//------------------------------// // Beginning of the End, Part 3: The Kid From the Future // Story: Pony Ball: The Saga of Kitsune // by Matthew Stone //------------------------------// The day grows old as a wandering warrior pony travels on the mountain platform, looking for Dissonance, the long time reformed hero who vowed to help anypony in any task. He too, seeks revenge on Cosmos, since she is his mentor's killer. This pony looks like Mokuba from the Equestrian universe, only without the black marks scattered across his body. He wields a magic sword that he got from the mountain of the Holy Grail, named Valkyrie. The goddess Athena also enchants this sword, and her spirit lives inside of the sword.     His mentor was like his closest best friend from all he remembered. The mentor also looked a lot similar to Princess Luna, though her beauty resembles one of an angel. The female mentor took him in after his parents were killed; teaching him everything there is to know about magic and survival in the realities of any world. It was up to one day that a couple aliens slit her throat because she refused to give them a spell to manipulate others and turn them into monstrous slaves. She did all she could to lock away all confidential spells that are a resource on both good and evil, knowing she’ll leave all the trust knowledge of it in her student’s hands. Ever since then, the pony travels to visit his long time friends who also research the different spells, and believe it or not, one of them is Pico.     He and him were good friends on days they worked together with Flash and Ian. To top it off, they called themselves “The Fearless Four” when they got together for rescue missions every time they met. The whole clan assignments died down after a while, and they have gone their separate ways.     This wandering warrior's name is Ekko, and he is on the move to help others across Destania. He looks down at his wristband machine as he walks, seeing it turn on to locate his mileage. He’s nearing the fancy village that Kitsune and the gang tried to reach before.     "Athena, where is the location of the nearby Black Dragon clan camp? I have unfinished business with them, and their leader." Ekko asked his robot wristband.     "That may have to wait, we need to find Dissonance. He should be over the mountain." Athena replied calmly, with a soothing crisp machine voice.     WOOSH!               That’s a sound the pony warrior hears in the sky. Above him, he can see a flying aircraft above him, being controlled by a cowboy pony accompanied by a worm, cyan pegasi, and a little filly. There’s even a light blue pony with them, wearing a magician’s suit.     “Trixie?” Ekko says in shock, “I wonder why she’s with them…”     He then sees the aircraft huffing out the last of its gas, as it slows down to land on the dusty floor of desert ground. He keeps going on the trail, yet nearing close to the aircraft to make sure the crew is safe. He can see Trixie is still restrained and in the pegasi’s clutches when they get out.     “You act so snobby for someone friendly…” Trixie sneers at Hollow.     “Says you…” Hollow spat.     It was unknown to the pegasi, but when she heard Kendra calling something to her, Trixie started chanted something under her breath. It’s a monster casting spell, and she grins when she whispers out the creature. Ekko can hear with his sharp ears as he approaches closer, and his eyes widen at Trixie’s words.     “WATCH OUT!” Ekko tries to warn at Hollow.     The cyan pony turns to see the warrior, only to be knocked down by a sudden claw appearing before her eyes. Trixie then has her magic break her restraints, and jumps back as a cloudy, lion demon has her land on it’s back. The creature’s mane is as grey as chimney smoke, while there’s a red crested emblem engraved on its forehead. Its sharp teeth are white as snow.     “Should have gagged me if you had the chance!” Trixie yells at the two ponies and filly, “Now my ARYL LION will stop you from going any further! ATTACK!”         The beast charges at Hollow Colors before heading towards Megan and Kendra. The cyan pony flies backward to give a first kick towards the beast’s jaw. However, the lion fogs up with such cloudy ways, and goes through Hollow to then come behind her, having its claws slash by her back! Hollow falls down in pain, yelling as she lands hard on the ground with her hooves. As the lion nears closer to its prey, Ekko finally joins the fight, and pulls out his sword to block the clawed attack.     “What are you doing?” Athena asks Ekko, “We don’t have time of this.”     “I can’t just let that beast kill innocent followers of justice!” Ekko tells his device, “I’m in this now, no matter what!”     Kendra is amazed at the warrior’s sword swings toward the lion demon, pushing back the fierce claw attacks, and grazing cuts across its cheek. Megan nears Hollow to help her up and get her to safety, as Trixie spots both of them while staying on the lion’s back. She then chants a power to activate the crest on the beast’s forehead.     “SHOOT!” she screams, “BRING FORTH WHATEVER COMES OUT!”     The lion roars as it spurts out a mix of brown and red with the acid burning blast! The explosion nearly touches Megan’s stick, having it cast a third degree burn on her back leg. The filly jumps back, still holding Hollow in her arms. Kendra screams, coming forward to defend her friend and sister while pulling out her lasso. Trixie laughs; as she has the lion start fighting against her now.     The feline ghost bites its teeth towards the pony’s chest, as Kendra hops over and throws the loop of rope around its muzzle. She tightens it, and clings onto the struggling beast as it thrusts back and forth. It acts as a bull, as Kendra steers it to ram into a canyon rock against its will, having Trixie fall off the beast’s back.     “OOF! Rotten bitch!” she yells!     The magician pony takes off her hat, putting her hoof into it to try and pull something out. She eyes on Kendra fighting the lion, fearing the cowboy pony may win. To Trixie’s luck, she manages to pull out a glowing dagger. Then, a silver sword presses against her neck, with Ekko holding it from behind. Trixie sneers, having her dagger magically grow to point into his eyes.     “You have guts to join the party!” she scoffs.     “You want to fight then?” Ekko asks.     Trixie swings the dagger across the pelvis of Ekko, having him bend forward to have him push the sword by force. Trixie then goes under and tries to make the stab into the thigh, only to have the warrior kick her back by striking her chin. A tooth falls out, as Ekko then swings the sword again, ripping part of her cape.     “MY CAPE!” Trixie shouts, “YOU… YOU…”     She then has her dagger gleam, as it shoots out another razor sharp aura with sparks glowing on the sides. Ekko jumps, missing the attack, yet feeling the slightest snap of blood pouring out from whip of electricity on his leg. He has it pull back, knocking Trixie by the side of her chest to twirl and roll in the dust.     Ekko then turns, seeing Kendra is still trying to stop the lion. There HAS to be a way to stop that monster, otherwise it will kill her. Would it though? Possibly, if it would still use the crest on… IT’S FOREHEAD. That has to be the weak spot.     Bringing up his courage, Ekko trots fast while holding his big blade with his right hoof.     “Athena, I need you to go into new formation!” the warrior tells his wristband gadget, “Keep either Trixie or the lion occupied, however you can!”     “Very well.” the gadget replies.     Disconnecting from Ekko’s hoof, the robotic being twirls around and changes from hollow cylinder to rounded body with growing limbs and feet. The screen changes to its face, as the body also grows by length, just as it’s four feet right in front of Trixie. The magician pony gets up, looking at the new fighter with her raving eyes.     “Initiating fighting mode.” the gadget creature says.     The hands of the robot spark out blue blades, swirling them around to attack. The machine is expecting Trixie to fight back, and sure enough, she does with the next swing of her dagger. She roars at Ekko’s friend, as the warrior pony charges at the lion with Kendra noticing him.     Athena floats up, with avoiding Trixie’s magical sword bends, having the blade twirl and angle at each limb it tries to chop off. Athena then has a laser from her weapon spark with Trixie’s blade in such a collision, already having the sparks crack the metal slowly. Trixie pulls the dagger back, seeing it’s weakening. She then casts a spell to try and strengthen its health, but before she can finish the chant, Athena shoots another laser from her electric sword. The spark has the dagger crackle into pieces immediately.     “Your timing is insufficient.” Athena says.     “ARRRRGH!” Trixie screams.     As Trixie fights the machine with her bare hooves, Ekko runs backward in front of the lion and blocks every swing its claws extend with such force. Each powerful throw gives Ekko patience, and the waiting chance for the lion to lose energy. Kendra herself, still clings to the mane of the beast, seeing the warrior jumping back again as he soon slice a claw of the lion’s paw. The creature screams, rising up as Kendra leans back while hanging on. She can then see Ekko pointing somewhere to her.     “The forehead…” he whispers, “I’ll distract him a bit longer. You do the rest.”     Kendra nodded, finally understanding his plan. He’ll have the lion slow down, as she’ll have the chance to strike at the crest on the front temple. She grabs each hair of the mane, dragging upward bit by bit as she also pulls something out of her belt. It’s a Samuel S. Colt gun, and its bullet in each round is set. One coated in silver is reserved especially for that ghostly lion bastard.     Ekko pushes his legs with skipping trots, having his sword move like a ballet as the fierce claws try to dig past the blade barrier. He can see Kendra climbing over, despite the thrashing roller coaster jumps of the demon. She past the ears now, nears the tip end of the mane. Ekko manages to also slash his sword to cut one of the lion’s paws off, having ooze blast out from its hole. As the lion screams… Kendra hangs down from his forehead pointing the gun.     “See this… mother fucker!” she grins.     BLAM! The bullet tears through the crest, pouring through the monster’s forehead in such a merciless kill. As Athena sees this, she floats back to quickly form back into herself around Ekko’s wrist. Trixie looks up again, roaring as she hears the last groan of her demon turning into dust, and evaporating into mist. Kendra rushes over to the magician pony, ready to apprehend her again.     “You already caught me once!” Trixie screams, “But guess what, WE’LL MEET AGAIN!”           POOF!              She throws a smoke bomb down, as the effects of the chemical act like tear gas, blocking the sight of Ekko and Kendra’s vision. As the cloudy move disappears, Kendra growls to see that Trixie has escaped again. She stomps her hoof on the ground in frustration, but then turns around to see how Hollow Colors is doing.     “Hollow.” Megan sobs.     Kendra can see excessive blood being dripped from her back. Megan does her best to bandage the wound on the pegasi, but the injury is still throbbing as strong as a generator. Ekko then steps forward, and pulls something out of his bag. He slowly takes out a bottle with purple liquid, and rubs his hoof gently on Hollow’s forehead to calm her down. He slowly pours the likely potion on her wound, having the pegasi huff slowly and peacefully in seconds.     “A simple trick.” Ekko tells Kendra, “A mix of aloe with the special sacred leaves that block any more blood from leaving a creature that breathes. She’ll live, but she needs rest for a couple of days. Any more movement can worsen the wound.”     Kendra smiles in relief.     “Thank you… for helping out.” Kendra beams, “What’s your name?”               “Ekko.” he answers, “What are you guys doing out here anyway?”     “Looking for a guy named Kitsune.” Kendra answers, “Our friend is near here, from what our GPS on our aircraft told us. But Trixie somehow managed to whisper something that can shut the machine down completely, just so she can try and finish us… and get away.”     “Which she successfully did.” Megan groans.     “I’m detecting any related citizen by the name of Kitsune.” Athena replies on Ekko’s wrist.     “Who’s that?” Megan asks.     “Athena, my robot friend.” Ekko answers, “So, where is he?”              “In the village we’re heading towards, where Dissonance is living.” Athena answers.     “What a coincidence, I’m heading there too.” Ekko smiles.     He then looks up at the ponies and filly.     “I’m heading over to find Dissonance myself.” he says, “Since I know where he is, maybe I can guide you there, and we’ll find both him and Kitsune.”     Kendra smiles.     “That would be great.” she accepts.     “I think I’ll convince to go back here so he can pick up your machine and fix it too.” he adds.     “Then what are we waiting for?” Megan says, “Let’s go.”     Ekko has Athena then turn into a stretcher, and has it strap Hollow peacefully on so they can carry her while they walk. The four of them are now calm, and head down the gravely trail to the next village. Dissonance’s home is not far off now.