//------------------------------//
// Crossover: Guidance-- Conflict and Resolve 
// Story: Calming Sigh-- with a Breath of Fire 
// by Laze Around 
//------------------------------//

Dirt and grass flew into the air as both Anson and Ryu kicked off the ground, meeting halfway through their charge. The Infinity Sword wound an arm back, and swung an overhead slash. Ryu opened his [Mind’s Eye] and watched in perfect clarity as how Anson’s blade descended.
 
The former dragon spun, letting his opponent’s blade pass his left side before driving an elbow into Anson’s torso.
 
The Infinity Sword stumbled back, almost missing how Ryu’s sword came up, heading straight for his eyes.
 
“No you don’t!”
 
Nicko jumped over his brother, intercepting the blade it took his brother’s vision. Ryu’s eyes went wide when his sword shattered almost upon contact against Nicko’s own. The Rune Slayer himself was also surprised at how much it felt like shattering glass, but with the opportunity laying before him, he did not hesitate to capitalize on Ryu’s own shock.
 
Nicko swung his sword and a gash travelled from Ryu’s lower right side and ended at his left shoulder. Had Nicko been closer, or if he had been intending to kill the former drake, he would have taken Ryu’s heart in his attack given how lightly the man’s chest plate protected him.
 
Ryu jumped back to gain some distance between them, holding his open wound in pain. He made a grunt of discomfort as he looked at his bloodied hand. He scowled at it before pulling some of his magic to heal the gash, making sure to keep a wary eye on his student. Nicko looked determined, but Ryu saw his hesitation when fresh blood dripped onto the green grass.
 
“Is this how a disabled man fights, Ryu?” Nicko called out, raising his blade at his teacher. “‘Cause I don’t see the problem.”
 
Ryu was silent, but Nicko saw how the man’s scowl deepened in response. The former drake created another of his sword constructs, glancing at the blade with a frown. It was a lot more transparent than the ones he had two months back, and he could tell just how fragile it was based from appearance alone. It looks like his magic in general really has lost its potency. That meant that some of his more favored spells would be unavailable, most prominent being [Shadowwalk]
 
“Sword Blasting!”
 
Ryu didn’t need to see that hail of blades to know that they were coming at him. He trusted his instincts to jump back multiple times, dodging every magically constructed swords Anson sent him. The feraly styled Displaced was rather irked that he received the first blow, but was happy that brother managed to gain first blood.

They didn’t need to win the fight. They just had to convince Ryu to go after his Dragon Genes since it was his responsibility, it would probably return him back to his old self as well. 
 
Ryu grunted from his place on one knee, forcing his almost numb limbs to stand. Pain shot through his body as it once again forced him to recall the agony he endured during the Hearth’s Warming Eve. 

He was startled out of his daze when a loud boom erupted from Nicko’s position. The Rune Slayer was running towards him, using the very skill that he taught the redheaded Displaced in their first meeting.
 
Dirt and Grass were torn from the ground as Nicko created runes under his feet after each step, detonating them for every forward push, adding more distance in his steps.
 
He swerved to the left and Ryu followed his path with his sight, then he kicked off to the right, with his mentor following him again with just his eyes. Nicko continued his serpentine run until he sent a spray of dirt and pebbles towards the former drake using the explosion under his foot.
 
Had Ryu not used [Mind’s Eye] from the beginning of the fight, the tactic might have worked, but, as it was, the skill’s effect in enhancing his perception made it easy for him to follow Nicko’s movements, as well as the spray.
 
However, his body was still in the middle of its recovery, his movements were sluggish and his reaction time was slowed immensely. HIs legs threatened to buckle beneath him as yet another lance of pain went through. He tried to jump away to the side, but found his body unwilling to follow his command. It took a considerable amount of effort to push himself to move. 
 
He was caught off guard when a rune appeared in the place where he landed, with Nicko already there and expecting him. His student seemed to have grown more perceptive the last time he saw him.
 
“HAH!”
 
The Rune Slayer swung the flat side of his blade at the rune in front of the frozen Displaced, causing a reaction once his sword made contact. The rune detonated, rebounding the force that went to the sword and doubling the power of the blast towards Ryu. The explosion sent the man rolling backwards, and straight for the waiting Anson.
 
In a moment of panic, Ryu brought his legs under him, dragging his boots on the ground to halt his momentum. Anson’s only reaction to it was to smirk, and the former drake could only watch as the Infinity Sword swung his sword technique.
 
“Crescent Cut!”
 
Three consecutive sword arcs grinded against Ryu’s back. The man gritted his teeth as what little armor he had did nothing to soften the blows. Nicko was already making his next charge when his teacher was thrown forward by the attack.
 
“No!” Ryu cried out.
 
He forcefully stopped his tumble by planting one of his feet to the ground. He turned his body to the side and aimed both hands at Nicko and Anson.
 
[Cyclone!]
 
Blades of wind erupted from his hands and hissed their way towards the siblings. Nicko and Anson’s eyes went wide at seeing the distortion in the air. Both of them jumped to dodge, evading the blades by a large margin. They converged into a the same  direction, and watched as how the man once known as the Emperor Dragon panted breathlessly on one knee, sweating from exhaustion and littered with wounds.
 
They noted with slight curiosity as Ryu’s labored breaths seem to calm the more time went by. His inhales and exhales were also different, as if following a rhythm that they couldn’t grasp.

Ryu stayed on one knee, looking at both Nicko and Anson warily, waiting to see if they would press on the attack even before he caught his breath. Thankfully they didn’t, which in turn allowed him to use the breathing exercise he learned back when he was still training with the Minotaurs. It was at that time when he found out that it was just another skill that he could learn from his [Diary], but didn’t know how to.
 
[Rest]
 
It puts him in a near zen-like state, increasing the recovery of his stamina and mana reserves. He had forgotten that he had it since the use of the spell was rare for him. It was thanks to the blood loss and exhaustion that he remembered this skill out of desperation.
 
“You can still fight, Ryu.” Anson called out. “We can all see it. Why the hell are you still refusing to get those genes?!”
 
“Yes, I can fight.” Ryu acknowledged with gritted his teeth. “But it’s you who just don’t get it; you have no idea how I feel.”

 In his hand, another sword manifested. Using the mana he recovered, he healed all of his wounds with a quick [Restore].
 
“Those genes are your responsibility,” Anson called out. “And it’s up to you to do something about it!”
 
“Maybe so…” Standing up, Ryu spun the sword in his fingers, testing if they were still agile enough for what he had planned. He grabbed the handle after a final spin and held the blade in reverse. “But until they do something, isn’t it alright if I wait? What if they don’t cause trouble?”
 
“How sure are you that they won’t?” The Infinity Swordsman challenged.
 
“…” Ryu’s answer was only to scowl.
 
“You have the power to find them.” Nicko said, walking up beside his brother and looking at his teacher. “If you could easily find me in Griffonia, then it should be a piece of cake for you to find them.”
 
“Most likely.” Ryu gripped his blade tighter, openly acknowledging the idea. Still, he wouldn’t be swayed.
 
“Then why haven’t you?” Nicko asked. “Are you waiting for something?”
 
The former drake hesitated to answer, his expression turning into one of unease. “Because…” He clicked his tongue in irritation when he couldn’t think of anything to say. Instead he told them the first thing that popped in his mind. “…they haven’t done anything yet. For the past two months I haven’t heard anything concerning them.”
 
“THAT’S your reason?!” Anson glared at him in annoyance.
 
“Yes.” Ryu said with a glare. “And I’m sticking with that reason.”
 
For a moment, Anson wanted to drop his swords and start pulling at his hair. He resisted the urge and instead mirrored the glare on the other Displaced’s face. “That’s both irresponsible and CHILDISH!”
 
“And I’m as giddy as a colt who just got his Cutie Mark.” The former dragon snarked, without a trace of humor.
 
“What about your family?!” Nicko shouted. “What about the Apples all across Equestria!? Are you just going to leave them with these genes on the loose?!”
 
The moment Ryu’s expression darkened, Nicko knew his answer. But he was surprised with what came out of his teacher’s mouth.
 
“…I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”
 
Anson’s teeth clicked together in anger and his face warped into fury. “That’s not the Ryu that I heard from Applejack!!”
 
Kicking off the ground, the Infinity Swordsman swung his right blade. Magic erupted from his body and turned into multiple swords above his head.
 
“Sword Blasting!”
 
He sent the constructs towards Ryu, unsurprised when the man dodged them nimbly, but he could see the strain taking its toll on the other Displaced’s body with every erratic movement. It wouldn’t be long until his body collapses under him.
 
“Are you happy with yourself?!” Anson roared. “Is this what you want to be?! You’re so different from the man that I heard; the cold bastard with the hardass personality. Applejack doesn’t even recognize her own uncle anymore!”
 
“That’s because I am different!” Ryu tossed his sword at Anson, increasing its speed using his telekinesis. He pushed the blade forward, but gritted his teeth in anger when Anson merely batted it with one of his swords, shattering the construct easily. “I’m a different Ryu. I’m not like how I was before!”
 
Pushing off the ground, Ryu rushed at Anson. Nicko came in between the pair to intercept him, but Ryu’s [Mind’s Eye] read the Rune Slayer’s movement, finding his student’s  blind spot after he swung his sword. Ryu easily slipped past Nicko by driving an elbow to his side, where he then continued towards the Infinity Sword.
 
“My heart feels lighter now, and I’m free!” Ryu roared.
 
He stopped running just in time to dodge Anson’s incoming swing and breathed out a cold [Chill] towards the Infinity Sword’s legs. The joints locked and Anson stumbled forward from surprise. In that moment, Ryu shoved his palm over the man’s face and detonated a [Simoon] at point blank, blasting the other Displaced backwards.
 
“Anson!”

Ryu turned his head slightly, a single eye firmly locked on Nicko’s form as the still-active [Mind’s Eye] predicted the other man’s movements. The former dragon ducked low under his student’s swing and slipped inside Nicko’s guard. Shoving his hand into Nicko’s face, Ryu detonated another [Simoon] that blew the redhead back.

Ryu watched as his opponents recovered, with on hand on their heads and slightly concussed. “I don’t need to fear myself, or fear for the others around me.” Ryu’s breathing evened once again as he started using [Rest] during the reprieve. “I can smile without faltering; I can laugh without hesitating; for once in my life, in over a thousand years, I can be happy with myself!”
 
“You’re not the only Displaced who struggled!” Anson shouted, his mind going back to the time he met Jack Frost. 

Ryu made a dismissive scoff, ignoring the Infinity Sword’s statement and raised a hand above his head. With his palm facing the sky. multiple balls of [Sirocco] flew up into the air and started raining down on the garden. Nicko and Anson frantically dodged the hail of bombs, with the explosions creating potholes on the ground that threatened to make them stumble.
 
“I may not be the only one who struggled,” Ryu admitted. “but that doesn’t mean that my suffering was worthless!” 

Ryu appeared right in front of Anson, using the blasts of the bombs to hide his approach. The Infinity Sword recoiled in surprise before using both of his weapons to block the incoming fist.

[Frost Strike!]

Anson snarled in surprise when both his swords were frozen together, with Ryu still holding on to the ice, keeping him in place.

Ryu pushed his hand downwards, forcing Anson to bend down on one knee to prevent himself from being disarmed. Turning his face up, redheaded Displaced saw the other man looking into his eyes with a glare.
 
“How many Displaced do you think despaired when they lost their identity? What do you think they feel whenever they see a face not their own in a mirror.” Ryu slipped a foot over his hand,  kicking the Infinity Swordsman in the face and making the man tumble backwards. The ice on the blades shattered with Anson never once allowing his grip to loosen. “How many of them do you think wanted to go back home? How many of them do you think wanted to see their friends and family again; to go back to their old lives?!”

Ryu bent his legs as low as he could, ducking under Nicko’s surprise assault. Because the area was littered with potholes, it was almost impossible to sneak up on anyone without disturbing the soft soil and alerting the target.

The former dragon spun to face Nicko and straightened his legs. Using that as a leverage, he shoved his arm upwards and struck the redhead’s chin with an open palm.

Nicko stumbled back, his head rattled by the blow. He was unable to see Ryu spinning in the opposite direction of his first rotation and only regained his focus when he felt Ryu’s shoulder and elbow being driven into his torso with the force of a sledgehammer.

[Spirit Blast!]

With the power behind the Minotaurus Martial Art, as well as the effect of the skill, Nicko collapsed down to his knees and began coughing uncontrollably, spitting out blood every few times. The skill forced the impact to slip past the skin and muscles, going straight through the organs and out his back.
 
“I was one of those people who wanted to go home.” Ryu whispered in genuine sadness, looking down at Nicko “I wept in longing for my mother’s love; I cried out in sorrow for my father’s embrace; I huddled alone in a corner, craving for the company of the friends that I will never see again.”
 
Nicko lifted his head up to his teacher and saw the melancholy in his eyes. His mouth opened to say something to the man, but Ryu spun once again before he gave Nicko a devastating kick to the head. The blow sent the Rune Slayer tumbling straight into one of the garden’s statues.
 
“I’m trapped in a world that isn’t mine;” Ryu muttered. “trapped in a body that doesn’t belong to me; given a power that I didn’t want, a responsibility that I damned well didn’t need.”

A roar of rage alerted Ryu of Anson’s return. The Infinity Swordsman swung his weapons in reckless abandon, seeing what Ryu had had done to his brother.

Ryu weaved through the onslaught of sword swings, exploiting the effects of [Mind’s Eye] to read Anson’s movements and predict his next moves.

Left, right, back, spin; Anson was getting sick and tired of all his attacks missing. In his next swipe, he flipped his sword, Conwell, in reverse.

The Infinity Swordsman stabbed his sword down into the ground. where, ina split second later, numerous copies of the sword erupted from the soil. Ryu could only watch in shock and fear as most of them rose under his feet.
 
“RAGE CUTTER!!!”

Ryu tumbled and rolled in the air as the swords lifted him up along with their ascent. Numerous gashes and cuts were carved into his body, and he was thrown back a few distance away by the force of the rising blades.

Anson saw Nicko limping back towards him, his eyes slightly glazed, and they both watched as how Ryu stayed on the ground, face down, and bleeding heavily.

Ryu took his time laying prone, slowly healing himself with [Restore] and [Rest]. An eye for an eye, it would seem. Anson was holding back even less as the fight went on.

Clenching his hands, Ryu started to push himself off the ground. He was still healing, but it wasn’t enough. He needed more magic. He needed a spell that would bring both of his opponents down.
 
“I lost my face, my body, and, over time,” Ryu gasped as a rush of blood dibbled out of his wounds. “I even lost my own name.” 
 
He struggled to stand, bracing his hands on his legs and ignoring the pain ravaging his body, he rose up in full height.  His blood leaked out of his open wounds, falling onto the grass below and dyeing them with their color.
 
“My psionics did nothing to help me. No matter how hard I tried, I just can’t remember it; the name that I was born with.” He threw his head back and roared in rage, the clear blue sky seemingly taunting him and everything he went through. “Every time I tried it’s always Ryu, RYU, RYU!!” 

It was maddening. It was like his name was always there on the tip of his tongue, but before he could remember it, it would always be replaced at the last possible moment.
 
“It’s what I see when I look at my own reflection. It’s his face I see whenever I think about myself. It’s been ingrained so deep in my head that I sometimes think that him and I are the same person.” His legs buckled, but sheer will kept him on his feet. [Rest] once again started restoring his strength, but it was too slow. He needed something stronger. “I don’t even remember what I used to look like anymore.”

A large hexagon gem appeared in the air above Ryu’s head, a construct completely made out of the former dragon’s last remaining reserves. It rose up high into the air and started to gather wisps of leftover magic from the area.

“How do you think I felt when I found out about the power that my genes possess?” Ryu asked, looking at how the gem slowly filled itself. “Think about it: A reclusive teen, living a normal life, too stupid to think about the future, too content with the normality of his everyday. Then he finds out that he has something equal to a nuclear bomb hidden inside his body. What do you think he felt when he found out that he could wipe out cities whenever he finds himself on the brink of death?”

[Leech power]

The gem in the air glowed for a moment, an indication that it was full. Soon it descended downwards, crumbling into glittering dusts before getting absorbed into Ryu’s body.

Anson and Nicko watched in trepidation as all of Ryu’s wounds healed almost instantly.

“What do you think that did to my sanity? Where my every waking moment it’s there, in the back of my mind, giving me unending stress for over one thousand years!”

The air sizzled, and the temperature in the area rose, as if answering to Ryu’s rage.

[Inferno]

“But now that they’re gone you’re telling me to go get them back? Why? Tell me a good reason. Tell me why I have to do it!”

Winds gathered and converged into a single space above their heads. Nicko and Anson’s eyes widened when they saw it. Then Ryu raised his hands and the heat in the area flowed into the gathered wind.

Heat rose, Oxygen gathered, and Magic fueled. With all of these gathered, a spark ignited.

“Tell ME!”

[GIGAFLARE!]



         

High above Canterlot, inside one of its tallest towers, six mares and two princesses watched in awe and worry as the sphere of fire and wind engulfed the entire garden area.
 
Celestia and Luna watched with impassive expressions as they once again bore witness to the prowess of their once old foe. Luna had instructed her guards to make sure that no pony comes close to the area. It was only because of her caution that this fight did not have any casualties. Yet.
 
“Holy…” Rainbow breathed out slowly. Once she’d heard that Nicko and Anson were going to kick Ryu’s flank back into his old self, she had wanted to be there to lend a hoof. But seeing how the fight had started and how it was currently escalating, she was glad that Applejack had stopped her.
 
“We should stop this.” Celestia whispered. “If they go any further then the ponies in the city will be in danger.”
 
“Be calm, sister.” Luna glanced at Celestia’s rigid posture. She could tell that her fellow alicorn dearly wanted to step in between the two opposing groups.  “We are still in need of Ryu’s aid in the quest to find those Dragon Genes, but in order to do so, Nicko and Anson must first return Ryu back to his former self.”
 
Celestia’s scowl seem to only deepen at the notion. “Why? Can’t you see that Ryu has changed for the better? Why should we bring back that—“ a vision of the old and new Ryu flashed in her mind, with the old one sneering at her and the new one gracing her with a smile filled with kindness. “Why bring back that insufferable drake?”
 
Luna hummed in thought, tapping her chin with her hoof. “Mayhap it is because We have come to know the old Ryu better in our studies, and We have seen what lies beyond his roguish exterior; a stallion with a gentle heart.”
 
“I don’t see it.” Celestia shook her head. “I just can’t.”
 
Luna raised a brow at her sister, giving her a long and measuring look. “Thou sayeth so even as Ryu hath shown thee what lies behind his false mask? That, sister, was but a glimpse of what truly lies in his heart.”
 
The princess of the sun sighed despondently, clearly unable to see the old Ryu showing such kindness and affection as he had displayed in the past week. “Maybe so, but is this truly necessary?”
 
 “Yes.” Luna nodded resolutely, a gesture mirrored by Applejack herself. “For his sake, and our kingdom’s own.”

In front of the princesses, the six mares were focused solely on the fight. Ryu’s spell had ended, and they could once again see what was happening in the garden.
 
“Ryu…” Pinkie whined as she saw the man lying sprawled on the ground. The once majestic gardens of Canterlot was now reduced to a smoldering land of burnt wood and falling embers. His spell covered a large area, and the man didn’t even try to hold back. In his weakened state, he wasn’t able to escape the shockwave of his spell.
 
“And to think that this is him at his weakest.” Rarity whispered in disbelief. Fluttershy whimpered in worry and fear for the three Displaced. They were all badly hurt, but there was nothing she could do to help them. Any act would only get in the way of Nicko and Anson’s goal.
 
Twilight nodded at Rarity’s statement, looking unusually solemn, yet serious at the same time. “Yes. But for him to do this much damage, he must have put ten times the amount of energy like he said.” 

She had watched in trepidation of the upcoming fight, but seeing the powerful spells being thrown around, she slowly began to question the things that her mentor had neglected to teach her.
 
Twilight was conflicted in wanting the fight to end quickly, and wanting it to drag on longer. She was learning so much by just watching, and she knew that this was just the surface what the Displaced are capable of.
 
Was Equestria really such a dangerous place that they needed beings like these to help them? Or were the Displaced the danger themselves?
 
Hopefully not, because just seeing a glimpse of what they can do, she knew that her Equestria stood no chance. It had been far too peaceful for too long to survive this level of violence.



        

Smoke and ash drifted in the air of the ruined garden. The soil and grass were burnt to a crisp, and the statues were either shattered or tipped over.

Ryu, Anson and Nicko were all sprawled on the ground. Nicko had used one of his stronger explosions to minimize the force of the gigantic spell, covering both him and his brother. Ryu, however, wasn’t so lucky. He had used too much of his own reserves to properly defend himself, and so he was left to lay down and cover his head.

Anson was pissed at how far Ryu was willing to take this fight. He was pretty sick and tired of all the whining coming out of former dragon’s mouth.

They all struggled to stand back up, and all of them were glaring.

“You want a damn reason to get those things!?” Anson shouted through the smoke. “It’s because it’s your damned responsibility. You just don’t pass it on to others like that when you can still do it yourself!”

Ryu’s hand clenched as he struggled on his knee. “It was a responsibility that I didn’t want!” 

Nicko used his sword to support himself and called out to his teacher. “It’s your burden and no one else’s. Only you can get them back!”

“But I don’t want them back!” He pleaded. “It’s a burden that I don’t want to shoulder anymore!”

The only response Ryu received from the brothers were more pressure. More pleas. More desperate attempts to convince him to do what was right. “Sooner or later you’ll have to. No matter how much you don’t want it.”

“You have to take them back.” The Rune Slayer shouted. “They’re yours, now and forever, you can never get rid of them.”

“I KNOW!”

The loud exclamation startled both of the brothers as they looked back to Ryu. The smoke had cleared enough for them to see each other, but they were surprised to see tears running down the Displaced’s face. 

“I know… I know that.” He said through gritted teeth as his tears continued to pour. “I know that I have to take them back, I have to; I must. Without me to reign them in who knows what they’ll do.”

Ryu fell forward, collapsing down to his knees as he looked down on his clenched fists.

“But I don’t want to! I’m free, they’re gone, and I don’t have to get them back if I don’t have to! I finally have the choice of taking them or not…” He wiped his eyes to clear the tears, but they didn’t stop. They continued to flow no matter how much he tried. “But that was a lie. The choice was never mine to make. In the end, no matter what I do, or how much I deny it, I have to take them back.”

The two brothers could only watch as Ryu tried to keep himself together. 

“There’s no such thing as Freedom, not for me. That word is nothing but a lie; a ploy to raise the hopes of those trapped in their own hell.”

Ryu looked up to Nicko and Anson, eyes glaring and tears still flowing. The cunning opponent they had fought earlier was gone, and all that’s left was this man-- no. This lonely teen. No matter how mature he acted, or how cold his personality was, it didn’t change the fact that his body and appearance was that of a teenager only entering its adulthood.

“Why can’t you let me live this lie a little longer?! I don’t want to face the reality yet, I don’t want to go back living in fear again!”

Nicko looked at his teacher, who was again trying to wipe his tears away. He never thought of it like that. He didn’t know much of Ryu’s past, no one told him like they did to Anson, but he knew that the man was never this cold when he was sent to this Equestria. It made more sense that he became like this so that he could cope.
                
Ryu never… truly grew up. He’d kept almost everyone away, with the exception of the ones who he grew fond of, but that only added to the man’s anxiety and fears.
 
To live a life in terror of yourself… how does one live like that?
 
Nicko didn’t know. He didn’t want to know. For it to turn a man into this? Nicko could only feel pity for him.

(Battle Theme)
 
Ryu’s eyes flashed for a brief second, and his expression hardened as he stood up, wiping his eyes. “I still have time. They haven’t done anything yet, so I can postpone the search until they do. You can’t make me look for them; I won’t let you.”
 
Nicko’s expression steeled. His teacher needed a hard slap from reality; there was no other way to it. If they wanted him to go back to the way he was, then holding back wouldn’t do anything. “Get back, Anson. Let me do this alone.”
 
The Infinity Swordsman turned his head towards Nicko. For a moment he looked as though he was about to protest, but seeing the intent behind his brother’s eyes, he relented. Nodding his head, Anson stepped back. “Kick his ass.”

Anson didn’t know what to think of the man before them. Ryu wasn’t his teacher, so he was pretty much an outsider butting into their business. But if his brother was willing to do this for the man, then Anson he would him.
 
Nicko nodded as his brother left, removing his cloak and showing Ryu the wounds he gained throughout the brief battle. Bruises, cuts and burns; This was how far Ryu was willing to deny his Dragon Genes, going so far as to even hurt his friends to do it.

What about Applejack? Would he go so far as to even hurt the one he sees as his own daughter? Nicko would rather not find out; only sorrow and heart break lies in that line of thought.
 
“Ryu, you aren’t thinking straight. You’re just high off of your so called freedom. Right now you’re completely delusional.”
 
Nicko raised his sword and braced himself. With Anson no longer by his side, Ryu only had to focus on him.
       
Ryu snorted before breathing in deeply. “I must have spouted some bullshit if you’re telling me that. You’ll have to let me know which ones, though, ‘cause everything I said was the truth.”
 
“What you said may have been completely true,” Nicko started gathering his magic in preparation. “but that doesn’t make you right.”
 
Like Ryu had taught him, he was no longer bound by the rules of the world where the Rune Slayer originated; he could experiment and grow in skill, as well as in technique. Now was the time to show his teacher that he took that teaching to heart.
 
“Right, Wrong; what’s the difference?” Ryu spat. The pain that ailed him throughout the fight slowly began to fade and the sclera of his eyes started to tint red. “It’s a simple subjective matter depending on who you ask.” Bending his legs low, he spread his arms wide. “What’s right to you could be wrong to others!”

He lunged.
 
Nicko bit back a curse and jumped back. “No. I’m completely certain: You Are Wrong!” He blocked the fist aiming at his face, redirecting the impact by tilting the blade in the same direction of the force.
 
Nicko distanced himself again from Ryu as his teacher’s skill manifested.
 
[Berserk]
 
By giving himself to his violent emotions, Ryu can increase the strength output of his body. It numbs his pain and increases the power of his attacks, but he risks losing himself to his rage. Once he fully gives in, he won’t stop attacking everything around him until he completely exhausts himself.
 
Ryu pounced at Nicko, delivering blow after blow of disciplined fists pounded into him by his minotaur teachers. The movements have been beaten into his body for years, allowing his rage driven mind to incorporate them as part of his instincts.
 
Snarling to himself, the former dragon spun and delivered a stiff kick to Nicko, only for the Rune Slayer to put up another block with his sword. “Oh really?” the former dragon spat. “I’m wrong? Well then how about you? What makes you so right?!”
 
Nicko held his weapon close, focusing mostly on defense as he waited for the Displaced to make a mistake. “I’m right because unlike you I’m not lying. Unlike you, I’m not hiding my real self!”
 
“What the hell are you talking about?!” Ryu roared, stomping hard with his foot before throwing another fist at Nicko. “I’m not hiding anything! This is me, the new man without those accursed genes! There’s nothing fake about me!”
 
Blocking another punch, Nicko didn’t brace himself on the ground. He let the force of the blow carry him backwards while also kicking his feet up to add more distance to his flight.
 
“Yes, there is!” Once he found his footing, Nicko ran to the side, away from Ryu’s position. “You’re hiding it behind that fake persona; you haven’t changed at all! You’re still your cold and indifferent self; the bastard who likes to piss off and make fun of others because he finds it funny! Right now you just don’t know what you want to do; you’re conflicted!”
 
The former dragon unleashed a feral roar as he ran after the redheaded Displaced. The strength behind his legs were strong enough to catch up to Nicko, almost equal to his speed back when he was still a Brood.
 
“I choose to leave the genes be!” Ryu shouted, matching Nicko’s pace before delivering another spin kick.
 
Nicko parried the blow, letting the leg slide over the flat of his blade, then driving an elbow straight into Ryu’s face. “No! You chose to be lazy!”
 
The blow broke Ryu’s nose, but it almost seemed to repair itself as the Displaced immediately used [Restore] to fix it. Nicko didn’t let up on the assault and started hacking away at Ryu’s body using the eight different swings taught to him by the man himself.
 
“You chose to be neutral about them!” Slash! “You chose to stay your hand until someone forces you to move them!” Slash! “You want to fight,” Slash! “You want to take those genes back,” Slash! Slash! “but you’re just waiting for a reason to do it!” Slash! Slash! Slash! “You want someone to motivate you to go after them!”
 
Thrust!
 
Ryu roared as he caught the blade between his palms. They both struggled to against each other; one trying to drive his blade through, while the other was trying to prevent it.
 
“You, Ryu,” Nicko said through gritted teeth. “are just an angsty teenager having a Bitch fit!”
 
“Shut the hell up!!!” Ryu’s eyes were now completely dyed in red. His throat rumbled an animalistic snarl as he slowly started pushing the blade away from him.
 
“And guess what, Ryu?!” Nicko bellowed with a massive grin. “I get the honor of bitchslapping you out of it!”
 
Ryu’s eyes flashed as he finally pushed the blade away. “NICKO!!!”
 
The space around the Rune Slayer suddenly erupted into a blazing wall of flame. Ryu dove into the fire without hesitation, his mind now completely immersed in his fury.
 
When he passed the flames Nicko was already there, waiting for him. In the redhead’s hand was his sword covered in fire.
 
“SWORD FLAME!!”
 
Eight hits of flowing sword movements hacked away at Ryu’s body, cutting and burning an agonizing combination of fire and steel. The final swing was a rising slash, and from the flames of Nicko’s sword, something took shape.
 
“PHOENIX TALON!!”
 
The avian of flames spread its wings and flew to the sky. Inside its body Ryu howled in pain. His body instinctively went to its self preservation state and accessed his magic to heal the burns, even when there was nearly nothing left in his reserves.
 
“Shining…”
 
The phoenix burst, and the magic that created it held Ryu in the air.
 
“...RUNE...
 
Massive glyphs of magic materialized in the sky, surrounding Ryu. In the haze of anger and pain, the man could only stare blankly as multiple rune swords started producing inside each one of them.
 
“BUSTER!!!”
 
Ryu made one last roar of defiance as the blades descended in a hail of death.
 
“RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGGGGGG!!!!!”
 
His body tore and healed, ripped and mended; all the way until the final traces of magic drained from his core.
 
From high above Canterlot, he heard someone scream his name.
 
Their voice echoed inside him; inside the empty core of his magic. From there, a spark began, feeding the emptiness again and again as the voice vibrated within his body and his heart.
 
Ryu’s eyes snapped back in clarity as the effects of [Berserk] washed away. Reptilian scales formed and grew over his skin, spreading all over his body. His skin thickened and he felt his muscle strengthen and bulge. An instinct hammered away at his mind, and from his throat he could feel something rising.
 
[ROAR!!]



 
From the ground level, Nicko panted and heaved watching in horror as how overpowered his final spell was.
 
That wasn't how it was supposed to be. He held back. He was sure of it.
 
Somehow, someway; something increased the potency of his final spell. It was supposed to be non-lethal, and all the blades should have been blunted. Why the hell were they sharp enough to cut through skin and bones?!
 
Amidst his delirious panic, he almost didn’t see what happened to Ryu. His body grew scales; arms, legs, neck, and face.
 
The Brood had transformed.
 
In Nicko’s mind something clicked. Then he remembered his teacher’s words from earlier.
 
“What do you think he felt when he found out that he could wipe out cities whenever he finds himself on the brink of death?”
 
Was this what he meant?
 
[ROAR!!]



 
Inside the castle, all those that knew Ryu personally were rushing off towards the garden. Luna had gone off to the medics to call for them and Celestia was escorting the others while also preventing Rainbow Dash from going off into the hail of blades to save their resident Displaced.
 
They were all caught unawares when the whole Canterlot shook from the massive roar that came from the very place that they were heading into.
 
“The heck was that!?” Rainbow cried out.
 
Celestia’s eyes furrowed as she looked into the direction of the source. “I do not know, but I have a hunch. Come, we must hurry!”
 
They found Anson looking out and up the garden, his mouth open slightly. He had been in a daze of what his brother had done, but all of that seems to be forgotten as he was too preoccupied at watching his earlier source of ire.
 
“Anson!”
 
The man snapped out of his daze when he heard Celestia called his name. He looked over to the ponies rushing towards him, but didn’t pay them any mind as he went back to looking outside.
 
When the ponies were finally able to see what he was staring at, they could only watch and gape as they saw Ryu still trapped inside the hail of blades, but this time, the transformed Brood was keeping them at bay with the strength of his voice alone.
 
A sphere of almost tangible air pressure surrounded the Brood’s body. The pure brute strength of his lungs prevented the blades from touching him, and in turn the blades kept the full blast of the dragon’s roar at minimum.
 
The blades vanished when the magic keeping them corporal finally disappeared, almost at the same time when Ryu had to stop in order to breath.
 
The Brood fell to the ground with a thud, almost losing consciousness from fatigue. The ponies quickly rushed over to him, huddling around his tired body. There were white scales all over his flesh, pale as snow, and noticeably blank as an empty canvas. The only color that he had were the clothes on his body and the blue hair on his head.
  
“Uncle Rahy!” Applejack shouted in worry. “Uncle, are you alright!”
 
The dragon let out a grunt and twitched his finger, an act that made Applejack and the rest sigh in relief. He raised his head slowly and looked at his transformed limb.

It was real. His hand had turned into a dragon’s claw. The rest of his body adopted a similar change, but somehow they still retained their humanoid appearance. He was relieved to know that.

The scales slowly started to recede back into his skin. Then a few seconds later, he was back to his human self. However there was something wrong-- No. It’s more like there was something new.

Deep inside his mind, Ryu saw something. In the space where the representation of his genes used to reside, there was something hovering in the supposedly empty place. He didn’t know what it was called, but it took on the appearance of a spark, blinking in a rhythm similar to a heartbeat.

“Uncle…”

Ryu looked up when he saw drops of water dripping on his hand. Applejack was crying.

“Ah’m sorry.” She sobbed. “Ah’m so sorry. Ah didn’t know that it would go this far; ah didn’t know that you would get hurt so badly. It was me who asked Anson to bring you back to yer old self.”
 
Ryu had already figured as much. From what Anson had been saying earlier in the fight, he must have heard about the Ryu’s past from someone who already knew him pretty well.
 
Tiredly, Ryu pushed himself off the burnt ground to sit. “Come here, Applejack.”
 
The mare dejectedly walked over to him, expecting harsh words for what she had done. Instead, however, she was surprised when he pushed her hat down, and started rubbing her head.
 
“I’m not mad.” he said with a sigh. There was no way that he would ever get mad at her. He loved Applejack too much to do that.

Ryu tried to stand to no avail. Even moving to sit up made his head feel light; like he was about to pass out. His body ached, twice as much from before. [Rest] was doing its best to keep him conscious, but that was the only thing it did. 

“I’m a bit frustrated, is all.” Ryu muttered, giving up on standing. “But not at you. It’s mostly with myself…”

His head rose and surveyed the area. Everything smelled like fire and ash, with tiny embers still flicking off dead trees and scorched branches.

His eyes found Nicko and Anson, where the two of them were nursing their own torsos while limping towards each other. Ryu couldn’t help but give a pained grimace at the sight of what he had done. From the looks of the garden itself, it was like a reenactment of the Badlands.

So, it would seem that no matter what he did, power was still power. All his training, all his hard work for control; gone at the first signs of erratic emotions.

Damnit. Even with the genes gone, he still can’t rid himself of his fear. There was no escape from it if you’re afraid of yourself.

“I’m an idiot.” he muttered in dejection.
 
“Uncle...” Applejack sniffled, her tone suddenly turning hopeful. “Does this mean that yer back?”

Ryu looked at his family, looking at her uncertainty and the last traces of her tears. A new kind of pain stabbed at his chest when his eyes took in her worried expression.

He was blinded by the false freedom. He stopped caring about Applejack’s feelings and focused on his own. He refused to acknowledge the pain he’s been inflicting upon her ever since he fell into a coma and woke up.

He hated himself even more, hated his powers even further, but most of all he hated the Dragon Genes that caused it. He’d make them pay, all of them. He’ll find a way to seal them all inside his body, permanently dormant. He already had a new gene, so they were no longer needed.

For now, however, his family needed him, and he, in turn, needed them as well.
 
Ryu smiled at her, something she returned brightly, before groaning and laying his back on the ground. “Yes, I suppose I’m back to my old self.” he said with a tired sigh. “Though can someone please get Molestia away from me? I don’t feel safe around her as I am, currently. I’m afraid of what she’ll do”
 
Said Alicorn gave a start at the mention of his old insult to her name. She then glowered at him when he made a gesture with his fist while his middle finger was raised.
 
“Ah’m so glad that yer back.” Applejack smiled happily, wiping away the last traces of her tears as well as ignoring his usual banter with the princess.
 
“So am I, I guess.” Ryu grumbled, still flipping off the Alicorn even when she started glaring down at him.
 
Off to the side, Nicko and Anson watched the scene with a smile. Anson gave a helpless sigh when he felt his bruises throb. Hopefully the medics would help him with that. Nicko, however, suddenly frowned. There was something that he wanted to say.
 
Steeling himself, the Rune Slayer started walking over to the other group. Ryu raised a brow at him, and Nicko’s steps faltered with uncertainty.
 
Ryu nodded his head, and gestured for Nicko to come closer, making the apprentice smile in relief.
 
“Yes, Nicko?”
 
“I…” he started nervously, “I wanted to say sorry for going overboard. That last spell was too much, and I don’t really know what happened. It was supposed to be non-lethal, but…”
 
He pointed towards Ryu, gesturing at his body from when he had transformed.
 
Ryu sighed before groaning in realization. “I see, so that’s why…”
 
“What?”
 
Everyone looked at Ryu, who was rubbing his face in mild frustration. He knew what happened. After all, he’d been doing it several times during the fight. He just didn’t expect Nicko to obtain it in less than a year.
 
“Congratulations, Nicko.” Ryu said. “You’ve succeeded in fulfilling the requirements for my next lesson. You just performed a [Combo], or as I like to call it: [Spell Chain].”
 
“[Spell Chain]?” Twilight asked, eyes shining in intrigue.
 
“Whenever you use something that requires magic, traces of it will be leftover inside you or in the area where you cast it.” Ryu explained. “That leftover then gets absorbed by your next skill or spell, adding a bit more power into it, adding some of the first skill’s effects into it, or mixing them both to create a chain reaction spell.”

Like [Gigaflare].
 
“But…” Nicko spoke up. “I don’t know how to do that.”
 
“It’s a Harmony effect.” Ryu answered, choosing to lie down on the ground and look at the sky. “As soon as you chose to become my student, the Master and Apprentice system was already established, like an invisible link between you and I.”
 
Though different from the system of the original Breath of Fire series, it still allowed Ryu to teach Nicko what he can do. Also, like in the fourth game, Ryu has some requirements that his apprentice must fulfill first before learning a skill from the Brood.
 
The first requirement was [Consent]. The person must be willing to become Ryu’s apprentice by their own will and stick with it after the first session (i.e. the hazing). The skill that they would learn after would be [Movement], or [Spell Movement].
 
Ryu teaches his apprentice how to augment themselves using the skills that they already knew.
 
The second requirement is [Will]; the strong desire. They need a strong desire for them to learn [Spell Chain]; to impose what they want into the world and bend its laws slightly to get the effect that they want. Why? Because Ryu has Psionics, which is the ability to bend the world with the power of his thoughts. The harmony effect would ensure that the apprentice’s perception on reality would shift slightly, granting them a similar capabilities. (No, they don’t gain psionics. They’re just able to Realize the outcome of the spell/technique that they wanted)
 
It wasn’t that hard for a Displaced given their nature, but for other creatures who are bound by the logic of their universe, this is an almost impossible task. They need an external link to change their perception on their reality, something that Ryu’s link will do once they become his student.
 
“So, it’s like a ritual pact?” Twilight asked.
 
“Something like that, only without the fanfare.” Ryu nodded.
 
“So then, when I used those three skills back to back…” Nicko trailed off.
 
“Sword Flame increased the intensity of Phoenix Talon’s fire, and Shining Rune Buster was prolonged and strengthened because it was the last one used in the chain. The last spell always carries the magic of both first and second skills into it.” Ryu finished. “Do note, however, that you can only link three spells at max. Anymore and it would create a dissonance that would interfere with the harmony of your magic, thus breaking the chain.”
 
Nicko nodded in understanding and smiled. That would be useful in the future.
 
“How come I’m only learning this now and not during our time in Griffonia?” he asked.
 
“Because of the link, and the incompatibility of our magic.” Ryu answered. “Though the longer I see you as my apprentice, and you see me as your master, then the link will continue to change your magic to incorporate my style of fighting and make it easier for you to perform what I teach.” His eyes suddenly narrowed in thought. “Though to what extent, I don’t know. You’re actually just absorbing my fighting style at a phenomenal rate, something that took me centuries to create and discover.”

Nicko’s brows rose in surprise, as did everyone else’s.

“I can only teach you three things through the link, though.” Ryu said, lifting three fingers up and counting them down. “[Movement], [Chain], and [Variant]. [Movement] is the augmentation of your actions using the skills and spells that you already know. [Chain] is the ability to link spells to strengthen the next sequence or combine them to create something new. Last is [Variant], the ability to recreate spells of others through observation and experimentation.”

Which was pretty much just the [Examine] command in the third Breath of Fire game.

Ryu didn’t say it much, but the Original Ryu and his friends were geniuses. All of them. They could break down a monster’s skill and learn it themselves. Even more amazing is that they do it in the middle of battle.

That was what Nicko was going to learn in the future… but Ryu was worried about its abuse. Also, Nicko can’t learn an enemy’s skill if he doesn’t already have a skill that has similarities with it.

That was how Ryu recreated Nicko’s [Storm Blade] and made a variant called [Blade Burst]; It was just a bunch of [Mind Swords] erupting from his skin by using [Aura Burst] as materials for the swords.

“I see.” Nicko nodded before smiling. “I understand. I’ll definitely make use of what you’ve taught me.”

“That’s why I teach.” Ryu nodded rather grumpily.

Nicko’s smiled turned into a grin. “It’s good to have you back, Ryu.”

The reawakened Brood sighed. “I guess…”

…

...

“...So. Since I won and beat you...” Nicko started. “Does this mean that the student already supasses the master?”

Ryu slowly turned his head to give the student a very unamused expression.

“Uhh… so I’ll take that as a ‘No’?” he asked nervously.

Had Ryu been able to stand, he would have certainly decked the presumptuous Rune Slayer in the face.

…

...

“Please stop staring.”





 
Five days later

It’s been that long since the fight in the gardens, something that was now the talk of Conterlot’s grapevine. Some loose-lipped guard told it in a bar, which soon after spread like wildfire all over the city.

They now knew about beings from beyond their world, beings that could destroy their peaceful lives and drive their beloved kingdom into chaos.

It’s been five long days since Celestia and Luna have been trying, and failing, in pacifying their subjects. Some asked what the Displaced were, while most wanted their princesses to vanquish them with extreme prejudice.

Ryu had snorted to himself once he heard a pony say that. He was sitting in the sidelines during that time, watching the princesses squirm as their ponies bombarded them with questions, and even pointed at him in fear.

In return he merely grinned at them, one filled with so many sharp fangs that the ponies trembled when he rumbled his throat. His new gene seemed to function quite like the original ones, but he still didn’t know the benefits that it gave him.

Of course, Luna scolded him for scaring the ponies in the evening.

Speaking of the Moon Princess, she had become much closer to the Brood during his time of recovery. They once again resumed their nightly lessons, with Ryu regaling tales of his training now along with their usual studies.

With Celestia, however… not so much. Ryu still made sure to terrorize the Alicorn whenever he could, making her everyday much harder during court hours.

Celestia had said more than once that she preferred the Ryu who had woken up from the coma rather than the old one that they had now. Her pleas were heard by her sister, as well as the Element Bearers, but it was mostly just ignored.

As insufferable as Ryu may be, it wasn’t like they could force him to change.  Besides, Applejack and Rainbow Dash preferred this Ryu; the one that they could love and hate, respectively, and one that they were used to. For Pinkie Pie, it didn’t really matter. Both Ryus still gave her attention when she spent time with him, and even played with her when she asked.

She knew about his opinion of her, about being too overbearing for his taste. But she had managed to wear him down enough that he no longer minded her presence. Though he treated her more like a filly instead of a grown mare, it was still a refreshing experience than when others think she’s weird.

Applejack also made funny faces when he would pick her up and cuddle her.

Rarity didn’t really mind him all that much. Ryu was still polite and acted like a gentlecolt/man when he was around her. He said it was how he was raised, regardless of what personality may have. As long as she stayed polite as well, then he won’t change how he treats her.

Fluttershy was the same. For her, it didn’t matter which personality he has, as long as he’s alright. She had been very worried during his coma, and was equally worried during the fight. As long as he was happy and healthy, then she would be happy as well.

For Twilight Sparkle… it seems her scholar spirit (whatever that was) had been ignited into a burning inferno. She wanted to ask Ryu so many things, and she wanted to know more about the Displaced from him (even though he himself was still fairly new to the concept).

But most of all she also wanted to learn from him; as in she also wanted to be his apprentice.

She hadn’t said it to anyone, to Celestia especially, but Ryu had seen it in her eyes. He saw that she would give him her [Consent] no matter how hard he would push her. He saw her [Will] to learn; the Desire. Then he saw it; the spark of ingenuity, the beginnings of a great and powerful mind...

He saw her [Greed].

Ryu had grinned then, a broad smile showing all of his fangs. Though she looked unnerved by it, she didn’t back down.

What he failed to tell Nicko when learning [Variant] was that he needed [Greed], and lots of it; the desire to take what you wanted and make it your own. That was how [Examine] worked, that was how Ryu could learn his skills so quickly.

If he wanted a skill so badly, he’d observe it, break it down in his mind, review what he knew and take them to recreate something similar to the skill, then he would Realize it, making the new skill his own.

[Greed] was the final requirement to master his style of fighting.

Speaking of the troublesome Apprentice, he and his brother were still in Ryu’s Equestria. The Brood had healed them both with his magic after he recovered enough of it, but the medical staff of the castle wanted them to stay for a few more days for observation.

It seemed that Ryu’s [Spirit Blast] skill had bruised more than a few of their organs in the fight. That, and also the concussions that he’d given them with all those explosions. No matter how potent the dragon’s magic was, they still insisted that the siblings stayed.

Now was the fifth day, where they were finally given permission to leave and go back to their Equestria.

Anson stood in the hospital room that they were assigned in, stretching his body as he stepped off the bed. “Finally! I was going crazy not moving for so long. “ he said before he dropped down on the floor and started doing push-ups.
 
Ryu himself was still in his wheelchair. Even though he was recovering faster than his first week, some aches still lingered in his body. “You know, you could have done what I did when the doctor insisted that you stay in bed.”
 
Nicko looked at his teacher with a flat expression as he put on his overcoat. “Ryu, not all of us try to scare everyone that we don’t like.”
 
“Besides,” Anson added, shoving himself from the ground and flipping back onto his feet. “We don’t have the set of bear traps that you call teeth.”
 
Ryu smirked, showing off his transformed dentures to them both before taking a bite out of the gem he fished from his [Inventory] pouch. After his reawakening, some of his dragon characteristics had returned.
 
“Your loss.” said the dragon.
 
“I still don’t get why we have to stay here to heal.” Anson complained, putting on his own coat from the bed. “We could have just done it in our own Equestria.”
 
“I insisted on it.” Ryu said, surprising the other two Displaced. “Just ‘cause you people call me an asshole doesn’t mean that I don’t care about you.”
 
“So you really do care about others?” Anson asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
 
“Yes.” Ryu nodded. “You, two, especially. I care about your yelps of pain, and groans of discomfort. I sometimes use them to lull me into sleep these past few days.”
 
“You are a fucking creep.” Anson deadpanned
 
“You’re just doing this because we beat you up, aren’t you?” Nicko added.
 
Ryu nodded without a hint of shame. Other people already knew how he was. “It’s your fault for picking a fight with someone who knows how to hold a grudge. I mean, just ask Celestia.”
 
Anson groaned, slumping his shoulder in exasperation. “Is that why I was still feeling sore even after you healed me?”
 
“No.” the dragon corrected. “That was probably just the poison that I’ve been gargling and spitting into your food.”
 
…
 
…
 
Nicko and Anson stared at Ryu with their mouths hanging open, looking horrified and disgusted from the mental image.
 
“ … I’m joking?”
 
They did not like how Ryu paused before saying that.
 
“You BASTARD!” Anson yelled, leaping towards Ryu with intentions of strangling the disgusting man.

Ryu took hold of his wheelchair with his telekinesis as soon as Anson jumped. He pulled the chair backwards, easily moving out of the Infinity Sword’s reach. 

“Beep-Beep!” the dragon exclaimed as he continued to pull his chair all over the room, dodging every attempt Anson made at him.
  
It was pretty funny to watch; almost like a scene from a cartoon. That was what Luna walked into when she came into the room.
 
“What is happening here?” she asked Nicko, who was still looking green at what he had just learned from his esteemed teacher.
 
“Ryu said that he’s been spitting in Anson’s food.” He said, throwing Ryu disgusted looks from where he was watching.
 
The mare raised a brow before looking the man, who was abusing his rapid recovery and forcing a recently bedridden Anson to chase him.  “Lies!” Lune declared. “Never once hath Ryu approach any of Sir Anson’s dishes.”
 
Anson, at this point, had stopped chasing Ryu after finding out that the drake on wheels was using [Mind’s Eye] to dodge. He was, however, relieved to know that Ryu hadn’t been adding any dragon flavor in his food.
 
“VROOOM!!”
 
Ryu forced his wheelchair to power slide in front of the immobile redhead.
 
Anson did his best to ignore him.
 
Luna nodded. “Twas our chefs who spat in thy cuisine to add their flavor,”
 
…
 
…
 
 
It was Luna’s turn to receive the look of horror and disgust from the Displaced siblings.
 
“Ha! This does entertain us!” Luna exclaimed towards Ryu.
 
She was joking? Why the hell would she make that kind of joke?!
 
“VROOOM!”
 
Their answer just made another power slide between them.
 
It was at that moment that Celestia entered the room. She glared at the mobile dragon after hearing what the Night Princess had said. “You corrupted my sister.”
 
Ryu made a sharp turn before he crashed into a wall, then came into a screeching halt right before the Sun Princess.  “Yes, yes I did. But then again it’s your fault for choosing me to educate her.”
 
“Whee!!”
 
A pink blur dove over Celestia and landed softly on Ryu’s lap. Said blur revealed itself to be Pinkie Pie. She looked up to Ryu and grinned and the dragon laughed merrily before wrapping his hands around her body. Reapplying his telekinesis on his wheelchair once more, they began to move.
 
They zipped around the room, making tight turns inside the wide space provided by the castle’s above standard facility. Luna and the two Elsword Displaced looked at them with expressions of amusement, while Celestia sighed in exasperation.
 
It was then that Applejack entered, looking for her uncle who wasn’t in the next room beside Nicko and Anson’s. She wasn’t very happy when she saw him using his psionics.
 
“Pinkie, stop that! He’s still supposed to be healing!” She scolded, turning to the dragon next. “You, too, uncle! Get back to bed!”
 
                “Calm down AJ!” Ryu called out, still zipping around the room with Pinkie Pie. “This isn’t really stressful. In fact, it’s actually pretty fun. This is the first time that I’ve done something like this.”
 
“Still!”
 
Applejack yelped in surprise when she was picked off the ground by Ryu’s invisible psionic grip. She was dropped on his lap, beside Pinkie, when they passed.
 
“Ignition!” Ryu exclaimed, followed by Pinkie’s sound effects and Applejack’s cry of terror.
 
“Vrooom!!”
 
“AAAAHHHHHHH!!!”
 
“Behave yourself, Ryu!” Celestia demanded.
 
The trio passed by in front of her, and Ryu flipped her off when they did. “You can kiss my toned cheeks, you bloated whale.”
 
The other three that weren’t in the exchange looked on in varying levels of amusement. “Damn, he’s a brat.” Anson looked at his brother incredulously. “Is he always like this, Nicko?”
 
The Rune Slayer sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. “No.”
 
“This is worse than before!” Celestia exclaimed. Ryu wasn’t looking where he was driving, opting to keep his eyes locked on Celestia’s, with one hand still making the rude gesture. Pinkie, instead, was directing their path.
 
Luna was laughing at her sister’s expense. It was rude, she knew, but this was one of the few moments where could laugh freely and honestly. Some ponies still hadn’t accepted her return, even though she had been trying hard to gain their recognition. It saddened her that some, which was actually most, still saw her as the shadow of Nightmare Moon.
 
She shook her head as soon as she calmed down. “As much as We are enjoying this, the others are waiting for us back in the throne room.”
 
It was a relief to Celestia when her sister had reminded them of that. She was truly starting to lose her patience with the dragon. Now if only he would stop doing that gesture.





The princesses and the foreign Displaced soon made their way towards the throne room. Ryu and the other two ponies were still on the wheelchair, drawing skid marks on the floor of the pristine halls of the castle. Celestia did not appreciate the extra work the drake was giving her servants thanks to his antics.
 
Nicko and Anson looked at the three on the chair making tight turns and zipping past, back, and around them. It was pretty funny, but they’ve already outgrown such childish things. They were the Displaced, people who have powers that could very well shake the very foundations of the world. Being jealous of such things would be pretty unbecoming.
 
“Power Slide!” Ryu called out.
 
Definitely not jealous.
 
“720 Rotation!” Pinkie followed.
 
Not jeal-.
 
“BARREL ROLL!” Ryu and Pinkie shouted.
 
Oh come on! How does that even work?!
 
Anyway, the seven of them soon entered the throne room, where the rest of the Bearers were waiting for them patiently. Nicko and Anson were long overdue for their return, and their loved ones were probably worried about them by now.
 
So, one by one, they each said their goodbyes.
 
Twilight was the first to speak, reaching out to shake Nicko’s hand, though the Displaced needed to crouch down to do it. “It’s a shame that you have to leave. I still have so many questions to ask.” The lavender unicorn said.
 
Rainbow spoke next, flying over to the two brothers to give each of them a hoof-bump. “You two really kicked that jerk’s butt. Both of you are cool with me.”
 
Rarity came up next, reaching up to shake Anson’s hand when he crouched down to shake her hoof. “Though it’s not normally my style of fashion, I still would have liked to study your clothes’ design.”
 
“Please take care.” Fluttershy said, giving both of them a bashful smile. “It was nice meeting Ryu’s friends.”
 
It was in that moment that Ryu made another power slide, passing between the two groups. “Not friends!!!”
 
And away the dragon went again.
 
“I’ll throw you guys a party when you come back!” Pinkie said, giving both Anson and Nicko a hug.
 
“Thank you for what you did for me and mah family,” Applejack told both of the brothers, tipping her hat towards them. “Yer always welcome to visit us here whenever yah want.”
 
Luna nodded standing behind the smaller ponies along with her sister. “Indeed. We shall all welcome thee with open arms.”
 
“And hopefully the next visit won’t be so… eventful.” Celestia said dryly, before turning to Ryu, who started singing when he saw Celestia looking at him.

“She sees me rollin’, she hatin’.” he then flips her off again. “As if she can stop me and my trollin~! Tries to stop me and mah trollin’, tries to stop me and mah trollin’~”
 
“What does that even mean?!”
 
“Trust me on this one Celestia, you don’t want to know.” Nicko told her, just leaving her even more confused. Soon, Ryu slid to a halt in front of Everypony and looked at the brothers.
 
“Now that everyone’s finished, let’s get this over with. I still need to heal, and your presence here isn’t helping.”
 
“Be nice, Ryu.” Fluttershy quietly scolded him.
 
“Sorry. Anyway, bye you two. Don’t expect me to be nice any time soon.”

Anson snorted. “Goodbye, asshole.”
 
“See ya, Ryu.” Nicko replied with a smile.

Ryu then started making some funny, yet random, gestures. The brothers’ knew that there wasn’t anything significant about it. It was just him messing with them again.

“With your task done, there’s nothing left to do.” the dragon recited. “I end your summoning, now shoo! Sh--!”

CRACK!

Unexpectedly, a portal began to tear open behind the Displaced siblings.

“--shoo?”

Ryu knew it wasn’t him who made the portal, because he still hasn’t finished making fun of the two, yet. Still, his eyes narrowed and his hands hummed with his magic. First was Balio and Sunder, now it was this. He was really starting to hate it when people just force their way into his dimension.

It wasn’t until he saw a white haired girl and a female Draconequus though that things got a bit… confusing.
 
“Hail and fair met, Equestria of the non-anthro variety! We come in peace!” Eris proclaimed, using a talon to dress herself in a Napoleon like outfit.
 
“Eris? Faith?” Nicko said in surprise. “What are you guys doing here-hurk-!?” 

The Rune Slayer wasn’t able to finish what he was trying to say when the girl tackled him to the floor. Well, actually, she was just trying to give him an enthusiastic hug.
 
“Uncle Nicko!!! I was SO worried about you! I had a dream that you were about to get killed by a dragon-human thing and--”  The Code Queen paused, looking at the ponies behind them and stared in confusion “Uncle, Who are these?”
 
Applejack huffed in surprise.“Whoa nelly, did tha youngling just call ya “Uncle”?” The moment she saw the tear, she thought it was those weird stallions again.

There was one, however, who didn’t hear it. Her mind had flashed back to that day on Hearth’s Warming Eve, to the time where those two things stepped out of something similar, and where, in the end, Ryu had howled in so much pain that it gave her nightmares for weeks.

So, when Faith had tackled Nicko to the floor, there was only one thing that Rainbow Dash thought of.

“GET OFF HIM!”

She flew up and rushed at the girl, intending to knock Faith off her new friend.

However, in a split second of surprise, Rainbow was stopped, frozen in mid-air. Ryu had his hand out, and was holding her in his psionic grip.

Rainbow Dash gulped audibly, as the point of a mechanical spear was held at the tip of her muzzle, with five more directed in various locations on her body. All of them were pointed with the intent to skewer her dead.
 
“Easy there everypony.” Nicko said after a long and awkward five seconds. “Faith here is my niece and is Anson’s daughter. As for Eris… She’s a friend and daughter of a reformed and married Discord-.”
 
“Uhh Nicko,” Eris interrupted, pointing at the wrist watch that she had conjured up. “another Displaced is calling us, and we really need to hurry.”
 
“Wait…” Celestia said. She had heard of what Nicko had intended to say, and her mind had almost frozen in shock because of it. “Discord is reformed... and is married? To who?”
 
“Well, that’s easy to answer.” Eris said, turning to the princess with a broad and mischievous grin. “I’m looking at her.”

Celestia’s mouth dropped open in shock, and before she could have a chance to gather her thoughts, Eris and Nicko disappeared. Anson didn’t really see the point in staying, so he took his daughter’s hand and led her through their own portal.

Ryu was pouting, looking at the empty space where both of the other Displaced had left. “I wasn’t done rhyming, yet.”

“There, there, Uncle.” She had moved over to him to pat his arm, but before she could, his wheelchair began to move again. “Where are yah going?”

“Somewhere to think of some things.” he waved back without looking. As he did, no one saw how his eyes narrowed and his lips fell into a deep frown.



Switch perspective




I found myself on one of the castle’s balconies, where it had a clear view of the garden. This must be where the guards and castle staff watched the fight. It was no wonder that ponies found out about us.
 
I felt a great amount of shame and embarrassment when I remembered how I broke down in the middle of the battle. Hopefully none of them had a good enough hearing to catch on whatever I said.
 
But remembering Luna’s bat ponies… no such luck.
 
I sighed, still looking down on the garden.
 
It was almost like the fight had never happened. There were no dead and scorched trees, the grass was still green and not ash, and the air didn’t smell like leftover embers. It was like a distant dream.
 
If only it were.
 
I’m pretty tempted to procrastinate on getting those damned genes. But I won’t. Not after everything that’s happened.
 
Hahhh… stupid responsibilities.
 
“That was quite the show, Ryu.”
 
Hm?
 
“Watching it really got my blood pumping.”
 
Sighing, I propped my elbow on the wheelchair’s armrest and held my chin on my palm. “I knew you were watching. I’m just surprised that you decided to only talk to me now.”
 
“I have my reasons.”
 
I snorted. It was probably because of Nicko. “Well, I knew that with the way everything in the garden was obliterated, you would’ve come out sooner rather than later.”
 
“And I have you to thank for that.”
 
My brow twitched. “Will you stop hiding already? I feel like an idiot talking to nothing but air.”
 
There was a laugh from somewhere, then a disembodied head appeared beside me.
 
“Discord.” I greeted.
 
“Brooder.” he greeted back. His eyes glittered in mischief, and there was something about his smile that told me he knew something.
 
“You’re just begging for me to ask.” I noted dryly.
 
His smile only seemed to grow wider. “Whatever do you mean, Ryu?”
 
“Just out with it, Discord.” I sighed in exasperation, having no patience to deal with the draconequus at this moment.
 
“Oh alright, you grouch.” Even though he sounded like he was complaining, that still didn’t wipe away his smile. “I just thought that I might have figured out why my branch of chaos magic doesn’t work against you.”
 
I raised an inquisitive brow at the mismatched creature. “Isn’t it because of my genes combined with my psionics?”
 
“Partially.” Discord scoffed. “But that’s only a minor factor. I was thinking more about your circumstance.”
 
“My what?”
 
“The Displaced.” Discord grinned.
 
“I’m not getting you, but I don’t think that’s it.” I said, shaking my head.
 
“Oh, but I’m sure of it.” he slithered in the air and hovered above my shoulders. “It’s because you are a Displaced; one of the Harbingers of Chaos.”
 
I frowned, turning my head to regard the grinning spirit. “That seems pretty farfetched.”
 
“Is it?” he asked. “Just think about it for a minute, and think about all of the Displaced that you’ve met so far, of their stories about the other Displaced out there in the multiverse.”
 
My brows furrowed at the thought.
 
“But I thought that Chaos was more of your shtick.” I pointed out.
 
“Oh, Ryu.” he patted my head patronizingly. “I may be a creature of Chaos, but I am merely a Spirit, an embodiment of it; something that other people confuse with a God.”
 
“You’re not?” I asked.
 
“Pfft, no. I am no god.” he said. “If I were, do you really think that some stupid artifacts could seal me; artifacts used by mortals?”
 
Well… I would argue that it was destiny, or something, but that would mean that Applejack and the others should have been the embodiment of their Element since birth. But Applejack still told some white lies when she was a filly, something that I taught her never to do after catching her doing it.
 
“If I were a God of Chaos, then wouldn’t I be more weakened with how things are here in Equestria; with all its Harmony and some such? What, do you also think that Lulu and Moles-Tia are goddesses as well?”
 
“I’ve made them both bleed years ago, so I know that they’re mortal.” I told him. “I guess Spirits are on a different category from Alicorns, then?”
 
“Yes.” Discord admitted before grinning, “However it’s you and your kind that really piques my interest. As creatures of Chaos, I’m very curious of the things that you do and how you differ from each other.”
 
That’s easy to answer. We are ALL different, with maybe some being similar in some ways, but we are never exactly the same.
 
Being once human myself, I can attest that my kind are the most chaotic of beings in my original dimension. We embody almost EVERY aspect of chaos, even.
 
My lips quirk into a small smile. I’ve never thought of myself like that before. “I never realized how much of a good company you are, Discord. You give me so many things to think about.” I chuckled. “It’s refreshing, I suppose, to see an old face that wasn’t after my life. You were also one of the few who could ever make me laugh.”
 
The draconequus’ whole body shuddered in revulsion. “Wow. You actually said that without any snark. I’m almost suspicious that you aren’t the real Ryu.”
 
I hummed in response. “What are you going to do now, Discord?”
 
“In the immediate future?” he asked. “None. Not with those genes of yours scattered out there.”
 
My ears perked up at that.
 
He looked at me, his expression unusually serious. “I can’t sense them, Ryu. Not even one out of six. You know what that means.”
 
My fist clenched and face darkened. “They…” I hesitated. “You’re telling me that they could also…”
 
Discord nodded. “They can keep their powers dormant. They can hide even from me, like how you can—“
 
“—Like how I can in my human form.” I finished.
 
That… that was bad. I don’t know how I know, but I do. If they were in any way like me in my dormant state—my human form, then I’m definitely in for the fight of my life. But still, how can pure Genes suppress themselves that not even Discord can sense them?
 
My finger twitched slightly as a dull ache passed my body.
 
My eyes went down towards my hand and an idea came to me.
 
My magic.
 
My body.
 
My pain.
 
I was put into a coma when my magic core was almost depleted. Applejack and the rest said that I was pale for two weeks after that, something about missing a whole lot of blood. That, itself, should have clued me in on what happened.
 
They were the ones who took it.
 
The genes took my blood.
 
THAT was why I lost my dragon characteristics. THAT was why I woke up so weak. THAT was the reason for all this pain that I’m experiencing.
 
They took my blood and created their own bodies, weakening my own and making me suffer.
 
My teeth transformed and my fangs grinded against each other. Rage and trepidation bubbled inside my chest. I knew now what they did.
 
Just like how the [Leech Power] spell replenishes my magic by taking it from an outside source, there was another one like it that mends any wound on my body at the cost of consuming another creature.
 
[Drain]
 
A spell that uses my magic to break down whatever living thing that I’ve eaten and replaces every blood, bone or organ that I’ve lost by using their life to prolong mine. It’s something that I’ve used a lot during my training, and something that I found out after eating my first sapient enemy.
 
Apparently, regrowing a severed limb is not the spell’s limit. They used my blood as a base template for their own bodies, a sample to better match their own powers. With my blood and [Drain], they could create perfect bodies for themselves.
 
I grunted as I scowled. “Things have really gone to hell, apparently.”
 
Discord hummed in agreement, choosing to look out towards the garden where his own decoy statue stood close to mine.
 
Emperor Dragon
 
The infamous name given to me after what I did to the Badlands. The first and last time I’ve ever gone full dragon without the [Force] gene. The beginning of my downward spiral into the depths of misfortune.
 
But no, not anymore. I'm going to change that. Like how I kept claiming to Nicko and Anson, I will change.
 
I raised my hand and watched as how it shook. Magic circulated rapidly inside my body, agitating my blood and the dormant gene that lay within.
 
A burst of dimensional distortion swallowed my hand and forearm, hiding it from the world. Once my limb reemerged from the distortion, it’s appearance had changed.
 
Sharp claws clicked against each other, and white scales shifted with every movement I make. A dragon’s arm took the place of my own, a sign that I was still one of the Dragon Clan, a Brood.
 
It never left me. I was just too weak to make it materialize, and I relied too much on the original eighteen to look deeper within myself.
 
I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised. [Flame] and [Defender] were genes that manifested within the original Ryu. Out of the eighteen that he possessed, two had truly been his. The other sixteen were just found along his journey.
 
As I said to Nicko, the Displaced aren’t as limited as the ones that inspired their new identities. We could grow far beyond the originals, and evolve into our own characters.
 
My dragon hand clenched.
 
This is proof of that. For me to manifest my own gene outside of the original eighteen shouldn’t be possible if I was wrong.
 
Now I’ve started to question my own limits, wondering if I even HAVE a limit. There was a tiny voice in the back of my mind, telling me “No”, that “you don’t have limits”. It’s telling me that I can still grow stronger, far beyond what I could have imagined. Then it said that I could still go beyond that, again and again, far beyond the reaches of mortal ken.
 
An unending Growth.
 
A limitless Evolution.
 

An Endless