, and the aura around him a yellow geyser. His gaze locked onto Cargo, and intensified a thousand times. “…I'm going to kill you.”