Yes; I am an alien. And no; I don't desire tissue samples from your anus.
I opened my eyes to the sound of running water, dripping grandly in separate streams. My butt was on something I dreamed up since I was a kid; a fountain, with a statue of a dragon roaring towards the heavens as water spills from its open maw. The dragon itself is rather lithe as I bend back to gaze up at it; placing my face near a stream of crystalline water cascading down from its twenty foot-high maw.
The whole statue and fountain was made of marble, feeling remarkably cool against my bare bottom and hands. Mist battered my face in sprays of delicate caresses, making me smile at the tranquility of my favorite dream.
“There is no awkward teenage romance here: no nagging parents, no disrespectful schoolmates, no annoying siblings, and no angst. This is heaven, where everything is tranquil. I need not religion or expectations of others... it’s all about me here.” I grinned and sat back up, casting my gaze downwards at the second part of my quiet place.
“As an avid gamer of the fantasy genre, it can only stand to reason that I fell in love with this backdrop of darkness against this cylindrical podium. I always loved the Station of Awakening in Kingdom Hearts games, so why not have one here?”
Standing up, I walked forward while keeping my eyes down on the suncatcher podium. The fountain I had left took center stage on this platform, but it was only amplified by the soft purple background glass of this mural.
A large picture of myself covered the left of the podium, fully colored and clothed with his arms crossed and head up, looking to the moon above. I looked to be leaning against the border of the podium for support, even placing a foot up so that my legs looked like a slanted ‘4’. My face was the definition of patience, like I was waiting and wishing on a prayer or something of the like. The mane spilled down over my shoulders in two bold strands, the rest being cut off by the border.
Turning my head to view the middle, I saw Three white circles with three images inside nearest the fountain. Directly below those three images were four more; dragon heads, similar to my own.
The three white circles were filled with three images. From right to left went as such: A circular crown with no top, a bird in flight, and a burning sky-blue flame. For the four circles from right to left, the images were completely black like the ones of the crown and bird from earlier. Their eyes were the only thing no black about them, radiating with a different color. Right to left, the colors went as such: dark-blue, crimson, neon-green, and sky-blue like my mane.
Other than what was described earlier, nothing else interesting made up the stained-glass mural. It was cold against my bare feet, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. “I wonder what all this could mean. In the games, all these pictures had a plan that saw fruition in the end. And most of the time, it wasn’t good.”
“It certainly is epic though. I wonder how much I’d have to pay an artisan to craft something like this? It’d look nice as the ceiling for Judgement.” Giving a sigh into the nothingness, I sat down and crossed my legs. For the moment, I decided to think about the meaning behind each of these pictures.
Why I had decided to sit myself on one of the black “filler” circles is beyond me, and I found myself grimacing when the thought of sitting on myself nagged at me. I wasn’t going to get anything thought out at this way, which was bad considering that the protagonists in most Kingdom Heart games meet strife because they never heed the picture warnings of their “Stations”.
Closing my eyes, I let my mind ravage any thought about why I was staring up at the moon. And then almost as if on some sick cue, a jingling of soft bells and a pop made me jump minutely and snap my eyes open. Hoof-falls filled my ears as I got up quickly and turned around, bringing to light a...a... “Hooded Figure!? It’s the Organization!?”
I tensed up, knowing that if I tried to engage, I’d probably get my ass handed to me on a silver platter with extra steak-fries on the side. As I scanned the quadruped of nothingness over in subtle fear, I tried coming up with countermeasure for attack in my head.“In the worst case scenario, I’ll probably die slowly. Probably be injected with Nothing itself and whittle away into a heartless or something!” My mind was running a mile a minute as the figure approached, allowing me to see light-blue horseshoes as it did.
“We have yet to see a dragon of your makeup on Equis, strange one. From where do you hail?” Her voice was very serene, but carried powerful undertones to it. I felt the urge to prostrate myself before her, but shrugged that degrading notion off as I stared her down. I said nothing, but I’m sure my face was having no problem in communicating my unease to her.
“It is rude to ignore royalty, sir or madam. Although,” She sat down, placing her rear upon the moon on my Station. “We see the unease on your face, sir or madam. How could We ever forget to introduce Ourself first? We art Princess Luna, Co-Ruler of Equestria and only sister to Princess Celestia,” She declared without taking off her hood, making me a little more than suspicious of her words.
“If she is what she says she is, then keeping herself hidden would be pointless. For some odd reason, this Organization Member believes me to some sort of idiot. I don’t even care for titles, so what point is there in trying to intimidate me with one!?” I snarled to myself and pointed at her.
“I’m Silas Epista, and you’re in my dream. You have two options: remove your hood and let me see your face, or leave and never return. I want to see what you look like, and staying covered up isn’t helping to crush my wariness towards you.” I narrowed my eyes and lowered my arm so that I could cross it over the other one on my chest.
“There is nary a need for such a hostile disposition, Mr. Silas. We believe in making friends instead of adversaries, if you must know.” One of her forehooves went up to the hood and slid it back, allowing the... unicorn - I shit you not - to whip her mane from the recesses of her cloak; which began to flow about, reminding me of a starry sky as her stoic face and light-blue eyes settle on mine.
Her fur was a dark-blue, darker than my navy-blue scales actually. Her horn was probably half the size of a human’s arm, and if I were to stand next to her, she would probably come up to the bottom line of my pectoral muscles.
“We’ll see about that,” I snarked, uncrossing my arms and walking back to the fountain. “How did you even get in here, Ms. Luna? Last time I checked, this was a dream of mine. There’s no way you should have came to be here.” I sat down, gripping the rim of the fountain with my claws as I looked her in the eye constantly.
“As Princess of the Night, We keep the night terrors of our subjects at bay when they rest. You were giving off weird signals with your dream, Mr. Silas; it only stands to reason, then, that We had to come and investigate the disturbance in Our normal patrol.” At the end of her rant, Luna began a short walk over to the back of the fountain.
I heard her sit down on it a moment later and sigh. “This is truly a tranquil place you’ve conjured into existence, Mr. Silas. What was the inspiration for it?” It was still platonic, her voice; it carried very little curiosity, almost as if she was asking the question to alleviate the boredom she was feeling, if only a little.
“You don’t sound all that interested. In fact, you sound rather tired,” I responded quickly, twiddling my thumbs together as I leaned forward and placed my elbows upon my knees. “Is something boring you, Ms. Luna?”
“...”
“I take your silence as a yes.” Smiling to myself for some unknown reason, I took a deep breath and allowed my mind to melt from the tranquility of my Station. “I used this dream world as a means of escape from the real world and its problems therein. This dream,” I paused and stood up, then began walking towards the edge of my Station. “This Station, is my sanctum; a place I hoped would never be defiled by someone else. As long as this world was my own, I couldn’t give two damns if the one outside wasted away. It helped me get through life till this point, you see.”
“You use your dream as a placebo to cure reality’s pains? That is most unwise, Mr. Silas; in fact, it has the capability to worsen complications,” Luna responded, the sound of her rising from the fountain making me grimace a little bit. Her hoof-falls became louder with every step towards me. “Why are you here on Equis?”
I paused my thought process with a smile, looking over my shoulder to her. This action of mine froze her in place as she saw my toothy grin. “You sounded curious about that~. Do I interest you, Mare of the Moon?”
I watched with some amusement as my remark got under her skin somewhat. A small frown worked its way across her face. “We fail to see the humor in your shallow cleverness, Mr. Silas. Please refrain from using humor of such a crude disposition when conversing with Us.”
I scoffed in glee, happy to get another emotion out of her besides stoicness. “Fine, be a killjoy,” I breathed out, waving my hand dismissively. “I’ll keep my happiness to myself; sure enough seems like I’m the only one to care for it. And to answer your question from earlier,” I said quickly, turning my head to face the onslaught of darkness past the border of the Station.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m seeking fun; maybe I’m seeking happiness, love, hate, power, wealth,” I listed cheerily, reaching out towards the darkness and beckoning it to come near my hand. A snake head formed and slithered its way towards me, curling around my arm until its smoky head nuzzled against my cheek with a hiss. “I don’t think I’ll ever know.”
Luna was quiet for a moment, but I knew her gears were turning. “... Then answer Us this: What do you plan to do now that you’re here? Be warned, however; We sloth not in detecting deceit.”
I chuckled and told the snake to fade back into the wall. With a nod of its head, it obeyed my command. As I turned around to face her again, I took heed of the small frown increasing in size. “She seems ready to drive the nail into the coffin if I answer this wrong. I wonder how strong she actually is... but it’d probably be best not to see via combat. She does enter the dreams of others; which means she’s surely gifted in Magic.”
“Worry yourself no longer,” I finally responded after staring for a while. “If you think me a threat, you’re deluding yourself. I haven’t the time to concern myself with petty subjects such as world domination and the like.” Crossing my arms, I awaited her next response.
But apparently, the Station felt like just the two of us weren’t enough actors in this awkward ballad.
“So what ARE these plans of yours? You didn’t quite answer the question,” a baritone voice called out. A human, black shirt with a blue multi-tailed fox and JCC on the front with blue jeans ascended to the Station, right in clear view.
“A human? Hmm, this means something because I’m still in the Station. But why is he on her side and not mine? Something doesn’t add up here,” I frowned at the recent addition, disregarding his presence completely until later.
“My reasons revolve around survival only, Luna. I was forced to come here; a situation in space demanded it to happen. There was no choice. Your people will not be harmed, I can assure you.” My eyes lingered back onto the human. “And as for you: who are you and what do you want? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m dealing with royalty right now.”
“Ah, you too? What a coincidence: I just got finished talking to royalty. Convinced me to stay in Equis. My name is Daniel Fortesque. As for what I want...the world, chico, and everything in it.” Cocky doesn’t even begin to describe his voice right there.
“And yet I’m the suspicious one. Humourous, universe; very humorous. Luna doesn’t even seem fazed by tha- oh...” I gave a quiet snort as I brought to light the elephant in the train car. “She’s ignoring him! Hah, looks like he’s not too popular with her it seems!”
“Ignoring that shameful response, We wish to impart an apology for my earlier assumptions, Mr. Silas. Your exotic appearance did little in helping Us to discern your position as malicious or harmless. We were only protecting Our subjects from would-be threats.” Luna dipped her head stoically in my direction.
I waved my hand dismissively again. “Save the formalities, my dear, they serve no purpose with me. As you can see, I’m a very laid back individual that seldom gets upset or feels anything other than boredom or happiness. This was, however, a rather interesting experience to say the least...” I paused and went wide-eyed with a smile. “And opportunistic! As you might have guessed by now, I’m not exactly from Equis. Do you think a showing of myself backed by you could happen in the future?”
“Wow, get in line, buddy. Behind about twenty thousand nobles who want their backing.” The human seemed to be getting rather sore from being ignored. He must not like the fact that I’m getting the attention while he sits there and twiddles his thumbs. But his statement did strike a sour chord with me.
Frowning at his second, and very unneeded interruption thus far, I decided that at least one response would do well in quieting him until my affairs with Luna are completed. “The same twenty-thousand nobles that plague her courtroom with pleas of increasing their wealth, no doubt? You must be kidding, declaring them to have better standing than me. Their lives aren’t in danger the moment they step out of their spaceship, nor are they prone to any violence after leaving their homes. Do not interrupt this matter again, as it is very important to my health, sir.”
“Oh, so if I interrupt again, you’ll keel over or something? That’s pretty unsafe, you might wanna find a doctor around here. As for those nobles, I’m not saying they’re higher standard than you. But that wealth they have? They would NOT hesitate to spend it going after something they deem ‘foul’ or ‘evil,’ even when evidence says otherwise. Trust me on that, I have a whole army after me just because I’m not a species they like.” He smiled and chuckled at me cockily, making me snarl a little bit.
“Daniel...” Luna warned, and the human stopped his chuckling. Shaking her head in annoyance, Luna looked back at me with a small smile. “We see no harm in this. Should you ever happen upon Canterlot, Mr. Silas, please drop by the Castle. We know Our ponies will not receive you well based solely on your draconic appearance, but rest assured that the Guard won’t be giving you any problems.”
I quickly stuck my tongue out at the human to her left, before smiling at Luna quickly to hide the childish action. “You have my thanks in advance then, Ms. Luna. I hope this marks the start of a great companionship,” I asked hopefully, watching as Luna faked thinking it over with a hum. I knew it was fake based on the smile that graced her own.
“We have no qualms with it, no. Welcome to Equis, Mr. Silas. We await an audience with you at Canterlot Castle. Take your time in getting here, and enjoy the view as you do. This world has many wonders, We can assure you,” Luna replied, dropping her playful stance.
“Geez, can you get any more cliche, Mr. Businessman? Seriously, just give her the Oxy-Clean now and be done with it.”
“Is this really the time,” I roared at Daniel, my patience seeping off of me like mist on a boat. “I’m trying not to die here, and you’re being quite rude with your comments! Knock it off, or get out! I’ll talk to you after Luna and I are done!” I growled at him and crossed my arms.
“Okay, okay, geez...seriously, though, just what have you done to just ask her for support? Or shall I wait until the Night Princess has taken her leave to hear that answer?” Daniel crossed his own arms and tapped his foot, raising his eyebrow at me.
“What an annoying little monkey, clapping his hands and doing a silly dance for his next cup of coins!” Sighing deeply, I pinched the bridge of my nose and waited for my encroaching irritation to die down. “... Nothing. I have done nothing. I do not have the right to ask her for help, for I am not one her precious sheep. But again; I am no hungering wolf roaming her pastures. If anything, I am the blackbird near her chicken feed; barely worth her time or effort. Is it wrong to count on the kindness of others without any redeeming qualities to speak for oneself; to simply rely on the good graces of a fellow sapient being to help them?”
“Honestly? I’d rather know it’s the wolf than deal with the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Yes, getting some kindness from others isn’t something I should preach against, but why not offer her something in return? Y’know the saying, I scratch your back, you scratch mine.” Persistence was something this man carried in spades, and I found myself wondering if he could hold a candle to my own.
“Unlikely. I am the word.” Giving a deep sigh once more, I applied more pressure to my bridge and glared at him. “What could I give? I am not from here, and I don’t recall how to work most of my technology. Giving them parts from my ship could end up starting something no country wants... war. A war over who gets to keep the shiny object that the alien gave to the Princess, or a war for its uses thereof! Your questions, while valid, are nothing more than the bare minimum in what’s to be assumed when dealing with extraterrestrials. Please silence yourself, Daniel, and let me speak to Ms. Luna.”
“One more thing before I allow you two to finish undisturbed. I’m not saying give her tech. Helping with an uprising or balancing taxes or just, I dunno, doing a random comedy routine to brighten someone’s day. Those things can do just as much as giving up a shiny object capable of engulfing a world in flames just because everyone wants one. Now, I’m not saying do something immediately, but when you’re asked to help, you’d best be prepared to help; double time if they’ve already backed you.” He returned my glare, but his was softer. It was almost as if he was really hoping I’d accept what he said as actuality and move on.
“Cute,” I thought smugly. “I don’t know where you read up on how to deal with extraterrestrials in first contact, but you need to burn whatever article you did to cinders. I will once again present you with the pachyderm circus in town; I am an alien. I do not understand this planet and its inhabitants, nor do I care to. No one will accept a random act of kindness from me, not if driving the ‘unknown creature’ from their town will work in alleviating the falsely erected fear of me.” I dropped my claw away from my face with a frown.
“There will be no guarantee for my safety unless a public address happens; preferably from a notorious political figurehead; double that if they are one the people enjoy. I have nothing to offer, and I refuse to offer myself. I keep my word, and although I have no proof of this, I had honestly expected to count on any shred of goodwill from anyone. But as it stands...” I dropped my frown and looked at the both with equal displeasure, quite miffed about being interrogated for so long. “I can see that goodwill is all but extinct on this planet. It’s an illusion.”
“We see this clearly now.” Luna’s voice made me focus on just her for now. “You wish for Us to help you with no strings attached. No qualms exist with Us on this matter, but We do not think proper explanation is necessary if you spit upon our goodwill,” Luna stated sharply, narrowing her eyes at me as I felt a shiver jump down my spine.
I simply nodded my assent.
“Good!” Her smile returned. “Then an accord has been reached! We are pleased to have made an extraterrestrial friend on this night of Ours! Well then,” Luna said cheerily as she made her way to the right edge of the Station. “We must be off. The duties of the night never rest, even as my subjects do. Remember to play nice, you two.” She flashed me a sly smirk before jumping over the edge and disappearing with a bright flash of white.
“Couple of newsflashes...Silas, was it? Yeah, I think that’s right. First off, you’re NOT the only extraterrestrial here. Humans don’t exist on Equis. Second, if you’re gonna be here for so long, whether it be a week, a month, or even a YEAR, you’d best understand the planet and all of the sentient beings it inhabits. For example, you asked the wrong alicorn to get good PR for Equestria,” Daniel called out sharply, not even ten seconds after Luna left. From the recesses of his clothes, he pulled out what looked to be a handle for a sword. Instantly, I placed a claw on mine and growled.
“And that’s out for what purpose, Daniel?” I narrowed my eyes at him as he smiled, pressing a button and allowing the blade to finally form itself as a pulsating beam. It was broadsword in appearance, and I knew one good slice could take an arm off; no sweat.
He ignored me and twiddled with it, making me less irritated and alert. After about five more seconds of him just screwing around with it, I removed my claw from Zaelstrom’s handle. “Irony at its finest; a Princess who the people barely like. Normally they’re something out of fairytales; played up to be too righteous and really good singers that love peace and happiness. I could tell from the way she looked at me that her life wasn’t sunshine and rainbows, like how most of those fairytales go. That’s why I asked her, and not her sister when she spoke that she had one.” I turned around so I didn’t have to look at my annoying guest.
“It is because she seeks to do things to improve her own standing with her people. Back then, when you said I should do something to scratch her back; little did you know that I was way ahead of you in that regard. I saw the hurt on her face, even though the mask she put up was rather good,” I paused and looked back over my shoulder, giving him a good narrowed eye severity’s sake.
“One who constantly wears masks is quite good at getting behind those of others. And to think you thought yourself to have her best interests at heart....tsk tsk tsk, Daniel; alas, you do not. Nor will you ever, I’m afraid. If you’re done, please leave and stop taking up my time; or do you have something else to discuss rather than my future plans on Equis?” I turned my head back around and looked into the darkness moving like a curtain in a drafty room, awaiting his response.
“Well...I do have two. First, if and when you face your Shadow, will you be ready to face it? Everything you’ve said and done to build your own mask, being attacked from every angle, blows that are low even for a heartless villain. If you had to face yourself, your TRUE self, would you be ready to fight for your life?” Daniel appeared to be speaking from experience here, and it honestly struck somewhere close to home. As peaceful as my Station is, there’s a reason why it’s surrounded by all this darkness.
:.... I guess I’ll find out,” I seethed, not turning back to look at him.
“Now, the other question, and this is far more important…” There was a bit of hesitation in his voice. “...are you gonna give Luna the spray-on Oxy-Clean, or the detergent-type Oxy-Clean?”
“... Leave... now,” I snapped, turning my head to glare at him with all my hidden displeasure to bear. My stare was good as a human to get would-be aggressors to back off and rethink their approach, if only for a little bit. It’s unnerved the strongest of wills, and I could see that it still held its power against Daniel. “You’re no longer wanted here. This is my dream realm, and I want you gone!”
“Yeesh, sorry for trying to get you to lighten up. If you can’t take a joke, your time is gonna suck in Equis. If you really want me gone that bad, I’ll take my leave. There are other platforms like these that I can walk on, and less draconic.”He turned to leave like he had appeared, but I cleared my throat loud enough to get to look back with his hands in his pockets. He had put the sword away when I had my back turned, apparently.
“You just don’t show up here for no reason; I’m not daft. What has brought you here, besides annoying me and hindering my progress towards survival... and for that matter; what are you?” I turned around and slid a claw up to my jacket’s zipper and pulled down, causing my only article of upper clothing to open and relieve the tightness around my neck.
“That depends. Are you talking about what you’ll see on Equis, or what you’re looking at now? Because right now, you’re looking at one of over six billion humans from a planet simply called Earth. And I’m here because...well, I can’t currently wake up and go back to my own body.”
“Oh? You’re using Magic, I take it? Scrying, perhaps; if I do recall correctly. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why you’re here, and I want to know what it is. And of course I know of this form of yours; I’m human as well, Daniel, even though I might not look it right now. However, I do not plan to recover my old body whatsoever; I haven’t a need for it anymore, not when this one is superior.” I walked over to my fountain and sat down on the marble rim, crossing my arms and then crossing my legs at the ankles.
“I’m not using magic. As it stands, I’m in a coma that’ll last for another...six days or so. I am here because I wandered here. I saw yourself and Luna and, fearing for her, I approached. I won’t lie and say I didn’t think you’d do something to her.” I smirked in triumph at the end of his statement, knowing I caught him.
“And your basis out of that assumption; does it not stem from the fact that I’m an alien, unseen and uncharacterized? It is as I said earlier; the masses will not bother understanding me, just like you assumed I’d harm Luna, they too will assume me guilty in plotting to harm them.” I uncrossed my arms and used a claw to wave him away. “As fun as this chat has been, I’m afraid you’ve overstayed your welcome. If we do meet outside this Station, I hope it will be on less annoying terms than in here.”
“...so it was wrong of me to stand aside and watch what would happen? Give you the benefit of the doubt instead of pull out my sword and engage immediately? Though my initial impression was you two were about to fight, I wasn’t about to go berserker on you just because you look like a dragon. And apparently have the attitude of one, being somewhat selfish,” Daniel retorted sharply, almost dropping his tone into one of disappointment and annoyance. This made me scoff in amusement at the falsehood of his last sentence.
“Selfish? No no no, I don’t think it was selfish to preserve my life, Daniel; that’s instinctual; a commonly shared survival tactic amongst all races, regardless of planetary background, you see. Even though I could thank you for not charging me with that blade, I’m afraid I won’t; seeing as how it should be common practice not to act so crudely to the unknown unless they identify themselves to be of malicious intent and insidious in nature.” I moved my claw back and grabbed some of the crystalline water from the fountain, placing it in my maw and drinking it down.
I gave a pleased exhale afterwards, and continued. “I hope this planet will continue to be entertaining, for Earth was too monotonous for me. There was no place for someone of my caliber there; someone with my indomitable spirit and quick mind. Do not think this to be pride, Daniel; it is fact.” Smiling at him smugly, I waved my claw at him with the back of my fingers ‘brushing’ him off. “You may take your leave now; and trust well that we’ll be in touch again. As much of an annoyance as you were, your entertainment factor has drawn my curiosity. I look forward to when we meet next, Danny boy.”
Daniel was already facing the edge of the Station, not looking back at me as he spoke again. “I have no doubt I will see you again, Silas. I do hope you do something for Luna, despite the fact you say otherwise. But then, I hope for many things. Like I hope to see you outside of dreams. Until then...farewell.” And then he jumped; well, not jump so much as stick out both his arms and fall forwards.
When he didn’t come back up in an attempt to “troll me”, I let loose an annoyed sigh and frowned. “Are you done hiding now? You’re not too good at concealing yourself, whoever you are.” Of course, my eyes were locked on the dark wall I had conjured the snake from.
A hollow laugh, deep and loud, rang out across my Station. “You actually detected me! It seems I have not erred in selecting a valuable and entertaining Piece for the Game after all! But you have much to learn, I’m afraid. Your knowledge of magic is infantile; especially when it comes to your power in being Silas Epista from Asla, Justin.”
My frown deepened at the familiar voice. It belonged to a plague upon the Multiverse in the Magic; The Gathering universe; to an elder dragon that became one of the most heinous beings in existence by obtaining the powers of a Planeswalker.
“Stop hiding, Bolas. Come out already,” I ordered, causing the dragon to laugh at me again. I gritted my teeth in annoyance as a response, my anger rising to dangerous levels as the laughter continued. “An elder dragon, biding his time in the shadows instead of showing his might to instill fear? What a cowardly wyrm you are indeed, Bolas.”
The laughter stopped, making me smirk.
“You will watch what you say, human. I was the one who placed you in that body, and it shall be me who removes you should this insolence drag on,” Bolas hissed, two sky-blue eyes of roaring flames breaking out from the darkness. “You are nothing; on the inside and the out. The only purpose you have in serving me is entertainment, boy; never forget that.”
“Words alone do not affect me, Bolas. You’re better off speaking to someone who actually acknowledges you as a threat,” I growled back, the Station rumbling from what I assumed to be Bolas’s rising anger. “Planeswalkers: gods, goddesses, immortals? What are these things to me? Titles, and nothing more. You’re all the same, nothing’s eternal.” I closed my claws into tight fists, glaring with all my might at the giant narrowed eyes some ways forward of my position.
“Do you expect me to bow; to prostrate myself for someone like you? HAH,” I laughed shortly, finding the notion of myself bowing to anyone hilarious. “Why don’t you blow all that shit from your nose from having it up your ass, buddy!? The multiverse doesn’t revolve around you, Bolas! Wake up and smell the fucking realism!” I stood up and pointed at him. “YOU are going to place me back into my body before I get sore!”
“Sit.”
My eyes widened as my ass planted itself back down on the fountain. There was no odd feeling of magic that came over me; I just... sat down! “What the!? How!? Is his magic this strong; to have me sit down on words alone!?”
“You’ve grown quite uppity with that mouth of yours, Mr. Richards. These titles symbolize your worth among others; you’re not worth anything without them. Remember that the next time you feel the need to open that hole festering with ignorance, fool.” His giant copper-green face broke through the wall of darkness, stopping when his two horns with a suspended ovoid gem in the middle came out. “You know nothing of real magic, boy. Be grateful I did not animate your skeleton while you still breathe.”
I smiled at him, even though my body decided joining him would be better. “Whatever you say, Bolas~! Do you feel good about yourself, by the way; bullying someone as insignificant as me? You really are a sad little dragon, aren’t you,” I asked playfully, earning myself a deafening roar to my ears as a response. This blaring warcry of tuba-playing garrisons continued on for around ten seconds, leaving an even bigger smile on my face than when Bolas began.
“Enough! You will answer for your insolence on a later date. Important matters are to be discussed right now! Important matters...” His angry frown transformed into a happy grin in a quicker time than I liked. “... Like your human body~!”
Let me state here that I don’t know how I did my next action; or if it was even possible in that regard. I definitely should not have been able to slap the dogshit out of his face, but the sound of my scales turning his fifty-foot tall head like a bobblehead was too rewarding not to mention. And his face after the deed was done?
“Fucking priceless!”
Bolas continued to look off in the direction of the right wall of darkness for some time; his face the very definition of concentration as he tried to compute what just happened to him. I, on the other claw, decided that hanging around an about-to-blow elder dragon demigod was not a good idea.
I got up and ran back to the other side of the fountain, drawing Zaelstrom from its sheath as quietly as possible. A deafening roar signaled that Bolas’s brain finally caught up , and from seemingly nowhere, I began to have chills go down my spine as it ended. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I swaggered out of my retreat place and pointed Zaelstrom at Bolas’s head.
“You will pay for that, Richards! I will end your life here and now, even if my power isn’t as great here!” Bolas’s growl caused my fountain to shatter and rumble off my Station, leaving me only with my mural and Bolas’s head reaching from the shadows.
“His weaker here; it’s an opportune chance to wound him! I’ve got take this and earn my freedom!” I kept my sword leveled at him, snarling my damn self. “Talk is cheap, Bolas. Back up your words with some action.”
He sucked in some air, and the sound of bubbling oil made me widen my eyes before running towards the back of my Station. I could feel the tension rising in my blood, urging me forward with a yell as I jumped off the edge and dug my sword into the side of my Station; right as the sound of hissing flames slammed into the darkness directly above my dangling body.
I was surprised the stained-glass didn’t melt off and drip onto the only claw holding me up by Zaelstrom’s handle. Snarling, I pulled up with all my might and surprised myself when it sent me flying up into the air above my Station with Zaelstrom in tow. My body was sent into a slow backflip as I landed onto the stained-glass, which had remained pleasantly cool.
I charged Bolas instantly, and he responded by shooting more sky-blue fireballs the size of fruit stands at me. I rolled to the left to avoid the first, and leapt over the next one. The roaring of another ball of molten death made me tuck into a ball and use the momentum from my landing to roll underneath it, since Bolas angled it up to hit me in the air.
Coming out of my roll, I used my feet to close the final amount of distance between Bolas and I with a spring forwards. Cocking my arm back, I then swung Zaelstrom across diagonally from bottom-left to top-right. This slash cut the entirety of Bolas’s left jaw-side off, splattering me with his lukewarm blood as he hollered his pain through a magically amplified burst of wind.
I was sent flying with an alarmed yell straight towards the darkness I had recently escaped from. “Shit, I’m gonna be lost forever! Gotta do something before it comes out!” Frantically, I snapped open my wings and caught myself, but since I didn’t know how to fly; well, the ground made sure to make that point abundantly clear as I fell towards it face first.
Grunting in exertion, I flipped myself forwards just in the nick of time as my feet found purchase on the stained-glass of my body. This put me at the left side of Bolas, who I then charged quickly.
“Get back,” He roared, shooting a small stream of flame at me. I bent backwards as far as I could and slid with my body parallel to the roaring flame; right underneath it actually. I had to suck in a large breath of air in order to flatten myself more, and the result was having the tip of my mouth burned by the outer rim of Bolas’s flames; but other than that, I was fine.
As his first stream ended, he sucked in another breath. I straightened myself out and made a dead run towards him, the plan for my inhaled breath unfurling before my very eyes. Bolas tried blowing forth another stream of fire.
“NOW!” I let loose the air in my glans, smacking Bolas’s fire back into his throat. This caused his eyes to expand as a large boom was heard from his direction, followed by a savage yell of agony as he splattered me with what must be his flame glans. It wasn’t enough to halt my charge though, and with three more steps, I angled to deliver the final blow as the last part to my plan unfolded.
Bolas lifted his head...
“You’re done,”I thought with severity as I drove Zaelstrom home, getting it in all the way down to the handle, before bringing my entire weight to the right and tearing it out in a wicked-looking jagged pattern. This rewarded me with a yell that turned into a gurgle as Bolas began to bleed out quickly.
His head slammed forwards onto my Station afterwards, his blood sliding right off the edge. It almost seemed as if the stained-glass was denying it purchase upon its surface. “Die, monster.” I jumped up and stabbed the katana through his skull, coming to rest right under the floating jewel on his head.
“Heh... not... over...” He breathed out before fading away, making me land on the ground. Taking in a deep breath, I swung Zaelstrom to clear it of blood and then sheathed it. I fell forwards shortly afterwards, my breaths like racehorses tearing up a track. My eyes closed tightly as I tried to regain my composure.
“Damn. I didn’t feel any of the fatigue during the fight, but now that it’s over; the weariness is finally catching up. I feel like I’m gonna throw-up.” As my breaths remained the only sound in my Station, I slowly opened my eyes and beheld something odd.
“Bolas’s Gem of Becoming? What the hell is it doing here? It should have vanished with his dumbass!” I reached out a claw and grabbed it around the side, feeling its smooth texture slide into my grasp. It felt like a large marble; a large, black, probably insidious marble filled to the brim with magics.
“Take it. The first Gift is yours. You have proven yourself worthy, Justin.”
My eyes widened from the voice of a woman. I was too weary to stand, however, so I promptly keeled over. Landing on top of the Gem of Becoming with my chest, I breathed somewhat hysterically until I found the breath to voice myself. “What do you want? What are these gifts? Why me?”
“Your will, Richards; that’s why. Most beings would have prostrated themselves before Nicol Bolas, which he had counted on you doing. We held him back for you; inside your Darkness until the fight was over. Take his Gem and use its power to keep yourself alive. Let it dive into your heart, and fill you with more power to use in furthering your chances of survival!”
This voice was male and high in pitch. “... I don’t understand,” I called out in sorrow, breaking down into a fit of tears. “I just want to go home; to see my loser friends and family again! Send me back, please; I’m begging you!”
“It’s too late for that. Bolas is dead. You killed your only way out. Now, you must face the challenges a new world shall give you. And remember, Justin Richards. The closer you get to the light, the stronger your shadow becomes.”
I no longer had the energy to do anything but pass out slowly.