> Magica: Land of Dreams! > by Zeno the Masked Writer > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Enter the New Challenger! Gin the Visitor from another world! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lightning and thunder rained over the land as the demon king watched from atop his mighty throne. He laughed while pulling the chain next to his throne and dragged the beautiful princess towards him. Suddenly he stopped laughing as one of his guards came soaring towards him, however, with a single swat of his hand he sent his guard out of the window. "So you have finally come hero?" In the doorway was the Mightiest of all the hero's in the land! His golden spiky hair shined brighter than any star, however, no one knew how he kept it that way. He was wearing sparkling armor with a brilliant sword at his side. "DEMON KING! I have come for the princess!" The Hero shouted as he drew his blade. The demon kind laughed as he snapped the chain and lifted the princess up which caused the hero to shake in anger. "Well then Hero! Come here and claim her!" The Demon King shouted as he held his arms out. "With pleasure! I will take your life with the sacred blade, LIGHTING FORRRCE!!" The Hero shouted as he took up his sword and charged towards the demon king. However, in reality....... A young high school student stood up on his desk in a daze as he lifted a ruler in the air. The sounds of laughter were heard all throughout the classroom. But one person certainly wasn't happy about their students antics. "Gin!?" Came the voice of a very annoyed looking teacher. Gin suddenly woke up and found that he was face to face with a demon! He panicked and fell over in a heap which caused the whole class to bust into laughter. "GIN!! If it wasn't for you I'd still have a full head of hair!!" The teacher shouted as Gin lifted his chair off of himself. Gin sighed as the class continued to laugh at him. He straightened his glasses and saw that at least one of his classmates wasn't laughing instead he was giving him a thumbs up. "Soooo what was your dream this time bro!?" Gin sighed as he ate his lunch in silence. However, his friend wasn't having that so he dropped his water bottle on his head. "OW! WHAT THE HECK BEN!" Ben laughed like a hyena while his best friend just glared at him. Instead of trying to fight with him Gin just ignored him and looked up towards the sky and watched the clouds pass. "So what was the dream dude? I'm interested bro!" Ben asked with his usual childish grin. "Oh.....well I was having another dream about being a dashing hero coming to save the princess from the demon king! And it was getting to the good part before I woke up." Gin summarized with a grin. "Man, you've been having dreams like that since you were a kid huh?" Gin smiled as he recalled his past dreams of another world. He remembered all the amazing adventures he dreamed about! Fighting dragons, saving princesses, slaying vicious monsters! It was the adventure of a lifetime, however, it was all just a dream.....or that's what he thought. "Hey mom, I'm home!" He didn't get an answer but instead a frustrated sigh. Gin walked over into the living room and found his mom at her desk face down on the table with another fresh cup of coffee. "You know mom you should seriously get some sleep. Seriously your gonna get sick!" He tried to explain but he suddenly noticed that she was fast asleep. Gin sighed before getting a blanket and wrapping it around her. After that, he walked into the kitchen and prepared some dinner while he thought more about his dreams. "Damn this sucks! I honestly wish I lived in that kind of world. This place stinks, hell the only good part is Ben. I still can't believe me and him are friends. One of the most popular guys in school is my best friend! At least, I got that going for me, but...." He finally snapped out of his daydreams when he realized that the rice was burning. "I still wanna go there, to the other world!" Suddenly Gin felt pain surge through his body as he heard the sound of laughing. He knelt down while grabbing his aching skull with the laughing getting louder and louder. "HEHE! Well, you did ask politely! Fine by me but you had better get ready kid! HEHEHE!" A voice said with a chuckle before suddenly vanishing completely. The pain vanishes just as soon as the voice stopped talking but now he felt sick. Noticing that the rice was now thoroughly burnt he threw it out and went to his bedroom. However, the second Gin's head hit the pillow he instantly fell asleep. The next day Ben had come over for breakfast. As Gin explained to him what had happened the other day but this just caused him to bust out laughing. "S-so you're saying you heard someone speaking to you!" Ben shouted in between breaths. "WOULD YOU STOP LAUGHING!" Soon after Gin's mother walked in with some eggs and bacon and placed it in front of the arguing teenagers. She sighed before taking another swig of her coffee. "That's all he's talked about all morning, Ben. I'm sorry if he's boring you." "Naw Gin's stories always manage to entertain! HAHAHA!" He exclaimed before bursting out into laughter again, however, he was silenced by a projectile pillow. "Oh shut up! And mom shouldn't you be at work or something!?" Gin shouted in frustration but it only caused her to flick him on the forehead. "If you hadn't realized yet my job is writing those cheesy love novels for those middle-aged housewives who read them in their desperate phases. And right now I'm waiting for my publisher to get back to me!" She shouted back at them with an annoyed look on her face before downing the rest of her coffee. Gin instantly got quite before his mother went on another rant. The last time she got mad she went on a five hour rant that he had to stay up to hear. Needless to say, he was scared out of his wits. "Well, Gin I think it's about time we head to school! After all, If we don't were gonna get detention again!" Ben explained before devouring the rest of his breakfast before making a mad dash to the door. "HEY WAIT FOR ME!" Gin shouted following his example and gulping the rest of his eggs down and chasing after him. All the while Gin's mother watched with a smile on her face as she watched her son. Thoughts of when he was a baby rushed back to her along with other thoughts, but before she could become lost in nostalgia she quickly got up and got to work. Later on, Gin had to deal with the usual string of bullies making fun of his *little show* yesterday. Ben was watching from the side looking like he was about to say something until he saw Gin shake his head. "This is the mighty sword Lighting force!" One of them shouted while holding up a ruler which caused the rest of them to laugh. Gin just sighed while he looked out the window. He thought about the voice from yesterday and what exactly it meant by 'you had better get ready'. As he stared out of the window he suddenly felt something strange because of how quite it was. Gin turned around only to come face to face with a smiling mask. "HOLY CRAP!" Gin fell over in a heap as the masked stranger just stared at him. Everyone in the room stared at the masked stranger in shock, however, before anyone could do anything the room turned pitch black. Suddenly the masked man started to laugh like a mad man while Gin stared at him. "HAHAHA! Oh man, that's always fun!" The masked figure proclaimed as he snapped his finger. Suddenly the darkness seemed to brighten as a strange mark covered the area and then the ground shook as a strange looking door sprung out from the ground. "Anyways young man, It's time we get to work!" The masked man proclaimed. "W-What happened!? What's going on!?" Instead of answering Gin's questions, the masked man walked over to the doorway and suddenly in a puff of pink smoke he summoned a small cane out of nowhere. He swung the cane down on the chain blocking the doorway and broke it in one swing. "I'll sum up all your questions right now boy! beyond this gateway is another world~!" Suddenly Gin stopped his questions and stared at the masked man in awe. He then looked towards the door with the bright light shining from it. Memories of his dreams raced through his mind while he stared, however, he stopped when he realized something strange. "Hold on a second? Who are you!? And why are you showing me all of this!?" The masked man laughed at his question before snapping his fingers again. This time, after another puff of pink smoke, he summoned a picture of a cross with a skull planted in the center of it. "HEHE! Well, I can't tell you everything but remember this boy~" The masked man explained before vanishing in a flash and appeared behind him and gently leaned down towards his ear. "In three months the war games will begin again~" Without another word, the masked man vanished with an impish laugh. The darkness was still there but now most of the students could, at least, see each other but now everyone could see the door. Of course, everyone panicked and most of the students tried to run out of the classroom, however, two students stood still and looked at the door. "So bro we going then!?" Gin heard someone ask and when he turned to see who it was he saw Ben with his big childish grin and Gin couldn't help but follow his example. "Off course! This is the moment we've been waiting for since we were kids!" Gin shouted as he and Ben seemed to get more and more pumped. However, before they could run towards the gate a sudden puff of smoke blocked their way. After the smoke cleared a sign floated in front of the gate that read "ONLY ONE MAY ENTER". "W-what? So only one of us can go!?" Gin proclaimed with an annoyed expression. Suddenly Gin felt someone push him forward towards the gateway and turned to see Ben with his usual grin. "AWE WELL! BRO, YOU HAD BETTER GIVE ME ALL THE DETAILS WHEN YOU GET BACK!" Gin watched as Ben waved him goodbye before he fell through the gateway. The doors suddenly slammed shut as the gateway began to crack like glass until it gave way and shattered into pieces. "I guess I'm gonna have to explain to his mom where he went. Ah crap now I'm in trouble!" Ben thought as the image of Gins mother wielding a butcher's knife appeared. However, everyone one in class was awe stuck and more than a little scared of what just happened. Everyone stared at Ben who sighed before taking his seat like nothing had happened. "EHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" TO BE CONTINUED! > The Crystal Empire! The Threat Rises!? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Gin fell through the gateway he watched Ben got further and further away until he disappeared completely. His vision blurred as everything turned white. For a while, Gin felt like he was floating on air until suddenly gravity took its toll. He felt air rush past as he slowly opened his eyes only to see that he was falling from the sky! Like any normal person in this situation, Gin kept calm and thought carefully about his next plan of action......PANIC!! "CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAP!CRAPPPPPPPPPP!!!" He screamed while he watched helplessly as he drew closer and closer to the ground in a panic and then everything went black. "Ugh.....W-well, I wasn't expecting that." Gin lifted himself up and noticed that he was completely surrounded by snow. Suddenly he felt the cold breeze blow past him and instantly felt his whole body freeze. "Now I wish I had brought a jacket or something!" He exclaimed with a shiver. Suddenly Gin noticed that his vision was a lot more blurry than usual. He took off his glasses and tried to clean them but then he noticed that he could see better without them. "W-what!? No way! Is this even possible!" Gin placed his glasses down but noticed something strange in the distance. It was then that he heard someone scream and instantly he jumped to his feet and sprinted towards the sound of the screaming. "W-What!? How am I running so fast? What the heck is going on!?" As he ran the image of who was screaming was becoming clearer. In the distance, Gin saw a group of girls and some guy with a sword. However, next to them was a huge monster made of black smoke but inside the smoke were two piercing eyes that oozed purple mist. Without even skipping a beat Gin rushed towards them and not even realizing it himself, he jumped into the air high above the group and now was heading towards the monster. "HEY UGLY TAKE THIS!" Gin suddenly kicked the strange beast and slammed the monster into the ground. Gin landed in front of the monster and laughed before turning and giving a thumbs up to everyone. "HEY WATCH OUT!" But It was too late and soon the monster opened its jaws and quickly charged towards him. Before the monster could tear him in half the man from before quickly made his way in between the two and kept the monsters jaws from closing with his sword. "You Idiot! What the hell were you thinking!" He shouted before pushing himself and Gin away from the beast just as the monster destroyed the weapon. "Damn! Twilight get everyone into the barrier! I'll handle this guy!" "Yeah don't worry we can handle this joker so you guys get out of here!" Gin said with a grin as the man sneered before bonking him on the head. "YOU IDIOT! A KID LIKE YOU WOULDNT STAND A CHANCE AGAINST SOMBRA!" Before the two could argue further the monster, now known as Sombra, charged them. Gin jumped to the right to dodge the attack while his partner did the opposite and took the blow head on. "W-what! Why would h-!" Gin thought before he realized that those girls were still there. Gin frowned and then made a mad dash towards Sombra. He put all his strength into his next attack and tackled the monster. As a result, the monster suddenly vanished as a person suddenly was sent careening towards the ground. "W-What the heck!" Gin shouted while the man stood up and glared at him while the others were awe-struck. Suddenly the strange man held up his hands as two of his rings started to glow. Suddenly a volley of black crystals shot towards Gin so quickly that he couldn't defend himself. He felt the crystals scratch and tear his defenseless body until he noticed the man from before protecting him again. "Y-You idiot..." He coughed before falling onto his knees. Gin quickly grabbed him before he could fall and held his damaged form. He felt tears well up as the thought that someone was about to die because he trying to play hero. "Dammit! DAMMIT!!" Gin shouted as tears rolled down his cheeks. Sombra was about to strike again but stopped when he noticed something. He took a step back and saw the immense amount of magical power pouring out of the boy. "Impossible! How can a child have so much magical power!? " Everyone watched as Sombra used another one of his magic rings to create a doorway before suddenly disappearing through the door. Gin sneered as he lifted the man onto his back. "W-we have to get to that barrier!" Gin shouted as he started walking past the others, however, before too long he felt someone beside him. "Hey let me help you out." A tomboyish girl with rainbow colored hair said as she took some of the man's weight off of Gin. "Up ahead! it's the crystal empire!" Everyone looked ahead and saw a circular dome made out of what Gin assumed to be some kind of crazy magic. But then again everything was moving so fast that Gin honestly didn't know what to think anymore. He did know this, no matter what he would have to make it up to the man who saved his life! "Ugh! Man, I can't believe I was stupid!" Gin thought while he and the others waited outside the infirmary. "You should be lucky that it was only minor injuries. If Shinny wasn't a soldier then he probably would have died!" The girl with lavender colored hair shouted as she clenched her fists in anger. Before she could do anything reckless a boy with green hair and a purple jacket pulled her away from Gin. "Sorry about Twilight....She can kinda get emotional..." The boy explained with a sigh. "The real question is where exactly you came from. Because the way your dressed I seriously doubt you just wandered out into the freezing cold!" The girl with purple curly hair and the posh accent exclaimed while the rest of the girls directed their attention to Gin. "T-That's what I'd like to know." They heard an injured voice ask from the doorway. Everyone turned around and saw the man wearing a few bandages around his head and was using a crutch to keep his balance. They all circled him except for Gin who was trying to hide from the man's gaze. Suddenly Gin felt someone grab his shoulder and he turned around and saw the man smiling before sitting down next to him. "Look, I'm not mad at you....But you need to explain what happened and where you came from." He asked while Gin scratched the back of his head. "Yeah and I'm sorry! It's just that I got so excited and everything after going through the gate." Everyone looked at each other with raised eyebrows while Gin groaned in frustration. "Honestly, I wish that creepy masked freak would have just left me alone!" Gin shouted as the room went dead silent. "Creepy masked freak?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow. "Y-yeah he's the one who brought me to this world and-!" He tried to explain before instantly shutting his mouth with his hand. "Oh crap! I spilled the beans!" "Brought you to this world? What on earth are you talking about!" Twilight said while the others seemed to crowd around Gin who shrunk under their gaze. For the next 20 minutes, Gin explained everything that had happened today, making sure he focused on the part about being pushed through the door back at his school. For the most part, everyone seemed to follow along with his tall tale, however, there was one thing that bothered everyone. "I understand the part about the portal that brought you here but who is the masked man?" Shining asked while Gin tried to remember. "Well.....How do I explain this? The guy was creepy! He had a kind of eerie atmosphere like in the movies, but this was different. He felt almost....Insulting. Like He didn't care what happened to anything at all! But not only that the guys face was beyond creepy!" Everyone listened carefully to Gins explanation, however, one new visitor was there now. She rather tall with violet rose, and pale gold-colored hair. She seemed to be paying extra attention to Shining armor, however, she suddenly felt her attention shoot to their visitor. "Well, he was wearing a strange mask. It didn't have any features except for a seriously wide smile. The weirdest part was that the place where his eyes and his mouth were supposed to be was nothing but black! It was almost like he didn't have them to start with!" Gin exclaimed only to feel someone suddenly grab him. "Tell me, young man! Did this masked man wear a suit, like the ones you would wear to a funeral!?" The woman asked in a panic. "Y-Yeah! He was wearing a suit with a top hat! Wait do you know that guy?" Gin asked in a shocked tone but the woman wouldn't answer. "Did he tell you anything else?" She asked in a low tone. "Umm....well the only thing he told me was that.....In three months some kind of war game would begin." Gin explained as the woman froze on the spot. Everyone stared at her for the longest time but it was shining who broke the awkward silence. "Cadence...Honey? Are you ok?" She didn't answer him instead she stood up and pulled out some strange looking trinket and held it in front of Shining. "Sacred ÄRM: Healing Angel!" Instantly a pale pink light surrounded Shining Armor and soon he stood up on his own without the crutch and stared at cadence with a worried expression. "Cadence? What are you thinking? You have to keep your strength up so that the barrier doesn't break!?" "Shining Armor! This is an order!" She shouted as he took a step back in shock. "We do not have time to waste! You must prepare this child for battle immediately! I'm trusting him in your care! Do you understand me!" She ordered as Shining took a brief moment to clear his head before nodding. "Excellent...Meanwhile, I need you six to find a way to stop Sombra from breaking into the Crystal empire! Now you both have your orders, SO GET GOING!!" She shouted as everyone quickly ran to complete their jobs. After everyone left the area, Cadence closed her eyes and took a deep breath before glaring at the wall behind her. "Come out now Yagi!" She commanded. Suddenly the entire area turned pitch black as the sound of laughter filled the hall. Suddenly in a puff of pink smoke the masked man appeared but now he seemed to be sitting in a recliner. "You called Princess? Or shall I call you Cadence? HEHEHE!" He exclaimed with a shrill laugh. "Why did you bring that boy here? You know that he doesn't belong in this world!" She demanded but the masked man just laughed at her question. "HEHEHE! Well, I wanted to spice things up! And who better than a dreamer from another world!? Oh~, I can't wait for the games to begin! HEHEHE!" He exclaimed with glee while Cadence continued to glare. "So the war games......They will begin again?" Without a word the light suddenly returned with the laughter of the masked man filled the empty hallway. "WHY DONT YOU FIND OUT IN THREE MONTHS! HEHEHE!" Cadence only sneered as she made her way back to the throne room with the new knowledge that things had just got A LOT more complicated. Meanwhile... "So what your saying is, that because of one little brat you couldn't take out a group of kids, am I right so far?" "N-No sir! The child had immense magical power! I have never felt anything like it! It was stronger than anything I've ever seen!" Sombra explained while he kneeled down before the man in front of him. Without saying a word the man reached down and grabbed Sombra by the throat and lifted him into the air. Sombra struggled in his grip but he couldn't get himself free. "I'm sorry, but did I hear you correctly? Were you implying that our leader was weaker than a snot nosed brat?" The man asked as he tightened his grip around Sombra's throat. "N-NO! I...DIDN'T....MEAN-!" Sombra choked out before the man let go. "Well, then I gotta see this! Sombra you had better hope you aren't bullshitting me, or else what I do to you next is gonna be very......unpleasant." The man said as he lifted his right hand showing off one of his ÄRM. Suddenly another portal opened in front of the pair and Sombra was quick to go through the gate, however, The man from before sighed before taking off his coat. "You had better be ready kid!" TO BE CONTINUED! > The Legend of Boss! A New Hope Is Born!? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the last few hours, Gin and Shinning have been doing intense training in the Crystal arena, however, Gin seemed to be struggling to keep up with Shinning who was easily dodging all of his attacks. "ACK!" Gin shouted as he fell over in a heap while Shining sighed in frustration. "Ugh, this is insane! The idea of turning a kid like him into a warrior in only a few hours is crazy! What was Cadence thinking?" Shining thought as Gin tried to catch his breath. Gin slowly reached down and picked up the sword he was using and once again dashed towards Shining. However, just before Gin could attack Shining Armor suddenly he vanished and reappeared right in front of him. Once again Shining swung his shield and knocked Gins weapon into the air then in one swift move he punched Gin in the stomach. Shining sighed while Gin tried to catch his breath again. "It's.....Gin, right?" "Y-Yes sir!" Gin said as he tried to stand back up. "My real name is Ginta Toramizu! But everyone usually calls me Gin for short!" Shining Armor sighed before his shield began to glow before turning into a ring. Gin couldn't help but grin at the amazing stuff this world had, however, Shining was more annoyed than anything. "Well Ginta, I hate to say this but......you have absolutely no chance of becoming a warrior. Especially in less than a single day!" Shining explained while Gin seemed to cringe at his words. "You have next to no combat experience. You have no idea how to use ÄRM, or even what types of ÄRM there are! And to top it all off you have absolutely no magical potential!" Shining shouted as he and Gin stood silently. "I-I'm sorry kid....but there's no way this is gonna work. I don't know why Cadence was so dead sent on making you a warrior but, I have other things I have to attend to." Shining said as he began to walk away. Gin didn't try to stop him, after all, why even bother? Shining Armor wasn't wrong! Gin had no idea how this world worked and now he was stuck here. It was now that the full gravity of the situation dawned on him. "I'm stuck in an alien world without any friends or family to help me......I'm all alone." Gin walked out of the arena and into the street. He didn't look around at the brilliantly designed crystal town, he was too busy mopping around. However, before he could get in a worse mood he heard what sounded like crying. He walked around the corner and found a child crying in front of a crystal tree. Looking up he saw a red balloon tied to one of the branches. "Hey, you don't need to cry. I got it!" Gin said with a grin before crouching down and with one swift motion, he leaped up to the branch and snagged the balloon. Gin landed on the ground with a thud and the child looked in awe while Gin handed him the balloon. "Here ya go kiddo! Sorry for the wai-" Gin tried to say before the child interpreted him. "BOSS!" Suddenly the doors and windows swung open and the citizens stared at the two. Some of the citizens were wide-eyed and others had tears in their eyes as they crowded around them. "The boss came back!" "Finally! We're saved!" "That bastard Sombra doesn't stand a chance!" The crowd began to chant while Gin started to shrink under everyone's hopeful gaze. However, before they went to far Gin had to rain on their mini parade. "Umm I'm sorry everyone but I'm not this 'Boss' guy you keep talking about." Gin explained as the crowd all honed in on him. "My name is Ginta, sorry everyone." Suddenly the crowd began to die down as everyone began to turn pale. Gin noticed how everyone became distraught and lifeless. He looked down to see the child crying again. "I-I don't understand! who's this Boss!?" Gin heard someone cough and he turned around to see an older man with a cane. The rest of the citizens turned their attention to the old man while the child ran over to cry on his coat. "Boss was a hero. He was the savior of Equis and the only person we all truly respected." The old sage explained while Gin raised an eyebrow. "Ok, so what made this guy so important anyhow?" Everyone gasped while Gin smiled awkwardly, however, the old sage began to explain. "Boss was the leader of the group known as the cross guard. They battled many years ago aginst the Black cross! The Black Cross is an organization who were bent on taking over the entire world. Boss was the one who challenged them during the last war games." Gin suddenly remembered the words that the masked man had explained to him earlier. "The war games shall begin in three months~!" "Umm, what exactly are the war games?" Gin asked as the crowd seemed uncomfortable with the subject. "The war games was a tournament created by the gods to judge who would rule the world, and the winner would granted one wish regardless of what it was." The old sage explained with a tired sigh. "After the last war games, the Crystal Empire was enslaved by the Black cross! And it was none other than Sombra who stole the throne!" One of the citizens shouted while the rest of the crowd cringed at the memories of their tyrannical ruler. Gin felt his body tense up and anger began to boil in the pit of his stomach as the crowd voiced all of their pain. They shouted about how they were treated as slaves and forced to work in mines for the Black Cross, however, it was what happened next that made Gin snap. "Grandpa!" The child choked out in between the tears. Everyone turned their attention to the child who was still crying on the old man's clothes. "I-I don't want Sombra to come back! He-He....." The child cried as the crowd joined in his sorrow. "He killed my mommy and daddy! I don't wanna go back! Please don't make me!!" Suddenly Everyone heard yelling and turned their attention to Gin who was screaming at the top of his lungs. After a minute, he stopped and felt his fist Trimble. "I promise....." Gin whispered as the crowd focused on his words. "I PROMISE I WON'T LET SOMBRA WIN! YOU HEAR ME!!" Gin shouted as the crowd felt something strange in their hearts. "I PROMISE THAT I WON'T LET HIM HURT YOU EVER AGAIN! THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE......" Gin exclaimed as the crowd suddenly began to cry again, however, now they cried tears of joy. "THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE WILL BE FREE AGAIN!!" Gin shouted as the crowd stared in shock. The old man stared at Ginta and quickly realized the uncanny resembled the Boss. Their tone, attitude, and most of all their hope for the future! The crowd was silent for a moment before bursting out into a loud cheer that rang across the whole kingdom. Gin, with a new fire in his eyes, started to run towards the castle. "I'm weak! I get that....but....but! I can't just turn my back on these people!!" Gin thought as he sprinted towards the castle. Suddenly he saw Shining Armor in the distance and picked up the pace. Then without warning Gin tried throwing a punch and without even trying Shining caught his attack, but suddenly he saw Gin swing his left leg up and swiftly kicked him in the jaw. The guards watched in awe as their captain went soaring into the castle hallway while his assailant was catching his breath. "OW! What the hell is wrong with you!" Shining shouted while holding his nearly broken jaw. "I've made a decision!" Suddenly Shining noticed something. Did Gin look.....different? He looked a lot different than he remembered from only an hour ago. It was hard to explain but he felt more mature than he did before. "I'm weak! I may not be a warrior! I may not understand those ÄRM thingies! And I may not even have any Magical whatchamacallits! but......I REFUSE TO LOSE WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING!" Gin shouted as a strange shining blue aura surrounded his body. Shining stared in awe as he felt Gins eminence magical power! It felt like a giant flood of water was being poured on him and it was all coming from this kid. "Not even an hour ago this kid was hopeless! But now he has enough magical potential to rival even the sacred four!!" Shining thought as a grin spread across his face. "Alright then kid!" He said before standing back up and throwing him a sword. "Show me how much you truly want to save these people!" Shining said before raising his left hand showing off his weapon. "WEAPON ÄRM: BATTLE SHILD!" Suddenly a giant shield appeared in front of him and then he slid his arms through the two holsters on the back and somehow split the shield in half. "Ok...I won't lose! Even if it takes everything I got! I CANT LOSE WHEN I HAVENT EVEN TRIED!" Gin thought as he picked up the weapon and charged towards Shining Armor. TO BE CONTINUED! > The Legendary ÄRM: Babbo!? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The crowd cheered as they watched the two warriors fight. The unknown boy who wanted to save the people, Ginta Toramizu, and the leader of the Equestrian militaries third branch Shining Armor. Gin once again swiped at Shining only to have his attack blocked by Shinings shield. Shining forced Gin to take a few steps back, however, before he could overpower him Gin suddenly let go of the blade and went around his shield then through a quick jab at his gut. Shining predicted this and quickly withdrew his shield then pushed himself back to avoid Gins punch. The two warriors circled around the arena as the crowd cheered. Gin was breathing heavily while Shining grinned ear to ear then he charged towards Gin with his battle shield at the ready. "He's progressing nicely, however, he is incredibly reckless and his style of fighting is mediocre at best! But I think with enough practice he can be an excellent warrior someday." Shining thought as he exchanged blows with Gin. In the crowd, Twilight and her friends watched the battle while selling some crystal fare merchandize. However, Twilight was sadly more focused on their fight than anything else. She glared daggers at Gin as he tried to attack her big brother again. "Um, Twi?" She heard her younger brother Spike say as he poked her side. "What? Oh, sorry Spike....I was just thinking, that's all." Spike noticed her tone but chose not to ask her. After all, the last time he tried something like that she randomly sprang into a song and dance routine in canterlot. Suddenly they heard a speaker go off signaling the matches end and everyone watched as Gin fell to the ground while Shining took a knee. "Good job kid! You're definitely getting better!" Shining said as he threw a towel over Gin. "T-Thanks...Ugh, so much paain~!" Gin said in between breaths. "Thats enough practice for now. Why don't you take a quick break and go see the Crystal fare! Twilight and the girls put a lot of effort into it." Shining explained. Gin didn't even hesitate and sprinted for the exit because to perfectly frank.... "IM STARVING!" Gin shouted as he went from stand to stand devouring everything in sight. As he stuffed his face he instantly noticed someone watching him. he turned around to see the girl with the purple hair from earlier and she seemed to be staring intently at him. "Umm, can I help you?" Gin asked in a muffled voice. The girl jumped a little after being discovered and she took a minute to regain her composure. "Oh Yes! My apologies where are my manners. My name is Rarity darling It's a pleasure. Now I've only have one question for you!" Rarity said as a blush covered her cheeks. "WHAT ARE THOSE!" she shouted while gesturing to Gin's school uniform. "Oh, these? Well, these were the only things I had before I left my world and-" Gin tried to explain before he felt Rarity grab his T-shirt and yank it off his body. "Honestly, this is just tacky! And it's all torn and beaten! I'm surprised that you could even stand even a second in these rags!" She said before tossing Gins shirt back to him. "This simply will not do! Give me just a moment!" Rarity explained before she held up a strange looking trinket and then threw it into the air. "Guardian ÄRM: Merilo!" Suddenly there was a giant explosion of pink smoke and as the smoke began to clear someone could be seen. It was a woman with a maid's uniform with a cat's ears and tail. "Can I help you mistress?" Rarity smiled before pointing at Gin who had sparkles in his eyes. "That....was....so....COOL!!" Gin said with a huge childlike grin. "Now Merilo, would you be a dear and help our friend with his wardrobe?" Rarity asked as Merilo smiled politely and walked over to Gin. Suddenly Merilo pointed at Gin and then before Gin realized it he saw something falling from the sky. Suddenly a giant box with the words 'Changing room' written on a sign on top of it landed on top of him. Then in another puff of smoke the box disappeared and now Gin stood completely still with a dazed expression. Suddenly he snapped out of his daze and realized that his outfit was completely different. Now he had white jeans with a thick leather belt and a tight dark-blue sleeveless t-shirt with black bands on his wrists and biceps, a silver chain with a dog tag around his neck and white and blue boots with silver studs on them. "I think you'll agree that this suits him! Don't you agree, mistress?" She asked while Rarity admired Merilo's handiwork. "Yes, it looks fantastic!" Gin examined his new clothes and then with a big cheesy grin he ran up and clasped Rarity's hands together which caught her off guard. "THESE ARE AWSOME! THANKS, RARITY! Oh and you to Mrs. Merilo!" Gin shouted as he ran off towards the arena again. Rarity stood there in a daze with a blush on her face while Merilo couldn't help but look slyly at her. "My, My mistress! Sucha a bold young man! Maybe he has caught your fancy?" She asked as Rarity snapped her fingers and Merilo disappeared. "No one asked you!" Rarity exclaimed with a blush still present on her cheeks. As Gin made it back to the arena he noticed that Shining Armor wasn't anywhere to be seen. He wandered around for a few minutes and found out after talking to a few guards that he had gone back to the castle on urgent business. Gin walked towards the castle and noticed a lot of people was crowded around the entrance of the castle. Suddenly he saw two people he meet earlier. "Hey, old timer!" The old sage and his grandson turned around and saw Gin running towards them. "Ah, Gin I'm glad to see you!" The old sage exclaimed as his grandson ran over to Gin with a huge grin. "Is it true Big Bro!? Did they really find the crystal heart!?" Gin didn't know what to say so he just laughed while rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Umm yeah!......What's a crystal heart?" Suddenly the whole crowd fell over while Gin laughed. "The crystal heart is a powerful sacred ÄRM with the power to erase evil. Long ago when Sombra was still in power he used this ÄRM to control the entire northern continent! But before he was defeated and sealed away he hid the crystal heart away declaring that no one would ever find it again." Gin listened patiently and for the most part, he understood the main idea, however, anyone could tell he didn't have a clue because of the smoke rising from his ears. "The point is that the ÄRM has the power to defeat Sombra and now we can finally have closer." The old sage explained while the crowd turned their attention back to the crystal heart. Gin made his way through the crowd and finally after some work he got to see the Crystal heart but he noticed something was strange. He walked away from the crowd and towards the heart but as soon as he was about to touch it a tarp was quickly thrown over it. Then one of the girls from earlier quickly pushed him away from the heart while her friend with cowboy hat tried to distract everyone. "What the heck are you doing!?" She whispered in his ear. "I was just gonna look! What's the big deal?" Gin asked before the tomboyish girl looked around to make sure no one was listening. "W-we have a small problem.." Meanwhile... "WHAT!?" Gina and Twilight said in unison. Gin and Twilight stood in front of a fatigued princess Cadence and a worried Shining Armor. Currently, Cadence was struggling to keep her magical power in check while controlling the barrier surrounding the empire. "What do you mean that we don't have the Crystal Heart!?" Gin asked in a panic while Twilight seemed to be thinking of something. "We didn't have a clue about the Sacred ÄRM. Now were not sure what to do next!" Shining explained as Cadence slumped to the ground. In the distance, Gin saw the sky begin to fade and the blizzard outside began to blow through. However, what concerned him more was the black fog that began to surround the empire. Shining stood Cadence back up and with a determined look she focused her magic back on the barrier not knowing that now someone hand managed to bypass her magic. "Are you ok!?" Gin asked as he ran over to cadences side. "T-The catacombs.." She whispered. "Catacombs?" "Under the castle are a vast line of tunnels. I believe that Sombra may have hidden the Crystal heart in the catacombs." Cadence explained before falling unconscious. "She can't keep this up! We need to find this ÄRM quickly." Shining said as he held his wife while Twilight suddenly stormed off and Gin quickly ran after her. "Hey wait up a second!" Gin said as he grabbed her hand only for her to jerk her arm away. "Listen.....I do not have time to deal with you right now! You need to stay out of this!" twilight said while she glared at him. "W-what!? Why!? I can't just turn my back on these people!" Gin shouted as Twilight glared daggers at him. "This isn't your test!!" She exclaimed as Gin went wide eyed. "This is my test! I have to pass! I won't let Sombra back into the empire! So you should just-" Twilight couldn't finish her sentence as she noticed the look on Gins face. He was angry, no......he was way beyond angry! He was pissed! "I can't believe you....." Gin whispered before walking past her. "I'll go to the catacombs! You stay here and look around the castle." Gin explained just before he walked away. Twilight just sneered as she ran towards the stairs and just as soon as she left Shining appeared almost out of nowhere behind Gin. "Are you sure about this kid? There's a big chance you won't make it. Sombra designed that death maze to protect something important and if it's really the Crystal Heart do you think you can get back here without even a scratch?" His words stung deep but in reality, but Gin knew that he had to do this. "I have to! Out of everyone here I'm the most expendable, plus..." Gin turned around and gave a thumbs up with a big grin and said, "It's just like a video game! A dungeon with treasure at the end! How could I pass this up!" Gin exclaimed before Shining threw him a small bag. "It has a few weapon ÄRM and some dimension ÄRM, use them wisely." He explained with a sigh. "Umm, thanks but....how do I use these?" Shining nearly feel over as he suddenly realized that he forgot to explain how ÄRM work. He began to speak, however, before he could say anything Gin slipped on one of the ÄRM he was given and instantly disappeared. "............................................Ehh?" Meanwhile... In a flash of light Gin appeared in what appeared to be a dark tunnel, however, this tunnel was covered wall to wall in black crystals that shined a pale purple light throughout the corridor. "So I guess this was the catacombs Mrs. Candence was talking about?" Gin started to walk down the dark corridor making sure to keep an eye out for any booby traps. It didn't help that this place was unnaturally creepy! Gin walked for what felt like hours and with each step he grew more and more impatient. "Ok, I may not be an expert or anything but....why haven't I run into any traps? I would have thought that this Sombra guy wanted to protect his treasure through any means necessary! But I haven't run into any traps at all!? What the heck?" Gin continued to walk towards the darkness and after a few short minutes, he noticed something strange. The crystals suddenly disappeared and now the walls were lined with stone. Unfortunately, he wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him and he accidently bumped into something and he found a large stone door. "Umm ok?" Gin reached over to try and push the door but as soon as he touched it, it suddenly began to open. "THIS IS WAY TO EASY!!" Gin shouted as his jaw hit the floor. Gin walked past the door and into a huge room with a pedestal placed in the center with a single chest resting on top of it. Gin made baby steps towards the chest just to be sure that there wouldn't be any traps, however, no matter where he went nothing happened. "Ugh!!! I can't believe this!" Gin said as he shouted in frustration. Gin stood in front of the chest now with the full mindset that this was gonna be a trap. He slowly reached down and grabbed the lock around the chest. It didn't take much to break it because of the rust around the small lock. "Ok, here goes! Come on out Crystal Heart!!" Gin threw the chest open and a bright light covered the room blinding him. He slowly opened his eyes and stared in awe at the magnificent, the beautiful, CRYSTAL HEART!! "EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Gin felt a string of snot drip out of his nose as his eyes almost popped out of his skull. This thing was actually snoring.......SNORING!! It had a face with a long, thick cylindrical nose with a thick, dark mustache underneath. Besides that, it also had thick, dark eyebrows and a soul patch. "Mmmm~" Suddenly the toy started to wake up and saw Gin staring at him. "W-WHAT!? WHO ARE YOU!" It asked with a deep and posh accent. "FORGET WHO AM I!? WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU!?" Gin shouted back at the toy. "HOW RUDE! I HAPPEN TO BE A GENTALMAN!" "B-BUT YOUR A TOY!" "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TOY YOU INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT!" The toy shouted as he got in Gins face "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A BRAT! WHO THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" Gin shouted back as he copied the weird looking toy. "I AM THE GREAT BABBO! AND WHO ARE YOU BRAT!?" "STOP CALLING ME A BRAT! MY NAME IS GINTA!" The two continued to fight with one another, however, they didn't notice their uninvited guest. "Well, well what do we have here?" TO BE CONTINUED! > Battle In the Underground! The Black Cross makes its move? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well, well! What do we have here?" Gin and Babbo turned towards the sound of the voice and found a strange looking man with a freaky looking gas mask. He was wearing a robe that covered both of his hands and he also had dark blue hair with a strange earring that looked like a chess piece. "You know when I followed you down here I had my doubts, but the idea that you managed to make it this far without a scratch is an impressive feat kid." "Wait a second!? Who are you?" Gin asked as the masked stranger laughed. "Oh my bad, allow me to introduce myself." He said before pulling off his mask. "The names Ian, and I'm a rook for the Black Cross." He explained before showing his right hand that had the tattoo of a solid black cross with a skull printed in the center of it. Gin instantly recognized the image as the same picture that the masked man showed him back at his school. Suddenly the ground began to shake and then the ground suddenly erupted and a huge spike of black crystal appeared. The crystal began to change and morph into a giant golem. "W-what is that!?" Babbo shouted as he and Gin watched the Crystal golem tower above them. "Weapon ÄRM: Chain Spear!" Suddenly a large group of chains pierced the golem and then with one tug the golem was ripped into pieces. Gin and Babbo felt their jaws hit the floor as Ian retracted his chains while the golem shattered. "Now then kid! If you would be so kind as to hand over that ÄRM and I'll be on my way." Ian said as his chains seemed to hover in front of him. Gin felt a chill run down his spine as Ian smiled. He looked down and saw Babbo staring blankly at him almost like he wasn't scared at all. Gin reached down and grabbed the hammer end of Babbo and looked back at Ian. "What exactly do you want with this hunk of junk anyways?" Gin asked as Babbo ran into his head. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A HUNK OF JUNK!?" Babbo shouted as Gin glared daggers at him. "YOU! WHO ELSE YOU GIANT TOY!" Gin said as he tried to punch Babbo only to hurt his hand in the process. As the two fought Ian stood patiently and soon enough the two stopped their argument to see him giving them an eerie grin. "Well, to be honest, I don't want him, but my boss on the other hand! I believe he wants his property back." Ian explained as Babbo grew more and more irritated. "And who said I was your *Bosses* property! I'll have you know I do what I want to!" Babbo shouted as Ian began to laugh hysterically. "Well, In the end, it doesn't matter anyways, because..." Ian explained until he suddenly shot his arm forward which sent his chains towards Gin and Babbo. "I'll take you whether you want me to or not!" Ian exclaimed as his attack destroyed the pedestal. Gin just barely managed to dodge that attack and now he quickly began to look for an escape route, however, no matter where he looked there was one exit. Once again a volley of chains appeared through the smoke and pierced the ground in front of Gin but this time, the chains had brought Ian towards Gin. "CRAP!" Ian slammed his fist into Gin's stomach and instantly Gin felt his ribs break from the impact. After that, Gin was sent flying into the wall behind him while Babbo fell helplessly to the ground. "Huh? Don't tell me that was all you had kid? And Sombra made you sound like some kind of badass!?" Ian said as he strolled towards him. Gin suddenly remembered his encounter with Sombra earlier in the frozen tundra and how he ran away. "D-Don't tell me.....You work for Sombra?" Gin choked out as blood slowly trickled down his face. Ian looked surprised for a moment then he instantly busted into a fit of laughter. "OH MY GOD! PLEASE DONT TELL ME YOU THINK I WORK FOR THAT WEAKLING!?" Ian shouted as he tried to catch his breath. "Listen up kid! That weakling is nothing but a pawn! Heck, the only reason he has this stupid little kingdom in the first place is because the Black Cross in the last war games GAVE it to him!" Gin felt something boiling in the pit of his stomach as Ian continued his annoying little rant. "The Crystal Empire was a dying kingdom full of idiots! Not a single person from this kingdom had any magical talent so then came Sombra a pitiful Magic user who joined the Black Cross just so he could take over his home. Of course, no one wanted this place so our leader just gave it to him!" Gin felt his blood begin to boil as the memories of the suffering townsfolk began to surface. "What a shame! This kingdom is gonna suffer again at the hands of the same man who tried to rule over it before! Hey, why don't I make you a deal? I can make sure the citizens of this kingdom never have to suffer again! All you have to do is hand that ÄRM over to me and I'll make sure that there protected under the Black cross." Suddenly Ian felt a strong magical power and saw Gin absolutely fuming with rage. "You bastard..." Gin said as he pulled himself out of the wall. "Unforgivable! I may not understand what's going on! But I can tell you are no gentlemen!" Babbo shouted as Gin picked up the hammer. "Babbo! Let's teach this guy a lesson!" Gin shouted as his magical power covered the room. "Well looks like the kiddies still wanna play! Ok......LETS PLAY!" Ian said as he swung his chains back towards Gin, however, this time instead of dodging he sprinted towards Ian. "Dodging an attack like this is difficult but even I can tell that his chains can't travel in a straight line!" Gin sprinted towards Ian and suddenly his hammer grew three times its normal size. "Now take this! HAMMER TIME!" Gin shouted as he slammed the hammer into the ground, however, Ian managed to dodge the attack. "Sorry kid but that isn't gonna-" Ian tried to say until he suddenly got struck by Babbo who accidentally ran into him because of the momentum from Gins attack. Ian was sent spiraling into the dirt in front of them. Gin couldn't help but burst into laughter while Babbo's eyebrow twitched. "Damn.....I can't believe that I let a kid humiliate me like this. Rest assured kid.....I won't let the same thing happen twice!" Ian exclaimed with an icy tone. Suddenly the room was covered with a thick layer of magic and Ian stood in the middle of it. Gin got ready for his next attack then something unexpected happened. "Well, this was entertaining and all but I think it's time to put an end to this little battle." Suddenly everyone noticed a strange looking creature standing between the two, however, nobody could tell what it was because of all the smoke "W-who are you?" Everyone asked in unison. Soon the dust cleared and everyone finally got to see who it was that interrupted their fight. He was a small white ferret with a top hat and a red tie. "I'm so glad you asked! I am known as the infamous heartbreaker! The man of impeccable stature! I AM-" "A rat?" Everyone asked in unison which caused the rat to explode in anger. "I AM NOT A RAT DAMMIT! A FERRET ISNT EVEN RELATED TO RODENTS!! DO YOUR STUPID HOMEWORK YOU DAMN JERKS!" Everyone felt sweat drop down their brow at the idea that they were being lectured by a freaky ferret rat thing. "My name is Kororo! And I am the infamous debt collector!" He shouted as everyone felt the tension they felt before vanish. "Tsk! Whatever I still need to kick the crap out of this guy!" Gin shouted but before he could do anything else Kororo appeared out of nowhere and stood on his hammer. "Sorry Kid but you couldn't beat a member of the Black Cross even if you tried!" Kororo explained as Gin tried to swing him off but instead he just landed in front of him. "Just let me handle this, k?" Gin was about to protest until he saw his expression and decided to step down. "Your kidding right? Stop messing around and fight me!" Ian shouted as Kororo sneered. "Don't worry you'll get your fight buddy, now watch this!" Kororo shouted as he suddenly sucked in a ton of air and then began to hold his breath. After a while, he began to change colors and then in a brief moment he suddenly got winded and fell to the floor. Ian watched this little side show for as long as he could before he felt his blood boil. "DONT SCREW WITH ME! I'M A MEMBER OF THE BLACK CROSS YOU LITTLE PISS ANT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS LITTLE GAME!" Ian shouted as he summoned his chains again and the shot towards Kororo at blinding speeds. However, just before the chains could make contact there was a huge explosion that covered the chains and Kororo. Gin held his breath thinking that he had been skewered and Ian grinned in sick satisfaction. Suddenly Ian realized that he couldn't pull his chains back no matter how much force he used. "Damn, I hate doing that!" They heard someone say in the smoke, however, after the smoke cleared Kororo was gone and now someone new took his place. "Nice to meet you, names Kororo the gambler." The man said tipping his fedora hat over his pale green eyes while holding the chains in his other hand. This man wore what looked like a black business suit with black dress pants and black dress shoes. He also had short green hair that stuck out under his hat. "Now let's get started!" Kororo said as he flipped a coin. "Heads I kill you, tails I knock you out." Before Ian could say anything Kororo caught the coin and looked at the results. Suddenly Kororo vanished and reappeared in front of Ian then with one swift motioned he brought his hand up and flicked him on the forehead. "W-what happened?" Babbo asked but soon got his answer as Ian fell to the floor unconscious. "Pretty lucky kid!" Kororo said with a chuckle before turning around and walking over to Gin with a serious expression. "Well, Well! I certainly didn't expect the one to release Babbo would be a kid! But I guess it makes sense that you weren't attacked by my golems." Kororo explained as Gin and Babbo stared at each other in confusion. "What the heck is going on!" The asked in unison. Kororo held up his hands defensively as he was bombarded with questions from both Gin and Babbo but stopped them both as he placed his fingers against their lips. "I'd be happy to answer your questions! Just not here." He explained before pulling out what Gin summarized to be another ÄRM. "Dimension ÄRM: Babayaga!" Suddenly the ground underneath then changed and a huge mouth sprung from the earth and swallowed all three of them whole. Meanwhile, Ian slowly picked himself off the ground. "Dammit!" Suddenly Ian heard a ringing noise and reached over to his earring. "Ian return immediately! Phantom has returned." Ian sneered as he felt the pain spread all over his body. He pulled out another ÄRM and summoned a portal, however, before he left he looked back at the room where he suffered his greatest defeat and swore that next time.... "I'll kill him, I swear it!" TO BE CONTINUED! > A Nightmares End! The Crystal Empire Free At Last!! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shining watched as the citizens of the empire crowded the entrance to the castle. By now he realized that the girls couldn't keep the fake crystal heart a secret and now everyone was in a panic. In the distance, he could see Sombras black magic begin to spread all over the kingdom and Cadence couldn't keep her magic under control any longer. Suddenly the ÄRM she was using to control the barrier began to crack and then shatter into pieces meaning that now the barrier had fallen completely. "It's over....we've lost..." Shining whispered while he consoled his wife. Suddenly he felt a strong magical power appear down below and quickly went to see what had happened. Meanwhile at the castle entrance... Everyone watched as a bazaar looking mouth appeared out of nowhere, however, what surprised them more was what happened next. Suddenly the mouth spat out one boy, one objects and one man who just climbed out. "EWWWWW! What the heck Kororo! Don't ever do that again!" Gin shouted with an angry expression while Babbo quick tried to attack Kororo. "How dare you treat a gentleman like this!!" Babbo shouted while Kororo held him back. "Look I'm sorry but it was the quickest way back!" Kororo said defensively as the two continued to argue with him. The crowd suddenly cheered which caused the three newcomers to turn around. "Were saved!" "Gin somehow managed to bring the hero of the last war games!" "YEAH! SOMBRA DOSNET STAND A CHANCE!" The crowd chanted the name Kororo and Gin while they looked at each other confused. "Its been a long time Kororo." Everyone turned their attention to the oldest of the group the sage and his little grandson who was smiling ear to ear. "Gin did you come to save us like you said you would!?" The boy shouted with child-like enthusiasm. Gin smiled and gave a thumbs up which mad the whole crowd cheer while three very confused looking girls waited in the back. "So Kororo? I assume you must know who is causing all of this?" The sage asked while Kororo sneered before turning around and staring at the massive pool of black smoke. "With that magical power, there can be no doubt. why can't that stupid idiot just realize when he's beaten." Kororo said before he turned his attention over at Gin. "Gin I need you to head to the top of the castle! With any luck, that fat headed moron put the Crystal heart up there!" Kororo explained while Gin looked towards the top of the castle. "Ok, but what are you gonna do?" Gin asked while Kororo tipped his fedora to cover his eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" Kororo said as he started to walk towards the outskirts of town. "I'm gonna meet an old friend." He exclaimed with an icy dark tone that sent chills up Gin's spine. "Right....Let's go Babbo!" Gin said as he sprinted into the castle. "Hey wait a minute don't I get a say in this!?" Babbo yelled as he was being dragged away. Everyone watched as their heroes quickly sprinted towards their respected destinations. All of them cheered as they knew that now that their safety was assured, all except three girls who were still stone cold silent in confusion. As Gin sprinted up the stairs of the castle with Babbo hitting every step he suddenly found himself back on the balcony with Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. "Kid! You're safe!" Shining said as Gin ran over to him and Cadence. "What the heck happened up here!?" Gin shouted only to stop when he noticed Sombra getting closer and closer to the castle while black crystals spread everywhere. "We can't do anything without the crystal heart!" Shining armor shouted as he suddenly saw Spike running down a Crystal spire with the... "CRYSTAL HEART!!" Everyone shouted in unison just before Spike tripped and accidently dropped it. "Alright now's your time to shine! GO BABBO!" Gin shouted before launching Babbo towards the Crystal heart. "THIS IS NO WAY TO TREAT A GENTALMAN!!" He screamed before catching the crystal heart with his teeth. The crowd cheered while Gin and the others sighed in relief. "Umm, can someone pull me up please!" Babbo tried to say in a muffled voice. Meanwhile... Kororo walked towards King Sombra with a cheery grin and eyes full of confidence and then after the two finally stood before one another Kororo was the first one to break the ice. "It's been a long time Sombra? How you been?" Kororo asked while Sombra glared at him. "Am I supposed to know who you are, fool?" Sombra asked while summoning more of his black crystals. "Heh! Still using that nature ÄRM? Not much has changed in a thousand years! So why don't I beat you the same way I did back during the war games." Kororo said with a chuckle. Suddenly Sombra saw Kororo reached into his pocket and pulled out a ÄRM that looked like a skull ring and instantly he felt a flood of memories come rushing back to him. Suddenly a wave of magic rushed by Sombra and Kororo and caused the cold and fridged landscape to thaw. Instantly Sombra felt his magical power begin to fade and fell into a panic. "No It can't be true! You died during the war games!" Sombra shouted as he felt his magical power disappear. "Well, your half right! However, I didn't die but your boss did give me a nasty curse! Oh, by the way, the last time we fought you got lucky and won the slots! Let's see if you're as lucky as last time." Kororo said before throwing his ÄRM. "Darkness ÄRM: Slot Machine!" Suddenly a giant slot machine appeared from the earth and Sombra felt his heart sink into his stomach. The machine was a lot different than any normal slot machine because of its.....disturbing design. On the top of the slot machine had a giant skeleton looming over the slots while the design had flames painted all around the frame. "I suppose you remember how the game goes?" Kororo asked while Sombra started sweating bullets. "Three sevens is a win for your opponent and the caster would face a punishment, however, three skulls means.....I die, am I right?" Sombra explained while Kororo laughed. "I'm glad you remember the golden rules! Now then....let's check your luck Sombra!!" Kororo shouted before throwing the lever and watching as the slots spun. Sombra felt his blood turn ice cold as the memories of this power were replayed again and again. "To be honest, the last time I used this ÄRM you got lucky. But in the end, Sombra......" Kororo explained as one of the slots stopped. "Luck always runs out..." Suddenly another slot stopped and it appeared Sombra had enough waiting. Suddenly he brought out another ÄRM and a pale purple light covered the area. "Dimension ÄRM: Mirror Pool!" Kororo watched as Sombra instantly fell into a pool of water and he quickly went to stop his escape but in the end, it was too late and Sombra had managed to escape. "Dammit!" Kororo exclaimed before he snapped his fingers and the slot machine disappeared. Kororo turned around towards the castle and found Gin, the princess, her husband, and finally those girls. But the thing that caught his attention the most was Gin and his big goofy grin. "Jeez, that kid looks so much like you boss that it's scary!" Kororo thought before heading back towards the castle which he heard everyone cheering. "CHEERS!" Everyone shouted as they raised their glasses. "ITS OVER! IT FINALLY OVER!" "SOMBRA'S BIT THE DUST! LETS PARTY!" "HELL I CAN DRINK TO THAT!" All over the Crystal Empire, the people celebrated the end of king Sombra's reign. There was booze, food, games, this was only the start of the crystal fare. In the center of town, everyone watched as Gin and the elements of harmony ate and celebrated with everyone. "YEAH DRINK UP EVERYONE!! HAHAHA!" Gin shouted while everyone laughed at his antics. "Would you stop being so childish! Try acting more like a gentleman!" Babbo shouted while being admired by the townsfolk. Meanwhile, Kororo and Shining Armor were standing beside the entrance to the castle watching Gin laugh like a child while being scolded by Twilight and the girls. "Heh, that kid always manages to entertain! Wouldn't you agree, Shining?" Kororo asked before taking a sip of his drink. "He definitely is a weird kid. I mean the idea he came from another world! I bet he's just some crazy kid from a far away village." Shining said before downing his drink. "*Hic* well, you had better believe it, baby! *Hic!* I know that kid is the-" Cadence said in a drunken stupor before Kororo stopped her from finishing her sentence. "Shh! Let's not spoil the surprise!" Kororo said with a chuckle while Shining Armor stayed oblivious. "Either way.....This kid is gonna change everything! And now after so many years has past....The war games will begin again." Kororo thought while Gin and Babbo were arguing with one another. "Lets what happens next." TO BE CONTINUED! > Meeting With Royalty! And The Fated Encounter? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "WHAT!?" Gin shouted for the fifth time today. Gin and the others left the crystal empire earlier the next day after the festival and now were riding on the train back to Canterlot the capital of Equestria. Now Twilight and some of her friends explained that Ginta, Babbo, and Kororo had been summoned to the capital to meet with the princesses. "Wow, this is so cool! Meeting with actual royalty! Man this is totally awesome! Say are they pretty?" Gin exclaimed before being knocked upside the head by Babbo. "How dare you! These are princesses you fool! Try and act more like a gentleman!" Babbo exclaimed while Gin glared at him. "Like you have any room to talk! After all, you're just a stupid Kendama toy!" Gin argued as the sparks flew between them. Meanwhile, Twilight was looking out the window gloomily suddenly she felt someone sit beside her and she turned around not to find a man but a tiny ferret. "Umm... who are you?" Twilight asked while the ferret smiled. "I'm glad you asked! I am the man known horizon too horizons! I am the hero that Equis deserves! I AM-" The ferret dramatically exclaimed before Gin and Babbo interrupted him again. "Kororo~! Kororo~! Big rat Kororo~!" Gin sang while Babbo tried to stop from laughing, however, Kororo was certainly unhappy with Gin's little song. "What's the matter with you? Didn't you accomplish Celestia's orders?" Kororo asked with smoke rising from his tiny fists while Gin and Babbo were sprawled out on the floor with large red bumps on their heads. "I....I failed her test." Twilight explained with a pained look on her face. "Failed her test?" Kororo asked with a raised eyebrow. "I was given a test to save the crystal empire. However, it's not just that.....I failed myself." She explained while everyone turned their attention towards her. "I was so focused on passing my test that I forgot about all the people who were suffering! I ignored them and only focused on passing my test no matter what! I think thats why I was so angry...." Twilight exclaimed before getting up and walking over to Gin who was still sitting on the floor. Twilight sat down on her knees while keeping her eyes covered as to not show the tears building up. "Why I was so angry at you Ginta....." Gin stared at her with a blank and unreadable expression while she cried softly. "You were so determined....you didn't care about the danger! The only thing on your mind was helping everyone, even at the cost of your own life! I feel so ashamed of myself! I'm such an idiot!" Suddenly Twilight felt something hit her on the head and she quickly tried to ease the dull pain. She looked up to see Gin with a frown as he chopped her on the head a few more times. "Owww~! What was that for!" Twilight whimpered while Gin sighed. "Because your not the only one who made mistakes!" Gin exclaimed which caught her off guard. "Trust me when I first got here I was so quick to act like a hero that I nearly killed a guy I just met from a psychotic killer! Everyone makes mistakes! So why don't we bury the hatchet and start over, k?" Gin explained before holding out his hand. Twilight felt tears roll down her face as she grabbed his hand a little too forcefully which caused Gin to shout in pain. Twilight panicked and quickly tried to help while the others laughed. "Heh, It's learning from those mistakes that will make you stronger." Kororo thought as he looked out the window and saw the capital getting closer and closer. "Let's just hope he's ready for what happens next." "WOW! This place is huge!" Gin shouted as he and the others walked into canterlot castle. "Yup, this is the most beautiful city in the entire country." Rarity exclaimed as Gin ran off further into the castle with childish enthusiasm. "Yeah I bet! Oh man! Do you see these doors!? I mean come on how big do you need these things!" Gin shouted with a big grin, however, he didn't seem to realize that someone else was behind that door. Suddenly the door flew open which hit Gin with enough force to send him cartwheeling into the wall. "OW! WHO THE HECK DID THAT!" Gin shouted as he held his aching skull while glaring at the doorway. The person standing there was a young man probably around the same age as Ginta with Blue hair and a strange tattoo under his left eye. He was wearing some kind of coat with a white and blue frame while he also wore some blue colored dress pants. "Hey! What the heck's your problem!" Gin shouted only to be ignored as the young man sneered and walked away. "Jeez, what a jerk!" "Can't say you didn't deserve that one for acting like a child Ginta!" Babbo exclaimed only for Gin to reach over and pull his mustache. As the two fought one another everyone seemed to be more focused on the door. "Stop fighting you two! Don't you realize that you are in the presence of royalty!" Kororo said as Gin and Babbo looked over to the see a women sitting on one of the two giant thrones. "I'm glad to see you all come back safely." The woman with the flowing rainbow-colored hair said as everyone bowed to her. "Wow! Who is that! Her hair is super freaky!" Gin exclaimed before getting slammed in the back of the head by Babbo. "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO A PRINCESS LIKE THAT!" Babbo exclaimed as he and Gin glared daggers at one another. Suddenly they heard someone laughing and they both looked over to see the princess laughing hysterically. "O-Oh my! It's true what Cadence said this young man truly is a riot!" The princess said with a chuckle. However, before Gin could say anything Twilight walked over to the princess and bowed to her. Everyone seemed tense as the princess and Twilight stood in front of one another. "I'm sorry princess Celestia! I failed your test....I couldn't save the empire." Twilight exclaimed choking back the tears. "Excuse me? I thought that you and your friends were able to stop Sombra?" "W-We were! However, I wasn't the one to save it! Gin and the others managed to do more than I could! And I became so selfish that I nearly ruined everything! I'm sorry Princess!" The room was silent as Celestia stared at her student and the rest of the group seemed to tense up, however, before anything else could be said they suddenly heard someone. "I'm not surprised in the least. After all, sending a group of children to battle the remnants of the black cross was beyond ignorant." Everyone turned around to see the same man from before walk into the room with a bored expression on his face. Before Celestia could say anything someone else beat her to the punch. "What the heck is your problem guy!" Gin shouted as he ran up and grabbed him by the collar. "My problem? My problem is my mother sending her pupil of all things to deal with such a serious issue instead of dealing with it herself! Or at the very least sending her celestial knights." He explained while Celestia sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry that the way I deal with problems is different than how you deal with problems Raven." Celestia exclaimed only to get the cold stare of her step-son. "WAIT THAT'S PRINCE RAVEN!" Rarity exclaimed with a girlish squeal. "I don't care who this jerk is! I won't let this punk talk to my friends like that!" Gin shouted as he and Raven glared at one another. "Twilight my young student I could never be mad or upset with you. In the end, you learned more about yourself and your friends. Thanks to this you have not only passed my test but also helped improve your connection with your friends." Celestia explained as Twilights eyes lite up and the others sighed in relief. "You sent her on a mission just to make friends? How childish!" Raven exclaimed which caused Gin to tighten his grip. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR FRIGGIN PROBLEM!" Gin said as he tried to throw a punch only for Raven to catch his attempt without even trying and pushed him back. "If you want to fight then I'd be happy to finish you off." Raven explained as his magical aura filled the room. "THATS ENOUGH RAVEN!" Suddenly everyone looked towards the thrown to see a man garbed in golden armor watching the two boys. "T-Thats Sacred saber! The leader of the celestial knights!" Rainbow exclaimed as the man descended from the throne and towards the two only to be stopped by kororo. "Now, now! I think what we have here is a failure to communicate! However, I think we should let these two settle their problem a different way." Kororo exclaimed as Sacred saber nearly jumped at the sight of the talking animal. "A-A rat?" Sacred Saber said in a confused tone. Kororo felt his blood boil as a vein appeared and just as he was just about to clobber the knight Celestia quickly intervened. "N-No Sacred saber! The one you see before you is Kororo the hero of the last war games." Celestia said holding back her laughter. "SERIOUSLY!" "YES SERIOUSLY! COME ON WHERE THE HELL'S YOUR SENSE OF IMAGINATION!" Kororo exclaimed as he brought out his tiny claws. "Ugh...Anyways like I was saying! I believe it would be good for these two to strut thier stuff so to speak." "Fine by me! I'll happily kick this guys teeth in!" Gin shouted as he and Raven glared at one another. "Tsk! Fine....If you really want to be humiliated than follow me to the training field." Raven explained as he began to walk away. As they walked away Celestia let out an exasperated sigh as she got up and followed closely behind them while Sacred saber close behind his princess. Everyone in the room had left except for Kororo who was grinning ear to ear. "Well then I guess it's time to see what I'm dealing with." Kororo thought as he suddenly drew in a sharp breath. TO BE CONTINUED! > The Prince Vs The Dreamer!? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gin and Raven stood opposed to one another while the princess and the girls waited on the sidelines with a mix of anticipation and aggravation. Celestia knew that sooner or later Raven would have his rebellious phase but to be honest she was NOT looking forward to how things were starting out. Especially now that this visitor has appeared and ironically enough is the complete opposite to Raven who is more pessimistic than anyone Celestia has ever known while Gin was more light-hearted and cheerful than most. "Are you both ready to begin?" Sacred Saber asked while Raven and Gin glared daggers at one another. "Ugh.......Let's just get this over with." Raven exclaimed with a bored expression. "This guy doesn't know what he's up against! Right Babbo!?" Gin shouted as he got into a fighting stance. Babbo, however, wasn't as confident as his childish servant. After all, he knew all too well that Gin didn't stand a chance against Raven. It was easy to see just by looking into Raven's cold emotionless eyes. "Keep your guard up Ginta! This isn't going to be anything like your fight with Ian." Babbo explained while Ginta looked at him with a raised brow. "What? Come on Babbo! This guy can't be all that tough!" Gin said with a grin. "Now....BEGIN!" Suddenly Raven vanished in the blink of an eye and without warning Gin felt Ravens attack hit him dead center in the stomach which sent him flying into the arena wall. Gin clutched his aching stomach and fought back the urge to puke only for Raven to kick him into the air and once again vanish only to reappear above him and slam him into the ground. "GINTA!!" Babbo shouted as he tried to make his way towards Ginta, however, before he could get close Raven's icy stare stopped him dead in his tracks. "W-whats happening!? I can't move!" "It's a darkness ÄRM, isn't it princess?" Twilight asked as Celestia nodded with an annoyed sigh. Meanwhile, Ginta was lying on the ground with his brain working on overdrive to try and process what had just happened. Ginta slowly got to his feet and saw that Raven's attention was on Babbo and quickly tried to take advantage of the situation. Just as Gin was about to throw a punch Raven suddenly turned around and roundhouse kicked him back into the wall. "Honestly, this is just pathetic....It's bad enough that you have no magic control! But you have no idea how to use that ÄRM! This fight is completely pointless." Ginta once again stood back up and glared at Raven who looked more bored now than he did at the start of the battle. "D-Dammit! I swear I'll make you pay for this!" Ginta shouted as tried to charge him again only to feel his whole body freeze on the spot. "Darkness ÄRM: Reaper's Gambit!" "GINTA!" Babbo shouted as he tried to fight the dark hold that Raven had on him. "It's pointless to struggle under my darkness ÄRM. Even the most powerful magic users couldn't break this curse! I'm baffled that you thought you could beat me!" Raven declared with a sneer. Meanwhile, the girls watched in horror as their friend was rendered helpless in only a few short minutes. Even Celestia was having a hard time staying out of the battle. "Hate to say it but Raven does have a point." They heard someone with a strong southern accent say from behind them. Everyone turned around to see a man with a gunslingers uniform on with two matching silver coated pistols at his side. "Quick Shot? I didn't know you had returned." Sacred Saber said as he turned to meet his comrade. "W-Wait Quick shot!?" Applejack shouted as she tried to make herself invisible. "Well, Well! If it ain't my little nephew! How you doin squirt!?" Quick Shot said with a chuckle as he rustled Applejacks hat. "Hold up......QUICK SHOT THE SECOND IN COMAND TO THE CELESTIAL KNIGHTS IS YOUR UNCLE!" The group shouted as Applejack tried to hide her blush. "Anyway's....Looks like Raven is given that kid the ringer! Think we should stop him before he takes this too far?" Quick shot asked only for Celestia stopped him. "Not yet.....I think we need to wait for just a few more minutes." Celestia exclaimed as everyone turned their attention back to the fight. Ginta felt the ominous power of Raven's darkness ÄRM surround his entire body. No matter what he tried he couldn't move an inch, however, Raven was still very much mobile. "A weakling like you has no right to try and act tough! I can't understand your idiotic notion of fighting me just for the sake of your so-called friends. After all, didn't you just meet them recently? You don't have any connection to them, so why bother fighting for someone if you don't owe them a single thing?" "Your wrong....." Ginta whispered as he felt anger start to build in his soul. "Huh?" "Your right....I'm weak......I'm so damn weak I can't even fight for my friends! However, you dead wrong about one thing!" Ginta shouted as the felt something powerful begin to form. "JUST BECAUSE THEY DONT OWE ME SOMETHING, DOSENT MEAN I CAN JUST TURN MY BACK ON THEM!" Ginta shouted as magical energy suddenly exploded out of his body. Raven felt a tremendous amount of magical power rush past him and suddenly he felt his ÄRM begin to crack and shatter into pieces. Without realizing it Ginta managed to sprint past Raven and made his way towards Babbo. "It's about time you got here Ginta!" Babbo exclaimed as Ginta picked him up. "Sorry about that Babbo. How about to make it up to you we kick this guy's but!" Ginta said with a grin. Raven didn't say a thing as he watched Ginta and Babbo prepare for the next attack, however, what they didn't realize was that Raven was done holding back. "I'll admit I'm impressed you managed to break the curse with pure willpower alone. But you should know that from here on out I won't be pulling any punches." Suddenly the area was surrounded by a thick layer of magical energy as Raven reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange looking ÄRM. "Sacred Weapon ÄRM: Light Spear!" Suddenly the arena was covered in a bright light blinding everyone. After a minute, everyone regained their vision only to see something amazing. Everyone stared in awe as hundreds of spears circled around Raven in an almost mesmerizing dance. "Looks Like Ravens going overboard again.....Maybe now's a good time to jump in before someone gets hurt?" Quick Shot exclaimed only, this time, someone else stopped him. "Oh no, you don't! Let's see where this goes." Kororo exclaimed as he stuck his hand out to stop him. "What took you so long Kororo?" Celestia asked while Kororo chuckled a little under his breath. "What can I say? Being stuck in the body of a ferret is kind of a pain." Kororo explained as he turned his attention back to the fight. "That's.......That's...." Everyone turned their attention towards Ginta as he shook under Ravens stone cold gaze, however, what happened next caught everyone off guard. "THAT'S SO COOL!" Ginta shouted as everyone nearly tripped. "C-Cool?" Raven thought while he stared at Ginta with a confused look on his face. Suddenly Ginta started running towards Raven with a determined look on his face. Raven quickly tried to stop his assault by sending a volley of spears towards him but Ginta managed to dodge the attack easily. "Alright, Babbo I got a plan!" Ginta said as Babbo's hammer began to grow. Ginta slammed his hammer into the ground which caused a huge chunk of earth to be uprooted. Then Ginta swung the hammer and destroyed the rock completely which caused a huge cloud of dust to cover the arena. "That idiot! Does he seriously think he can fool me? His plan is to blind me so that he can sneak up and attack me with that hammer of his, but unfortunately, that isn't going to work!" Raven theorized as he prepared for Ginta's attack. Suddenly Raven felt his presence behind him and quickly blocked his attack, however, when he stopped his attack he realized that Ginta didn't attack with Babbo but with his bare hands. Ginta pushed himself away just in time as a gigantic Babbo landed on top of Raven with a thunderous boom. Everyone was slack-jawed as they watched the dust settle while Ginta held his already broken body. As Babbo began to shrink, Raven was lying face down in the crater that Babbo had made. "Wow did that kid seriously beat raven with a trick like that?" Quick shot asked while Sacred Saber suddenly realized the point of this battle. "Was this what you wanted Kororo?" Sacred Saber asked as Kororo tipped his hat. Suddenly some of the rubble began to move as Raven stood up and began to walk out of the crater in a daze. Meanwhile, Ginta was making his way towards Raven while he was also in a tired and exhausted state. The two stood off against each other while each brought their fists back before trying to throw a punch at one another. With that, both punches connected and they both fell backward and passed out on the ground. "It's finally over." Celestia said with a sigh of relief as Kororo made his way towards the two unconscious boys. "Congrats you two! I have to admit you put your all into this fight, as your new teacher I must admit I can't wait to see what you both will do next!" Kororo explained as he pulled out two bags and placed it next to the two boys. "Dimension ÄRM: Training Gate!" Suddenly the ground underneath the two boys transformed into a giant door which suddenly opened and the two boys fell inside before anyone could stop them. "HEY WAIT WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!?" Rainbow shouted while she and the rest of the girls ran over to him. "Don't worry their fine. I just sent them to do some extra training." Kororo explained as the girls couldn't help but get worried about their new friend. "So how long do you plan on keeping them in the training gate for?" Sacred Saber asked with a serious tone. "Three days at the most." "So for at least a year in the gate." Quick Shot summarized as the rest of the group looked confused. "When those two come back.......They should be ready for the battle with the Black cross, I have no doubt about that." Kororo said with a smirk as everyone stared at him in shock. "Here's hoping for the next generation!" TO BE CONTINUED!