//------------------------------// // forging the first sword // Story: The Dark Chaos War // by Kamen rider yokai //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Creating the First Sword. The next few weeks passed and after Soul had some tea to relieve the headache he got from the day's events he pulled out the spirit sapphire, and some ore that he found that would work for the body of his first sword. The ore that he had found was a very rare metal, one that was almost impossible to find in Nexus. It was a type of metal that had formed before even his father had existed. The ore was simply known as Nexium. The metallic rock was like the last name of Soul’s father. It was like a void that absorbed any form of light, except, interestingly enough, moon light. It seemed to glow in the silver beams of light that the moon gave off at night. Soul had found it by a stroke of both good and bad luck. The ore had actually been stuck under his apartment. The recruits to the guardian rank get an apartment once they are accepted into the training program. He had been trying to repair the place, which was in dire need of some, when his weight had caused the floor to collapse underneath him. He found himself in a cave full of the ore. After using the most basic ability known to shade kind, the ability to travel through any shadow, to get back up, Soul decided that it would be in his best interest to study the metal. So far it seemed the spirit sapphire reacted positively to the metal. That meant that the metal would be a good material to use for his sword and shield. The metal acted like the substance shades were made of, so the material was very rarely used to forge the weapons that shades used. According to his father the ore was what he used to create the original shades before he used magic to turn them into the homunculus like beings that they were now. The shade prince stood from the desk in his room and grabbed both his tools and materials. With just a thought he sunk into his own shadow, and rose from his captain’s shadow. He nodded to the captain and walked over to the other recruits. He felt a slight shift as he passed a certain trio. He looked at them suspiciously while he stood at his workspace. "Okay recruits today is the day that you will forge your first weapons. You have spent a lot of time in the forge and learned how to smith. I have to say that for this part, I was glad to teach some of you more than others, but I will admit that you all have potential. Now get ready to create your weapons." Said Brave Shadow. Shadow scoffed and glared at the shade prince. Soul felt something was off here. The other recruits seemed unusually focused. And something in their eyes was a bit off, as if something was about to happen that would change how the day was going to be for the whole kingdom. And for some reason Soul and the two shades that he had befriended after the heart song, were sure that this change was not for the better. Soul watched as Aero made a drill lance, it was a knight's lance that could spin like a drill, and something about that just seemed to make Soul uneasy. One of the materials that Aero was using was very evil, and dangerous, by nature, solidified black magic. That was usually reserved for necromancy spells used in the Dark Chaos War. The others weapons were just as odd, as they all used some black magic component as a material. Soul sighed and decided to bring it up to his friends when they got out. After about two hours of waiting it was finally Soul's turn to make his weapons. He checked his tools and materials, and let out a silent gasp. Someone had slipped a basilisk fang into his materials. Quickly placing it in his hammer space, Soul took out the Nexium and spirit sapphire, as well as his tools. Closely examining the tools Soul frowned. These were not his tools, they looked like cheap knock off versions. Soul just stood there for a moment before he went wide eyed with realization. Shadow and his gang were trying to sabotage him. Whispering a spell he switched the fragile tools with his spare set, without anyone noticing. One thing that Fang taught him was to how spot and reverse an attempt at sabotage. The shade prince took a deep breath and concentrated on the ore. It started to ripple and Soul took his tools and started to shape it. He soon started to form a hilt, pulling the out sapphire with his levitation he set it into the hilt while he still working with his magic and tools. The sapphire suddenly glowed, erecting a barrier which blocked Shadow's weapons, a pair of daggers forged with a fire dragon’s claw. Unknowing of this Soul continued to work, focusing only on his creation. Soon the sapphire pulsed inside of the basic sword. Soul watched as the pulse altered the blade, giving it a slight draconic look, and to his shock the blade retracted into the hilt, revealing the blade was lined with hinges and the hilt opened to store the folded blade. The handle pushed itself in, leaving the hilt looking like a dragon headed ornament with folded wings at the side. Placing it in his jacket pocket, Soul sunk into his shadow, and lucky for him the barrier had hidden his completed work and himself until he had vanished completely. He had an urgent matter to bring up with his friends. He found them at their usual spot, a field near the capital where a lone tree stood with blooming Midnight Lotus on the branches. With Fang were the witch and wing blade that Soul had met after the heart-song. Along with his friends were his godparents, Starswirl and Spell Weaver. "Oi! Fang something odd is going on!" Said the shade prince. This was the first time Fang had seen Soul since he entered the guardian academy. He had met the witch and wing blade when Starswirl brought them to meet Spell Weaver, so she could help teach them and help them become Soul's friends. The witch was named Muse, while the wing blade was named Edge. Muses ornate robes were a dark purple in color with rings of black on her hat and sleeves. The wing blade was a bit odd among the others of his kind. His wings were different shape than the rest of his kind. They were shaped like swords instead of imitating his wyvern like base. And like him they had different eye colors than the rest of the shades. They were red originally but after hanging out with Soul their eyes had changed color. Muse's eyes were now a light purple, while Edge’s own eyes were a sharp indigo. Together with Soul they formed a trio that the other shades started to call the Prince’s Guard. The reason behind this name was that Muse's robes looked a bit like armor, as if she was a mage that wanted to be a knight. The trio and Fang were surprised that all four of the friends were hanging out at the same time. "What seems to be the trouble Prince Soul?" Asked Starswirl. "Well for one the other recruits used components for black magic as weapon material, and I was nearly sabotaged in creating my own weapon. The material they used were items from during the Dark Chaos War. Not to mention that Shadow Fang and his goons slipped a Basilisk fang into my materials, and switched my tools with fragile cheaper versions. Thanks to my magic I was able to get my spare set. Good thing I hid the magic from the rest of the recruits... But that's not what is bugging me. What is bugging me is that the more carefree recruits was unusually focused on something. Has anything like that happened to the rest of the shades?" Asked Soul. "Hmm now that you mention it, my brother Oracle has been acting more aggressive as of late. It was like he and the other castors were given a huge dose of arrogance." Said Muse. "Same here, only the rest of my kind is acting more like their dragon counterparts. Greedy, full of rage, and unusually high pride. Now that you mention it I thought it seemed odd. I thought they were just trying to connect with the dragons a bit more though." Said edge in a deep baritone voice as he thought aloud. "I didn't know this. I’ve been with my husband in his library all of this time. We came to escort Fang here to see how you were doing Soul." Said Spell Weaver in a shocked tone. Soul frowned. "I better see what my dad has to say about this… I don't think that this is normal." Said the shade prince. "My mother should be there as well, let's go and see if she can help look for the source of these changes…" Said Fang now feeling that something was wrong in this situation. The six teleported to the castle throne room, a gothic place that resembled the throne room of the future castle of two sisters where the three royals sat talking. "Huh? What is wrong my son? Is something going on?" Asked the shades father. "Something is off with the other shades." Said Soul as he then explained what he and his friends noticed. "Well that explains the odd feel in the air. It was like the calm before the storm." Said Queen Scarlet. Oh right, Soul hadn't had time to see what she had looked like in the time he known her. She was a crimson vampony with a black mane that had white highlights. Her cutie mark was a black bat silhouetted against a white moon that had a red tint to it, just a little lighter shade than her fur. It was obvious Fang got his looks from his farther. Oddly enough Soul can see the said male figure right next to her, even if it was very blurred. He still had yet to tell Fang of his new ability to see spirits. Fang was still focusing on trying to figure out how Soul gotten hair. The group was sure that whatever happened it was not going to be good. "The group agreed to prepare just in case. "Son you’re creating your armor in a month, so make sure to make it fit your personality. Well we saw and know what it looks like thanks to your Kage no Henge Tamashii spell and have drawn it for you since you haven't seen the details. I just felt the armor was when you made the spell." Said Queen Crescent handing her son a scroll. "Right good thing I found a Nexium ore deposit under my dorm, but only enough to fit me with what I need." Said Soul. The group then dispersed. And oddly Soul looked at his parents with worry. Whatever was going on, he was sure it would create a rift between them for good. He left and went back to his dorm and the rest left for home as well. "Oi Soul! Remember your birthday is next week!" Said Fang before Soul shadow traveled. "Thanks for the reminder!" Said Soul as he waved goodbye to his friend. 'Wow. I’m going to be fourteen soon huh? my training is going to be harder than ever.' Soul thought to himself as he laid on his bed. Unbeknownst to him, Muse was thinking on her adoptive cousin, Soul. She saw him as a cousin as she knew he didn't think of her in a romantic light, but as if she was someone he could call family Edge was acting like the sibling both like to hang around, as Oracle was starting to make Muse doubt herself. Edge himself was looking at the book of prophecy and found an interesting passage about future family members of the group. He saw that a pegasus by the name of Firefly would have descendants known as Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, along with a Rapid Fire. What really stood out to him however was the name Trixie Lulamoon. She was going to be descended from Starswirl, well actually Starswirl's cousin, so it was not a direct relation. The wing blade took note that there was a Twilight Sparkle twice in one line. Making Edge think that there was going to be a mare, that was named going to be named after the original. He decided to take up genealogy as a hobby to investigate these names that were appearing in this book, knowing that these ponies might have a connection to his friends in the far future. Unbeknownst to the group, was that in three months, a certain spirit would make his return, along with some new allies, and mark the return of the war.