Rising Hope: Birth Of The Transcendents

Ryuu

Showdown

It...was time. Time for yet another of the select few to earn their stripes. Some trained decades to be allowed for this opportunity. Others spoke lies, killed, and worse of all: fell victim to the glorious light of justice. The very few stand at the precipice of glory.

''Hey, we're up,''

All bets are off when the chosen fill the role.

''I-Is it our turn? Already? What about-Noooooooo!''

This is the ultimate and most difficult choice one is to make while for this line of work.

''Mikagura, help me!''

At most every...centennial or so, 100 worthy dragons come to participate in this sacred and time-honored challenge. For some, this is death. For others, life. For those in between only seek what their pride allows them.

''This will not be your average day in the pits, battling over amethyst or peridot! No! No, what you now face is tantamount to your will being scripted. Ash will fall, scales break at the mere thought, but most of all: those who survive will laugh and spit upon your corpse as Mikagura accepts our offering by defiling and eating your bodies while the faintest speck of your life remains!''

''YEAH!''

''Are you ready to experience pain unlike you've even known?''

''YEAH!''

''Do you want to be immortalized in fame?''

''YEAH!''

''I can't hear you!''

''YEAH!''

''Then...let's stir up some murder,''

Sandgen Village, The Circle: 15:30 P.M.

Spike's Pov.

The booming announcement came from Shirai, traces of his metallic breath clinging to my nose as he adjusted to changing to his Exceed form: Scrap Fire Dragon.

Even the smallest of movements prompted multiple pieces of folded metal slowly shift and turn to conform finishing the last few parts of his face. The entire sight of hearing gears whiz and pistons compress, Kanaranx walked over, laying a claw on my slumped shoulder.

''We gotta move, you know. A second past the start time and you can consider all you've worked for to be for nothing,''

''Damn,'' I muttered under my breath. ''Why I do I feel-

''Scared?''

''No!'' I leaped up from the warm rock I sat underneath. ''I-I-I...Yea.'' my thoughts ran short. ''Weren't you?''

Smiling, he urged me forward to the rustic cliff that formed over the majestic, yet deadly looking pool of I assumed to be either poison or acid. Swirling vortexes of the mysterious fluid evaporated into the air, creating a thick haze that restricted even a dragon's heightened sense of sight provided a dim hue of blue as others were torn between being thrown or jumped into the unknown.

''You will never fully understand the pain I went through unless you do it yourself. That being said, you have some company on the other side,'' Kanaranx ruffled his wings before the world did a 360 and the sudden feeling of weightlessness took my senses over. Rapidly seeing his frame become smaller and smaller told me all.

''Kanaranx, you bastard!''

''Try not to curl up: trust me it won't help!''

Exhaling a swift breath of air, I lost control of all primary motor functions as my mind registered what he did. Doing my best to look underneath, the void was closing in fast: at this rate, I should hit in the next few seconds.

Ten...

Nine...

Eight...

Seven...

Six...

Five...

''Raaaaaahhhhh! Let's get this started!'' a deep voice rumbled from above. Hearing a mixture of train brakes screeching and The Royal Canterlot Voice forced my ears to twist. Looking past the black splotches filling my vision, as well the many screams of those below, the massive form of metal, scrap material, and wait...that's Shirai!

''W-Wait!'' I tried to shout out, but my throat suddenly convulsed.

Seeing inside of the speeding titan's mouth, an assortment of blades, flesh, scales and  still blinking e-eyes looked back at me. Opening his maw, a stream of white fire sped in my path.

''Crap!''

Using my arms to shield the blast, the intensity gave me instant whiplash, like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. The fire stuck to my scales, which I expected to burn me but, it was common knowledge that dragon scales repel 95.8% of all fire, so I had no real reason to panic.

''See you on the other side!'' a voice shouted past the wind. Looking over to my right, I saw it was Kanaranx and Zoe, smiling.

''Aren't you scared?'' I managed to get my aching throat to cooperate.

''Meh.'' they shrugged their shoulders.

Before I could offer a rebuttal, my eyes began to feel heavy, so very heavy. Reaching a throbbing claw to the sky as to call upon a divine force to aid me, Shirai's fiery pupils cast a insane look before every part of me cracked like a acorn and the world went dark.

***

I awoke to a slew of feelings. Intense headaches unlike nothing before, my heart pounding like a thousand diamonds being shattered, a sense of wicked vertigo, and to top it all off: I feel cold and sticky. Doing my best to not let tears leave my eyes, I slowly regained my vision to see the ground on the ceiling. Or is it ceiling on the ground? Hmmph, I can't tell what's what anymore.

''Oh, hey: he's up,'' a small voice called. Past that was a fit of uncontrollable snickering through the other's voice.

''Let's fucking do this: about to be so damn priceless,''

''W-Who's there?'' I nearly fainted from the blood rush.

''Mommy dearest, who else would it be? Just kidding, it's your friendly neighborhood dragon: Kanaranx!''

''Hah...hah...explains the laughing, b-but why~?''

''We should let you 'feel' for yourself, but promise me you won't freak...okay?'' Zoe sounded neutral, I wonder. Taking my claws and putting it to my head, my breath instantly hitched.

No, no that can't be right, could it?

Reaching over to my kneecaps, the same result. My back, feet, even my privates: gone. I...I'm naked!

''How did this happen?'' my question finally came through the searing pain. ''And why aren't you like this?''

''The portal, it basically skinned and rolled you like a rotisserie,'' Kanaranx admitted. ''Plus, I already did this, so i'm exempt from that grossness.''

Taking a better look at my surroundings, I found we were engulfed in a massive void of sorts, a body of water surrounding us as we sat on a rock, sparkles of glistening astral dust touched onto the still sea with the still statues ahead.

Looking up, it was revealed that Shirai held me up by a chain. Before I could provide my two bits, he let me flop onto the cold rock before looking the other way.

Giving myself a once over, my body resembled that of a naked mole rat, only more oily and constant throbbing pain. Casting aside the sightseeing, Master Dai stood some distance away, in a pure white robe and gripped a golden staff, adorned with two snake heads encased in obsidian and various jewels in one claw whilst the other traced magic symbols in the air before setting it down.

''Hmm, so only a few survived...well, it appears this batch was weak as well,'' he said with a unsatisfactorily tone. ''However, for those who did make it through, you have just passed through what I refer to as The Wringer. This, as some of you may know is a holy place, and no earthbound impurities are allowed in: which is why your scales and unmentionables are gone. A blank slate has potential to be the very things of legend while imperfect stones are useless, worn out and unsightly,'' he looked mildly disgusted. ''The fact that you're barely standing here means that Mikagura has decided to register those who she deems worthy enough! to become part of the sacred and prestigious race of special dragons with exceptionable abilities: The Ryuu. There are 3 steps in earning what you want most: the first of which you have already done: being here. Now the rest falls onto you,'' Master Dai struck the water like a stone, a lone pinging echoing for the longest time, then something happened.

A low rumbling displaced the water, so much that the structure behind it looked as tall as a mountain before shaping into a white shimmering anvil.

''That is what will subsequently make or break you if you wish to return to the physical world, failure to do so results in immediate sacrifice.''

Letting his words sink in, I somehow got even more of a problem in speaking with all this. But, so far all that i've trained for can't go to waste, it just can't.

''...So, now that all who survived are here, let us get started with the second step. Any volunteers?''

''Oh, Master!"' Kanaranx gleefully shouted. ''I know who: Garble!''

Wait, who?

Looking to my left, a dragon with the same look as me, only more slender and lanky with red eyes. But man, did he barely pass the threshold.

Staggering to get up, the gems of Master Dai's staff began to glow before the snake heads lunged at him, wrapping around his arms and forcing him to a sitting position.

''Let us see the fruits of your labor then,'' the snake heads wormed around his back and forced the flesh on his shoulder blades wide open, revealing parts of his cracked spinal cord, and even a bit of his scorched hearts. Reaching inside, Master Dai forcefully pulled back past the cartilage to show the still attached and beating lungs covered in blood.

''Hmm, it appears we still have a-

''Aaaaaahhhh! Please make it stop!''

''A weed in our midst...nevertheless, we will proceed with the ritual anyways,'' he stood up, effortlessly yanking out the lungs and commanding the snakes to carry Garble in the air over to the anvil. Gripping his staff with renowned vigor, electric pulses began to spark wildly before showering the skies.

Bringing the staff overhead, Dai said nothing else as the only sounds filling the air was Garble's pained screams that gave me a migraine just watching a wasted cause be tortured. With every swing of the staff brought more pain as he took an apparent pleasure in cooking his entire body as blood, tears, and even Ugh! fecal matter leaked out. Each slam of the staff produced a whistling sound that picked up as pieces of his skin formed at the seams, as if he's rebuilding the scales over again.

''This is...

''Painful, sad, boring, a pain in the ass and completely needed for you to be considered a Ryuu and leave here? Yep, right on my nose,'' Kanaranx dryly commented, being so bored that he walked on his hands the entire he said that. ''By the way, your friend there-

''He's not my friend.'' I interrupted, momentarily putting aside his suffering to remember what he did back in Ponyville.

''Anyways! he's going to become what like to call in the spiritual sense: a Fallen. And before you ask, that is the literal manifestation of negative emotions somehow stored away inside to not face their demons later on, or how I call it: someone who clings to petty squabbles and ignore Master Dai's training,''

''Wait.'' Zoe looked confused. ''Why is-

''I wasn't done talking yet! Shit!'' Kanaranx kicked a rock in anger. ''You can't cut off your elders like that or I ought to-

''Ought to what, Kanaranx?'' Shirai's fangs sparked to life.

''Ought to make sure I get you that you medium-rare venison you are so fond of,'' the dragon chuckled before backing away. Seeing this happen in his mind, Shirai looped his tail around Kanaranx's and held him in the air.

''Come now, Rai. We both know that I would whup your ass in a race. And said race would involve roasting you.''

The look into the god's eyes told me a long and surprising short story. Unfurling his wings, Shirai took flight, dragging a unfazed Kanaranx with him.

''Time for a roast session, give us about an hour or two, kay?''

That statement alone gave me a pretty clear idea of how long that would take. Looking back over to what was happening with Garble, and believe you me it was not good. At this, he has to be on the verge of death or already there seeing the lack of trying anymore. He...didn't look so hot, now i'm starting to reconsider doing this. W-What if I don't-

''Hey.'' Zoe's voice echoed past the crashing waves. ''You okay?''

Going back on something Jamir said to me when we were in the Griffon Kingdom's jail, it gave me a perspective on the matter.

''I'm scared every single time I fight because I can't know my opponent's next move, so I resort to taunting when it calls for it. Scared of using magic because I know not if it will implode me at a moment's notice. A bunch of other things are the same, but the one thing I will never be afraid to do is do what I have to protect the ones I care about and that goes for you too. Never hesitate when that moment comes.''

''Of course,'' I said with complete confidence. ''As long as I have that promise in my head and you by my side, I can go through anything.''

''Oh, Spike,'' Zoe embraced me in a hug. ''Let's face this together, okay?'' Taking her hand in a death grip, I smiled back.

''Say the word.''

Before that could happen, a brilliant gold light shone from above, blanketing the void with a brilliant light as the void turned a pale brown, a enormous figure descending from the thicket of clouds. Growling with a sense of majestic pride, the size paled in comparison to Shirai.

In that one moment, I took a glance and found myself bowing my head at the sheer size of her aura. She feels even stronger than Jamir and Twilight in terms of raw magic. Before I did so however, Master Dai was the only other one able to face the...I can't even describe it.

''Mikagura, we humbly request that you take pity on who has managed to make it this far by allowing him passage to the other side,''

Sniffing the still smoking muscle of what remained of Garble, the very embodiment of our entire existence prodding his midsection the most pristine, shining teeth i've ever seen and tossed him into the air, putting very little effort into carving his body in half expert precision, his lower half sent flying towards us.

''I think i'm gonna be-ugh! sick,'' Zoe buried her head in my chest.

''You and me both,'' I kept a slew of...questionable words to myself. Casting a look to what was left, blood stained the crystalline rock. Slivers of his long, as well small intestine lay strewn out haphazardly, the pungent smell of half-digested deer straining my nostrils. Unprofitable bite marks went clean down the stomach, pieces of his stool and urine forcing me to move over. A lot. Finding this moment to be as good as any, I carefully clasped Zoe's ears as I spoke.

''And you called me a rookie? Well, now we know who had more mettle.''

Shaking that off, I carried my partner forward to go next on this, paying no mind to the rapid hissing and subsequent splatter of his remains across this place.

''...You...have potential, young one.''

''Huh?'' I stopped in my tracks to address the voice above called. Looking to the sky, the only thing visible was the golden clouds as well a silhouette, as of who I can only guess.

''Spike?''

''...No time remains, you have before the stroke of midnight to complete the ritual, or else you will be here for all eternity, left to wither with the undying flames. I will call upon you once again, but only when you gained a new insight...''

''Spike!'' Zoe called from ahead, laying down on the golden anvil. ''Hurry!''

Ever since I trained with Jamir, and even with Master Dai, my speed increased a whole boatload. I could cover the distance it would take to get to Canterlot city limits from The Library(1 hour, 10 minutes.) in about 33 minutes, so squashing what looked to be half a mile took 20 seconds.

Paying attention to the giant forge from this perspective told me of the intricate design. Scales, magical circles, and even inscribed names plagued the base. Hopping on, the surface would normally felt like iron, but instead was the complete opposite.

A soft feeling overtook my body. The material could be compared to silk or satin. I wonder if-

''Ahem.'' a swift voice pierced the air. ''I hope you are prepared for this, I would hope you hold no earth-bound desires or grudges as you may just end up like him.''

''No, Master.'' Zoe shook her head. ''We are ready.''

''Very well. Take your individual flame cruxes and intertwine them. Once I begin, you cannot unlock your grip from your partner, understood?''

We both nodded the second our palms came into contact with our respective crux.

''I would speak a word of wisdom to you, young student. Your attitude has been nothing less than superb. Whether or not you choose to stay and study the ancient scripts is your choice, just know you will be welcomed among your fellow Ryuu, should you survive.''

Comforting.

Feeling Zoe's hand shake in my grip, I turned to comfort.

''Look at me.'' I firmly commanded. ''Am I scared?''

''No?''

''Trust in yourself, as well your partner.''

''Okay...I trust you.''

The last thing I remember before the intense straining of all my muscles was the look on Zoe's face, her warm smile relaxing me.

WHAM!