//------------------------------// // Chapter five: Lesson 0(.1...?) // Story: Kyōka Suigetsu, crumble! // by The Archiver //------------------------------// Pov: Sōsuke Aizen "You know what's nice after getting settled in two weeks before this worlds equivalent to Halloween? For one I get to just... Let my guard down for the first time in forever. RD as I now call Rainbow Dash has taken it upon herself to 'stand guard and watch me' which is just her sleeping half the time. But now for most days she chooses to stay at her little cloud house, only coming here when she needs to dodge responsibilities and call it a 'official duty.' And Twilight's servan- I mean little brother named 'Spike' is a little on the oblivious side for social interactions. I tried to tell him that it wasn't okay to ask someone why they wear an eyepatch right off the bat to a conversation as a joke and to top it off I even smiled to let him know I was being friendly but he was genuinely apologetic so I cleared it up between both of us, even showed him a bit of magic. I know I know I'm being generous. Of course I'm not buddy-buddy with them though, but at least they don't refer to me with insulting names." I cross my legs as I lay back in my bedroom, not to leave during library hours. "Though I'm still restricted in some ways. Like being confined to this house as a whole until Twilight can get permission from one of the princesses to show me to the public. But as I just sit here and wait, I cannot help but feel as though today will be... 'off' for lack of a better term." I shake my head from this nonsensical claim. "But I know that wont happen. There's no chaotical energy for miles and that's just the Everfree forest doing as its always done. But I guess that's what happens when you try to collaborate with Discord to try and bring a piece of my home to Equus." And as I keep thinking about my living situation I feel the familiar prescence of a four foot dragon approaching my door and stops in front of it. Probably hesitating on if he should knock or not. But I'll be a good Samaritan and make the choice for him. Getting up and approaching the door I open it to find the small dragon looking at his feet before taking a few seconds to realize that I'm in front of him. "O-Oh! Aizen, didn't uh see you there." He follows it up with a nervous laugh, twiddling his thumbs. "Listen... I know this is random but could you." He pauses. "Could you go check up on Twilight, she's acting really weird right now and she has a picnic with her friends later, but I'm sure you already know that." I give him my signature "ultimate politeness" smile and put my hands behind my back. Trying to appear easy going. "Say no more my scaled friend, and to check up on my friend's sibling would be absolutely no problem. But I do need your help to help you. All I need is for you to bring her up here." Spike the oh so helpful dragon rapidly nods his head up and down to the point where it blurs. "Thanks dude! This means a lot to me, if anybody can pick at Twilight's mind then it'd definitely be you." He gives a passing two fingered salute and goes down to the library, presumably to bring his older sister upstairs. However from what I can hear he's struggling, having to physical push her up here. Though I don't let the hilarity of the situation get to me. And quickly sit up to look presentable. "Spike what's so important where you'd have to bring me up here. There are friendship problems I could be solving right now!" I hear Twilight yell just as she arrives at the door. "Twilight, just" grunt "talk to Aizen for a minute, he could help you with your problem." The dragon says with some exasperated tells her. Though my mental eyes widen after hearing this. "I mean a "friendship problem" what is this an after school special? Then again what else can I expect from a world with magical ponies and other such creatures." After finishing up my thoughts, spike manages to push his sister close enough to the door so that she can visibly see me. When she does, Twilight stops digging her heels into the ground to slow down her little brother's progression. Making him nearly fall but he catches himself last second and gives me an encouraging thumbs up before quickly leaving. Twilight's confusion is ever present on her face but it doesn't stop her from approaching me with a normalish smile but from the moment I saw her I could tell something was wrong. "Heya there my benevolent captor." I lead off with a bit of humor before continuing. "A little dragon told me that you've got a problem, so do you mind sharing it with me, perhaps I could help?" I clasp my hands together in an attentive manner. Twilight seems a little pissed now, her confusion quickly fading. "Well for your information it's a lack of problems that I'm mulling over. Friendship problems anyways." She stares at me for a good minute or so while I think of a good way to approach this fragile pony. As I do though, Twilight looks at me with a "I'm going crazy" grin. "Hey Aizen... You wouldn't happen to have a friendship problem that you need solving? Would you?" My brain almost has an aneurism as it clicks. Twilight Sparkle, the prodigy of Celestia as she and her friends have hammered that into my mind, and element of harmony is nearly having a stroke because she cannot find a friendship problem. "Sometimes I wonder how this world actually functions sometimes." I agree with the stray thought that became present but instead of verbally saying it I choose to give a more proper response. "Well actually I do, and it has to do with you. Twilight I think you should go and ask your friends to see if they have any friendship problems. After all, friends and family come first, right?" Hoping that my gamble works into getting Twilight to go outside and be "distracted" with her little nonexistent problem. And to my absolute delight she looks as if she is having an epiphany. "Of course! Why didn't I think about that?" She quickly bolts out of the room, leaving without even giving me a thanks. Not that I needed one in the first place though. Then Spike walks up the stairs past his sister with a bewildered look. "Dude, what did you tell her? Twilight just bolted out the door while mumbling something about 'fixing everypony else's problems.' Even her eyes were twitching! " He asks me with some concern. I give Spike a false look of self-disappointment. "Well all I did was try and give her some advice but it looks like I messed up when I did. Don't worry though, this is Twilight we're talking about. I'm pretty sure she knows what she's doing." Spike looks a bit anxious but otherwise doesn't say anything besides a little. "I hope so." I wave him off though and confidently smile. "Hey bro, it'll be okay but I've gotta hit the hay. I need to unwind the brain, y'know?" The dragon silently nods his head before walking away, presumably to his room. "Alrighty! I'm finally gonna be able to leave this accursed place. Not permanently, but it'll be long enough in order to enact something I was planning earlier whilst indulging myself into the incoming chaos." Getting up I make an 'O' shape with my hand before blowing into it. A translucent rubbery-like balloon slowing exits from it like a bubble before a noiseless pop comes from it. Forming an exact replica of me and my clothing and carefully put it inside the bed. "Nice to know I can still preform basic techniques without even using the proper Kido technique. I just wish I could do it with the more complex ones." Shaking my head, I sit crisscrossed in my guestroom bed. Taking a deep breath before narrowing my eyes I quietly whisper. "Bakudo #28: Oraka Hensu (Foolish Disguise)" An intense light flickers from all around me. The light being at near blinding levels for a bit before settling down. Revealing an Earth Pony Stallion in the bed one with a brown mane and tail, caramel coat, soft brown eyes with square glasses covering them, and with the cutie mark of a purple mirror with a purplish orb in the middle of it. Obvious, yes I know but it still works. I flex my forelegs for a bit before smiling from my own genius. "Ah yes, my old disguise. Perfect for going behind your captor's back and seeing what's out there today." Silently stepping out of my room, closing the door behind me. I make my way to the outside world. Knowing that today will be a peaceful day like any other. An hour and 12 minutes later "Okay so you know how I said today would be peaceful? Yeah I lied, and it was impulsively too. I knew from the get go that something was gonna be up when I heard Twilight Sparkle mumbling at 3:00 a.m. about a "friendship report deadline" coming up. So I decided to take the risk (which I am not known for taking such things.) of following my dear old friend around town. And it's safe to say that she's not being normal right now. Well as normal as Twilight usually is." So far she's been increasingly getting more agitated and eccentric with each denial of a friendship problem that she gets. And it's been fucking hilarious... Jokes aside, I am growing concerned. Not for her of course but for what she might do. And the fact that Spike is approaching here right now makes me scared for the poor kid. Pov: Spike Approaching my dear older sister I see her talking to herself in an aggravated tone. Making my heart rate spike immensely. "Okay, deep breaths Spike! Make sure to not look her in the eyes for too long and deescalate whatever's about to happen." As I try and mentally prep myself for what's to come. I look at the box of cupcakes in my hand. Taking a deep breath, my legs take me over to Twilight. "Hey Twilight....." My sister that I know and love turns her head in a slow and menacing way away from the puddle. "So I just thought that maybe you should go ahead and relax for the day?" I unsurely ask her. "You've been so stressed out that you've forgotten about the picnic." I try and hand her the box of cupcakes but she quickly takes them out of my claws with her magic. "Spike you're right! I should go and see all of my friends at the picnic." Twilight quickly gallops away with the cupcakes in tow. Leaving me by myself, sighing I get ready to head back home but this guy I've never seen before blocks my path. "His rectangular glasses look pretty weird but what's weirder is that he can actually make it work." Before I can continue further though. The unnamed stallion confidently smiles and waves. "Hello there sir. I couldn't help but notice that your pal there just left in a hurry. Why is that?" He politely asks in a familiar manner to which I tilt my head. "Uh who are you exactly?" He briefly appears to be stricken with a look of realization from my question. "Ah right I forgot to properly introduce myself. I am Tempered L. Glass but you may simply call me Tempered if you like. I'm not sure about this guy but something about him seems comforting. I glance towards him from the ground, internally debating what I should do... "But I do need someone to vent to after what just happened." I sigh and give into the stranger's request. Pov: Tempered L. Glass (Sōsuke Aizen) "Ah I see. So after feeling unheard from your own sister after all these years and being shadowed over by her because of your size you've come to feel a sense of unappreciation and self-doubt?" I pretend to think about my next choice of words. "That just wont do. No not at all. You said you were 18 years old while your sister it merely 24 right? That's only a six year age gap. I think you deserve to feel like you've been heard as much as she has." Being extremely straight forward with my response. Spike's eyes briefly glint as he stares at me with a new feeling of confidence. "Yeah! That's what I've been saying. She can't just walk all over me." Throughout the conversation, I notice the little subtle details of the adolescents dragon's aggression rising. Balling up his fists seem to be the most obvious sign of them all though along with his veins looking as if they're ready to bulge out. "I'm her number one assistant so I should at least be able to talk to her without feeling like a little kid!" He knocks me out of my observation and stomps in the direction I saw Twilight gallop off to. "You know what? I think I'll just go and give her a piece of my mind right fucking now!" He practically roars off. He Reiatsu even spiked a bit... Hehe "Spiked" but in all seriousness I feel as though this is going to be good. That being said, I'll just let the results play out. "You're right Spike! You go show her what for." Even though I said that I doubt he actually heard me. "The poor dragon has finally reached his breaking point." Mentally sighing I go and follow the younger brother of Twilight Sparkle to see if he goes through with what he said he would. Pov: Spike Who does she think she is? I question myself. "This one random guy came along and made more sense than when Twilight tries to lecture me about how I'm "still a kid." I can feel my blood nearly boil from all this heat my body is giving off. Before I know it I'm already hearing Twilight's crazed antics from a considerably close distance. Serving to fuel my anger further. "No I'm not okay!" I hear Twilight shout in the distance. Getting closer I can finally see my older sister with her frizzled mane and tail talking with her friends while they lean in with concerned expressions. A bunch of "What's wrong Twi?" "What's the problem?" and other distressed replies are heard. "It's the worst thing ever girls! My letter for princess Celestia is almost over due and I haven't learnt anything about friendship yet! At this rate she'll send me back to magic kindergarten and I'll be mocked, made fun of, absolutely humiliated!" She barely manages to get out with the last bit of air in her lungs. And as soon as she gets that out. Her friends all sigh with relief. "Phew, looks like Twi's fretting over nothin again." Applejack says. "Now come down here and sit with us Twi." She pats to a spot in between herself and Fluttershy, much to my sister's confusion. "D-did you not just hear what I said right now? This is my life on the line!" Twilight angrily stomps her hooves on the ground. And I've had enough of this now anyways. Tempered already told me what I need to do, I just need to assert myself and make her listen. "That. Is. Enough Sis! I'm tired of you always doing this." I step out of my hiding spot and look at her with an angry expression that matches her own. "You always make a mountain out fucking mole skin dammit!" Everyone gasps, presumably from my swearing. "Oh don't any of you give me that, I'm 16 years old for crying out loud but you guys treat me like a kid but none of you are as bad as Twilight." I turn to face Twilight specifically. "I am sick and tired of you always patronizing me and it's time you start letting me go on these adventures you and your friend go on. I may be the younger of us but I have to protect you too!" Huffing for air I continue staring at Twilight for an answer. Her anger fades, but the mare is constantly switching between pity, sorrow, sadness, and reluctance. A minute goes by before she finally opens her mouth. "Spike... I'm sorry but I can't let you do that, you're still a baby dragon and I wouldn't forgive myself if you ever got hurt." I can see Twilight settling for a simple look of sorrow on her muzzle. But her comforting words don't help me as a pit drops into my stomach. Feeling as though everything I just did was all for nothing. All those bottled up emotions from years and years were just made null by an entire sentence. Yet I don't say anything, turning around I walk back home. Hanging my head down while unballing my claws. Pov: Sōsuke Aizen As soon as Spike turned back I realized he was going home I rushed ahead of him just to be safe. Making it back home in record time (for ponies without unicorn magic that is) and breaking the portable Gigai. Anyways, waiting for Spike to get home was a bore but necessary. And I waited for a good 20 or so minutes until I finally felt his prescence enter downstairs and towards my room. Taking a meditative position I sit crisscrossed on top of my bed. Hearing my door creek open a brief smirk passes my face but it's quickly wiped off. "Spike you're back? How's it going dude, everything all right?" To which he quickly responses. "No dude, it's not all right, my sister just blew me off and I don't know how to get her to respect me as a responsible person." After hearing this I go through all the motions of "have you tried this?" "Have you tried telling her that." And every single one of them he replies with yes to my "shocking surprise." But instead of offering him any more advice I instead give him something that mortal ponies could only dream of. "... Spike I wont sit there and just give you some encouraging words. Instead I'll offer you this. Do you want to become respected, right here and right now?" I ask with a serious demeanor. "What do you mean? Are you gonna hypnotize everyone into respecting me or something." Spike asks with some confusion to which I shake my head. "No, no, no, I mean do you wish to be something more?" I briefly pause, not sure whether or not I should ask this so soon but choose to do so anyways. "Do you wish to become an Arrancar?"