Soul Reaper Pony

Chapter 2: Meeting

I had already rushed out of Princess Celestia’s chambers, when I suddenly realized; I didn’t have my zanpakuto! Normally, it should just rematerialize next to me or on my person. Unfortunately, that was not the truth here. Now, I know I didn’t talk about my zanpakuto before, and here is why. I don’t use it often. I really didn’t have a need to after three-hundred years to build my spiritual pressure to the point where I didn’t need it to kill normal Hollows. I know for a fact that I will need it now, seeing as what I am going up against is either a weak Vasto Lorde, or a very powerful Judchas. Either one will be an issue, and with it now being afternoon, I needed to find this Hollow quickly, otherwise it’s going to cause some damage.

‘Hey, jackass. Why can’t I materialize near you,’ came a feminine voice that I knew all too well.

‘Where the hell are you! And I don’t know why you can’t materialize close to me. It must be this world, fucking with our connection,’ I snap at her. Who just spoke is Reaper, my zanpakuto and biggest drama queen I have ever known.

‘Well, as far as I can tell, I’m being carried by a purple bitch pony who can’t hear me, in the middle of some strange forest,’ she explained rudely. ‘Also, I can feel a Hollow nearby, and if you don’t get here fast, she is gonna die bastard.’

‘Thanks for the info, although you could have been nice about it.’ She never was kind, but I know that deep down inside her, the more she insulted someone, the more she liked them. She never admits to it though, and continues to be a bitch. Did I say drama queen before? I meant absolute cunt.

‘Well, excuse me, for being a little irritable. You know I have standards. The only person, or in this case, pony, who can touch me is you! And don’t you dare say anything about it either,’ she snidely retorted. Nice zanpakuto, huh? At this point in our conversation though, I finally got a read on her position, and she wasn’t kidding when she said the Hollow was close. It was nearly on top of her.

‘Well, whatever the case may be, I know where you are now,’ I say and she starts to snicker. ‘I’ll be there in no time at all.’ And with that, I moved faster than sound in the direction of the Everfree forest.

I arrive within a minute, only to see the same fucking mare that was supposedly Princess Celestia’s student. What the hell are you doing out here, idiot I think to myself before I land quietly behind her. I was going to say hey, when she made a complete one-eighty and faced me, horn glowing.

“Who are you? And how did you get behind me so fast without my knowing first?” she questioned, on edge. “I have a spell up that should tell me what is in my surroundings for at least one-hundred and fifty feet. There is no way you could have snuck up on me like that!” Wow, she is good. I didn’t even notice the spell. What I did notice was my zanpakuto, slung on her back with some rope.

“Well, uh, you see, I came to get my sword back, and I was up in the tree, and to my surprise, you were right there below me with it!” I lied quickly, hoping she wouldn’t notice. I was never good at lying, to tell you the truth.

“That is impossible, seeing as the spell is raised at a forty-five degree angle, and I didn’t notice you until you came up right behind me, so you had to have fallen at a complete ninety degree angle to be able to do that.” Well, I’m sunk. Maybe if I just knocked her out, she won’t remember- my thought process gets cut short when I hear something crashing in the underbrush towards us. Seriously, right now- is all I have to think before the Hollow makes sure that it’s fist meets my face.

The punch was strong, strong enough to send me flying in the other direction about one-hundred yards to my right. Ow! That hurt! When I get my hands on you, I swear that I am going to *wring your neck!*** I get up, and put a hoof to my face, as the vision in my left eye starts to turn red. He hit me hard enough to crack my skull open above my eye.

I hear a scream, one of terror, and knew that the snotty unicorn mare was in trouble. Ignoring my injury, I flash stepped back to where she was, only to see her backing away from the Hollow, which I identified as a Judchas. Somehow, she could see it, and was terrified of what she saw.

“Hey, brat, if you want to live, give me my sword!” I yell at her. Both she and the Judchas, surprised I was still alive, look in my direction, and in a flash purple light, she is by my side. I touch my sword, only to feel a change occur with my body.

My front hooves start to change into hands, and my shihakusho starts to materialize around my body. I stand straight up, and look down to see normal feet. I never wore footwear, due to the fact that the bottom of my feet were as hard as normal pony hooves. And, of course, I stood at about my normal six feet, and looking down on the pony, I realize that she was closer to five feet. So, a slight variation on height if I’m not mistaken.

Of course, this did not perturb the Judchas at all, seeing as he dominated at a whopping ten feet tall. Basically, I was staring up at a Hollow that was as tall as Princess Celestia and it was ready to put the hurt on. Great.

“Look, girl, I don’t know how you can see that Judchas or why it is attacking you, but I will explain everything after the battle,” I start, and finish off with, “if I can win that is... So run off before you get caught in the middle of this.” I finish in my head as I draw Reaper and rush the Judchas. I got close to it, but it proceeded to backhand me and send me flying, again. It hit me in in my already wounded half of my face (still pony face, without hood) and made the gash/crack in my skull above my eye worse than it already was. I wasn’t put off though, as I spun myself in the air, using my hand as the push off point, and I was punched in the stomach immediately there after, losing all the air in my lungs, feeling both my lower ribs cracking and possibly breaking under the pressure, and spitting up some blood. I just *love** the taste of my own blood* I think sarcastically. I tend to get a little sarcastic in a combat situation where I’m getting my ass handed to me.

“Do you need help?” the purple mare shouted in anguish. I couldn’t believe it! She was still here!?

“Did you not listen to me or are you just plain stupid! I told you to run brat! So go already!” I yell at her. As I looked though, and I really couldn’t tell with blood in my left eye, I thought I could see her starting to cry. I have never, in my time as a soul reaper, seen anyone cry over me. It was refreshing and yet disturbing. She didn’t even know me, and she was crying over my protecting her?

‘Time to step it up a notch, don’t you think?’ Reaper asked me with genuine worry in her tone. I never said she couldn’t be nice. It just didn’t happen often. I thought about the prospect. The mare seemed completely unharmed by the spiritual pressure being put out by the Judchas, and as we speak he starts to pound me into the ground, trying to make mincemeat out of me, I realize that the mare just might be able to handle the sudden rise in power.

‘Yeah, lets’ I tell Reaper as I move out from under the punishing blows of the Judchas, and standing ten feet away from it, I release Reaper.

“Destroy and Rebuild, Reaper!” I yell, calling Reaper to aid me in this fight. As I yell this, she starts to change, and soon after I finish, she reveals herself. Reaper, in her released (Shikai, first release) form, was an all metal scythe. It was long as I am tall, and colored all black, except for the skull which was the anchor point for the blade. The skull was pure white, and looked skyward when the scythe was held straight up and down. It lacked the lower jaw, and had a small horn above each eye. The blade was one foot thick at the meeting point with the skull, and was three feet long in a straight line. Let’s just say, Reaper looked badass!

As I release Reaper, I feel more power surge through my body. And, for comparison, at this stage, I could fight and defeat five captains… with a little difficulty. But one Judchas of this guys power? A cinch.

“I would look away if I was you girl,” I warned the purple mare. She does just that, and the edge of the blade starts to glow a brilliant white, whilst the skull starts to turn black (I’ll explain why later.) And when the edge of the blade is so bright that most cannot look unto it’s glory any longer, I bellow with deafening volume, “Soul Slicer!” As I yell this, I swing my scythe, and the white glow springs forth, in a crescent shape towards the Judchas, and cuts the poor Hollow in half from his right elbow to his left hip.

He didn’t stand a chance at that point, and with a cry of anguish, not before blood sprays everywhere within a five foot radius of the monster, starts to dissipate and disappear completely, to return to the cycle of rebirth, cleansed.

I fall to my knees, exhausted. The skull is now a dull gray. Another attack like that, and it would be black, and would need ten minutes to rejuvenate itself. I seal Reaper again, and start to stand, only to find I can’t. Great, I can’t move. Just perfect!

“Are you okay?” I hear. I look up to see the purple mare, looking straight into my eyes. She starts to blush and looks away. I’m not sure why, but I found this mare to be kinda cute, and her blushing and averting her gaze wasn’t helping.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just need to rest.” I state. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the castle right now?”

“Oh my Celestia, you’re right!” she gasped in terror. “How am I supposed to get there in an hour and make it to the ceremony on time? I’ll probably be sent back to magic kindergarten if I’m late. Oh, how am I supposed to get there?”

“Well, nnh, if you would stop worrying and give me a minute, I could get you there. Just need to-” and with a little effort, I’m back on my feet, “get on my feet.” I look at her triumphantly, and without hesitation, pick her up and flash stepped back to the castle.

We arrive but ten minutes later, in Celestia’s chambers, where two princess’ were pacing to and fro with worry. I set the mare down, and hear all three of them gasp as we arrive. Both princess’ run up, and start to ask me questions, but I raise my hand, and say this.

“I was able to defeat the Judchas, but this pony,” I point at the purple mare, “could have gotten herself killed. I told her to run twice, but she stayed behind because she was worried about me. Oh, and she saw everything.” I finish. Celestia looks between me and the purple mare, and speaks.

“Twilight, is this true?” Ah, so that was her name. Gotta try to remember that next time. Twilight, who was looking around the room, shot her head with a startled look at Celestia, and started speaking incoherently.

“But, Everfree, monster, changing pony, Canterlot, white light…” Man, she wasn’t taking this easy at all. She shook her head, as if clearing it, and looked at me addressing her next question. “Who and what are you?”

“Who, me? The name is Crimson Tide, and I’m a soul reaper. Seeing as you just saw all of that, it would be rude to not tell you, so I’ll explain this again.” I then go over all the boring details of what happened, where I’ve been, and what I did. I also told her about Hollows, the danger that they could be, and that most ponies shouldn’t be able to see them. “Why is it that you, a Unicorn, can see them as the princess’ can?” I ask her, to finish off my question with an answer.

“Unfortunately, we can no longer discuss this. We have a celebration to attend to. Crimson, you may rest here. I see that your wounds are many, and must hurt severely. When we return, we will heal your wounds and discuss where you shall be staying, seeing as your old home is now occupied by another family in Ponyville.”

“He can stay with me!” Twilight blurted. Celestia looked at her with a surprised look on her face, and nodded her head. With that, the three mares left, I returned to my pony form, laid down on the floor, and went to sleep.