Chp. 6 - To The Very Ends With You
"Scatter!" Ren screamed, diving in time to evade between the large, rocky fingers scraping through the earth around us.
The source of the First Song, and the recent seismic activity, an Elder Dragon so ancient that its very presence made mine feel so insignificant. Shara Ishvalda. I hooked my claws into one of the digits, scaling the large beast until I was above its head, lunging with a spiralling axe-kick, releasing a halo of scarlet in my wake, chipping more off its thick armour. Shara growled, shifting its weight to one side, dragging the length of its body across the battlefield as Ren vaulted over with her longsword; Topaz and Yui skirting around, one casting magic simultaneously with her blade slants. Meanwhile, Yui used another of those creep hand attacks to yank the Elder Dragon by the tail, tugging it toward me.
Clasping my paws together, I sent forth a large Aura Sphere, the explosion shaving more minerals from its face, Ren working her way underneath to hack away at its underbelly, slashing in wide, frantic arcs. It suddenly lurched back, tucking its wings close to practically levitating off the ground, slamming down with enough force to toss Ren across the arena, sand flying everywhere as it crawled from the pulverized stone, vibrations causing the rock to solidify in seconds under it.
"How did - what - huh!?" Yui's mind broke, moon opal in hoof.
"'It uses vibrations through its wings, that's how it causes earthquakes!'" I relayed, diving back from a lumber claw swipe, followed by a chin slam. Using the duality of Calm Mind and Nasty Plot, I let the contrasting colours intertwine. "'It's using the earth as an armour, and it can turn granite to sand and back with ease - oh, like that!'"
Shara bellowed again, plunging its wings into the earth to send bone-trembling vibrations through the island, reducing half our solid ground to sand for it to sink into partially. Charging a great deal of light into my claws, I plunged Focus Blast through the side of its massive head, marring much of the bluish rock as large chunks fell away, tossing the wailing Everwyrm across the arena and into a nearby wall that Ren finished scaling, utilizing a ledge to hoist herself over the tumbling behemoth for a Spirit Helm Breaker down the large section of its throat, leaving a blinding barrage of aftershock blows across Shara.
"Get outta there!" Topaz warned, Ren, realizing the wind was honing down to flatten the area had a glistening pink, and white Mitzustune not slithered in to catch the huntress before the 'hand' could crush her. Topaz wiped her brow, avoiding the sandpits as Mira spun around with Ren on her back, producing a pressurized beam to shear through the sand and carve down Shara's body as though it were a blade. Although, despite the many wounds, the Elder Dragon didn't look tired at all, rising to send tremors through the converting sand, causing the pits to erupt like geysers.
"'Here'" I placed my paw on Ren, seeing Life Dew clean her cuts and bruises in seconds. She gave a wink then lobbed herself off Mira's back, our party divided by Shara charging between us like a bull, using its wings to thresh the air, the pressure tossing all of us on our asses. I slid onto my knees, darkness crawled around my forearms. "'Shadow Claw!'"
Shara craned itself toward me in time to see a vial fly from Yui's direction over its back, it burst with a blinding white light, throwing off its leg's swing. My body blurred, time crawling as I dived across its side, slashing in a frenzy, utilizing the gradual swipe of the leg to climb its body again, Extreme Speed rocketing me high above the monster. Topaz levitate rocks toward Mira who used her tail to swat them toward me. Grinning, I accepted their gift, bronzey-orange wisps tracing my legs.
"'Brick Barrage!'" The unique move meant I had to twist my body into a helix, punting the rocks at a devastating velocity into Shara's vertebrae, seeing it ruffle from the bombardment. Meanwhile, Ren unleashing an Iai Slash to draw herself close to its chin, promptly amputating said chin before swinging in a series of diagonal slants, finishing with a rising slash to parry the leg that forced her legs to buckle.
The Everwyrm howled in rage, rising on its hind legs to unearth an ungodly cry as it met my gaze descending. My right arm folded with a sickly hue, turning dark purple as I sent a needle of venom to gouge out the edge of its forehead, Poison Jab immediately taking effect while I slid down its back, evading the charge with both wings forward, mowing down whatever it could find.
Idea. "'Jack, can you hear me?'" I pushed my thoughts further than the battle, dulling my senses as Yui showered me in opal dust, enveloping me in a lucid veil. I gave a thumbs-up as she aided the others. Mira riding Shara, spurting water through the cracks in its armour, tearing larger portions from the moving mountain. Ren and Topaz fighting side-by-side, blades drawing as one unit down its stomach, rolling away from another levitating slam, the wings attempting to pluck Mira off, though the leviathan slipped through the gaps with her bubbles.
"Loud and clear; What is up, Wolf?" His voice was rather laid back given the circumstances.
"'Got an important job - find me a large ledge overlooking us, any at all?'" My inquiry made him hum.
"Specific... alright, tsk-tsk-tsk, ah-hah, to your left, eleven o'clock." Following his guidance, I spotted a massive portion of what remained of the upper level we fell from. It dangled a shadow across the middle of the arena. "Anything else while I'm enjoying the show?"
I chuckled. "'No, thanks.'" Cutting our connection I turned to my friends, Yui hopping between the wings, kicking through the sandpit before Shara's roar caused it to erupt, flinging Topaz back sadly. Sprinting toward Shara, I pushed my aura against its own, seeing it slow its rampage to follow my scent, the veil fizzling away as I held onto Bone Rush, expelling a large portion of my energy into its tip. "Hyrah!" The spear plunged into its head, though that did little in impeding the large wing barreling toward me.
"Zen!" Ren rushed to my aid but I held firm, bringing my right palm high with an orange sheen, holding the wing in place with my bare hand, the ground under me sinking a few centimetres while I applied the same force to my left, puffing out my cheeks, bones groaning.
"Tsk - I-Ice Punch!" My own small glacier manifested, piercing between two fingers while locking the wing in place for only a second, freeing me. I hadn't the time to check my injuries. We had to end this fast! "'Everyone, use your strongest attacks on the western wall, now!'" When I met Yui I immediately picked her up in my arms despite how heavy her Kirin armour appeared. "You and me, Yui!"
She blinked, then smiled. "Always," She adjusted to hold onto my back as I kicked my speed up a notch with Quick Attack, hurdling over several boulders flung from Shara as it gave chase, attempting to block our escape with a wing carved through the wall. Feeling my legs tense, I leapt between two digits, pivoting to anchor my Metal Claw into the back of the wing, lifting us high into the air, meeting the Everwyrm's outcry, using its other wing to swat us, or it did until it realized a large gathering of bubbles gunking up the wing, sticking to the cracks thicker than webbing. Even its left leg stumbled, slipping on the soapy substance.
Twisting my arm, I tore through the minerals, giving Yui ample time to toss a moon opal at its head, the dust from the cracked stone showering its rugged form. She squeezed her hoof around me tightly. My off-hand beside her hoof. "Meditor!!" Our chant shrouded its head in mist, forcing the body to lurch west, myself landing atop its back, catching myself as it stopped just before the heavily scarred mountainside.
Mira evaded under a wing, however, Shara anticipated this, kicking her across the arena with its back leg, Ren wasn't fairing much better, her sword was starting to deflect with every stroke into thicker deposits, same with Topaz. I didn't need to read Yui to know she shared my determination, running up the arching body of the Elder Dragon. She hugged me tightly, giving me that needing morale boost as well as some of her aura as it gathering around my spikes as a soft, lilac glint.
Using Retaliate to weaken the rocks surrounding its face, I hopped from its head to the nearby cliff, ricocheting to meet its deflated form with my fist swirling with crimson-amethyst light. "Mega..." My knuckle met the rocks, effectively reducing them to dust under an expanding ring of our colours. "...Punch!"
Shara let out a wail, the massive form tumbling forward into the marred wall, the sheer tons of debris and muscle sending massive fissures along the entire wall, fragments forcing the others to evade while we tumbled together, looking up with Yui atop my back. The Everwyrm, swayed, groaning and unable to realize what darkness shrouded the sunlight. Masking Yui with Protect, we all hunkered down before the gargantuan slab of stone buried the beast with a Crash, bits of rock and dust released into the arena.
Large segments of Shara's body crumbled away, the body slumped in the plume. Its aura went unbearably quiet, like all in the world ceased to make a sound. Lowering the shield, Yui slid off as the light trickle of dust filled the air with any notion of sound. All was still.
"Hahaha, yes!" Ren clapped to my right. My eyes refused to leave it, the same could be said for Mira, her gums curling with a snarl. "Hey, why the long faces, didn't we..." Her accomplished smile slowly faded and her brow knitted tightly with uncertainty. "You're kidding, right?"
"Zen, what's wrong?" Yui nudged my leg but I just shook my head slowly, crossing my arms to erect and Quick Guard. "Not again~!"
"'Everyone, get behind me and cover your ears,'" Once the barrier was up I folded my own ears tightly while the rest braced against my back, Mira acting as a wall with her head low by my side. The dust and rock crumbled further, revealing something spindly within. Twisted mandibles like yellow bark felt around the dust, a slimmer form rising amongst the shroud as more boulders and minerals were discarded. This was it, his True Form. "'This is Shara-'"
"rrrrooooaaaaaaaarrr!!!"
The wings fanned wide against its back like a star, the sheer might of its sonic boom shattering the cliffs into dust, flattening the whole area with only a few protrusions left, the sunlight no longer obscured by cliffs and mountains. Shara's true form was exposed, it was a lithe and athletic creature, and boasts a variety of bright colours, mainly yellows, purples, and white.
Its face bears two large, forward-facing eyes, though they remained shut, and crests around its head make the shape of a crown. The distinct arms are well-muscled, and the fingers are shown to be spindly and misshapen, bearing specialized tips for sound production. Spikes, markings, plates, and indentations run along its neck, back, sides, and limbs, some invoking skeletal structures such as a ribcage. The tail ends in an entwining series of snaking structures, failing to form any one tip.
"Ugh, that's... really unsettling to look at!" Topaz yelled once the ringing in our ears faded away. Shara wasn't going to wait, immediately pointing two of its wing fingers between us, forcibly dividing us with two sonic blasts that rippled through the earth. "Okay, seriously, what the hell is this!?"
"'An Elder Dragon,'" What else could describe it?
Shara rose high again, posing its fingers to produce several cones of sound to ripple and dance around us, one managed to knock me flying, and I swore my eardrums burst from the sheer force of my own insides being vibrated, causing me to convulse slightly during my scramble. It stopped, craning its neck to find that Ren spun around, hacking through its left foreleg. Hissing, Shara curled its fingers, the wind threshing under its own stomach, tossing the whitette into Topaz who suffered the same fate, their weapons almost lost had Mira not swooped in, spitting another beam into its face.
It stumbled, pointing one wing toward the Mizutsune, the erratic nature of the limb, chipping her scales, leaving Mira rolling across the ground in pain. Without his armour, Shara wasn't nearly as slow, and its attacks were varied. Kicking my foot into the soil, a large rock slammed into Shara, drawing the Elder toward me, the fingers caged before it, the air distorted by its touch. My eyes widened in horror before I ran far from the reach of the earth-shattering beam of sound that tore through granite and soil. In the distance, one of the island's spires were reduced to a crumbling mass in the ocean.
This Elder Dragon was beyond anything Safi'Jiiva ever displayed. I... don't know how we can win. "No, I can't hesitate yet, even if we have to beat it until the sun goes down..." Clenching my fist, I let out my own roar, charging steadfast into hell.
[Ren's POV]
"This is bad!" I rolled to the side, avoiding the leg but not another of its wing's burst attacks. The sonic beams knocking me off my fluid motions again. Topaz wasn't fairing better either. I hopped back, slashing in a criss-cross down its leg before taking a rising strike at the chest, bringing my longsword through the same cut once more before rolling out from under it, the wing narrowly missing my boots. Rising from my knees, I quickly hid to the side of its wings, forming that devastating blast of sound that tore up the earth, pushing even something as big as Shara back a few inches.
With enough of energy stored in my blade, I held the sheath by my hip, swiping between the legs for a clean, scarlet arc, hopping back to fire a scatter pellet from my clutch claw, disorientating the Elder long enough to step closer, avoiding the erratic spray of sound from its risen wings. Nearest the tail, I continued my assault, making minimal damage.
Shara spun to meet me, claw deflected by my sword's inverted guard before I raised my arm, firing a clutch claw into the side of its head, lifting me over its wings as I slung myself up and around, repeating the process with a scattershot loaded into the gauntlet. "Open wide!" I smirked, fixing the anchor into its face to propel it toward the nearby mountain base. To my horror, its right-wing splayed to catch itself, pushing off the surface to roar back at us, well, until Wolfman leapt from one of the few remaining rock formations, his mouth bleeding static.
"Graaawr!!" Whatever he spouted, it came with a tremendous beam of light that crackled and tore through Shara's wings, disrupting its large beam attack in time while knocking it away from the wall, whining as it did. Zen pumped a fist, myself giving a thumb while showering my head in Demon Powder.
Then it released another roar to break away more of the walls circling us.
[Topaz's POV]
That roar was getting on my nerves. It forced half our available space to shift and disintegrate into sand, my hooves sinking a few inches. I swayed through the sea of sand, Yui appearing next to me, equally as annoyed. Ren and Zen handled the frontlines for the most part, but where was Mira? "Any luck?"
"Not a dent," I spat sand from my lips. "If we can bring it down we'd have a moment to recover," THat was when a purr snuck up behind me. "Gah!" Mira sniffed my back, lowering her head between us. "So, any bright ideas?"
The monster gave me a nod, eyeing the front legs eagerly with a spit of its tongue. Yui tapped her wing to her chin. "If we take out the legs it'll topple over, maybe if we..." She suddenly perked up, grinning at us. "Alright, girls, I have a plan - Topaz, we'll get you in close with Zen, and Ren, then leave it to me and Mira to knock it down!"
Why did I feel my job was what mattered if the plan sinks or swim? If I were honest, I'd refuse but... this was a situation to doubt. I'm well out of my depth here, the Princess trusted me of all ponies to stand on equal ground with others that had done more than I bargained for. I smiled sadly, "Protect your comrades, right mom?" "I'll show what the Royal Guard can do then."
"Right!" Yui nodded, hopping atop Mira. "Mira, you're up!"
"Grr..." She hissed, curling her body before diving down onto the sand, she... was swimming through it like water? Following their lead, I couldn't stop admiring how the pair moved. Yui adjusted herself atop Mira's fur, Shara's fingers spraying the lake of sand haphazardly, releasing waves of destabilized sand in an effort to stop them. I rolled out of the path of another while Mira glided between the chaos as though the wind carried her glistening body through a sandstorm.
Shifting through this sand was difficult but with Mira constantly evading between sonic blasts with Yui using a lot of those opals, they kept Shara distracted as Ren knelt beside me, drawing her clutch claw before giving me a wink. The hooks wedged themselves into the Dragon's shoulder, Zen appearing to share her idea by vaulting over a claw swipe with his staff, backhanding the jaws of the beast away, snapping several scales in the process.
The pair moved fluently, tearing their weapons down the length of its arms, weakening the tough scales. They... gave me an opening! "Seriously? Now I really feel like the weak link here..." That was when a strange pressure surfaced in my head.
"'The curtain fall is all yours, buddy!'" Zen chimed, performing a handstand to swiped several bronze rocks against Shara's cheek while Ren tore under its chin, knocking it into a barrage of bubbles that netted its head, causing the beast to wail in protest.
Adjusting my sword I let my magic pour into its edge, overflowing with golden light that appeared as though the metal was dripping. It was a risk but with everypony else doing the same I can't be the weak link. Shara's wing curled down to thresh under its stomach. With a great deal of concentration, I leapt between its vibrating fingers, hopping off its wrist to spin around, my magic throbbing in my head as I carved a spiral through its first weakened muscles, biting my cheek while dancing under the collarbone to carry my molten attack through to the second leg, seeing both buckle under the weakened earth.
I stumbled out the other side, coughing from the exertion of magic. When I glared back, panting through a headache; I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The legs trembled, lurching forward in protest toward Zen's glowing fists, the bubbles underfoot allowing him to skate away from a massive wave of sand unleashed prior to its fall. Ren hovered above, curving delicately with Spirit Helm Breaker. Two scarlet impacts rippled and tore through the Elder Dragon's head with a devastating force that clapped in the air. Scales splintered and gashes bled, knocking the towering behemoth down into its sand, or rather, into Mira's water beam as it sliced a thin, arcing crescent through its collarbone, flinging the beast across the earth with a pained wail.
Collecting my thoughts quickly, I ignored how my head pounded and drew my blade forward. "Now, hit it with everything you got!" We had to use this window sparingly, if we couldn't bring this monster down soon, none of us is swimming home.
[Yui's POV]
I got everywhere, what an awful day. Shaking the loose debris from my mane I quickly wiped my nose of a dribble of blood. A side effect of overusing my spells I guess. I'd honestly refuse to go this far but when my whole home - Equestria itself was riding on our success, a little blood wasn't going to sway me. The others used magic or their skills to pummel on the weakest points of Shara's body. Snapping claws, chipping scales to finally lay real damage on its form. Ice and thunder warped and clashed, metal and magic splashed and stripped through with gleams of light emanating from their weapons. A triumphant howl from a leviathan as it unleashed bubbles and pressurised water to keep the Elder unstable longer.
The wings twitched, and I caught it, using Tenebris Hamo I dipped my hooves into the shadows, gripping at that dark void as it coiled and snapped against Shara's body, tugging the beast to its knees in protest. They were weaker the long I expanded the arms but they were effective at keeping those dangerous wings from utilizing sound again, even if only for the moment. But...
"Grah...!" I coughed up a few red specks, feeling my head throb from the pressure. My own muscles felt like they were being squeezed by a vice. This wasn't like Safi'Jiiva or Vaal Hazak, I... I can't hold it back! Is this what Zen feels constantly? This overwhelming sensation pounding in his chest that I'd feel like screaming?
|Get...|
"What? Who...?" My sweat froze down my cheek, the ambient sounds a dull throb. This dark, overbearing presence in my head, shadowed everything, the sun was gone in place of two sickly yellow eyes with burning red pupils stared back at me. It. Sees. Me.
|Off...|
Shara's wings curled to rest its tips against the cracked soil, right where... Zen and Topaz were... My heart burst with horror. My throat was dry as time gradually sped back in tangent with my scream.
|ME!!!|
"GET AWAY!" My horrified cry was far too late. The wings released a devastating amount of sound into the earth under it, showering them in sand and rock that blew outward, ringing in my ears as... two more mountains crumbled in the ocean, the wings splayed wide to sheer several tops of the rocky spires afar.
My spell was all but nought as I collapsed to the ground in a heap of sweat, eyes shaking with fright. I couldn't move, I... I've never felt something so terrifying in all my life. I... I can't beat that...
Shara stomped back down, taking a water beam to the face as it pointed its right wing toward Mira exclusively, trapping her between cones of sound before backhanding her with only its tail, leaving a large gash across her face while she rolled toward the edge of the arena. Shara craned its neck to face Topaz, swiping at her with his claws until she sunk her back hooves into the sand. I couldn't even mutter a word before Shara released a horrid sound from its throat. That alone caused another eruption of sand to sweep Topaz in its wake, flinging her battered form closer to me, hacking up sand in the process.
"'Yui,'" Zen's voice startled me, though I couldn't pinpoint where he was through the dust. "'Grab Topaz and stand by Mira, hurry.'" He wasn't yelling but that tone of his was almost unrecognizable, any empathy he had simply vanished. "'Go, now.'"
"Ngh, r-right," Much as I wanted to just curl up in fear I needed to get Topaz out of harm's way until she was okay to move on her own accord. Tucking her right hoof over my shoulder she groaned, dragging her sword with her teeth.
[Zen's POV]
"Z-Zen, I-I can't move!" Ren was behind me, trying to pry her legs from the sandpit, digging her hunting knife into the edge to keep herself steady to slowly pry herself free. In front of us, Shara's powerful legs struck the earth. She couldn't move, and I had very little energy left myself after blocking that blast so suddenly for us.
'"It'll be okay,'" Guess I'll let the old me show for a bit. Clenching my fists until ice burst from my skin I let the last Sword Dance raise my strength further with a combination of silver wisps from Retaliate. "'You guys just gave me the edge.'"
Ren chuckled slightly. "Little dark for you - *cough-cough*, go get 'em." I appreciated that.
That look on Yui's face... really makes my insides turn! "Shinsoku!" My body blurred over the burst of sound waves, paunching my left fist against Shara's head, almost knocking him back while the left arm rose to swipe at me had I not anticipated it, landing one foot atop the palm to flip backwards, flinging several rime-covered fists against its underside while diving back from a stomp. I may lack the incredible strength to shatter mountains but my speed far accelerates beyond its vision.
My fists rattled against Shara's body, leaving patches of ice in my wake while he failed to catch me, dipping over its back and under his legs constantly until I ran up his spine for his head to thresh back, curling the tips of his wings to form a sudden ball of sound directly at my chest. Smashing my fists together, I yelled back, driving Focus Blast back before the beam of sound could be released. The chaotic outburst threw me toward the earth again, holding my ground to swing my right arm wide, backhanding Shara once he was on all fours. The large wall of ice expanded to shred against his face, destabilizing him momentarily, the tail knocking the ice down.
We stared at one another, his lips pulled back in a snarl. His body was battered and bleeding, and my own body fared no better. How much more did I have left? My ice was dripping, and my strength was beginning to fade. And the others? Could any of us still muster the strength to finish Shara off?
It growled, pulverizing the ground below instantly before plunging his whole body into the sand again, leaving with a sudden plop into the earth as the sand shifted under me, he was travelling through the sand now? But why would - I left my arms to go limp, my eyes downcast for a moment. I moved to kneel beside Ren, herself almost free as I hooked my arms under her pits.
"Ah, thanks - huh, what's with that face?" She tilted her head, clueless as to why I was... smiling grimly. She turned to where Shara arose from the depths, shaking off the fountains of sand with his back toward the sea, the others hugging the edge not far away. I felt all that malice and contempt stare back at us, our backs to the wall. "He's going for something big, isn't he?"
"'Pretty much, and we're right in the middle of it,'" I replied, hoisting Ren into my arms as Shara roared to the sky, clasping his fingers above his head to channel a gargantuan sphere of sound between them, the sheer pressure distorting my vision through the vibrations.
Ren, despite the looming end of our lives, managed a shaky smile. "Well, not exactly how I expected this to play out but... guess our little plan for a Guild's got to have a pin in it, I really hate that saying." Shaking her head I handed her back the weapon she lost, meeting her gaze one last time. "Wait, you-"
"'Just one, hunter,'" I saw her tense before I swung her wide, tossing the girl safely out of harm's way. By now, there'd be no time for me to escape this attack, the blast would either kill me instantly or send me flying into the ocean, though I might as well be landing on concrete. I wasn't afraid, rather, I... couldn't feel it. Just, tranquillity I guess? Was this how death felt when you knew it was coming? I mean, I'm scared but I don't feel my body locking up... Looking down at my ring, I sighed a smile. "Not yet, I got a promise to keep, right?" The amethyst gleamed as I held out my paws, standing firm against the trembling earth.
I inhaled slow and steadily, just like Safi'jiiva, I let the energy of Organ Isle flow through my legs and to the tips of my fingers. Light gathered around me, expanding into a Protect that shimmered in the sunlight, the Elder Dragon bathed too in its radiance. Not a single thought intruded, though I wasn't going to die here, I promise I won't. Do whatever it takes to fight, whatever it takes to live.
The Everwyrm released the spirit bomb of sound directly into the ground, though the radius expanded to clash with my barrier, my whole body gripped for dear life against a force that overwhelmed my entire aura. I bore my fangs in protest, the ground split and curled behind me heels threatening to break at a moment's notice. My blood felt like bursting from my skin, arms groaning with agony to be let free.
Chips of my barrier flaked off from the edges, my energy was nonexistent at this point. I felt my hold slipping bit by bit, I couldn't stop this. Shara held its wings wide, remaining upright to release all the pent up energy contained in the sphere. It sank further, an unearthly rumble sending large fissures through the ground under me. Then, the sand was sent rushing toward the surface for newer land to reshape the environment, a mountainous explosion blocked out the sun, and my barrier shattered before my eyes, throwing me back into the haze.
My body was being ripped apart by the debris, or that's what it felt like, then... nothing, I struck something with my back but it was a numb pressure and nothing more. I... couldn't hear, see, or even taste anything, I... think I lost.
...
...
...
...
...
...
This, wasn't how I wanted this to end.
I stirred, opening my eyes to find I was... sitting in a booth? Once the light adjusted in my eyes, I could see a window to my left, golden light beaming through as though the sun had risen recently. I gasped, almost standing up had my body not ached. The cafe my parents owned was bright but so empty, left hollow and vacant. Looking down at my hands I was human again, that's twice this has happened, why? "I'm... home?" The words felt exciting yet terrifying.
"Not entirely, but I felt this would help put your mind at ease," For the second time I nearly fell from my seat, snapping my neck toward the voice of an old acquaintance masked by a golden veil over her eyes. That motherly smile resting on her lips. "Hello again, Zen - you've been busy?"
"T-Trinity?" This is a lot to bear. Rubbing my head I paled. "Cr - erm, I'm dead? Great..." Yui is going to kill me.
"Not particularly," Trinity offered me a cup of tea from her side, one that took slowly to calm my nerves, heck, even my mind felt clairvoyant. "I'm sure you've noticed how mellow you are, since we are within my world, I'm able to put your heart at ease to think rationally; I hope you don't mind?"
Sipping my drink I shook my head quickly. "No-no, I'm grateful actually... I... wait," I pointed a finger at her with a deadpan. "Aren't Gods not supposed to pick favourites?"
She giggled behind her hand, veil raising to indicate her brow moved. "And who made up that rule? I certainly don't recall it ever being written in stone - besides, I believe my involvements are substantial enough." Trinity replied, offering a sad smile. "You've been through a lot lately..."
Lowering my head to stare at my reflection in the tea I couldn't hide anything from her. My ability to see auras was one thing, but a Goddess? I might as well speak everything on my mind. Looking up, Trinity didn't say anything, waiting for me to speak regardless. Biting my cheek, I made a selfish request. "How do I beat Shara Ishvalda? I can't... win with my abilities, I'm too drained to do anything substantial now, I... I lost." Of all Monsters, I finally came to my crossroads. Valstrax drained much more than I realized, and now the others would pay for my costs.
Trinity was frowning, though it didn't look malicious, rather, she was thinking, the scarf concealing her eyes moving until one of its ends flicked against my nose. "I can't do much, otherwise it will cause more harm, even for you I can't risk billions for," I nodded.
"I understand - I wouldn't want you to," My smile made her lips curl slightly, placing her hands together on the table.
"You've spent nearly two years closing Rifts alongside natural Monsters, in that time, the remnants of the ruby I gifted you have reacted in kind, drawing you toward these threats," Trinity looked around the cafe. "I could use it all to finally send you home, Yui too if you desired that, or... I can grant you one last edge against this Old Everwyrm," My heart twisted and caved at her words, eyes shaken and wide.
"It has always been your choice to make, your virtue-" Her hand raised before me, waiting for my hand. "I don't know when you'll accumulate enough energy to return to your world, so, I ask you, Zen Amadeus; Will you return to your Old World, the one you've longed to see or will you save this New World at the cost of your own heart's desires?"
I never told Yui... about the days I wanted to see my sister again, my best friends, what became of Taka and Kazu's kid. I missed my parents, I missed everything so normal about my life that I forced myself to mindlessly train for hours in private just to bury those feelings. I had a feeling the remnants of the ruby were gathering slithers of ether left by the Rift-Monsters, maybe... I could've used them to go home with Yui if possible. Now, all that progress was split between two choices. My own happiness or a world that in the grand scheme of things was a fraction of a grain of sand on a beach.
"How can you get it!?" She spun right around, and... was crying, I... made her cry. Now that pit in my chest only constricted. "You'll be home with your family and friends again! And how I feel... the time I spent with you will just disappear!" She bit her lip. "Call me selfish, but... I'm so scared! Because I'll lose someone very important to me."
"I ran away two years ago... they wouldn't let me pursue anything other than their stupid 'Lunar Guard', and all the taunting was just... aggravating! Sure, I've had fun but... it's just me," Her head was low, hood hiding her eyes as tears dripped to the ground. I wanted to say something... but what? What can I say right now, what should I say? "Then I met you, you helped me, laughed with me, comforted me... I... I don't want you to go away..."
Back then, I did get it, I just was too much of a coward to admit that's how I felt.
"Trinity?" She looked to me, seeing the tears running down my face as I gripped the table, turning away from my home, face scrunched up in agony. "I... made my choice."
I'm sorry I'm such a selfish person.
[No POV]
Anyone who held the strength to stand could barely move from their spots, debris gathered on either side, they were cornered and backup was out of the question, keeping even Jack from intervening from afar. Despair and dread filled the air and gripped their hearts.
The worst of them all was the bat pony, she held nothing but sorrow, not even rage could surface above her ocean of grief, staring down at her armoured hooves stained with her own blood, a horrifying image of it being Zen's twisted in her head. Shara didn't charge, not even a roar after triumphantly disposing of the Lucario. The air rose with a dull trepidation, a few sparks gathered at the tips of its wings as sound erupted outward in a blinding torrent.
"You were a good partner, Topaz," Ren combed her hair, smiling slightly as her vision blurred. "I'll seeya the next time around, big brother."
Mira curled herself around her allies, never once taking her eyes off the gathering tension between Shara's wings, caging its face. "I'll protect them, I will like Mama would!"
"So this is it? Down a friend, standing with a human, a treasure hunter, and a monster," Topaz managed a small laugh. "Well, certainly an unforgetting life."
"...I'm sorry Mom, Dad, Vega... I tried my best..." Yui closed her eyes, tucking the necklace with her ring close to her chest. "I'm sorry... Zen."
...
...
...
*Boosh!*
The air grew a lot quieter, something sharp having cut the attack mid-conjuration. When their eyes felt the will to look, all were shell shocked to find that Shara was flailing to one side, a large figure grasping the side of its face with a silver claw wedged to its eye socket. The figure twisted their arm, locking the device to the Everwyrm's face to release several small explosions point-blank. The blinding force threw Shara forward, slamming headfirst into the wall of the battlefield, dropping the thick slab of granite atop its scalp.
The figure, who stood much as Ren would, rose to their feet after decoupling the claw. "A... human?" Yui murmured, flabbergasted through tears.
His armour consisted of a large white coat, the fur pearl-white across the hem, the collar tucked around his neck tightly. A red sash strung from under his collar and belt to hand by his thigh. The belt was large, bearing the mark of the Hunter's Guild with a collection of pouches and a glowing pendant containing green fireflies. His arms and legs were suited with dark, embroiled plate armour, hugging his slim frame tightly, the left gauntlet fitted with what appeared to be a Slinger much like Ren's only to fit the theme of the armour.
The last they noted was he wore no helmet, allowing his scruffy white locks dance in the wind, revealing a pair of pale red eyes. His hair dawned a dark crimson hairband with a pink rose. In his right and left respectively was a black sword and shield, their very structure layered like scales, the sword's blade split with bright purple light much like his shield. The pair radiating strength comparable to an Elder Dragon.
"Who... are you?" Yui murmured breathlessly, meeting his eyes as though they were familiar.
He blinked, inspecting his looks with a pleasant grin, admiring his weapons fondly, stars in his eyes. "Hehehehe, oooh Trinity wasn't kidding~! I'm human again, suckas!" Did he cackle... like Zen? "She even gave me my Alatreon gear? Oh-oh, do I have..." He swiped his hand, seeing something the others could now, his giggling intensified. "I do!? My precious little jewel slots..."
"I - wow, so this is who you really look like?" Topaz commented after a brief gathering of her thoughts, smiling slightly. "You're scrawnier than I expected."
Zen bashfully scratched his cheek. "Yeah... I didn't get out much - I'm more of a recluse back home."
"What's with the Hunter's Mark then?" Ren questioned as Yui continued to stare in awe, drying her eyes as the Elder Dragon ahead of them slowly began to rise, Mira slithered around to nuzzle Zen who chuckled at the affection.
"Hehehe, that tickles - ahem, love to explain but let's take care of big, yellow, and ugly before we're forced to swim home," He drooped. "I... can't swim in this armour."
"Zen..." He paused, turning to Yui to see her smile, holding back a few relieved tears. "Y-you look amazing."
He winked, feeling her worry fizzled away, he couldn't imagine that was pleasant to watch without knowing. "Now-now, that title is rightfully yours," He stood by her side, drawing his Black Dragon weapons forward as the Everwyrm reared its massive head toward them, dust cast aside by its roar. "Alright - Let's kick 'em where it hurts!"
"RIGHT!!"
"Oh, and take this-" Zen tossed Topaz a yellow jar of liquid, giving a wink. "It'll help regen your mana... I think?"
"You 'think'?" She blinked but ultimately sighed and tossed it back with an electrical current between her eyes. The heavens themselves practically opened up for her briefly. "Holy Celestia! Where has this been all my life!?"
"Maybe I shouldn't tell her it's made with a shroom that explodes." Zen grimaced before taking the vanguard, dousing himself in Mega Demon Powder and Armourskin, biting down on a yellow pill that effectively increased the health and stamina gauges in the top left of his vision.
Over their heads, Topaz used her newfound vigour to unleash a barrage of magic bolts to impede Shara's sight, blinding the beast though it still caged its face, building pressure between its wings as the team divided up, evading the massive beam that tore through the earth and toppled another distant mountain, even causing a large wave to crash into the island. Mira slithered on her bubbles, curling around to fire a sharp beam to slice the ground and Shara's hide, forcing the Everwyrm to stumble away into a smoke bomb, leaving it discombobulated to Yui retreat.
Ren stood firm, clasping her weapon for a single, instantaneous motion through its legs, leaving a devastating assault on its body with a nice scarlet finish. Growling, the wing curved to blast the earth, freeing dust that obscured the fingers that swatted the pair out its sight. It lumbered toward the bat pony and human leg rising had something solid not struck it in the muzzle, bringing its head lower. A scent of a Black Dragon actually forced Shara to hesitate, seeing the purple energy expel from Zen's sword and shield, practically blazing with Alatreon's strength. For a glimpse, Shara swore the legend loomed over the hunter's shoulder.
Another slam of the shield stunned Shara, its swipe missing while Zen backstopped, lunging with a flash of red on his blade's edge, the force flinging him up from his initial strike for a downward thrust of the shield, the draconic force ricocheting Shara's chin off the ground. While the Elder Dragon recovered, Zen and Ren stood either side of its head, clutch clawing to its face to grapple and thrust their blades through its scales, shredding the already weakened head further with a final, vertical slash.
Weak, Mira leapt high, sinking her teeth into its neck while choking the monster with her length. She kept moving to evade the wings sonic blasts, chewing scales and gashes wider. Snaking around, her cheeks were sucked inward to gouge out Shara's left eye with a deadly amount of water, Releasing her tail in time to avoid the monster's retaliation, giving itself breathing room with a hazardous sweep of sound while it wailed from the lack of a second eye.
Yui hid behind Zen who managed to deflect one of the beams with just his shield, though he did stumble. With her guardian at the ready, she crushed the last of her opals, blowing the dust toward Ren, the now semi-transparent girl sprinting to meet with Topaz on Shara's blinded side. Together, they plunged their swords through its scales, Ren acting as a stool for Topaz to double over the monster to bash it across the temple with the butt of her sword, removing that last layer of protection for its marred, cracked face. Zen then slid forward, performing a rising strike to Shara's chin, knocking the Elder backwards to use its wing on the edge of the arena again to steady itself.
"It's weak, we're almost there!" Zen cheered, thankful his temporary form came with the nuances of Monster hunter. A skull blinking beside Shara's icon. One blow to the head was all they needed, do that, and they win! "Oh no... Topaz!"
"On it!" She retreated with Ren, evading the sheer might of Shara's enraged roar as it destabilized the ground once more, fountains of rock and sand sent flying while they scrambled for solid ground. Not a moment later, the towering beast sunk back into the crust, swimming through the island toward the remaining mountainside.
Each side held on the final trump card, the be all end all. Zen swallowed two pills to bolster his strength further than before, swiping a whetstone over his blade three times to a glint. The Old Everwyrm howled high, wings curled to gather sound and vibration between its fingers, one more attack like that was avoidable, Zen knew this. But that was also Ishvalda's biggest opening. "Mira, taxi!" He waved her over as the monster bit down on his arm lightly, flicking up onto her tail. It stung but the slap of her tail threshed him high into the air, enough to bask in the whole battlefield.
Topaz put the last of her magic into her horn, squeezing our sparks to conjure a pale but stable disk of light in the sky, Zen's foot shattering it once he leapt further, sword folded back with a marron glow mingling with ominous amethyst. One sword strike or Pure Heaven Breaking Force. Clenching his muscles, Zen slit his eyes toward the large gash atop Shara's forehead.
"One more thing, if you don't mind," Zen spoke up, holding onto the red sea-shell necklace tenderly. "It didn't help in time before the blast sent me flying, but I stored that last attack into Counter," Trinity's scarf curved up curiously. "So I was wondering if you could let me channel it when I need it, just once?"
Trinity was silent a moment, then giggled behind her hand at his bashful request. "Zen, you certainly amaze me."
"I gave up my home for my new one, I hope you guys can wait a little longer because I'm not dying now!!" "COUUUNTER!!!" White light discharged from the red shell necklace to the Alatreon Sword, screeching as though it were a living legend reincarnated. Shara's frontmost fingers were severed from its wings, the brilliant silver flame burning through its attack, carving through its shoulder with an unbearable amount of heat, that once it made contact with the ground, detonated with a resounding flash of light.
The Earth Singing Wyvern cried out, the fissure carved through the mountain with ease, the impression in the earth several layers down where Shara collapsed in a bloodstained heap, dust rising from the epicentre. Through the dark clouds and ominous aura, all slowly began to fade, allowing the sun's rays to fully bask over the forgotten island once more. Up above, Jack whistled to himself, peering out from his hovel with binoculars, laughing triumphantly at what he saw.
Through the resting dust, Yui galloped to find Zen standing tall, staring silently back at the fallen Elder Dragon. He turned to look back at his approaching friends with a small wave, dirt and injures dotting his face while his right arm appeared limp, blood dripping from fresh wounds. "Hey... I think I won, ehehehe."
"Zen!" Yui immediately tackled him to the ground, hugging him tightly though he was unable to do anything to pull her away. Lying back with his good arm around her back, feeling her muzzle nudge his chin. "If you do that again, I'll kill you." She murmured, sniffing slightly.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," He sighed, tucking his head against her neck. "You're the best."
"Isn't that my line?" She smiled warmly, sitting on his lap while Ren helped to pull him upright, laughing away with Topaz smiling next to the pony form of Mira, the monster girl smiling pleasantly to herself.
"You're one crazy wolf - erm, hunter I guess?" Ren motioned at his change in appearance, making him rub his nape bashfully.
"Yeaaah, Trinity helped me out on that one," That made Topaz and Yui gape.
"She came back!?" Yui leaned close enough that Zen pecked her lips quickly to throw her off, it earned him a punch to the arm.
"Only to give me this edge over Shara, it's strange, last I checked my character was a chick but I'm not complaining," He boasted, patting his equipment, or until it turned a soft silver, deflating him quickly. "Aw, I'm out of time, gonna miss not needing aura to chat, shaaaame." Ren patted his messy white hair.
"Still our hunter, Wolfman," Ren clicked her fingers as Yui stepped off his lap for the transformation to finish. It didn't take long before Zen's posture shifted, becoming smaller and more animal-like. The light faded away, leaving only a Lucario in its place. "There he is in the fluffy flesh!"
"'I am not fluffy.'" He grunted, leaving him the butt of the joke until Mira approached, looking content after all the fighting, though even in her pony form she retained her injuries. "'Sorry, I can't really do much to heal you.'"
Shaking her head, Mira merely hugged him briefly. "I am happy you are okay, you beat the Elder Dragon, transforming like me."
"'To a degree-'" He waved his arm toward them all. "'-don't sell yourselves short, all of us did this, beating an Elder Dragon far more powerful than I could've anticipated, so thank you for putting up with my shortcomings.'"
"Ditto." The group replied.
Looking around, Topaz gave the deceased Elder one more look, shaking her head free of the Valstrax helmet. "We should gather what we can, this'll be quite the report, great." She muttered flatly.
"'I've got to take more notes too,'" Zen agreed, "'Every monster I can remember, I need to list everything instead of waiting, so that the next time an Elder Dragon shows its ugly side I've got us prepped.'"
Yui nudged his hip, smiling bashfully. "And time to, you know, handle what comes next, dork." She played with the ring on her necklace, watching him laugh nervously with that cute smile of his.
"That is very important, Yui Amadeus," He took great joy in seeing her face erupt into scarlet. Spinning on his heel to his allies he replied to them all. "'Ahem, we should probably find a way back to the camp, and to Jack, if he hasn't fainted or something.'"
"I can still hear you - or are you ignoring me!? Hello!? Ah, r-right, okay then!" His voice echoed from afar.
"Sadly," Mira added under her breath.
While everyone gathered their gear and felt the massive weight lift away, Zen held his footing, turning when his ear flicked in protest. Behind them, he met the single, red pupil that dilated at the sight of the Lucario. He paled in turn. "Oh, you've got to be fu-"
"Roaaar!!" Shara shook the island again, waves crashing from the disturbance that slipped by Zen's aura.
"You're kidding!?" Topaz gawked.
They turned, Ren drawing her longsword instantly, Mira converting back into a Mizutsune, Topaz levitating her own blade, Zen managing to conjure a thin Bone Rush with what little he had left, even Yui procured some materials meant to blind or mislead the monster once more. '"Round two it is then!'"
Shara pushed off its wings, clearly weak and holding onto its fading breath, the blood pooling by its left leg from Zen's devastating attack. Despite these fatal injuries, it brought its wings high, the finger taut with rage. Lifting itself onto its back legs to shadow the hunters bearing their fangs at the indomitable Dragon.
"I'm up for another 'bout, let's go!" Ren challenged the almighty Elder, everyone awaiting the sonic barrage to ensue again, or, had a sharp ringing not pierced most of their eardrums.
The clouds that remained were banished instantly by a red blur colliding with Shara's back, claws tearing strips off the monster. The team followed the silver body toward the mountain peaks, all unexpectedly shocked to find a one-eyed Dragon facing the Everwyrm. "No way...!" Zen breathed in his native tongue.
"It's alive!?" Yui was at a loss for words.
Valstrax hovered for only a second, rocketing down to carve a draconic infused wing across Shara's chest, the impact forcing the others to kneel just to stand against the gale-force behind Valstrax's speed. It swivelled out of reach of Shara's claws, pinning the weakened Elder by the throat for its wing to invert, carving down into its jugular like a knife, twisting before one final slam of the head silenced Shara Ishvalda forever.
In mere moments that dread filling Zen was gone, replaced with something he couldn't describe in Valstrax's eye. It inspected them from head to toe, giving them all a roar before posing its wings downward, releasing another crimson burst from its vents, vacating the island without a hint of malice to be felt. His gleaming form disappearing into the big blue world above, never to be seen again.
"'Well,'" Zen clapped his paws, immediately flopping onto the ground in exhaustion. "'Atleast it wasn't Nergigante.'"
"Ugh!" The rest soon followed in his stead.
[Zen's POV]
After the sudden climax brought to us by the totally not dead Valstrax, we finally found our way back to camp to patch up and head home. It felt like forever ago given the many events that have transpired, I honestly wasn't sure how this would've panned out. Looking back on the day I first met Valstrax's eyes, I feel like he led us here, he wanted us to find Shara and put an end to his rampage. But why? What makes Valstrax different from the rest? Maybe because he's nomadic or-
"You still reciting everything that happened?" Yui started me from my notes, almost scribbling down the page while she sat beside me against the mast, frowning disapprovingly. "I know you want to keep tabs on everything that's happened but you need your rest."
"I know, sorry I-" That look of hers again forced me to close the book, setting it down. "-Right, I will, promise." She nodded and placed her head against my shoulder, wrapping her wing tucked between us. This felt nice, and to let my guard down after so long felt great. "What's your take on Valstrax?"
"Probably as good as yours," Her eyes were closed, brushing the bangs to reveal the other as they opened toward me. "I've learned that not all monsters, Rift or otherwise, act as expected."
"I've been comparing them to their video game counterparts, but that's no longer viable given their intelligence." Much as that irked me, I suppose expecting things to pan out like a game would be a poor judgement. "Well, nothing to do now but look forward."
"Agreed, I still have a few sweet spots to beat that other adventurer to!" Yui grinned, holding her hoof high. "That mare won't beat me this time, hehe." No one should be this cute, period. "Though I wouldn't mind spending a little time to ourselves, i-if that's fine w-with you?"
I hooked my arm behind her waist, tucking her closer to my side with a sigh, closing my eyes to the blissful world around us. "With you? I'd go to the ends of the earth, remember?"
She giggled, "I do," This feeling, I think this is what made that choice easier. "Can't wait to say that again..."
I let my head rest atop hers, my wounds no longer itchy, a warmth wrapping around my heart. "You and me both."
Several Years Later...
"The End... or is it?" Zen drummed the nightstand lightly. "So, your rating? I went for a little more flair for the theatrics this time."
"Eight-out-of-ten," Came the reply from bat pony filly with amethyst eyes, and a messy mane a shade of charcoal with a single, lilac stripe just off to the left. She waved a hoof side-to-side heavily. "Kinda feel details were glossed over and *yawn* cheesy."
Zen deadpanned. "Geez, I end up with a critic tonight - guess we're skipping the part about me nearly dying... again,"
She just rolled her eyes, snuggling into her blanket, eyelids heavy. "Still sounds exciting..." She yawned again. "...I want to... fight an Elder... Dragon..."
Zen stared at the slumbering filly for a long time. So much has happened it made his head spin at times trying to keep up. He chuckled lightly, closing the journal that detailed his encounters with various monsters and ferocious Elder Dragons, a red scale stitched into the front, a faint remnant of Safi'jiiva's aura humming through his fingers. Leaning closer, he pecked the filly on the forehead. "Goodnight, Akira, try not to cause any trouble." He teased.
"Hrm..." She groaned in her sleep, turning over. "...night, Dad..."
Summer, Taka, Kazu, Asher, Merry, I know you'll never know but I'm okay here. Equestria's a crazy place, and I can't stop thinking about how I'll meet you guys again. Even if it takes years of my life, and I'm forced to break myself against dozens of dangers just to make it an inch closer, I'll find a way back to you. But right now...
I am home.
With a soft smile, the human turned Lucario shut the door softly.
End
This took quite the time to set up, a number of monsters could've gone here but Shara felt like the perfect centrepiece. Between the big question Zen had bubbling in his head, to his brief time as a human again, the gang banding together, it was a lot of fun to wrap up Indomitable, though the whole Monster Hunter shorts will probably continue here-and-there just cause.
I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to Indomitable, I really appreciate the support across all my stories, seeya next time, Hunters!
Here's a good song for a send-off, enjoy!
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Sorry for such a late comment, I had issues upon issues with many things, but finally got around to reading this chapter.
Simply amazing~ I love how it all came to this final battle and the sappyness and the action and the story is all so wonderful!
Thanks for this Slender, really helps in these rough times.
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I don’t mind the wait, and I’m happy that something I write is enough to brighten anyone’s day, so hearing that tells me I’m achieving my goal. Thanks for reading ^_^
No, Lucario.
Jeezuz fuck no. I agree wholeheartedly Zen.
Ending was, and I quote, "D'awwwww!"
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That’s awesome to hear, happy to enjoyed the story!
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https://youtu.be/uqIFPPM-Hm4?si=nCxaLGAPMR2TDtOB
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If Val was ever to make an appearance again, most definitely XD