Second life ch.23

Chevron battle #1 (Wind)

Kenji flew hard and fast to his assigned Chevron, the whole time, he wondered what its defense would have in store for him. He passed over many villages along the way; the ones that hadn't been destroyed by Ōumĭ jiā were in bad shape. He wanted to help, but knew the best way to do that would be to activate the chevron.

Then he saw it, a massive obelisk, easily 400 ft. He glided down and upon landing; he looked up and marveled at it. It was covered in odd markings that lent it the feel of ancient civilization. Before it was a pedestal with a screen on it. "This must be what the humans built before they vanished." Kenji said.

"And you'd be absolutely right" Came a voice from behind him. Kenji whipped around, reaching for his wind element, when he saw a man in a black cloak.

"Wait, you're… human?" Kenji asked.

"Silly boy, being bipedal doesn't automatically make you human." He said. Then he raised his arms and wings unfurled from the wrists, they were a light green.

"Wh-What the?!" Kenji said, summoning his keyblade, Keyberdu, and raised it to ready. The dragon opened his hands and two keyblades appeared. "Blade Synch…" Kenji muttered, then his eyes widened. "Those blades-" he stammered.

"Heh, Oblivion and Oathkeeper, creation and destruction, yin and yang, light and shadow. It is by the law of the world that you will die and complete me."

"Wait, complete you? What do you mean?" Kenji asked. The dragon pulled back his hood and Kenji gasped.

He looked jus like Kenji, except his scales were blue where Kenjis' was green. "My name is Ixnek. I'm a Nobody. Your Nobody."

"No way… a… Nobody? You mean like, my other half? I didn't even know I had a half missing!"

Ixnek smirked. "They never do." He said as he raised his blades and charged Kenji.

Kenji yelled "Slow!" As the magic activated, everything indeed slowed around him. But just then, Ixnek said "Haste." And everything resumed normal speed. Kenji frowned. He pointed his keyblade at the dragon and yelled "Blizzara!" Once again, Ixnek countered with a Fira spell.

"Are you even going to try?" Ixnek taunted. Kenji growled and raised his hand, wind began swirling around, forming a visible sphere, then he ran at Ixnek. Ixnek rolled his eyes and shot a Thundara spell. However, as the lightning arced toward Kenji, he threw Keyberdu, it stuck in the ground and attracted the spell like a lightning rod. Ixneks eyes widened as Kenji leapt over and came down on him, yelling "RASENGAN!"

There was a flash of light that carved destruction in the earth, however, as the dust settled, Kenji stared in disbelief at Ixnek, who had survived the blast.

Ixnek smiled "Not bad, but let me show you how it's done!" Oblivion vanished and wind energy came from Oathkeeper and gathered in his hand. It quickly formed a rasengan, but it didn't stop there. Ixnek smiled. "Wind release: Rasenshurikan!"

The sphere formed into a star of light, which Ixnek flung at Kenji. It traveled at blinding speeds, but Kenji was ready. By that time, he had retrieved his keyblade, which he channeled his combined wind and fire elements into. Keyberdu began to change, within moments its full guard had morphed into two partial hearts, the blades, as there were now two parallel to each other, were a metallic blue. The teeth of the keyblade resembled a shining star. The kanji for fire was inscribed on the front blade.

Kenji raised the blade to guard; the rasenshurikan hit the blade and passed through the front blade, but was then caught between the two. Kenji swung it, and the attack flew out of the blades and exploded to the side, as the wind whipped their clothes and the light illuminated the area in a bright glare, Ixnek could see Kenji was no longer smiling. He had the look of a predator.

"How?" Kenji asked in a flat voice.

"Simple." Ixnek answered. "I'm you, but stronger in every way. Now behold!" He struck out with his hand and a jet of fire shot out. Kenji swung his blade, and the blast ricocheted off, exploding to the other side. Kenji pointed his blade at Ixnek, wind swirling around the blade. Ixnek fired blast after blast of fire, all of which snuffed out just before going past the blade.

He growled, "Fine, Thundaja!" a massive blast of lightning came from the sky, but it spread in a dome around Kenji, scorching the ground in a circle around him, but leaving him unharmed. "How?!" Ixnek cried.

"It's simple." Kenji said in a monotone. "You may be stronger, but if we're two halves of a whole, then positive negates negative. It is impossible for us to harm each other with our powers."

"Fine." Ixnek sneered, "It looks like it's blade to blade then." He summoned Oblivion and ran at Kenji. Even with two blades, Kenji was faster, and always blocked one blade and dodged the other by a hair.

Kenji jumped back, landing several dozen yards away. "Simply put, you're me, but I'm the original. You have my fighting style, and that means I know exactly what you're going to do next. You can't beat me, give up."

"We'll see, Maybe I can't beat you with MY powers, but try this on for size!" He raised Oblivion an a beam of purple energy shot out, obliterating the ground in its path. Kenji barely dodged, only to have another blast come at him, he blocked it, but the energy caused his blade to revert to normal.

"What the heck?!" Kenji yelled.

Ixnek grinned, he held up Oblivion, admiring it. "Convexity, a powerful element, no? This place," he said, sweeping his arm to indicate where they were. "This place gives me impossible abilities, to protect it see? Now, time for you to die." Ixnek then thrust Oblivion out, a sheath of convexity surrounded the blade. He rushed at Kenji, who could barely keep up, Ixnek no longer fought like him, but a madman, a berserker. Kenji could no longer predict his movements, but he knew his recklessness would leave an opening.

Sure enough, a few strokes in, Kenji reached in with his bare left hand and grabbed Ixneks left wrist, jerking it and causing Oathkeeper to fly into the air. Kenji jumped up and in midair, received a vicious blow to the right wing, almost severing it. He still managed to grab the white keyblade and brought it down on Oblivion, on contact, the convexity dispersed and Kenji delivered a roundhouse kick that sent Ixnek sprawling.

Kenji then pointed Oathkeeper at Ixnek. "If the dark blade has convexity, then the light should have concavity."

A white beam shot out and struck Ixnek. He made no sound, just faded. "Concavity purges all evil from a person, however, dark illusions are cast aside like dust in the wind. And you never fooled me, my heart was never incomplete, if it was, you wouldn't have ceased to exist, but fused with me upon your defeat." Kenji tossed Oathkeeper away, which also faded as soon as it left his hand.

Kenji gingerly felt his wing, with a quick heal spell, it was no longer in danger of falling off, but he'd have to walk back.

He stopped before the pedestal; it had the outline of a hand on the screen. When he pressed his hand to it, he channeled his wind energy into it, immediately; the arcane markings on the obelisk began lighting up white. When the glow had reached the tip, Kenji stepped back as the massive structure split in two, forming a giant V shape. The halves of the tip folded inward to point at each other, then white lightning formed between them, gathered into a ball, and a third bolt arced into the sky in a continuous stream. His job done, Kenji began the trek home.


Chevron battle #2 (poison)


Cynder had reached the chevron somewhere around the same time as Kenji. As she touched down her vision darkened. When it cleared, she couldn't believe her eyes. "No, your dead." She whispered.

"No thanks to your betrayal." Malefor growled. "This place, it brought me back for the sole purpose of killing you. A task which I hesitate to do."

Cynders gaze hardened. "Well I don't!" She leapt at Malefor, sheathing her body in poison Malefor yawned and a blast of earth energy shot from the ground in front of him, knocking Cynder away.

"Honestly Cynder, it was luck that you beat me with Spyros help, what makes you think you can beat me alone?"

"He's right; I don't have a chance alone…" Cynder thought. "But I have to try!" Cynder shot a blast of fear, which Malefor simply walked through, laughing.

"Fool, I gave you those powers, do you honestly think they could harm me?" Malefor then opened his mouth and a geyser of fire shot out, Cynder countered with a gust of wind. She then counterattacked, spraying a jet of shadow at him, This time it hit, Malefor cried out in pain and Cynder pounced, aiming for the throat. However, Malefor was faster and caught her in midair, pinning her to the ground and leering at her from above.

"Hmmm… Takes you back doesn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Cynder snarled while trying to break free.

"You don't remember? Perhaps your new mate pushed your memories away."

"New? What are you-" Cynder stopped struggling and looked up in horror.

"Ahh, are you starting to remember now?" Malefor asked with a triumphant grin.

"No! That's not true! That's impossible!" Cynder stammered.

"Heh, you showed your prowess as a child, why do you think I needed you as an adult?" Then Malefor released her and backed away. Cynder got up and stared at him.

Cynders thought raced. "Is what he says true? I don't remember but… What he says makes sense. What about James? Is he really even Spyros?"

Malefor grinned. "So Cynder? What will you do? Will you kill your old lover? I can say with some fondness it was very consensual."

"I-I don't know… I love Spyro!"

"Humph! You don't have to tell him, just leave."

Cynder honestly didn't know what to think, what to do, or what to say when she heard a new voice.

"He lies, Cynder."

"Ignitus?!" Cynder asked to thin air.

"Yes young dragon, my time is coming, but as my last act as Chronicler, I will ease your doubt, He lies to you, and He was never your lover Cynder. And tell Spyro that I'll always be proud of him, and that I love him." After that, his voice trailed off until Cynder was once again alone.

"Well?" Malefor repeated. "Are we done talking to ourselves?"

Cynder rounded on him. "Liar, just like always."

His grin vanished. "Very well, if you will not leave willingly, then you will die!" Malefor shot a blast of convexity which Cynder caught on her wing and deflected.

As she lowered her wing, Malefor could see her smirk. "You're definitely not Malefor. I've known stronger hatchlings."

Enraged, the doppelganger fired a massive wave of purple energy, Cynder took the blast full in the chest and walked through it until she was within range.

She whipped around, her tail blade moving too fast to see, Malefors head separated from it's body, before both faded. She watched the apparitions fade, saying "Your strength comes from your deception, we think you're real, and your attacks become real. Once I saw through your lies though, you were powerless.

Cynder turned and walked up to the panel, placed her paw on it, and watched as the obelisks markings began to glow a sickly green, before the whole structure split and fired it's energy into the sky.