Log 13- Guidance part 2
Of Magic and Machines- Guidance Part 2
Castle of Friendship (Nicko’s world)
When the morning sun rose, Faith woke up, hoping to see her father and uncle back again. But, to her dismay, this was not the case. She felt worried for them. They told her that they would be back soon, but now, they still haven’t returned. Then, the young girl decided that the best way to address these feelings of hers was to write in her journal about them.
The last few days have been… strange for me. I’ve now been reunited with my dad and my uncle, but I now worry for them. At times, when I come back from meeting other Displaced and I don’t see them, I worry about if they’re okay. I even had a bad dream the other night about the two of them fighting someone that my uncle considered a friend. What should I do?
-The Code Nemesis, Faith.
Unknown to her though, an answer had formed in the book from her previous entry.
Hall of Elements (Ryu’s World)
Anson and Ryu kicked off the ground at the same time. The Infinity Sword wound an arm back, and swung an overhead slash. Ryu opened his [Mind’s Eye] and watched in clarity as how Anson’s blade descended.
The former dragon spun to the right, letting his opponent’s blade pass his left side before driving an elbow into Anson’s side.
The Infinity Sword stumbled back and almost didn’t see Ryu’s sword coming up to his face.
“No you don’t!”
Nicko jumped over his brother and intercepted the blade. Ryu’s eyes widened when his sword shattered almost upon contact against Nicko’s. The Rune Slayer himself was also surprised, but didn’t stop his assault and slashed at Ryu in a rising diagonal.
The gash travelled from Ryu’s lower right side and ended at his left shoulder. Had Nicko been closer, or if he had been going for the kill, he would have taken Ryu’s heart in his attack given how lightly his chest plate protected him.
Ryu jumped back, holding his wound in pain. He gave a grunt as he looked at his bloodied hand. He scowled before healing the wound and looking back up to Nicko. His student looked determined, but he saw Nicko’s hesitation when his blood dripped onto the grass.
“Is this how a disabled man fights, Ryu?” Nicko called out. “‘Cause I don’t see the problem.”
His mentor was silent, but Nicko saw how the man scowled deeper in response. Ryu created another sword, but glanced at the blade with a frown. It was a lot more transparent than the ones he had two months back. It looks like his magic in general really has lost its potency. That meant that he’d rather not try [Shadowwalk] lest he wanted to get trapped inside the shadow dimension.
“Sword Blasting!”
Ryu didn’t need to look up to know that something was coming at him. He trusted his instincts to jump back multiple times, dodging every magic constructed swords Anson sent him. The Infinity Sword was rather irked that he received the first blow, but was happy that Nicko got the first drawn 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 kick him back to his old self as well. Though beating his annoying personality from earlier out of him could be considered a bonus.
Ryu grunted from his crouch as he forced his almost numb limbs to stand. He was really pushing himself with this fight. He was startled when a loud boom erupted from Nicko’s position. The Rune Slayer was running towards his mentor, using the very skill that was taught to him back when Ryu accepted him as his student.
Dirt and Grass were torn from the ground as Nicko created runes under his feet after each step, detonating them for every forward movement, and adding more distance in his strides.
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 his eyes. Nicko continued his serpentine run until he sent a spray of dirt towards the former drake using the explosion under his foot.
Had Ryu not used [Mind’s Eye] from the beginning, the tactic would have worked, but because of the skill’s effect in enhancing his perception, he could easily follow Nicko’s movements as well as the spray sent his way.
However, his body was still recovering, his movements were sluggish, and his reaction time was slowed immensely. He tried to jump away to the side, but found his body unwilling to follow his command. It took a considerable effort to push himself to move. He dove instead of jumped
He was caught off guard when a rune appeared in the place here he landed, with Nicko already there and expecting him. His student seems 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 and the force that went to the sword bounced off of the blade, doubling the power of the force facing Ryu, sending him rolling backwards, and straight to 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 technique.
“Crescent Cut!”
Three consecutive sword arcs grinded against Ryu’s back. He gritted his teeth as what little armor he had did nothing to soften the blows. Nicko was already making his next charge when he was thrown forward by the attack.
“No!”
Ryu painfully stopped his momentum 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 were wide at seeing the distortion in the air. Both of them jumped to the side, 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 actually then that he found out that it was just another skill that he could learn, but didn’t know how.
[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 it was rare for him to use it. 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 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 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 burst from his body and turned into multiple blades 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 at the man. “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 rushes at Anson. Nicko came in between the pair to intercept them, but Ryu used [Mind’s Eye] to read his movements and find the Rune Slayer’s blind spot after he swung his sword, to slip past him and continue towards the Infinity Sword.
“My heart feels lighter now, and I feel 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, forcing the joints to unconsciously lock. Anson stumbled forward from the surprise as he looked down at his legs. In that moment, Ryu shoved his palm over the man’s face and detonated a [Simoon] at point blank, forcing the other Displaced to soar backwards into a roll.
“Anson!” Nicko unintentionally calls out, alerting Ryu of just how close he was behind him.
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 towards Nicko’s face, Ryu detonated another [Simoon] that blew the redhead back.
“I don’t need to fear myself, or fear for the others around me.” Ryu relaxed his body, using [Rest] to recuperate as Nicko and Anson recovered. “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 back, his mind going back to the time he had met Jack Frost.
Ryu ignored his statement and raised a hand above his head with his palm facing the sky. Multiple balls of [Sirrocco] flew up into the air, where they started raining down everywhere in the garden. Nicko and Anson frantically dodged the hail of bombs, with the explosions creating potholes 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 swords 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 and Anson held his swords firmly to prevent himself from being disarmed. Turning his face up, Anson saw the other man looking at him directly in the eyes with an angry glare.
“How many Displaced do you think despaired when they lost their identity? How do you think they felt when they see a different face every time they look in a mirror.”
With Anson’s blades still frozen in their crossed position, Ryu slipped a kick from underneath him and sent the Infinity Swordsman flying.
“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 swung his arm upwards and struck the redhead’s chin with an open palm.
Nicko stumbled back,his head rattled by the blow, unable to see Ryu spinning in the opposite direction of his first spin. He only regained his focus again when he found Ryu’s shoulder and elbow shoved 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 [Spirit Blast], Nicko collapsed down to his knees and began coughing uncontrollably, sometimes even spitting out blood. The skill forced the impact to slip past the skin and muscles, and straight through the organs and out his back.
“I was one of those people…” Ryu whispered in sadness, looking down at Nicko. He could easily kill his student like this. “I wept in longing for my mother’s embrace; I cried out in sorrow for my father’s love; I huddled in a corner, craving for the company of the friends that I will never see again.”
When Nicko looked up at his teacher and saw the melancholy in his eyes. His mouth opened to say something to the man, but Ryu spun once again, gathering momentum, before kicking Nicko in the side of his head, sending 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. Ryu didn’t realize what Anson had intended, and so paid the price for it.
The Infinity Swordsman stabbed Conwell down into the ground. and a split second later numerous copies of the sword erupted from the soil at an incredible speed. 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 littered his body, and he was thrown back a few distance away from the force of the rising blades.
Anson saw Nicko limping back towards him, and they both watched the other Displaced lay on the ground, face down, and bleeding heavily.
Ryu took his time laying prone on the ground, slowly healing himself with [Restore] and [Rest].
Clenching his hands, Ryu slowly started to push himself off the ground. He was still healing, but it wasn’t enough. He needed more magic.
“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 arms on his legs and ignoring the pain ravaging through his body, and the grass slowly being painted by his own blood.
“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 me and him are the same person. Did you know that when you see or hear something too often, it will brainwash you to believe that it’s true?” He stood up, still using [Rest] to heal himself. “I don’t even remember what I used to look like anymore.”
A large hexagon gem appeared in the air above Ryu’s head. It rose high up 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. “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?”
The gem in the air, Ryu’s [Leech Power] spell, 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.
“What do you think that did to my sanity? 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 singles 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.
Ryu’s eyes flashed ominously.
[GIGAFLARE!]
High above Canterlot, inside one of its tallest towers, six mares, one dragon pup and two princesses watched in awe and trepidation as the sphere of fire and wind engulfed the entire garden area.
Celestia and Luna watched with impassive expressions as they once again witness 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 that 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, 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 her 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.”
“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. This, thus, left him vulnerable to the aftereffects of his own creation as he was more focused on inflicting harm to his opponents.
“And to think that this is him at his weakest.” Rarity whispered in disbelief.
“Yes. But for him to do this much damage, he must have put ten times the amount of energy like he said.” Twilight nodded, looking unusually solemn, yet serious at the same time. 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 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 so long to survive this level of violence.
Smoke and ash drifted in the air in the garden area. 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 Ryu’s mouth.
They all struggled to stand back up, and all of them were glaring.
“You want a damn reason!?” Anson said 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!”
“It was a responsibility that I didn’t want!” The former dragon yelled.
Nicko stood up, using his sword to support himself.. “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 that the former dragon received from the brothers was more pressure. More pleas. More desperate attempts in order for 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 scream startled both of the brothers as they look back at Ryu. The smoke had cleared enough for them to see each other, but they were surprised to see tears running down Ryu’s face.
“I know… I f*cking know that.” He sobbed through gritted teeth. “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 want to! I can 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. That word is nothing but a lie; a ploy to raise the hopes of those who are trapped in their own hell. And, when they finally realize the truth, it’ll destroy them.”
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 teenager. No matter how mature he acts, or how cold his personality is, 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, 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 adapt.
Ryu never… truly grew up. He’d keep 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 sorry for him.
Ryu’s eyes flashed for a brief second, and his expression hardened as he stood up and wiped 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 look on his brother’s face, he relented. Nodding his head, Anson stepped back. “Kick his ass.”
Nicko nodded as his brother left, removing his cloak and showing Ryu the wounds he gained throughout the brief battle. 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 road.
“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. “I must have spouted some bullsh*t 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, but that doesn’t make you right.”
Nicko started gathering his magic in preparation. 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 is 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!” Then he lunged.
[Berserk!] - Ryu breaks through the limits of his physical body, but in return he’s slowly driven into rage as more time passes and becomes a berserker after a certain time limit is reached.
Nicko bit back a curse and jumped back. “No. I’m completely certain: You Are Wrong!” He blocked the fist aimed at his face, before 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 the martial arts he learned from the minotaurs. The movements have been beaten into his body for years, allowing his berserk mind to incorporate them as part of his instincts.
Snarling to himself, the former dragon spun and delivered a stiff kick at Nicko, only for the Rune Slayer to put up another block with his sword. “Oh really? I’m wrong? Well then how about you? What makes you so right?!”
Nicko held his sword close, focusing mostly at defense as he waited for Ryu 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, throwing another fist at Nicko. “I’m not hiding anything! This is me, the new man without those damnable genes! There’s nothing fake about the me!”
Blocking another punch, Nicko didn’t brace himself on the ground. He let the force of the punch carry him backwards while also kicking his feet from the ground to add more distance to his flight.
Once he found his footing, Nicko ran to the side, away from Ryu’s position. “Yes, there is! 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 power 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 on Ryu’s body using the eight different swings taught to him by the man.
“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 shi palms. They both struggled to against each other; one trying to drive through, while the other was trying to prevent it.
"You, Ryu,” Nicko said through gritted teeth. “are just an angsty teenager having a B*tch fit!”
“Shut the hell up!!!” Ryu’s eyes were now completely dyed in red, and he 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 b*tchslapping 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 FIRE!!”
Eight hits of flowing sword movements hacked away at Ryu’s body, cutting and burning in an agonizing combination. 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 specks 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 from his body. 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.
Ryu 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, Celestia was escorting the others and was preventing Rainbow Dash from going off into the hail of blades to save the Displaced.
They were all caught unawares when the whole Canterlot shook from the massive roar that emanated 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 fire.
“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 into the ground with a thud, almost losing consciousness from fatigue. The ponies quickly rushed towards him, huddling around his tired body. There were white scales all over his body, pale as snow, and noticeably blank as an empty canvas.
The scales almost looked dead.
Thankfully, Ryu was still very much alive.
“Uncle Rahy!” Applejack panicked in worry. “Uncle, are you alright!”
The dragon let out a grunt and twitched his finger, making Applejack and the rest sigh in relief. He raised his head slowly and looked at his hand.
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 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 in worry.
“Ah’m sorry.” She sobbed. “Ah didn’t know that it would go this far. It was me who asked Anson to do this.”
Ryu had already figured as much. From what Anson had been saying earlier in the fight, he must have heard about Ryu from someone who already knew him pretty well to make the comparison from his new and old self.
Tiredly, Ryu pushed himself off the burnt ground to sit instead of lying down. “Come here, Applejack.”
The mare dejectedly walked over to him, expecting angry words for what she had done. Instead, however, she was surprised when he pushed her hat down on her head, and started rubbing her head through it.
“I’m not mad.” he said with a sigh. “I’m just frustrated, is all. But not at you. It’s mostly with myself… and maybe with those two over there.” he gestured at the two other Displaced, who both suddenly looked uncomfortable when everypony turned to them at the same time.
“So…” Applejack sniffled, her tone suddenly turning hopeful. “Does this mean that yer back?”
Ryu made a grunt before groaning and laying his back on the ground. “Yes, I suppose. I’m feeling prissy, I’m uncomfortable with everyone surrounding me, and Celestia’s too close.”
Said Alicorn gave a start at the mention of 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.
“So am I, I guess.” Ryu grumbled, still flipping off the 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 his brow at him, and Nicko’s steps faltered in 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 groaned in realization. “So that’s why…”
“What?”
Everyone looked at Ryu, who was rubbing his face in mild frustration. He knew what happened. After all, he’s been doing it several times during the fight.
“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.
“When you use a spell or a sword skill, 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. “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 allows 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 to the world and bend its laws for them 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.
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.
“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?” he asked.
“Because of the link, and incompatibility of our magic.” Ryu answered. “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.” 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 theory.”
Which is 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 spell 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 Nobility. 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 teeth 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 for her 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 the drake may be at times, 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 Ryu's 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 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 his personality may be. 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 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 completely 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] skills had bruised more than a few of their organs in the fight. 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 where he 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 deadpanned 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 f*cking 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 know 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 by the prospect.
“ … 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.
“Beep-Beep!” Ryu exclaimed, taking hold of his wheelchair with his telekinesis and moving it out of Anson’s reach. Soon after that, the dragon was driving around the room in circles, the infuriated Infinity Sword hot on his heels.
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 Ryu, who was abusing his rapid recovery and forcing a recently bedridden Anson to chase him. “Lies!” Luna 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 standing 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.
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 then glared at the mobile dragon. “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 was actually Pinkie Pie. She looked up to Ryu and grinned, the dragon laughing merrily before wrapping his hands around her body before applying his telekinesis on his wheelchair again.
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 telekinesis.
“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, or 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 gave 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?!
Anyways, the seven of them soon entered the throne room, where the rest of the elements of harmony 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 was like the ponies in this world were smaller somehow. “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. It was nice meeting Ryu’s friends.” Fluttershy said.
It was in that moment that Ryu made another power slide, passing between the two groups while saying, “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 deadpanned 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 rollin 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, not 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 her-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-like human 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 screamed in such agony 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.
Castle of Friendship (Nicko’s world)
Around the time that Faith and Anson got back, the Code Nemesis decided that she would go to her room to update her journal about the good things that have happened. However, when she cracked open the book, she found something different.
A message to her.
From a person named…… Robin.
End Log 13
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Ugh, I'm sorry to say it took me ages to get done with reading this chapter. And a crossover with Robin? Depending on the timeline... this could get interesting...
Robin who?
6664977 Robin Hood yaaaaaaaay! Probably some guy who dressed up as Tom Riddle.
6664977
7616155 Yeah... no. You're both incorrect