Ni Tsu Ni Modoru
I woke up with a start, and in panic I looked around to find myself in a grand room, filled with pictures of creatures of mythology. I wanted to sigh, but being in this world for a couple of days was going to have some sort of effect on you, especially if you’re a psionic commando.
I looked at myself before looking at the door, and felt my powers surge into me very, very slowly. I was glad that was happening, because I would usually awake with tons and tons of bombs being dropped at where I would lay. It never ceased to make me at least happy to feel the power that I possessed being seeped into my form. I quickly let out an ungracious yawn and slowly shuffled out of the bed, leaving it messed up.
I slowly walked over to a nearby mirror adorned with gold, something that Yoshiro and Tatsu never really did, considering they preferred honor to such trivial decorations. I never minded anyway, pretty or not, I will take it as long as it benefits either the Empire or me.
I saw my bedraggled form and quickly shook my head, causing my hair to straighten out once more, reminding me of my days with my family before that bastard sent me to Shiro Sanitarium, lucky me.
Oh my! I’m terribly sorry that I didn’t introduce myself. I am Yuriko Matsui, otherwise known as Yuriko Omega to the world or as my other name, the lady of death.
Where am I exactly? In a land called Equestria where these things, called ponies, share a certain affinity for the power I possess; psionic prowess.
I can give you a brief explanation of what it is, not how I got it. It means that I can levitate, crush, move and basically do everything with immense power straight from the head and with such ease too, although these ponies do not refer to it as psychokinesis or anything related to the word ‘psycho’. Instead, they call it magic and have a lot more knowledge about it than I do, having been weaponized by the Empire after they found out about it.
It all began when I accidently caused Shiramarui, my cat, to levitate after a brief anger session and so it went on from there, I even showed off my powers in school. They scolded me for it, for abusing it a little too much after one particular accident that left my teacher paralyzed. The late Emperor noticed this and sent a task force to ‘relocate’ me from my parents in Tanabe. Because of that, it all led to a horrifying program they dubbed the ‘Omega Program’.
I was only glad they made me into who I am, but what they did to me is what I came back for, to destroy that shitbag of a scientist, Shimada, and rescue my sister, Izumi. But she betrayed me in favor of power, and long after that I would have her death buried into my head, at my hands.
I snapped out of my trance and quickly went to bathe myself with the utensils that these Princesses have provided me with. After 15 minutes, I was done and proceeded to dry myself out, before changing to my repaired clothing. It was then I remembered that this was my last day in this beloved world, before I go back to Tokyo and back towards the aftermath of the war. She said that I couldn’t stay here because I was a little different, but I didn’t blame her for that, not after that rude arrival.
It all began that day I paid a little visit to Futuretech’s testing grounds, to see what they were up to. I managed to subdue the guards without casualties and walk into the facility to the horror of the lead scientist there. What was his name again? Conrad?
But anyway, I wasn’t in the mood to maim, so I just knocked him out and took a brief look at what he was doing that day on the computer. It showed me details of a neat teleportation device that was similar to their Chronosphere, that might spare their forces the trouble to move their vast array of weapons and I took the liberty to be the first one to test it out. I waltzed into the chamber and saw the machine, a large orb like structure, glowing and ready to be tested.
Then they came in, the party crashers or whom they call ‘Peacekeeper’s. They called me to halt and whatever they would say when dealing with an Imperial Psi-Commando, obviously frightened with my powers.
But I refused and since I wasn’t in to kill, I quickly used my powers to activate the machine, sending me spiraling through time and space itself due to my powers disrupting the true purpose of the machine.
Now you know how I got here, but you don’t even know half the story yet. I arrived shortly and ungraciously, seemingly to an important event where I see all these fancily dressed up ponies talking to each other before they spun their confused heads towards my form.
Then I heard one of them scream as I got up, wiping myself clean of the dust. The next thing I knew was everything went to hell, things literally flying through the air. Sounds bland and boring, right? Wait till you see what happens next, as I walked out of the room for something important I had in mind before returning home, not before putting on my braids that boosted my powers.
Back to the matter at hand, something just had to go wrong and I suddenly saw dozens of these fancily armored ponies surround me with weapons looking similar to ours. They barked something for me to stand down and face trial, but when did Yuriko obeyed the whims of what I initially thought as the lesser being?
Of course, they had to lunge at me and I did the most sensible thing yet, let loose a harmful psychokinetic burst of energy. Whenever I did that back in Japan, the enemies would usually been dismantled by the time I was done but these somehow resilient ponies were just knocked back by it, relatively unharmed. They just got up and shouted for me to stand down again, but I just stood there, very pissed off.
And man, do they hit hard. One of them got lucky and sent me flying with a strong buck into a table. Struggling to get up, I had to use my full power in order to deal with these meddling ponies and by doing that; I’ve just brought in a being more powerful and more skillful than I am.
The Princess of the Sun, or so she says. In a loud voice that reminded my of the Imperial speakers, she immediately halted every being inside wherever I was. I looked on with absolute dismay and tried to hit her with the best I could, she responded by summoning a shield that just caused my attack to falter and dissipate, adding to my dismay.
It was then I realized I was the victim of unfortunate consequences and would’ve caused a great deal of a mess if she hadn’t come into the scene. She walked, or rather trotted, up to me as I descended down from the air, knowing that if this pony of clear royal blood was powerful enough to block even my strongest attacks, she would have no problems wiping me out with ease. She asked me for my name and where I came from, her mane seemingly wavering in the wind while she spoke at me.
I replied in Japanese, but after realizing that she spoke English, I immediately changed my earlier statement into the respective language. She just nodded and called for these ‘guards’ to stand down, before telling the crowd of frightened ponies to calm down too. After the brief talk, she led me into a garden, away from the ponies and it was there I had my first conversation with my future sensei. Why do I say she is my sensei?
Well, she’s the one who taught me to control the powers I held within this period of time, seeing that it is also magic to their terms albeit magic that couldn’t be controlled effectively by the likes of a human lest they somehow end up destroying entire continents or even whole worlds, something I do not wish for in any way as there is no certain benefit to it, right? She could also see the trauma I’ve been through because of that damned war, and taught about something I thought I would never relearn during my time; friendship.
I learned a lot of things during the days I stayed here, even teaching her personal student some Japanese! I felt happy, very happy. It fondly touched the memories before the project, before the war where I spent my days helping my parents out. She reminded me a bit like Mum, even sounding like her when she was asking me for help in whatever chores she was involved.
Now I was going to have one last chat with her before she sends me back
to Tokyo. Surprised how fast things can go? I am too considering I’ve just wrecked one of her event and here I am, granted a room in a lavish palace only the royalties stay in.
I walked out into the grand hallways of the palace and made my way towards the main room, finding the Princess who was sitting on the Throne, it made me think she was waiting for me all this time and I never paid attention to it, even with my powers.
“Good morning, Yuriko.”
“Ohayogoazaimasu, Sensei Celestia,” I replied politely in native Japanese as I walked over in front of the throne.
“I trust your sleep is good as usual?”
“It was good,” I replied again, finding a vacant chair and taking a seat on it legs folded. “So I will go home today, if I am not wrong.”
“Indeed, you will have to anyway. I’m deeply sorry you can’t stay here permanently,” Celestia responded as we met eyes, the sun shining in.
“It is fine. With what you’ve thought me in control, I think I can get back home without any outside interference,” I replied, spotting a cup of tea prepared just for me and held out a hand to lift it towards me without spilling it.
My visit to this peaceful land was fairly eventful, with everybody, I mean everypony, staring at me the first time I was given a tour of both Canterlot, the place I am in now, and Ponyville on the third day of my accidental visit. It was a slightly odd experience and I suppose I can briefly tell you the most interesting event I had that day I visited that quaint little town.
First up, I met the pony who happened to also be a student of Celestia, with the fancy addition of living in a tree that reminded me of a super sized bonsai tree. What was her name again?
Ah hah! It was Twilight Sparkle, an interesting name to be frank. She was totally excited with my arrival and boy, there were so many questions that she asked me even my enhanced mind couldn’t adjust to. But other than the stream of questions she asked me, she was a really friendly pony. Even for someone who is probably a complete nutjob like I am, she was pretty easy to be friends with and Celestia actually commended me on that, earning my first friend in a totally unknown land.
I can remember that conversation I had with her, telling her about myself…
---
“Wow! That’s very interesting!” Twilight exclaimed, after I told her a little bit about Japan’s history, busy writing down notes about me with the power they called ‘magic’. But I could do the same, and I called it something very different.
“Indeed,” I reply as I adjusted my sore legs, sitting down on these wooden chairs were a little… uncomfortable. “Is there anything else you want to know about?”
“Yes! I still have a lot more questions about you humans!” She ecstatically replies as Celestia watched from behind with a smile, with that little dragon assistant wandering around. He was actually pretty cute and stuff, but I quickly changed my attention back to Twilight as she asked another question.
“So, how did you get the ability to use magic? Judging from what you said, it’s not normal for humans to be able to use it!” She asked, prompting me to look up for answers. I actually had no idea what gave me my mysterious powers, and so did anyone else. But I did know that the bastard they called Shimada turned me into a living weapon.
“I do not know the answer to that, Kagayaki, but what I do know of is that I possess that power and can manipulate them for... destructive purposes,” I reply, confident with my answer as I reached out for the cup of coffee in front of me. I don’t really like coffee, but it’ll have to do. Kagayaki is what her name stood for in Japanese. Well, it actually meant ‘Sparkle’ but I think it’s pretty appropriate for her.
“Okay…” She replied, jotting down what I said before asking me a question that I was glad to answer. “Now! What’s that other language do you speak besides Equestrian?”
“I’m glad you asked, Kagayaki! It’s called Japanese and from where I come from, we all speak it for it is our mother tongue,” I responded, hoping that she would ask me to teach it to her as I hadn’t got a chance to ever teach someone about anything at all, maybe a little lesson in pain.
“That’s amazing! Can you teach me a little about this ‘Japanese’?” I actually cracked a smile, something I don’t usually do on the battlefield or anywhere else for that matter after the Sanitarium. Celestia looked on from behind with interest that her student was going to get a little language lesson from a being that was also her student, for a very brief amount of time.
“Watashi wa kukushin suru koto ga dekimasu, Kagayaki!” I responded to Twilight in Japanese, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.
“Umm… what does that mean, miss Yuriko?” She asked, trying to put a plastic grin across her face.
“It means that I will teach you some Japanese!” I answered back in glee. “Now then, I’m going to teach you how to say ‘Hello’ in Japanese first…’ The lesson took around forty minutes with Celestia just listening from behind. I was surprised at how quickly she absorbed the words down like a sponge, jotting down the words I said in that notebook she had and floated in the air, surrounded by a purple aura.
“Now! Try and say ‘Hello! How are you?’ in Japanese!”
“Um…” She drifted away, eyes locked on to her surroundings before she finally cleared her throat and responded. “Kon’nichwa…! Ogenkidesuka?” I smiled and took another sip of my dwindling level of coffee.
“Watashi wa genkidesu, arigatōgozaimashita,” I respond, causing her to breath a sigh of relief that she nailed the line correctly.
“Wow! That was really hard to actually remember!” She exclaimed, I smiled back in response at how fast she is able to speak Japanese fluently, but can she do it without her book?
“Don’t worry, Kagayaki. We all take a little bit of time to learn new dialects such as the language I speak right now,” I commented on my fast learning of English in school before I was taken for Omega. “Now then, anymore questions?”
“Well…” She replied as she starting brainstorming for new ideas. Then the next interesting part of the day happens to me as I suddenly see a pink, hyperactive and totally fluffy pony pop up from behind me.
“Hiyah!” She exclaimed excitedly, causing me to accidently spill my coffee and activate my powers, sending the pink pony hovering in the air surrounded by my aura. “Whoa!”
“Gah! Who are you? One of Kagayaki’s friends?” I asked her as Twilight got out of her chair, slowly approaching my side to Celestia’s curiosity at my demonstration of my powers.
“I totally do not know what you said means! But if you’re asking me whether I’m one of Twily’s friends then I totally am!” This pink pony I would come to know as ‘Pinku’ in Japanese chimed excitedly as she enjoyed herself in the aura of my energy.
“Well,” I gently placed her on the ground and dissipated the field, causing her to get up lightning fast and bounce around. “Tell me that earlier, I could’ve accidently destroyed the building you know.”
“I’m really, really, really super duper sorry if that happens! But’s it’s okay!” She said, causing me to ponder what kind of pony she was.
“Um… Yuriko?” Twilight called for my attention. “This is Pinkie Pie, one of the Elements of Harmony, specifically the Element of Laughter,” she explained as the hyperactive pony suddenly appeared in my face, defying anything I’ve ever believed in.
“Wowwhat’syournameandwowthat’sacooluniformyougotthere!” She talked blazingly fast as she put on a gigantic grin after that, my head trying to process what she just said.
“My name is Yuriko Matsui,” I responded as she continued bouncing. “And thank you for that compliment about my uniform.” Tailored by the finest Imperial craftsmen, and it still managed to retain shape even after all the horrible events I’ve been through
“No problemo!” She replied. “Oh boy! You need a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party right here right now!” I became a little wound up because of how fast she talked and how damn hyperactive she is. It reminded me a little of our Shogunate, Kenji, when he fought the Allies, but much, much more bouncier and more fluffy.
“Er… Pinkie, I don’t think that’s a good idea-
“Woohoo!” She pulls out a cannon from behind her as Celestia just stood there, with a slight grin on her face and a small giggle to my dismay. Suddenly, the cannon flared and the whole place was decorated with all sorts of goodies and stuff, for parties. I was shocked to the max, how can a simple piece of artillery actually set out a party in less than a second? My head was literally spinning.
“Pinkie!” Twilight groaned as she hoofplanted herself straight in the face, causing me to giggle like it was school again.
What happens next is up to anyone’s imagination. But not everything went as well as I thought, eventually I had some disagreements with Twilight’s friends once they heard my tales of the Empire fighting the combined might of both the Allies and the Soviets and the sheer amount of brutality I demonstrated to those barbaric oppressors of the Emperor, but that can be told later as Celestia, current time, spoke once again.
---
“I was guessing that,” she replies as I snapped out of my memories, holding both the cup and the plate with my free hands before sipping on the warm tea. “From what I’ve heard about your world, it is indeed in troubling times.”
“I know, sensei. That’s why I’ve taken all I could to enjoy my visit here until today,” I respond as I felt warm liquid traveling down my throat. “I was, if you could say so, brainwashed into a lethal, cold blooded killer and my unexpected trip here has given me some humanity back.”
“That is good,” Celestia replies, I smile at her back. “So, do you think your world will ever find peace like us?” I pondered about this question, after I had rampaged through Shiro Sanitarium and that accursed Allied detention camp.
“I… do not know the answer to that, sensei. Conflict exists anywhere, anytime,” I reply, finally finding the indirect answer. “It has to exist, or else something is wrong.”
“Personally, I think that is wrong,” Celestia replies as I raise my brow up in curiosity to where this was going. “Peace can be achieved and maintained forever, if we put ourselves up to the task.”
“We’ve been through wars and wars in the ages. Even in feudal Japan, scores were settled through duels by samurais,” I said, trying to remember what I’ve learned all those years back in history class.
“That is… unethical,” Celestia replies grimly at the prospect of the duels our ancestors performed in order to keep their honor. Now since she said that, a new thought has sprang up in my mind. Is honor worth sacrificing your humanity for? This thought would go on until the day I die, if I would die anyway.
“Maybe,” I answered back, finishing my cup of tea and levitating it back to the table where it belonged before I asked her one question. “So have you experienced any wars in your ruling?”
“Never did, only small battles like banishing my sister who had turned into Nightmare Moon to the moon, as to her name,” She replies, looking down at me with contempt as if I threaded on a sensitive subject. “Even then, I felt great remorse.”
“I can understand it had to be done,” I answered as I went through the buried memory of killing Izumi, for a good reason. “Did she go mad with power?”
“Not really, she transformed into Nightmare Moon because she was unhappy with my ponies only enjoying the day and only sleeping in the night,” Celestia explained to me as I listened attentively.
“That’s interesting,” I declared as I looked around the room, trying to find something else to spy on. “So no wars?”
“Not during my reign,” she replies to my delight. No wars? A dream come true for anyone like me, but will the record go on? I am not so sure about that. Even if sensei Celestia tries her best to prevent any kind of conflict, there will be at least one.
I decided to talk about the war in my place a little more…detailed than I did before. “Sensei?”
“Yes, Yuriko?”
“Have I ever told you the time when I fought the last stand for the Empire?” I asked.
“I believe not,” she replies as I finally get a chance to recall the last days of the Empire, the day that Yoshiro stood his last stand against the Eagle.
“Well, it happened so like this….”
---
I cried as the Peacekeepers opened fire on me. They never stopped firing, never.
I felt pain and the feeling of defeat as I watched the Empire’s greatest infantries, the Shinobi, crumble to the measly Allies. I want to scream, and so I did. Letting loose a psychokinetic burst, I killed all of them in one fell swoop as the remaining Rocket Angels, the ones whom had sent me back into the Sanitarium years ago, attempted to fend off the armored assault of the Allied forces with their rockets only to be shot down by the screaming planes of the skies.
No, this is not how the Empire will end. Not like this.
The warriors who bravely stood beside me and against the advancing Allied forces yelled war cries and charged forward, slaughtering most of the Allied soldiers in their stomachs before they were mowed down by shameful hovercrafts. Their rocket troopers finished off a heavily damaged Tsunami tank, and I avenged it by killing its executors. The Empire, even if outmatched, will never set.
I will fight until I die as I caused another Allied tank to crumble and wither before flinging it at another of its comrades, causing them to tumble and shout in surprise. I flickered at this before the tankbuster beside me exploded into a bloody mess from a triumphant Peacekeeper, promptly meeting his fate at my hands.
It was then I heard an explosion that engulfed the Nagama dojos, I spun and saw the flaming wrecks of them due to the damned Allied commando I vehemently hated so much. I hated them all, even more so for Shimada, the man who brought me here in the first place. The place where I refused to go, before they forced me too.
I will not yield, not yet! I crunched another of those pesky Allied IFVs and threw it at a group of stumbling peacekeepers and rocket soldiers, turning them into roadkill. I smiled in maniacal delight, I wanted to watch them burn and suffer.
Then I saw a hulking armored figure approach, followed by three more and a squadron of tanks. I grimaced, these were easy targets, but there were just too many to fend off. But I refused to yield once again as I crushed one of these armored figures, to his companions’ horror before they turned their guns on me in revenge.
I felt searing pain jab everywhere in my body, pain. The horrible pain as I literally turned into an ice cube thanks to these damn troopers. I saw them through the ice before I blacked out because it was so cold.
I wanted to burn them all, but I couldn’t as I saw an Allied helicopter hover above me before it pulled me up and it brought me to the Allied detention camp somewhere far away from Japan, where Soviet and my fellow Imperial soldiers stood imprisoned.
I vowed vengeance to Shimada for Project Omega and the Allies for causing such a dishonorable defeat to us. I would dish all of that pent up anger at a later date, freed by the sister I had to slay in order to quell her greed...
---
“…And that is what happened,” I finished off, tired with telling sensei Celestia about the battle of Tokyo and how we failed. “It was a shame, to have lost to such pitiful things.”
“I see…” she mused to herself as she rubs her chin with her… hoof. I was still getting used with these ‘ponified’ versions of words we use. It is kind of hard to get used to, but they assured me not. Even things in Japan can get a little… odd. “That must’ve been terrible to partake in.”
“Of course it is, sensei. War is never a good thing,” I responded, as I hated conflict. As much as I caused it, I never wanted to do such atrocities even if I had to. “I’ve taken a honest disliking of it.”
“Good to know,” she replied as I looked around, glancing momentarily at an invisible watch I knew I never had. I was not desperate to go home, not even wanting to go home, because home is where we all died. But if my parents are still alive, maybe there is a reason to return.
“How much longer before my return?” I questioned her as she suddenly got up from her throne, spreading her pearly white wings that reminded my of the Tengus back in mainland Japan.
“Well, it’s actually up to you to decide when you want to return. But it has to be today,” Celestia responds as I smile, maybe before I go back I should say goodbye to all those who I’ve made friends with? It isn’t very nice when you make such good friends with beings in mythology before they disappears for possibly forever, right?
“Well, can you take me back to Kagayaki’s library? I wish to say goodbye to her as well as her friends,” I respond, hoping that Celestia would know whom I was referring to.
“Very well then.” She responds as she trotted down from the stairs. “Do not worry, I’ve heard you say that name during that pleasant conversation you were having with my student,” I got up to get ready for teleportation, did I mention that yet? Sensei Celestia also thought me how to teleport and boy, is it hard. But it actually becomes a whole lot more easier if I just focus, unlike back in the battlefield where the constant booms of battle made it harder to focus even with my extensive… training in the Sanitarium. That is the reason why I could only destroy one puny target at a time, because I couldn’t focus. The psychokinetic shockwave? That is the result of my anger and my powers mixing together into one big and lethal explosion.
“So, do you want to try out what I’ve taught you about teleporting?” Celestia asked me, and I nod. I’ve only tried short distance teleporting in the area of the Canterlot palace but one to a place as far as Ponyville? I am up to that challenge.
“Good, try and do it, I will meet you at Twilight’s library,” Celestia said before she vanished in a flash of yellow, signaling that she had teleported. I followed suit and tried to focus on the interior of Twilight’s residence. I remembered a stairwell leading up to her room, rows and rows of books and that funny looking dragon she has as an assistant-
That was it, I felt myself disappear for over two seconds before reappearing in her library. I saw Celestia near me, and a surprised Twilight Sparkle who had her jaws agape at my arrival. I thought she knew I was going back home today? But I was, at the least, happy to see that lavender unicorn.
“Kagayaki!”
“Yuriko!” She chimed back before I ran up to her and hugged her as hard as I could, probably choking the unfortunate mare. But I knew this would be the last time I would see her so I did what I could.
“Whew…! Can you… ease the pressure…?” She grunted through the strength of my hug and I let go of her, causing her to stumble back and take deep breaths after it.
“Sono koto ni tsuite mōshiwakearimasen! I’ve just never been happier to see you!” I reply gleefully, reminding me of school yet again. Actually, Twilight resembled a friend of mine I had in school and even myself a little bit, minus the whole Omega program and the war. That’s why I became fast friends with her, and her only. The rest? I had a little…trouble with them, but they later understood the tremendous amount of stress I’ve been into, considering that I’ve been through hell and back.
“Well, I’m also happy to see you here!” she replies excitedly, knowing well the fact I was returning today and that she wanted to spend some time with her human friend who possessed powers like their own. “So, what’re we going to do before you have to go back home?”
“I don’t know about that, Kagayaki,” I respond and spun my head to face Celestia, who was busy looking on us, smiling. “Do you have any good ideas?”
“I dunno, you’ve done nearly everything interesting here so far,” Twilight responded, looking up and rubbing her hoof on her chin while pondering. I tried to find that little dragon she keeps, but he must’ve gone off somewhere to sleep, if I’m right or maybe he’s off with that snobby white unicorn, the one who so generously repaired my attire for me, but I still don’t like her.
“Maybe a nice cup of tea with your friends?” I replied, hoping that she would like the idea of a nice chat not only with her, but with everypony else. Yes, even that snobby unicorn.
“That sounds perfect!” She replied, causing me to take a seat on one of her many wooden chairs, I spun and gestured Celestia to sit as well but she declined. “Wait here, I’ll try to round them up! Spike! Prepare the tea!”
At that moment, I watch that dragon crawl out of Twilight’s room, still half awake and half dead, if so. He let out an almighty yawn before he walked down the stairs as Twilight rushed outside to call her friends. Wow, was she that energetic every morning? Besides Pinku, she seemed too happy to oblige to anything I say this morning, probably because I’m going back and that she would most likely never see me again.
I watched as the dragon walk up to the kitchen and begun preparing the tea before I relaxed myself. It was a total of twenty minutes before Twilight returned, with a bunch of very, very sleepy ponies who looked liked they were going to kill her or something. I don’t know, rudely awakening someone up just for tea? Sounds a little off.
The orange one with a Stetson, her name was Applejack I believe, rubbed her eyes in dismay and spoke. “Hey, Yuriko.”
“Hello… Ringo,” I responded while coughing over something. Ringo was a funny Japanese word for apple, but it’ll have to do as she tilted her head in confusion before rolling her eyes and trotting over to where I am. Rarity, the one I was talking about, looked at me with a little contempt probably due to her friend calling her over to have tea with a being that doesn’t like her.
“Hello, miss Yuriko…” she said, also rubbing her eyes in dismay.
“Good morning, Sunobbu,” I said, wanting to giggle a little. Rarity tilted her head and soon went over to the table where I sat, with Spike already putting up the teapots and cups.
“Hi, Rarity,” Spike said, somehow a little more perked up then before as he wandered away. I knew the second I saw him change his tone around Rarity that he liked her, a lot. No one liked me in school that much, except maybe a friend or two.
Soon, everypony was gathered at the table, each one of us having a single cup of tea. The funny thing is, the only things awake in that room was Twilight, Celestia, Pinku and me, the rest were all still trying to sleep. The ones missing were the pegasi, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
I would like to confess something now, I don’t actually like Rainbow that much considering she is boastful, at the most. But she’s loyal, and that is what matters I suppose. My own people are just as loyal and even fanatical to the Emperor and Tatsu and I am part of them, without shame. But that isn’t what was running through my mind; the thing that was running through my mind was how on Earth would Twilight even wake that lazy pegasus up? She lives in the sky, the sky!
Urgh, don’t want to think of that again as I watched Pinku jump up and down excitedly as if she expected something to happen which will happen soon enough. It was clear that Applejack and Rarity did not want to stay for some early morning tea, and I tried to tell Twilight that. She responded to my sign and spun her head to announce that they were free to go back home if they were not in the mood, considering that I suddenly dropped in just to have some tea before I return.
Applejack was the first to respond and I was not surprised that she said ‘no’. Judging from what Twilight told me about her status, she never lies. I didn’t mind in any way, as long as I was talking to Kagayaki.
Rarity pondered for a good while, before she said yes which actually surprised me. Following it up with a good reason, ‘I suppose I would like to donate some of my precious time to dear Yuriko here before she goes back,’ I actually began to like her a bit. Maybe she isn’t all that stuck up.
“Thank you…” I searched for the word, no longer wanting to call her a snob. “Mezurashi.”
“You’re always welcome, dear,” Rarity responded as she trotted over to a chair and stood there, levitating a cup of tea that Spike had just poured for everyone. Applejack soon left, leaving me, Rarity, Twilight and Pinku in the house save for Celestia who was busy making preparations for the return home and the dragon.
“So, what should we talk about…?” Rarity piped up as Twilight and me tilted our heads towards her, Pinku still bouncing around.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said, taking a sip of her tea while I just looked on, waiting for something to happen. “What about you, Yuriko?”
“Um…” I said, wondering what I should talk about. Then something went through my mind, should I tell them about…? Why the sudden lack of thought? I was clueless of what to say when I blurted out something I shouldn’t have talked about. “Do you want to hear how I became this powerful?”
“Well, go on deary. Tell us how you managed to use magic so skillfully,” Rarity said and Twilight nodded while sipping on her tea. I shuddered, not wanting to reveal the details of the Omega program. They could see that, and immediately their expressions changed to worried ones.
“Um… did we say something…?” Twilight asked me nervously, knowing that I was very sensitive on subjects like this after asking me whether I had any siblings and what happened after. I held back the wave of horrible memories, the pain. The horrible pain.
Shimada, the man I killed to avenge myself.
Izumi, the sister I had to kill in order to quell her thirst for power.
I snapped out of my memory induced nightmares and went back to trying to restart the conversation. “…Nothing, it’s nothing at all,” I lied.
“Aww, cheer up Yuki!” Pinku chimed in using her nickname for me, appearing in my face in a split second. “Don’t be so grumpy!”
I sighed back, trying to signal to the energetic pony that what I was dealing with back then was beyond human. Not even the brightest of events could save me from the distress of the program. But I didn’t land here just to talk about that, am I? I don’t know whether it’s either luck or destiny, but it did make me a little brighter than last time. “Okay,” I smiled, causing her to grin.
“That’s the spirit!” She replies, bouncing off somewhere else in the residence with the two of the unicorns looking at me, relieved. I looked back at them before I suddenly began to think of the time.
The time, that is also a big factor for going back into Tokyo. I spun my head to face Celestia, who cocked her brow. “Sensei Celestia, what is the time over there?”
“Hmm…” she pondered, before opening a short rift in the dimensions, giving me a brief view of Tokyo. “I would like to think it is still early in the morning, if our time zones happen to be the same.”
I got up and walked over to the window, to Twilight’s surprise. “What’re you doing Yuriko?”
“Just checking the time,” I replied before I stared outside, noticing that some ponies were up and doing their business already, and the sun was still quite some distance away from the position it would be at noon.
Now I tried to think back, what time would Tokyo be busy at? If I can disguise myself through the crowds, maybe I can go back to my home? It was then in the middle of my thought that Rarity trotted up to me and tapped me.
“Hmm?”
“Oh, I do believe I’ve made something for you while you were in Canterlot,” she said, causing me to become curious. “But it’s in my boutique, so can you please wait here while I get it for you?” I nodded and Rarity opened the door, on her way to the boutique while Twilight trotted up to me.
“Wonder what Rarity has in store for you?”
“I wonder,” I responded as my mind reading skills have dissipated since, because I never really needed it on times of battle. I went back into the solitude of Twilight’s library, where Celestia had her gaze on me.
“She is the Element of Generosity, Yuriko, so I think she had something nice and useful back at your home,” Celestia said, and I smiled back.
“Maybe,” I said as I levitated another cup of tea towards me, which brings up an interesting thought in my head; why is it that I can only see the aura that these ponies and I emit and not other beings? I don’t know why, but I certainly think that not even Celestia knows anything about that.
“So, Yuriko. Are you ready to go back home?” I put a hand on my chin and sighed at this. I didn’t want to go home, I wanted to stay here forever in a land filled with beings who used powers like me. But I don’t belong here, putting aside my abilities, I’m practically alien to them buried in their own crypts of mythologies.
So I have to go back to where I belong, back to the Empire of the Rising Sun. A second later, Rarity entered the residence levitating a jacket for me, emblazoned with red after I told her about the Empire of the Rising Sun.
“How is it, deary?” I had a loss of words. It was so… bright, so inspiring and… flashy. It had a shade of red over a layer of white, and it looked better than my factory made jacket!
“I think it’s…pretty,” I said as I intercepted her aura, bringing the jacket towards me now. I observed it with great curiosity before I actually removed my own one and wore Rarity’s fine work. It fit on snuggly and soon, I was no longer interested in my brown color coat, just this one.
“I spent quite some time trying to figure out your height and everything. I think it looks marvelous on you!”
“I think the same, Mezurashi” She smiled before looking out of the window. I knew I had to go now, since I had my return plan ready while talking. “So, I guess this means goodbye.”
“Wait, what?” Twilight said, shocked that I was leaving so early. “B-but can’t you stay here any longer?”
“Sorry, Kagayaki. I can’t,” I replied, feeling a little sad that I was going to leave her behind with barely a fraction of the status of humanity. “I have to return, before the day ends.”
“But the day hasn’t even started!” She exclaimed as I walked my way over to Celestia, who immediately opened the same rift that led back to the aftermath of the Shiro Sanitarium. I didn’t want to risk going back to the Futuretech facility since I knew there would be tons and tons of security personnel waiting to just nab me.
But the ruins of the Sanitarium, now cleaned up, seemed like the ideal place as it’s just outside of Tokyo. I wonder if my parents are still living, and whether I can apply some techniques that I’ve learnt here. I look back at them, Twilight looking a bit sad. It’s that moment that I realized that Pinku had left a long time ago, leaving the two unicorns here with Celestia and me.
“Sorry, I can’t stay here. I don’t belong here,” I reply with honesty, I just can’t since I knew I would be a secluded outcast. A freak in society, not just back home but even here. Twilight trotted up to me, and by the looks of it she wanted a hug.
So I gave her one last hug, which she happily accepted. Rarity trotted up next, although she only wanted to say goodbye.
“Goodbye, Yuriko dear. Make sure you stay safe in that world of yours.”
“Same to you, Mezurashi. Take care all of you,” I said as I walked into the rift, to only be stopped for a while by Celestia who then gave me one last conversation.
“Take care of yourself, my student. You’ve been having quite the experience since you came here by accident. I hope that your empire and your prince will rebuild from the ashes of defeat and that you will hopefully not come under any kind of harm.”
“Thank you, sensei. I also wish that no harm will befall upon you and your ponies. I hate to see that happen,” I responded as I took a deep breath and walked into the rift. I felt the texture around my feet change from wood to soft grass.
I looked back for one last time to see their faces, smiling. It would be the last time I would see them ever again, unless I happen to find that device again. After a second, the rift closed, leaving me alone in the field of reclaimed land.
The place that the Shiro Sanitarium once stood high and mighty, reduced to rubble by me alone. I felt raindrops on my face and soon it began raining. I did not seek shelter and instead took a seat on the wet grass, looking towards the gleaming lights of Tokyo as Allied bombers flew ahead.
I sighed, mist coming out of my mouth in the meantime. For those few days, I felt like I was human again. Human, that was what I am striving to be now.
No longer an outcast with powers beyond, just human. All it took to teach me that were a few ponies, and the princess of another Empire of the Rising Sun.
I then remembered the teleportation trick Celestia had taught me, and so I stood up and tried to recall my home in Tanabe. The warmth of the place, the faces of my parents working under the lights and the wooden floors of the place-
It was enough, and soon I found myself on a road in front of a lit house. My home, before all this happened. I saw the shadowy figure of someone moving inside the house, which looked outside and noticed me.
I then walked up to the door, and that same person opened up the door on me, staring at me in amazement and disbelief. It was none other than my mother, wearing simple robes. I smiled at her as she spoke.
“…Musume Yuriko?”
“Hai, watashi wa taiyō kara modottekita.” I saw a tear run down her face, as she hugged me in happiness.
I felt happy again, reunited with my dear mother.
I’m human again, and that’s all I ever wanted to be.