My Little Sinner

It’s been two days now since the incident with Dahlia.  Right now, I’m currently with my family in the town library.  The eight of us decided to have a little get together; as much as this get together could be considered one.  Twilight is organizing various books, Rarity is knitting a sweater while Spike helps her, Rainbow and I are reading the new Daring-Do novel while Dash is laying snug against my chest as I hold the book open, Pinkie is playing with a balloon that I have no clue of its origins; knowing the pink mare, she probably pulled it out of thin air, Fluttershy is happily humming on the couch, and Applejack is simply resting against my side.  There is hardly any talking amongst us, but I don’t mind.  Just because we aren’t conversing doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy each other’s company.  It’s good to see that things have calmed down; especially for Applejack.

Even though I never met AJ’s parents, yesterday I had returned to Sweet Apple Acres to visit their graves again to pay my respect.  Applejack really appreciated the act; in fact I could go as far to say it helped relax the tan pony from the forlorn state I accidentally put her in.  It was the least I could do for the mare; if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have AJ as a good friend.

As we all went about our activities, I decided to sneak a kiss on Dash’s head; my action was rewarded with Rainbow smiling up at me.  I’m really glad that Rainbow turned out to be alive after that whole debacle.  However, I’m also worried for her mentality.  I know Rainbow plans to use the knowledge she gathered from the Azure Dragon incident to assist me, but I still wonder how it will affect her.  I suffered from PTSD and had numerous nightmares after the event; and I’m the one that caused it.  If Kahana truly did reveal that dark time to Dash, then my question is how will Rainbow deal with it?  From what I can tell so far, she appears to be fine.  Maybe it’s like watching a horror film based on true events; the situation is scary and disturbing, but it’s far worse for those who experienced it.  Even if that is the case, I still don’t want to have a repeat of such a horrible tragedy; I just have to be sure that my negative emotions don’t get the better of me.

As my girlfriend and I continued reading, I felt a surge of power jolt through the air.  This sensation isn’t foreign to me; I’ve encountered it multiple times before in the past, yet it isn’t Reiku or any member of his army.  It feels like Zin’s.  It can’t be him, can it?

I nudged the two ponies on me.  “Could you both get up real quick?”

When the two of them complied, I hurried outside and surveyed the area.  The crackling of electricity caused me to instantly turn around and the others to join me.  At a single point in the sky, there was a cluster of lightning that soon created a tear in this universe.  Exiting the newly formed inter-dimensional hole was a bohemian metallic vessel.  The hull of this massive vehicle had the appearance of a naval frigate that was covered with turrets, while on both sides were two lift drives that had the form of turbine engines.  Also, unlike most ships, the bridge of this vessel was situated in the very back.  And lastly, the image of a black, serrated diamond with a white inner lining was imprinted on the hull.  I recognize that symbol and cruiser.

“The Twilight Brigade’s flagship…”  I muttered.

“The Twilight Brigade’s?”  My friends simultaneously repeated.

As the vehicle circled around to land in the outskirts of Ponyville, I could clearly see a humanoid figure standing on the bow of the ship.  This man had medium long midnight black hair, dark brown eyes amongst his young face, a black vest and jeans with a red trim, and lastly a warrior’s cape that was just as dark as the rest of his attire.  There’s no doubt about; that’s him.

It took roughly around fifteen minutes for the person to arrive at my location after the cruiser landed; escorting him were two soldiers donned in gray battle armor that had an orange visor built in their helmets.

“Hello Zin.”  I began in a slightly neutral tone.  I’m glad Zin is fine, but his being here can only mean one thing.

“So you are alive.  That’s good to see…”  His expression was slightly surprised, but mostly the same as mine.  “You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do…”

“Then you know that I’m here to stop you from continuing this nonsense.”

“Yeah, but I can’t let you make my decision for me.  This is a choice I have to make for myself.”

“Then let me ask you this again.  Do you still believe that revenge will change everything?”

I use to, but now, “I’m not sure anymore.”

“If that’s the case, then why continue this fruitless war!?”  Zin snapped at me.

“Things…have complicated themselves.”

“Whatever that problem may be, why can’t you just let it go?  The past is the past; no one can change that.  Look, I know how you feel; I too know what it is like to lose loved ones.  And there was a time I too also considered Reiku an enemy.  But then we put aside our differences, came to an understanding, and now we consider each other allies.  What good has all this fighting solved?  If the two of you can put aside your differences, if the two of you can end this hatred and forgive each other, then hopefully this spite will finally cease and the both of you can live normally again.  Free from the worry of each other.  Free from the darkness of the past.  Free from this pointless conflict.”

“Maybe, but I just can’t forgive Reiku yet; I still have a lot to think about.”  Maybe Zin is right, but I can’t end this war just yet.  There is still way too much to consider first.  It would give me the peace to be with Rainbow Dash, but that would be short lasted if Reiku attacks again.  Reiku is still the deciding factor.  As long as that threat remains, I’ll continue to fight.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll force this nonsense to end here and now.  I’m not about to let history repeat and lose my best friend again!”  Zin threw off his cape to fully reveal his shadowed right arm.  With that appendage, Zin materialized and grasped hold of his pure white scythe.  After that, he turned to his two subordinates and ordered them to take shelter.

“Then let this be the deciding battle.”  I summoned Apocalypto and signaled for the girls and Spike to head back inside the library.  After they retreated back into the building, I conjured up a protective barrier around Ponyville, but as I did that, I felt a second spiritual barrier merge with mine; increasing the strength of the force field by tenfold.  Ensuring that no pony here is to be injured; thank you for assisting me with that Zin.

As I readied myself, I witnessed Zin embed his weapon into the ground and started walking towards me.  At first it caught me off guard, but then I realized what exactly he was doing.  I soon followed his actions.

“Just like when we were kids, my friend.”  Zin announced as we made it to the halfway point.

“Just like old times, my brother.”  I stated back.

“Whenever you’re ready.”  Zin declared when he reached my sword.

“Same for you.”  I said as I reached his scythe.

A period of silence and anticipation passed as we prepared ourselves.  The eyes of various denizens peered out their windows to witness the approaching battle.  The time is now.

Simultaneously, Zin and I charged towards each other in such great force, that when the punches we threw connected, the initial impact echoed across the town.  We pulled our limbs back and again launched more and more strikes at each other; the problem with this was that we could match speed with each other and continued to deflect every oncoming attack.  Every palm thrust, kick, and punch couldn’t land.

After a few good minutes, I decided to change up my close quarter assault in hopes of landing a blow by first delivering a punch strong enough to force Zin back, then leaping a couple of feet into the air while unleashing five forward kicks.  Unfortunately, Zin repelled each attempt.

As I landed, Zin swung his left foot around in his attempt in kicking me.  I quickly grabbed his attack and spun myself around while trying to slam him down, but my efforts proved null as Zin positioned his hands to absorb the impact, then instantly freed himself from my grip.  While still in a handstand, Zin started at me with two leg swipes, and then used the momentum to keep his feet in the air while swinging multiple kicks; luckily I managed to evade them.

Soon afterwards, Zin flipped back up and lunged at me; I responded the same.  The moment we were in range, the two of us locked our foot behind the other to impede movement as we began launching strike after strike; the results were the same.  After the failed attempts, we soon simultaneously broke free, then locked arms while using the other to rapidly elbow at each other.  Since again this action proved futile, I immediately twisted my body while still latched onto Zin, and threw him into a building before he could counter.  When Zin made contact with the barrier protecting the structure, I charged forward and threw my fist at my friend.  My opponent was quick to roll out of harm’s way, but as he did that, I rolled at Zin while also slamming my fists at him, but he still managed to avoid them.

When the cursed warrior came to the edge of the building, Zin instantly flung himself off.  When I followed after him, he immediately reacted by snatching me in midflight, suplexed me, rolled on top, and started wailing down on me.

I managed to free myself when Zin brought his arm back for the fifteenth strike, by sliding my hand behind his head and forcing it downwards as I headbutted him.  When he drew back, I gave him a left hook that pushed my foe fully off.  Next I flipped on top and delivered another punch, but as I went in for another, I felt the left side of my ribs get thrust into by a fist, for Zin had a clear shot at it.  Following that, Zin completely forced me off with another blow to my face.

Once we stood up, the two of us engaged each other again, only to be brought into another stalemate.  Zin and I continued our barrage of attacks until Zin grabbed both of my arms, but before he could proceed, I grabbed his as well, jumped up, and rammed both my feet into his chest.

As we regained our stature, I sped at him with a quick kick, which was immediately repelled, but I used the momentum to connect a punch into his upper chest region.  After that, I went for another while I still had the chance, but that one was quickly blocked and I was soon greeted with an uppercut that was followed by a double chop to my neck.  It stunned me for a moment, but not long enough since I was able to recover in time to defend against a sudden jab to my upper mass.  When I stopped Zin’s attack, I locked my arm with his so he couldn’t evade my upcoming strike, but I forgot to account for the knee that was soon in my stomach.  When I released him, I was soon greeted again with another punch to my face.  With the force from that blow, I used the momentum to twist around and backhand Zin; I went for another.  As I continued my spin, I felt the back of my head get snatched as I was soon dragged down.  When the pull stopped, Zin gave one punch to my chest, an elbow to my throat, and a knee to the back of my head.  The power from that last hit pushed me straight back onto my feet and Zin fully in my sights.  He lunged for me, but I prevented his attempt by delivering my own uppercut.  Zin stumbled back and I went in for a right hook, but my foe quickly repelled my punch and got me with two direct headbutts, but as he went in for the third, I countered with a round house kick to his head.  When he soon recovered, my opponent threw three punches that I defended against and soon grappled me, which I freed myself by a right knee to his gut and a right hook to the face.

Zin stepped back and readied himself; so did I.  We lunged at each other with our right fists; both impacting against each other.  Following that, we both used the same leg to kick at each other, but with each attempt were blocked by the mimicking limb.  Simultaneously we canceled and soon threw another punch; only to be stopped by the same appendage of our foes.  After five more tries, I landed a blow to his stomach with my left fist while he mirrored me.  Next, we switched to our rights and delivered another, which forced us back six feet.  Following that, the two of us charged each other while throwing a right hook; our fists passed each other and soon impacted on our faces.  The power behind it was strong enough to drop us to our knees, but not stop us.  When we landed, we quickly responded by a mimicking headbutt.  On our second hit, we didn’t separate; instead we continued to push against each other’s forehead; not just to help ourselves up, but to help the other up as well.  When we were back on our feet, Zin looked over my shoulder and I looked over his.  I saw Apocalypto and he saw his scythe.  After that, we glanced at each other and instantly knew what the other was thinking.  He walked over to his weapon, and I went for mine.

We are warriors in sync.  Friends.  Brothers.

We reclaimed our blades as the true battle was about to begin.

Prepare yourself Zin.

The protective shielding beneath our feet cracked, due to the force ejected by Zin and I launching at each other.  When the two of us came into range, we clashed our fierce might; manifesting bolts of lightning as our spirituality intertwined through the metal of our weapons.  We soon broke apart and again charged each other while continuing to match speeds and deflect the oncoming strikes.  No mercy was shown through the echoing of our blades; we didn’t falter in our movements or techniques; we were fighting to win, to choose the path of an ancient one’s war, and to ensure the survival of our brothers.  Zin is protecting me as much I’m protecting him.

At one point, I found an opening and made my move using an upwards swing, which easily severed Zin’s cursed limb.  Zin then immediately snatched his scythe while it was still in the air with his human arm, and then turned the missing mass to me.  Realizing his intentions, I instantly retreated back and was soon sent fleeing as pure darkness flooded out of Zin’s body and chased after me.  I soon took to the skies in effort of avoiding the shadowed tendrils.  If this wasn’t a fight, then this would be ideal flight practice for Rainbow, since I’m constantly zigzagging through the air avoiding the shadow spikes.

Out of the fury of attack came Zin with the wings and tails of his beast form; slashing a spiritual wave upon me.  I managed to defend against his power, but was left on guard for Zin’s wings had split opened and released two sun yellow beams like cannons that I rapidly evaded.  After that, Zin had unleashed another energy attack from his wings, but this time the attack came out as a barrage of homing blasts.  The assault followed me for a moment, but once I managed to lead the spheres into a straight line, I countered with a single blast of my own and created a chain reaction explosion, and then shot through the smoke while unleashing a strong slash that knocked the opposing warrior back.

After my friend crashed to the ground, I lunged at him while swinging my sword, only to be stopped by the newly reconstituted arm of his.  He threw me off, while morphing that arm of his into what I could honestly say what looked like an alien rifle.  A bluish orb formed at the tip of his appendage while red lights shimmered in the two bulges and an orange light shined from the four spikes that plunged out of it.  When Zin finished charging his attack, a purple blast that was coated in flames shot out at me and blew up on me when I tried repelling it with little luck.

When the initial force pushed me back, my opponent came into view and the two of us were left having our weapons cry out against each other.  With each clang of our metal, I began thinking about Zin’s offer again.

What am I fighting for?  To protect the ones I love.

What happens if peace isn’t an option?  More destruction.  And if I leave to fight Reiku, there would be no one here to protect my family here.

What if peace is possible?  I will be able to live my life from where I left it off.  No war to worry about.  No more violence.  No more deaths.

I have those who care for me.  I have those who are willing to risk their lives for my survival.  The biggest examines being when Rainbow tried protecting me from Lith, and Zin with each of his attempts to stop me and Reiku.  During this whole conflict, Zin has tried being the voice of reason; and when Reiku and I wouldn’t listen, he has tried numerous times to force us to.  Zin fights to ensure that his friends, Reiku and I, survive our bloody confrontations.

What has been years for me since my second death has been a month for Zin.  This is why his drive for stopping Reiku and I is even stronger; he has a second chance to save me.  If I were to die again, the damage from my death would be even worse; especially since the time difference has been shorter for him.

Do I continue or do I stop the conflict?

I spun around behind Zin in the nick of time and slashed a wave upon him; it hit.  Next, I extended my left arm and unleashed a hellfire of energy blasts that forced Zin further into the distance.  Through the smoke my barrage created, a black and purple mix beam fired onto my position.  As I evaded the attack, Zin launched out at me with his signature move, Tairega, violently fluctuating in his right hand while he swung his scythe with his left.  I countered by mirroring his attack, and once the two of us clashed, we had become the eye to a spiritual storm.  Zin wouldn’t let up with his vitality and I wasn’t backing down with Apocalypto.

Eventually, the two of us had pushed this attack to the point that the energy became a singularity and imploded on itself.  In order to avoid the chaos of the event, Zin and I retreated back, but after that I immediately leapt forward and thrust my zweihander forward.  I could tell that Zin was unprepared for my strike, since I managed to impale my sword through his chest.  After that, I channeled my energy into the blade and fired a sea blue beam out of the warrior.

The power from my attack forced Zin back a couple of feet and annihilated a good chuck of his chest and right arm.  Shortly afterwards, the missing piece pulled itself shut and soon afterwards completely regenerated.  With his restored limb, Zin tore off the rest his smoldering shirt; revealing that three-fourths of his upper body mass was consumed by the darkness of his curse.

…It’s progressed that far!?

Suddenly, I could sense a massive spiritual force being charged; the source coming from my friend.  I waited in anticipation for Zin’s motive, only to be greeted with a blinding, crimson red flash.  As the illumination continued, I felt a surge in power; one that is vastly superior to my current status.  Once the light cleared, what I saw before me was no normal human.  Zin now stood fully suited in a pure white knight’s armor, the helm that was sat around his head had a unicorn’s horn as long as Celestia’s situated upon it, Zin’s eyes had a golden glow to them that shined through the eye holes of his helmet., his shadow tails were gone and his demon wings were replaced with black angelic ones, and lastly, Zin’s scythe was no more, instead the weapon he now grasped was a zweihander that had the same shape and hue of its previous form.

It’s as Lith said.  The guardian of Earth now claims his Ultimate and has gone through a rebirth.  Plus with his determination, my brother shall prove to be a truly fierce opponent.

Zin was too fast for me now and barely left me any time to react.  Zin was already at my location and unleashing multiple strikes against; leaving me on the defensive and pushing me back.  After what I counted as his forty-second slash, Zin threw a single punch while also firing a twilight orange orb into me.   The assault left me flying about twenty feet away.

The moment I landed, my body had finally reacted to each hit that Zin managed to connect.  Thirty-seven cuts exploded off me; I wasn’t even given enough time to try and heal them for my opponent had already charged and rammed the hilt of his sword into my gut.  This was followed with a knee to my face, another punch, batting me with his left wing, and then flapping both wings while launching a multitude of feathers that blew up upon impact against me.

After I regained my stature, Zin thrust his sword at me, but I managed to repel his attack until he unleashed another set of swings at me.  The clanging of our metal reverberated through the air for Zin’s might outmatched mine currently.  With my foe’s final strike in this barrage, Zin forced my blade into the ground, and then used his to slash upwards through my upper mass; I could feel it cut against the bone.  I fled back after the hit.

I’m surely going to lose if I continue fighting in this form; I have one choice now.  I concentrated deep within me; grasping hold of my true power.

I am a leviathan.  I am a human.  There is no difference between what I am, for I am both.

I felt the surge of power flow through me as I combusted in an azure inferno.  Once the flames dissipated, my wounds were gone and my body had shifted into my Ultimate.

“We may be equal titans Inrei, but I swear I will stop you, and I will save you!  From yourself and Reiku!”  Zin stated.

One will raise, one will fall.  Zin, I’m not sure if our opinion on the matter will be the same after this, but thank you my friend for all you have done.  I’m sure once we finish this fight, I will have my final decision.

I am not a creature that follows fate or destiny; instead I am one that makes my own.  I can make my own choices, I can shape my own future, and I can decide what I am.  Aurelia is right; I am not the entity I once was.  I am not a vengeful creature of hatred, anger, or chaos.  I am the deity leviathan.  I am the God of Dusk, Inrei Ikumatse.  I am the human, Inrei Ikumatse.  I am what I choose to be.  My fate is what I want it to be.

The storm manifested by Zin and mine’s power had migrated overhead as we readied ourselves.

With the strike of a bolt of lightning, the two of us clashed our might.  Nature roared with every deflected swing.  The weapons cried with each repel.  Our auras burned from us like breathing flames.  And the barrier rippled with the forces exerted by our power.

The two of us soon separated from the physical confrontation, took flight, and then immediately resumed the barrage of sword swings in the air.  The moment Zin and I chanced each other and pushed our strength through our blades, each hit finally had the chance to catch up and appear; revealing cuts on me and nicks on Zin’s armor.

Before Zin could act, I focused a large amount of my energy into my right fist and punched my appendage against Zin’s head while also firing off a cyan blast; throwing him back by fifty feet.  Following that, I conjured up more of my vitality and released a firestorm of spiritual orbs and fired beams from the tip of Apocalypto.

Out of the smoke created by my attack, an onslaught of black feathers flew right at me.  I was fast enough to form a force field to block the attack, but once the assault finished, I saw Zin materialize what looked like a blue and green, polygon shaped bracelet, and fired an intense beam that broke through my barrier and forced me to flip out of harm’s way.  After that, Zin pointed his sword towards that sky and manifested a massive seal with archaic symbols and lettering, and then directed his weapon at me; unleashing a dark purple beam upon me.

I managed to dodge the initial attack, but the power from the explosion it caused, pushed me away a good hundred feet.  As I regained my mobility, my foe was ready to attack again at close range until I countered by slashing a multitude of sword waves.  When each strike hit and created a distance between the two of us, I focused my emotions and spirituality into a Kazejin, and released hell towards my friend.

Zin quickly evaded my attack, and as I went in for another attempt, Zin mimicked me and fired off his own Kazejin to counter me.  The two beams collided with each other and unleashed gale force turbulences as my friend and I refused to let up.  As the destructive energy continued to flux between us, more destruction was dispersed from our power through bolts of electricity.  I’m just glad that the barrier that Zin and I formed for Ponyville is holding out; who knows what it would look like if it wasn’t there.

Minutes had passed as I pushed the force towards Zin, and he would push it back at me.  As it became the sixth minute in our struggle, the two forces couldn’t withstand each other anymore and discharged all the energy on us.  With this incident, Zin and I diverted most of our vitality into the town’s force field and ensured its survival; it worked, but left us no time to protect ourselves.

When I was thrown back, I was forced tumbling into the ground at high speeds and suffered from minor burns while I was accidentally cut a few times by Apocalypto.  With Zin, I don’t know what injuries he received, but I could see afterwards he was the first to get back up.

I hurried back up and flew at the opposing warrior while conjuring up a golden ring around my free arm.  The very second I reached him, Zin had formed that bracelet again and positioned his appendage an inch in front of my face while mine was the same distance from his.  The two of us didn’t bother to move when we fired off our attacks.  The sheer power forced the both of us apart again, but Zin stopped his movement by embedded his blade into the ground and catching himself.

Zin then charged at me and when he was in range, I reacted first by throwing a right hook and impacted directly against his face; shattering his helm and caused some of the shards to cut across his face.  Following that was another onslaught of us slashing our zweihanders and matching each other’s velocity.  Though we may be at another stalemate, Zin and I this time began to channel our spirit energy into our blades; making every strike far more deadly than the last.

When it came to the point of our weapons coming seeping visible energy, us two warriors leapt back a good distance away from each other and began concentrating the majority of our spirituality into the blades.  The power became so intense, that the energy manipulating the weather darkened the storm clouds to make it appear as night; the only light was the glow of our swords and the will power that flared in our eyes.  Within the next second, we lunged at each other.

The force screamed as we clashed our metal against each other, lightning ejected itself from the focal point, and the energy illuminated the entire region now.  As our zweihanders scrapped against each other, I tightened my grip to the point where the handle of mine slightly blistered my hand due to the struggling force, in attempt of not giving up.  There were moments in this conflict where the energy exerted would fly out and singe us.  Sheer hell flooded out of our confrontation as we both went full force.  As we continued to push ourselves to the limit, I could see in my peripheral that our spirit weapons were starting to crack from the unrelenting strength and overwhelming power.  And then it happened with a glass shattering sound; both mine and Zin’s weapon had destroyed each other and unleashed an explosion with an overpowering force that nearly matched a Kazejin.

While Zin and I were still being thrown back by the chaos, I could also see that the external force from the action had also crumbled the barrier over Ponyville; luckily the aftermath that hit the town now was just strong winds that only violently shook the windows of the many buildings.  However, that thought was soon proved short, since Zin and I crashed in opposite directions and were dragged for I don’t know how many feet.  As my body pushed down and tore up the pathway, I temporarily lost the ability move as pain influenced me.  Seventeen seconds later, I finally came to a halt and could move again.

I struggled to my feet, and when I finally got halfway up, I collapsed down onto my knees.  Right now my joints ache while blood is trailing out of my mouth and each wound.  I’ve exhausted most of my energy and the pang of this battle is wearing me out; not to mention with the destruction of my weapon adding on to the affliction.

I glimpsed over at my injured friend and could clearly tell that Zin is in the same boat as I am.  Crimson liquid seeped out of the few chinks in his armor, Zin was panting as much as I was, and he used his right hand to relocate his left arm back in its socket.  After that, Zin too struggled to stand back up, but with his determination, Zin made it back onto his feet while he began to channel his remaining energy into his fists.

Soon after witnessing this, I mustered up the strength and mirrored his action.

It’s not over yet.

The two of us ran at each other head on and slammed our fists against each other; it caused us to twitch in pain, but we mostly ignored the sensation.  We drew back and continued on.  With every bone shattering blow, our speed gradually slowed down, but we both refused to cease.  Our fight came to the point to where we didn’t care about defending anymore; all we did was place our remaining might into every hit with the hopes of stopping each other.

After Zin’s most recent punch, I delivered a kick that had knocked him off his ass.  When he landed, I jumped on top and started punching down on him until he jabbed his left fist into me.

As soon I was off, Zin then flipped onto his feet and immediately tackled me against a building.  There my entire being was met with numerous punches to the face and knees to the gut.  I managed to free myself by pushing myself forward and connecting two direct headbutts.

From there I scored two kicks, and when Zin tried to recover from that, I grabbed his arm and threw him on the ground.  While I was still standing, I forced my fist down into him and shattered the chest piece of his armor with my punch.

Zin instantly responded by swinging his right leg up and kicking me in my collar bone region; forcing me back.  Following that, Zin rolled back up shoulder rammed me until we crashed into another building.

Before my friend could react to me being pinned, I threw a barrage of fourteen punches; forcing him off.  When I tried for a fifteenth, Zin quickly avoided it and put me in a sleeper hold.  I struggled as my airway was slowly choked shut, but managed to free myself by elbowing my opponent in his right rib.  The moment Zin released me, I immediately spun into the air and let the momentum deliver my kick.

The second I landed on all fours, Zin hurried up to me and kicked me in the gut; forcing me to roll on my back.  Following that, Zin then proceeded to stomp on me, but I reacted in time to snatch his leg and pull him down.  Before I could do anything, my foe countered by sliding his left arm in the way and forcing me back down by pushing his limb against my neck and put me in another pin.  Next Zin started score punch after punch as I tried my best to flail him off.  I eventually managed to push him off, but as I finally got some oxygen back, Zin kicked me up onto my feet.

As he went in for another attempted I evaded his leg and quickly put him in an arm lock.  From there I started bashing against the back of his head until I released him.  When Zin stumbled forward, I tried to body slam him, but Zin rapidly countered by forcing his left leg forward and kicking me back.

When I stood back up, Zin and I charged at each other and we both connected a right hook; the impact from the two punches was strong enough to knock us off our feet.  Simultaneously, Zin and I got back up; I could see how exhausted he was and he could see how tired I was.  I’m at my limit and I bet he’s at his.  The two of us readied ourselves as we slowly struggled towards each other; once in range, I delivered the first punch.  Using the reaction movement and momentum, Zin then threw his own punch.  After being hit, I again went for another.  The two of us stumbled and struggled to stay standing as we continued to trade blow after blow.

I can feel it in my body; I only have enough strength for one more go.  This is it.  All or nothing.

Time seemed to slow down for me as the two of us went in for our final punch.  This last hit could determine it.  I could see the determination in his eyes, and I bet he could see mine.  Our fists passed each other and continued towards each other.  The only sensation I felt was against my fist; I knew I managed to connect my strike, but it also means I’m done for, I can’t continue any further.  I regained my position and watched as Zin stumbled backwards.  Once Zin stopped moving, he collapsed to his knees, leaned forward, and rolled onto his back.

It’s over now.  It’s finally over.

I decided to check up on my friend and with each step I took, I felt like dead weight was attached to my feet.  Luckily I made it over without falling, and to prevent myself from dropping, I decided to rest on my back as well.  My body ached in doing so, but it felt nice finally getting some relaxation.

“Inrei, don’t do it!  Revenge isn’t worth it; you’ll gain nothing!”  Zin announced.

I guess now the fight is finished, it’s time to make my decision.  I thought deeply about my choice.  Voices of the past echoed in my memories.

“What will revenge change?”

“You can change fate.”

“Let this hatred and need for revenge go.  It isn’t you Inrei; you’re a kind and gentle person.”

“You’re not some monster anymore, you’re a human now!  Not the God of Chaos!  Not the Azure Dragon!  And not some mindless beast!”

“Sometimes the best way to win a fight is to not fight at all.”

“Force answers force, war breeds war, and death only brings death.  To break this vicious circle one must do more than just act without any thought or doubt.”

“It isn’t the ideas of others that make us what we are, but the choices we make as an individual.”

“The past is the past; no one can change that…What good has all this fighting solved?...  Free from the worry of each other.  Free from the darkness of the past.  Free from this pointless conflict.”

“If I had gotten angry for it, I would have taken a step back into the beast that I formally was.”

I know my answer now.

“I’m ending it; it’s over now.  As long as Reiku doesn’t attack, then I shall hold peace.”

“What?”  I found the amount of shock in Zin’s voice to be slightly amusing.  But I guess it’s natural to be stunned when given this type of news.  It’s what he hoped for.

“As long there aren’t any more confrontations from Reiku, I shall cease my conflict and remain here.  The war is over.”

There was a sudden, joyous laughter from Zin before he began again.  “So you finally decided to listen to reason?”

“Yup; it just took some time, words of wisdom, and the actions of those that care about me.”

“That’s good to hear.  You’ve taken a big step forward Inrei.  I’m proud.”  Zin raised his hand above our heads.

“Now you just have to convince Reiku as well.”  I clasped his hand and shook it.

“I will.  And if I fail, then you give him hell.”

The two of us let go of each other’s grip.

“I’m a bit tired.  I think I’m going to take a quick nap, if that’s okay?”  Zin declared.

“Sounds like a plan.”  I slowly closed my eyes and soon fell asleep.

I awoke hours later in a very familiar looking room.  A blinding overhead light on an extremely white ceiling followed by a flat beige wall, green drapes on my left, and a heart monitor on my right.  Hello hospital room; it’s been a while.

The moment I sat up, the intensity of a thousand white hot suns that is pain flared through my body.  This is going to be a welcoming sensation that I’ll be waking up to for the next few days.  But luckily for me, the feeling was soon forgotten about when I heard groaning next to me.  It was Zin.  We stared at each other until Zin simply shook his head and smiled.

“It really is just like old times.”  He began.

“Yeah, but your girlfriend isn’t here to call us idiots.”  I smiled back.

The only door to the room soon opened up and entering was Rainbow.  She causally walked right in and climbed on top of me.

“You’re an idiot you know that?”  Dash said.  She tried to kiss me, but that was interrupted when Zin and I busted out laughing.

“Well I guess we can say it’s like old times now.”  Zin chuckled.

“I don’t get it.  What’s going on?”  Rainbow questioned.

“Don’t worry; I’ll explain it to you later.”  If I had my jacket with me, I would pull out that last cigarette right now.  This is a memory worth saving.  Maybe I might have some luck with Zin.  “Hey Zin, you wouldn’t happen to have some clove cigarettes in that arm, would you?”

“You smoke?”  He replied.

“Guess that answers my question.”

“But still, you smoke now?”  Zin continued to question.

“I do in this life.”  Since I brought up his arm, I soon remember the amount his curse had spread.  “How are you dealing that these days?”  I pointed to his arm.

“Well it’s still an ordeal, but I manage to pull through.  There have been times where the curse has gotten close to consuming my soul, but in the end, I still succeeded in preventing that.”

“So are you getting close to purging yourself of it?”

“Atoli and I are getting close, but we still have a ways to go.  We’ve been going through her father’s old books for clues and help on the situation.”

“I suppose that’s at least some good news.  Hey since you brought up Atoli, can you tell her I’m sorry for almost killing her….twice.”  I said.  Both times that happened, I didn’t really know who she was.

“Don’t worry buddy, Atoli has already forgiven you.  She knows the whole ordeal you’ve gone through.”

“Still, I just want her to know that I’m sorry for it….By the way, when do you plan on proposing to Atoli?  I know you two have gotten that close since you began your journey.”

“I will shortly, I want to rid myself of this dreaded affliction first.  I’ve already told her that once this problem is over, that I want to be with her for the rest of our lives.”  Zin informed.

Boy do I know that feeling.

“So what about you and your friend there?  What’s her name?”  Zin asked.

“Name’s Rainbow Dash; the best flyer in Ponyville.”  Rainbow announced.

“Pleased to meet you.  So how did you two meet?”  He continued.

“It happened when I first arrived here.  Rainbow and her friends rescued me when I was injured, from there the two of us got to know each other better, and then one thing led to another.”  I leaned forward and gave a quick peck on Dash’s cheek.

As the three of us continued to have small talk, a nurse came in with a cart that had two trays on it.  And on these trays were two cups of juice, two jello cups, and something; I think its oatmeal or chowder; I can’t really tell.

“You know, out of all the times I’ve spent in hospitals, I still haven’t gotten use to their food.”  Zin declared.

“Same here.”  I instantly agreed.

The nurse left the food with us, and as she exited the room, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, and three brigade members, dressed in military jeans and jackets, entered the room.  And in the hands of one of the soldiers was a bag of sandwiches; compared to what the nurse brought us, these sandwiches looked like the most delicious thing in the entire universe.  Zin and I stared at these sandwiches like hungry wolves watching their prey.

“We all know what hospital food is like and decided to bring y’all somethin’ different.”  Applejack stated.

“Oh yes, and the humans were kind enough to help make your meal.  These people are so nice.”  Fluttershy added.

“We could say the same to you ponies.”  The female soldier happily jumped in.

It’s good to know that the two groups are getting along.  I guess it would be more natural for the brigade members in this situation since they come from a realm that is filled with demons, hybrids, and various other types of entities.

“So is it true that you’re ending the war with Reiku, Inrei?”  Twilight asked.

I confirmed her question, then accepted and counted up the food brought for Zin and me.  Uh oh; there’s an odd number and from the looks of it, we both want that last one.  It would be ideal just to split it if these sandwiches weren’t so small.  Hunger can be a man’s greatest enemy at times.

Zin rose up his shadowed arm and phased out a deck of cards from the appendage.  “Play you for it.”

“You’re on.”  I soon realized something.  “What are we going to use for currency?”

Zin and I turned to the crap that was hospital food shortly after and knew the answer.  As Zin started dealing out the cards, a few of the others decided to join in the poker game to make it more ‘challenging’ for the two of us; we decided to just deal everyone in.

Time flew by and this is probably going to be the last hand now.  I discarded two cards and the two I received gave me a full house.  If I can win this one, then that sandwich is mine.  Fluttershy folded, Zin had a two of a kind, and everyone else had nothing.  Victory!

“Oh come on Fluttershy, you folded with every hand.  You probably had something good at least once.”  Rainbow began.

“Here, let me see what you had.”  I peeked over to get a good look at her cards.  “Okay you had a queen of clubs, ace of clubs, ten of clubs, jack of……I’ll…I’ll just take my food now.”

“What did she have?”  One of the male soldiers inquired.

“A royal flush.”  I informed.

Jaws dropped in shock.

“Fluttershy, you would have won!”  Rainbow jumped.

“I know, but umm…everyone else would have lost.”  Fluttershy responded.

“I’m not going to complain.”  I added.

“Of course you’re not, you won.”  Zin chuckled out of his shock.

Now that victory had been claimed, we all decided to resume that get together from earlier, but now with a few extra guests.  It was a good time conversing with everyone.

Two days had passed since Zin and I were hospitalized.  We decided to take the extra day off as a break and to catch up for old times’ sake.  It was nice and fun hanging out with Zin again, and I wish he could have stayed longer, but he has to return to his home to deal with Reiku and his duties.  The girls and I escorted Zin and his subordinates back to their ship; outside Ponyville.

“It’s been fun having you around.”  I started.

“Same here, Inrei.  Enjoy your new life and don’t be a stranger.”  Zin replied.

We both extended our arms to shake, but then pulled each other in and gave a brotherly hug to each other.  Once we finished, the girls and I watched Zin board his vessel and the vehicle take flight.  After that, the massive machine had left the same way it appeared.

Good luck Zin; you’ll need it with Reiku.