Indomitable Journey's End

by Slendy

Chp. 4 - Origin

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a vast, cloudy field. My feet touched a surface I couldn't see, and the sky stretched on around me into infinity. I couldn't find my voice, it all came out empty, so I repressed my questions and let my eyes answer for me. Oh, nothing but clouds and sky, and the woman standing only a few feet away - wait.

I tried to scream, but nothing came out, yet, the armoured woman turned, giggling silently herself at the reaction that left me turning red from embarrassment. She wore dragonhide weaved together with scales and spines laced with a red undertone across studded spines, Constructing a suit of armour that hugged her nicely. Claws hooked around her fingers and toes, a pair of black wings tipped with crimson like the many accents of her armour.

The helmet was gone in place for kind, emerald eyes under ginger bangs tied up into a ponytail. She smiled at me, a great shadow cast over the clouds behind her. A large, jagged array of peaks and ominous spires of rock overlooked us. She sighed breathlessly, pointing up at the two highest spires, a valley of sorts between them. And... that same eerie melody that's bugged me for near three days. It was emanating from them.

"Who are you?" I had found my voice. She turned back, lowering her arm with a sad smile; approaching me, she raised her hand, pressing it against my... human chest. I was my old self again! I felt a steady warmth pulse at my centre, a few glimmering shards of red underneath my shirt. "My ruby's shards? Why are they...?" She pressed that same hand to my lips, her right mimicking the action on her own. All I could do was a nod to her.

She lowered her hands, constantly smiling until the sunlight over the peaks blinded us both.

---

*Thunk*

"Ack, who built these bunks so low?" I hissed, clutching my head as the ship rocked me awake. It appeared to be nightfall, judging by the candlelight beside me. I must've used up all my stamina in that fight. "What was that dre- eh?" Peering down at where my paw resided, I found it against the chest, rising and falling by my side.

Yui was fast asleep beside me, hugging my waist tightly as I removed my hoof from her fuzzy chest. Heavy sleeper as always, rivalling me nowadays. She snored softly against my fur, tickling me as I adjusted to rest my head on the pillow again. I loved this world, fighting Monsters, discovering treasures but... I really do like these times when it is just us. Call it corny, but I just felt... like I belonged here. Not in bed constantly, but - well, it doesn't matter.

I flicked a few strands of her mane behind her ear, seeing it flick with her eased smile. "...you really love making me worry..." Yeah, aura sense is a breeze to tell if someone's sleeping.

"Not all the time," I answered simply. Her hooves tightened.

"And that stunt you pulled, you knew it was dangerous," Yui murmured against my chest.

"I... know," That was a little quieter, my arm trapped under her neck, so I just bent it to hold her until our noses touched, herself adjusting to sit at that level. "I was scared."

"I know," She echoed, pecking my lips sweetly. "But we've been in dangerous situations before, and we've found a way, it didn't matter the place or the monster, we just did it our way," Her eyes finally opened, irises as captivating as they were every day. "So, let's do this our way."

I was lost for a moment, staring back at Yui who's ears flicked curiously. "...you're beautiful," She blushed lightly at that, giggling against my face with half-lidded eyes.

"Oh? Now you want to start buttering up to me?" She teased, scooting closer to listen as I humoured her. "I mean, you never did finish what you said a few days ago..."

"Well, let's see, I was complimenting you for being awesome-"

"I remember," She added.

"And then you said 'but', implying I had more to say," By now we left really no room between us, I ensured this time nothing would come close to interrupting me this time. Maybe now wasn't the best time, but no issue with trying to drop breadcrumbs.

"Did you...?" She faintly breathed against my lips, moving an inch closer.

"I-I... just wondered i-if someday w-we um..." Stop; Ren told you this would happen; you need to relax and just get the words out. Four words, the first big three were tough too, but I managed, I can do this! My face was beginning to boil hotter than I could control. "I-if um w-we c-c-could a-a..."

Her muzzle pressed to mine, silencing my stuttering, her cheeks rosy while keeping her purple gaze locked on me. "Don't be afraid," I flinched. Did she know...? "It took you two years to let me know about every little secret of yours; I can hardly recall every detail, but I listened, and I will continue to do so, alright?" She pulled back slightly. "So whatever it is, I can wait. Besides, I'm already happy where I am; after all, it all led me here..."

She gently pressed her lips for longer to mine, so I didn't worry, and simply enjoyed a little quiet time with my bat pony, savouring the fruity taste on her lips.

---

Nightfall out at sea had a certain vibrance to it. There was a clear, star-filled sky, gentle currents beneath the ship, and a captain who knew how to play the flute. Ren sat with her back to us, playing a gentle tune that carried itself to sea, filling the astral night as Topaz was clearly up at the top of the mast, her aura soothed by the song. I poked Yui, tugging her behind said post while pointing at the bow. She followed my claw, and her smile grew larger than after enjoying each other's company.

Jack sat on a barrel, facing the dark sea far and wide. "Y'know, I ain't some two-bit thief, I'm honest for a change, and I only take from greedy ponies, not my fault they left that armour lying around for somepony to snatch."

"It was still wrong," Mira argued, watching the sea below with her head on the edge of the ship. "Why did you help me?"

"Why wouldn't I help some crazy wyvern beat another crazier wyvern?" He remarked, flinching when he saw her cheek puff with possibly more water. "Ahahaha... sorry, just... sometimes you gotta take risks, do not what your mind dictates and gets with your own flow."

"My own flow?" She echoed; clearly, Mira hasn't grasped philosophy as well in all this time. I can't blame her; a monster trying to be more human isn't easy. "I... do not have one, I... travel a lot."

Jack clopped his hooves. "There it is; that's your flow! Travelling the world, seeing new places, meeting new characters doesn't get freer than that!" He chuckled, and his boisterous aura bubbled and weaved with Mira's, her ears perking up again.

"I... like that," Well, no sense in ruining their own time together. "Being free."

"He's not so bad," Yui whispered as we approached the stairs leading to Ren.

"Can't believe you wanted to toss him out to sea." My smirk caused her to trip slightly had I not caught her.

"Ahem, thanks, b-but in all fairness, we're not all mind readers here."

"Aura-"

She prodded her wing at me. "Don't you get wise with me."

"Aren't you two lovebirds adorable," Ren chuckled, lowering her flute to greet us. "Lovely night, eh?"

"'It's tranquil,'" I replied.

"Nothing for miles ought to be daylight soon, so we best find a small island to dock so we can rest," Ren stretched, not bothering to watch the water. "Do me a solid and grab Topaz; pretty sure she's asleep with a bottle up there, and I'd rather not have her being injured on my conscience."

Nodding along, I turned with a wave. "'Aye-aye, Captain.'" With that, I leapt over the railing down onto the deck.

---

[No POV]

Now alone, Ren casually hummed a little tune while scanning the waves for a suitable place to settle for the night. So far, their search had come up empty, no Valstrax and no rumblings; rather, none could feel them. Actually, Ren gripped the wheel tighter at the lack of any waves.

Yui smiled, watching Zen scale the mast to find Topaz. "So, enjoying being the boss?"

Ren giggled. "Love it~ Haven't been at the helm since I arrived in Val Harbor, what a day that was, even fought a big ol' Elder with a newbie too, it was something spectacular." Her mind wandered back to the great desert and the battle across its endless dunes with the monster that swam through it like water fins gliding through sand as they battled across its back. She missed that chipper Huntress and her Palico friend too. "I think if I got the chance, I'd like to go a second round against that dragon; I never did settle the score."

The treasure hunter chuckled with the woman, sitting down to look up at the stars. "Hearing you say that makes me feel a little worried about what your big dreams are - like facing a Black Dragon?" Yui suggested, seeing Ren nod in thought, eyes closed. This made her worry increase. "You're kidding me...?"

"Nope, I mean, I get it, the idea of facing these sorts of monsters to the inexperienced seems almost suicidal, but in actuality, it's just how I was raised," Ren turned the ship, adjusting to sail in a wide arc. "The Old World is teeming with monsters, many of which have killed many people; in honesty, if not for Hunters like me, we'd have been wiped out by now, but..." Gripping the handles, she spun softly, feeling the midnight breeze on her cheeks. "To be a Hunter is to embody a culture of danger - when we hear of a massive monster heading toward us, we run at the chance to meet it, to enthral ourselves to that feelin' pumping through our veins, you know?"

She saw Yui's whimsical face and stammered an awkward blush. "Ah hahaha, sorry, my brother's better at the big word talk than me..."

"No, it's alright, I feel that way when Zen talks, you both come off to be headstrong or childish, but you understand the gravity of things, like this mission of ours," She waved her wing up at the mast, seeing a bottle fly past a shadow that ducked in fright. "You both can laugh even when things are dire; you make others stronger because you don't let that fear of failure bother you."

Listening closely, Ren soon cackled out loud, scratching her cheek. "Hehehe, you keep that up, and I think I might fall for you," She teased, Yui giving a perplexed, awkward smile. "But thanks, I can see why Wolfboy's got his eye on you constantly - not just your looks."

"Eh? I-I mean I-i'm just saying what's t-true," She blushed at the implication, watching the whitette wink.

"Your secret's safe with me," Ren cooed. "Duh du d-duh..." This particular melody only served to further Yui's crimson features, hiding behind her hood and wing with a whine. "Oh, and about the 'culture of danger'..." She poked her thumb off to the left casually as a distant roar of water caught their ears.

Yui, still flustered, turned to find that part of the horizon was warped by a dark wall of water not far from the ship. The waves under them buckled from the force of a rogue wave in the distance. The sight and trembling vibrations on her ears made Yui's face drain of blood, realizing why Ren had pivoted the ship a while back. Snapping her neck around to the grinning girl, Ren merely rubbed her nose.

"...Good senses are a good payoff, heh." Captain Ren was the best captain; Yui wouldn't question otherwise.

---

[Zen's POV]

We made it...

There was a strange tension in the air, not around us; the land itself circulated. The sea was deathly calm despite my ears picking up on the faintest trace of that racking melody. The wind was tame, but the sky was a constant grey. The land was mostly jagged mountains and valleys. These same spines of rock jutting in the circumference of the island like teeth, waves crashed into their obstructions as we docked on a beach, one of the few available. Organ Isle.

"Alright!" Topaz drew our attention in, herself kicking another crate down the rampart. "I'd say this would be a safe place to camp, but the higher ground never hurts."

"Then we'll divide into teams?" Ren surmised, seeing the Captain nodded.

"One team investigates the island, look for clues to the monster behind all this, the other stays to handle offloading necessities for a camp, the former team we'll also handle that on the side if they want." Topaz waved her hoof side-to-side, then drew it toward the stowaway. "And you."

"Heeey, don't mind me, Capy, I'm just gonna get the lay of the-" He froze at her snort and glowing horn, pursing his lips. "You drive a hard bargain; I'll stick with the ship."

"Dirty Thief..." Mira murmured with a pout off to the side.

"Ack... alright-alright, I'll behave," He ushered our worries down with his hooves, pointing at me. "Stop reading me; I hate that look!"

"'You want to try and learn Poke-Speak, by all means,'" I grinned, seeing him deflate. "'Jack aside, I think it's best Topaz keeps him in check for us, no telling if Valstrax will show up too.'"

"You think it's connected to this island?" Yui inquired though even I lacked certainty, herself rubbing her chin with her wing. "I guess it's all a big mystery until we investigate further." It was clear she was eager to set out and explore. "I know this is tossing up a red flag, but what happens if we come across the Elder Dragon responsible for the tremors?"

"You better hope we don't," Ren warned, finishing sharpening her sword, inspecting its faces. "We're at a severe disadvantage like this, exposed, no camp, not even a lay of the land - heck, anyone else hears any wildlife yet?"

This was true; not a bird nor bug was in sight, oceanic life was present, that much I could sense, but the rest was diluted, almost barren of life across the jagged spires. To take my mind off the impending shivers, I wanted to ask Jack something. "'Say, why did you stow away on our ship, just curious?'"

He stopped looking over his cloak with a smug grin. "Well, a little stubborn monster seemed eager to get back to the waves, so I took it upon myself to follow her trail to see what fortunes could be found," It wasn't entirely dishonest, but his words did draw Mira's eyes from the ocean, hoof no longer swaying in the tide.

"You followed me?" She asked, no less confused than the rest of us.

"Well..." He fiddled with his cloak a bit. "You kinda saved my flank and felt I owed ya one; sure, fighting big monsters isn't part of my skill set, but I can be quite the info broker," He patted his chest. "Got any details or need of them I'm your stallion - though I can't exactly do much now that Capy here's got a stink eye on me."

"You'll get more than that if you keep calling me that, brat," Topaz growled, whipping sand into his face with her tail. "Zen, take Ren, Mira, and Yui further inland; I don't know what's waiting for us, but we can't waste time twiddling our hooves."

"'Sure, I can handle that,'" I gave a playful salute, seeing her roll her eyes with a smile.

"Yes-yes, and I'll handle this so-and-so thief, what little that means." Now that seemed to offend Jack, pouting himself as Mira hid a small giggle at his reaction. To remedy this while packing up my own supplies, I hummed.

"'Hey now, professionals have standards!'" I snickered, seeing Yui's expression drop, mouthing 'don't you dare'. Too late, the thief nodding in agreement.

"See, Poke... whatever here gets it! One; Be Polite," He answered, seeing my grin as Yui ran her wing down her face to cover her other eye.

"Stop, please..." She was losing this battle.

"'Hehe; Be efficient.'" I added, then he sat back on a barrel, hooves wide.

"And have a plan to beat everypony you meet - code of honour among thieves!" He crossed his heart. "I'll keep my ear to the floor."

"And I'll try not to step on his head." Topaz rolled her eyes.

"You just had to sneak one in..." Yui shook her head at my mirthful grin. "...you're hopeless."

"Nope, I'm Lucario."

"Sweet merciful Luna..." Her grovelling got worse, Ren chuckling along with me, slipping her helmet back on.

---

Organ Isle was a ghost landscape. The first real sign that life once existed were the plants, of course, but rather, the barren, blackened shreds of banners flailing in a breeze across certain points a pathway once navigated the sharp cliffs. It was impossible to see where to go next without them or the rotten masts used from ancient times. Within seconds, Yui was inspecting them, Ren keeping to the far back with Mira to held the smaller pony step lightly from loose points along the narrow pass.

"Strange, this wood isn't completely rotten yet," She rubbed the surface, snapping a piece off from a stump to crush in her hoof against a rock. "Still brittle - it's nothing like the trees back in Equestria."

"You can tell?" I kept our conversation private for now.

She shook her head. "I'm not an ecologist, but there's clearly something abnormal with the plant life so far, even this wood, which was processed into this mounting stick, even for centuries it's retained its shape to a degree, it doesn't make sense."

"Does anything in Equestria make sense?" I mused, seeing her smirk under her hood.

"I can say the same about your world if I ever visited." She'd be disappointed then. Following her hoofsteps, we continued to climb closer to the valley we heard the wind howling from. When we did... music was heard?

It wasn't music per se, but the wind was reverberating from somewhere beyond the mountains, like a wind tunnel, perhaps? "Sounds like wind chimes and big ones too." Ren offered, admiring the sound with her hand on her hip. "My brother and I came from a small village in the mountains, really reclusive village too, and a lot of old temples along the mountains had these large wind chimes hanging outside to, as the old monks say, 'Give the wind it's voice', they were weird but meant well."

Continuing our pace, we rounded a corner, myself stumbling into Yui, who caused Mira, then Ren to follow suit. The four of us poked our heads around to find the source of the noise, no longer howls but chimes like water droplets against a cymbal. The path widened at the foot of a large cliff overlooking the beach far below. The sunlight caught beyond the old, cracked walls of a monastery, a dark-green tiled roof along the walls with gaps in the wall suspending thick, jade windchimes as Ren implied.

The doors were left wide open, rotten and withered, left to sway for any visitors to the long lost civilisation—an old dried up creek to the left of us. I admired the sight with awe, Yui standing next to me in equal wonder to the rest. "'Another Rift-torn piece of the Old World?'"

"Looks like it..." Ren murmured, all of us slowly stepping inside to inspect further.

There wasn't much for the monastery. It appeared to be a large arena or summons plaza. Building lined either side of the mountains, built into the earth itself atop stands of various levels. Old pillars broke up the segments, some withered, others holding onto the same, tattered cloth as before. Tapestries were carved into the structures that stood against time. A long, cobblestone path leading toward what appeared to be the rest of the isle though large spires of rock told me it wouldn't lead to much more than a dead end.

Off to the right was a seaside cliff; the land collapsed into the waves below. Yui marvelled at the forgotten world, galloping to a wall acting as a mural with text and depictions of ponies... and monsters. "Zen, I think... I think this is your world's language again!" Her optimism drew us closer, and true to her word, it was. She shook my leg excitedly. "I've never seen ruins this immaculate to weathering and erosion before; i-i-it's almost too perfect!"

"You can read this stuff, Zen?" Ren asked, scratching her head, squinting at the Japanese. "Looks like chicken scratch - eh, n-no offence."

Chuckling, I stood back to find the start of the tale. "'It's all good, I agree with you on that... but it's written non-traditionally, so bear with me...'" Okay, the start is... here? I mean, there's not much to read; most of it was faded. "'Um, right, so I'm paraphrasing here, this stuff is really ancient.'"

Yui, notebook out, nodded away. "Whatever's possible."

"'So it's talking about... Equestria?'" That made things easier then.

'A needle pierced our world/A thread woven between/Two fabrics conjoined'

The mural scarred a line between a world with Monsters and one with Ponies. Something large spanned half the murals, serpent in nature, shadowing both worlds.

'The Devourer tore the fabric between/Two worlds no more/Our Darkness follows'

A large monstrosity tore between Equestria and the Old World with tattered wings, devouring the skies themselves before it slithered into a spiral, a vortex. Monsters invaded Equestria, and the Old World was cut off, leaving Wyverns to run rampant.

'Fate relished chaos/A Song of Old slumbered/Our New World left scarred'

The last detailed a... large black dragon. Another prodded its mandibles above the earth, causing paintings of mountains to shatter like glass. The last details what Equestria knew as 'Rifts', splitting the skies, twisting the land. The mural faded with time...

I leaned back with a presence on my shoulders like no other, leaning against a pillar. "'Equestria and the Old World... they've been connected for centuries by something,'" That didn't look anything close to Dalamadur; it tore reality apart, crossing two worlds. This lingering presence, was it the creatures? "'Sorry, I had to chop up a lot to decipher whatever context was left, Yui.'"

She shook her head, closing her book before tucking it back into her saddlebag. "It's fine; considering how ancient this place is, I doubt we'll find any above ruins now..."

"There's something in the air..." Mira drew our eyes, seeing the Mizutusune sniff the air around her, features glum. "Old and angry."

"The Elder Dragon?" Ren inquired, but Mira's face scrunched up, befuddled by whatever she could smell that I couldn't.

"Maybe, the mountains are stained in many scents; I do not know which is the monster," She sighed, brushing her mane aside. "I'm confused."

I wanted to go and comfort her but my legs rooted to the cobblestone, the rest beginning to fan out as I held my breath. My eyes were lost in a dark sea overflowing with blue shapes. It hung over the temple, past the peaks and toward the ocean waves. Something was disturbing them all. I focused again, hearing the windchimes bellow as one from a strong current.

"Zen?" Mira noticed my blank face.

"'Listen...'" I murmured, holding my paw up. It was faint, but... it was coming.

A large boom rocked the air as the sound barrier was torn through. A piercing silver arrow came from the side of the mountains as its red glare flew high above the clouds, arcing downward with a prideful wave of spiritual energy. The clouds parted, and the battlefield released a whirlwind from the monster that crashed from orbit, static bolts of crimson tingling in the air. The dust was sucked back into a glimmering vent upon its chest; wing blades splayed high against the afternoon sun.

Valstrax had arrived.

"Urrrraaawr!!" Valstrax's metallic scream rattled the skies, releasing a small burst of draconic light from its vents, locking a glare upon us.

"'Round three,'" I murmured before it hopped back slightly, bringing the right-wing down on me like a blade, tossing me behind the rest in a split second. "'Tag in...~!'" I wailed while tumbling backwards.

Valstrax lunged, chomping down on Ren's blade to toss her across in the stands while swinging itself around to swat Mira and Yui aside. Mid-turn, it took Ren's slant followed by a strong arc to the ankles, hopping back to deliver the same attack it used on me had my bo staff not intercepted, striking its face as I caught it mid-twirl, lunging down sharply across its jawline while Valstrax charged over me, ignoring Ren's attacks to turn to us, inverting the wings like claws.

It slammed the left down on my Protect, the other thrust forward like a rocket to abrade against Ren's breastplate. I rolled out from under the wing, diving into a helix spin to evade between the curved swiped of the wings, dragonblight electrifying my fur as I landed for a Blaze Kick straight to the next downward slam, parrying the wing as Valstrax turned to find a water beam crashing straight into its chest, causing it to gag and reel back from the large Mitzutsune slithering around the ruins.

"Attack the vents before it becomes enraged!" Ren declared, thrusting forward to wedge her blade against its flank, vaulting over another slash of the wings to bring her longsword through its lower back, carving a crimson glint through the Elder's body shattering a few scales. Valstrax snarled, standing back on its hind legs to fire a barrage of dragon energy from its wings, blowing Ren and me away from its underbelly while Mira slammed into the Sky Comet, biting down on its neck until it spread its wings again.

"Yui!" I yelled for, firing two Aura Spheres to batter Valstrax's beak.

"You got it -" She closed her eyes on the stands, holding her hoof out toward the underside of the flailing monsters, pulling at the shadows. "-Tenebris Hamo!"

A dark grey seal rose from the shadows, several spindly hands latching onto Valstrax's limbs before it could take flight. It worked, or until it narrowed its gaze on her, thrashing until it freed its right-wing, slicing across Mira's collarbone, using a burst from the vents to send her flying into Yui, luckily; she avoided the collision, but her focus on the spell fizzled away, releasing Valstrax as it flew away from mine and Ren's weapons, unleashing a volley of energy blasts that I blocked with Quick Guard. However, the force still shattered my protective move.

"You guys alright!?" Ren called, dousing us both in Armorskin and Demonpowder, the flakes of amber and crimson brushing by.

"We're good if not a little pride is broken!" Yui actually quipped? She's been around me too often.

Bringing my spiked paws together, I saw Ren cover her ears. "Metal Sound!" The ear-racking screech worked as intended, utterly discombobulating Valstrax. Ren rushed it, slipping with a crimson stroke of her sword, slicing in a double helix through its chest and legs, rolling back to deliver a rising slash, knocking Valstrax into Mira's water pulse, the beam slicing across its neck like a blade of water. "My turn..." Closing my eyes, I drowned out any sound, feeling the world with nothing by my aura.

"Calm Mind. Nasty Plot. Swords Dance. Work Up. Bulk Up-" My body began to heat up, everything was sharp and defined. "-Iron Defense. Agility. Laser Focus. Substitute." Upon opening my eyes, a nigh unbelievable amount of power drew Valstrax's focus, swiping Ren away with its tail. I grinned back, a flurry of wisps forming a multicoloured aurora around my body, my feelers floating in the air. "Extreme Speed."

In turn, Valstrax releasing a large amount of draconic light from its chest, the vents and exhausts along its wings tinted red, blazing like a rocket, even its irises were smothered in dark red energy. Valstrax flew up into the air, unleashing a barrage upon us while I vanished in a haze, avoiding the detonations using the pillars to leap high, striking with my right foot extended forward.

"Blaze Kick!" The streak of embers collided with a wing, knocking us back while I used two Aura Spheres to propel myself forward. "Ice-Thunder Punch!" Thunder crashed and ice crystallized in my palms, bringing them down after a front flip over its wings, smashing them atop its forehead, dropping the Elder Dragon into the earth below.

He recovered, slamming into the earth with a halo of crimson energy, releasing it a blasting ring around him. That red glow persisted as it narrowed its eyes upon my Bone Rush and me, spinning forward to parry the wing's bladed thrust, Ren working alongside me to divert the follow dragon blast into one of the ruin walls instead. I gave Ren a subtle nod of my hand, flicking my paw behind me as Yui rode atop Mira's back, the pair retreating from Valstrax's wings, the jagged exhausted slapping the earth as it chased them down.

"Hey!" I spun my staff around, lobbing it like a boomerang at its head, causing Valstrax to recoil from the pillar, snapping its attention toward me as it propelled upward to crash where I previously stood, thrashing its tail into my forearms that I immediately backhanded away with a Metal Claw, using my left hand for a Quick Shield to parry a claw swipe a moment later. It was frantic and far more precise than any monster I've encountered.

Diving back into a helix twist, I slashed at its eyes with Shadow Claw, the darkness shrouding the wing as it shaved a few hairs off my head, performing a handstand over the wing while the other swept down to pierce the earth under me. Rolling forward, I Retaliated, releasing a pent-up amount of energy to batter the underside of Valstrax, sliding between its legs to avoid its wings, dashing up the staircase as it gained on me quickly.

I wrapped my arms around a pillar, flipping away from the draconic blast that rippled and tore apart one of the remaining buildings. Pressing both feet against the concrete, I developed a section of the column in bronze light, punting the layer into Valstrax's jaw, knocking the beast away and into the stands with a groan, the tail slicing by to sever the pillar, myself tumbling away from its collapse.

When Valstrax pivoted from my Aura Spheres, he shrugged off the dust, inverting his wings for a cross-chop, forcing me to suck in my gut as I dived between them, cheeks puffed out with a sudden, hot sensation in my mouth. "Hyper...!" I snarled; Bue and amethyst static gathered around my lips. "BEAM!!" The massive cone arced its way toward Valstrax, or it would have, had it not shifted right, bringing its left wing in a wide arc to slam into the ground ahead of me, the force knocking me across the arena.

"Zen!" Yui's aura was dripping with panic, but... it was okay. I coughed, pushing up with my elbows to chuckle, the metallic stomps the Elder Dragon pausing as it shadowed my glowing form retaining its refined state.

"Looks like you're outta power," It flexed its wings, noting the lack of excess dragonblight, and its soul trembled slightly, even if only for an instance. "Well?" I raised my arms, shuffling to my feet. "I'm standing right here." Terror shivered down my spine at its rising right appendage, ready to crush me under its talons; I stifled that fear, waiting and place all my hopes on this risky plan. "..."

A crimson glow expelled from the exhausts, rocketing his right side forward, straight into the rolling cloud of mist. I felt the wind breeze past me, the plume of smoke releasing the countered Elder straight into the minefield of bubbles Mira flung in its direction. The soapy substances clung and popped, gunking up the exhausts, stretching between Valstrax's wing talons. At the same time, it stumbled about, squeaking angrily though even that caused it to gag, the vents on its breast popping bubbles while the heat from its dragon element worked to evaporate the substance.

Mira coiled herself around its body, bearing her teeth with tension plastered across her face. Unfurling herself, she threw Valstrax across the ruins into a cherry red streak that curled like a crescent moon, slicing dozens of scales with a single blow, Ren's boots sending sparks flying from the sheer velocity of her Iai Slash, knocking the Sky Comet down the stands toward my roaring Mega Kick, the crimson splash pulverizing the scales on the left side of its face, gouging out the eye. At the same time, my bones groaned from the contact of metal against metal.

"Graaaah!" I whined, clutching my leg from the unpleasant vibrations. "I feel like I gong - ugh, M-Mira, switch!" I muttered out in my stupor.

Our resident leviathan curled her upper body down, soaking the cobblestone with a rising blade of water, slicing through many more of Valstrax's scales, knocking it onto its hind legs. However, mine and Mira's eyes widened as the bubbles cleaned themselves from their wings, releasing the red glare upon us in a shower of blood-red light, the heat sending us flying into one another, ripping up much of the concrete in the process.

Valstrax howled wildly, releasing a breath that sent it flying into the air like a rocket, shooting through the clouds with a ring behind it, breaking the sound barrier. I realized what was coming, pushing off of Mira to take center stage, feeling all its hatred and might fluctuating toward my back. I had made far too many gambles to be healthy for the human mind, but that's never been something I considered in the heat of the moment. Threading the needle was all I knew felt right in the sense of things, even if it wasn't always healthy.

The scarlet comet broke the sound barrier once more, high above in the great gold sky. I hopped around, hands raised with a great, silver forcefield ahead of me, my lingering buffs holding strong for a moment longer; the die was cast ambiguously. I hardened my glare as the blazing red Elder Dragon tore above the ruins, collapsing several weak structures, even the outcry of my friends was mute against the screaming wind that let out a seismic crash against my Protect. I swore I saw everything in my life rush through my pupils at once.

"Move forward... regret nothing... and smile."

Valstrax's collision course with my smaller frame felt like a hot anvil was shot from a cannon, splintering the barrier between us with ease while stinging hot air tried to force itself down my throat, burning against my eyes locked with the comet that forced my heels back. My fans were bare, muzzle crinkled with an animalistic growl, holding back this hellish might. I screamed with all I had left in my throat. My heart practically about to burst! "COUUUUNTEEEEER!!!"

To conflict with the malice and unstable red world, my fist curled, the point of my spike releasing a blinding veil of silver light, wrapping around my knuckle and across my arm as I fought back with its own diminishing strength. The barrier was atomized, two gargantuan arcs of light intersecting as my knuckle met its scarred beak, expunging the last of its dragonblight that stung my nose, blood flying from my teeth. At the same time, the same was released from its own from the sheer pressure my knuckle compressed.

The excess energy pulverized the earth under us. High above the devastation, Ren's eyes glossed over us while I fell past the Elder Dragon, its nape left completely exposed to the razor edge of her longsword curved in a single, rose slant through the battered and shredded hide. What little energy Valstrax had left to give was sent forth to knock Ren away from its legs, stumbling away with blood dripping down its neck, the linger crackles of dragon energy hissing within its dying exhausts as it approached a seaside cliff.

"grr..." Even its roar was strained, attempting to stand tall as I panted, clutching my arms with Life Dew and Heal Pulse, working in tandem to fix my broken wrists and possibly broken everything from how every inch of me flared with pain. Valstrax's lifted its head, meeting my scarlet eyes with its remaining deep blue.

Acceptance was all I could sense.

It lost its footing, swaying down toward the crashing waves below, out of my sight and aura sense range.

The wind was hushed, a gentler song ringing the large windchimes further back. I guess even Equestria understood it wasn't just out for blood, then why was it here? Lulled by the same song Mira and I heard? I almost regret slaying it now. Beside me, Ren stumbled to sit on her haunches; arms rested upon her knees.

"You okay?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the cliff it once stood proud by.

"Yeah... just tired," I sighed, smiling weakly. "Nice moves."

"Ditto, Wolfman," She winked, nudging my shoulder though I held back my wince; instead, I focused on healing and avoiding the anger swelling behind my head. "Think if we sit like this, we'll be invisible?"

"Hmm, ten seconds tops." Ren chuckled anxiously, almost turning had I not shook my head.

"Don't make eye contact, savour this," From the pan to the fire, as they say.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note:

The mystery of the Rifts and Monsters revealed, and the Sky Comet Dragon is defeated. What is to come next before they come face-to-face with greater power? I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter hunters!

Chp. 5 - Our Final Hour
With Valstrax no longer in their way, the team sets up camp just outside the monastery, there, Zen finally decides to muster the courage for his fabled question.