Life 0: Immature Demi-Gods - Part 1

Life 0: Immature Demi-Gods

Part 1

I am Princess Celestia of Equestria. For over a thousand years I have ruled over this land. I set the sun in the sky to start each new day. I've kept peace for most of my rule. Yet, sometimes I feel like a foalsitter.

“The Mayor of Salt Lick City has requested additional rain to be added to the weather schedule or their crops will dry out,” my trusted secretary says as she walks along the castle corridor beside me.

I'm feeling exhausted after a long day, so my answer is curt. “This isn't a crown matter. Tell him to put in a request with the Department of Weather.”

“That's the problem. He's already done that three times and has been denied.”

“On what grounds?”

She uses her unicorn magic to quickly leaf through the papers she's carrying in front of her. “The DOW claims that they don't have the resources, but the Mayor insists it's because Salt Lick City did poorly during their tornado duty last year and now the pegasi are out to get them.”

Rolling my eyes, I respond. “That's a serious accusation. Tell the Cloudsdale state department to launch a formal investigation. In the meantime dispatch some weather teams to Las Pegasos to get some extra rain clouds from there.”

My secretary scratches out a few notes and adjusts her glasses. “Also about the budget for Nightmare Night … “

I cut her off by holding my hoof in front of her. “Take that up with my sister Luna. Besides the time for the Day Court is over.”

“There's still five minutes till sundown.”

Closing my eyes, I fire up my horn and gently lower the sun behind the horizon. “You were saying, Swift Quill?”

She sighs. “You really shouldn't do that, your highness. You know it upsets the castle guard in their rotation.”

“For the last millennium I've pulled double duties through both day and night. I think I deserve to punch out early for once.” It's not that I hate my job. There are just the kind of days, where I get swamped with administrative details to the point that I have to wonder if my subjects have forgotten how to live without my orders. Like today.

Swift Quill gives me a weak smile. “Off the record, your highness. It's about damn time you took a vacation. Take a few days off. Have some fun.”

Although she's my subordinate, she's been working with me for so long that we've also become friends. So I appreciate her openness. I'll miss her, when she's gone. But I've gotten used to losing friends a long time ago. It's one of the realities, when you've lived as long as I have.

“I may actually do that. But for right now a hot bath will have to do.”

“See you bright and early tomorrow, your highness.”

After bidding me farewell, she hurries back to the throne room. She still has to hand over the protocol of the day's events to the secretary for the Night Court. As my mood begins to brighten in anticipation of a nice bath, a good book and the prospect of my soft bed, a guard comes running down the hall.

“Your highness!” he yells and then promptly trips over his own hooves, face-planting on the polished floor with a clatter and sliding the rest of the way until he comes to a stop in front of me. He looks up at me from under his crooked helmet with a blush. “I … um … ah.”

“Calm down, Corporal,” I say, straightening him out and lifting him back to his hooves with my magic. “What seems to be the problem?” One of the earliest lessons I've learned is to keep a cool head in a crisis. Not only is it necessary to make decisions, but it's also important to keep your subjects from panicking.

He nods and salutes. “Intruders in the palace, your highness. They appeared from some kind of magic circle.”

My eyes narrow. “Who is it?” My mind goes through a million different possibilities. But at this point what I need is information.

“They are … well, actually I'm not quite sure what they are, let alone who. They stand on two legs and they don't have front hooves. More like some kind of claw, but they aren't dragons.”

“What are they doing right now?”

“Just … waiting, I guess. They asked for you by name.”

That was unexpected. From the vague description they sound like humans. But humans normally can't enter Equestria, unless … “Take me to them.”

The guard leads me to one of the seldom used rooms in the castle. Two guards are standing in front of the door. I only give them a short nod in response to their salutes as I pass by them. Having entered, I can see three men. Several of my pegasus and unicorn guards have them surrounded, even though I can see in their eyes that they are apprehensive at the strange creatures.

“Yo, Celly! Long time no see.” The man who greets with with a bright smile and a cheerful expression has crimson hair and is wearing a white uniform with a red cape.

I let my breath out explosively. “Sirzechs, please don't scare my subjects like that or does the Underworld no longer use doors?” Yes, that man is Sirzechs Lucifer, the current Demon Lord of the Underworld.

“Please forgive us Celestia,” the tall, blonde man next to him says apologetically. “I told them we should have sent word ahead.” That's Michael, Chief Archangel of the Heavens and the successor of God from the Bible, who died during the Great War.

The third man, who has black hair with bleached tips and is wearing a Japanese yukata, laughs. “What would be the fun in that? It wouldn't be much of a surprise visit otherwise.” Azazel, Governor General of the Fallen Angels. I see his easy-going attitude hasn't changed.

“What surprises me far more than the manner of your entrance, is that the three of you are in one room together and you aren't trying to kill each other.”

Azazel shrugs. “Well, some things happened and the three great powers are now at peace.”

That's gotta be the understatement of the century. “Remarkable. And it only took you two hundred years.”

“Hahaha. I'm still waiting for the passage being added to the Bible, where it says: 'And a magical pony princess descended from the sky and told everybody to knock off the crap.'” He pokes Michael in the ribs.

The Archangel coughs in embarrassment. “Yes, well. If we ever do put that in, we'd have to word it slightly differently. But it is true that your role in the initial truce is understated, Celestia.”

Back then God and the third Lucifer had just died and the war had reduced the numbers on either side greatly. But none of the factions trusted the other enough to hold a peace meeting. Since Equestria and Earth are connected through Tartarus, I was brought in as a mediator.

Still, it's remarkable that they managed to come to some sort of agreement without calling me. Looking around, I notice that my guards are still on alert with their weapons at the ready. “Guard. Stand down. These three are our guests. Please escort them to the east tower and see to their needs. I'll be along shortly.”

They're still apprehensive about, what are to them alien creatures, but they salute and carry out the order.

“Aren't you coming with us? I have something to talk to you about,” Sirzechs asks.

“It can wait half an hour. I've had a long day and I was just on my way to the royal baths.”

“Need someone to scrub your back?” Of course it's Azazel who asks such an outrageous question with a grin on his face.

“I hear you tried that line on Gabriel once and she threw you off Mt. Megiddo for it.”

“ … It was Mt. Sinai,” he says sullenly. I can hear Sirzechs and even Michael trying to suppress their chuckles.

“Well, if you wanna add the Canterlot Mountains to that list, you're free to try and follow me.” Of course he doesn't.

Life 0: Immature Demi-Gods - Part 2

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Part 2

“So what you're telling me is that the three powers basically made peace, because your little sister's boyfriend wanted to get laid?” I almost couldn't believe my ears, when my three guests were finished recounting the events of the past months that had led to this outcome.

“Well, there's a little more to it than that, Celly, but yeah. That's what it boils down to,” Sirzechs confirms, taking another sip of tea in the well furnished guest room of the castle.

Azazel is laughing uproariously. “That's the Sekiryuutei, the Red Dragon Emperor, for you. He's got the power of the Boosted Gear, but he's the first wielder not to be consumed by it. All he dreams about is becoming a Harem King.”

I sigh. So they're basically telling me that such a power has fallen into the hands of a horny teenager. Still, Hyoudou Issei, because of him the three powers finally moved on and have started cooperating, huh? “Then what about the White One? Has Albion awakened along with Ddraig?”

Everybody, even Azazel, gets serious at my question. “Vali Lucifer, the current White Dragon Emperor. He's around. Gave us quite some trouble at the peace conference.”

“Lucifer?” I ask with a raised eyebrow, looking at Sirzechs.

He nods. “He's the descendant of old Lucifer and a human woman. He was working together with the old Maou faction and attacked the peace conference, but Issei fought him to a draw. Not everybody is in favour of the alliance. Some people just can't get past the old grudges.”

Ah, old Lucifer, the third Demon Lord then. I sometimes forget Sirzechs only took the title after the war. He's actually from the house of Gremory, so they aren't related.

Azazel explains. “Basically malcontents from each faction have rallied around the descendants of the old Demon Lords. I fought Katerea Leviathan. They're a bunch of terrorists that call themselves the Khaos Brigade.”

“Let's not forget who brought Vali to the conference in the first place,” Archangel Michael says. He's wearing his usual serene smile, but there's a hint of mirth behind it.

Azazel coughs. “I said I was sorry already. I thought I had him covered. Besides everything turned out okay.” Is Michael trying to get even for that Bible joke earlier? These two really have changed.

Sirzechs smiles charmingly and placates them with a gesture. “Now, now, let's not get bogged down in politics here. That's not the reason we came, after all.”

Once more I'm reminded that it was a good thing for Sirzechs to become the leader of the Underworld. I've been told that Hell has changed a lot for the better and that most demons no longer hold views of pure lineage as sacred. “So what exactly did you come here for?”

He fixes me with his eyes. “You're aware of the Rating Game?”

“Yes, it's a type of battle game to keep combat skills sharp. High-class demons, who possess servants with evil pieces, fight each other to determine who is the strongest.”

He nods. “That's basically it. My little sister has recently started competing, albeit in an unofficial match against Raiser Phoenix.”

“You told me as much. What does this have to do with me?”

“Actually it's a request from all of us,” Michael explains. “The Fallen Angels are working on adapting the Evil Pieces technology, so it can be used on beings other than demons. Even Heaven is developing a similar system. We're hoping that competing against each other in a sporting environment will bring the three powers closer together and differences can be settled in forms other than deadly combat.”

“I'm even coaching Rias and her servants in the use of their Sacred Gears,” Azazel says with a hint of pride. Rias Gremory is the name of Sirzechs' younger sister.

“And since your little sister is no longer grounded on the moon, I thought they could compete in a friendly match to test the new system.” That's what Sirzechs says.

I narrow my eyes at him. “I did not GROUND Luna for a thousand years. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.” To this day it pains me to think about it. “But I don't think making her compete in such a barbaric sport would be good for her.”

The current Lucifer simply smiles at that. “And yet you never tire of heaping praise on her whenever we talk via magic circle. Could it be you're afraid of the outcome?”

I frown. It's true that I might have talked a lot about Luna, because I was happy to have her back. Sirzechs and I have kept in contact and occasionally chat via magical means. It's nice to talk to someone who has basically the same rank as myself once in a while. “I'll have you know that Luna only recently led a charge against the Nightmare forces, when they broke free of the moon.”

His eyes are sparkling. “Come on, Celly. Aren't you curious? Don't you wanna know which of our little sisters is the stronger one?”

That's right. This guy has a total sister complex. He completely dotes on Rias. Sixteen years ago, when she was born, he called me up in the middle of the night to show me her baby pictures.

“Here's an idea, you could call in that student of yours, Twilight Sparkle was it? And you could probably get a hold of a dragon to compete with the Sekiryuutei. Let's face it, Luna will need all the help she can get.” He's still smiling while saying that.

Though my own smile remains unbroken, I can feel my magical aura rising from my skin as his words get to me. “Sirzechs, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're implying that Luna couldn't defeat Rias without help.”

Michael and Azazel actually have become silent as they watch the two of us square off. Sirzechs puts a thoughtful finger on his chin. “What if I am?” His own demonic aura begins to envelop him.

“How many servants does Rias have?” I ask between clenched teeth.

“Seven, although it's not a full set. I'll even give you the handicap and say Luna can take eight.”

“That won't be necessary. I have just the six ponies for the job, plus one dragon.”

Sirzechs leans back in his chair. “Shall we make it a little more interesting then?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Grayfia is taking a day off soon. So I'll need a replacement maid for a day. I'll even provide the outfit for you.”

I hesitate. This would be extremely embarrassing. I've worked very hard for the last thousand years to project an image of grace and sincerity.

Sensing my worries, he jumps at the chance and sighs theatrically. “Ah, such a shame for Luna that her big sister has so little faith in her.”

That does it. “Fine, the bet is on, fourth Demon Lord Sirzechs Lucifer. You better be prepared to serve tea in my court for a day, wearing a frilly, pink apron!”

He grins broadly and extends his hand. “Then the match to decide who is the Strongest Little Sister will be held in one week.”

I extend my hoof and we shake on it. Thus I've made a bet with a devil, and not just any devil. But it's fine. Swift Quill told me to have some fun and taking him down a peg will be a lot of fun.

After my guards have escorted them to their rooms for the night, I take out a piece of parchment and a quill. Once I've sent this one off, I'm gonna have to write another letter to my secret weapon. “My dear Twilight, … “

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 1

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Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville

Part 1

My name is Spike. I'm a dragon. I'm also the number one assistant of Equestria's newest princess, Twilight Sparkle. But we're not living in a castle. As has been the case for the past few years, we live in the Golden Oaks Library in the small town of Ponyville. Last night Twilight got a letter from Princess Celestia and has called all her friends together, the Elements of Harmony.

Normally I'd be happy to spend time with Rarity, who I secretly have a crush on, but right now my eyes keep darting nervously back and forth between Twilight and the spot where I hide my helmet and extra pillows for emergencies.

“Maybe it's because I haven't fulfilled my royal duties,” Twilight says to nopony in particular. She's been freaking out ever since the letter came.

“Calm down, sugarcube,” Applejack tries to soothe her. “What exactly did the letter say?”

Since Twilight is trying to get her breathing under control, I answer while scratching my head. “There really wasn't much to it. It simply stated that Princess Celestia and Luna would be coming here with some important guests and that the reputation of the royal family and Equestria itself is at stake.”

“That doesn't sound so bad,” Rainbow Dash states bluntly.

“BAD?” Twilight yells. “Didn't you hear? It's about the reputation of the royal family! It must be because I've failed in my duties!”

“Darling,” Rarity cuts into the tirade. “How could you have possibly messed up? You haven't been a princess that long.”

Twilight rushes up to Rarity and stares at her in horror. “Maybe I missed a deadline. Do princesses need to get recertified at regular intervals? Maybe she's bringing these guests to give me a test. Is it a written test or a practical exam?”

A pink earth pony is bouncing up and down excitedly. “That sounds like fun!”

“It's not fun, Pinkie!” Twilight snaps at her friend.

“Aww.”

Applejack draws closer to me and whispers in my ear. “So, be honest with me here. Do we need to worry about her uprooting the library again?”

I shake my head. “I dunno. I haven't seen her this upset since she became an alicorn. But if she does blow, I think the library is gonna be the least of our worries, because it's only gonna be ground zero. We might wanna put together an evacuation plan for Ponyville as a whole.”

“Calm your fears, Twilight Sparkle,” a new voice says from up high. “This isn't about you.”

When I look up, I can see a pony with dark blue colors standing in the open window. Everypony gasps. “Princess Luna!” Twilight says and begins to bow. The rest of us follow suit.

“Hello, everypony,” the Princess says calmly as she spreads her wings and glides gracefully to the floor. “Please don't bow to me, Twilight. We are equals, after all. And that goes for the rest of you, too. We'll soon do battle alongside each other once again, after all.”

“Battle?” Fluttershy squeaks, going even paler than usual.

Luna grimaces. “Forgive me. I misspoke. The reason I came ahead of my sister and her visitors is precisely because I saw her letter to you. She clearly exaggerated the importance of her visit and I know how some of you can get flustered at such things.”

Twilight tries to laugh it off with a blush. “Who? Us? I wasn't worried.”

The Princess of the Moon gives her a sidelong glance and smiles. “Do not try to fool me, Twilight Sparkle. I saw the nightmares you had prior to your coronation.”

“You swore not to tell,” Twilight says with a gulp.

With a chuckle Luna answers. “My lips are sealed. Though who would have thought THAT would be the greatest fear of the Element of Magic?”

I suppress a laugh. I know exactly what she's implying, because sometimes Twilight talks in her sleep. But if I were to say it out loud, she'd make me dust shelves for the rest of my life.

Luna greets all of us in turn and then singles out Rarity. “How have you been doing since the incident?”

“Very well, your highness. I appreciate all your help in the matter. It has truly been a relief to have somepony to work it out with.”

The smile on Luna's lips has turned sad. “I've been through it myself. It's the least I can do and, truth be told, I have benefited from it also. Until recently I couldn't talk about it to a mare who has been in the same situation.”

They're referring to the Nightmare Rarity incident from a few months ago. For a time it seemed like we would lose Rarity to the Nightmare forces. I don't know what I would have done. But even after Luna and all our friends rescued Rarity, it was hard for her to cope with it. She was having recurring nightmares about it for weeks afterward. I've been told that Luna started to visit Rarity's dreams every night to help her deal with the trauma. That can't have been easy for her, since she has her own memories and regrets from her time as Nightmare Moon.

I'm just glad we got Rarity back and if there's one good thing that came out of this ordeal, it's that all of us have gotten a little closer to Luna. To us she's no longer just the co-ruler of Equestria, she's also a friend. I've made a vow on my personal dragon code since then. I would follow Princess Luna to the end of the world, if she asked me to. Because she's the saviour of the mare I love and that's a debt I can never fully repay.

“So what exactly is the reason we've been all called together?” Twilight finally asks.

“You said something about a battle,” Fluttershy adds, shivering. Seems like the freak-out baton has been passed on to the yellow pegasus.

“It's not so serious, I assure you. I've been asked to participate in a game.” Luna frowns. “Well, it's more like I've been volunteered by my sister. You'll get a proper explanation in due time, but for right now you can think of it as a mock battle. I do apologize that Tia dragged you into this without asking.”

“Well, how do you think about this?” It's Applejack who wants an honest answer, of course.

The Princess smiles. “Hm, I was a little upset that she went over my head like this and I have been contemplating staging an accidental solar eclipse during the next Summer Sun Celebration to get even. But truthfully I am intrigued. Since I participated in the Summer Wrap-Up Festival, I've been interested in games of any kind and this Rating Game sounds like a good idea in principal.”

“How so?”

“It was originally conceived as an exercise to replace real battle experience. The Elements of Harmony are Equestria's first line of defense and although all of you have proven capable under crisis conditions, practice makes perfect. I think that's what was on Tia's mind, when she picked you to support me in this.”

Twilight nods. “I see. That might be a good thing.”

“Perhaps. But I wanted to make sure first. All of you, would you lend me your help and follow me for this adventure?” For some reason she looks really nervous as she asks. Is she afraid we might turn her down?

Naturally it's Rainbow Dash who speaks up first. “What kind of a question is that? Of course we're with you, Princess! Lead the way!” Everypony happily nods their agreement, even Fluttershy.

Luna breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank you, everypony. I knew I could count on you.” Then she turns toward me. “How about you, Spike? Will you lend me your strength?”

I'm taken aback. “M-me?”

She nods. “I'm gonna need seven servants for this game and I've been led to believe the opponent also has a dragon in their ranks.”

I gulp hard. This is bad. I've met other dragons before and they were always bad news. I can't possibly match up to a fully grown dragon. As I'm thinking about this, I glance over at Rarity. She's looking at me with worry. Is she thinking the same thing? But this is Princess Luna asking. I've already made my resolve, so I stand up straight. “If you think I can be of any use, I'll do my best.”

“Then it's decided. Together we'll participate in the Rating Game. I'll be relying on all of you to win.”

“Well said, little sister,” a serene voice says from the doorway.

Everypony bows at Princess Celestia's arrival. I sure wish Twilight would get that lock fixed. I've lived among ponies my whole life, but at times their inability to knock before entering a room completely baffles me. Then again Celestia can be like that, popping out of nowhere without announcing herself.

“It's good to see you getting your team spirit up already. Then I'll introduce you to our guests.”

When she steps aside to allow the three others in her company entry, my eyes go wide. I've seen these creatures before, on the other side of the magic mirror.

“Humans!” Twilight and I blurt out in surprise simultaneously.

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 2

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Part 2

I, Hyoudou Issei, am riding my bike through the night. I've just finished a visit with one of my regular customers and am now on my way back home. The reason I show up via bike, whenever I'm being summoned, is because my devil powers are rather weak, so I can't use teleportation magic. But most of my regulars have gotten used to that by now.

I have a huge, dumb grin on my face. Coming home is the best, since Sirzechs-sama has decreed that all female Occult Research Club members must live at my house. Recently Buchou and Asia have gotten more aggressive as well. They were even wearing nude aprons!

I raise one fist to the night sky. “Peace and Oppai are the best!”

Suddenly my cellphone rings and I stop. There's a text from Buchou. “Ise. Come to the clubroom as soon as possible,” it reads simply.

I hang my head. I was looking forward to eating a dinner prepared by Buchou and Asia. But it looks like that's out now. A meeting at this time of night usually means only one thing. There's a stray devil somewhere and we need to hunt them down. I wish they'd just leave us alone. How can I enjoy my lifestyle with all the girls and deepen my relationship with Buchou, if we're fighting all the time?

Well, there's no way I can ignore a summoning from my master, so I take a left and head towards Kuoh Academy. The school gates are closed, when I arrive, obviously. So I park my bike and climb over the wall. Then I walk to the old school building, where the clubroom of the Occult Research Club is located. Although we do regular club activities as well, it's mostly a front to gather Rias Gremory's servants in one place. There's also another group of demons at this school, that would be the Student Council, Souna Sitri and her servants.

A pretty boy with blonde hair greets me cheerfully at the entrance of the old school building. “Yo, Ise! You're the last one to arrive.”

“That's because everyone besides me can just use the magic circle,” I grumble.

We enter and walk through the dark hallway towards the clubroom. “Send me a text next time. I can come and pick you up.”

“I refuse.” He's already got better looks than me and is more popular with all the girls. No way am I gonna sink to that level of asking him for help. Pretty boys are my natural enemy! … Though I've come to consider Kiba a comrade and somewhat of a friend, since he is also Buchou's servant. “So what's going on? Do you know?”

“I only know that Sensei called in via magic circle a while ago and wanted all of us to gather together.”

Azazel-sensei. Damn that Fallen Angel Governor. He simply waltzed in after the peace conference and took over as the Occult Research Club's advisor. He even got a job as a teacher here. Buchou protested at first, but since the order came down from Sirzechs-sama himself, she couldn't refuse. Though I suppose it's not a bad thing to have someone with so much freaky knowledge about Sacred Gears on our side and he did help in Gasper's training.

When we enter the clubroom, everyone else is already there. Buchou is sitting at her desk, tapping her fingers on the wood irritably. Guess Sensei hit her out of the blue with calling us here. Everyone including me is wearing their Kuoh Academy school uniforms. It's sort of become our usual uniform, even while on devil business.

I sit down on the couch. The atmosphere is unusually tense. Then someone places a cup of tea in front of me. “Ah, thank you, Akeno-san.”

The Japanese beauty with black hair smiles at me. “Ufufu. I thought you might be thirsty, after coming all the way here by bike.”

I hang my head. I know. I'm just an idiot who can't use his demonic powers well. Even Asia and Xenovia, who have joined after me, can use them. Akeno-san sits down next to me and clings to my arm.

“A-Akeno-san … O-oppai … “ I stutter, because her large breasts are pressed against my arm. This fleshy sensation is sending shockwaves through my brain.

Buchou stands up abruptly and walks over to us. “Akeno, don't you think you're pushing it?” she asks.

“Arara, Rias. I'm just bonding with my cute kouhai through skinship.” Oh crap, Akeno-san has her S-face on. Are they gonna start fighting again? Last time they did that, they almost destroyed the school's pool area.

Buchou glares at her and then sits down on my other side, grabbing onto my arm. “Ise is mine. I'm not sharing him with you.”

They start pulling me back and forth between them. I can feel both their soft and large oppai on each of my arms. I'm trapped between the two great Onee-sama of the school! This is heaven. I can feel a nosebleed coming on.

Suddenly something hits me on the forehead. “Ouch.” Was that a piece of candy?

“No perverted thoughts allowed,” Koneko-chan says flatly. My thoughts must have showed on my face again. She's pretty scary when angry, but with her small frame and cat hair clip in her silver hair, she's also kinda cute. At least she didn't punch me. Does that mean she's warming up to me?

I look over at Asia, who is watching Buchou, Akeno-san and me with teary eyes. “Ise-san.”

Please don't cry, Asia! I wonder what she would say, if I offered her a seat on my lap? That's right, if I want to make my dream of becoming a Harem-King come true, I must have a blonde bishoujo sit on my lap at least once!

Xenovia is biting her thumbnail. “Tch, how am I gonna make babies with Ise, if I can't be alone with him?”

Just then a magic circle appears on the table in front of us and a small image of Azazel-sensei appears. “Yo! You guys look as lively as ever.”

“Azazel, why have you called us here? More importantly, where have you been? Weren't you supposed to develop our abilities with the Sacred Gears?” Buchou seems pissed.

But Sensei just waves her off. “That's why I'm here. I've lined up a practice match for you. It'll take place in one week.”

Buchou blinks. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”

“Sirzechs wanted to surprise you.”

She sighs. “Onii-san.”

“Well, that's how it is. I'm in another world right now. I'm gonna teleport you over here to meet the competition and then we'll have one week to train.”

I cut in. “Wait a minute! Our summer break is just beginning and you want us to go to some other world? I won't allow that!” Summer break is sacred! It's the time a guy can lose his virginity! And with the way things are going I may actually have the chance to do that this year. I'm not gonna let this get ruined by that shitty Governor!

“Hm,” Sensei closes his eyes. “I thought you might feel that way. But consider this … “ He then raises a finger and grins at me. “The other team almost exclusively consists of beautiful females and all of them are single.”

My brain freezes for a moment. I didn't know a single sentence could bring forth such a wealth of emotions. I stand up straight and raise my hand up high. “Yes! Let's go to the other world! I wanna see it!”

While Sensei is chuckling, Buchou just groans and rubs her temples. “Ise.” Eventually she stands up as well. “Very well. It's probably not a bad idea to have a practice match before the Tournament of Young Devils starts.”

I haven't heard about this before. Is there an upcoming event like that? Either way we're all set to go, or are we? “Where's Gasper?” I ask, looking around.

“Here,” Koneko-chan says. She's holding a cardboard box in her arms.

“Hiiii! I don't wanna goooo!” a shrill voice comes from inside the box.

Poor Gasper. This guy doesn't like to go outside. Until recently he hasn't even left the old school building. When I first heard there was a vampire in our group, I never thought it would be a cross-dressing shut-in. It feels like part of my manliness is dying whenever I admit it, but he does look cute in a girl's uniform.

A red transportation circle appears under our feet and the world goes white for a second. When I open my eyes, it looks like I'm standing in some sort of library. Sirzechs-sama, Michael-sama and Azazel-sensei are already here. As I look over at everyone else … “EEEHHH??? What the hell is this?”

There are pastel-coloured horses there. Some have wings and some others horns. What is going on here?

The biggest horse takes a step towards us. “Welcome to Equestria, everyone. I am Princess Celestia, the ruler of this place.”

“My, this is a surprise,” Akeno-san says, though she doesn't really act surprised.

I on the other hand am. A horse just greeted us! More importantly, though. “Azazel! You said there would be pretty girls here!”

He looks away and scratches his cheek. “I said no such thing. I only said the opponent would be almost exclusively female.”

That bastard! No wonder he's the leader of the Fallen Angels. “They're fucking horses!”

“How rude,” the white unicorn comments. “Do all humans have such bad manners? We're right here, you know? And we prefer the term ponies.”

“It's alright, isn't it?” Azazel says. “They're stronger than they look. Though I suppose you won't be able to use that technique of yours.”

When I realize what he means, I sink to my knees. “No way! My super secret special move will be useless!” They don't have oppai for me to imagine and they don't wear clothes!

While I fall into silent despair, Koneko-chan pokes me in the shoulder to get some kind of response. “I think we broke Ise-senpai.”

“What kind of technique is this?” the purple pony asks, intrigued.

Azazel-sensei answers her. “Well, this guy created a move that can destroy women's clothing. He calls it Dress Break.”

Just then I can feel a heavy pressure in the room. The white unicorn is watching me and her horn is glowing. She's actually giving off a strong killing intent.

“I'll destroy him!”

The orange pony is trying to hold her back, but she keeps getting pushed forward by her. “Calm down, Rarity! Somepony wanna give me a hoof here?”

The blue mare with the rainbow mane tries to hold her back as well, but the unicorn still looks furious. “Did you hear what that man said? He destroys clothes! It's vile! It's barbaric! It's a crime against fashion!”

She's pretty scary, I have to admit. She could probably hurt me pretty bad, if she poked me with that horn.

Akeno-san is chuckling next to me. “Ufufu, that's probably the first time anyone got angry at Ise on behalf of the dresses themselves.”

Please don't make fun of my existential crisis, Akeno-san! This is a world without oppai! I might not be able to survive here. She picks me up and as if she knew what I was thinking, she whispers this into my ear: “Don't worry. I'll let you do lots of ecchi things with me, so you won't starve in this world.”

Akeno-san! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Somehow I manage to stand up and compose myself.

Buchou, who is standing to my right, steps forward. “I'm Rias Gremory, the leader of this group. Pleased to meet you. Who will be my opponent?”

Incredible. Buchou is staying so calm and collected at this weird situation. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm the only one who freaked out. Did everyone besides me already know about this world? Actually Asia and Xenovia have sparkles in their eyes. They look like they want to run over there and hug the ponies, brush their manes and tails and put some ribbons on them.

The black unicorn with wings steps forward. “I am your opponent. I am Luna, the Princess of the Night.”

Buchou smiles. She seems to enjoy the exchange. “Nice title. They call me the Crimson-haired Ruin Princess.”

They glare at each other for a while, though there's no real hate in it. It's more like ambition and the will to win. Looks like they're both aready getting heated up for this match. They don't even need words. I catch a glimpse of her flared wings. They're black, just like that person's. A cold shiver runs down my spine. I've seen wings like those before, on the day I died. Yuuma-chan, no, Raynare. I can feel a small hand placing itself in mine.

Asia is looking worried. That's right, Asia was also killed by Raynare and is remembering it, so I squeeze her hand back to give her some comfort. Then I look at Buchou and her crimson hair looks even more brilliant than ever, calming my mind and the bad memories. Thanks to her we were both reborn as devils. That's why I'll do my best as her servant, even if the opponents are ponies. Man, that sounded weird in my head.

“Everyone, introduce yourselves. We're guests here, after all, and don't want to be rude.” That's what Buchou says.

Akeno-san bows politely and starts us off. “Himejima Akeno. Position [Queen]. Some call me the Lightning Priestess. Nice to meet you.”

“Kiba Yuuto. I am Rias Gremory-sama's [Knight] and the wielder of the holy-demonic sword. Let's have a good match.”

“Now there's someone with some proper manners. I'm sure we'll get along nicely,” the white unicorn says and then gives me a glare.

Dammit, Kibaaa! Your charm even works on equines!? All pretty boys should die!

“Toujou Koneko. [Rook].” She doesn't even change expressions while introducing herself. Then she holds up the cardboard box. “This is Gya-suke in the box. He's one of our [Bishop]s and also a vampire.”

“Hiiiii!”

Poor guy. At least Koneko-chan did the introduction for him. Though she could have called him by his real name, Gasper Vladi.

“Xenovia, [Knight], formerly an agent of the Catholic Church.” She's just as emotionless as Koneko-chan was.

“My name is Asia Argento and I was also a member of the Church, before I became Rias-oneesama's [Bishop]. Let's get along, everyone.” That was cute, Asia.

Then everyone's eyes turn to me. Oh right, it's my turn, so I bow quickly. “Hyoudou Issei, but my friends call me Ise. I'm Rias-buchou's [Pawn].” I scratch the back of my head in embarrassment and look at the white unicorn. “Sorry for earlier.”

She simply puffs up her cheeks and looks away. “Humpf.” So much for making a good first impression.

Next the ponies introduce themselves. I learn that the purple one is Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, and she's also a princess. How does that even work? It doesn't look like they have a king or queen, but three princesses? Is it because they have both wings and horns? And I thought the devil hierarchy was difficult to figure out.

The others are Applejack, Element of Honesty, Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter (how is laughter an element of anything?), Fluttershy, Element of Kindness, (she's cute, she reminds me of Asia) and the one who's been glaring daggers at me is Rarity, Element of Generosity.

I have no idea what this Element stuff is all about, but they make it sound pretty important. Finally the small dragon introduces himself as Spike. At first I thought he was someone's, I mean somepony's familiar, since he's about the same size as Rassei, Asia's familiar. So they have an actual dragon in their group, huh?

[Well, then. I suppose I should introduce myself as well.]

Everyone gets shocked at the voice that seemingly comes out of nowhere. “Ddraig?” I make my Boosted Gear appear, the stone in the center is glowing green. It's strange for Ddraig to speak in a way so everybody can hear him. He usually only talks to me.

“How interesting,” Twilight comments. “There's an entirely different being sealed within him.”

[I am Ddraig, the Sekiryuutei, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons and I currently share a body with this guy. He's a bit of an idiot and pretty perverted, but he's a good guy at heart, so please bear with him.]

Geez, thanks for the vote of confidence, Ddraig.

[Yo, Chibi-Dragon. Your aura is somehow familiar. Have we met somewhere before?] Is this why you decided to speak up? Do you somehow know him?

Spike looks pretty apprehensive about the whole affair. “I don't think so. I'm not usually in the habit of talking to gauntlets.”

[Hm, and you wouldn't have hatched yet, when I was sealed away. Oh well, maybe it'll come to me in time.]

“I suppose that takes care of the introductions,” Sirzechs-sama says cheerfully.

“Not quite,” Princess Celestia objects. “I'm still expecting one more guest.”

Princess Luna looks at her quizzically. “Who?”

Before there's any answer, Pinkie Pie interrupts from the window. “Hey, Dashie! Did you schedule chocolate milk rain for today?”

Chocolate rain? When I look outside, there seems to be indeed chocolate milk falling from the sky. Is this normal for this world?

Then there's three knocks at the door. Strangely enough during the first knock I can hear a frog quack, during the second I can hear a camera snap and for the final one it sounds like there's an explosion far away.

All the ponies in the room gasp simultaneously. Princess Luna looks at her sister with wide eyes. “Tia! Tell me you didn't!”

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 3

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Part 3

I, Spike the Dragon, am frozen in shock right now. This can only mean trouble. Everypony else is just as shocked. The humans on the other hoof don't seem to realize what's going on. Well, they're not really humans, I suppose. According to Celestia most of them are devils.

At times like these it's my natural reflex to look toward Twilight for direction. She is my oldest friend after all, actually she's more like a big sister to me. But more importantly right now she's usually the one with all the answers and, despite the occasional paranoia, she can keep a cool head in a crisis.

As I thought she's already on top of things, opening the glass case in the library with her magic and levitating the five magical necklaces to her friends while putting on what she calls 'the big crown thingy' herself. “Elements at the ready girls, just in case. Spike, get the door.”

“There's really no need for that, you know.” Of course Fluttershy would say that. In a total role reversal from the usual norm, she's the only one of us who isn't the slightest bit apprehensive about our perceived visitor.

“She's right. After all I invited him here,” Celestia asserts calmly.

“With all due respect, Princess,” Twilight responds. It's a rare day, when she disagrees with her mentor. “We've all seen him reform. But it's best to have some insurance, where he's concerned.” She nods towards me.

I gulp and turn the doorknob, mentally preparing to dive out of the line of fire in case the Elements of Harmony need to be used. But when I open the door, nopony is there.

“Celestia! Good to see you!”

I turn around in response to the new voice. Yep, just as we thought. There's a creature with a goat leg, a lion paw, a snake tail and a deer antler standing there, draping one arm around the Princess of the Sun as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

“Hello, Discord,” Celestia says, as unflappable as ever. “I'm glad you made it.”

“Are you kidding? You never call, you never write. Then all of a sudden you invite me to little Lulu's school play. I'm touched.”

“In the head maybe,” I grumble, having returned to Twilight's side.

“Why is he here, sister?” Luna asks with a dead-pan look.

With a snap of his talon, Discord teleports next to her and pinches her cheeks. He's wearing that garish costume with the dotted cap again. “Why, I'm here to help you, of course. Leave it to Nanny Discord.”

“So you did bring in an eight servant,” Sirzechs says with crossed arms. “I knew you'd fold, Celly.”

“On the contrary,” Celestia explains. “He won't be part of the Rating Game itself. He's only here as an advisor to my sister.” She smiles, casting a look at Azazel. “After all, you dug deep to get a trainer for Rias. I'm only doing the same.”

Discord teleports immediately to the side of the Fallen Angel Governor and wraps him in a hug. “Azazel, my boy! How have you been? Still rebelling against God?”

“Wouldn't be much point in that now. He's dead.” So Azazel and Discord knew each other? First I've heard of it.

“Is he?” Discord seems genuinely surprised by that news. Of course you never know with him. “That's a bummer. I always promised myself to get the old man to smile at least once. You know how he used to be in the olden days. Fire this, brimstone that.”

Azazel grins. “Well, I don't think you would have managed. He never forgave you for that burning bush fiasco, you know. He actually made a commandment about not making an image of him, just so he wouldn't be depicted as an arboreal deity.”

“Always the vain one. Oh, how are those Indian fellows who worshiped me doing?”

“The Mayans, you mean? Not so hot, I'm afraid.”

Discord sighs and slumps his shoulders. “Too bad. I would have loved to see the looks on their faces, when that calendar I gave them ran out and the world didn't end.” He glares at Celestia. “Ah, the things you miss, when you're encased in stone for a thousand years.”

“Discord.” Surprisingly it's not Celestia who answers, it's Fluttershy. “Do you remember the talk we had about holding grudges?” Although she is smiling, there is a hint of steel in her sweet voice.

“Oh, I'm perfectly willing to let bygones be bygones.” With another snap he teleports in front of us. Now he's wearing sunglasses and a sports cap. “That's why I agreed to coach all of you.” To emphasize his point, he blows the whistle around his neck. Only the sound it makes is that of a bell tower.

Rainbow Dash flies up in his face. “And what do you know about coaching, Dipcord?” I can't argue with that. When it comes to competition, Rainbow probably knows a lot more than he does.

“I know that in order to win, you sometimes need to think outside the box.” He jabs a thumb at the cardboard box Koneko is holding. “As you are right now, even the vampire boy could defeat you, even if he stayed in that box of his. Besides, I've got experience in these sort of games. I once created a battlefield and made space monkeys with muskets fight self-righteous humans in pajamas. Or was it the other way around?”

“ENOUGH!” Whoa. Haven't heard Princess Luna use her Royal Canterlot Voice since Nightmare Night. “I will not have him on my team, Tia. We will fight and win without him.”

Discord shakes his head. “So headstrong. You know she gets it from you, Celestia.”

Celestia silences Discord with a glance and then turns towards Luna. “I'm not doubting you, little sister. I'm just trying to give you some help. He will be an asset to your team.”

“We don't need him.”

I can see a sly smile form on Discord's lips. “Then prove it.”

“I beg your pardon?”

He walks up and down the line between the two teams. I think it might be the first time I've actually seen the draconequus be serious, except when he accepted Fluttershy's friendship. “As it stands, both teams are at a disadvantage, not knowing how the other side fights. So I propose an exhibition match. Each team will select one member, excluding the [King], for a one-on-one battle.” He points a finger at Luna. “If whoever you send proves capable, I'll acknowledge that you can do this by yourself. But if you lose, we'll do things my way.”

Azazel is stroking his goatee. “Sounds interesting. I'd like to see that happen as well.” I'm getting the feeling that their facial hair and their twisted sense of humor aren't the only things Azazel and Discord share.

Luna closes her eyes for a moment and then looks over at the other team. “What do you say to this, Rias Gremory? It seems to me like you're being dragged in to settle our dispute.”

Rias crosses her arms in front of her. “Well, I can only offer my sympathies. Looks like I'm not the only one who regularly gets overruled by an overbearing sibling.”

“Oi, Rias,” Sirzechs says with a bitter smile.

“But this Discord of yours has a point. It would be good for both of us to see what the other is capable of, otherwise the real match would be a boring affair. If nothing else, I won't deny you the chance to try and rid yourself of a shady advisor like him. I wish I had that opportunity.”

“Now that's a bit harsh,” Discord starts.

“Isn't it?” Azazel finishes the phrase. What's going on? Are these two psychic?

But this Rias Gremory seems like an amazing person the more I see of her. She's so calm and confident. But there's also a spark in her eye, like she wants to be the best, no matter who her opponent is. Come to think of it, with those clear blue eyes and the air of nobility she carries, she's a lot like Rarity. “Make no mistake, though. I'm gonna send in my best.” She nods to the person standing next to her.

“Yes, Buchou.” Akeno steps forward. “Looks like I get to draw first blood. Ufufu.” Then she licks her fingers almost sensually. She's speaking figuratively, right?

“Akeno is not only my [Queen] and my oldest friend, she's one of the strongest magic users I know.”

Luna nods. “In that case I should send my own second-in-command and magic expert. Twilight Sparkle is not only the Element of Magic, she also created new magic, thus earning her princesshood.”

If it was any other pony, such praise might go to their head. But this is Twilight we're talking about. She steps forward confidently. “I'll give it all I've got, so we can get some good data for the match.” That's Twilight for you. Always thinking one step ahead.

“Ah, it's nice to be young,” Sirzechs comments.

“Hm, indeed.” Celestia seems to be in agreement with him. “How about you, Michael? Do you approve? You will be the judge for the actual match, after all.”

The Archangel smiles serenely. “I suppose it's fine. Sometimes the young ones need to let off some steam, before things really get out of hand. At least this way I can stop the fight, before anyone gets seriously hurt.” He raises one arm. “But let's go outside to give ourselves some room. I'd feel bad, if we destroyed this place of learning.”

“Excellent,” Discord claps his hands, releasing a puff of pink smoke from in between them in the process. “Remember, Lulu. If Twilight loses, you'll have to do what I say.”

The Princess looks him straight in the eye. “She won't. I have as much faith in her as my sister does. Let the match between Himejima Akeno and Twilight Sparkle begin!”

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 4

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Part 4

I've been told that we'd have one week until the match. I didn't expect things to heat up this quickly.

“There's a reason I didn't pick you, Ise,” Buchou says quietly next to me.

“Don't worry about it.” That's what I respond. I know that I'm not the strongest yet. Akeno-san has more magic, Kiba is faster than me, even Koneko-chan is physically stronger than me.

Sensing my thoughts, Buchou lays a hand on my arm. “You're my trump card. We don't want to reveal the extent of your abilities too soon.”

I clench my fist and nod to show my determination. “I'll do my best. For now I'm just gonna have to believe in Akeno-san. Akeno-san! Good luck!”

She winks at me and then moves to the open space in front of the library, where Twilight Sparkle is already waiting. I hadn't realized it before, but it's actually a tree! How crazy is that? We're really in a different world. Colorful talking ponies, magical princesses. I know Mil-tan would just love it here.

“Discord,” Princess Celestia says flatly. “Would you mind turning that off?”

“Whatever do you mean?” All the ponies stare at him silently as the droplets of chocolate milk hit the magic shield erected by Celestia to keep us dry. He sighs and snaps his talons once. “Fine.”

“Awww,” Pinkie moans, when it stops.

With a grin Discord snaps again and out of nowhere a mass of whipped cream appears above the pink pony's head, burying her when it falls. I can only conclude that the flash of red is her tongue, because it is gone in a moment and with it is all the whipped cream.

“Yummy. You remembered. Maybe you're not so bad after all, Dissy.”

Dissy? What kind of a nickname is that? Judging by the look on his face, he's not too fond of it either, but he recovers quickly enough. “One last thing.” His magic activates again and Michael-sama is suddenly wearing a black-and-white striped shirt. “There! Now we can call it a match!”

Just then a thought occurs to me. “Is it just me or has this guy been casting spells nonstop since he arrived? Just how powerful is he?” I ask Azazel-sensei. If I cast so many complicated spells, assuming I'd be able to do them in the first place, I'd be totally out of stamina by now.

“Well, let me put it this way. If Sirzechs, Michael and I were to team up, we might give him pause, but not for long. He's god-class.”

Seriously? He stated it so bluntly! I'm glad he's not actually gonna compete in the game. He'd annihilate us for sure. But it's gotta be true. Michael-sama isn't even trying to remove the referee shirt, he's just rolling with it. Could he actually be afraid of Discord? My eyes drift over to the gently smiling Princess Celestia. Actually bringing in someone who is a match for the leaders of the Three Great Powers, she's kinda scary.

Michael-sama steps between Akeno-san and Twilight, raising his arm. “This is gonna be a sparring match. You both want to compete in the actual Rating Game. Getting hurt here will put your teams at a disadvantage, so keep that in mind. Victor will be decided by knockout or when I call it. Ready?” Both of them nod and he brings his hand down. “Begin!”

Akeno-san immediately transforms her school uniform into the miko robe she uses during serious fights. Looks like she's not gonna pull any punches. “Since I'm a guest here, I'll give you the first attack.”

Twilight glares at her. “You shouldn't underestimate your opponents, you know.” Her horn begins to glow purple and with a flick of her neck she shoots a beam at Akeno-san.

My mouth flies open. “These ponies have lasers!?”

“She's a unicorn,” the small, purple dragon named Spike informs me with a dead-pan look. “All unicorns can do magic.”

I did not know that. Come to think of it, that white one who is trying to kill me is also a unicorn. Better be extra careful around her.

“Ara ara, you're not so bad, ufufu,” Akeno-san says, even as she deflects her opponent's attack easily with a defensive magic circle.

“I'm just getting started.” Wow. She's going into rapid fire mode.

Akeno-san's face tightens. Her magic circle actually starts to fail. Just before it crumbles, she flares her wings and jumps, avoiding the last few blasts that make it through.

Twilight pushes herself off the ground as well and charges straight at her. But Akeno-san manages to spin in mid-air. For a brief second I can see her S-face as she lightly grazes the pony's shoulder and sends a jolt of lightning through her.

“Ahhh!” She manages to stay airborne, but only barely.

“Twilight!” Spike calls out to her.

“Bad call, princess.” Discord has shrunk himself to a size where he could fit into a palm easily and has perched himself atop Twilight's head, just behind her crown. For some reason he's also wearing a naval uniform. Is he trying to commandeer her or something?

“You stay out of this,” Twilight grunts, barely avoiding one of Akeno-san's lightning attacks and blocking another with a hastily erected purple shield.

“Listen to me, Twilight. She was born with wings. You've only had yours for a couple of weeks and I don't have to tell you what happens, when lightning hits an object in the air.”

“Grr, you have a point.” Twilight makes a dive, avoiding another attack and comes down on the ground hard.

“Nice landing, Twi! I knew our practice would pay off eventually.” It's Rainbow Dash cheering for her friend.

Twilight smiles. “I ate enough dirt to never mess up that part again.”

“Unfortunately that makes you a sitting duck!” Akeno-san raises her arm and a magic circle appears in the sky above. With a deafening roar the full force of her lightning hits the ground right where Twilight stands, kicking up dust and debris.

“Well, that's that.” Looks like Akeno-san won easily. … Eh? Why is everyone besides me still so tense? Come to think of it, Michael-sama hasn't made an announcement either.

“Can't you sense it?” Kiba asks from behind me. “It's not over yet.”

Man, I've never been good at this. But when I concentrate, I can still feel her energy. He's right! But how can anyone survive Akeno-san's full power head on?

When the dust settles, there's a metal cage right at the impact spot and in it is a completely unscathed Twilight Sparkle. “Phew, that was close. I conjured it just in time.”

“Ara ara, very clever. Most people try to take on my power directly and fail miserably.”

Twilight grins. “I can imagine. I felt it when your last shot grazed my shield. No way anypony can block that, but redirecting it is easy. You learn to deal with lightning strikes, when you live in a tree.”

“I still don't get what happened.”

“It's a Faraday cage, Ise-san.” Asia answers my confused statement.

“Whose cage?”

Buchou also takes it upon herself to enlighten me. “Electricity will follow the path of least resistance, in this case the metal. That's why a car is one of the safest places to be in during a lightning storm. As long as she's in there, she's perfectly safe.”

“We learned about it last week in physics class. Don't you remember?”

Sorry, Asia. I slept through that class. Who knew high school physics could come in handy during a magic duel? Better pay attention from now on.

“Ufufu. The unfortunate side effect of your defense is that you are unable to move, which makes you even more of a target. And I'm no One-Trick Pony.” Akeno-san makes another magic circle appear and a torrent of water gushes forth in Twilight's direction.

Her horn begins to glow and in an instant the water hisses and sizzles, evaporating into harmless steam.

Discord leans down toward her ear. “Demons are susceptible to light magic. You'll have to hit her with that, if you want to have any chance of winning.”

“I'd have to get past her defenses first.” She's being hit by various elemental attacks from Akeno-san. It's clear that she won't last, if this keeps up.

“Twilight!” Spike suddenly shouts. “Hit her with number 25!”

“Number 25? But that's … “ Suddenly there's a glint in her eye. “Alright, nice one, Spike.”

What's this? Some kind of ultimate technique? The pony looks dead serious as her horn begins to glow almost ominously. Even Akeno-san senses it, pausing and putting up a defense circle.

The spell fires and to everyone's shock the magic aura passes straight through Akeno-san's defenses. She's hit, but the spell takes a moment to take effect. But when it does, the horror that befalls her is unimaginable. “AKENO-SAAAAAAAAN!” She has a mustache!

“Gotcha!” Twilight shouts triumphantly as she appears out of nowhere in the air behind her.

“Argh!” Akeno-san screams in pain as a beam of light hits her left shoulder, leaving a burn mark on her robe.

Both of them descend to the ground, but I've already hit the bottom. Akeno-san with a mustache! How can I get this picture out of my mind? This spell is evil. It should be banned by the Geneva Convention. This is way more cruel than my Dress Break.

“What a splendid attack.” Akeno-san seems impressed as she removes the whiskers easily with her magic. “I wasn't prepared for such a low-level spell, so it penetrated my high-level barrier. And you even used my momentary confusion to teleport behind me and launch an attack. Now, shall we finish this?”

“What do you mean?”

She stands up with that strange smile of hers that's jovial and terrifying at the same time. “Aren't you curious, Twilight? Which of us has more magical power, I wonder. Let's put our all into the next attack and finish this match.”

“Don't do it, Twilight.”

“Stay out of this, Discord.” Twilight takes a second to consider. “Alright. It'll be good to know just how powerful you are before the match.”

Discord shakes his head. Then he takes out a flute and plays three lingering tunes. “Abandon ship!” With that he jumps from Twilight's head with his hands in front of him as if diving into a pool. A moment later he reappears in normal size next to Princess Luna.

Twilight's horn begins to shine one last time. There seems to be a low humming tone accompanying it. Conversely the lightning forming in Akeno-san's hands sizzles and crackles.

They release at the exact same time and their blasts connect. Neither one is giving an inch. For a moment it looks like Akeno-san would actually overpower her opponent, but then Twilight pushes back and they are locked in their battle of wills. Both the ponies and us are cheering for our respective teammates.

While my eyes are glued to the fight, someone pokes me in the ribs. It's Azazel-sensei, whispering something in my ear. “You want me to say what? Won't that distract her?”

The Fallen Angel Governor smirks. “Just trust me.”

Even though I don't really get it, I put my hands to my mouth and shout. “Akeno-san! You can do it! After you win, let's take a tour of Ponyville together, just you and me!”

She looks back at me. “Is that a promise?”

“Sure.”

For some reason she looks really happy right now. Then a look of determination crosses her face. Even I can feel the power radiating from her aura right now. Reaching her other hand forward, she puts even more weight behind her attack and slowly but surely she pushes through.

Twilight's eyes go wide. “No. NOOOOOO!!!” Another loud crash can be heard and this time there is nothing she can do to avoid the blast. When the smoke clears, the purple pony lies still on the ground.

Michael-sama raises his hand. “Twilight Sparkle is unconscious. The winner is Himejima Akeno.”

“Twilight!” The unanimous cry of worry erupts from the ponies and they rush towards their fallen comrade. I kinda feel bad for her. She put up a good fight. Much better than I expected from a pony of all things.

“Asia.” That's all Buchou says. All she has to say.

“Yes, Buchou.” Asia goes immediately to help, pulling me along with her. I could feel her squeezing my hand from the moment Twilight went down. She's really a kind girl.

“Hey, what's the big idea?” The orange mare blocks our path and confronts us.

“It's alright, Applejack,” Celestia assures. “Let her help.”

“If you say so, Princess.”

Asia lets go of my hand and kneels down next to the pony. She puts her hands on the mare's coat and a green light begins to envelop them. It's kinda ironic that Asia is using her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing, to heal a pony named Twilight Sparkle.

Slowly her eyes flutter open and she groans. “Ugh, did somepony see the driver of that sky chariot? My brother ought to give him a ticket for reckless driving.”

“Twilight,” Spike says with relief.

“Her wounds will be fine, but I can't restore her stamina,” Asia explains. “Make sure she gets plenty of rest tonight.”

Princess Luna lowers her head. “Thank you,” she says solemnly.

“I trust you remember our bet,” Discord coos. “I'll be preparing you for the Rating Game.”

Luna clenches her jaw. “Yes, you were right. I admit it. I'm an ineffective leader. Even Spike was more help than I was. Happy now?”

Strangely enough the God of Chaos doesn't crack a joke, which I would have come to expect from him by now. “I don't enjoy seeing her like this any more than you do, Lulu.”

“Speaking of bets … “ Akeno-san grabs onto my arm and she's practically beaming at me. “I'll have that date you promised me. Let's explore Ponyville together, Ise-kun.”

“D-d-date?” Oh, man. Come to think of it, you could put it that way, couldn't you? I can die a happy man now. As a matter of fact I just might. I can sense Buchou's death glare on my back without even having to turn around.

Celestia smiles at us. “Ah, young love. How nice. I'll have someone show you to your accommodations. You'll be our guests for the next week, after all.”

So the titanic struggle between the two magic users has ended with Akeno-san carrying the day. But I can't shake the feeling that this coming week still holds a lot of surprises in store for us. As for the actual Rating Game, I have no idea what will happen. I only know that I have to do my best to meet Buchou's expectations.

* * *

Sorry this chapter took so long. Here, have a picture of Akeno as an apology.

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 5

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Part 5

It's now Monday morning and we've all regrouped at the library once more. Twilight and her friends are here as well as Princess Luna and Discord. And then there's me of course, Spike.

“Are you sure you're alright, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna still sounds worried. Can't fault her for that. I was pretty upset myself, when I put Twilight to bed last night. I've never seen her defeated so completely.

“I'm fine, really. So please stop worrying about me.” That's what she says, but I know her better than that. I've lived with her as long as I can remember and I pick up on the little things. For example there's the fact that she made her bed by hoof this morning instead of just tucking in the sheet via magic like normal. She must still be low on energy. That Asia girl said that she couldn't replace her stamina. Well, at least Twilight doesn't seem to be hurt. I guess our opponents aren't really bad people, despite the fact they're devils.

“What exactly are we waiting around for?” Applejack asks. “Shouldn't we be training or something? The Rating Game's on Sunday, so we've got less than a week to prepare.”

“Patience, Applejack,” Discord says. “At this point you don't even have an idea of what you're up against. You gotta understand the game, before you can play it.”

I still don't really trust him, neither does anypony else for that matter. But the fact remains that we're stuck with him and to his credit, it seemed like he was genuinely trying to help Twilight win yesterday.

“Ah, there he is!” Discord snaps his talon and our front door vanishes in a puff of smoke. On the other side stands a rather silly looking Azazel, his fist raised to a knock.

“I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all. Please come inside. My home is your home.”

“Actually this is my home,” Twilight says with a frown, “and I expect you to replace that door, Discord.”

Azazel enters and puts the ornate case he was carrying down on the table. Then he takes out a leather-bound book. “This is the official rulebook for the Rating Game.”

“Oh, I'll take that.” Naturally Twilight would say that. She's already grasped the book with her magic and is leafing through the pages at a rapid pace. How can she even read that fast?

“Right,” Azazel continues. “Sirzechs and Celestia agreed on a simple match, so feel free to ignore the parts about specialized matches like the Dice Figure or Scramble Flag. But I didn't come here to give you that book. This is why I'm here.” He unclasps two hooks on the case and opens the lid.

I can hear Rarity gasp. “They're magnificent!”

“And they look delicious,” I add, my mouth watering. There are sixteen intricately carved figures made out of what appears to be flawless rubies.

“These are the Evil Pieces. Each one of you will need to take at least one in order to participate in the Game. Are you at all familiar with the game Chess?”

“I am,” Twilight says. “Though I'm not very good at it. I can hardly find opponents to play.” Yeah, she's tried to teach us before, from an old book of course. Rainbow, Pinkie and myself could never bring up the patience to actually learn it. Applejack and Rarity are too busy with their jobs. Only Fluttershy plays on occasion as far as I'm aware. But at the very least we're all marginally familiar with the rules.

“I know it as well,” Luna says. “Though I haven't played a decent match in over a thousand years.”

“That's alright,” Azazel says. “At least it saves me some explanation. Basically by taking possession of one of the pieces, you'll acquire the skills that go along with it. The [King] is the centerpiece. If for whatever reason the [King] retires, your entire team will lose the match. So make sure to protect them well. The [Queen] is the second strongest and the only other one of a kind in the game. That piece combines all the strengths of [Bishop]s, [Rook]s and [Knight]s. The [Bishop] excels in the use of magic, the [Knight] piece is valued by those who favour speed and agility and the [Rook] has overwhelming attack and defensive power. Finally there's the [Pawn]. It's inferior to any other piece by itself, but if a [Pawn] makes their way to the enemy base, they can gain a [Promotion], which enables them to upgrade to any other piece in the Game other than [King].”

Azazel clears his throat. That was a long explanation. In a rare example of Discord being considerate, he summons a glass of chocolate milk for the Fallen Angel Governer. That impression only lasts until Azazel sneezes, however. He did something to it, didn't he?

So these are the Evil Pieces, huh? Come to think of it, the other team all introduced themselves by both name and position. I had no idea of what this was all about until now, but it's starting to make sense.

“Hmm, [Promotion], huh?” Twilight mumbles to herself, still looking through the rulebook .

“I know what you're thinking, Twilight Sparkle,” Discord says. “But you can't just teleport to the enemy base. Teleportation magic is forbidden during a Rating Game.”

“WHAT? But that's my best spell!”

Azazel smiles. “Sorry. But all devils can use magic circles to teleport. If it was allowed during the Game, it would make the [Promotion] pointless. Every [Pawn] in the Game would just rush to the enemy base at the start of a match.”

Twilight sighs. “I guess that makes sense.”

He picks up one of the figures and holds it in front of him. “Before all the others can function, the [King] piece of the set will have to be activated. So, Princess Luna, shall we?”

“Hold on a minute,” Twilight says, holding out a hoof. “Wouldn't we turn into devils ourselves, if we used those?”

“Under normal circumstances, yes. High-class devils like Rias and Sirzechs can use the Evil Pieces to reincarnate humans or other beings as their servants. But that particular feature has been disabled in this set. You'll still be ponies and very much alive.”

“Can they be removed?” Luna asks.

“Of course. One of the goals of this Rating Game is to see how the technology can be adapted to other races. I'll extract them again after the match, so the data can be studied by the Grigori.”

“So what yer saying is that we all are basically gonna be used fer guinea pigs, is that it?” Applejack points out flatly.

“Ow, I'd love to be a guinea pig,” Pinkie pipes up enthusiastically. “They're so cute with their twitchy little noses and high-pitched squeaks. Don't you think so, Fluttershy?”

“Uhm, maybe?”

“It's perfectly safe,” Azazel assures us.

“Very well,” Luna agrees finally. “Go ahead.”

Azazel holds the piece up to her chest and then it begins glowing a dark hue of red and floating above his palm. Slowly it hovers towards the Princess of the Night and effortlessly enters her body. After it can no longer be seen, she brings a hoof up to her chest.

“How do you feel?” Twilight asks with a peculiar mixture of worry and curiosity.

“The same as before. How do we know, if it worked properly?”

Azazel shrugs. “It wouldn't have gone in otherwise.” He picks up the next piece. “Have you considered who should be your [Queen]?”

Luna nods and gives Twilight a meaningful glance. “Yes, I have the candidate right here.”

Twilight gulps. “Are you sure about this? I didn't exactly do well yesterday. Maybe I would be better off as a [Bishop].”

“I do not believe so, Twilight Sparkle. You are the most powerful, the Element of Magic and a Princess of Equestria.” She narrows her eyes at Discord. “Or does our advisor object?”

“Doesn't matter. With or without that piece, she's not even in the same league as the enemy [Queen].”

“Hey!” Seeing Twilight's sad look, I try to defend her. But I'm generally being ignored as Discord gets right up in her face.

“That doesn't change the fact that you're the only option, Princess. So stop sulking and take the position already. Then you can go out and take your revenge.”

“But,” Twilight's lip is trembling. “You just said … “

“I said you were weaker than her. What of it? That doesn't mean you can't defeat her.” Now I'm perplexed. Since nopony else seems to get his meaning, he explains further. “Do you want to know why you lost? You let her goad you into direct confrontation. She's the daughter of Barakiel and a reincarnated devil. There's no way you can defeat her with raw power.”

“Then how?”

“You're nowhere close to my power level either, but you managed to defeat me, didn't you? While she's powerful, she only knows a handful of spells. Your greatest weapon is your arsenal. If used right, you can beat any magic user and had you continued to listen to me yesterday, you would have won then.”

Twilight then looks at us. “You're right. I've fought and beaten strong opponents before, but not alone. Only with the help of my friends.”

Discord smiles and takes the [Queen] piece. “Which is why you're the perfect second-in-command. Lulu realized that right away. She's gonna need your help to effectively coordinate your friends. You're a natural leader, Twilight.”

I can't believe my ears. Is this Discord actually being nice to Twilight? She looks at Luna, who nods, and then takes a deep breath. “Alright. Let's do this.” The piece glows red and bonds with Twilight. Yeah, there's no doubt in any of our minds that she is the only choice to be our [Queen].

“Let's move on then, shall we?” Azazel picks up a [Knight] piece.

There's a rush of air, a rainbow coloured flash and a cyan pegasus mare is standing in front of him with a big grin. “So this thing is gonna make me even faster?”

Discord rolls his eyes. “Well, there's no doubt she's the fastest annoying thing in all of Equestria.”

“Yeah, it's a no-brainer,” Twilight agrees, ignoring the insult against her friend, maybe because she knows it's not exactly untrue. “Also the book says that [Knight]s are usually skilled with weapons and Dash did some jousting, while we were in the Crystal Empire.”

“I couldn't agree more,” Princess Luna says. “Rainbow Dash, you shall be our [Knight].” After receiving the piece, it takes our combined words to stop her from dashing out and testing how much faster she can go now. “Now about the second [Knight] piece … “

Looks like Princess Luna is really thinking hard about which piece will suit our respective abilities the best. I kinda want that second [Knight] piece. My gaze drifts over to the most beautiful pony in the world. I could be Rarity's true knight. I would let nothing happen to her.

“Fluttershy can be really fast, if she wants to be,” Rainbow says, not noticing that her friend has gone pale at the compliment. It really doesn't look like she wants to be on the front lines or maybe it's just bad memories from her jousting matches against Rainbow.

“It would make sense to give it to another pegasus,” Luna muses.

“Hang on.” Discord picks up an entirely different piece from the set with his tail and dangles it in front of Fluttershy. “I believe this is our best option.”

“A [Bishop]?” Twilight asks in confusion. “But that doesn't make any sense. That piece enhances magic. It would be wasted on Fluttershy.”

“That may be so,” Discord agrees. “But can you really see her charging in as a [Knight] or getting up close and personal with the opponent as a [Rook]?”

“Well, … I suppose not.”

“This isn't my idea, by the way. It appears Celestia has some special plans for her and pegasi do possess a small amount of magic they use to control the weather.”

“So Tia wants to give her special training?” Luna doesn't look very happy about that. Celestia can be so unpredictable that even her sister can't make sense of her.

“Uhmm,” Fluttershy looks like she wants to say something. “What do you think about this, personally I mean?”

Discord shrugs. “Honestly I have no idea what she's up to. But her cryptic instructions do have a way of turning out for the best. She was right about you being able to reform me, wasn't she?”

Fluttershy nods slowly. “And I don't want to hurt anypony. Maybe this is the right piece for me. If you agree with Celestia, then I trust you.”

Discord looks over at Luna, who shrugs with an air of 'If it's Tia, she's gonna have it her way anyway.' Almost gently Discord pushes the [Bishop] against Fluttershy's chest until it embeds itself within her. Then he pokes her in the ribs with a wink. “Don't tell Celestia what I said about her. It'll only go to her head.”

Fluttershy giggles in response.

“I suppose the other [Bishop] should go to the remaining unicorn in the group,” Twilight points out.

“Agreed,” Luna says.

Rarity steps up to the plate. “I'll do my best.”

Discord grunts. “Maybe a [Rook] would be better for you.”

“And, pray tell, what is that supposed to mean?” Rarity looks so gorgeous, when she puffs up her cheeks like that.

“Oh, please. I've seen you drop-kick poor Applejack, when she laid a hoof on your precious Tom.”

Rarity blushes at that and averts her eyes. “We agreed never to talk about that again.”

“What spells DO you know, anyway?”

“Well, there's my gem finding spell and I've gotten a pretty good grasp on levitation over the years. I do manipulate multiple delicate objects on a daily basis, after all. … That's about it.”

Discord face-palms. “Oh, I wish Jean-Luc was here. He's better at this than I am. Listen carefully. Devils are vulnerable to light attacks. Even if it's just a basic one, you will have to learn at least one offensive spell until the Game.”

“Don't worry,” Twilight says confidently. “I can teach her.”

“Oh well,” Discord mumbles as Rarity receives her piece. “At least it might confuse the enemy. [Bishop]s are usually support types and easily targeted. We might be able to get some advantage out of her knowledge in hand-to-hoof combat as it were.”

Applejack is another no-brainer. There's no pony that can buck like her. So it's decided that she is to be our first [Rook].

“What about Pinkie Pie?” Luna asks.

Twilight frowns and scratches her head. She's actually looking to Discord for advice. “Any thoughts?”

The draconequus shrugs. “Might as well give her the other [Rook] piece. I don't think there's any conventional tactics we can apply to her.”

Where Applejack received her piece with quiet dignity, Pinkie Pie grins at hers as it hovers in front of her and then she snaps her jaws once and gulps it down.

“PINKIE!” Twilight yells. “You weren't supposed to EAT it!”

“Why? It was yummy!” She jerks once and then lets out a burp that they probably heard in the Griffon Mountains.

Luna gives Twilight, who is rubbing her temples with one hoof, a perplexed look. “Don't question it. It's Pinkie Pie.”

“Well,” Azazel says a little unsure. “I suppose it works as long as it goes inside.”

“Which means there is only one left,” Luna says.

Awesome! There's still one knight piece. I get to be Rarity's knight. I'll stay close to her and protect her. Then Discord looks me right in the face and dashes my hopes. “[Pawn].” One word. That's all he says.

“What? But I wanna be a [Knight]!”

“Wouldn't it make sense? It is the better piece.” Thanks, Twilight. I can always count on you.

Even Luna nods her agreement. “That would be the better option.”

But Discord shakes his head. “Even if I were to agree with you, which I don't, it wouldn't work. Right, Azazel?”

The Fallen Angel Governor nods. “He's a dragon. The piece used must be equivalent of the potential strength.”

I blink in confusion. “So you're saying I'm too strong to be a [Knight]?”

They both look at each other and then Azazel continues. “Well, not exactly. But you could be as strong. All the pieces have numeric values to them as well. [Pawn] is 1, [Bishop] and [Knight] are 3 and a [Rook] is 5. As a dragon your value is almost certainly higher than 5.”

“But [Pawn] has the lowest value,” I protest.

“Not necessarily, Spike,” Twilight informs me, her nose buried inside the rulebook. “According to this, you can take on several pieces at once as long as they're the same. So if you were to absorb all eight [Pawn] pieces, that would bring your total value to eight as well.”

Azazel nods. “That's how it worked out with Ise, since he has a Sacred Gear that is connected to one of the Two Heavenly Dragons.”

Is that so? So that guy used up several of the Evil Pieces. Azazel then walks over to me and places all the [Pawn] pieces in front of me. For some reason all but one begin to glow. “Seven it is,” he says.

“There's no choice then,” Luna points out. “The only other piece he could have taken would have been [Queen], but that belongs to Twilight already.”

So in a way I'm ranked third in power after the two princesses. But that doesn't make me feel any better. “But I don't want to be a [Pawn],” I say feebly, trying not to cry.

Everypony is quiet for a moment. Then Princess Luna walks up to me and gently raises my chin with her hoof, so I'm looking her straight in the eye. “Don't be upset, dear Spike. It is but a name. I value your contribution just as much as any of the others.”

“Yeah,” Twilight says with a smile, standing next to her. “You're not just a number or a game piece. You're our friend and that won't change.”

I start thinking of how afraid I was Twilight was gonna change after becoming a princess. But she really didn't. Despite the new title she was still Twilight and whatever piece I get, I'm still gonna be Spike to them.

“Thanks. I feel a little bit better now. But I guess the enemy's [Pawn] will be stronger than me.”

Unexpectedly it's Rarity who starts working the numbers. “They only said it was potential strength. I know for a fact that you are better than that evil, little man who destroys clothes.”

“Why is that?”

Then my heart almost stops as she rubs her cheek against mine. “Because you have the most gentle and generous heart of any dragon I know. You'll always be special because of that. Don't you remember? You're my hero, Spikey-Wikey.”

Balling my claws into fists, I make up my mind. “Right. I'll be the best [Pawn] I can be then. Go ahead.”

Just like I thought. It's a little unnerving, when Twilight hovers the pieces in my direction and they enter my body without so much as a sound. I pat my chest, when they're gone. I can't feel a thing. “Dude, that's creepy.”

“What about the remaining two pieces then, Azazel-sensei?” Princess Luna asks.

He returns them back into the case. “Nothing. They'll just remain inactive. Rias isn't using a full set either. She still has one [Rook] piece left over with a value of 5. With your leftover [Knight] and [Pawn] that makes 4, so it more or less evens out. You did a good job selecting your pieces. Now then, I'll take my leave. I'll need to prepare my team for the match as well.” He gives a curt nod to Discord and then exits out the door.

“Maybe we shouldn't have discussed our tactics quite so openly in front of him,” Twilight points out. “He'll definitely report back to his team.”

But Luna calmly shakes her head. “It's alright, Twilight Sparkle. They have made no secret of their pieces, when we first met and when you lay unconscious, they didn't have to reveal the healing power of their [Bishop], but they did anyway. Fair is fair.”

“Besides,” Discord chirps in. “I've done my share of recon as well. I'm fully aware of their powers. Now,” he says and once again dons his sports outfit. “We have less than a week. With my training you're sure to win.”

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 1

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Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp from Hell

Part 1

It's Monday morning and I stretch comfortably. Man, what a good night's sleep. Sure, there was some head scratching involved, when Celestia put us up in Ponyville's one and only hotel. But I get the feeling that these ponies would do just about anything to please her.

Since ponies are a great deal smaller than humans, they did have a problem finding beds for us. (Well, Gasper and Koneko-chan fit in the standard version, but not the rest of us.) The hotel staff came up with the idea of putting three beds side by side and laying across it. That actually makes it the equivalent of a king-size bed in human terms.

A ray of sunlight is hitting my face. What a peaceful way to wake up. Maybe I can get a few more minutes of sleep, I think, so I turn around.

Hm? I thought I caught a glimpse of something beautiful there, right before I closed my eyes again. What was it? Curiosity overcomes my wish to sleep in for once, so I open my eyes and then I immediately clap one hand over my face to hold back the nosebleed that is about to ensue.

“O-o-oppai!”

Buchou stirs next to me, but doesn't wake up. Why is she here and in the nude? Well, she always sleeps in the nude. Then I can feel skin on my back.

“Ise-san,” a sleepy voice mutters.

Asia! You too? Well, it's not like they haven't done this before. But I wasn't expecting it here. We're not at home, you know? Is it really alright to crawl into my bed here?

My hand involuntarily moves on its own, but then I stop myself. Every time this happened in the past, Buchou wakes up at this point. I wanna touch them, but as long as I don't wake them, I can at least look as much as I want. I wanna see Asia's, too!

I shift my weight and manage to roll back onto my back without waking either of them. Alright! By thinking it through instead of just acting on impulse, I feel like I accomplished something. Ohhh! Their chests are heaving slowly as they breathe calmly. This was definitely the right move. I'm gonna enjoy this as long as I can.

Something feels odd, though. Is it because the location is different? No, there's something else. Why does it feel like there's a weight on my legs? I don't wanna wake them up, but I gotta see what's going on, so I slowly lift the covers.

“A-A-Akeno-san!?”

“Ara ara, good morning, Ise-kun. Ufufu.” She's smiling like there's nothing out of the ordinary going on.

“What are you doing here?”

She slides up along my body to bring her face closer to mine. Just then I can feel something soft and fleshy press against my stomach. Is she naked as well? This feeling almost makes me pass out. The image of her two perfect orbs flashes in my head.

“I realized something last night,” she explains. “It's been over a week, since I sucked the excess magic from your dragon arm. I couldn't sleep at all, so I decided to come here. That way I could do it first thing in the morning.”

Alright, that does make sense, I guess. Ever since I gave up my left arm to enter Balance Breaker, Akeno-san has regularly sucked out the magic that keeps building up. But did she have to undress and get into my bed to do that? Not that I'm complaining or anything!

“In that case, thank you very much,” I say and lift my left hand a little.

Akeno-san smiles her enchanting smile and brings her lips to my index finger. I can clearly see her tongue sticking out as she begins to circle my finger with it. Guh. She looks so erotic, when she puts it into her mouth and begins sucking. The smooth texture of her soft lips is melting my brain. This could be a problem. She's lying right on top of me. If I get a boner, she'll totally feel it through my shorts.

For some reason it feels like the spot next to me has gotten cold, so I turn to my right. “B-Buchou!!!” She's staring right at me and I immediately jump back, hitting the end of the bed.

The covers went flying, so there's no way to hide. But Akeno-san simply sits up straight on the bed and smiles at Buchou. “Good morning, Rias.”

She also sits up in response and the two naked Onee-sama are now glaring at each other. I can feel intense pressure from Akeno-san, even though her smile remains.

“Fuweh?” My sudden move also woke up Asia, who is rubbing her eyes groggily.

“Aren't you presuming a little much, Akeno?” Buchou is speaking very quietly. But I've learned that this is part of her, when she's really angry.

“What do you mean, Rias? I only came to help out my cute kouhai.”

“Ise is my servant.”

This is bad. They're scary, when they fight. You'd think I'd be happy they're fighting over me. But really it's more like two normal human girls fighting over who gets to pet the cute puppy first. The part that makes it scary is that normal human girls can't summon thunder and lightning or release the power of destruction at will.

While I contemplate how to defuse the situation, there's a knock at the door. Without even waiting for a reply, the visitor enters. “Sensei wants us to come down and ...”

She freezes at the scene in front of her. “Koneko-chan,” I say lamely. “This isn't what it looks like.”

Calmly she takes a desk lamp from the table next to her and strikes a pose like a baseball pitcher. Oh, I can see her panties. They're white with red polka dots. “Pervert.”

“Eh?”

That's the last thing I remember clearly. All that comes after is a crash and blackness as the appliance strikes my face. “Ise-san!” I think Asia is screaming. Sorry, Asia. I'll go on to hell first.

* * *

My nose still feels funny. I think it was actually broken. After I passed out, Asia of course healed me right up with her powers. I almost suspect Koneko-chan knows this and uses it to her advantage. Since Asia heals all of my wounds straight away anyway, she feels no need to pull any punches. I could actually die one of these days.

“Right, everyone's here and conscious. Let's begin.” After breakfast Azazel-sensei gathered all of us in the lobby to discuss our plans for the coming week. That was actually what Koneko-chan came to tell us.

The Fallen Angel Governor looks at a paper in front of him and frowns. “I was gonna put all of you through some serious training over the summer. Unfortunately we have neither the time nor the people here for what I had in mind. We'll just have to do the best we can. That means mostly basic training.”

“I was hoping to see my Sword Master in the Underworld, but I suppose that's out for now,” Kiba says.

Azazel nods. “Well, your technique is excellent. I'd like you to improve the amount of time you can stay in your Balance Breaker state, so keep up your training. Also I want you to do some reading on pony fighting styles. That will probably come in handy, seeing that you're our only technique type.”

“How should I do that?”

“Start with the Ponyville Library. From what I hear, it's got just about anything you could need. Same goes for you, Rias. Concentrate on their history. If you want to formulate a winning strategy for the Rating Game, you'll need to know your enemy.”

“Alright,” Buchou agrees. “I was gonna do that anyway.”

Azazel-sensei is making a lot of sense. Maybe the fact that he became our advisor wasn't such a bad thing after all.

“Next, Asia. I have some ideas on how to improve your Twilight Healing, but one week isn't gonna be enough. So instead I want you to focus on your summoning skills.”

She cocks her head. “Summoning?”

He nods. “As the team healer, you're vulnerable. As it stands, someone always needs to protect you and that lessens the overall offensive power of the group. Most of you are power types, so keeping that strength focused is crucial.”

“Sorry.” I can see a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

“Oi, you make it sound like Asia is useless!”

“That's not my intention at all, Ise. Her ability was definitely a key part to your victories in the past. That's why I want her to get better at summoning. The rules allow familiars to be summoned during the Game. If her pet can protect her, that'll offset her lack of offensive power.”

“I see.” Buchou nods. “If Rassei can protect Asia, we have one more team member that can move freely and attack the enemy.”

Azazel-sensei nods and continues. “Xenovia. I want you to borrow Ascalon from Issei and practice wielding it.”

“Ascalon?” It's the holy sword Michael-sama has given me and is now part of my Boosted Gear. It's also a Dragon Slayer, a special type of holy sword.

“My Durandal is more than enough,” Xenovia contends.

“It's powerful, but you haven't completely mastered it, have you?” She doesn't answer. Looks like he's spot on. “Issei can't really use it well and he won't learn it in just a week. Frankly I don't think he's ever gonna be able to use it to its full potential.”

Oi! Why am I the only one who gets insulted here? Regardless, I detach the sword from my Sacred Gear and hand it over to Xenovia. I suppose it makes sense. There is a dragon on the other team and Xenovia is almost as good a sword fighter as Kiba.

“For Koneko we'll just have to stick with basic strength training. This isn't the time or place for what I really had in mind for you. If we awaken your true power rashly, it'll just give us trouble for the upcoming match.”

She takes the comment silently, but it seemed like her expression darkened there for a bit. Has she an idea of what he wants to do with her training after this Game? I wonder what it is.

“Next up is Gasper.” Sensei looks around. “Where is Gasper, anyway?”

Koneko-chan points at a box in the corner. “Hiii!” His scared shriek, when he suddenly becomes the center of attention, is unmistakable.

“Has he been out of that box at all, since we came here?”

Koneko-chan shakes her head in response to Sensei's question.

He puts a hand over his eyes. “Some vampire he is. Fine. We'll work on that first then. Baby steps. Now, Akeno could improve her power in a short amount of time, if … “

“No.” Akeno-san's straight out refusal surprises everyone except Buchou. She's not even wearing her usual smile. She looks … just like that one time, when we fought Kokabiel.

“This power is a part of you, you know. It's not gonna go away, just because you want it to. You're gonna have to accept that one of these days.”

“No, I don't and I won't. I can do my part just fine the way I am. My win yesterday proves as much.”

The two of them stare at each other in silence for a while. Finally Sensei sighs. “Fine. I suppose you're not ready yet. We'll talk about it some other time. You're just as stubborn as him, you know.”

“I am … nothing … like … HIM,” Akeno-san grates between clenched teeth.

I may not be the smartest when it comes to things like this, but this is about Akeno-san's father, isn't it? The Fallen Angel Barakiel. I know nothing about him. I only know this. Akeno-san seems to hate his guts. I wonder what happened between them.

Azazel-sensei then turns his attention to me. “You still can't reach Balance Breaker on your own and I don't see it happening in one week. So all we can do is basic strength training. It'll help you in the long run.”

“Can't you just give me another one of those doohickeys you gave me during the summit?”

“Those don't grow on trees, you know.” He sighs. “I even had the perfect training partner lined up for you, but there's no way to get him here.”

Training partner? First I've heard of it. Who could that be? Someone who knows about Sacred Gears or perhaps an expert on dragons? Maybe I'll get to meet him after this all over.

“Is all that really necessary?” Xenovia asks. “They're just ponies.”

“Never underestimate your enemies. Those six mares stood up to Discord and Princess Luna is in the same league as her sister.” Azazel looks at Buchou. “Organizing a match with so little time to prepare. Your brother can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?”

“I don't much care for the phrasing of that statement.” Meaning you agree with him in principle? That's harsh, Buchou!

Then all of a sudden Akeno-san comes up next to me and takes my arm. “Well, if that’s all for your briefing, Ise-kun and I will go and explore Ponyville.” She sure switched gears fast. Her usual smile is back, though I can tell she’s still a little upset over the discussion earlier.

“Akeno, we should get started with the training.” Scary! If Buchou speaks in that quiet tone, it’s always trouble. I don't want a repeat of earlier. Hope there's nothing breakable in the vicinity, like my skull.

Akeno-san looks straight at her. She’s one of the few people I know who can stand up to that intensity. “Ara ara, have you forgotten Ise’s promise? I beat Twilight, so he’s mine for the day, Rias.”

“I suppose I did promise that.” I instantly regret that statement. It’s only making Buchou angrier. I look over at Sensei in hope of back-up.

He scratches his whiskers thoughtfully. “It would be helpful to learn a little more about our opponents and this world. I suppose we can let Issei get away with his selfishness for once.” Selfishness? You told me to fucking say it, you shitty Governor!

Buchou still looks a little pissed, but she finally relents. “Fine, I see your point. I wouldn’t want my Ise going around and breaking his promises. Luckily it doesn’t look like there are any love hotels in this town.”

“Ufufu, you know me so well, Rias.” Sometimes it’s really hard to tell whether Akeno-san is serious or just teasing Buchou. What she whispers in my ear afterward almost makes my heart stop, though. “Besides, you don’t need a love hotel to have an affair.”

* * *

Despite the earlier insinuations, it’s been a more or less unremarkable morning so far. Akeno-san and I checked out the town square first. At the town hall we met a mare with a minty green coat and a harp as a cutie mark. I’ve learned that that’s what they call the pictures on their butts ... err ... I mean flanks. Supposedly they represent the ponies’ special talents.

The one we met was super friendly. She almost squealed in delight when she saw us enter the tourist information and we ended up chatting for a bit. She even gave us a map of Ponyville. The only thing she wanted in return was a photo with us. She said: “I’m gonna show this to all my friends. Now they have to believe me that humans are real!”

Then she ran off. I guess the tourist information will be closed for the rest of the day. Maybe I should have asked for a copy of that picture. Nobody back home is gonna believe this. Then again, who exactly am I gonna show this to? Mom and Dad would freak out and Matsuda and Motohama would think of me as some kind of weirdo.

We’ve just seen the Ponyville clock tower, when an idea hits me. “Do devils know about this world?”

“Honestly I don’t know. I didn’t and I doubt Rias did, although evidently Sirzechs-sama and the other leaders knew.”

“Wonder if it would be alright to bring some souvenirs.”

Akeno-san’s eyes narrow. “Why do you want to know? Do you have someone in mind to get something for?”

There is something remotely threatening there, so I try to cover my ass as best I can. “Eh, ... it’s for Saji.”

She blinks. “Sona-kaichou’s [Pawn]? The one from the student council?”

“Yeah, him. I never really thanked him for his help in resolving Kiba’s problem and he even helped in Gasper’s training.”

Akeno-san nods. “I see. That sounds nice,” she says with a brighter mood.

Sorry for using you as an excuse, buddy. Actually I was thinking of getting something for Irina, my childhood friend. I’m sure she would have loved this place, but it might be a touchy subject to bring up. She’s not a devil, after all.

“Ise, STOP!”

“What?” I freeze in place and something whizzes past my face at incredible speed. What is it? An attack by the Khaos Brigade? Have they followed us here?

The thing that came at me has embedded itself in the wall of a house I was walking past. Is that ... a pie?

Curiously Akeno-san sticks out her finger and scoops up some cream, giving it a lick. “Hm, cherry.”

“Who is accelerating cherry pies to terminal velocity here? That’s dangerous!”

“Take cover!” The scream comes from nearby. Akeno-san and I nod towards each other and set off in that direction to check it out.

When we round the corner, a bizarre sight greets us. If I remember the map correctly, that building should be Sugarcube Corner. In front of the shop a monstrous machine, that looks like it’s steam-powered, is shooting confetti and assorted sweets from several cannon barrels in every direction.

Wait, I know the pink pony that is dashing around it and chaotically pressing buttons and pulling levers. “The sugar core is going critical! It needs to be cooled STAT!” Pinkie Pie yells.

While I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on, Akeno-san is already on the case. She summons a magical circle above the contraption and a torrent of water comes rushing out, engulfing it.

I can hear the metal shrieking due to the sudden temperature shock. It must have been almost red-hot before. Everybody around, and everypony for that matter, watches tensely as the erratic beats of moving machine parts wind down and finally stop. Looks like we avoided disaster here.

After checking over the device, Pinkie takes note of us. “Oh, hey! You’re from the Gremory group. Thanks for the help.”

“Don’t mention it, Pinkie-san.”

“Don’t be so formal. All my friends call me Pinkie.”

“Ara ara, in that case please call me Akeno.”

That was fast! Either this pony is really good at making friends or stopping pie-blasting machinery has some kind of bonding effect on the female mind. Then again, they don’t seem to be using honorifics here at all.

“What the hell is that thing?” I ask in stunned disbelief. It’s like something a sugar-addict in a padded cell would come up with.

“It’s my new and improved Party Cannon Mk. 2, the Party Howitzer,” Pinkie announces proudly. “Double the fun and double the firepower.” Then she looks around the battlefield in embarrassment. There’s bits and pieces of cake and frosting everywhere. “It was supposed to make ponies smile, not make them run for cover.”

“In that case you might want to dial down the speed.”

“It was at the lowest setting it can go, eleven.” Something tells me that someone needs to invent a new word for this pony, cause hyperactive somehow seems like an understatement.

Akeno-san chuckles. “Well, I’m glad we could sort this out ... Ah!” Suddenly the Party Howitzer gives off a dying shot. With a resounding splat one of its pipes bursts and covers Akeno-san in whipped cream.

“Oh no, the emergency reserve tank blew!” Pinkie screams. Emergency reserve? What does this thing run on anyway? Refined sugar and milk products?

“Ara ara, it’s getting everywhere.”

I gulp as I watch Akeno-san. The white, sticky cream is running down her face and some of it is pooling in her cleavage. Why does this look so erotic?

“Sorry about that. Want me to lick it off for you?” Dammit, Pinkie Pie! Why didn’t I think of saying that? I wanna do it!

“That’s alright. Is there a place where I could get cleaned up?”

Pinkie nods. “There’s restrooms inside Sugarcube Corner. Have you had lunch yet?”

I hadn’t even thought about that, but the grumbling of my stomach reminds me that I didn’t have breakfast due to the amazing Koneko-sama’s powers of lamp throwing knocking me senseless for the better part of the morning. “I guess we could grab a bite while we're here.”

The pony rushes over to us and pushes us in the direction of the sweet shop. “Two ‘Welcome to Ponyville Specials’ coming right up.”

I get seated at a table, while Akeno-san excuses herself to the bathroom. Taking a look around the room, I see a lot of curious glances coming my way. Looks like the general pony populace wasn't aware of the human world or the Underworld either.

It doesn't take long until Pinkie comes back and sets down two enormous plates. They're filled with cupcakes, pastries and other sweets. It's not exactly what you would call a nourishing lunch. Well, there's some salad there, but no meat. I've been told that these ponies are vegetarians. I guess it's okay for a week. I could do with some rice, though. “And here's the Extra Special Lover's Cake!” Pinkie proudly announces.

I blush at the two pieces of cake. They're covered in pink frosting and decorated with chocolate hearts. “Uhm.”

“Isn't this nice? Having a cake filled with love together with your very special somepony?” Pinkie blubbers on. Does this pony never stop talking?

“Actually Akeno-san and I are not a couple.”

She cocks her head in bemusement. “You're not? Huh. I'm not usually wrong about those things. Never mind, it's still tasty.”

“I'm sure it is.” Then I remember something. “Oh shoot, I don't have any of your currency to pay for this. What was it, bits?”

“Don't worry. It's on me. Take it as a thanks for your help earlier. Well, I'd better go and clean up the mess outside.” With that she goes, or rather bounces, outside the door. I can hear a loud crash followed by a “Oopsies, don't worry, we're good.” What a strange pony.

When Akeno-san returns and sits down her eyes are sparkling. “Oh my, this looks wonderful. So many sweets.”

No kidding. I feel like I could get diabetes just looking at it. But if Akeno-san likes it, I suppose it's alright. I have a little trouble handling my fork. I'm used to eating with chopsticks after all. Akeno-san on the other hand handles it like a pro. She has a big smile on her face while eating the cake.

“I never knew you had such a sweet tooth,” I comment.

She looks at me. “I'm just happy to be able to try so many western sweets all at once.”

“Do you like western food, Akeno-san?” It clashes a little with my image of her. With her long, black hair and ara aras and ufufus she's always been the traditional Japanese Onee-sama in my mind.

“I don't get the chance very often,” she says, looking around for her next target, the fork hanging over the plate like a bird of prey. “Rias is in love with everything Japanese, even going so far as to attend high school in the human world, so she can live in Japan.”

“What about you?” I know she would follow Buchou anywhere, but I'm getting curious.

“Don't get me wrong. I'm fond of Japan, it's my home, but I've lived there all my life. I'd like to try new things once in a while.”

I learned something new about Akeno-san. She always seemed so traditional, but I guess she wants to see the world, too. Hm, I've rarely seen her out of her school uniform or Shinto robes. She'd probably look cute in a western dress.

Just as she is about to take a bite from a cupcake, she stops and looks at me. “Ise-kun, you were just picturing me in a dress, weren't you?”

I jump. How did she …? “Are you a mind reader?”

“Ufufu, it's not hard to tell. I can tell what you're thinking just by looking. Your eyes are always so honest.” Then she gives me a mischievous smile. “And a little bit lecherous.”

Ouch. “You didn't have to say that last part out loud. But it's true. I do want to see Akeno-san in a western-style dress some day.”

With a mysterious expression that I can't quite fathom she says: “Well then, maybe I'll have to show you one day, Ise-kun.”

“Yes, please do,” I say happily, picking up my fork again and digging into lunch. For some reason it tastes even sweeter than before.

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 2

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Part 2

Rainbow Dash gives her armour a last tug to make sure all the straps are in place and holding firm. She's wearing the same outfit she did for the jousting tournament at the Crystal Empire last year. It looks even more spectacular due to the rays of late afternoon sunlight that are hitting it.

“Ready?” Applejack asks, standing near a big tree.

“Ready,” Rainbow confirms.

“How about you, Spike?”

I place one claw on the hourglass next to me and nod. “All set here.”

“Then let's get to it!” Rainbow Dash shouts and I barely manage to turn the hourglass in time as she begins speeding off.

Galloping hard, she weaves masterfully in and the around the barrels that serve as a slalom course. It's incredible that she still has so much maneuverability with all that armour and that lance strapped to her shoulder.

After the barrels come the hurdles. It's a good thing Applejack trains so hard for her rodeos, so there's no shortage of this sort of equipment. The pegasus mare flaps her wings with an energetic shout. The course is built so she has to go over some of the hurdles and drop below the others.

Finally she clears all the obstacles and comes into a clearing where Applejack is already waiting. The farmer crouches down and tenses her muscles. “Ready or not, here we go. Yeehaw!” With a powerful kick of her back legs, she hits the trunk of the tree and the apples obediently start to fall down.

Rainbow Dash looks up and alters her course. At the last minute she shrugs her shoulder ever so slightly to point the tip of the lance at a falling apple in her path and spears it dead center with its sharp point. Then she swerves and goes for another one. It's incredible how many she can pick up in the short amount of time it takes for them to fall to the ground.

Finally her hooves hit the ground with a thud. “Time!”

“Whoowee!” Applejack hollers. “Four apples caught and not a single penalty on the hurdles. That might be yer record right there. What was her time, Spike?”

I can't help but grin as I check how much sand has made it through. “Ten seconds flat,” I say in an upbeat voice.

“Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about.”

“Good work, RD,” Applejack congratulates her friend as they share a hoof bump.

“Thanks, AJ.” As I catch up with the two of them she ruffles the scales on my head. “And thank you too, Spike. Couldn't have done it without you.”

“Aw, it was nothing,” I say, feeling a slight blush creep up on my cheeks.

“It sure was something alright,” Applejack objects. “It was your idea to make the lance shorter in order to make the turns easier.”

I shrug. “I just read in one of Twilight's books about ancient pegasus warfare. They used to fight in something called a phalanx, but they couldn't turn very well in formation. So I just figured that for an individual a shorter spear might be the way to go.” I really don't think I did anything special. Either one of them would have come up with it sooner or later.

“Well, it was a great idea. And not a moment to soon.” She gives a smirk and a glance to her friend. “Ah don't reckon my barrels could've taken another beating like that.”

Rainbow chuckles in embarrassment, trying very hard not to look at all the markings on the wood where her lance had struck the barrels repeatedly on previous runs.

I'm happy to see that I could be of some use to them, but then my mind drifts back to my own training schedule. “I wish I could be as strong as you.”

The two mares look at each other, not really sure what to say. “Aw, don't worry about it sugarcube, you can help in other ways.”

“Yeah, not everypony can be as awesome as me, after all.” Applejack pokes her friend in the ribs at that statement and Rainbow quickly adds. “But you're awesome in your own way.”

I sigh. I appreciate the sentiment at least. “Thanks. But there's no way I'm gonna be as helpful as you in the Rating Game. Just look at you. You're amazing. The winner of Cloudsdale's Best Young Flier Competition and future Wonderbolt, not to mention Ponyville's five time Rodeo Champion and possibly the strongest mare I know. You could probably win this game with just the two of you.” I look down, scratching my feet in the dirt. “I couldn't even complete the twenty laps Discord told me to run around the library this morning.”

The ensuing silence is getting awkward. Neither of them really seems to know what to say. Rainbow Dash takes the opportunity to change subjects as she points up at the sky. “Hey, is that a fruit bat?”

“What?” Applejack's gaze follows her outstretched hoof with a frown. “They're supposed to stay in the west orchard.”

Shading my eyes against the light, I can make out a vaguely bat-shaped form. It doesn't look like any fruit bat I've seen around, though. Are its eyes glowing red?

“It's a vampire fruit bat,” Applejack snarls. “You just wait, you little vermin.” She kicks up an apple into the air with her front hoof and then quickly spins around, hitting the apple with her tail like a whip and sending the fruit hurtling towards the animal.

Of course she didn't aim it directly at the bat, but it flies by in close proximity.

“Hiii!” The animal gets startled and begins to fall out of the sky.

We look at each other with questioning glances. “Did y'all hear that?”

“Sounded like a scream.” Rainbow Dash answers Applejack's question.

“Ah never heard a fruit bat scream like that.”

“I think it came down over here.” The two mares follow me and what we see isn't at all what I expected. It crashed into a tree alright. But what's lying there isn't a bat, it looks like a human child with blonde hair and delicate features.

“What in tarnation?” By Applejack's reaction I take it that vampire fruit bats don't turn into humans normally.

The child comes to slowly. Must have hit her head on the way down. I'm assuming that it's a girl, judging from the clothing. Hey, now that I look closer, it's the same school uniform the girls from the Gremory group are wearing. Is she one of them? I didn't notice her during the introduction.

Applejack is the first to react and offers her a hoof. “Sorry 'bout that. Ah thought you were something else.”

She looks around at all of us, shivering. She tries to get some words out, but I can't understand any of them. Is she … afraid of us?

“Gya-suke! Where are you?” We all look towards the owner of the new voice as another girl comes in sight through the trees. I recognize her from the introduction. Short, white hair. There's something vaguely cat-like about her. That's Toujou Koneko, their [Rook]!

The first girl quickly scrambles in her direction and hides behind her, despite being almost the same height as her.

“I'm awfully sorry, miss,” Applejack apologizes. “Ah seem to have startled yer friend there. Normally everypony knows that Sweet Apple Acres is a no-flight zone.”

Koneko looks silently from her friend to the three of us. There's something vaguely disturbing about her expressionless face. Is she angry at us? What happens, if we get into a fight here?

Then she does something unexpected. “I'm sorry. Gya-kun caused you trouble,” she apologizes with a bow.

Phew. Crisis averted. She seems like a good girl, despite that intensity. Seeing those two girls kinda puts me at ease. So the other side also has people that aren't super-athletic.

“That's alright,” Applejack forgives her easily. “It was my mistake, … uhm, what was yer name again, sugarcube?”

“Go on, Rias-buchou told us to be polite. Introduce yourself,” Koneko urges her on.

“ … Yes, Koneko-chan.” She has tears in the corners of her eyes and is still hiding behind her comrade. It's kind of adorable. She reminds me of Fluttershy. “I'm Gasper Vladi. Nice to meet you.”

“Gasper, that's a cute name. Though it sounds like a boy's name,” Applejack comments.

“Well, that's because I am.”

. . . “EHHHHH!?” Seriously!? All three of us are stunned at this revelation.

Koneko pats his head. “He's a cross-dressing, shut-in vampire.” Boy, she's blunt about it. It looks like he's about to cry. Wait, did she say vampire? Now that I look at him more closely, he does have FANGS!

“Well, uhm. Ah suppose there's nothing wrong with a guy wearing girl's clothing.” Applejack tries to ease the awkwardness.

“Seriously? You wouldn't say anything about it, if Big Mac were to put on your work duds?” Rainbow challenges.

AJ gives her a dark look and mutters, so they can't overhear us from where they're standing. “Of course ah would. Ah'm just trying t' be diplomatic here. Obviously their culture is a lot different from ours.”

Rainbow looks back over at them. “Uhm, ah, sure there's nothing wrong with it. Spike does it all the time.”

What the … ? “I do not!” Maybe that denial came across a little too forceful.

“What about that pink apron you're so fond of?”

“That's different! I just don't want my scales to get dirty.”

This discussion has taken a weird turn, so this time it's Applejack's who skillfully changes the subject. “So, what were y'all doing out here?”

Without changing expressions Koneko takes out a piece of garlic from her skirt pocket. “Training.”

Gasper's reaction is immediate. He bolts and hides behind a tree. “Please put it away, Koneko-chan. I promise I'll get better at flying!”

Somehow seeing these two interact eases my own insecurities. They're not exactly what I pictured, when I was told that our opponents would be devils.

“So have y'all had dinner yet?” Applejack asks, then she looks at Gasper. “That's assuming you can even eat normal food. We'd be happy to have you.” There's that legendary Apple Family hospitality again.

“Are there any sweets?” Koneko asks.

“Sure. We got apple pie, apple fritters, caramel apples...” The list goes on.

Koneko looks like her mouth is watering. Does she have a thing for sweets? But then she seems to catch herself. “That would be rude of us to take advantage of you like that. We have nothing to offer to pay with in return.”

“Don't be silly. It's just dinner.”

But Koneko shakes her head in determination. “As a servant of Rias Gremory and a Devil, I cannot agree to this. You must allow me to pay you with a service of equal value. A devil's contract.”

Woah! A devil's contract. Like in the books? Doesn't this usually involve souls? Well, this is just about dinner, though. So there are smaller contracts like this as well. I suppose even a devil has to earn their living somehow. But they sure have a high sense of honour, insisting on it when it's freely offered.

Applejack rubs her chin thoughtfully and looks around. “Well, ah suppose we could do with some help in putting this equipment away. Would that be adequate?”

“Yes,” Koneko agrees. It seems like she's happy to have found a way to accept the invitation, although it's very hard to judge her emotions. “That'll work.”

As we load the barrels and hurdles onto a nearby wagon, Koneko tells us a little more about a devil's work. Humans summon them to do a service for them and then they get paid. It's really as simple as that and they hardly are called upon to do something that's worth the price of a soul. It's a lot more business-like than I thought.

“Alright, if you just strap me in, I'll … “ Applejack gets ready to pull the wagon, but is made speechless, when Koneko-chan, that's what we've been told to call her, lifts the entire thing up in the air with one hand.

Strong! How can she be this strong with such a small body? It's like somepony took Iron Will with all his muscles and condensed all his mass to fit into this girl. “Which way?” she asks calmly.

“Ah, follow me,” Applejack says in amazement and leads the way at a leisurely trot.

“How strong is she?” I ask in awe.

Gasper, who is walking next to me behind all the others, answers. “If it comes to raw power, Koneko-chan is probably the strongest in our group. I've seen her punch through a brick wall with her bare hands once. On top of that she has her offensive and defensive power strengthened due to the attributes of being a [Rook].”

And just when I thought that I had found someone on the other side who was as lacking in power as I am. “Are you as strong as her? You're a [Bishop], right?”

He fidgets next to me. “Oh, no. I'm the weakest, really. Although we're the same age, I could never compete with Koneko-chan.”

That's good to hear. I was starting to think that all of the opponents were monsters. But it looks like Gasper is in the same situation I am.

While I'm lost in thought, Rainbow's scream suddenly startles all of us. “STAMPEDE!”

I hadn't even noticed that we were in front of the farm house, but when I look to the west, I can see a giant dust cloud in front of the setting sun.

“Run!” I scream and start doing just that. It looks like I'm gonna make it, so I take a second to check behind me. “What are you doing?”

Gasper hasn't moved. Instead he's fiddling with some kind of vial. Stopping dead in my tracks, I have to make a decision. Either I try to safe him and more than likely get trampled or I save my own scales and he'll likely come to that fate.

Before my brain has even reached a decision, my feet have already moved. When I reach Gasper, I grab his hand and start pulling, but he stands firm and drinks the crimson liquid from the vial. Is it blood? You're stopping for a snack in this situation?

His eyes begin to glow ominously and he faces down the oncoming herd of panicked cows without fear. What in the name of Celestia is he doing? It's too late to run now. There's nothing to do but close my eyes and brace for the impact. Seconds pass, but nothing happens. Even the beating of hooves has stopped. I open one eye to see one of the most bizarre sights I've ever seen. The whole herd is seemingly frozen in mid-stride.

“What happened?”

“Forbidden Balor View.” I jump at the voice. I hadn't even noticed that Koneko-chan had come up behind us. She probably saw what was going on and ran over to provide back-up as well. “It's Gya-suke's Sacred Gear ability, the evil eye. It stops time for whatever is in his field of view.”

“What's with the blood?” I ask.

Gasper is still concentrating. There's beads of sweat standing on his forehead. So Koneko-chan explains further. “It's Ise-senpai's. Drinking the blood of a dragon allows him to control this ability.”

I don't really get it, but I suppose dragon blood is strong. No, actually I knew that already. I tend to get hurt a lot, be it due to misfortune or clumsiness, but I always heal up very quickly, quicker than any pony I know. Is this the power of dragon blood, my blood?

“It's alright now, y'all,” Applejack says. Looks like she was talking to the cows. So they can speak even though their movements are frozen, huh? “They just got spooked by another snake is all. You can let 'em go now, sugarcube.”

Gasper lets out his breath explosively next to me. His eyes go back to normal and that creepy feeling, which until now I hadn't even realized I was sensing, slowly subsides. The cows go back about their business, after giving us their apologies.

Koneko-chan pats Gasper's head. “Nice job, Gasper-kun.” He gives her a smile in response to the compliment. Was this the first time she actually addressed him with his real name since meeting us?

“Well, that's the second time today you helped us out. Ah reckon that means you deserve an extra helping at dinner.” She winks at the strange duo. “Devil's contract, right?”

As I watch our guests happily follow the farm pony towards the house, looking forward to a meal presumably heavy on apple products, I can only stand here in the semi-darkness and mull over what just happened.

“Aren't you coming, Spike?” Rainbow Dash. Figures that she'd notice I wasn't following. Element of Loyalty and all that.

I ball my claw into a fist. “He's the weakest out of all of them. Yet he stopped that stampede all by himself with no problem. And what could I do? Nothing.”

Rainbow draws closer to me, our shoulders almost touching. “You tried to help, even putting yourself in danger to help someone you only met today. That was very brave, Spike. Isn't that something?” You know, some ponies say that she's very self-centered. But she's always good for a pep talk, when you need it.

“Yeah, but bravery alone won't help us win this Rating Game.” I turn around and begin running in the opposite direction of the farm.

“Spike! Where are you going?” Rainbow yells after me.

“Back to the library! I'm doing fifty laps tonight and I won't stop until I've completed them!”

I don't wait for a reply, but I think I can hear her whispering something to me from the distance. “That's the spirit. Go get 'em, champ.” Maybe it was just my imagination.

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 3

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Part 3

[Boost!] The gemstone in my Sacred Gear glows and I can feel the power rush through me.

“Here I come, Ise-kun!” Kiba shouts and surges forward.

I can barely keep up with his speed, narrowly dodging two swift blows to the side of my head and deflecting a third aimed at my chest with the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet.

“Too slow!” Rias-buchou scolds me from the sidelines. “It takes too long for you to charge up, so you have be able to stay alive until then.”

“Guh.” I dodge another attack. But I can feel that he cut a strand of my hair. Oi, we're just training, you know? “Did we have to use real swords for this?” This would be a perfectly nice Tuesday morning, if I wasn't scared for my life that is.

[Boost!]

“This sparring match is for both your sakes. Yuuto needs to get used to his Balance Breaker, since he's only recently obtained it.”

And I still can't get into my own Balance Breaker state without help. Shit. Narrowing my eyes at Kiba, I charge forward. If I can't even reach his level, there's no way I can fight Vali on even terms.

[Boost!]

Alright! Now I'm at eight times my normal strength. My mailed left fist surges forward and collides with Kiba's attempt to block. His holy-demonic sword shatters into pieces, but using his incredible speed, he backs away and avoids my follow-up.

“Not bad,” Kiba praises me. “You used your dragon arm. Had you tried that with your other hand, it would have hurt.”

No kidding. His swords have both demonic and holy attributes. The latter is absolutely lethal to devils like us.

“Yuuto,” Buchou says calmly. “Stop holding back.”

“Yes, Buchou.”

No way! He was pulling his punches? If he gets a clean hit, I might die, you know? Buchou has her eyes half closed as she watches our fight. Could it be she's still angry about Akeno-san and I going off by ourselves yesterday?

Kiba strikes a pose. “[Sword Birth].” Several swords rise up from the ground and he picks up two of them in a dual-wielding stance. But something's odd.

“Those are just regular old demonic swords, aren't they?”

He smiles. “Ah, looks like this is my limit for now. I can't stay in Balance Breaker any longer. But that means I can go all out without being afraid of seriously injuring you.”

You say that, but it's still scary as hell! I'm not actually sure that I've gained an advantage here. He lowers his center of gravity and charges me at top speed.

[Boost!]

That's it, the power of my Sacred Gear. Every few seconds it doubles my strength. Now I'm at sixteen times my normal battle power. Just enough to use that technique.

I raise my arm, collecting the magical energies from my surroundings as the jewel in the gauntlet begins to charge and glow a green hue. Aiming it at my opponent, I shout: “[Dragon Shot!]”

Kiba raises the sword in his right hand to deflect my attack while simultaneously slashing at me with the one in his left. The magic beam alters it's trajectory slightly and misses, glancing off the demonic blade and hitting a mountain top in the distance. We can hear the roar from here in the hotel courtyard.

“Dammit.” I look down with a frown. My open uniform jacket is slashed across my belly. A few centimeters deeper and he would have hit a vital organ. But that's Kiba, our technique genius, for you. Pulling off a maneuver like this and still ensuring the safety of his training partner.

Buchou sighs and comes over to us. “Looks like you still can't fully control that power.” She picks up my arm and looks at the Sacred Gear thoughtfully. “It would be nice, if you could get into your Balance Breaker.”

“Sorry,” I mumble. I feel so useless.

She shakes her head. “There's no point in forcing it. You can still be very useful in the upcoming Game. Your ability to transfer power to others could be crucial.”

Yeah, that's the other mode of my Sacred Gear, [Gift].

“Get your uniform fixed. You'll have another sparring match with Koneko in the afternoon.”

“Yes, Buchou.”

“Yuuto, let's go over those books we got from the library again. I'm still working on our tactics.”

He nods. “There's one that could help us. It's called 'Understanding Medieval Equestria'. It describes several battles in Equestrian history in detail.”

She nods. “Good place to start.”

As they leave, Kiba turns and waves at me. “Good match. See you later, Ise-kun.”

I stand there for a minute and then a thought occurs to me. “Shit! I don't know how to fix clothes with magic like the others do. Now what?”

* * *

A bell rings as I enter the shop named Carousel Boutique. After asking around in town for a bit, it has become clear to me that this is the only place I can go.

“I'll be out in a minute.” The melodic voice that comes from the backroom belongs to Rarity. No doubt the cheerfulness will leave it instantly, when she sees me.

I glance around the sales floor curiously. So ponies do wear clothes after all. I just haven't seen any do so. Maybe they only wear them for special occasions. My own approach to fashion has always been strictly utilitarian. Well, I did get dressed up for that date with Yuuma-chan. … Yuuma-chan …

I shake my head angrily. No. I can't let myself fall into these thoughts again. Need something to take my mind off things.

As I walk around the room, I somehow end up near the door to the other room. Since it's slightly ajar, I can hear the voices of the two ponies behind it pretty clearly.

“What do you think, darling?”

“I think it might just give us the edge we need!” Twilight Sparkle sounds pretty excited. “How many can you make?”

“Well.” Rarity seems a little hesitant. “Because of the unique properties of these gemstones, they don't respond at all to my Gem Finding Spell, so I have to look for them the old-fashioned way. I still need some more. Even then I'll only be able to make one in time.”

“I see. Then we'll have to think really hard about who should wear it.”

“Well, Princess Luna, you and I are out for obvious reasons.”

“I suppose so. The effect would not only be restricted to the opponent. The wearer also receives the same effect.” What are they talking about?

“What about Rainbow Dash? She'll be wearing armour anyway.”

Twilight doesn't seem to agree. “It would probably be too cumbersome. She'll need her speed. We need somepony stronger. Also I'm not sure how this secret weapon of yours would react with pegasus magic.”

Secret weapon? Is this about the Rating Game?

“I do have enough to make something in Spike's size right now.”

Once again Twilight shoots the idea down. “Dragons already have a natural resistance to magic. Giving it to him would waste its strategic potential.”

“Huh, I never knew that.”

Twilight giggles. “Why do you think I ask Spike to help me with most of my experiments? If something goes wrong, he's the most likely to walk away with only minor injuries.”

Rarity gasps. “Twilight! That's a horrible thing to say!”

“I know, I know. But it's the truth. And it's not like I hide it from him, if it's something dangerous. I do sometimes think that those teenage dragons we met that time were right about one thing. He is one tough, little dragon.”

“If only he had the confidence to match, he might be our best hope of winning this.” Huh, that's strange. Rarity sounded rather wistful just now.

“Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand. It's gonna have to be either Applejack or Pinkie Pie.”

“Alright, I have both their measurements and they're fairly similar. This way I can get started and make the final adjustments, when you've reached a decision.”

“Right. I'll have to run this by the Princess. I'll let you know what she decides.”

“Please do, darling. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a customer.”

“Sure thing, Rarity. See you later for spell-casting practice.”

I can hear hoofsteps. Looks like Twilight left via the back door. A pang of guilt hits me as I back away from the door. I probably shouldn't have heard this conversation. Then again, I'm not even sure what they were really talking about. I suppose it's fine as long as I don't say anything about it.

Rarity walks onto the main sales floor with a bright smile. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique! What can I do for … you?” Just as expected, her face darkens immediately at my sight.

“Uhm, I need something fixed.” I tug at the place in my jacket where the fabric has been slashed by Kiba's sword.

She's still glaring daggers at me. I can see it over the rim of her designer glasses. This mare really doesn't like me. But eventually she sighs and trots over to a sewing machine. “Over here.”

I hand her my jacket and she picks it up with her levitation magic. “Sit,” she says. “This'll only take a minute.”

I sit down on a nearby stool. Damn, it's small. I feel like I'm sitting in a place made for a fourth-grader. I must look like an idiot.

The rattling of the machine fills the air. I can't think of anything to say, so I simply watch her. She looks so earnest. No wonder she's a business owner at such a young age.

“I see your abhorrent behaviour towards clothing even extends to your own.” Suddenly Rarity decides to strike up a conversation.

“It was a training accident.” It's silent again except for the noises of the machine. This is so awkward. But something is bugging me. “I don't understand why you're so disgusted by my technique. You ponies walk around naked most of the time. So why are you so upset about the very idea of my Dress Break.”

“It's not about nudity,” she explains. “Although from what I gather from your culture, it's still a rather despicable thing to do. It's the callous disregard for the clothing itself that appalls me personally.”

I shrug my shoulders. “It's just an object. It's not like my technique hurts anyone.”

“Oh, but it does!” She objects violently. Picking up my jacket, she hovers it in front of my face. “What is this?”

I blink. I'm not really sure what she's getting at here, so I answer with my honest thoughts. “It's just my school uniform. I wear it every day.”

“Precisely. Someone, somewhere took the time and effort to design that article of clothing. No doubt they took great care in the process, knowing the responsibility that hundreds of students would wear this every day. They had to consider aesthetics and comfort. They did this for your benefit. And if you treat it badly, you injure the person that worked hard on it.”

“ … “ I don't really know what to say. I've never thought about it that way.

“More than that,” she continues as she returns to carefully stitching up the uniform. “When you destroy someone else's clothing, you hurt them. Not because of their nudity, but because they took the time and care to pick out this particular garb to wear that day. It's because dressing up and making yourself pretty can bring joy to a person's heart and the people around them. Maybe that person wanted to look her best for her very special somepony that day.”

… Dammit. Again, why do I think back to my first date? The happiest I'd ever been up until that point in my life, at least until I was killed by my date. Yuuma-ch … no, Raynare. The words she said to me still chill my bones. Will you die for me?

“How would you feel, if someone spilled a drink over your girlfriend's dress?”

How would I feel? I'd probably be pissed.

The sewing machine stops and Rarity looks at me. She shakes her head. “I suppose someone like you will never understand.” Looks like she took my silence the wrong way. “Try it on for size. I'll be right back.”

As she trots over to a chest in the corner, I put on my jacket and check my reflection in the mirror. “Hey, what's this?” I run my fingers over the embroidery that has appeared over my left chest. It's stitched in gold thread and it looks like … the head of a dragon.

“I couldn't help myself,” Rarity says, appearing next to me in the mirror. “I just had a flash of inspiration and couldn't let it go. It covers up the repair work quite nicely, but I'll remove it, if you want.”

You did that in such a short time? I probably should tell her to get rid of it. I'll get in trouble at school for not wearing a proper uniform for one thing. “No, leave it. It looks great.”

For the first time since I've met her, I can see a genuine smile grace her face. I can feel my heart skip a beat, surprising even myself. This mare looks … cute! ARRGGHHH! Dammit! Why did I think that? I'm not a furry!!!

Gently she hovers a small ruby up to my chest and weaves it into the fabric with her magic. Now the golden dragon has a fiery, red eye. “Thanks, it looks awesome. What do I owe you?”

She turns around and begins to put away the sewing utensils she used. “Nothing. Take it as a gift. Maybe it'll make you think about what I said.”

“No, really. I should pay you. What do you want?”

She cocks her head and looks over her shoulder at me with what could almost be described as a seductive look. Damn, it should be illegal for equines to have such sexy eyes. “Well, there is one thing.” Then she bares her teeth at me in a positively vicious grin. “I'll kick your dress-breaking flank during the Rating Game. Seeing you lose will be my reward.”

Oh, feisty! I grin back at her. “That's the one thing I can't let you have. I'm gonna have to win for my master.”

“We'll see, darling.”

As I leave the boutique, I'm actually happy that I had this chance to talk to Rarity. Could it be that Buchou actually meant for this to happen, when she told me to get my uniform fixed? I wouldn't put it past her.

Then I look at my hand. Dress Break. It's something someone like me, with a limited magical aptitude, managed to create. Well, Asia helped me refine it. But just like Rarity takes pride in the dresses she creates, I should be able to take pride in the technique I created. Neither of us is really wrong, I know that. But I also know that we'll never see eye to eye on it.

I make a resolution that in the future I'll consider more carefully who I use Dress Break on. After all, with great power comes great responsibility. That's what my dad always says. … Or did I get that from somewhere else?

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 4

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Part 4

“Hiyah!” I swing my claw as hard as I possibly can and still there's barely a scratch on the tree trunk I've been practicing on for the past hour or so.

Discord told me to practice my attacks, so I've come to the edge of the Everfree Forest to be alone, but there's just no point to it. I don't have the reach or the strength to do any good as an offensive player.

I ball my claws into fists. What's the point in me even participating? I can't even use my fire breath properly except to be the most showy mail courier in Equestria. What good is a dragon that can't fight? Thwak! I strike the tree again angrily.

“AHH!?”

Huh? I know that voice. I peer around the tree. “Fluttershy?”

The yellow pegasus mare spots me and breathes a sigh of relief. “Oh, it's you, Spike. I thought you were something horrible from the Everfree Forest.”

You're right about the horrible part. At least that's the way I'm feeling about myself right now. But I can't say anything. Even Fluttershy is working hard with the Rating Game less than a week away.

“Aren't you supposed to be training with the Princess?”

Fluttershy nods. “We were practicing at the old castle of the Royal Sisters, because there's some spell books there.”

Spell books, huh? So Celestia really is teaching Fluttershy magic and with spells that aren't even recorded in Twilight's library. I hope Twilight won't get jealous. But it's got me wondering. It has to be something only Fluttershy can do. What kind of spell requires a shy pegasus to cast it that even the Princess of Friendship wouldn't be able to do?

Then I notice something. “Fluttershy, what is this?” There's something on her back, something blue. I've never seen a creature like that in the Everfree.

“Who? This?” Fluttershy says with a smile, craning her neck around to nuzzle the creature. “I found him on my way back. The little guy seemed like he was lost.”

When I get a closer look, I can't hold in my astonishment. “Is that … a dragon?” I always thought I was the only dragon around. He's built different than me, but it's without a doubt a small dragon, smaller than me even.

“What's your name?” I ask, stretching out a claw. He hisses at me and his eyes begin to glow. “Uhh, wha … Ouch!” I jump back. He hit me with some kind of lightning attack. “What's the matter with you?”

“That wasn't very nice,” Fluttershy chides him gently. “Spike is a friend.” The creature doesn't seem to understand her and goes back to nestling his cheek against her pink mane.

“I wonder where he came from,” I mumble, keeping my distance and eying the small dragon suspiciously.

“Rassei-kun! Come out! Where are you?” Fluttershy and I look in the direction where the voice comes from.

After a few moments two of the devils appear. It's the girl with the blonde hair and the blue-haired swordswoman. Asia and Xenovia, I think.

“Rassei-kun!” Asia cries with relief in her voice, when she sees us.

Fluttershy looks over her shoulder at her new friend, no doubt in part to hide her face from the two newcomers. “Is he with you?”

“Yes,” Asia confirms. “Rassei-kun is my familiar. He's a Sprite Dragon.”

“Familiar?” I ask. “What's that?”

“Devils can make contracts with magical creatures,” Xenovia explains in a neutral tone. “We can summon them and they can carry out tasks or fight alongside us.” She comes closer and stretches out her hand to Rassei. “You shouldn't trouble Asia by running off like that.”

Seeing her come closer, Rassei gets in a defensive posture and hisses at her. Xenovia frowns. “Normally he only behaves like that around Ise-kun.”

“Maybe it's because you're carrying Ascalon,” Asia suggests.

A look of understanding dawns on Xenovia's face. “Oh, that would make sense.” She draws the sword from her hip. “It is a dragon-slayer, after all.”

I've had this uncomfortable feeling since they arrived, but now that I can see it up close, my knees go weak and I feel my whole body trembling. It almost makes me feel like throwing up, just being close to that thing. “What in Tartarus is that thing?”

“It's a holy sword that has the power to kill dragons,” Xenovia explains. “Asia and I were practicing. That must be what caused Rassei to run off.”

“Uhmm,” Fluttershy tries to speak up. “Would you mind putting it away now? I think you're scaring the little guy.” Him? What about me?

With a mumbled apology she sheathes the sword and backs off a few steps. Asia comes forward and holds out her arms. Rassei obediently flies over to her and nestles up against her chest. “Thank you for taking care of him. I was so worried.”

“Oh, not at all,” Fluttershy replies with a smile. “Taking care of small animals is my specialty. I'm just happy we ran into you.” Looks like the two of them are bonding over this.

“Fluttershy,” a serene voice calls to us and we all turn around. “There you are.”

“Princess Celestia,” I gasp and bow. Fluttershy does the same.

She's still as calm as ever and her smile momentarily banishes my uncomfortable feeling of being close to that strange sword. “We still have a lot of work to do.”

“I'm sorry, your highness,” the pegasus mare apologizes. “I'll be right with you.” She turns around to the two devils. “It was nice meeting you again.”

Asia seems a little flustered and bows. “You too and thank you so much for looking after Rassei-kun for me.”

“Sorry for the trouble.” Xenovia also bows to us.

Celestia gives me a nod and a smile, before leading Fluttershy off to continue her training. The two girls bow to me as well and return the way they came.

As I watch them leave, I once again wonder how useful I can actually be in the Rating Game. Basically I'm the same level as that dragon and he's not even a full player. And that sword. I almost passed out from just being near it. It gave off such a creepy aura. If she attacked me with that for real …

There's no way to deny it. The way I am right now, I can't defeat any of these people in a fight. But what can I do? I've been trying to avoid this as much as possible, but there's only one person who can help me get stronger in a hurry. I steel my resolve and go looking for the one draconequus that might hold the answer.

I've been looking for about half an hour, when I spot him at the edge of town. He's just standing there, looking towards the town center. It's rare to see Discord not doing anything to cause trouble.

I walk up next to him. It doesn't seem like he's realized I'm here yet. What is he thinking about so deeply? “Uhm, Discord.”

Suddenly he grabs me by the scales on my head and yanks me from the ground. “Hey!”

A second later I can see a cherry pie fly through the air and go splat in the spot I was just standing in. Discord puts two fingers over his ear and begins talking. “Two degrees more to the left, Pinkie Pie. Accuracy is key, if you want to utilize the power of a long range weapon like the Party Howitzer.”

“Okey dokey lokey,” Pinkie's cheerful voice comes over the communication device in Discord's ear. “Adjusting trajectory now.” They're magical ear pieces developed by the devils. We've been given a set as well, so the whole team can stay in contact during the Rating Game.

“Did you want something, Spike?” Discord asks, setting me down again and not even looking at me. “Did you finish your exercises?”

“They're not working. I need a way to get strong fast. I know you have an idea. You've got everypony doing specialized training except me.”

He's quiet for a moment. “Have you considered that it's because you've got no talent? There's nothing that sets you apart. Ground work is really the only thing you can do.”

Ouch. That hurt. “Even so, everypony is doing their best! Even if there's nothing else I can bring to the table. I want to help! They're all counting on me. You must have something up your sleeve!”

Discord doesn't speak and just continues to stare off into the distance. Suddenly his head swells to enormous proportions with a gaping maw that is the size of a house. He snatches a pie that comes flying at him out of the air and swallows it in one gulp. “You overshot that one, Pinkie. Try to adjust your angle of ascent, so it'll travel in a ballistic arc.”

“Discord! Stop ignoring me!” I shout, tears of anger standing in my eyes. “Is there some way you can make me stronger or not?”

He sighs and for the first time looks me straight in the eye. “There is. I didn't say anything, because I knew your friends would be against it, especially Twilight.”

“I don't care,” I respond. “I don't need Twilight to make my decisions for me. I want this! I want to become stronger. And if you're not gonna help me, then I'm gonna figure out something on my own.” I turn around and start to storm off.

I'm brought up short, when there's a snap and bright flash in front of me. Discord teleported himself to cut me off. “Well, well, well. Looks like the baby dragon has developed some teeth after all.” He grins and touches his ear again. “Take five, Pinkie. After that we'll go on to the blueberry high explosives.”

Do I even want to know what that's about?

Discord crosses his arms and looks at me. “There is a way for you to get stronger in a hurry. Frankly your natural development is stunted and overdue. It's because you've been around ponies all your life.”

“Stunted?” Do you mean to say I'm in some way defective?

“Think about it, Spike. Even with a dragon's long life span, do you really think you should still be a baby dragon?” Well, if you put it that way. I'm not that much younger than Twilight. “Dragons are solitary creatures by nature. They live and grow by themselves. You've always had your pony friends around you to help you out and that's exactly what is holding you back.”

My friends. I've always been thankful for having them around me. But as much as I want to deny it, deep down something tells me that he's right. “I'm not gonna leave my friends. They're the reason I want to become stronger.”

“I get that.” Wow, Discord's really been surprising me lately. He can be very helpful and insightful, if he wants to. “But to unlock the hidden potential in you, you're gonna have to strike out on your own for a while, to find the strength within you.”

I guess you don't live thousands of years without picking up some wisdom, even if you're the god of chaos. “What do I need to do?”

For some reason the grin he gives me now has meandered back into disturbing territory again. He snaps his talon once and my entire surroundings change. I now stand in a dark and gloomy forest, alone.

“If you can tackle the Everfree Forest on your own, you'll be who you were meant to be,” Discord's voice echoes from the trees. “You mustn't leave the forest or call any of your friends until your training is over.”

I look around, trying to pinpoint his location. Perhaps he's still in Ponyville, only projecting his voice out here. “W-what am I supposed to do?”

A deep and scary chuckle reverberates from the trees. “Only one thing to do, Spike. … Survive.”

“Ahoooo!”

My scales stand on end as I hear the howling in the distance. “Timberwolves,” I whisper.

“And they're gonna be the least of your problems. Good luck, Spike. You may leave the forest in five days, in time for the Rating Game. That's if you're still alive by then.” His cackle fades into the distance and now I feel truly alone.

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 5

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Part 5

There's four days left until our Rating Game against the ponies and I'm looking forward to my next day here in Ponyville as I enjoy the half-sleepiness just after waking up, although the bed does seem a little lumpy this morning.

For once we're not being called upon to fight for some serious reason or to save the Underworld. It's just a friendly match and the best thing about it is that I spend my days training with the girls. In it's own way this is rather peaceful.

I can feel someone stir beside me. One of the Occult Research Club members must have snuck into bed with me again. Wondering who it is (I'm hoping it's Buchou) I turn around.

“Yo, Ise-kun!” he says with a wide grin.

My eyes snap open and I sit bolt upright. “S-s-s-sensei!?” Yes, the man laying beside me is the Fallen Angel Governor and our self-appointed advisor Azazel-sensei. I take a look around and realize that we're not in my hotel room, but some kind of forest. “What's going on, you shitty Governor!?”

“Don't worry, I just brought you out here for training purposes,” he responds, getting up and brushing some leaves off his clothes.

“And this couldn't have waited until I was dressed?” I ask, noticing that I'm wearing my pajamas.

He shrugs. “You can always conjure up some clothes.”

“No, I can't.” I've never learned how to do it.

“Oh, well then now's a good time to learn.” He picks a leaf from a tree. “Otherwise you can always make like Adam and Eve. Funny couple those two. Had to be with nobody else for company back in the day. Always the life of the party, even with just the two of them.”

I keep growling at him. “I'm not interested in a history lesson. Why have you brought me out here?”

“Well,” he says, stroking his chin beard. “I've been worried about your progress. Seems to me like the girls are a distraction for you. So I've decided to conduct the rest of your training here, in the Everfree Forest. An old friend of mine gave me the idea. It's not exactly what I had in mind for your training in the Underworld, but it's close enough.”

“I'm supposed to stay here for four days?” Without Buchou? Without any oppai!?

“I see you understand the situation. Well then, see you Sunday!” While he mockingly salutes me, a bright light begins glowing under his feet and just like that he vanishes through a teleportation circle.

“AHH! Come back here, you shitty Governor!” Damn, I'm so angry right now. I was making the best out of this unexpected situation and now this.

I look around, trying to get my bearings, but I haven't got the faintest clue of where I am. I'm never gonna find my way back to Ponyville and I don't have enough magic power to teleport.

Dejectedly I sit down on the forest floor again. “What the hell am I supposed to do here?”

As if to answer my rhetorical question, a small, purple dragon appears out of the brush and whizzes past me with one word: “RUUUUUUNNNNNN!!!”

My brain is still half asleep, so I can't make heads nor tails out of what just happened and I stare after him in dumb-founded confusion.

Then I notice something else, however. Is it just me or does it feel like the ground is shaking? Thump. Thump! THUMP! Something is crashing through the woods, something large. I feel like a rabbit caught by a snake as one enormous foot steps through the dense vegetation and right in front of me.

I look up and see four snake-like necks protruding from a massive reptilian body covered in brown scales. Three of its heads begin to roar loudly, but what's really frightening is the fourth head. It's looking straight at me, fletching a row of dagger-shaped teeth.

Ah, now I get it. “RUUUNNN!!!” I scramble to my feet and bolt the same way Spike had fled.

As I crash through branches and bushes my clothes get shredded by the sharp vegetation. Even the plants in here seem to want to attack me. I keep taking glances over my shoulder, although I can tell by the shaking of the ground that it's still in pursuit. How can such a large thing move so fast?

I catch up with Spike after a while, matching my stride with his. “What the hell is that thing?”

“Hydra,” he answers, panting heavily. “It must have come here from Froggy Bottom Bog.”

I stretch out my arm and make my Boosted Gear appear. [Boost!] “Can we fight it?”

“Looks like we're about to find out,” Spike answers shakily as our flight is brought to a halt by a sheer cliff face that extends at least thirty feet upwards and into the vegetation on either side.

[Boost!]

It'll take my best technique to take that thing down. “I'm gonna need a minute to power up. Can you buy us some time?”

The little dragon gulps as the creature catches up to us, all of its heads fixed on the two of us. “I'll try.”

I watch as Spike makes a break for the left, his movement getting the attention of the Hydra. “Over here! Come and get me!” he screams, waving his arms around.

[Boost!]

The little guy has balls. I'll give him that much. Come on, Boosted Gear, just one more. One of the heads strikes downwards, trying to catch him between its fangs. Spike jumps just in time, landing on all fours on top of the head that buries itself in the ground. He's shivering in fear like a wet dog.

[Boost!]

That's it. “Spike, get clear!” I shout as I line up my shot. He manages to slide down the neck, hitting the ground hard and rolling out of the line of fire. The gem in my gauntlet begins to glow green as I aim for the body. I won't get a second chance, so I have to take it out in one hit.

[Dragon Shot!]

The energy beam releases and hits the creature dead center. But then something unexpected happens. The blast glances off its scales at an angle, flying into the distance and tearing a path of destruction through the forest.

[Partner! Hydra scales are almost as tough as dragon scales. I don't think your current power level will be enough to penetrate its hide.]

You couldn't have told me that earlier, Ddraig!? Now he just looks pissed off. One of the heads shoots towards me, burying itself in the rock face behind me with splinters flying every which way as I dodge by a hair's width.

“Ise! Over here!” Spike calls out to me. Looks like there's a hole next to him. This might be our chance to get away.

Not really seeing any other option, I make a dash for safety, going down the rabbit hole head first. I can feel myself falling through the darkness. Feels like this hole is actually a tunnel that leads into a cavern.

After some time sliding down the earthen ramp, I'm brought to an abrupt halt by a rock floor. Spike tumbles down behind me, landing on top of me.

“Ouch. Where are we?” Devil eyes work better in the dark, so I can make out we're in a cave. There's an opening that leads back out into the forest.

“It's probably best to lay low here for a while,” Spike suggests.

Yeah. I can still hear the hydra rampaging above us. He's probably pissed at missing out on his breakfast. I'm starting to shiver a little with only my pajamas on. “Is this forest always so uninviting?”

“Pretty much,” Spike confirms as he gathers some fallen branches from the cave entrance. He piles them up and gets a camp fire going with his dragon breath. “Thanks for helping me out back there.”

“Seemed like the thing to do,” I reply with a grin, warming my hands against the sizzling flames. “Didn't really have a lot of options.”

Spike shakes his head. “You could have outrun me easily. My legs aren't exactly built for sprinting.”

“Yeah, well. You had no reason to follow my suggestion and distract that thing. For all you knew, I could have used you to make my getaway.”

There's a bit of an uncomfortable silence after we've swapped the reasons of why both of us are here and vented a bit about how Discord and Azazel seem to be cut from the same cloth.

“How do you do it?” Spike finally asks. “Go on fighting despite being the lowest on the totem pole, I mean.”

I see. He's a [Pawn] just like me. I can remember the feeling when Buchou explained my role and the Evil Pieces to me. I take a moment to think while we sit around the crackle of the fire. He reminds me a lot of Saji.

Finally I shrug. “I just try to be the strongest [Pawn] I can be for that person I love. Also I want to fulfill my goal of someday becoming a high-class devil and have my own harem.” I smile at him. “You're the same, aren't you? The way you look at the white unicorn is the same I look at Rias and you try to protect that purple one the same way I protect Asia.”

He glares at me over his crossed arms. “I won't let you have Rarity, or Twilight, or any of my other friends for your harem.”

“I'M NOT A FURRY!!!” Geez, why do people always assume the worst about me?

Suddenly there's a deep chuckle filling the cave. [You've got nobody to blame but yourself, partner.]

I look at my left hand and there's a green glow. Judging by Spike's face he also heard him. Is it because he's a dragon? “Was there something you wanted, Ddraig?”

[I wanted to have a word with the little one, if you don't mind. I've been mulling it over for the past few days and I think I figured it out. Spike, do you know who your sire is?]

There seems to be a mix of emotions on Spike's face. Confusion. Sadness. Doubt. “You mean my parents? No. I was found as an egg. Twilight hatched me. I never knew where I came from.”

“Ddraig is the Heavenly Dragon sealed inside my gauntlet,” I explain, since I'm not sure if Spike is aware of this. Then I look at my Sacred Gear. “Do you know something, Ddraig?”

[Yes, I do. His aura is very similar to that of Tannin, the Meteor Blaze Dragon. Even got the purple scales. He's called that since his breath attack was the strongest out of any western dragon and that's why he was one of the Six Dragon Kings.]

I can see Spike's face falling. “Was? Do you mean he's … dead?”

[Hm, that depends on how you define dead. He was reincarnated as an ultimate-class devil via the Evil Pieces.]

“So there's a chance he's still alive?” I ask, hoping the prospect will cheer Spike up.

[Last I heard, this was shortly before I was sealed away, he was turning the part he rules over in the Underworld into a sanctuary for dragons. For a time it seemed like dragons would become extinct in the human world, you see. One of his plans to save our species was also to bring dragon eggs to Equestria, since the environment is more suitable and dragons can live by consuming gemstones here.]

Spike seems like he's enraptured by all this news about his family he never knew. “Then, I was brought here the same way?”

[Yes. Before he became a devil, Tannin brought the last three eggs he produced with his mate here. Her name was Salamandra, an eastern dragon. It explains why you have no wings, but that green breath of yours is much like hers.]

“That means I could have brothers and sisters here in Equestria.” Again Spike's face falls. “But why did they never contact me?”

[Salamandra died during the Great War, I'm sorry to say. Tannin had his claws full becoming a devil and trying to save our race. He probably just didn't have the time. But let me ask you, was your upbringing that bad?]

Spike takes a long time to think, but finally he shakes his head. “No, my friends are my family. I've just always wondered where I came from and I've never found a satisfying answer. I've always thought I was different from most other dragons here, because I was raised by ponies, but... Thank you for telling me about my parents, Ddraig.”

[You're welcome, little one. Tannin was a good friend of mine. With that kind of heritage, you've got some enormous potential. The Dragon King whose breath was like the impact of a meteor and the Mistress of the mystical Green Flame of the East, a rare trait.]

“What's so special about this Green Flame?” I ask. My curiosity has been piqued.

Spike blushes and scratches his cheek. “It's nothing special.” He belches and a piece of parchment appears in the flames. Strangely enough he hands it over to me. “I can send letters through it. This is a spell for fixing up clothes that I copied for Rarity a while ago. Maybe it could help you.” He gestures at my torn pajamas.

I chuckle and take it gratefully. “There's no reason to be embarrassed by it. Seems like a handy thing to know. Thanks for this.”

Again Ddraig chuckles. [That's just the beginning of it. It took your mother hundreds of years to master all she could do with it. Don't worry. You'll figure it out in time.]

“Yeah, not gonna help me for the Rating Game then. I need to get stronger for that.”

“Not just for that,” I say. For the last couple of minutes the steps of the hydra seemed to have been coming closer and now what little light is coming in here through the cave entrance is blocked by an enormous foot. “Looks like our friend is back and still hungry.” We should have fled when we had the chance.

“We can't hide in here forever,” Spike agrees, casting a furtive glance up at the cave ceiling. There's chunks of rock and dust coming down with every reverberating step the beast takes. If we try to wait it out, the cave might just come down on our heads. “But how can we fight it?”

“I don't know,” I answer honestly. “My best attack didn't even scratch him.”

[There might be another technique that could work.]

“Ddraig, do you have an idea?”

[I do. Transfer the Boosted Gear's power to our young friend here. It should give him even more of a Boost, since he's also a dragon.]

“Will that really work? We've never tried something like that. The only ones who have received a power-up through my [Gift] ability so far have been devils.”

[A year ago I would have never even considered the possibility. Dragons do not share power easily. But you managed to absorb part of the White-One's Sacred Gear into your own. That means the possibility exists.]

“It's a long-shot,” I admit to Spike. “But he's right. As a real dragon you might be able to make the most use of this power. What do you say?”

“I say we're out of options,” he replies, backing away from the cave entrance, where one of the hydra heads has come down to watch us. “What do you need me to do?”

“Just hold still while I hand over Sekiryuutei's power to you.”

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

I place my mailed hand on his shoulder. “Here goes nothing. [Transfer!]”

Almost immediately Spike is enveloped by Ddraig's scarlet aura, but then something else happens. As it swirls around him, it mixes with purple and emerald energy that seems to emanate from the small dragon himself.

Spike is groaning and panting as if he's in pain and something is trying to break through. He's hunched over and it sounds like his voice is getting deeper. Then the built-up energy explodes. It's so dense that it knocks me back on the cave floor.

It takes me a moment to shake my head clear. It feels like this has drawn much more energy than I normally transfer with [Gift]. I look up at what used to be a little baby dragon with chubby cheeks.

“Woah!”

Extra Life: The Royal Spa Treatment

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Extra Life: The Royal Spa Treatment

“Ahhhn! That's the spot right there.” I moan heavily as the skilled hooves run up and down my spine. “Ohhh, don't stop. This is heavenly.”

“Wow, Princess. I've never seen you so expressive before,” Twilight says with astonishment.

I turn my head towards the pony laying on the massage table next to me. “Twilight, I have asked you before to call me Luna. We are practically family now.”

“Right,” she replies sheepishly as Aloe and Lotus spread some more oil on our backs. “Old habits.”

“Mmph. Careful, the base of my wings is very sensitive.” I sigh. “I must admit, your idea to come to this spa was a good one. Though I'm not entirely convinced I deserve it. It feels like I've done the least to prepare for the Rating Game out of all of us.”

“Come on,” Twilight disagrees. “You've got ten times the experience we have and your real job will start with the Game itself. You formed the Equestrian Militia during Discord's reign, giving yourself and your sister enough time to find the Elements of Harmony. You commanded the Royal Guard during the Crystal Wars, forcing King Sombra to go on the defensive and not a year ago you rallied all of Ponyville to fend off the Nightmare forces. We know you're an excellent strategist.”

Sometimes I forget how much of a history buff our newest princess is. “Well, Tia has always been the heavy hitter between the two of us. She tends to lead from the front, taking on danger herself rather than putting her subordinates in danger. But sometimes she loses the big picture. You also need tactics and strategy to prevent needless loss of life. That has always been my job. But I'm only as good as my team and you've all worked very hard this past week.”

“Yeah,” Twilight agrees. “Especially Rarity. I thought she might not be able to concentrate on her training. She's been so worried about Spike. But instead of moping around she's thrown herself even more into magic practice. Plus she's been working day and night on that special project. I never knew she was so good at illusions.”

“It's the residual effect of being taken over by the Nightmare,” I explain moodily. “That's the worst thing about it. You're fully aware of all the horrible things it makes you do. It's very good at illusions, the Nightmare. Spike's about the only one I know off who ever managed to resist it while he was on the moon. But the knowledge of the magic stays with you just as the knowledge of your sins remains.”

She's silent for a moment. “I think you're both incredible. You've managed to overcome that awful experience and turn it into a strength.”

“Thank you, Twilight. It is kind of you to say.” After our massage is done, we make our way to the steam room.

Twilight sighs heavily. “I am worried about Spike, though.”

I nod in understanding. “Understandable. You have been like a sister to him since he hatched. But while I may not agree with Discord's methods, I do believe there is some truth in his assessment that he needs to do this by himself.”

“I know. It's just hard to let go for me. At least we know that he's alive and well. Did you visit his dreams last night?”

I start to blush. “Yes, but like always I did not give myself away and left after only a short glimpse. Spike's dreams … they tend to feature your friend Rarity in rather … compromising positions. I should not think that comes as a shock to you.”

Twilight chuckles a little and then sighs again.

“I still miss him, though.” Strangely enough the words that seem to pick right up from our conversation aren't spoken by Twilight, but one of the two occupants already in the steam room. “I know Ise will be fine, it just feels like everyone's spirit isn't as bright without him around.”

“I know what you mean, Rias. But look. It appears we're not the only ones who were in need of some pampering the night before the Rating Game.” Himejima Akeno, who said those words, looks at us. “Good evening, Luna-sama, Twilight-san.”

I nod my head towards them. They may be our opponents, but they're also our guests. “Rias, Akeno. It's a pleasure to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Twilight mumbles as we take a seat next to them. But she keeps her head down.

“Have you recovered from our sparring match?” Akeno asks lightly.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” Twilight answers just a little defensively. Then she gives her a confident smile. “And I won't lose to you again.”

“Ara ara, I'm looking forward to seeing the results of your training.”

There's a bit of an awkward silence as the four of us sweat together in the steam. For some reason my eyes are drawn to their chests as the sweat runs down the ample curves of the two devils, uninhibited by fur of any kind. Curiosity overcomes me, since I've only seen them clothed so far.

“It's almost like Ise never left,” Rias comments jokingly.

“Ufufu, true. Though I'm a little jealous that you seem to be the center of attention like always.”

Realizing what the two of them are getting at, I quickly look up. “I … I apologize. I did not wish to be rude. I've just never seen a human body up close. Your culture seems to be more partial to clothing than ours.”

“Don't worry about it,” Rias says. It seems like she's used to being in the spotlight. I can relate. Half of my evening routine at court consists of turning down marriage proposals. “Twilight-san, is it true you visited the human world before?”

Twilight nods. “Yeah, I even gained a human body myself for a while. Though it wasn't as … developed,” she replies delicately, making a cupping motion with her hoof in front of her chest. “Which was just as well. It was hard enough to walk on two legs. I would have probably fallen over with such extra weight.”

With a mischievous smile on her face, Akeno hugs Rias from behind and takes her breasts in her hands. “A-Akeno!” Rias protests.

“Next time you visit the human world, look me up. There's techniques that can help make them grow.” Wanting to elicit a moan from her friend, she pinches her nipples lightly and nibbles on her ear.

“Ahhnn!”

“Actually I met someone who had about that size,” Twilight mentions, obviously a little uncomfortable at the display in front of her and wanting to change the subject. Casting a sidelong glance at me, she admits: “In fact it was your sister's counterpart.”

Figures. “I suppose Tia is a celestial beauty in any reality.”

“Well, she did have a 'great rack', as one of the students called it, but her face was so weird.”

“Mmmhh, Akeno,” Rias says with a red face. “Do you mind? We're not alone.”

“Ah.” It looks like Akeno was so busy listening to our exchange that she actually forgot that she was massaging Rias' chest. “Sorry. My hands started moving on their own. It's just that they're so soft.”

Twilight squints at them. I know that expression. She's up to something. “Would you say humans prefer them like that? The bigger, the better?”

“Well, size is not everything,” Rias says a little defensively, looking over at her friend, who is the larger of the two, though not by much.

Akeno begins to chuckle at that. “Ara ara, it is true for Ise-kun, though. Wouldn't you agree, Buchou?”

Rias doesn't respond. Obviously she can't really deny it. Human culture and rules of attraction are strange indeed.

The two devils stand up and get ready to leave. “It was nice seeing you again. Enjoy the rest of your spa session and good luck for the Rating Game tomorrow,” the crimson-haired Ruin Princess says with a bow.

“Likewise,” I reply, inclining my head politely. “Please enjoy the rest of your stay in Ponyville. I'm looking forward to a good match.”

Twilight keeps looking at the door after they've left. I've gotta admit, the way bi-pedal creatures can sway their hips is a sight to behold. But I feel like this isn't just Twilight's natural curiosity at work as she thoughtfully rubs her chin with one hoof. “What's on your mind?” I ask.

The Princess of Friendship gives me wicked grin. “I think I just figured out a way to take down their most dangerous player.”

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 1

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Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins

Part 1

I'm practically flying through the woods. I used to run out of breath just running up the stairs of the library. Now I feel like I could run for days. My senses are sharper, too. The perpetual gloom of the Everfree Forest doesn't impede my eyesight in the slightest.

Leaping easily over a fallen log that used to be an insurmountable obstacle, I duck down into the undergrowth. I can smell my prey, its odor is differentiated sharply from the other smells of the forest. My ears twitch, filtering through the myriad of sounds. Birds chirping, small rodents scurrying and the unmistakable sound of the other predators stalking the path.

I peer through the bushes out into a clearing. There he is. Hyoudou Issei. He's managed to learn the spell I gave him with some difficulty and conjured up some clothing for himself. So he looks slightly less ridiculous. As he kneels there, trying to get a campfire going without much success, I once again wonder how he ended up carrying the soul of one of the Heavenly Dragons.

His head comes up sharply at the sound of a snapping branch and he makes the Boosted Gear appear on his left arm. He looks around, trying to fathom where the danger is coming from.

Now! I leap out of the branches and suck my lungs full of air, igniting the fire within me. [Dragon Fire!] I roar and the green flames burst forth from my mouth, missing the young devil by inches and igniting the bushes behind him.

“Ahooo!”

The timberwolves who were hiding there howl in pain at being so close to an open flame. They're made of wood. Of course they'd run from a fire.

Ise looks after them as they retreat with high-pitched whines. “You could have warned me. We could have driven them off together.”

“True,” I grin at my comrade who has spent the last four days here with me. “But I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and get the fire going for you.” My attack has ignited the tinder he had been working on unsuccessfully.

“I think you just wanted to show off with your new powers.” He looks at me. We're pretty much the same height now. “So I guess it really is permanent then, huh?”

“I suppose so.” That infusion he gave me with Ddraig's power awakened something within me. It was weird at first, but now it feels right, like I've always been supposed to be this person but only now got there.

He shakes his head. “Normally [Gift] only increases your power for a short amount of time. Now I feel like I've given my own team a disadvantage.”

We hear giant footsteps crashing through the forest and soon four hydra heads peek out between the treetops. Three of them have lumps on their heads and the fourth one has a black eye. We can't see it right now, but there's some severe claw marks on the massive body.

“Ah, breakfast. Right on time,” Ise comments.

Two of the heads lean down toward us and open their giant maws, depositing a bundle of fish at Ise's feet and a bunch of gems right in front of me. I reach up to stroke the creature. “Thanks, Charlie. You can go back to Froggy Bottom Bog now. We'll be leaving today.”

The hydra grunts and retreats back into the forest. “Who knew this guy would become so tame after we beat him?” Ise says, placing his fish around the fire to grill them.

“I guess it's a dragon thing. Right, Ddraig?”

[Yeah, most creatures respect dragons for their strength. Hydras are powerful beings themselves, so he just needed a little demonstration first.]

I chuckle. “I wonder if Angel Bunny will stop being a pain in front of me now. … Probably not.”

Ise and I sit down to have a bite to eat before we leave the forest. When we're done, he looks me straight in the eye and says. “You know, I didn't think I'd find a new training partner and friend when I came here.” He raises his fist. “But make no mistake, during the Rating Game I'll do my best to beat you. I owe that to Buchou. So no holding back.”

Grinning back at him, I also raise my fist. “I understand completely. No holding back on either side. Come at me with everything you've got, bro.” We bump our fists together. “After all, we're both [Pawns]. We fight for our masters.”

We decide to take it easy for the rest of the day, since the Rating Game will take place in the evening. As the sun dips below the western horizon, we make our way to the exit.

“So you knew all along how to get out of here?” Ise grumbles as he follows me.

“Sure. I've been in the Everfree Forest before. But that would have defeated the purpose of our training, right?”

Unexpectedly all of our friends have already assembled at the exit of the forest. “Alright, alright. Don't take my head off, Rias. I'll go and get them right now.” It's the Fallen Angel Governor Azazel. Looks like Rias was getting impatient to see her servant again.

Suddenly Discord teleports in front of us watching us through binoculars despite being less than two feet away. “Oh, look what I found. The little ones found their way out by themselves.”

“Ise!” “Ise-kun!” Senpai!” Looks like the Gremory team is pretty happy to see their friend. Most of the girls and even Gasper rush in to give him a hug.

I, on the other hoof, am greeted with mixed reactions. Basically they're all staring at me. “Hey, guys,” I say lamely, scratching my cheek. “No hugs for me?”

Twilight trots up to me and looks me over. “Spike, what happened to you?” It's so weird to suddenly be taller than her.

“Don't worry, Twilight. Your books are safe,” I assure her with raised claws. “I'm still me. I'm not gonna …”

“ … go on a rampage across town, turn into a hideous monster and abduct Rarity to stash her away in some dank cave and keep her all to yourself?” Pinkie finishes with a huge grin.

“Uh … yeah … that.” At the mention of her name I look over at Rarity, anxious to figure out what she thinks of the new me. This might bring back bad memories for her. I can't really tell from her expression. She's shocked alright, but to my relief she doesn't look afraid. Is that … Is she blushing?

“Oh my,” I can hear her mutter, before she averts her eyes and starts digging at the ground with her hoof.

I look at the rest of my friends. They haven't changed much in the short time. Rainbow Dash is donning her pegasus armor and Pinkie is pulling that hellish machine she calls Party Howitzer behind her on a cart. AJ is probably the strangest sight. She's wearing a saddle, mostly to have a place to hang spare ropes on and there's an unusual blue gem adorning her hat. Strange time to get fashion conscious.

“So what brought this change about?” Princess Luna asks. She's wearing the same custom Royal Guard Armor she wore during the recent attack on Ponyville.

Before I can answer, Discord claps me on the shoulder and speaks for me. “What do you mean, Lulu? He's still the same dragon. It's called growing up.” He conjures up a magnifying glass and lifts my ear, inspecting it. “Though I hadn't anticipated results like that.”

[I may be able to shed some light on this development.]

Everypony turns toward Ise, but he shakes his head and points at his left arm. Ddraig is the one speaking.

[When Spike came into contact with my power, his own inheritance kicked in, jump-starting his delayed development as a dragon.]

“It's like a growth spurt,” Azazel muses. The Fallen Angel Governor walks up to me and without warning sticks his hand in my chest. He pulls out one of the Evil Pieces I was given. “As I thought. It's turned into a [Mutation Piece].”

“Dude, that's creepy,” I gasp, checking to see that his reaching into me hasn't caused any damage. “Don't ever do that again.”

“What's a [Mutation Piece]?” Twilight asks, curiosity getting the better of her. It does look different. It was completely red before, but now there's some gold trimmings on the [Pawn] piece he pulled out.

“Sometimes there can be unexpected results, when we reincarnate beings that are already supernatural.” It's Rias Gremory who explains. She puts her hands on Gasper's shoulders. “For example Gasper was already a half-vampire before he became a reincarnated devil. It's caused the [Bishop] piece he carries to go through some unusual growth while retaining the abilities he already possessed. It looks like the same thing can happen with a real dragon.”

“That's pretty much my conclusion,” Azazel confirms and puts the piece back into my chest. “It's nothing to worry about, though. If anything, it means he's an even stronger player now.”

“Well, let's finish up the preparations.” Azazel takes a vial with a strange liquid out of his pocket and hands it over to Rias. Then he turns to Michael. “One flask of Phoenix Tears. This'll be the Gremory Group's treasure.”

“Phoenix Tears?” I ask.

“They can heal any wound occurred in battle once,” Discord explains to me. “Very rare and very powerful in a Rating Game like this.”

“How did you get those?” Ise asks. During our time in the woods he told me that he had some history with the House of Phoenix.

“I contacted Ravel. Naturally she was resistant at first, but when I dropped your name, she said: Well, if it's for Ise-sama, that's fine,” Azazel explains. Is Ise blushing? I really gotta wonder about that guy. He says his goal is to build a harem, but he doesn't seem to realize the feelings of the girls around him.

Point of fact, Asia comes up to him and hands him a bundle. “Ise-san. I brought your school uniform. You left so unexpectedly and didn't take it with you.”

“Thanks, Asia,” he says gratefully, before glaring at Azazel. “Leaving wasn't altogether my idea.”

Maybe it's because my senses are more honed now or it's because I naturally always pay attention to Rarity, but I can pick up the quickest of glances and nods between Twilight and Rarity as that particular exchange happens.

Michael then turns toward us. “Both teams are allowed one treasure. Would you like to declare one as well? Any magic artifact that isn't cleared with the judge will lead to disqualification if used during the Rating Game.”

“Ah reckon this thing here is our treasure then,” Applejack says, pointing at the gem in her hat.

Seriously? That's our treasure? What does it do? I decide not to ask, though. After all, I don't want to give anything away in front of our opponents.

Michael nods. “That takes care of everything then. I'll now transport you to the location of the Rating Game.”

He raises his arm and a bright light engulfs all of us. “Good luck, Luna,” I can hear Princess Celestia say.

“Make the House of Gremory proud, little sister,” Sirzechs encourages Rias.

The next thing I know, we're standing in front of Fluttershy's cottage, but everything is weird. The sky has a strange purple colour and there are no animals here. In fact there seems to be no sign of life anywhere. There's no birds chirping, there's not even a breeze.

We can hear Michael's announcement seemingly come out of nowhere. [The battlefield is an exact replication of Ponyville and its surroundings. This artificial dimension is completely devoid of life, so you don't need to be worried about using your powers to their fullest or be afraid of causing property damage. The team that loses their [King] first, loses the match.]

Ah, that's good to know. I haven't really figured out just how much stronger I've gotten. It might have been difficult while holding back.

[Team Luna's base is Fluttershy's cottage in the southeast corner of the town. Team Gremory's base is the school building in the northwest. If during the Game a [Pawn] manages to set foot into the respective opponent's base, they are able to receive a [Promotion]. The judge's panel consisting of myself, Princess Celestia, Discord, Sirzechs-sama and Azazel-sama will be monitoring the Game from a separate location. Both teams now have five minutes to familiarize themselves with the terrain and come up with a strategy.]

I can already see Luna and Twilight putting their heads together, coming up with our opening move.

Everypony seems tense, myself included. I look over at the Everfree Forest, or at least its replica in this pocket dimension, telling myself that I worked hard in there, getting better. Yeah, I can have confidence in my training. I've acquired the strength to really make a difference.

“Spike?” I turn around to see Rarity standing behind me.

“Yeah? What is it, Rarity?” I ask with a lump in my throat. Dear Celestia, I think the worst part of being in these woods for the past five days was not being able to see her. Those crystal blue eyes. That perfectly styled mane, her spotless white coat.

“Can we talk for a minute?” she says, casting a glance over her shoulder at our friends.

“Sure.” We walk a few steps to a more secluded spot. “Guess I don't have the cutest little chubby cheeks anymore, huh?”

“No, you don't,” she says, looking at the ground. “And I suppose I can't really call you my little Spikey-Wikey anymore either.”

Oh no. Please don't tell me. She's appalled by my new form, isn't she?

“Listen, Spike. While you were gone, I realized something. I've always taken you for granted. While I was working on that special project for the Rating Game, I kept calling for you to fetch things for me out of habit. You've always been there before and I missed having you around.”

“Rarity...” I missed you, too.

“I know you had to do what you had to do to find yourself. I don't want to be selfish, but please don't leave again. Everypony would miss you, especially me … “

I kneel down, so we're on the same eye level and take one of her hooves in my claws. “Don't worry, Rarity. I would never leave you. Even if I'm gone, I'll always find my way back to Ponyville, to my friends and to you. That's a promise.”

The way she smiles at me right now, I think I'm gonna have a heart attack. Calm down. Fainting before the Rating Game even begins would be decidedly uncool and I've promised myself to impress her with my new skills.

“I'm happy to hear that, Spike. I hope we can continue this discussion more in-depth after the Rating Game is over.”

“I'd like that.” Ddraig said dragons attracted females. Could this be the effect of my growth? I don't really want a harem like Ise does, though. Rarity is enough for me.

She leans in close. “One other thing. The new you looks rather dashing. So don't worry, your cheeks are just fine the way they are.” Then she gives me a quick kiss on said cheek. “For luck,” she explains by way of a wink and turns around to rejoin our friends.

Okay, forget cool. I probably look like a total dope right now, staring after her like that. But I don't care. I feel like I can take on the entire Gremory Team by myself right now.

“Alright, gather around, everypony.” Luna calls us together. “This is the plan. Fluttershy and I will stay here at the base. Pinkie Pie and Applejack, I want you to establish a defensive perimeter here.” She points at the map in front of her. “There's four bridges that lead to the cottage. If they concentrate on one of them, it would make for a great spot to fend them off.”

“We'll not be staying on the defensive, however. Twilight, Rarity. You came up with this part of the plan, so the opening move belongs to you.” Then Luna looks at me. “Spike, I've got a special assignment for you and Rainbow Dash. If this works, we'll have a tactical advantage for at least the first half of the Game.”

Princess Luna holds out her hoof towards us. “Are you ready?”

We all put our hooves, or claw in my case, on top of hers. “Ready!”

Team Luna (members still active):

Princess Luna [King]
Twilight Sparkle [Queen]
Rainbow Dash [Knight]
Fluttershy [Bishop]
Rarity [Bishop]
Applejack [Rook]
Pinkie Pie [Rook]
Spike [Pawn]

Team Gremory (members still active):

Rias Gremory [King]
Himejima Akeno [Queen]
Kiba Yuuto [Knight]
Xenovia [Knight]
Asia Argento [Bishop]
Gasper Vladi [Bishop]
Toujou Koneko [Rook]
Hyoudou Issei [Pawn]

Extra Stuff:

A map of the battlefield.

Spike's new look is based on the work of ss2sonic. As you can see, he's not suddenly mutated into a badass. He just looks more like a teenager now, but he's still the same old Spike.

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 2

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Part 2

After Michael-sama has finished with his announcements, Buchou calls us of the Gremory Group together for our battle briefing.

“Ise,” she begins, addressing me personally. “How much stronger have you gotten during your training in the woods?”

“Not much,” I admit with a sinking feeling in my stomach. “I still can't get into Balance Breaker, though I managed to increase my magical abilities a little. It's nothing compared to the growth Spike managed to attain.”

She thinks about that for a moment, then shakes her head. “I suppose he'll be a little more dangerous than anticipated then. But we're gonna stick to the plan.”

“Aren't we at a disadvantage?” I ask. “Our opponents know the battlefield inside and out.”

Akeno-san speaks up. “True, but remember our first Rating Game. We had the home field advantage then and we still lost.”

Right. Raiser Phoenix. We all swore to do better for the next time. That time is now.

“Besides,” Buchou adds. “We've spent an entire week here. It's not like we're totally unfamiliar with the ground.” That's easy for you to say. I've spent most of that time in the Everfree Forest.

Buchou unrolls the map Akeno-san and I picked up during our date. “We're here,” she says, pointing. “Getting to the enemy base will be difficult, since they have the more defensible location. Akeno, I want you to set up some traps in these woods around the school building. We don't want to be taken by surprise from multiple sides. Take Xenovia with you just in case.”

“Yes, Buchou,” Akeno-san answers immediately. Those two can be scary when they fight, but Akeno-san would never question Buchou's ability to lead.

“Asia will stay here with me. We don't want her too close to the fighting. If you're injured, come back to base to get healed. Yuuto, I'll have you stay with us as well for the time being. Due to your speed, you're best suited to react to unexpected events from a central position. You can move in for support or exploit a weakness as needed.”

Kiba and Asia both nod. This is good. If Kiba is with them, I don't have to worry about Asia and Buchou and can concentrate on attacking instead.

“Gasper, I want you to change into your bat form as soon as the Rating Game begins. You'll be our eyes and ears. Alert us to any move the enemy makes.”

Gasper nods and clutches the vial of my blood that is hanging around his neck with a determined expression. Oh, those are some good eyes. Looks like you're ready to do your part.

“Finally Koneko and Ise will move out together and advance down the center. You'll be our vanguard. Koneko's trait as a [Rook] and Ise's Sacred Gear should be able to hold out long enough against anything they can come up with to either wait for support or retreat.”

I raise my fist. “Yes, I'm ready.” I look over at Koneko-chan who is wearing her fighting gloves, meaning she's serious.

“Mmh,” she confirms with a nod. She doesn't say much, but her eyes tell the whole story. Koneko-chan is pumped.

With the briefing over, we all go about our own routines to get ourselves in the right mindset for the Rating Game. Kiba is doing some sword stances. Gasper and Koneko-chan are having a last-minute snack.

Asia, who is wearing her sister robes, and Xenovia, who is wearing her skintight combat outfit, are praying. It was really nice of Michael-sama to allow our former church members to pray without getting hurt.

Not far from them Akeno-san is sitting cross-legged in her miko robes with her eyes closed. Must be some sort of meditation exercise. Although I'm wondering why she's blushing. I can hear her mumble something. “Ufufu, Ise-kun, not here. Although it would be fun to have an affair in Rias' own bedroom.” On second thought, I don't need to know what's going through her head right now.

I walk up behind Buchou. I don't know why. I've got nothing to say, really. I suppose I just want to be close to her, to smell the shampoo from her crimson hair. That's my way of getting ready, I guess.

“This base seems very fitting for us,” she says, looking at the school building in front of which we're standing fondly.

I smile. I can remember the first time I laid eyes on her. She was standing at the window of the old school building, her crimson hair flying in the wind. The second time I saw it, my life changed forever. “Yeah, it's somehow right for the Occult Research Club to be located at a school.”

“Ise,” she says very quietly. “I want you to be careful today. I want to win this match, but losing is not a shame.”

I blink a little in confusion. “What brought this on?” She's usually so competitive.

“During our match against Raiser, you kept standing up despite being wounded so badly. I don't want to see you like that again.”

I remember. There were tears standing in your eyes. Hoping that this won't come off as weird, I take a step forward and embrace her from behind. “I made you cry that day. Not just you, Asia as well. I promise to make you smile today by working hard for your victory.”

“Ise ...”

[The Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Princess Luna of Equestria begins … now!]

I feel a tug at my shirt. When I turn around, I can see Koneko-chan glaring at me. “If you're done flirting with Buchou, let's move out, senpai.”

Eh? As I turn around fully, I can see everybody's eyes on me. You guys, were you all watching? Ah! Please don't cry, Asia!

“Ara ara,” Akeno-san is smiling, but it's that chilling kind of smile. “Looks like the tense atmosphere is making Ise-kun a little bolder than usual. Shame on you for exploiting that, Rias. Ufufu.”

Buchou clears her throat, getting back into the proper mindset. “Alright, everyone. You've got your tasks,” she declares with the confidence of a born leader, crossing her arms in front of her. “You're all my lovely servants. Today we win our first Rating Game!”

“Yeah!” We all respond cheerfully, raising our fists.

After the game starts, Koneko-chan and I advance slowly towards the town proper. We've been told not to go too far without confirmation of the enemy movement.

“Buchou,” I can hear Gasper's voice over our magical ear pieces. “I've spotted their [Queen] and [Bishop] near the clock tower. Most of the others seem to be holding in or around their base for now.”

“What about their [Pawn]?” Buchou responds.

“I can't find him. Their [Knight] also seems to have disappeared.”

“Buchou,” I cut in. “Koneko and I are almost at the town square. If they're coming towards our base, we can head them off there.”

I look at Koneko while we wait for confirmation. “Alright, there shouldn't be any chance of an ambush in such an open space. But keep an eye out for their remaining pieces. I'll send Xenovia up a little further to support you, if necessary.”

“I don't like it,” Koneko-chan mutters darkly.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Smells like a trap.”

True. They're pretty brazenly advancing straight down the middle. It's obvious even to me that they're up to something. But I don't see a way for Spike and Rainbow Dash to get close to our base without being caught by Akeno-san, even if their advance in the center is just a distraction.

We arrive at the town square, but there is nobody here. All we can see is the fountain. “Gasper, are they still on route?” I ask.

“Yes, senpai, they should arrive ...”

Just as Gasper is about to finish his report on their location, my eyes are blinded by a bright light and I cover my face.

“Juhuu!” I recognize that voice. It's Rarity!

“There you are! Now it's time to … Ara?” I look around in dumbfounded confusion. Where the hell am I? This isn't the town square.

I'm at some kind of beach. I can feel the sun warming my skin. Wait. Skin? Checking myself over, I realize that I'm only wearing swim trunks. But the most astonishing thing is the beauty lying on a towel in the sand right in front of me.

“Ahem. Would you be so kind as to apply some sunscreen on my back, darling?”

She sounds exactly like Rarity. Even the hairstyle is a match, but it's without a doubt a buxom babe in a bikini, not a pony. Though her skin is unusually white.

Without a hint of embarrassment, she takes off her bikini top, giving me a sideways view of her boobs as she's laying there on her stomach. “I'm waaaiiitiiing.”

I clap one hand in front of my face to stop the oncoming nosebleed and turn around. This can't be real. I've got to find a way out of here.

“Hang on, pardner. Let's go for a swim.” Someone sounding a lot like Applejack hugs me from behind. That fleshy sensation on my back. Is she topless as well?

“So exhausting,” a girl reminding me of Twilight Sparkle says. “I prefer to relax on the beach with a good book.” My eyes widen. The girl with slightly purple skin is sitting in a beach chair totally naked! The only thing covering her is the book in her lap.

Soon I'm cornered by more half-naked girls. “Isn't this what you wanted?” Rainbow Dash says, clinging to my left arm. Oh, that's a nice, toned body.

I watch in amazement as Pinkie bounces up and down on the other side. “Yeah! Let's make a harem. Sounds like fun.” Everything is bouncing.

Then I notice the shy girl with pink hair in front of me. Woah! She's stacked! And she's wearing a school swimsuit. “Uhm, ...” She's wiggling and blushing furiously.

“What is it?” I ask.

She takes a deep breath. “I want you to flip me over, tear off my swimsuit with your teeth and make hot, passionate love to me … if you wouldn't mind that is.”

I grin like an idiot as she throws herself against my chest, rubbing her glorious curves against me. If this is a dream, please don't wake me up!

… Wait a minute. Something feels strange. Her breasts are huge, but it doesn't feel like it. They feel way smaller. I know this feeling. This is the unmistakable sensation of loli boobs!

As I watch on, human Fluttershy's seductive face changes to that of Koneko-chan. But she looks like she's in pain.

“Ise … senpai … baka,” she grates between clenched teeth. Her hand is grabbing on to the jewel Rarity sewed into my uniform a few days ago.

She rips the stone off as her legs give out under her.

“Koneko-chan!” I shout in alarm as I catch her in my arms. Only then do I realize the smoking hole in the back of her uniform.

I look across the town square and there are Twilight and Rarity, both with glowing horns. “Sorry, Rarity. She got in the way of my shot.”

“The illusion spell is broken. She must have realized that I used the gem to enhance it.”

I don't understand what's going on. All I know is that my comrade has been hit. “Hang in there, Koneko-chan. I'll get you back to Asia.”

“Nngh.” No. I can see the magical field envelop her. That means the hit she endured was critical and she'll be transported from the field. “I'm sorry, Ise-senpai.”

I can't believe my eyes as she vanishes into thin air, my arms holding onto nothingness. It should have been me. She shielded me with her tiny body while I was caught in the illusion.

[Rias Gremory's Rook retires.]

I know Michael-sama is just announcing the facts. But right now it just sounds way too cruel. But it's nothing compared to the shock I get, when I hear Buchou's alarmed voice over our communication system.

“Everyone! We've got intruders at the base!”

Team Luna (members still active): 8
Princess Luna [King]
Twilight Sparkle [Queen]
Rainbow Dash [Knight]
Fluttershy [Bishop]
Rarity [Bishop]
Applejack [Rook]
Pinkie Pie [Rook]
Spike [Pawn]

Team Gremory (members still active): 7
Rias Gremory [King]
Himejima Akeno [Queen]
Kiba Yuuto [Knight]
Xenovia [Knight]
Asia Argento [Bishop]
Gasper Vladi [Bishop]
~~Toujou Koneko [Rook]~~
Hyoudou Issei [Pawn]

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 3

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Part 3

“Ha! That's it, Lulu! Hold 'em by the nose and kick 'em in the...”

“Discord!” Celestia, who is sitting next to me in the V.I.P. lounge, interrupts my cheering before I can finish up with a rather graphic term. But there is a slight smile on her lips, seeing that Team Luna has taken an early lead in the Rating Game.

“Sorry, I'm just applauding the perfect opening move.” I look around the room to gauge the other reactions. Michael, who is sitting in the middle of the large sofa, shows no sign of approval or disapproval. He's sure taking his job as referee seriously.

Azazel, who sits on the other end with Sirzechs, sighs heavily. “To think that Rainbow Dash would carry Spike all the way to Rias' base. She covered the surrounding area but not the skies.”

Grinning at my old friend, I take the chance to gloat for a bit. “While Rias is certainly skilled, Lulu has commanded pegasi in battle. It has been my observation that less experienced commanders tend to rely on two-dimensional thinking.”

“Hm.” Sirzechs doesn't seem too troubled. “That may be true. My sister lacks actual combat experience, but she is a fast learner. She never makes the same mistake twice. You can be sure of that.”

“Maybe it's an inherent flaw in the Rating Game,” Azazel muses. “Chess is a board game after all and many moves are derived from it. But that doesn't take into account the ability of Devils and Angels to fly.”

Sirzechs nods. “Perhaps. But let's keep watching. I'm not yet certain Princess Luna's gamble actually paid off. At the moment her [Pawn] seems to be just standing there.”

I look back at one of the magical monitors showing the game. Sure enough. Spike seems a little lost and there's still three Gremorys present. “Come on, Spike. You know what you have to do.”

* * *

Kneeling on the ground right after being dropped just in front of the schoolhouse, I look around at the faces of Rias Gremory, Kiba Yuuto and Asia Argento that surround me. They look about as shocked as I'm feeling. I can't believe we actually made it here undetected.

“Get on with it, Spike!” Rainbow Dash shouts at me from above. She's hovering a little ways overhead.

“Uhm … ah … I forgot what I was supposed to say!”

Rias is the first to snap out of the momentary confusion my entrance made. “Everyone! We've got intruders at the base!” she says into the communication device while simultaneously creating some kind of magical vortex of red and black swirling energy in her palm. Uh-oh! This looks bad. I don't think I wanna get hit by that!

Rainbow lets out one of her trademark groans from up above. “You're supposed to say [Promotion]!”

I can't help but keep staring at the enemy [King]. Now I'm sure. This is really bad. It looks like she's about to … “Right! [Promotion!] [Queen!]”

Almost immediately I can feel some kind of power surging through me as the pieces inside me grant me additional strength. Though I don't know how much stronger I really am now.

The fact of the matter is, it might not matter at all. I can only watch as Rias releases her Power of Destruction and hurls it in my direction.

Then I can feel myself get yanked into the air as it sizzles past me with inches to spare. Rainbow Dash has hooked her front hooves underneath my armpits and gotten me out of that tight spot just in time. Looking behind me, I can see that the blast has obliterated almost half the wall of the building. What power!

“Spike! Smoke 'em!” At RD's prompting I gulp in a sizable amount of air and light the fire within me. But instead of releasing the flame, I hold my mouth shut and extinguish it. Only when the heat has subsided, I release my breath, bathing the area in a dense, black smoke. I can't see the enemy anymore, but I can hear them coughing beneath us.

“Mission accomplished, Princess. Enemy base personnel consists of their [King], primary [Knight] and primary [Bishop]. Do you want us to engage?”

“Negative, Rainbow Dash,” I can hear Luna's response to the question over the magical communicator. “Disengage and return to base.”

I can feel Rainbow Dash tense up. Running from a fight is against her nature and it would have been the perfect opportunity to take out their [Bishop] or even their [King]. But even she can see that we've already lost the element of surprise, mainly because of me, and reinforcements are closer for them than they are for us.

So she swings around and makes a dash towards the east, flapping her wings as hard as she possibly can.

“Yuuto!” I'm not sure whether Rias is ordering Kiba to follow us or trying to stop him from doing just that, but when I turn my head, I can see him emerge from the smoke and run like the wind.

“Can't you go faster?” I ask in alarm as we pass over Ponyville proper. “He's catching up to us.”

Rainbow Dash simply grunts. “When we came up with this plan, we weren't counting on your latest growth spurt. And in case you hadn't noticed, this armor I'm wearing isn't exactly made out of paper.”

“... Drop me. If you don't have to carry me, you'll be fast enough to escape.”

“No way. The point of this attack was to get you that [Promotion]. I'm not leaving your butt behind. End of discussion. If anything, I should buy you the time to escape.”

Of course. It probably was pretty dumb to suggest it in the first place. This is the Element of Loyalty we're talking about. “Then we fight together.”

“Looks like we don't have any other choice. Hang on, we got incoming!” Rainbow shouts while looking over her shoulder.

Unbelievable! He's jumping! He doesn't even have his wings out, but he still managed to catch up to us. Pulling a sword out of thin air, Kiba throws it in our direction.

Angling her wings, Rainbow dives to avoid the blade and we make it to the ground hard. Looks like we ended up near the clocktower. I wouldn't be any use in the air, but for her fighting down here will be a disadvantage. It's at times like these that I wish I had wings like most dragons.

Kiba drops down in front of us as two swords rise out of the ground ahead of him. He takes one in each hand and strikes a pose. “I was meant to keep the base safe. As Rias Gremory's [Knight], I cannot let you get away.”

“Oh yeah? Then come at...” Dash is cut short as Kiba vanishes in the blink of an eye and then reappears right in front of us, swinging a sword at each of us. “Ngh!” She manages to whirl around her spear and block the thrust. Good thing we shortened it or she wouldn't have been able to parry in time.

My response is less nimble and more dictated by instinct. Somehow I manage to cross my arms in front of my chest and block the attack. “Ahhh!” Still it hurts like hell. The sheer force of the impact sends me sliding back a little.

The strike has left a visible mark. My forearms are actually smoking. I look up at my opponent through watering eyes. “Holy-demonic blade,” I mutter.

“That's right,” he says, holding the sword that combines darkness and light out in front of him. Dragon scales are thick, but even I can't take too many hits like these.

“Rainbow Dash, go high. I'll hit him from below,” I say as I rush forward. If I can't block, all that's left for me is to attack. Discord told us that while he was fast, probably even faster than Rainbow due to her armor, his defense was low as a result. If I can just get one good hit in …

“Roger that.” Dash spreads her wings and prepares for an aerial attack.

“Naive,” Kiba mutters darkly and spreads his arms. “[Sword Birth]!”

“GAH!” Almost instantly dozens of swords rise from the ground and block my path like a palisade. It's too late to evade them and a few scratch my scales. Luckily these are just the regular demonic versions, so the damage isn't too bad, but he's stopped my advance dead in its tracks.

“You're still wide open from above!” Rainbow tucks in her wings and goes in for a reckless dive attack, but just as she is about to hit him, he once again seems to vanish.

“Forgetting something?” She whirls around, hearing his voice from behind her. But his arm has already swung and the blade catches her across the chest, the impact sending her to the ground hard. “I can fly, too.”

“Rainbow Dash!” She's still moving, but struggling to get up. Looks like her breastplate absorbed the majority of the damage. If she's not fast enough, how am I supposed to hit him? Taking one step back and then another, I turn around and begin to run.

“Looks like your dragon friend is abandoning you,” I can hear him say. “I can catch up to him, but first to take care of … argh!”

I can't see what's happening behind me, but I gotta trust in the fact that RD can hang on without me while I enter the tower. Chips of wood are flying as my toe nails dig into the wooden stairs of the clocktower. I can still hear their struggle outside while climbing up further and further. When I finally make it to the open space at the top, I can see what's going on again.

Looks like RD snapped her jaws around his ankle to keep him from following me. Right now Kiba is in the process of kicking her to get her off. His last kick catches her in the stomach and she rolls back a few feet in the dirt, coughing up blood and spluttering.

Now that he's free, he raises his sword to deliver the final blow. I gotta get his attention somehow. Making a fist, I strike the large bell as hard as I can. GONG! “Hey! Sword Dude! Up here! Now I'll show you how a dragon flies.”

Obviously having figured earlier that I had fled, he turns around to look up at me in surprise.

I can't hesitate this time. It's my fault for not acting decisive earlier that Rainbow Dash got hurt. So I take a running leap off the tower.

Kiba readies his swords to parry my assault. Good. Looks like he forgot about Rainbow for the moment. “What a reckless attack. Azazel-sensei told us the pegasus was the hot-headed one. Come then! [Sword Birth]!”

Truthfully I'm not flying at all, more like falling. Of course that means he knows exactly where I'll hit the ground. The swords he's creating look like a pitfall straight out of a Daring Do novel, threatening to skewer me on impact. But I need the height advantage for my attack to work. It's the only way to hit such a fast opponent I can think of.

I was holding back earlier to create the smoke, but now it's time to find out what my dragon flame can do when enhanced by the trait of a [Queen]. “[Dragon Fire]!” Putting my heart and soul into the attack, I roar and bathe the entire ground beneath me in green flame.

It scorches the dirt road black and makes the metal of his swords red hot. For a moment I can see nothing but a blazing inferno. No matter how fast he is, the affected area is just too big to get away.

Since the flames are magical in nature, they recede as fast as they came. To my surprise in Kiba's place stands a pyramid of swords that now crumbles around him. Damn. He used his technique to build a protective shell of blades around himself. Pretty ingenious, I have to admit. No wonder he's their technique genius, adapting an offensive ability into a defensive one on the fly.

“Now what, dragon? I'm still here, but you won't be in a moment.” As he glares up at me in defiance, I can see that there is in fact some scorching to be seen on his uniform and soot on his face. Looks like he couldn't get his barrier up in time and took at least the partial damage.

“I'm not done yet!” Bracing myself for the impact, I drop like a stone in the middle of the field of swords, breaking a few in the process. Due to my velocity it hurts way more than earlier, but I know my scales can handle it. They have to.

“Let's see how you handle a taste of your own medicine!” From my crouching position, I straighten out my tail and swing around a full 360 degrees, mowing down the still standing blades with it as if it were a scythe. The incredible heat has made them brittle and the semi-molten pieces of metal fly out in every direction. Rainbow Dash should be fine as long as she keeps her head down.

Finally seeing the true intention of my attack, Kiba tries to dodge, but there's pain written all over his face. By going for his ankle Rainbow has opened up the chink in his armor we needed.

“Hah!” He manages to deflect some debris with his swords, but there's just too many little pieces to keep track off. One shard embeds itself in his left shoulder and he drops the sword in his left hand as a result. Two others graze his cheek and leg, cutting and burning him at the same time.

I try to get up and deal the final blow, but my own legs are shaking and I drop back to one knee almost immediately. “Ngh! Did I take too much damage from the fall after all?”

Kiba on the other hand, while panting and limping, is still standing and he draws closer to me with the sword in his good arm raised high. “It was a valiant effort, Spike.”

I ball my claw into a fist, but it's no use. Was it all for nothing? After all this training and the power I achieved, was this all I could do? Though he is one of their strongest members, I can't believe that I'm gonna be defeated this early in the game.

“I recognize you as a worthy opponent. However, this is the end for you. I had to make up for my mistake in defending the base by hunting you down for my master. Now as a [Knight] of Rias Gremory I … ugh!?” He stops in mid-sentence, staring in disbelief down at the spear tip sticking out of his chest. “What …!?”

I'm almost as shocked as he is as I look around him and find a beaten up and panting Rainbow Dash lodged against his back. “Don't you … *huff* … just hate it … *pant* … when people start monologuing in the middle of a fight? I mean, who does that?”

With a strength you wouldn't expect from such a small pony, she rears up on her hind quarters, driving in the spear even deeper and then leans to the side, throwing the enemy [Knight] to the ground as the tip of her weapon breaks.

As he is engulfed by a violet light, Kiba doesn't look hurt or enraged. Rather he seems regretful. “Rias-sama. Forgive me. I underestimated them.” As his eyes begin to close, he vanishes in that same magical light.

[Rias Gremory's Knight retires.]

Even with the announcement by Michael-sama, I can hardly believe it. I know he'll be fine. Still that looked like a painful way to go. But our victory came at a high price. I barely manage to catch the stumbling Rainbow Dash in my arms as I get my screaming body up through sheer force of will.

“Sorry, pal,” she says weakly. “Looks like this might be it for me.”

Only now do I realize that her left wing is bent at an unnatural angle. Did she break it earlier when Kiba kicked her off? “None of that now. Come on!”

“What are you...?” she asks as I turn around and offer her a piggy-back ride.

“Nopony gets left behind, remember? I hitched a ride with you on the way over. Time to return the favor. I'll get you back to base.” I can tell that she's resistant to the idea. Being carried by me probably conflicts with her sense of pride.

Eventually she sighs however, knowing that she won't be able to make it on her own, and climbs onto my back. As I start walking, she buries her muzzle in my neck and says something. “Hey, Spike. Thanks for not abandoning me. You looked … pretty cool back there.”

I turn my head around. “What was that? I couldn't quite hear you.”

“Nothing,” she says quickly and turns away. Is she … blushing? Nah, must be my imagination. There's still that residual heat in the air from my attack earlier. Maybe that's why her face looks a little flushed.

Pretty soon, though, Rainbow Dash once again rests her head against my back with a sigh and she seems to be hugging me pretty tightly as we make our way back to Fluttershy's cottage.

Team Luna (members still active): 8
Princess Luna [King]
Twilight Sparkle [Queen]
Rainbow Dash [Knight]
Fluttershy [Bishop]
Rarity [Bishop]
Applejack [Rook]
Pinkie Pie [Rook]
Spike [Pawn]

Team Gremory (members still active): 6
Rias Gremory [King]
Himejima Akeno [Queen]
~~Kiba Yuuto [Knight]~~
Xenovia [Knight]
Asia Argento [Bishop]
Gasper Vladi [Bishop]
~~Toujou Koneko [Rook]~~
Hyoudou Issei [Pawn]

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 4

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Part 4

This chapter picks up with Issei where Life 3 - Part 2 left off, so some of the events happen simultaneously with those depicted in Part 3.

This can't be happening. I saw Koneko-chan go down right before my eyes. It's like the same events from our match against Raiser are repeating themselves. And now there's enemies at the base.

I want to go help, but all I would accomplish is lead the opponent in front of me to our base as well. I have to make my stand here, so I get up from my kneeling position, keeping an eye on the two ponies in front of me.

Both Twilight and Rarity look alert, slightly crouched as if to lunge at me at a moment's notice, though it seems more likely that they'll fire some spells at me.

[Boost!]

I'm outnumbered and at a disadvantage due to not having a lot of ranged abilities. I need some time to power up the Boosted Gear. Out of the corner of my eye I can see something glittering at my feet. It's the red gemstone Koneko-chan pulled off my jacket to free me from the illusion.

“Were you already planning this all the way back, when I came to your shop and asked you to repair my uniform?” I feel like an idiot, yet I can't help but admire the foresight of these ponies. It's something I lack and need to work on, if I ever want to become a high-class devil and participate in the Rating Game as a [King] myself.

The white unicorn gives me a guarded smile. “No, darling. Twilight and Princess Luna came up with this strategy only recently, making use of a talent for illusions I acquired a while ago. Though I will admit that I knew of the magic-enhancing properties of the stone and thought it might come in handy during the game.”

[Boost!]

So I've been played for a fool from the start. It makes me mad, but at myself rather than them. I should have caught it and because I didn't, Koneko-chan ended up paying the price. I can't let that stand.

As we circle around each other, the two ponies seem unwilling to attack. They probably know that dragons have a higher resistance to magic. That's why they were hoping to take me out with a surprise attack.

Suddenly they break and storm off in different directions. Dammit, which one should I follow?

[Boost!]

Deciding that Twilight is the greater danger, who took down Koneko-chan with just one shot, I turn to the left and raise my gauntlet just in time. Crack! The force of her spell strikes the Boosted Gear hard and I can feel the power of light emanate from it. Had it hit any other part of my body than my dragon arm, the damage would have been catastrophic.

“Argh!” I yell out in pain and look around. At least a dozen sharp needles have embedded themselves in my back. More worryingly though, I can see at least three pairs of scissors engulfed in Rarity's magic glow and heading straight for me. In my haste to avoid them, I roll to the side, driving the needles even deeper into my back.

Although my devil body can handle that amount of damage, it still hurts like hell and I begin to pant as the scissors whizz over my head with inches to spare.

“Dammit, too slow,” I can hear Rarity curse. Ah, I get it. Rarity's good at manipulating multiple objects, but her magic power is limited. She was able to accelerate the small needles to break-neck speed, but the heavier scissors were slower, so I could avoid them.

“Rarity, let's attack him together!”

“Got it!”

[Boost!]

It's here! And it's down to the time I spent in the Everfree Forest. Since danger lurks around every corner there, I had to power up much more often. As a result I've noticed that I've started doubling my power more quickly. It's only a few seconds less that I need to power up, but it's about to save my hide.

I get up and charge straight ahead. Evidently neither of the two ponies expected such a suicidal charge and they don't have the time to alter their approach. Before they can unleash their spells at me, I lunge forward, crossing my arms and managing to give each one a slap on their flank, where a magic circle appears.

“I've never seen something so reckless,” Rarity asserts as she wheels around the same as Twilight.

While looking over my shoulder, I give them a triumphant grin. “You haven't seen anything yet. Behold the results of my training. [Dress … MAKE!]” I snap my finger and a bunch of linen wraps spring up from the ground.

With shrieks of surprise their legs are being wrapped, locking them in place. As they work their way up along their bodies, they also wrap themselves around their horns.

[Rias Gremory's Knight retires.]

The announcement shocks me to the core. Is it Xenovia? I can't even imagine Kiba getting taken down. But right now I have my own problems to worry about.

I walk up to Rarity who is glaring at me. “What is this?” She's struggling to get free, but the bonds are too strong.

“Ironically it's a technique I learned from Spike, adapted from a spell he originally copied for you.”

“How dare you? My little Spikey-Wikey would never use something so vile. Why, I'll … “ Rarity gasps. Looks like she was gathering magic in her horn to counter it. But the linen cloth is infused with my dragon magic, sealing her ability to cast a spell of her own.

“You're right, Spike could never do this, because he doesn't have the imagination I do when it comes to ecchi things. I started reevaluating my [Dress Break] after our talk. This is what I came up with. [Dress Make!] Instead of imagining my opponent naked, I imagine them in bondage!”

Akeno-san! Thank you. This victory is in part thanks to you. Without your scary S-face, I wouldn't have been able to conjure up the imagery necessary to develop this technique.

* * *

“What's wrong, Discord?” Azazel asks with a grin, after I slap my talon against my forehead.

“I can't decide whether this boy is an idiot or a genius, or maybe both,” I reply in a grumpy tone.

“He's a strange one, alright,” Sirzechs says happily. “His potential for unusual growth is perhaps the greatest advantage he has, even if that growth seems to be triggered primarily by dirty thoughts.”

“Well, he is a devil,” Michael adds dryly, as if that explains everything. But even for a devil he is unusual.

“Michael!” Oh, that's rare. Celestia has some actual concern in her voice as she watches Issei reach out his hand right in front of Rarity's face and it begins to glow in a green hue. I can see why she would be worried.

“I see it,” the archangel replies calmly. “I'll get her out in time.”

* * *

[Dragon Shot!] I can see the fear in Rarity's eyes as I unleash the power of my Boosted Gear. Even to a mediocre magic user like her the power must feel overwhelming, especially at such close range.

She's being enveloped by the purple energy that transports her off the field a split-second before my power reaches her. I'm thankful for that as I see the green beam strike the earth and carve it up in a straight line to somewhere beyond the playing field. Although I have to beat them, I don't really want to hurt the ponies.

[Princess Luna's Bishop retires.]

Suddenly I can feel every hair on my body stand on end.

Kabooom!

A huge explosion of magic energy hits me from the left and I'm sent crashing to the ground. Once again I'm lucky my dragon arm took the majority of the impact.

When I lift my head, I can see a furious Twilight Sparkle. No way! She was able to break free of my new technique by her own strength? Something's different about her, though. Her eyes are glowing white. Did the image of her friend being defeated tick her off?

Faster than I can even look, she spreads her wings and charges at me. Though her mass is relatively small compared to mine, the sheer speed of her approach knocks the wind out of me during impact.

I yell out in pain as her jaws snap shut around my shoulder, after our wild tumble around the floor comes to a stop. I can smell blood spurting from the wound and she's effectively locked my left arm.

Acting on pure impulse, I bring up my right and hit the side of her face again and again. But still her grip remains. Altering my approach, I grab her wing and begin to twist it.

“Aaahhh!” Only now does she yell and I'm free again. Taking the chance, I headbutt her and manage to throw her off.

Memo to myself. DO NOT PISS OFF A MAGICAL PONY PRINCESS! My victory only lasts for moments as she makes it back to her hooves and snarls at me. These ponies really share a strong bond. Intellectually she must know that Rarity's fine, but Twilight has completely gone off the deep end.

She rears up on her hind legs and another glowing white sphere of magical energy appears at the tip of her horn. In this instant I know that I'm dead meat, if that hits me. I know this feeling. It's the same as that time when Vali was about to get serious during our battle at the peace conference.

Vali!

In a desperate bid to avoid defeat, I make the white gauntlet appear on my right arm.

[Partner! You know that this power is dangerous.]

“I know, Ddraig. But I don't have another choice.”

The ball of magic has grown bigger than even my own body and as Twilight unleashes it, I put forth my right hand that has the power I managed to steal from the Vanishing Dragon. [Divine Dividing!]

It's working! I can see the magic getting smaller as the power of the White Dragon Emperor halves it every few seconds. When it's almost reached me, I duck to the side. The magic is still strong enough to shatter the fountain behind me into a million pieces.

“Aaaargh!” I cry out in pain as the white gauntlet disappears from my right hand. Then I look at Twilight. There's no way I can survive another hit. Am I done for?

To my surprise, though, the white glow has vanished from her eyes and she's panting heavily, swaying from side to side.

This is my chance! I force myself to get up and charge her. But when I'm in striking distance, the green glow from my Boosted Gear suddenly gives out and I feel the strength leave my body.

With my knees suddenly going weak, I tumble and trip, planting my face in the dirt right in front of the alicorn princess.

Twilight takes a shaky step backwards, but instead of attacking me, she begins to flap her wings weakly and lifts off. Panting, I watch her fly off in a zig-zagging pattern. It's like she's drunk or something. Maybe she exhausted her power with that one insane attack?

As for me, my desperate defense worked, but due to the fact that Albion's power is the exact opposite of Ddraig's, my own power-up got canceled out and I need some time to recharge it.

“Ise! Report!”

I shake my head to get rid of the weariness and answer Bucho's voice. “I'm still here, but their [Queen] got away. Should I give chase?” Actually I'm not sure I'm in any condition to do that. If I run into another enemy, I might be finished.

“Negative. Head south towards the river bank. We'll regroup there. Our counter offensive is already underway. You've done well, Ise.”

That's good to hear. “Thanks, Buchou. I'm on my way.” With a groan I lift my aching body off the ground and head south to meet up with the others. I'm in dire need of some of Asia's healing magic.

* * *

[Princess Luna's Bishop retires.]

The announcement runs down my spine like an icy chill. Fluttershy should still be at base, so that can only mean … “Rarity,” I whisper.

Rainbow Dash, who I've been carrying on my back, notices me stop dead in my tracks. “Spike?” she asks quietly. “Are you okay?”

What do you think? I'm sad, I'm angry! Rarity lost! “I … I don't know … I wanted to show her how strong I've become. I've wanted her to see my cool side.” It almost makes me wanna cry.

“Don't worry,” she assures me, patting my back with her hoof. “I've seen how cool you were. I'll be sure to let her know.”

“Yeah, thanks.” I grip the mare I can protect right now tighter. “For now I gotta get you back to base, though. Nopony else gets taken down on my watch!” I declare.

“Yeah, and we'll win for Rarity!”

“Right!” I begin to walk again. I don't want to risk running, since an enemy could be just around the next corner. My senses that I've honed in the Everfree Forest tell me that the path is clear, but there's no telling what kinds of tricks these devils could be using to avoid detection.

After a few minutes we reach the river bank and the bridge that leads to Fluttershy's cottage. “Is that Twilight?” Rainbow asks in alarm.

I see her, too. But something's very wrong. The purple alicorn is resting against the wooden railing of the bridge. She seems kind of wobbly.

“Twilight!” As I call out to her, she turns around and I get a nasty shock as we get closer. She's got a black eye and one of her wings looks injured.

“Hey … guys … “ she wheezes, though her eyes seem to be having trouble focusing in on us.

“What happened?” I ask in alarm.

“Oh, no. Twilight, tell me you didn't do THAT!”

She lowers her head in response to RD's exclamation. “Sorry. I kinda lost it, when Rarity was defeated.”

“What in Tartarus is going on!?” I shout, not so much at my friends rather than out of a desire to vent my frustration.

“Princess Luna has been training with Twi to unlock her full potential as an alicorn,” Rainbow explains. “But there is a drawback. These powers are still new to her, so if she gets too worked up, she runs the risk of depleting her power too quickly.”

“If I had at least managed to beat their [Pawn],” Twilight moans in regret. “At this point I won't be much use in a fight.”

Dammit! I know first-hand what it's like, when Twilight loses control. To have it happen here and to top it all off, the way we are right now RD and I won't be much good in a fight either. Conversely the enemy has a healer among them. This is bad.

“Princess Luna will find a way,” I declare hotly, trying to make myself believe in that statement through sheer willpower. Then I readjust Rainbow's weight on my back, supporting her with only one arm.

“What are you … ?” Twilight yells out in surprise as I scoop her up with my other arm.

“You can hardly walk. I'll carry you the rest of the way.” I can't afford to take my sweet time any longer, I think as I set off for our base at a light jog. That's about the fastest I can go with my injuries and carrying the two mares.

Oddly enough Twilight seems to have that same blush on her cheeks that Rainbow had earlier as she nestles her cheek against my chest, though there's no fire anywhere near us. “Thanks, Spike. I always knew, we could depend on you.”

I'm panting heavily by the time we reach Fluttershy's cottage. “Look, y'all! There they are!” After Applejack's shout all of our friends turn towards us.

I take a few last steps and fall to my knees, managing to hold on to my friends barely until I can safely deposit them on the ground.

“Good work, Spike,” Princess Luna tells me with a gentle smile. Wow, she looks really pretty despite the golden armour that's meant to give her some severity. It almost makes me forget the pain. “The same goes for the rest of you.”

“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash says with a grunt as Applejack helps her remove the dented armour that has become useless. “But maybe it had been better if Spike had left us. I don't think Twilight and I have anything left in us.”

This coming from Rainbow Dash must mean her injuries are even worse than she's letting on. Twilight's silence also speaks volumes. We managed to win this opening round on pure numbers, but the three members from our vanguard who made it back are all injured.

“That remains to be seen,” Luna says cryptically and then turns to Fluttershy of all ponies. “Now is the time.”

The yellow pegasus already looked frightened when she saw us, but now she's crossed into terrified territory. “What if I fail? I only have enough magic to do it once and in practice it only worked once out of three times.”

The Princess of the Night lays a hoof across her shoulder. “Tia saw something in you and I believe in you, just as she did. You are the only one who can do this.”

“But … “

I have no idea what's going on and judging by the looks of all around us, even they don't know what the goal of Fluttershy's secret training with Celestia was all about.

Fluttershy is shaking, so I decide to try and encourage her a bit. “Fluttershy, you might be the strongest out of all of us. You're the one who stood up to a fully grown dragon, remember? Even I couldn't do that. If there's something you can do to help … please try.”

We lock eyes for a moment and I can see her trembling stop. I don't know whether it was what I said or just the eye contact, but it seems that I've managed to give her some courage. Taking a deep breath, she nods. “Alright, Spike. I'll try.”

I nod at her with a smile, which she returns. Then she stretches out her hoof and draws a circle in the dirt with it. Eh, okay? Is her secret technique building sand castles?

Then Twilight gasps next to me, when Fluttershy adds some strange symbols that I don't recognize to the circle. “It's ancient magic,” she says in disbelief.

“Magic?” I'm stunned. “So pegasi really can do magic?”

Twilight bites her lip. “I don't know. A long time ago, before unicorns mastered the art of storing magic in their horns, they worked spells with runes and incantations. Maybe with her [Bishop] piece it's enough for Fluttershy to work a spell.”

We all watch intently as the mare in question steps into the circle and closes her eyes. Suddenly I can feel a light breeze pick up. It feels warm. Strange, isn't this supposed to be a completely closed off dimension? Maybe this is Fluttershy's weather magic as a pegasus at work.

When she opens her eyes, they are glowing red and the symbols on the ground are glowing as well. As her mane flaps in the unearthly breeze, Fluttershy speaks in a steady voice that is somehow hers and at the same time isn't.

[By rising moon in this dark night,
from ponies stricken harsh by plight,
I call upon thee, phoenix light,
please assist us in this fight!]

Then she raises her muzzle to the sky and speaks a single word. “Philomena!”

Suddenly there's a bright flash that makes us all avert our eyes momentarily. But the squawk is unmistakable. Philomena, Princess Celestia's pet phoenix, has arrived and flies over our heads, trailing brightly burning embers behind her, before settling on Fluttershy's extended hoof.

“Well done, Fluttershy,” Luna congratulates her.

“Thank you for coming, Philomena,” Fluttershy says as the bird nestles against her mane. “As you can see, our friends are hurt. Can you help?”

With another squawk the phoenix flies over and lands on Rainbow's head. “Hey, what are you … ?” The bird leans down and a single tear rolls from her eye, landing on the injured pegasus' rainbow mane. Then she flaps her wings and heads over to Twilight.

“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash exclaims in astonishment, flapping her own wings, one of which was broken a minute ago. Carefully she lifts herself off the ground and with a wild grin makes a few loops in the sky. “I feel … AWESOME!”

Then I can feel Philomena land on my shoulder. Next to me Twilight is smiling and her horn is lit up! Not only are her injuries gone, it also looks like her magic has returned.

Philomena squeezes another tear from her eye and rubs her face against my cheek. I can feel a fire ignite inside of me as if to burn away all the pain and tiredness. “Oh, yeah! That does feel awesome! Thanks, little one!”

It feels like she's winking at me and then she flies back towards Fluttershy. “Curious,” Luna states with an odd look. “I had been afraid that it wouldn't work on Spike, since dragons and phoenix' are natural enemies.”

I think of Pee-Wee, the phoenix chick I rescued from those teenage dragons and raised until I returned him to his parents. Maybe Philomena sensed that somehow?

“All the better,” Luna asserts eventually. “Now we can commence with the second stage of our plans.”

Duuuuuuunnnnnnn!!!

Suddenly we all jump at what sounds like an ominous horn being played from somewhere far off, but it's still incredibly loud.

[All players are hereby instructed to remain where they are and not initiate combat. The Rating Game is on hold due to a possible illegal move by Princess Luna's team.]

All of us are mystified at Michael's sudden announcement of a time-out, all except Princess Luna that is. “Drat, I was afraid of that. That's what I get for taking advice from Tia.”

Team Luna (members still active): 7
Princess Luna [King]
Twilight Sparkle [Queen]
Rainbow Dash [Knight]
Fluttershy [Bishop]
~~Rarity [Bishop]~~
Applejack [Rook]
Pinkie Pie [Rook]
Spike [Pawn]

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 5

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Part 5

“It's cheating!” Azazel declares hotly. “This is against the rules and you know it, Discord!”

“Oh, posh. You're just sour, because you didn't think of it yourself,” I retort as we square off against one another.

“I should have known. There are no rules for the Lord of Chaos, are there? You must be so proud of your little cheating squad.”

Glaring at the Fallen Angel Governor darkly, I draw myself up to my full height. “Say about me what you will, but I dare you to speak ill of Lulu or my pony friends again.” Wait? Did really just call them my friends? I really must be going soft.

“Wanna go at it?” Azazel asks with a belligerent expression.

“Bring it!”

“Sit down, both of you!” Celestia says sternly. “This is no way to settle our differences.”

We both get back to our seats while grumbling. “Nonetheless I would appreciate an explanation, Celestia,” Sirzechs tells her in a neutral tone. No more Celly, eh? He's better at hiding it, but he's cheesed off as well.

“Discord!”

“What?” I meet Celestia's gaze and then snap my talons, making the floating cheese grater above the Demon Lord's head disappear. “Fine. I was just trying to lighten the mood.”

Michael clears his throat. “Well, Celestia? Azazel has lodged a complaint against the illegal use of Phoenix Tears by Luna's team. Do you have a response?”

The Princess takes a sip of her tea calmly. “What are you getting at? Phoenix Tears are not illegal in a Rating Game as far as I know.”

“You know damn well that they are considered a treasure and need to be declared as such at the start of the game. They are also restricted to one use,” Azazel contends.

“That may be true. But Philomena's tears didn't exist until she shed them just now. You can't declare something that's not yet come into existence.”

“That's another thing,” Michael says thoughtfully. “Why exactly is your pet phoenix on the field, Celestia? It constitutes an outside interference.”

“How so? I didn't take her there. Fluttershy summoned her. I believe the rules state quite clearly that the summoning of familiars is permitted during a Rating Game. Philomena is Fluttershy's familiar.”

“Aha!” Azazel raises one finger. “But there are restrictions in place to using familiars. I'm pretty sure producing normally restricted substances is one of them.”

“Tsk tsk tsk.” I shake my head, finally realizing the full extent of Celestia's gambit. I'd forgotten how sneaky she can be. Sometime during the thousand years I was encased in stone she must have studied to be a lawyer. “Pretty sure doesn't cut it. Celestia wouldn't teach Fluttershy an illegal move without making her aware of the limitations.”

“Indeed,” she responds, giving me a wink as thanks for backing her up. “I've studied the rules quite extensively. All the limitations imposed on familiars relate to them fighting, as to not make the game a pure battle between familiars while the devils simply observe.”

Azazel's jaw drops. “But … “

Michael has a thoughtful expression on his angelic face and turns towards the current Lucifer. “Sirzechs-sama, is there any precedence for a phoenix being used as a familiar?”

He frowns. “No, no devil has ever managed to acquire a phoenix as a familiar. Even the Phoenix Clan hasn't managed such a feat. They are flighty birds, which makes me wonder how Luna's servant did it.”

“Fluttershy has a way with animals,” Celestia observes.

I can't help but grin. People tend to underestimate Fluttershy, but she's stronger than she looks. She was the only one to resist my games in the maze, the power of Chaos itself is no match for her Kindness and now she's got Heaven and Hell equally stumped with her abilities to befriend mystical creatures.

Michael crosses his arms and looks up. “In that case Philomena's presence on the battlefield does not constitute a breach of the rules,” he muses.

“Oh, come on!”

The archangel holds up one hand in response to Azazel's objection. “However, the use of her tears is another matter entirely. One rule relates to the use of familiars, the other to the use of limited substances. It seems to me that you are trying to exploit a loophole, Celestia, based on the fact there's no precedent to this situation. You could have come to me before the Rating Game to check on the legality of this move.”

Oh, looks like the archangel isn't taken in by her cleverness. Maybe she's gotten too used to doing things her way.

“I assure you, I didn't mean to circumvent your authority in this matter. As the referee for this Rating Game, I'll abide by your ruling.” Heh, spoken like a true politician.

“Hmmmm … “

* * *

“Those are the facts of the matter,” the hologram of Michael, standing in the midst of our base, finishes explaining our supposedly illegal move.

Next to him there's another magical hologram of Rias Gremory, who has her arms folded in a thoughtful manner, but hasn't said anything.

“Since this is an unprecedented event, Team Luna won't be punished. However, I have to make a judgment call here. From this point on you are prohibited from using Philomena's tears as a healing agent.”

Princess Luna nods. “Very well, I'll accept that judgment from the referee.”

Michael then turns toward the enemy [King]. “Rias Gremory, do you accept this ruling?”

“I have one condition.” Here it comes. “While Princess Luna's [Pieces] were healed, my [Pawn] also sustained injuries during the engagements so far. So I would like to request an additional use of Phoenix Tears for my team as well. That would make us even.”

“That would be fair,” Michael acknowledges. “Princess Luna?”

“Agreed.”

“I'll arrive with my [Pawn] shortly.” Her magical counterpart vanishes and a red circle appears on the ground where it was. Shortly thereafter the forms of Rias Gremory and Hyoudou Issei appear.

I don't know why, but it feels somehow wrong to see the enemy [King] in our base as she walks up to Philomena and takes a vial of water out of her skirt pocket. She holds it up to the phoenix which is sitting on Fluttershy's head.

Fluttershy looks over towards Luna, who gives her a nod. “Go ahead,” the yellow pegasus says and a single tear falls from Philomena's eye into the vial.

“Thank you very much,” Rias says with a bow towards both of them. Then she hands the vial to Issei. “Drink up.”

As he drinks the liquid I can see his wounds close up and him standing a bit taller again. Guess that puts us back to square one.

“Rias Gremory,” Luna says. “I admit, I'm curious. You could have asked for more than this.”

“I have no interest in winning this match on a technicality. My future opponents are well versed in the rules and won't just slip up like that. Now we're even and a victory will have significance.”

“Hm, I see.”

As the two devils vanish through the teleportation circle again, I can't hold myself back. “Issei! We are friends, but I can't forgive you for hurting Rarity. I will be the one to defeat you!”

He seems surprised for a moment, but he gives me a confident smile before his face vanishes. “Come at me with all you've got. I'll be waiting.”

After they've returned to their own base, there is a moment of silence followed by that ominous horn sound again.

[The Rating Game between Princess Luna and Rias Gremory will now continue.]

“Odd.”

“What is it, Twilight?” I ask at her comment.

“Don't you find it odd? They could have healed him with their [Bishop], but instead she asked for some of our Phoenix Tears. I didn't want to bring it up while they were here, but it's definitely odd.”

“You're quite right, Twilight,” Luna agrees. “I imagine her real aim was to get a look at our base and its defenses.”

“What's the plan, Princess?” I ask. After seeing Issei I'm pumped up and rearing to go.

“We have to tread carefully from now on. We've played our trump card. Now we can't heal our injured anymore, while they still have the original set of Phoenix Tears they declared as a treasure at the start plus Asia Argento's [Twilight Healing] ability.”

“Should we stick together and defend the base?” Twilight suggests.

But Luna shakes her head. “We can't afford to lose the initiative. Spike, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. You're our strike team. I want you to go after their [Queen]. The rest of you will stay to defend the base. They're sure to try and get Issei a [Promotion] to even the odds further now.”

“Finally,” Applejack says, tipping her hoof against the jewel in her hat again. “It's about time ah get to use this thing.”

I still don't know what that thing actually does, but right now I have another concern on my mind. “Shouldn't Pinkie stay behind as well? The Party Howitzer should be useful for defending the bridges leading to our base, no?”

The pink earth pony giggles. “You mean this thing?” She kicks the contraption with her hind legs and it splutters and puffs sickly for a moment. Then it collapses into a heap of scrap metal. “It doesn't work at all. It's a total bust.”

I stare at her in open-mouthed astonishment. “Then why did you even bring it?”

“Psychological warfare, Spike,” Luna explains. “It's mere presence before the start of the game suggested to the enemy that a raid on our base would be suicide. It's worked in preventing an attack so far. But I'm sure Rias realized that it was a dud, when she was here just now, since it isn't even set up in any significant fashion. It's outlived its usefulness now.”

Unbelievable. The strategic thinking of the two [Kings] is on a completely different level.

* * *

The three of us have crossed the bridge into Ponyville proper again and have turned north in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

“How exactly are we supposed to find Akeno-san? She could be anywhere.”

Pinkie is bouncing around in front of AJ and myself. Looks like she's been looking forward to getting out of the base. “I have an idea! Spike, will you go out on a date with me, if I find her?”

I stop dead in my tracks and begin to blush. “Wha...? What brought this on?”

“I dunno! It seemed to work for her, when she fought Twilight. Issei promised her a date and she won. It should work for us, too.”

“Classic Pinkie logic,” Applejack says dryly. “The worst part is, she's probably right, even though it doesn't make a lick of common sense. But if ah spot her first, you have to go on a date with me.”

“Applejack! Not you, too!”

She snickers. “Ah'm just kidding. Though Granny was very disappointed that you skipped out on dinner with us the other day.” Uncharacteristically for her she doesn't meet my eyes while saying that, almost as if she wasn't being entirely truthful. “So, uh, the invitation still stands. Maybe just the two of us could be nice. We don't spend a lot of quality time together.”

Is it just me or has everypony been acting weird around me ever since I came back from the Everfree Forest? Before I can explore that thought any further, I'm interrupted by Pinkie's unexpected scream.

“I found her! I found her! I found her!”

Crack! Boooommm!

Both Applejack and I stare in horror at the place where the bouncing pink pony has just been struck by a huge bolt of lightning. “Pinkie!”

I can smell singed mane and her coat is covered in soot. Yet she still has her usual goofy grin on her face, even as the magic aura begins to envelop her body. “Yay, I get to go on a date with Spike,” she says happily, before vanishing from the field.

[Princess Luna's Rook retires.]

All the while the enemy [Queen] Himejima Akeno is hovering overhead with her devil wings extended and lightning sizzling across her fingertips. “Ara ara, sounds like you guys were looking for me, ufufu.”

Team Luna (members still active): 6
Princess Luna [King]
Twilight Sparkle [Queen]
Rainbow Dash [Knight]
Fluttershy [Bishop]
~~Rarity [Bishop]~~
Applejack [Rook]
~~Pinkie Pie [Rook]~~
Spike [Pawn]

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 1

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Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night

Part 1

[Princess Luna's Rook retires.]

With that one, cruel sentence Michael describes yet another loss of one of our friends to the Gremory Group.

While Akeno is hovering in the air above us, she puts two fingers over the magical communication device in her ear. “Buchou, I'm engaged with their remaining [Rook] and [Pawn] near the town center.”

As I look at her, an unbelievable rage is building up inside me. I got choked up, when I heard about Rarity's loss and when RD received a beating from Kiba. But this is different. Pinkie Pie. One moment she was right there, joking around with Applejack and myself. And then her smiling face vanished right in front of my eyes.

“Yes, Buchou,” the Lightning Priestess confirms. She looks so calm, as if she'd done nothing more than check another box on her to-do list for the day. That, more than anything else, makes me mad.

Intellectually I know that Pinkie is fine, even as my body breaks into a dead sprint and my lungs gulp in enough air to fill a hot air balloon, compressing it, igniting it. These devils may be used to seeing others fall during a Rating Game, but right now my emotions need release.

[Dragon Fire!]

She's still smiling, even as she weaves to the side in mid-air to avoid the jet of green flame I bellow in her direction. “Ara ara, not bad, Dragon-kun. Your eyes remind me of Ise-kun's, ufufu.”

She's fast! To be expected from a [Queen]. Then again, I've acquired the same power during my [Promotion]. Time to find out whether or not I can match her.

“Applejack, stay behind me!” I shout as I take a leap backwards, positioning myself between her and the enemy. She took out Pinkie with one shot, even though her defense was increased by the trait of a [Rook]. Applejack won't last much longer either. On the other hoof my dragon scales give me some protection against magic. I don't want to see another one of my friends get hurt.

“Too slow, Dragon-kun.”

I seize up momentarily, as her face is right in front of mine with that pleasant smile of hers. “Guh!” It only takes me a second to react, but the swipe with my claw still comes to late as she whooshes past me.

Turning around only to see her release another volley of lightning on my comrade, I scream: “NOO!”

Crack! Booom!

Shit. Shit! Shit! SHIT! … Pinkie … Applejack … I'm sorry. I couldn't protect either of you. Why am I so useless?

“Giving up already?” Akeno is slowly walking back towards me, while the spot where AJ stood is obscured by dust and debris.

Though tears are standing in my eyes, I bare my fangs at her. “I'm gonna make you pay.” I can hardly believe that this is my own voice. They're hardly even words. It's more like the growl of a wild animal.

“Then come at … eh?” For the first time in our fight there's a look of surprise on her face, as a lasso comes seemingly out of nowhere and tightens around her upper body. “Ara, I didn't think ponies were into this sort of thing.”

This can only mean one thing and I look over at the dust that has now settled with a new sense of hope. In the rubble stands a mare clad from head to hoof in translucent white crystals. It looks almost unreal, like a character from a fairy tale. It's kind of what I imagined crystal ponies to look like, before I actually met them. Yet this is clearly something artificial. At first glance it looks random, with all the crystals seemingly a different size and shape. But the edges are clearly worked very carefully, as to not reveal a single weakness. They all fit together perfectly. The most catching thing are two oval opals, where the eyes of the pony ought to be.

“Applejack!” She's still here! Now that I think about it, I never heard the announcement that another of our [Rook]s had retired and I feel kind of silly for not realizing it sooner. This must have been the big secret about the gem in her hat. The hat itself is gone now, no doubt transformed into this battle armor. You almost couldn't tell it was AJ, if not for the blonde mane and tail sticking out.

“So you survived that first hit,” Akeno says, regaining her composure. Then she touches her hand to the rope and I can feel the electricity in the air. “However, this is the end.”

Realizing what's about to happen, I try to warn my friend. “Watch out!”

The lightning bolt zips along the lasso and engulfs Applejack's armored body. But she shows no sign of even feeling it, and her jaws keep holding on to the rope, pulling Akeno into an even tighter bind.

“Hmph.” Though I can't see it, it feels like Applejack is smiling beneath those crystals. “Try as much as ya want, sugacube. I ain't budging.”

“Ara ara, that's new.”

“Ah've never been one for fashion, but even ah gotta admit: Rarity's really outdone herself with this one.”

“Rarity?” I ask in disbelief.

Applejack nods. “She discovered those crystals a while ago. They are able to absorb any and all magic. Handy thing to have, wouldn't y'all agree?”

I see. Even though she's no longer part of the game, Rarity continues to support us. With this anti-magic armor, we have a fighting chance. I can't let it go to waste. I have to do my best for Rarity as well.

“A very nice trick, but it won't help you.” Summoning her magic, Akeno covers her body in bright flames and while Applejack herself is immune, the rope burns to a crisp in an instant.

“After her!” Applejack yells as Akeno takes to the skies once again.

We both begin to pursue her, and our opponent fires another lightning bolt in mid-flight. Realizing that targeting us wouldn't help, she aims at a spot right in font of us and the ground erupts, spraying rocks and making our footing uneven.

“Split up, we'll attack her from two sides.” Applejack nods at my suggestion, and we break at a right angle.

Akeno has landed a little further up. Good. We have to fight her on the ground. Neither of us can fly. Though it makes me wonder why she gave up that advantage.

Even as I race towards her with a raised claw, something feels wrong. She's just standing there with that annoying smile on her face, not even trying to defend herself.

Then I feel like suddenly I've run into a brick wall, as my body stops moving in mid-stride. … This, this isn't even physically possible. My momentum should have carried me at least a little further.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Applejack's armored form skidding to a halt.

“Good job, Gasper-kun,” Akeno says calmly.

Then I finally see the small half-vampire with the blonde hair, sticking his head out from behind a building. His eyes are glowing with that freaky light. I see. So he was waiting here to freeze us, and Akeno wasn't running. She was leading us into a trap.

“See if you can find a weak point in her armor, so we can finish her off,” Akeno says, pointing a finger towards Applejack. So the armor was able to stop magic, but not a Sacred Gear, huh? [Forbidden Balor View]. I saw him use it to halt an entire stampede before.

“Yes, Akeno-fukubuchou.” He's moving up to her apprehensively and trying to tug at the crystals in different spots, to see if there's any way to dislodge them.

I can't really worry about that right now, though. I've got my own problems, as Akeno stands in front of me. “Sorry, Dragon-kun. I'm gonna have to hit you multiple times to get through those scales of yours.”

You don't really look sorry with that sadistic smile on your face, you know.

Crack!

Geez, that hurts! No wonder Pinkie was taken down in one hit. She's right. I might be able to endure a couple of those, but that doesn't make it any less painful.

“Ahhh!”

Suddenly there's a scream, and we both look towards the side. I can only see Gasper flying through the air, being engulfed by the teleportation magic. Applejack's hind legs are already on the down swing and I can only assume that she kicked him right in the face as he was standing behind her.

“Gasper!”

[Rias Gemory's Bishop retires.]

Even as Michael makes the announcement, I realize that I can move again. Better yet, Akeno doesn't seem to have realized that yet. She's too concerned with her comrade right now.

“Rawr!” Realizing that my momentum from earlier wasn't actually canceled out, but just suspended in the time bubble, I lunge forward. The sound of tearing fabric is oddly satisfying as my claw swipes across her chest.

“Nngh!” I don't seem to have drawn any blood, but that clearly hurt her. For a brief moment a strange thought crosses my mind. Ise would probably kind of enjoy this sight, with her right breast bare like that. All I can think about, is that she's not finished yet.

Applejack comes running up from the side, barreling into her head-first and knocking her to the ground. “Keep up the pressure! We gotta finish her now!”

[Dragon Fire!]

The ground turns into an inferno of green flame, as I release my most powerful attack. But suddenly a ball of flames detaches itself from the rest and heads upwards.

We can see Akeno with her wings out as she cancels out the flames with one hand raised. “Good thing I've gotten used to neutralizing dragon magic by working with Ise,” she comments.

Damn! So my flames are useless?

The Lightning Priestess narrows her eyes. “A [Pawn] with high resistance to and a [Rook] seemingly impervious to magic. Looks like I'm at a disadvantage here. However,” she continues as the power sizzles across her fingertips, “I can't let you get away with hurting my cute kouhai like that.”

Instinctively AJ and I separate, getting set, so one can counterattack immediately after the other inevitably gets targeted.

Yet Akeno makes no move to attack and after a few moments lets her magic fade. “Tch, understood, Buchou.” Giving us one last glare, she turns around and takes off.

“After her!” I scream. She must have received an order to retreat.

“Dangit! She's getting away!”

Applejack is right. We keep up the pursuit for a while longer, but it soon becomes clear that she's faster than us. She really held back earlier to lead us into that trap, but now she's getting away.

“We lost her,” Applejack pants, when we finally come to a halt, after losing sight of her.

“Yeah,” I say, sitting down for a moment. I'm not even out of breath. My time in the woods really raised my stamina. But my muscles hurt from that lightning attack.

“Sorry,” Applejack breaks the moment of silence. “Ah could have stopped her from hitting you, but ah had to make sure to take out that [Bishop] with one hit.”

I nod. “No argument. His ability would have been dangerous to anypony else and I can take the hit.”

She seems to let out a sigh of relief next to me. “Ah'm glad you understand.”

“I do. You had to play along to get close to him. What I don't understand is, how you weren't stopped for real.”

Applejack taps one of the large 'eye stones' with her hoof. “These ain't just for show. Twilight and Rarity came up with a second layer that filters out anything affecting mah eyes, even if it's not traditional magic.”

[Enemy Queen sighted. I'm going in.]

Speak of the devil. “Twilight! Tell us where you are. AJ and I will back you up,” I respond over the communications device.

[Negative. I'll take her down. You two proceed with the plan.]

I'm not sure this is the right way to go. But I gotta have faith in the plan Princess Luna came up with. Next thing I know, Applejack is standing in front of me and holding out a hoof.

“Thanks,” I say, pulling myself up, before talking into the communicator again. “Understood. Just remember that we'll still be close by, if you need us.”

[Thanks, Spike. I know how dependable you are. But this is my fight. Twilight out.]

No doubt she wants to make up for her loss in the exhibition match last week. I've seen how strong Akeno is, but if there's one pony among us that can match her solo, then that pony is Twilight.

“I'm going to the meeting place,” I tell Applejack as we stand back to back. I don't like splitting up like this, but she should be fine with that new armor of hers. “Good hunting.”

“Thanks. And Spike, back there when you threw yourself between her and me, giving me enough time to armor up.” There's a pause. “That was very manly of you. I appreciate it.”

Recalling our earlier conversation with Pinkie, I look at her over my shoulder and give her a smile. “Tell Granny Smith to get the good cider from the cellar. When this is over, I'm joining you for dinner, and we'll toast our victory.”

She gives me one last nod, and once again I get the sense that she's smiling beneath that armor. Then we break and head off in different directions.

The end game is about to start.

Team Luna (members still active): 6
Princess Luna [King]
Twilight Sparkle [Queen]
Rainbow Dash [Knight]
Fluttershy [Bishop]
~~Rarity [Bishop]~~
Applejack [Rook]
~~Pinkie Pie [Rook]~~
Spike [Pawn]

Team Gremory (members still active): 5
Rias Gremory [King]
Himejima Akeno [Queen]
~~Kiba Yuuto [Knight]~~
Xenovia [Knight]
Asia Argento [Bishop]
~~Gasper Vladi [Bishop]~~
~~Toujou Koneko [Rook]~~
Hyoudou Issei [Pawn]

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 2

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Part 2

[Akeno is drawing the attention of their Queen. Their remaining Rook and Pawn have also last been sighted at the town center, although we can't confirm their next steps due to losing Gasper.]

Gasper. While Buchou gives us an update on the current situation, I clench my fist. That half-vampire has always been afraid of other people. But he did well. He may have been defeated, but his ability to scout was invaluable for us today.

[That's as much as we can do from this side. It's up to you three now, Asia, Xenovia, Ise. Make me proud.]

“Yes, Buchou!” all three of us respond.

I look over at Xenovia and give her a nod. Immediately she starts to move ahead silently through the wood to lead the way. After relocating our base, the three of us have crossed the river and made a beeline for the Everfree Forest. Covered by the dense vegetation, we've taken a path parallel to the river. It's a stealth approach towards the enemy base.

“Let's go, Asia-chan,” I say, reaching my hand out to her.

“Yes, Ise-san.” She grabs onto my hand with her delicate fingers.

“Stay close to me. I'll protect you.” I have mixed feelings as I follow Xenovia. Bringing Asia wasn't my idea, but I can see why having a healer with us will be useful, seeing that we'll be cut off from support, even if our attack is a success.

At any rate, I can't let anything happen to Asia. There's gotta be something that can take my mind off the grim situation. Then Xenovia squats down and signals us to halt. Woah! That skin-tight leather combat outfit is really something. Not only is it great to blend into the shadows, it also shows off her curves perfectly.

“There they are,” she whispers.

“Eh?” Turning my head, I can see past the treeline. We've really made it all the way here to the enemy base undetected.

Let's see. I can see two of the ponies. A yellow pegasus and a blue one. That would be Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Looks like they're having a conversation.

“Are you really alright with this?” Rainbow asks.

Fluttershy nods. “Yes, this is the best way. I'm no longer allowed to heal and you've lost your weapon and armor in the fight. This way at least, we can still be useful.”

I see. They must have gotten stuck with defending the base, because they would no longer be helpful at the front lines. But I wonder where Luna, where their [King] is. I had expected her to be here.

“Hm, that's true. As much as I hate to admit it, we're not gonna be able to fight normally. At least we get to go out with a bang.” Rainbow looks at her friend with a mixture of compassion and sadness. It's a side of the brash flyer that's all new to me. “It's okay to be scared, you know.”

Fluttershy holds one hoof up to her chest. “You know, that's the strange thing about all this. I'm not really afraid. I was terrified, going into this Game. But seeing Spike today, doing everything he can and more, it somehow gave me confidence.”

“I know what you mean. He was so worried about not being helpful. But now it looks like he's turned out to be our most dependable player. Well, he's still not as awesome as me, but he's certainly going up on the radicalness and coolness scales.”

“What's our plan?” I ask.

Xenovia readies Ascalon and looks straight ahead. Looks like she's still not able to fully control Durandal, so she's using the holy sword I lent her. “Our primary goal is to get you that [Promotion]. I'll draw their attention. Then you can go and …”

“Eh?” All of a sudden we find ourselves face to face with a golden and red bird, that seemingly came out of nowhere on silent wings, and landed on a branch in front of us.

“What is that thing?” Xenovia asks.

My eyes go wide as it cocks its head to look at me. Wait, I recognize that bird! I saw it at their base. “Crap!”

Suddenly Philomena spreads her wings and a flash of light blinds me. It's so bright that it actually hurts. I can hear her wings flap as she flies off, squawking loudly as she goes.

“We've been discovered. Charge!”

“Wait, Xenovia!” Dammit, I can hear her crashing through the bushes towards the enemy. If I don't back her up, she's gonna be in trouble. So I also stand up and charge forward.

“Ise-san!” I'd have preferred it, if Asia stayed hidden. But she's not letting go of my hand and blindly stumbles after me.

We make a mad dash across the clearing towards the enemy base. My eyesight is slowly returning. Good. Now I can make out vague shapes. Xenovia seems to be a few steps ahead of me. Surprisingly she's spot on.

“Ahh!” Swinging Ascalon high over her head, she then brings it down towards Fluttershy. “Guh!?”

Suddenly something weird happens. Xenovia's hand is brought up short, the blade hovering inches in front of the pony.

“Ah?” When my eyes meet hers, I can suddenly feel it. My whole body stops cold, and Asia behind me has also stopped running. What is this?

“Good girl, Philomena,” Fluttershy compliments the bird that has perched itself on top of her head. “Thanks for the warning.”

What is this weird ability? I can't stop looking into her eyes. This pony, who has always looked so frightened when around us, suddenly meets us with a steely gaze that has sealed all of our movements. Does she have a Sacred Gear? Is this the same as Gasper's [Forbidden Balor View]?

“Kuh!” Xenovia grunts, trying with all her might to take that final step. Her whole body is shivering under the strain. So it's not like Fluttershy has stopped time. This has to be something different.

The pony grits her teeth, and there's a bead of sweat standing on her forehead. So she must be straining to keep this up as well.

“Ise, promote yourself to [Rook].”

Looking at Xenovia from the corner of my eye, I ask: “Why [Rook]?” My instinct is always to promote myself to [Queen] in a situation like this.

“Maybe the increased offense will allow you to break through this technique, whatever it is. We also don't know what that other one is up to, so more defense won't hurt.”

I get it, but that makes me even more worried somehow. I can't see Rainbow Dash anywhere. She's right though. A balanced upgrade won't do me any good, since I'm no good at magic to begin with. But I can bring the increased offense and defense to bear in a fight.

“[Promotion!] [Rook!]” It's the first time I'm taking on the powers of a [Rook] in an actual Rating Game. Such incredible strength is welling up inside me. Is this how much Koneko-chan feels all the time? “Nnnnnggghhh!!!” It's doing something, but despite the immense strength I'm using, I only manage to take a single step forward. “No good. It won't make a difference.”

“You won't break through my Stare so easily,” Fluttershy says with determination in her quiet voice and redoubles her efforts. Feels like I'm being crushed by gravity itself. “I can't hold you forever, but I can hold you long enough to make sure she has enough time to pick up speed.” Then she smiles grimly. “Two pieces for three. That's a good trade.”

I'm getting a really bad feeling. They are planning something after all. The girls must have noticed it, too.

“I see,” Xenovia says. Then Ascalon suddenly vanishes from her hand, and I can feel the dragon-slayer sword return to my Boosted Gear. “If that's the case, I have no choice.” With a superhuman effort, she holds her hand out to the side. “Saint Peter. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Denis. Holy-mother Mary. Please hear my voice.”

Wait, I've heard that chant before. Space is becoming distorted next to her and the hilt of a large sword, bound by chains, is sticking out of it. Xenovia is straining to lay a hand on it.

“I … won't … let you.” Fluttershy. I'm starting to think that this demure and kind mare has the strongest will of them all, if she can compete with that of a holy-sword user like Xenovia.

“In the names of the saints whom reside within this blade, I will release it. Durandal!” Screaming the name of her holy sword, she manages to touch it with one finger and the chains instantly break.

Xenovia pulls the sword from the other dimension and instantly gets into a stance in front of Fluttershy, panting heavily. I see! Durandal's holy aura protected her once from the effects of Gasper's time barrier. The same must be true here. Even if she can't wield it at full power, the aura itself will be useful.

She must be aware that she's been beaten, but Fluttershy nonetheless smiles in the face of certain doom.

“I see.” Xenovia seems to have realized something. “I wasn't fast enough and I can only protect one.” Holding the sword in front of her, the golden aura swirls and condenses around it. Then it suddenly detaches and latches on to me, covering my whole body. “Ise, you'll have to go on without us.”

Go on without you? What do you mean, Xenovia? Then something crashes down from the heavens between us. It's so fast that all I can see is a blue streak.

The earth shakes violently upon impact and all of us are hit by an immense force. It's like we've suddenly been stuck in the middle of a tornado. The sound is, as if the earth itself is roaring at us with a deep voice and continuing to reverberate through the air.

BOOOOOMMMM!!!

“Ise-san!” Asia screams, and despite my best efforts, I can't hold on to her hand. Then a second shockwave hits me and sweeps me off my feet. My trait as a [Rook] and Durandal's holy aura protect me from major damage, but I can still feel the impact in my chest. It's as if someone pushed all the air out of my body.

Flying through the air like a ragdoll, I can only see dust and utter destruction in front of my eyes. I can't see her anymore. I don't even know where up and down are. “Asia! ASIA!!!”

The golden aura evaporates and I'm flung against a tree trunk with my back first, giving me a huge jolt. How fast was I going? The pain is mind-numbing, and it seems even worse, when I hit the water of the nearby stream. Feels like every bone in my body is broken. As the current turns me around and carries me off while I'm trying to hang on to consciousness, I can see what used to be Fluttershy's cottage, the enemy base.

All that's there now, is a rainbow-colored mushroom cloud and utter destruction all around the impact zone. No! Asia! Xenovia!

[Princess Luna's Knight and Bishop retire. Rias Gremory's Knight and Bishop retire.]

Team Luna (members still active): 4
Princess Luna [King]
Twilight Sparkle [Queen]
~~Rainbow Dash [Knight]~~
~~Fluttershy [Bishop]~~
~~Rarity [Bishop]~~
Applejack [Rook]
~~Pinkie Pie [Rook]~~
Spike [Pawn]

Team Gremory (members still active): 3
Rias Gremory [King]
Himejima Akeno [Queen]
~~Kiba Yuuto [Knight]~~
~~Xenovia [Knight]~~
~~Asia Argento [Bishop]~~
~~Gasper Vladi [Bishop]~~
~~Toujou Koneko [Rook]~~
Hyoudou Issei [Pawn]

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 3

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Part 3

“Your sister has an alarming tendency to throw away her pieces, Celly,” Sirzechs points out, after we've watched the latest engagement on the monitors.

“Perhaps,” I admit. “But it was a good gamble. Both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had their strongest moves sealed. Had their trick worked as intended, they would have taken out three of Rias' pieces.” What he doesn't know is that they came up with it as a last resort themselves. Luna even came to me and begged me to talk them out of it. She was really upset about the prospect. Eventually she saw that it was the best strategy, but she still didn't like it.

Discord nods. “As it stands, she exchanged a [Bishop] and a [Knight] for the same, though. Issei promoted to [Rook], but was injured in the process. Neither side seems to have gained or lost anything. What do you think, Azazel?” He seems pretty calm and observant. Strange that he's not gloating.

The Governor of the Fallen Angels simply has his mouth hanging open, mumbling the words “ponies of mass destruction” over and over again. I suppose there's no point in rubbing it in. After a while he sighs. “I may have underestimated her.”

“Who?” Sirzechs asks.

“Xenovia. I didn't think she was ready to handle that insane sword of hers. But her natural skill seems to allow her to manipulate its aura freely. That's how she saved Issei. I'll have to keep that in mind for the next Rating Game,” he explains, thoughtfully stroking his chin.

“Looks like your student took some flying lessons, Celestia,” Michael suddenly comments.

My attention turns back towards the monitors. Twilight and Akeno have been fighting across Ponyville's rooftops for the past several minutes. Twilight is channeling some of her alicorn magic into her wings. Good, that'll hopefully prevent her power from going critical again. She's made a lot of progress over the last week, but her new magic is still unstable. Unleashing it all at once wouldn't do her any good. Even then, it probably wouldn't be enough to take out the Lightning Priestess in one hit.

Crack!

After passing the windmill, Akeno strikes one of the blades with her lightning, but Twilight dives underneath the falling debris.

“Hmph,” Azazel grumbles. “Stubborn girl. If only you'd be using that.”

I can only assume that refers to the powers she inherited from Barakiel. But even without it, she's still a formidable opponent. “Don't let her catch you on ground level, Twilight,” I say tensely.

It's a pity she can't hear me, as Akeno encircles her in a ring of fire while she's landed near the library. Twilight looks to escape into the air again, but the circle becomes a dome, trapping her, and Akeno doesn't hesitate to pelt her with lightning bolts.

I can feel Discord's paw on my shoulder. “Don't worry. She can handle this much,” he whispers.

Yeah, I know. But I'm still tense. Twilight puts up a magic barrier, much like her brother's, only smaller. When the lightning hits it, it gets redirected to the ground. She's figured out a way to deflect her opponent's attacks and stay mobile at the same time, taking the strategy she used in their earlier fight to the next level.

But Akeno is relentless, and her supply of magic seemingly inexhaustible. Still, there is something off about her. She seems less in control than usual, and there's a fire in her eyes. Seeing her best attacks become ineffective, must be getting to her. It even starts to affect her aim, allowing Twilight to dodge some of the attacks completely.

“She's angry at herself for losing Gasper,” Azazel analyzes.

Sirzechs seems to agree. “She's always had a great deal of affection for her kouhai. It must have rattled her.”

I suddenly begin to grin as I realize what Twilight is doing. “Don't worry, she's about to get a cooling off.”

They both look at me in puzzlement, but my words soon become clear, as Akeno is hit with a torrent of water from behind. The wave continues to put out the fire, and Twilight, now free, takes to the sky once more. Even while dodging, increasing her flight power and maintaining her shield, she managed to rupture the water tower two blocks away with her magic and directed the flow here.

But Akeno is only momentarily distracted. Although she's soaking wet, she redirects the water yet again. The torrent rushes skyward to engulf Twilight, snap-freezing and encasing her in a prison of ice. “Yes,” Azazel makes a fist. “Got her now.”

But I can feel the surge of magic as she vanishes. “What?” Akeno immediately flies upwards to investigate. “Where did she go?” Then she blasts the ice with another lightning bolt.

“Surprise,” Twilight shouts, suddenly reappearing behind her opponent.

Akeno whirls around and stretches out her arm, intent on delivering a deadly blast at close range. But Twilight grabs her hand with one hoof. It's too late, and both Queens cry out in pain as both their bodies are being electrocuted in mid-air. However, due to being drenched, Akeno takes a lot more damage from her own attack than her opponent does. Panting heavily, they both descend to the ground.

“FOUL!” Azazel cries out. “She teleported.”

Before Michael can speak, I interject. “No, she didn't. Replay the footage and you'll see.”

The archangel looks at me with a raised eyebrow, but pulls up the footage and slows it down, so all can see Twilight's move in its perfect execution.

“I don't believe it,” Azazel groans.

“You'd better,” I grin. “While trapped in the ice, Twilight worked a spell to change herself into a breezie. When Akeno blasted it open again, thinking she had vanished, she flew around her and then changed herself back into a pony.” Well done.

“Shape-changing spells are legal according to the rules. The match continues,” Michael agrees.

Akeno gives her opponent a triumphant look. They both look devastated from that last attack. “Not bad, Twilight-san. But this is the end. We're both at our limit, just enough left for one last spell. The outcome will be the same as last time.” I don't think anyone has realized it, not even the people here in the V.I.P. lounge, but Twilight has been maintaining at least four or five spells throughout the entire fight, and even now she's doing dozens of minute adjustments in preparation for the final showdown.

Instead of putting all her power out there, she made use of her versatility, just like Discord was trying to tell her a week ago. Looking over at him, I can see a hint of pride in his expression. Seems like he figured out her plan as well.

Although she's standing on shaky legs, Twilight gives her a smile. “Do your worst.”

CRAAAACCCKKK!!!

“Arrrrgggghhhh!!!”

I can only avert my eyes as Twilight gets hit by the massive lightning bolt. Hearing my student scream in agony like this, there's a sharp pain in my chest. But I force myself to look again, when it's over. I owe her that.

A single point of white light is being emitted from the tip of Twilight's horn. It floats upward and then splits into five rays of light that move off at high speed in different directions. “Take.”

“What?” Akeno asks in bafflement.

I can see her struggling to stand up tall, as a Princess should. Even though the magic, that is about to teleport her off the field, has already enveloped her, there is a triumphant smile on her face. “You're right. I'm just a novice alicorn. Maybe in a thousand years I could match your raw power, but today I can do this. My teacher once told me that …”

Her lips are still moving, but the words are cut off by her being transported off the field.

Michael presses a button on the magic device in front of him, so he can be heard across the field. “Princess Luna's [Queen] retires.”

I can feel Sirzechs' eyes on me, and he decides to ask. “Celly, what was she about to say back there?”

With a tear rolling down my cheek, I recall what I said to my faithful student after her return from the Crystal Empire. “Far better that I have a student who understands the meaning of self-sacrifice, than one who only looks out for her own best interests.” As a proud smile crosses my lips, I add quietly: “Well done, Twilight.”

On the monitors we can see Akeno suddenly looking around worriedly. No doubt, she can now sense the dozens of different delayed spells that Twilight cast all over the town center before and even during the fight. With that last trigger spell, she caused all of them to go off simultaneously.

“There's no way she can escape now,” Discord comments next to me. “She can't shield against this many elemental effects at once, and the radius is just too massive to flee.”

She seems to have realized that as well, unfolding her wings, but then simply letting them hang by her side. With a sigh, she taps the communicator in her ear. “I'm sorry, Rias. Looks like I got careless.”

Just then the monitors show nothing but white, as the massive combination of spells detonates in an eerie silence. When the light dies down, only an enormous crater remains, where Golden Oaks Library used to be.

“Rias Gremory's [Queen] retires.”

Team Luna (members still active): 3
Princess Luna [King]
~~Twilight Sparkle [Queen]~~
~~Rainbow Dash [Knight]~~
~~Fluttershy [Bishop]~~
~~Rarity [Bishop]~~
Applejack [Rook]
~~Pinkie Pie [Rook]~~
Spike [Pawn]

Team Gremory (members still active): 2
Rias Gremory [King]
~~Himejima Akeno [Queen]~~
~~Kiba Yuuto [Knight]~~
~~Xenovia [Knight]~~
~~Asia Argento [Bishop]~~
~~Gasper Vladi [Bishop]~~
~~Toujou Koneko [Rook]~~
Hyoudou Issei [Pawn]

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 4

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Part 4

My hand grabs on weakly to the river bank. I don't even know how far along I was swept, but the stream is finally slow enough that I can pull myself out partially.

Ugh, my whole body hurts. If only Asia was here to heal me … Asia. As my thoughts darken with the memory of how I lost hold of her, a shadow falls over me.

“End of the line for ya, pardner,” the pony in the crystalline armor tells me in no uncertain terms.

“Kch.” Dammit. I can't even get up. I'm sorry, everyone.

I close my eyes, waiting for the inevitable blow, but it never comes. Instead I can feel the surge of demonic power closing in.

Crack!

When I open my eyes again and look up, I can see Applejack's surprised face beneath the broken exterior of her helmet, reeling from the impact.

She stumbles back and gets into a fighting stance again. “What in tarnation? This thing was supposed t'be magic-proof.” Her eyes are fixed on someone in the distance.

Looking in the same direction, I can see Buchou approaching slowly. Her right hand is engulfed in the swirling red and black Power of Destruction. She looks so calm, but her eyes are fixed on her opponent. “This isn't magic,” she explains. “It's condensed demonic energy. It'll destroy everything it touches, before it can be absorbed.”

Growling, Applejack opens her saddlebag and flings some horseshoes into the air. “I'm not done yet.” She whirls around, hitting them with her tail and sending them flying at Buchou at highspeed.

But Rias simply holds out the palm of her other hand, deflecting the projectiles with her barrier. In the blink of an eye, she's gone, unfolding her black wings and closing the distance between herself and her opponent faster than the eye can see.

Appearing right in front of the startled farmer, she strikes with her Power of Destruction, sending the pony flying into the air.

“No way!” Applejack croaks, her armor disintegrating into a thousand pieces, even as the transportation magic begins to engulf her. She's gone, before she even hits the ground.

[Princess Luna's Rook retires.]

Incredible, Rias-buchou! You took her down with just two hits! There's a moment of silence, then she turns around and wordlessly pulls me out of the river. She kneels down and places my head in her lap while I lay on my back.

Were the circumstances different, I'd be crying for joy at this situation. As it is, however, I'm mortified, even as she places her hands on my chest. I can feel a tingling sensation as she dries my clothes off with her magic. It feels warm. “I'm sorry, Buchou,” I mumble. “I couldn't protect them.”

She shakes her head slowly. “It's not your fault, Ise,” she admits quietly. “I shouldn't have sent you in like that. The entire game, she has been one step ahead of me. I should have seen it coming.”

She digs something out of her skirt pocket. Unstopping the small vial, she holds it in front of my face. The last of the Phoenix Tears. Weakly I raise my hand and close it around hers. “You should keep these for yourself, Buchou. We can't lose our [King].”

“Don't be stupid. You can't even stand up. If I lost you as well …” Something wet hits my cheek. Is she … crying? Only now do I realize that her hand is shaking. Buchou. She cares deeply for each of her servants. Seeing us fall one by one, must have really taken a toll on her. “Drink.”

I lower my hand and nod slowly. “Yes, Buchou.”

Putting the vial against my lips, she pours the liquid into my mouth and I swallow it. I can feel it taking effect immediately. It's not the same as Asia's Twilight Healing ability, it doesn't have the same caring warmth to it. But I can feel my wounds heal and my strength return.

“Can you get up?”

“Yeah.” I wouldn't mind continuing this lap pillow a little longer, but right now I have to be strong. After the fight against Raiser, I swore that I would never make Rias cry again. Looks like I've failed already. “What are your orders, Buchou?”

“Rias Gremory!”

I whirl around, checking our surroundings. What the hell was that? Feels like the earth itself was shaking with the sound of Princess Luna's voice.

“Royal Canterlot voice,” Rias mutters darkly.

“It looks like we're both down to one servant! Come! Let us end this game! We shall await thee at the central square!”

Buchou takes a deep breath and then nods. “Yes, it's time to finish this.”

“This could be a trap,” I point out. And a fairly obvious one too, if even I can see it.

“I don't think so, Ise. But even if it is, we're the only ones left. I'd rather face them head on than get chased down.” She turns towards the enter of town. Then she does something unexpected, holding out her hand to me. “Let's go. We'll face them together.”

I gulp, before taking her hand. It feels so small and soft. Sometimes I forget that she's not just a high-class devil and our master. She's also a high school student, not much older than myself, and I can't help but wonder how much of her confidence is just an act to keep our spirits up. All I can do right now, is to support her to the best of my ability. “Yes, Buchou.”

* * *

We arrive at the town square, where the fountain is. Ironic that this should be the place for the final fight, the same place where we had the first engagement of the game, which was also two on two. The only difference are the players, and the fact that the giant tree in the background is nothing but a smoking ruin now, silent testament to the fierceness of our struggle.

“So you came,” Luna says simply. She's standing right out in the open with Spike. So it wasn't a trap after all.

“Naturally,” Rias declares, running her fingers through her long, crimson hair. “As the heir to the noble House of Gremory, I cannot ignore such a brazen challenge.”

I lock eyes with Spike, and without even meaning to, the Boosted Gear appears on my left arm.

[Boost!]

He's staring back at me. The claws at his sides are balled into fists. There is a connection between us that can't be denied. We both carry the legacy of incredibly powerful dragons, Spike as the son of a Dragon King and myself as the Red Dragon Emperor.

[Boost!]

But that's not all. Over the last week we've become friends. We fought together, watched each others' backs and survived the Everfree Forest as a team. As a result, both of us have grown stronger.

[Boost!]

I take a step forward. “Buchou!” I say loudly. “Hyoudou Issei, requesting permission to fight the enemy [Pawn] one-on-one.”

“Ise?” Rias seems perplexed, and I look over my shoulder at her.

[Boost!]

“Please, Buchou. This is something I must do alone. The opponent is a real dragon. In order to become your [Strongest Pawn], I must defeat him.”

Spike also takes a step forward. “I feel the same way. I have to do this. For Rarity, for all of our friends and for myself. Please allow it, Princess Luna!”

[Boost!]

Feels like even Ddraig is getting pumped for this fight. Only Princess Luna has a complicated expression on her face. “What do you say, Rias Gremory?”

Buchou sighs, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Can't be helped. They seem determined to do it. I'm willing to grant my servant's request, if you are.”

There is a long pause, but eventually Luna nods. “Very well.”

[Boost!]

With our masters' approval, we both charge across the large square, when suddenly something odd occurs.

[This is it, Celly. Wanna give me your measurements right now, so we can get you fitted for that maid outfit?]

Huh? Is that Sirzechs-sama's voice? What's he talking about?

[Hah! Dream on! You better start learning some tea recipes. I've got your apron right here. I've already won this bet. You just don't know it yet.]

Was that Celestia? What kind of bet is this?

“Spike, cease immediately!” There's Luna's Royal Canterlot voice again.

“Ise, stop!” Buchou?

Both Spike and I skid to a halt in the very process of coming up against one another. We're left standing there with our arms half extended, both brought up short in the process of landing the first punch. Our fists hover inches from the others' face. It looks like a scene right out of a cheesy manga.

[Oi, what's wrong. Why did they stop?]

Azazel's voice. The one to follow up on that is Discord.

[Michael? What's that blinking red light mean?]

Archangel Michael-sama, the referee for our match, says it in a completely calm tone, as if it had nothing to do with him.

[Oh, my bad. I must have left the mic open.]

Team Luna (members still active): 2
Princess Luna [King]
~~Twilight Sparkle [Queen]~~
~~Rainbow Dash [Knight]~~
~~Fluttershy [Bishop]~~
~~Rarity [Bishop]~~
~~Applejack [Rook]~~
~~Pinkie Pie [Rook]~~
Spike [Pawn]

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 5

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Part 5

It's pretty quiet in the V.I.P. room right now. Celestia and Sirzechs have transported to the field. Luna and Rias have called a ceasefire, and they won't continue the Rating Game until they've had a word with their siblings.

“So, you accidentally left the microphone open, huh?” Azazel asks with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

“It would appear that way,” Michael confirms in a stoic manner.

“Funny,” I tell him, having my own suspicions about the matter. “Especially since there was no announcement prior to your little blunder.”

The archangel shrugs. “I have no explanation for you, Discord. Maybe there was a technical glitch, or I hit the button by accident.”

Azazel laughs. “Come on now. Your sense of justice was upset the moment you realized that Sirzechs and Celestia weren't being truthful about their bet with these two. Still, I didn't think you had it in you to be so sneaky about it.”

“I don't know what you mean.”

“Right. Right. It was all an accident. You know, if you ever fall, you can always join the Grigori. With Kokabiel locked up, I've been on the lookout for a new Fallen Angel Cadre.”

Michael turns to him and, for the first time since the Rating Game was put on hold, gives him a grin. “You'd enjoy that very much, wouldn't you?”

Suddenly there's the sound of somepony clearing their throat to my right. “Ahem. Excuse us for interrupting.”

When I look in that direction, I can see every member from both teams that has retired so far standing there. “Oh, I thought you were still in the medical wing.”

“Well,” Rarity explains, “as soon as both Fluttershy and Ms. Asia turned up, the medical team became kind of obsolete.”

Asia blushes with a self-deprecating smile. “I couldn't do much to help in the Rating Game, so it was the least I could do.”

“And it's much appreciated, darling. But we were wondering, if we could join you to watch the outcome of the Rating Game?” Rarity gives me that look. Good thing I'm not Spike, or I would have no defense against that.

“I'm not sure what the rules say about that,” I tell her slyly while turning to Michael. “I suppose that'd be up to the judge.”

He closes his eyes for a moment. “I don't see why it would be a problem. Come on in, everyone.” Azazel also nods with a wink, and I snap my talons to provide some chairs for the devils, as well as cushions for the ponies, to sit on.

As they all file in, I catch Fluttershy's eye. Philomena is sitting on her back. Looks like she really took a shine to her. “Good work today,” I tell her simply.

“Thank you, Discord. The rest is up to Spike now.”

I nod. “He might actually win this thing.”

“Oh, I know he will.”

I raise my eyebrow at that. Fluttershy is not usually the kind of pony for blind optimism. “You really mean that, don't you?”

“Oh, yes.” She thinks for a moment, tapping a hoof against her chin. “I don't really know where that confidence comes from, though. I guess we all knew that Spike was dependable before. But lately he seems even more so. I wonder why that is.”

I begin to chuckle inwardly. So that's how it is, huh? Looks like he fully unlocked his powers. Considering his closest friends are all mares, I'd say he's got some interesting times ahead of him.

“Dissy!” Suddenly a pink ball of crazy gets right up in my face. “I just realized, we forgot something super-duper-uber important, before the big battle!!!”

“What, Pinkie Pie?” She just keeps staring into my eyes with a huge grin. Eventually I sigh, raising my arm to snap my talons once again. “Popcorn and chocolate milk, coming right up.”

"Don't forget the whipped cream!"

* * *

“What do you think they're talking about in there, Ise?” Spike asks me while we sit next to each other in the town square.

I look over my shoulder at the dome-shaped magical barrier behind us. After they came here, Sirzechs and Celestia entered to talk things out with Luna and Buchou. It's been several minutes now. “Beats me. Hopefully they'll settle the issue, and we can get back to it.”

Spike nods. “Just so you know, I'm not gonna pull any punches.”

“Neither am I.” I can't help but start thinking about Saji at this moment. I wonder if this is something that just comes with being a [Pawn], this desire to prove oneself to their master. Of course I've got my own reasons to fight on Buchou's behalf. So he must have his as well. This certainly isn't gonna be an easy fight.

[Glad to see you're taking this seriously, partner.]

Ddraig? The jewel in my Boosted Gear is glowing.

[Can we talk strategy for a moment?]

I glance over at Spike, but there's no indication that he's realized what's going on. He's got his eyes closed, probably mentally preparing himself for the fight ahead.

[Don't worry. He can't hear us right now. I'll be blunt. There's no way you can defeat him as you are right now.]

That's blunt, alright. But it doesn't really come as much of a shock. I pretty much knew, since our fight with that hydra. If I could get into Balance Breaker, it would be a different matter.

[Exactly.]

Oi. Ddraig! Are you serious? I want to win, but I'm not sure that I'd be willing to give up another body part for that. … Well, maybe if it was just an eye.

He chuckles. [I like your resolve, but that's not what I meant. The young one has unleashed most of his potential, but his body isn't used to it yet. He's got so much raw energy that it's overflowing.]

I look over at him again. I'm not that good at reading an opponent, but even I can tell the power emanating from him. So it's sort of like a leaky pipe under too much pressure?

[If that's how you want to think about it, I guess that works. I've managed to collect some of his excess energy over the last few days and channeled it back into the Boosted Gear.]

Oh, that's great! You really are a Heavenly Dragon! So does that mean …?

[Yes, I can use it to substitute for the activation cost. Seems only fair, considering our first power transfer in the other direction unlocked his potential. But keep in mind, your body still isn't strong enough to handle the power output for long.]

How long?

[I can give you four minutes in Balance Breaker. After that, I'm gonna have to shut it down, or risk cutting down your already shortened lifespan. And you absolutely cannot use Divine Dividing.]

Well, I'm not prepared to risk my life for a friendly match. I'm just gonna have to defeat him within those four minutes, right?

Suddenly the barrier behind us dissipates, and we both stand up immediately. There's Buchou and Luna, both with a sour expression on their faces, but I can't see Sirzechs-sama or Princess Celestia.

“Honestly,” Rias sighs. “I can't believe those two, making us fight for such a childish reason.”

“Quite right,” Luna agrees. “I'm still of half a mind to simply call this a draw and leave them both hanging.”

“Uhm, what happened?” I ask worriedly.

“We renegotiated the terms of their bet,” Buchou explains. “Under different circumstances, I would have also liked to simply call a draw.”

“Why didn't you?”

She then gives me a smile. “Because that would have meant breaking a promise to my important servant. I gave you my permission for a duel with Spike, after all.”

Buchou! You're really great. On the other hand, for some reason I still can't discern, Luna doesn't seem very happy to go forward with this. “Make it quick, Spike,” she tells my rival. “I don't want you to drag this out anymore than is necessary.”

He nods, and we get back into our initial positions, Spike and I facing each other while our respective masters stand a ways behind us. Spike puts up his fists. “Ready?” he asks me.

Reaching my left hand forward, I reply. “Almost. I'll just be a second. Shine forth! Over Boost!!!”

Everyone is momentarily blinded by the green light from my Sacred Gear as my body becomes encased by dragon-like armor made from a red metal.

[Welsh Dragon – Over Boost!!! Boosted Gear Scale-mail!]

“Balance Breaker!?” I can hear Buchou's shocked voice from behind me. I told her that I still couldn't use it earlier. I'm gonna have to explain it to her later.

[Remember, partner. Four minutes.]

I'm gonna do it in three, just to be on the safe side, I think to myself as I charge forward. Spike is still standing in the same spot, keeping his guard up, despite the unexpected event. He's got a lot of courage, I'll give him that.

“Ready or not, here I come!” I draw back my fist, but when I'm almost in front of him, the booster on my back ignites, giving me some extra speed. Spike was ready for my punch, but the sudden acceleration makes it impossible for him to follow it.

“Guh!”

The punch lands on his left cheek, and he spits out blood and broken teeth while whirling around. Sorry, pal. But I have to make every attack count, or I'll run out of juice. Turning, I deliver a kick to his side which knocks the wind out of him.

But my follow-up punch only hits air as he ducks beneath it, and then does something unexpected.

Clonk!

I stumble back and try to shake off the dizziness. I can't believe he head-butted me! I'm wearing armor, you know. But aside from a small scratch at his temple, he looks fine. Talk about hard-headed.

Another swing and a miss for me, and he gets in close enough to take a swipe at my chest. As hard as the scale-mail is, it still leaves a scratch mark. Spike then drops and turns, swiping me off my feet with his tail.

While I struggle to get up, he takes a huge gulp of air. Knowing what he's going to do, I raise my arms instinctively to protect my head.

[Dragon Fire!]

Being engulfed by green flame from all sides is terrifying, alright. Even through the armor I can feel the heat, but that's about it. He glowers at me as I struggle to get up. My promotion to [Rook] may have saved me, but the armor is cumbersome. Spike is used to carrying his scales around, so he's the more nimble one. He's more like a [Knight] than a [Pawn] right now.

“Alright, if that's the case, then all I have to do is seal your movements. [Dress Make!]”

Several linen bandages shoot up from the ground at Spike's feet and wrap themselves around his arms and legs. I also make sure to get his tail.

“What the heck is this?” The more he's struggling, the tighter they become. He's using all his strength, but it looks like my new technique can hold him.

“Neat, huh? I got the idea from an Egyptian mummy I met a while ago.” I can hear Rias groan behind me. Looks like she remembers our encounter with Unas. “Though I couldn't have done it without that cloth-making spell you gave me in the forest. Rarity was just as surprised as you are right now.”

For some reason, he stops struggling as I approach. “Rarity?”

“Yeah, I used that technique on her as well. I probably couldn't have defeated her otherwise.”

Spike looks up at me in utter horror. But I don't get the sense that it's because of his impending defeat. “Rarity … got hurt … because of me?”

I stop. “Huh? I guess you could put it that way, but there's a little more to it than that.”

But he's not listening to me anymore. His whole body is actually shivering, and he keeps repeating the same words over and over. “I hurt Rarity. I hurt Rarity. I hurt Rarity.” I can even hear some sobs in between there. Poor guy. I'm really feeling sorry for him right now.

[Partner! Finish him! Right now!]

I've never heard Ddraig's voice being this alarmed before. But now I can feel it as well. There's a huge killing intent coming from the young dragon. His eyes are glowing with an intense white light.

“RAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRRR!!!”

I raise my left arm to deliver the finishing blow. [Dragon Shot!] The blast hits right where he was a moment ago, but it only leaves a smoking hole in the ground. Where did he go?

“Ise! Look up!”

At Buchou's words, I crane my neck to see. I don't believe it. Spike is flying! More like hovering, since he still hasn't got any wings, but he's in the air nonetheless. The ripped bandages are hanging off of his body. If he broke through with brute force, he must be at least as powerful as Twilight was during our fight earlier.

Spreading his arms wide, he inhales once more, arching his whole body in the process. This looks bad.

[Howling Meteor Blaze!]

What seems like an enormous boulder of green flame, hurtles towards me. Luckily Ddraig activates the boosters and lifts me into the air, but I can still feel the shockwave from the impact. Are you serious right now? Looking at the ground, it made a crater ten times the size of my [Dragon Shot]. At least Buchou and Luna seem to have been far enough away as they look on stunned. If that hit me, I might actually die!

“Roar!”

“Oi, don't you think you're overdoing … uff!” The time for me to gather my thoughts, is cut short, as Spike charges at me in mid-air. He's not punching, he's clawing at me, managing to peel chunks of my armor off in the process. How did he suddenly get so powerful? It's like all rational thought has left him, and now there's only a raging beast left. Is this the true power of a dragon?

I try to strike back while half of my helmet shatters. I know that Ddraig can replace the armor, as long as the jewel remains intact. But this is insane. I keep hitting his face, but he's not even bothering to dodge or block, simply shrugging my blows off like they were nothing while he keeps swiping at me with those claws of his.

“Alright, you asked for it!” I didn't want to use this, but he's leaving me no choice. “Ascalon!” The dragon-slayer sword comes out of my Sacred Gear. I only intend to give him a scratch with it. Since he's a dragon, that should put him out of commission. But as I thrust my left hand forward, his right claw surges as well, impaling itself on the blade.

He's howling at an ear-splitting volume as the blood gushes from his hurt hand. There's clearly pain in his voice. Why did you have to block this one of all strikes?

From the wound upward, his scales are sizzling and turning a sickly brown color. It pains me to see him like this, but at least it's over now.

Crash!

Or not, I think as he closes his left fist around my neck and slams both of us into the ground. As I watch incredulously, he actually closes his fist around the blade embedded in his flesh and pulls. The blade detaches from my Boosted Gear, and Spike throws it out of my reach as if it was a piece of scrap metal.

But the wound has left his right arm disabled, dangling uselessly at his side. He's not even paying attention to it as he raises his left and keeps wailing on me, peeling off my armor in chunks.

In desperation, I raise my right hand to his face, summoning the Sacred Gear I took from Vali. “[Divine Dividing!]”

[No, partner! You can't!]

I know, Ddraig. It'll cut down my lifespan. But I'm not gonna use it. I just need the distraction. Just as expected, Spike brings up his good arm to block the perceived attack. It looks like he's not totally gone. He still reacts to powerful forces like Ascalon or the [Divine Dividing]. Or maybe that's just his instincts taking over.

Now that his left arm is occupied and his right injured, I lift my own left up, right in front of his face as he's growling at me.

“[Dragon Shot!]”

The blast connects at short range, firing right into his gaping maw. His head snaps back from the impact, and there's smoke coming from his mouth. The only thing I can hear now is my own heavy breathing.

“Is it … finally … over?”

“RAWR!!” Spike's head surges forward again, and his jaws snap shut around my wrist. Just how tough is he? He's like some kind of unstoppable juggernaut!

[Sorry, partner. Looks like this is our limit right now.]

What do you mean, Ddraig? The pressure increases as Spike bites down on the jewel and then something happens that I would never have anticipated in a million years. A crack appears along the green gem, and then it shatters.

“No way!” Even as my armor disintegrates around me, I still can't believe it.

The last thing I see is that dreadful purple claw, being raised, hovering above, ready to strike. Then I can feel the tingle of transportation magic surround me, and everything goes black.

* * *

“ISSEI!!!” I can't help but scream his name as my servant gets transported off the field, and not a moment too soon. Spike's claw flashes forward faster than even my devil eyes can see, burying itself in the ground. Surely without his armor, this would have been a fatal blow.

[Rias Gremory's Pawn retires.]

Spike growls at the empty space beneath him. Having been cheated out of his prey, his head slowly turns around in a reptilian fashion, fixing those glowing eyes on me.

To say that I was unafraid of him, after seeing how Issei was taken out despite being in Balance Breaker, would be a lie. But I can't back down now. I have to make my stand. Concentrating my demonic energies in the palm of my hand, I begin to slowly coalesce my Power of Destruction.

The dragon takes a lumbering step towards me, his battered right arm still hanging by his side like a dead tree branch.

Crack!

“Rawwwrr!”

He screams, stumbling forward and hit by a massive amount of magical energy. But not by my hand. Even as his head moves around, my eyes focus on Princess Luna's glowing horn as well.

Without hesitation, she fires off another bolt of magical energy.

“Graaah!” Spike drops to his knees, a look of betrayal on his contorted face. As the transportation magic begins to envelop his body, his eyes return to normal, revealing a confused look. “What was I …?” Then he's gone.

[Princess Luna's Pawn retires.]

The alicorn sighs heavily and closes her eyes with an unreadable expression on her immortal face. Several moments pass in silence.

“That was a cruel thing to do to your own servant,” I say eventually.

Acknowledging that I'm still here, she opens her eyes and looks at me with crushing guilt behind them. “No, Rias Gremory. T'was cruel of me to allow this duel to take place in the first place, knowing full well how unstable he was. Now I've got a taste of what it must have been like for my sister, when she banished me to the moon all those years ago.”

“Unstable?”

“A dragon's wrath is a frightful thing. Heed these words well, for you have your own dragon in your peerage. One day, you might face a similar decision, to turn on him, before he gets devoured by his own power. You must steel yourself for that possibility, and pray it never comes.”

I'm not really sure how to respond to that. But as I calm down and analyze the situation in my head, I realize one thing. She could have just let him attack me. That would have been the strategic thing to do. But instead she took him down, preventing him from continuing on his rampage. Could it be … that she actually did it to save him, before his mind was fully gone?

“You care a great deal for your servants, heir of the House of Gremory,” she tells me then. “That makes you a worthy opponent. But having seen their sacrifice, I also owe it to my own comrades to stop holding back my real strength.”

Holding back? Come to think of it, I've never seen her fight, not during training nor the actual Rating Game. I shake my head. She's just trying to rattle my confidence. “I won't be beaten by mere words. Let us end this. King vs. King.” Standing tall, I summon another vortex of demonic power in my other hand.

What is disturbing, is how she breaks into a smile. “Wonderful! It is such a rare occasion for me to unleash my full power. Ahahahahaha!”

The artificial sky darkens even more as lightning seemingly strikes out of nowhere. The wind picks up with an icy chill, and Luna's horn begins to glow ominously as she unfurls her wings. They are no longer the deep blue from before, but jet-black. Her golden armor begins to morph, changing from something mainly decorative into seemingly indestructible obsidian.

“Ahahahaha!” Her laugh sends a chill down my spine. This is ridiculous. I can't be frightened by a mere illusion. I'm a daughter of the House of Gremory! She takes a single step forward, a being of darkness through and through, and it makes me nervous. “COME, RIAS GREMORY! SHOW ME THE RESOLVE OF A TRUE DEVIL! IN RETURN, I SHALL SHOW YOU THE TRUE TERROR OF THE NIGHT!”

I will my body to take a step forward as well, even as I can feel my power waning, my concentration slipping as I behold that sight. No longer the friendly mare I had a chat with at the spa, but rather a terrifying creature of the night.

“LONG HAVE I WONDERED, DO DEVILS DREAM? DO THEY KNOW NIGHTMARES?” Even her voice seems to hold a quality of untold eons of cruelty, dripping with malice from between her fangs. Step by step, like an unstoppable force of nature she closes in on me, even though she's not making any indication to attack. And yet I can't stop my body from shivering.

My demonic power flickers and fades like a candle in a storm as visions of my precious servants flicker in my mind. Bloody. Beaten. Unmoving. … Dead. It's this very instant that I realize the power disparity between us. She's god-class. Had she chosen to use her full power from the start, she could have annihilated us all by herself.

Still she approaches, blanketing my very soul with an icy chill, and without even meaning to, I drop to my knees as she stops right in front of me. My whole body feels as cold as ice, so the hot tears, streaming down my cheeks unbidden, make themselves even more obvious.

…

“I … yield …” It's as if somebody else spoke the words with my own voice, since I can't even breathe right now. Her hoof touches my shoulder, and my body seizes up in fear.

But when I look up, the nightmare is gone, and I see the immortal face of Princess Luna smiling at me, and somehow my fears are slowly dispelled again, even though my body is still shivering slightly.

Breathing heavily, I lower my head, knowing the announcement Michael is about to make. I'm sorry, my precious servants. I've failed you all.

[Rias Gremory yields. The winner is Princess Luna!]

…

[No.]

…

[I'm not gonna say it, Discord.]

…

[Because it sounds ridiculous, that's why.]

…

[Ugh, fine. The coveted title of Strongest Little Sister goes to Princess Luna!]

…

[There, happy now?]

New Life - Part 1

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New Life

Part 1

The last thing I saw was that frightening claw coming for me. I think Buchou was screaming my name. Then everything went black, and I woke up in a medical facility with pony doctors looking over me.

It was then that I realized I had lost. Remembering the last few moments, I immediately tried to summon my Boosted Gear and couldn't. But I could still feel Ddraig's presence, even though there were no words like normal, only a reassuring murmur that my Sacred Gear would restore itself in time and a sense of incredible tiredness.

Then I remembered my fight against Vali, how I'd cracked one of the jewels from his Sacred Gear, forcing him to exit Balance Breaker momentarily. It had only taken him seconds to recover, yet another reminder that I was nowhere near his level of power, or even Spike's for that matter.

Shortly afterward, I heard that we'd lost the Rating Game, and we all were transported back to Golden Oaks Library, the very place we'd arrived at a week ago, along with Team Luna.

Team Gremory is gathered on one side of the central room, and it feels like we're all in various stages of feeling sorry for ourselves. After Asia brought me up to speed on what had happened during the final battle, we were all fairly quiet.

But it looks like Buchou is taking it the hardest. She's been sitting on a bench, looking out the nearest window pensively, and she hasn't said a word since.

I wanna go over to her, but I can't think of anything to say. I just wanna be there for her. I wanna give her a hug and squeeze her breasts … no, wait! I don't wanna squeeze her breasts. I mean, I do, but this isn't the right time for that.

Suddenly I can feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to see Kiba give me a sad look as he walks past me and up to Buchou.

“Rias-buchou,” he says quietly, and then he bows deeply. “I'm sorry.”

For the first time since we got here, I can see her react as she looks at him with a puzzled expression. “Yuuto? You have nothing to apologize for.”

But he doesn't raise himself up. “Yes, I do. I acted impulsively, after the attack on our base. Instead of awaiting your orders, I gave chase immediately. This mistake resulted in my defeat and put us at a disadvantage early on.”

Akeno-san then stands next to him. “I also share the blame.” Her eyes wander over to the other side of the room, where Team Luna has gathered, and linger on Twilight in particular. “I underestimated my opponent, having beaten her before. This lapse in judgment was my undoing.”

Asia, Gasper and Koneko-chan are also bowing down, even though they made no mistakes as far as I'm concerned. “If I wasn't so helpless in combat, maybe my ability could have benefited the team when they needed it.” Asia …

Following their lead, I can't think of anything else other than to bow myself. “I'm sorry, Buchou. I wasn't strong enough.”

That leaves only Xenovia who isn't bowing down. “I think I did pretty well for myself.”

Everyone turns to look at her. True, she did save me from that rainbow-colored explosion of doom. But Kiba gives her a glare. “Didn't you charge headlong into the enemy base, even though you'd been discovered?”

She nods. “And it was the right thing to do at the time. Turning to run would have made things worse.” Then she looks away for a second. “That's not to say I couldn't have done more. If I'd had full control of Durandal from the start, maybe things would have turned out differently.”

“Xenovia,” I whisper towards her urgently. “Buchou is …”

But the former member of the church goes on. “What I'm trying to say is, your strategy was sound, Buchou. Everyone here agrees with that, that's why they're trying to take the blame, to put your mind at ease.” Xenovia might be smarter than we give her credit for.

“Xenovia!” Kiba objects.

“No, she's right, Yuuto.” When Rias finally speaks, we all turn our attention towards her. “You all did well, beyond expectations even. Despite the fact that I could barely keep up with Luna in terms of strategy, it was thanks to all of you that we came as far as we did. That is why, as your master, I am so very proud of all of you.”

Buchou …

“This defeat is entirely my responsibility. I lost my nerve. That is all there is to it in the end. I am weak. There was no way I could have beaten her, I know that. This is my failure as a [King].”

Even now I can see the fear in her eyes. I've never seen Buchou be afraid of anything, not even during our fight against Kokabiel or when the peace conference was attacked. That alone speaks to the fact how ridiculously powerful Luna is.

She takes a deep breath and stands up. “I can only own my mistakes and try to walk forward. That is what it means to be truly free. Right now I can only thank all of you, and promise that I'll do better next time.”

Everyone visibly relaxes as we see the hint of a smile return to her face. Even in defeat, the Crimson-haired Ruin Princess is an amazing person.

Good. This doom and gloom atmosphere was starting to get heavy. Kiba then looks at me. “Issei, say something motivating.”

“Huh? Me?” I point a finger at myself like an idiot.

“Ara ara, go ahead. You're good at that sort of thing, ufufu.” Geez, thanks for putting me on the spot like this, Akeno-san. Even Buchou gives me a nod. I cross my arms in front of my chest, trying to think of something to say.

“Uhm, we may have gotten our asses handed to us by candy-colored, talking ponies today.” Okay, maybe not the best start. “But I do know this: One defeat isn't gonna stop us from getting stronger. If anything, we'll learn from it, so we can really take it to our opponents in the real Rating Games.”

“Hear, hear!” Xenovia shouts, slapping me on the back with slightly more force than was probably necessary.

“Alright, then. Let's go over there and congratulate our opponents on their victory.” At Buchou's words, we all nod and begin making our way over to the other side of the room, where Team Luna has gathered.

To our surprise, they're not in much of a celebratory mood either. All the ponies have gathered around a door that leads to an adjoining room with worried expressions.

Twilight is knocking on the door with one hoof. “Spike, please. We're all worried about you.”

“No!” I can hear the dragon's muffled voice from inside the room. “I'm never coming out again! I don't wanna hurt anypony.”

Rarity is also standing in front of the door. “Spike, listen to me. I'm right here, and I'm fine.” She then shoots a glare that is filled with daggers in my direction. “I know it wasn't your fault. You were deceived by the lies of a fabric-abusing pervert-devil.”

I swallow hard. I guess the two of us will never see eye to eye on certain things. I did try telling him that it wasn't his fault during the fight already.

“That's not it,” he admits weakly. “It happened to me again during the battle. I lost control, just like back then. I don't even remember what I did.”

Everybody goes silent. “Has something like this happened before?” Buchou inquires.

“Once,” Twilight replies. “He was overwhelmed by his dragon greed and went on a rampage throughout Ponyville.”

Yeah, he actually told me about that during our time in the Everfree Forest.

“Spike, listen to me,” Luna says in a very calm and measured manner. “Rarity and I know exactly what you're going through. It was the same for us while we were under the Nightmare's control. We know that feeling of our bodies acting against our will. So trust me when I say, hiding from it isn't the answer.”

“It's not the same,” he moans. “You were taken over against your will and then freed. This … thing, it's part of me. And I can't be sure, when it's gonna come out again.”

“Oh, but that's where you're wrong Spike,” Rarity objects. “We all have the same darkness inside of us. It was our doubt and weakness that allowed the Nightmare to take Princess Luna and myself, and it hasn't gone away.”

Rarity gives the Princess a look, who urges her to go on with a nod.

“That part of us is still there. We both had to learn to live with what we did. Ignoring it won't help. Believe me, I've tried. All I got to show for it was nightmares for weeks. But once you acknowledge it's there, you can control it.”

“It can also be a strength, rather than a weakness,” Luna explains. “I hated the fact that ponies still saw me as Nightmare Moon after my return. But I learned that it could also be used for good. The power within you is not evil. It's what you make of it, what you use it for. Think about it. You unleashed that power, because of your strong feelings for Rarity, to protect your friends. Once you accept this part of you, you can choose to use it only to help your friends, and you'll control it rather than it controlling you.”

“Won't you come out now, Spikey-Wikey?” Rarity asks.

“… No!”

Luna grimaces. “Drat, I thought this was gonna work.”

“It was a good speech,” Twilight reassures her.

“Hm, apparently not good enough. Now what?”

“How 'bout we just break down the door?” Applejack suggests.

“I second that!” Rainbow Dash immediately follows up.

Buchou, having listened intently thus far, gives me an odd look, then waves Luna over. “What is it, Rias Gremory?” She quickly whispers something into her ear, to which the Princess raises an eyebrow. “You think that's gonna work?”

Buchou shrugs. “Can't hurt to try. He is a dragon.”

The Princess of the Night walks up to the door again and clears her throat. “Very well, Spike. I won't force you to come out. But if you don't, then you're not gonna get your victory kiss from Rarity.”

The white unicorn looks at her with wide eyes and begins to blush. Luna gives her a wink.

“Really?” Spike asks hesitantly.

Rarity's expression softens. “Yes, Spike. Considering all that you've done, I'd say it's the least you deserve.”

“As a matter of fact,” the Princess continues, “while the Evil Pieces haven't been removed, I am still your [King]. And as [King], I am ordering every member of Team Luna to give Spike a kiss.”

There is a moment of tense silence, before we hear the metallic click of a lock, and the door opens ever so slightly while Spike's head begins to peek out.

“Gottcha!” Rainbow Dash shouts, wrapping her front hooves around his neck and pulling him forward. Then, to everybody's shock, she gives him a peck on the cheek. “First!”

“Aw, no fair!” Pinkie yells. Before he even knows what's happening, she's kissed his other cheek. “But you still promised me a date, right?”

“Hang on!” Applejack charges in and also gives him a smooch. “Before that, he still owes me a dinner.”

Squawk!

While Philomena, the phoenix, distracts everyone, Fluttershy slips in unnoticed, almost like a ninja, for her kiss. “Uhm, I think Philomena's really gotten to like you. So you should come over to play sometime, if that's alright with you.”

Guh! I'm so jealous right now. He's so stunned that he's not even realizing how lucky he is right now. “Man, I wish I already had a harem like this.”

Buchou gives me an exasperated look.

“What?”

She simply sighs and shakes her head at my question. “Never mind, it's nothing.”

“EXCUSE ME!” Twilight suddenly yells, pushing past her friends to stand next to Spike. “This is my number one assistant you're all fawning over, and he's gonna be busy all week next week, helping me reorganize the library.”

“Oh, come on,” he protests.

But she silences him with a wink. “There'll be ice cream,” she promises, and then gives him a smooch as well.

Spike begins to chuckle nervously. “Well, at least I can reach the top shelves without a ladder now.”

“AHEM!” Everypony takes an involuntary step backwards at Rarity's intensity as she glares at them. “Why is it that everypony got to kiss my Spikey-Wikey before me?”

Spike gulps and stands in front of her. “Sorry. I know you only said it to get me out of there. So, … you don't have to, if …”

“Well, I won't,” she tells him flatly, and I can see his face fall. Poor guy. This is the one mare he actually wanted a kiss from. “Now that all my so-called friends preempted me, I have to step up my game.”

“What do you mean?”

Before he can ask any further, Rarity closes in and kisses him squarely on the lips. For a moment Spike just seems frozen in shock. Then he closes his eyes, draping a claw across her shoulders and kisses her back.

“Woo-hoo! Go, Rarity!” Applejack cheers on her friend, and I can see the hint of a smile form on Rarity's lips as she continues to kiss the dragon.

They keep it up for a long time, actually, seemingly oblivious to everyone around them. Not that I begrduge Spike his moment, mind you, but it's starting to get a little awkward.

Thankfully Princess Luna steps in by tapping Rarity's shoulder lightly. “Excuse me, Rarity. But I will only be a moment. He'll be all yours after that.”

The unicorn looks at her, then blushes. “Oh, of course. Go ahead, Your Highness.”

“P-Princess?” Spike asks in confusion as she stands in front of him.

“I said every team member, didn't I?” she explains with a smile, then leans forward to lightly kiss his forehead. “You've done very well today. We couldn't have won without you.”

Spike returns the smile. “Thank you, Princess. That means a lot.”

She then turns to the rest of us, Team Gremory included, and her grin becomes positively vicious. “Now then, let us return to Canterlot. I believe some people are due to pay off a debt.”

New Life - Part 2

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Part 2

Only a few times have I ever seen the throne room in Canterlot Castle so lavishly decorated. Twilight's coronation was one such occasion. Another was just after our return from the Crystal Empire, which had seen the unveiling of my very own stained-glass window.

Today another such piece of art had been added to the hall, this one depicting Princess Luna and Rias Gremory side by side, with their servants surrounding them.

Right now both teams are enjoying a feast to celebrate the conclusion of our Rating Game. Quite frankly, I couldn't be happier right now, having two of my favorite things in the world close by. The first is a bowl of rare gemstones for me alone, since nobody else here eats those. The other is my new marefriend Rarity, who hasn't left my side since we kissed in the library.

“So he just shows up by bike and knocks on the door?” Princess Luna is sitting at the head of the table, finally enjoying a leisurely chat with her former opponent.

“I know,” Rias sighs. “Such an undignified way for a devil to respond to a summons. But most of his customers don't seem to mind.”

Looking to one side of the room, I can see Fluttershy sitting at a small table with the two former church members Asia and Xenovia, playing a card game. Neither of them seems to have realized yet that Philomena is circling above their heads and tipping their hands to Fluttershy.

Discord and Azazel appear to be drunk, singing, or rather roaring, ancient songs that haven't been heard in thousands of years while having their arms draped around the shoulders of a reluctant Michael.

Applejack and Koneko-chan appear to be locked in an arm-wrestling match while Kiba and Rainbow Dash are talking, probably about weapons techniques, next to an ancient set of pony armor. Meanwhile Pinkie and Gasper have amassed a mountain of sweets before them, discussing how best to attack it. Twilight is standing next to the windows, explaining the meaning of each to her fellow [Queen] Akeno, who is listening with polite interest.

Which leaves Ise, who for some reason is the only one who doesn't appear to be enjoying himself. He's been glaring at me for the past half hour from his place at the table.

“More tea, anyone?”

“Uh, not for me, thanks,” I tell the ruler of the Underworld, who does manage to pull off the look with a frilly, pink apron rather well, all things considered.

“Over here, onii-san,” Rias calls while holding up her empty cup.

Despite everything, he's still got that slightly mischievous smile on his face. It's almost like he expected this to happen, and is fine with it. I'll never understand super-powerful rulers like him and Celestia.

Speaking of Celestia. “Maid! Where are those desserts? Do not make me look foolish in front of my guests,” Luna commands, not quite going for the Royal Canterlot Voice, but close.

“Here they are, Your Highness,” Princess Celestia says cheerfully, pushing a cart with assorted sweets in front of her with her magic. You know, Celestia's always had that untouchable quality about her, but I gotta admit, she actually looks damn sexy in a maid outfit.

“You know, Tia. You could at least pretend to suffer a little, after all you put me through this past week,” Luna comments slightly annoyed as her sister puts a slice of tiramisu in front of her.

“Oh, how could I?” she exclaims happily, rubbing her cheek against that of the Princess of the Night. “I haven't had this much fun in centuries. I'm so proud of you, Lulu.”

“Tia! Don't call me that in front of everyone,” Luna responds with a blush while Rias begins to giggle next to her.

I can feel Rarity snuggling up to me a little closer. To feel her body heat like this, it's an incredible feeling. When I look at her, I find her staring at my face with a dreamy smile.

“Aren't you hungry?” I ask, a little embarrassed. “You hardly touched your food.”

“No, just being here with you is enough,” she replies with a twinkle in her eyes. “But I might just gobble you up later tonight.”

“Eh? What do you mean by that?”

She giggles. “You'll see.” Then she leans in even closer, so her sweet perfume is tickling my nostrils, to whisper. “I've asked for adjoining rooms in the castle.”

I swallow hard. Oh, man. Did she just … Is she implying … ?

Suddenly Ise shoots up from his chair with an angry expression on his face. Walking around the table, he says in a cool tone: “Spike, may I have a word with you in private?”

“Uh, sure.” I give Rarity an apologetic smile, since she's clearly unhappy about me leaving. Even when she's pouting, she's cute.

“Come back soon, Spikey-Wikey,” she calls after me.

For some reason Ise seems even more upset than before as I follow him towards a small alcove at the far end of the throne room. He suddenly stops, still having his back turned towards me. “Spike, how could you do this to me?” he asks, his body clearly shaking.

I'm at a loss for words. I didn't know how much his defeat had affected him. I've come to consider him a friend, after the time we spent together in the Everfree Forest. Hopefully our battle hasn't caused me to lose a friend I'd only made so recently.

“Ise …”

Then he turns around, tears standing in his eyes. “How could you go ahead and get a harem before me?”

“Eh?” Tilting my head to the side in confusion, I ask: “Harem?”

He puts his hands on my shoulders. “We're buddies, we're pals, right? You gotta tell me your secret, man!”

…

[Idiot.]

We both react by looking at Ise's left arm. “Ddraig? Are you alright?” he asks.

[I'm fine. Just needed a little rest. Anyway, the reason why young Spike here has an easier time is simple. I told you before that women have always gravitated towards a dragon's powers. He's got two distinct advantages over you.]

“What's that?”

[Firstly, he was friends with the mares before. Secondly, his powers of attraction don't need to offset the general aura of pervertedness you seem to exude on a constant basis, partner.]

Ise seems close to crying, so I try to diffuse the situation. “Look, I don't really want or need a harem. Rarity is enough for me.”

[Hm, that decision might not be up to you. In Equestria there is the social concept of a herd, no? You'd better watch yourself.]

“Guh!” Ise raises his fist while having a fire in his eyes. “Dammit! Just you watch, Spike! Next time we meet, I'm gonna have a harem of my own. I'll show you!”

He extends his fist towards me, and then finally a smile reappears on his face. I can't help but chuckle at his determination. But I guess this is the goal he set for himself. “Yeah, I reckon you will, Harem King.” Balling my claw, I return the fist bump.

With that matter dealt with, the rest of the festivities can proceed joyfully on both sides. There is some serious reluctance to end the party, when Sirzechs announces that it's time for the devils to leave.

Both teams line up opposite each other for a final farewell, not unlike the manner we squared off against one another, when they'd first arrived. But the trepidation we felt at meeting these strange creatures has been replaced by a sense of camaraderie, a kind of respect that can only be gained in battle. We're not saying goodbye to enemies, but a group of new friends.

Rias leads the devils in a bow. “Thank you for your hospitality. My servants and I learned a lot during our stay here. If you ever have reason to visit the human world or the Underworld, please don't hesitate to look us up, so we can return the kindness you've shown us.”

Luna returns the gesture, and we all follow suit. “No, we must thank you. I have no doubt your peerage will go far in the Rating Games. Good luck to you, Rias Gremory.”

Sirzechs and Azazel, standing on either side of the line, nod towards each other and begin to cast the magic circle that will take them back to their own world.

“Ise!” I call out on impulse, before they vanish. “I know the chances are slim, but if you ever come across my father, … tell him I'm fine, and that I'm thankful he sent me to Equestria.”

“I'll be sure to pass that along,” he says with a nod, right before vanishing into thin air.

We all remain silent for a while, watching the place where they all stood moments ago. “See you around, my friend,” I whisper as I can feel Rarity sidle up to me again, and I drape my arm around her in response.

The End

Dragon

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Feeling restless, I climb out of the bed, trying to be as quiet as possible, so I don't wake up Rarity. We've been given rooms in the castle, until our return trip to Ponyville via train tomorrow.

After a week of sleeping on a hard forest floor, the bed just feels way to soft. I slowly close the door and walk along the corridor in front of our apartments, ending up on a balcony overlooking Canterlot.

I stand there for a minute, admiring the view. “My sister has outdone herself tonight.”

Turning, I can see the Princess of the Sun walking up to stand beside me, her eyes fixed on the night sky. “Princess Celestia. I didn't think you were still awake.”

“What about you? Trouble sleeping?” She turns the question around on me.

I sigh. “Guess so.” The truth is, the way my power went berserk during the Rating Game is still bothering me. But this is just something I'm gonna have to work out on my own. As I look over at her, I can't help but wonder. “Princess? Why are you still wearing that maid uniform?”

“Oh, this?” She giggles, admiring the unusual dress for a princess. “Believe it or not, it's actually quite comfortable. Plus it's kinda fun to watch my guards' reactions as I walk past them in the halls.”

There's a bit of silence as we watch the stars twinkle in the sky, but I guess this is a good opportunity to ask about something else that has been on my mind lately. “Princess Celestia? You were the one who found me, when I was still an egg, right?”

“That's correct, Spike.”

“You know, Ddraig told me that my father brought three eggs to Equestria, when he became a devil.”

“Did he now?” I can't really tell what she's thinking from the tone of her voice. It's one of the most infuriating things about her, that inability to give a straight answer at times. I have no idea how Twilight can stand it.

I nod. “He did. So I got one question for you: Where are my siblings?”

Author's Notes:

As I was saying, it's been almost a year from start to finish of this story. When I first had the idea for this crossover, I thought it would never work. But then I realized there really were people that were reading and enjoying this story. Many have said that these two franchises simply don't mix well. Maybe I've convinced some people that they have more in common than you'd think at first glance.

At any rate, I appreciate all of you who have liked, favourited and commented on this story. And thank you all for having the patience to stick with me, even when new chapters were few and far between. Your continued encouragement in the comments and in my blog posts has really helped me to keep going. You guys are awesome!

Now, I've already commented on the possibility of a sequel, so let me put it here as well. IF I decide to write one, it would take place after Season 3 of the anime, which doesn't even have a confirmed air-date yet. I'm not gonna start making any plans until then.

Well, this is it, everyone. Thank you all for reading, and have a great day!

Ponyville DxD

by Naughty_Ranko

Life 0: Immature Demi-Gods - Part 1

Life 0: Immature Demi-Gods - Part 2

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 1

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 2

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 3

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 4

Life 1: Welcome to Ponyville - Part 5

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 1

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 2

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 3

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 4

Life 2: Chaotic Training Camp From Hell - Part 5

Extra Life: The Royal Spa Treatment

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 1

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 2

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 3

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 4

Life 3: The Battle to Determine the Strongest Little Sister Begins - Part 5

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 1

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 2

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 3

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 4

Life 4: Dragons of the Crimson Night - Part 5

New Life - Part 1

New Life - Part 2

Dragon