//------------------------------// // The Dark Stone, The Bomber, and The Azure Ghost // Story: Legacy of Dragons and Knights // by DARKPHANTOM13 //------------------------------// Cid's P.O.V. The air was starting to cool as the sun begins to set. I had departed my truck and was currently giving my equipment a once over to make sure everything was in working order while ignoring the stares my friend and I are getting. This town is the perfect place to test out my gear and I want to do it while there is still daylight. Everything seems to be in order, now I just need Wild to look over his magical contribution to this project. If everything is good, then it will be time to see if all of our efforts will pay off. Speaking of which, I can hear him getting up now—even with all the groaning he's making and the sounds of bones snapping back into place. "Will you quit your groaning?" I ask my friend. "It's a little hard not to when YOU FUCKING RAN ME OVER LIKE FIVE TIMES!!!" Wild yells at me. I turn to face the guy while raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you say that your father once got run through the chest and head by multiple spears and took the full force of a flamethrower without even flinching?" "Yeah, but it took hundreds of years for him to get his pain threshold that high!" "Anyway, can you come over here and check the enchantments?" I ask, deciding that a change of topic is in order. "Fine," he says with a grunt. He makes his way over to my equipment to make sure his runes and enchantments are in working order. "By the way, I noticed something strange about these two guys we passed when you tried to run me over." "What about them?" "One of them was an Archangel." Wild answers all the while looking over my equipment. That comes as a big surprise as my eyebrows go up. "Are you sure?" "I'm sure. I can tell from his magic, and this eye hasn't been wrong yet." He says while pointing towards his magic right eye. "That's odd," I say to myself. What would one of the princesses be doing all the way out here? Wait a minute... "You said the Archangel was a guy?" "Yup." "I thought all the known Archangels were women." "This one isn't known. This guy's magic is completely different compared to the others so he can't be related to one of them or something." "How is it different?" "This guy's magic is a lot darker. It was even darker than Nightmare Moon's when she first got free." An Archangel with a magic aura darker than Nightmare Moon? That can't be good. "Shouldn't we do something? You're being pretty calm about this." "We don't have too. His aura might be as cold and dark as a grave, but I didn't sense any evil from him like Nightmare Moon." "Well that is good. Do you think he's with the others?" "If he was with Celestia we would have heard about it by now and he would probably be in Equestria." He says the Archangel of the Sun's name as if it was a curse. I can understand why with what happened between her, Wild's father, and their race. But he really needs to let it go. It happened hundreds of years ago, and besides, he doesn't even want revenge against her. As far as I know, anyway. "Wait...you mentioned two guys. What was so special about the other one?" "The other guy, a Valkyrie with two guitars, was giving off chaos magic." "What?! I thought only that Discord guy had chaos magic. Are you sure it wasn't him in disguise?" "The magic this guy was giving off was different compared to Discord's." "How so?" "It's kind of hard to put it into words. Discord's magic is always in flux, always changing in different wavelengths with no real pattern. It's as if you can sense that anything that can happen will happen when that kind of magic is involved—as if the rules of reality don't apply to it. But the Valkyrie’s magic is different. His wavelengths aren't nearly as random as Discord's. Plus, that rule breaking feeling isn't nearly as strong. This guy's magic is more focused on pure power. To put it simply, Discord's magic is geared towards creating and changing things while the Valkyrie’s magic is mostly about destroying things with pure strength." "And let me guess, this guy doesn't give off any bad vibes and you haven't heard about him," I stated. "Pretty much, though there is something weird about them." He looks over his shoulder and sees the deadpan look I'm giving him. "I mean besides the other stuff. It's the fact that most of the power I senses is sleeping or something, like just beneath the surface. Maybe they haven't unlocked it or something." "And you saw all that with just a glance? Man that eye of yours is something else." "I know. My old man might be good with his magic eye, but he never really bothered to see just what his eye could really do. Though it does get to be a pain when people stare at me because of it," Wild says as he steps away from my gear. "By the way, the enchantments and stuff is in working order." I nod my head and make my way to my equipment. "Oh yeah, the fact that you're always barefooted and have chains on your arms doesn't draw any attention to you," I say sarcasticlly. I look over my gear one last time before I start to put it on. "If you don't like the weird looks, then why not cover up your eye?" "I tried that by wearing an eyepatch, but I couldn't get use to it. I kept on tripping and bumping into things." "Why didn't you wear sunglasses or something?" "...What?" "If you wear sunglasses nobody would see your eye unless they look at you at the right angle and you could still see just fine." The guy just stares at me for a minute or two before he starts to repeatedly slam his head against the hood of my truck yelling, "GOD DAMNNIT, I'M SUCH AN IDIOT! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T THINK OF THAT!" "Hey quit doing that, your thick skull is going to dent my ride!" I yell at him. 'I still don't get how he can be so smart when it comes to magic and combat but a scatterbrain with everything else.' "Fine," he says as if he wasn't just slamming his head against my truck like a lunatic. "So why didn't you put the gear engines in your gauntlets?" "Those things aren't easy to make. It was a pain in the ass just to make two new ones from scratch for the Air Gear Mark II. Besides, gas pressure works just fine for the grapples on the 3-D Maneuver Gear Marks I and II." "But why would you need to make a Mark II for that anyway. Didn't the old version work just fine?" "Yeah, but I can't really use them in a fight. The only way for me to fight while using them is to attach blades to the controls and you know how much I suck when it comes to using swords." I answer as I finish putting my equipment on. "True, you can't use a sword to save your life. The last time you tried you almost cut off your own head. I'm not even sure how that is even possible." Wild comments with a chuckle, much to my annoyance. "Though you do realize that the only reason that your arms won't rip themselves off by using those things is because of my runes taking most of the stress away, right?" "And that is one of the reasons why I put up with you." I jokingly say with a smirk on my face. "The fact that you make things interesting is the reason why I put up with you." Wild replies with a smirk of his own. "Anyways, your engines should last around an hour or so since you'll be putting them through their paces and the runes I've placed will not only allow you to glide on any solid surface but will also stick to walls, though doing such uses up some of it's power as well." "I know, I'll be careful. Besides, you'll be following me just in case something goes wrong and you have to save my butt." I finish putting on my gear. I get into a stance, my shoes roaring to as energy slowly lifts me half an inch of the ground. "Now then...Let's do this!" (I don't own the music or the video) I blast forward, skating off the ground as if it was a giant air hockey table. People and scenery zoom past as adrenaline surges through me once again. I keep speeding down the street for about two blocks before I decide to take things up a notch. With a blast of white energy I hop off the street onto a wall of a nearby building. I continue moving forward without losing an once of momentum. When I reach near the end of the wall I blast myself into the air. I flip through the air and land on another wall across the street, catching a brief look of Wild in his other form following me stealthly across the rooftops. I hop from one wall to another before going up one and make my way to the rooftops. I pull off a massive jump into the air and sent out a grapple wire from the right gauntlet into a nearby chimney. With a twitch of my finger I'm find myself reeling towards it. Using my shoes and momentum, I swing myself around it and onto another building, all the while un-hooking my wire from the chimney and reeling it back into my gauntlet. As I skate, hop, and swing from building to building, I embrace the wind in my hair, the speed, the adrenailne rush, and the feeling as if I was flying. Unlike the rest of my race, I've always been more at home in the air or in high places than on the ground. I know it's silly, but I was never one to give up on something that I wanted. If nature or fate won't get me into the air, then my guts and brains will. While my current inventions can't make me fly like a bird, this is definitely a step in the right direction. At least until I can either get myself a plane or airship, or make one of my own. People on the ground below look up and gasp as I pass by. Even a group of children tries to keep pace with me only to soon lose sight of me. I soon notice that the sun is close to completely setting. I look around and notice a clocktower, the tallest building in town. With an idea for my last stunt of the day, I use my left gauntlet to swing myself towards the building and onto the street floor. I zip around and over people, merchant stands, and animals. Oddly enough, I pass two people in hooded cloaks. As soon as I was at the foot of the building, I jump onto the wall and skate straight up the tower. As soon as I make my way across the face of the clock, I suddenly slow down and stop all together. When I start to fall, I realize what is going on. My shoes just ran of power. Thankfully, my gauntlets are still good to go. I shoot a wire at the top of the clock tower to stop my fall. I slowly propel myself down as if I was rock climbing. Once I'm on the ground, I let out a sigh of relief. (Music Stops) I hear clapping to my left. I turn to see the larger, hairier version of my friend concealed in the shadows of the building. "Nice save there dude," he says in a deeper, more feral voice. He begins to grow smaller, with purple smoke coming from his body, as he makes his way towards me. Once he steps out of the shadows, Wild is back to his usual size. "I thought you said I would have an hour of power. That was barely over thirty minutes!" I yell at him. The guy just scratches the back of his head and says, "I might have over shot it a bit. I am only human; I got to have pride in my work." It takes all of my willpower not to face palm myself; it would be really painful since my gauntlets have claws on them. "Come on, let's get back to the truck." "So, besides the power giving out too quickly everything else was a success, right?" He asks as we walk side by side. "Pretty much. Plus the engine gear is still a prototype anyway. I'll probably have to use the Mark I Air Gear for that tournament." "Good thinking. Though if I win any prize money, I could be persuaded to make a donation," Wild says with a smirk on his face. I sigh to myself and ask, "What do you want Wild?" "I want a girlfriend." "Dude, I'm an inventor, not a miracle worker." "Oh come on, you always seem to have way better luck with the ladies than I do. Besides I have a legacy to keep going." "Why doesn't your father do it then?" "Because he's still married to my mom and she doesn't want any more kids. At least not right now. Besides my father is a one woman man and won't even think about taking another even after she passes away." -------------------------------------------- 3rd-Person P.O.V. Abandoned Mansion in Dragontail Woods A tall Earthbound walks out of the old mansion carrying a couple of old weapons in his arms. He's a slightly tall, skinny man with black hair and eyes behind rectangular glasses. His clothes consist of a pair of jeans, a collar shirt, a tie, and a white lab coat. "These artifacts are quite impressive," the glasses wearing man says. "Too bad that the rest of the tomb was sealed off. Don't you agree Alma?" he asks the person behind him. A young man, appearing to be around sixteen years old, sets out of the building with a dead, withered body wrapped in aged leather over his shoulder. He has wild greyish hair and blue eyes. He's tall for his age, easily around six feet tall. While being on the skinny side, he's stronger than he looks since he can lift the ancient body just fine. With a short sleeved black and yellow jacket, cargo shorts, and red sneakers he stands out when compare to the older man. "If you say so," Alma says with a shrug. His small frown a contrast against the scientist's happy smile. The two make their way over to a nearby van and truck. The truck driver is sleeping in his seat. “Though it might be for the better since from the look of it, this place was filled with Draugr. You, Alucard, and I could easily take them on, but we probably bring the entire place down on our heads." "I don't know about me, but you two would probably destroy the place," the man says with a laugh, causing the teen's frown to grow. The two carefully place the items in a specialized carrying unit in the back of the truck. "Hey guys!" somebody yells, walking up to the two. "Well speak of the vampire," The archaeologist comments as he sees his other assistant coming towards them. The person turns out to be another boy that looks to be around fourteen years old. He appears to be a Dark Glider due to his bat like wings growing out of his back, along with his vampire-like fangs that are being shown off in his massive grin, pointed ears, and snake-like eyes. Though for some reason his teeth are longer than the average Dark Glider and his red eyes have a slight unnatural glow to them. Another unusual thing about him is his black hair that goes down to his chin with silver highlight. Not mention his skin was a weird combination of tan and pale. His red trench coat stops just below his knees.With his black shirt, gray pants, and red and black shoes fits his look perfectly. Though what stand out from his outfit are the two large, grey bookbags, the straps crossing each other to form an X on his chest. "Hey guys, how's the tomb raiding going?" Alucard asks with his usual happy grin. "Pretty good considering that over half the tomb is caved in," The lab coat wearing man says. "Any luck getting any more information in town." "Yeah, I found some more bandits sneaking around town. I took care of them." "And?" Alma presses, hoping for some more information. Alucard's smile is soon gone with an angry frown in its place. "It's offical, those guys and those ones who attacked us earlier are working for some of Sombra's old henchmen." Silence rings out between the three as looks of anger appears on all of their faces. Alma's anger is the most visiable, his eyes flashing in a neon red. Though it doesn't last long as Alucard's happy smile comes back. "Though I did find out something interesting about the guys who took out both the bandits and maybe one of Sombra's Shadows." "Really, so who were they?" The glasses wearing man asks. "Well Seta, apperantly this woman was saved from these guys thanks to a black Earthbound, a blue haired Changeling, and a Dragonborn. And get this, from the Dragonborn's description it might be Spike." "Spike? You mean the Crystal Savior?" Seta asks. "That's the one," The red eye teen replies. "But what is he doing out here and without the Elements of Harmony with him?" Alma asks. "Maybe he is trying to discover his roots," Alucard suggests with a shrug. "Anyway it looks like two of those bastards are at some ruins past Ashen Twine." "Right then, let's make sure we find as many artifacts as we can so we can send them to the Crystal Empire and Equestria for examination," Seta says, trying to lift the mood. "Once we do, we're going to those ruins and destroy those bastards," Alma says with an angry growl. "They are long overdue in joining their master in his fate." "You got that right," Alucard's smile gets bigger and a crazy and evil look appears on his face. "I can't wait see the looks on their faces when I drink them dry and blow up their corpses." "Now, now, Alucard," Seta tries to calm the Dark Glider down. "You can't go overboard with your hobby. I still want to examine the ruins there. Now then, let's finish up here, and then we can go." "Fine." Both Alma and Alucard say as they went back to work. ------------------------------------------------------ Spike's P.O.V. The same nightmare. The same damn dream. This nightmare use to fill me with sadness, regret, betrayal, and anger. Now it's just anger with a lot of annoyance. At this point I'm not even scared anymore; it's the fact that this nightmare keeps waking me up without any energy that annoys me. After tonight, I'm sleeping to my music from now on. It might give me weird dreams but anything is better than this constant repeat. I've been falling in this void for a while now, a lot longer than my other nightmares. Suddenly, feel like I've stop falling and I'm standing on something even though there is nothing there. OK, maybe it's not a complete repeat. "Finally something different," I say into the void with a bored tone. "Well, what are you waiting for? Show me what you got!" I get my wish as a bonfire of blue flames appears in front of me. I cover my eyes to protect them from the bright light. The flames feel hot even to me, a Dragonborn who could bathe in lava as if it were warm water. "Please," a voice out of nowhere says. The flames soon die down and in their place is something I didn't expect. It looks like a floating, gothic coffin with two horn-like things coming out from the bottom and spikes sticking out of the top. "Please, descendant of Amidamaru of the Phantom Fire Clan, hear my plea." The voice rings out again, apparently coming from the coffin. I look closer at it and notice that there is a window near the top and somebody is inside with their head down. I take a step closer to it and the figure suddenly lifts its face to look at me. The figure looks to be a young boy, possibly around my age. His skin is really pale with some kind of red arrow tattoos on his cheeks. I couldn't see his mouth due to some kind of high collar. He's wearing some kind of red hat that covers his ears with electric blue, spikey hair sticking out of it. His eyes are like that of a zombie, glowing neon green as they stare into my soul. (Basically this except change the eye color) "PLEASE, FREE ME FROM MY IMPRISONMENT!!!" ------------------------------------------- I wake up with a start in the motel room. I see my friends sleeping in different places and positions in the room. I take a moment to calm down and think about my dream. 'Please, help me.' I hear the guy's voice once again, whispering in my head as I feel myself being pulled towards somewhere. I couldn't help but ask, "What was that about, and who was he?"